Taiwan Second Month

Well hello everyone!!!! Dear Goodness I hope somebody is reading this..... 

     Sorry that I didn't write that much last week, It was a busy week and we didn't have as much time haha, but don't worry, I have more time to write this week!!!! :D 

So for starters, this week has been the saddest, and the happiest week I have ever had so far!!!!!!!!!! ok, here let me share the story :D So basically this whole week I have been super mad at my companion, and the little things where simply just getting in the way hardcore! So 4 days ago, we had a companionship inventory session and just talked things out, and then we went out. I decided at that time that I was sick of watching everything being done because I didn't know how to do it, so at that moment I decided to just try everything and figure it out for myself :D I was so happy, and me and Elder Long got along so well for the last three days because we understand each other!!!!! So yesterday we were fasting and praying that we would be able to find a family to teach. All of our current investigators and all college students, so because its midterms right now, none of them can really meet haha! So we were praying and fasting yesterday to find a family. We went out tracting last night and I felt like we should tract in these one apartments that looked super nice. We said a prayer, and Elder long started and I watched so I could learn how to do it. He started, and for 8 doors, every single person rejected us and said no. He was getting a little frustrated, so he said he was going to do calls, and If I felt comfortable, I could go Tract haha. I was terrified!!! I have never done it before, and I have no Idea what I'm doing!!!! I remembered that I have been promised courage on my mission, and so i just sucked up my fear and went for it! First house, absolutely nothing, and I felt awful! I just told myself to move on, and went to the next house. The lady opened the door, and I just started talking, asking her questions, and getting to know her. For some crazy reason she stayed talking to me!! Elder long came over to help me with my Chinese to talk to her, and we found out that her and her 2 sons lived there! They were willing to listen to our message, and said we could come back and meet with them. Amazing!!!! I tried, and because of that, me and elder Long were able to find a family!!! We were so grateful, and we decided to try and keep going :D The next 4 houses in a row all accepted us, and all said they'd meet with us, and they were all families. We had prayed and fasted that we would be able to find one family, but because we tried our hardest to do the most that we could, he blessed us that we were able to find 5 families that we can teach!!!!! Amazing!!!!!!!!! this has probably been the biggest miracle on my mission so far, and I'm so grateful that I have the Lord on my side as I do this mission :D It would be crazy impossible to try and do this without him!!!! So yes, there was that absolutely amazing story this week :D 

Yep.... I wanted to type more... but then I realized all the time was gone haha, awkward!!!! So everyone stay awesome!!!! and I'll talk to you all next week!!! yay!!! 

CTR, 

Elder Dawson 

P.S. Happy Thanksgiving!!!!!!! Eat a ton of turkey, because they don't have any where I am haha!!! 

Chapel here in Dou Liu :D 

Taiwan Week Four

Dear Family, friends, and everyone else (yes that means you potato), 

WAAAAA!!!!!!!!!! Why is every day in Taiwan so amazing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! yay!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I wish I could just share like mental thoughts of everything that happens here with you all, because it is all literally so amazing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Unfortunately, I have like no time, so this week is going to be short! I've kind of given up on giving a day by day update until I have less things to do on P-day, so those will come back soon, but for now, not happening haha. 

So this week I had my first exchange! Crazy times!!! I exchanged with the Zone leader in Jia Yi, and so I got to spend a day with him teaching lessons, and planning and studying!! yay!!! It was crazy fun, but crazy hard! It made me happy to get back to Elder Long in some ways, because I know him, and he already knows I'm crazy haha! :D 

Also this week, we were contacting a bunch of old grandma's and grandpa's on the street, and a random guy on a scooter drove up, bought us both 2 drinks each, said amen, then drove off. It was so awesome!! We had no idea who he was, but he just kept saying amen, bought us drinks, more amen's then drove of haha! Gotta love Taiwanese people :D 

Also, on the life agenda of what happened this week, I got to perform my violin at another baptism!!!! It was so cool, and it was awesome seeing this girl give up her old live to follow the lord. Awesome. I want to tell more, but I have to go. Wa! Why is there not enough time in a day! ah!!!! So you're all awesome, if there even is anyone that reads this blog haha! Stay Classy, and I'll write more next week :D 

CTR, 

Elder Dawson 

Sunset in Taiwan! 

