Preaching the Gospel in Taiwan

Monday, September 24, 2012

Gaoxiong means south...


Dear Mom, Dad, and Eric

This week was quite the adventure.  I received your package on Tuesday which turned out to be probably the worst possible time to receive it.  My senior companion became a trainer (like my previous senior companion) so once again, I had to leave my area three days early to proselyte with another companionship.  This essentially meant that I had to eat everything in the package really quickly, in essence, all of the food items are gone.  I don't like doing that, but there's simply no room or time to worry about it.  I greatly appreciate everything that was in there.  The pictures, the note, and the CTR ring.

Anyway, so with regards to moving, after only six short weeks I went south...very south.  I'm now in Gaoxiong city.  More specifically, Nanzi.  I woke up this morning and took a two hour train south with ELDER TAYLOR, Elder Ripley and other Elders from my generation.  I love seeing Elder Taylor, he's doing so well.  He's heading south as well so we should see each other every time Zone Conference rolls around.  At the train station in Gaoxiong I got to see Elder Chan and Elder Bishop (who I haven't seen since the MTC) which was great.  I'm so excited to get to work here and constantly do my best.  My new companion is Elder Forbes from Bountiful.  He's an awesome missionary full of fire and an excited desire to serve.  I'm so excited to work with him.  He just radiates the desire to serve his Master and I'm excited to work with it.  I can tell that he and I are going to tear up Nanzi.  I'll send you a picture if I can.

Lately, I have had a particular hymn stuck in my head that I would like to share with you.  It's hymn #335 and it's wonderful.  It's a men's choir hymn about those lost on the stormy seas of sin seeking the light of Christ in their lives.  I suggest to you to listen to the Men of the Tabernacle Choir version after reading Doctrine and Covenants 18:10-13 (I think...it's the "very soul is precious in the sight of God section").  Please tell me how it goes!
  
I read Jacob 4:14 this last week and as I did it reminded me of words that Dad said to me prior to coming out regarding one who does not have their eye on the mark.  It's a wonderful passage that illustrates that not having our eye on the mark is according to our desires and we sin because we desire to do so.  It's really fascinating.  Please read.

It sounds like Paris and England were wonderful.  I'm happy that you all loved it so much.  You deserve a vacation to somewhere like that, and to have it be intellectually as well as emotionally satisfying is wonderful.  Those are the best kinds of vacations (I would imagine).  I would love to do that someday.  Home sounds great.  I miss you all so much.  Home feels like forever ago and forever away.  I'm moving into the no longer really new, but not old group of missionaries in the mission.  It's strange to have been trained and then out for two other move calls.  I'm 25% of the way done with my time in Taiwan. So strange.  It's moving too quickly.  I never want to leave.  I want to focus and do my best each day.  This experience is not going to pass me up.  I'm trying to soak it in, but it feels to fast sometimes. 

I love you all and I hope that you're doing well.  Elder Taylor is doing great.  He's tearing it up.  I'm going to have to work overtime to catch up to him!  I love the support that you have sent me.  Keep working hard and doing your best daily. 

-Love, Elder Woolsey

No comments:

Post a Comment