 


                           My Companion looking at "The Door to Salvation" Baptismal Font

Taiwan Week Three

Dear Everyone that is loved by someone, 

Wasn't that a classy way to start the email? I certainly thought so haha! So..... holy cow, where to start!!! So much happens!!! Ok, well since I forgot to share my last with you last week (goodness I hope that made sense) then I will now share two weeks with you, because I remembered my journal!! yay!!! ok, here we go, buckle you're seatbelts, hold on, and "Watch out, Your heads" (see picture) When I say 2 Monday or 2 something, then It means obviously two Mondays ago haha 

2 Monday: P-day... super fun haha, just crazy!!! So I got my bike, and I snapped the chain, but then got it fixed, yay!! yep,... not much haha, more interesting stuff happened this week anyways ;) 

Wow... That was a lot to take in...... Everyone take a quick break, you deserve it :D just a quick 30 second power nap, ready? go! ...... done? ok, onward and upward. 

Monday: P-Day, but the first not restful one, because we went to a theme park called Fancy World! Yay!! The placing of this theme park was literally on top of a mountain, so everything was beautiful!! While their, we talked to some people about the gospel, and they said they'd come to English class! So we'll see how that goes :D Then we had member relations building time, where we visited more members!! awesome!! 

Tuesday: While we ran in the morning we found a mini chinese temple to look at, then had a great study time!!! Although I have to put this in here, it was the first day that I have cried while in taiwan. Super messy cakes. Oh well, then we went up to Jia Yi and had interviews with the president!!! He really does care about us here, and he helped a lot, and his wife also helped a lot. She helped me find a solution to being eaten alive by mosquitoes. They are everyone, and they are rabid! Seriously! Then English proselyting, then a non member bought us an extremely nice dinner, simply because he like missionaries! so cool!! Then I got a post card that I'll send home :D 

Wednesday: It was the day I realized that for the past two weeks I had started every journal entry with the words "Today was absolutely amazing!!" so I figured I needed to find a new catch phrase haha. Today I got over the mental block I had for teaching lessons in Chinese, and it went good!! The We had Zone Training about establishing this area into a stake, and then had english class!! huzzah for israel!! I'm running out of time, so I gotta finish this week really quick haha 

Thursday: Well, we went to a secondary area today, and had an amazing time contacting and finding members!!!! Then we had a really cool experience with a man selling dominoes pizza. He was so ready for the gospel, he straight up asked us if he could meet with us, because he "noticed something different about us". Wa!! Being a missionary is so cool right now!!! 

Friday: To explain Friday, I simply must quote my journal, not if anyone will be afraid for my safety (mother.....) then don't read this day haha! so this is what is said "Today was.... full of fortune..... " Then I wrote some other stuff, but then it got to this "Then we had probably the most interesting experience on the mission yet. So second day here we contacted a family where the dad wanted to hear, but the wife sat there and ate beetlenut and told us to go away. Today they came and found us at a family mart, and asked us to buy them food. Elder Long said he would buy their kid food because he hadn't eaten yet today.... So the whole time the mom was asking for money, and the dad was wanting to know more about our gospel. How awesome! The mom told us that she worshiped her ancestors  and then looked me in the eyes and said "My ancestors are talking to me right now, and they are telling me that in three days, you will get hit by a car on your bike, and it will break both your arms." Creepy." So yep, today is three days from then, so pray for me haha!!! Oh gotta love crazy intoxicated ladies haha! 

2 Friday: We woke up early and taught an early morning seminary class! so cool!!! Then we had weekly planning, which is amazing, gotta love planning :D Had lunch with a member, then went and contacted! 

2 Saturday: First day it rained in Taiwan! Huzzah!!! Then we contacted less actives. A huge emphasis has been placed on this, because rescuing is as important as finding :D Super important! one for keeps!! oh yes, and not to just throw it in or anything, but I performed my violin at a baptism this day also :D 

2 Sunday: We had an investigator come to church with us!! yay!!!! We also had an activity with the youth of the church, and it made me kind of sad to see how many of them are wasting their lives away on video games, and it made me realize how much me being on a mission has opened my eyes to how much time is wasted on certain things. Crazy! Then we had another lesson with a super quiet guy, then had family home evening with a less active family :D Super crazy day, but sundays are always the best days of the week!! :D 

Ok so I will have to include saturday and sunday in next week because I'm out of time!! But know that I'm amazing!! Except I woke up yesterday morning with an inability to move my neck, so we had to get that checked out haha. It kinda hurts, but thats ok!! There is worse things that could happen in life, and the work is still moving along, and is still amazing!! Sorry this email is so long haha!!! Love you all!!! 

CTR, 

Elder Dawson 

 Cool Sign and Yikes Bikes !!

Taiwan Second Week

Well Hello, 

     

   

     I'm just going to apologize in advance that this letter is going to be kind of short, we don't have a lot of time haha. Also I forgot my journal... so I'm going to be completely honest, I don't exactly remember what happened in the week, so I'll just say what I remember! and next week if there was anything super cool I forgot, I'll write about it :) 

So first is about the people here in Taiwan. They are the some of the nicest people I have ever met, and so freaking awesome!!! When we contact them and they don't want to hear our message, then don't get mad and say "stop talking to me" they just simply say "Oh thank you thank you thank you" and back away slowly haha! Funny, and nice!!! I still haven't gotten rejected, so that's good!! :D Ok, so two experiences in general just blew me away with how nice people here are! First one, we were at the bread shop on the side of the road just buying some food to eat, and we tried contacting this guy on a scooter also buying bread. He said he was fine, and that he had to go home to give his kids the food he just bought, and then left. Right before he left we gave him a tract, then let him leave. We sat by the stand contacting others and eating our bread, and about five minutes later that guy came back!! He came back on his scooter and handed us a bag with drinks in it for us to "go with our bread" he said! I looked down at his scooter, and he still hadn't gone home to give his kids the bread he bought!! Like literally, this man we talked to for 15 seconds at most just drove to a store, bought us drinks, then drove back to find us and give them to us, before he went home. It was amazing!!! Such a nice gesture!! Next story isn't as long, but when we were lost, we asked this one guy for directions. He gave the directions, and then looked as us for a few seconds in silence, then said "Here, let me give you some fruit." I was like, what!? Like, we just asked this random guy on the side of the street for directions, talked to him for 30 seconds, and now he's giving us fruit!! Wow. The people here are amazing!!! 

So those stories basically took up my time... so here I am... out of time, and haven't given a week synopsis. I feel terrible. Haha, but oh well, next week you'll just get two weeks!! yay!!! So time to go, but to end, here's some photos :D 

Thanks so much!! 

CTR, 

Elder Dawson 

Taiwan Countryside Douliu

Taiwan First Week Photos

 Elder Dawson  & Elder Long at the Internet Cafe

Wow Chinese Hot Pot ! Yum 

A strange restaurant name

TAIWAN First Week

To see the missionaries in action as they first arrived in Taiwan,
view this 10 min you tube video
The Dan Jones Project, Taiwan Taichung Mission at::

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dD0kJF3-sBg&feature=youtu.be


Dear Everyone,

     Well hello!!! Wow...... how to start.... this is crazy!!!!!!! My new trainer and companion is Elder Long, and he is absolutely amazing!!! We are in Dou Liu, in the smack dab middle of Taiwan, and its so awesome!!! Basically its a tiny town, so we actually tract and ride a lot in rice fields and bamboo forests! So cool!!! The apartment is... well... livable haha, no worries, but we have 4 people in it, and only 1 bathroom and room! crazy, but way fun!! The area is still just a district, but they are hoping to become a stake very soon!!! The Mission president told me that they're putting the strongest of missionaries in Dou Liu so that we can get enough people to create a stake! I didn't quite believe him, until my companion looked at all the missionaries in this area. Every single one except me is a step down zone leader, and amazing missionaries!! I hope I will be able to help, and be able to learn the language soon!! I had to bear my testimony in church yesterday, and that was.... interesting haha! Super cool, but scary!! The food is amazing, just like mama made it haha!!!! I basically love everything about Taiwan :)

So, week recap time!!!

Monday: all I wrote in my journal was "Packing" because I was leaving the next day! haha!!

Tuesday: We woke up at 2:00 in the morning to see Elder Bird off, and that was crazy!!!! sad, but we had to move on I suppose :( After that we finished packing and went to the front runner station at 6:30 in the morning, went to the airport, and talked to a bunch of returned missionaries, and had a ball being in public!! Then to LAX airport, then To taiwan!!!

Wednesday: Literally spent the entire day on a plane, so all I wrote was "It's so crazy that I was just in the MTC, and now am in Taiwan about to preach the gospel!!!" So cool!!!

Thursday: I wrote: "Holy Cow!!!! Longest fist day in Taiwan ever!!!!! We woke up and ran a ton!! Then came back, bought our bikes, did personal study, and had an amazing breakfast!!!.... After that we had orientation, and more orientation!! We then had lunch at a place called Marijuana, and had Hot Pot there (Baha, oh boy) After that we had a ton more orientation, a bit more orientation, and then even more orientation!!!"  Wow, quite the day!!! We had a cool banquet dinner, then went and preached the gospel, Dan Jones Style!!!!! In case you're wondering what that is, yes we stood on a box holding a book of Mormon yelling out the gospel to people as they passed. Awesome. That's not how we really do missionary work obviously, but it got us out of our shells haha! Wa! Amazing!

Friday: I said "What. The. Holy. Crap. Today was... well... wow. Ok so we started the day in Taiwan, Taichung at the mission home, and ended.... well, we'll get to that. So we woke up (a little sore from running the day before) and had to do the worst workout ever!!1 (made me more sore). We rean stairs for 20 minutes straight. Then died. Kidding but I felt like it haha! I have never been so sore on my legs!!! Ok, after that we got ready for the day, got our stuff ready to be taken, and got ready to go." ok.. yada yada yada.... oh! "Then, at 10:00, we went up to meet trainers!! In the chapel we learned about "The first 12 weeks program (which we have a goal to finish in 8 weeks) and watched a super cool video about Taiwan, and our "Dan Jones" activity from last night." So then after that I realized the truth of where I was going. So my trainer is a Step Down zone leader (obviously) and he has been here a year and 7 months. Me and him are "White Washing" This area, which means that me and him have no investigators, no referrals, no connections with anyone, don't know where anything is, and just get to go for it. Awesome, but crazy!!! Because of that, Friday night we contacted people for 3 hours straight trying to find people ready for the gospel. Then we got to meet the ward mission leader, a super cool guy who just 6 months ago was inactive, and then "rescued" by missionaries. This gospel means everything to him, and hearing him bear his testimony was a super spiritual experience.

Saturday: "First Full day!! and holy cow was it hard!!! Woke up, played basketball, came back, and showered, then had 4 hours of study!! 4!!! and it was awesome!!! We practiced teaching, read how to be better missionaries, and prayed!!! " Really quick insert, Elder Long is a super cool Elder, and amazingly spiritual!!! I'm so glad I have this chance to learn from him :) anyways, back to my journal "After that we went out and contacted/found lunch (lunch was delicious, of course). Contacting is crazy!! Elder Long is crazy at it!! I've seen him chase down cars, put fliers in windshield wipers, emergency stop to talk to someone, and talk to and pull over scooters!! Crazy right?! But awesome. We prayed for miracles because we had no investigators, and now one to call haha! But we had a lot of friendly people, and got 11 numbers!!!" After that we had the chance to see a baptism!! So cool!!!!! Then, we contacted even more haha, Oh its fun :)

Sunday: "Today.... Goodness gracious, so much happens each day, I don't know how to write about all of it!!!" Let me just say, that is so true, it's like impossible to let you know all that I do in every day haha! anyways... "So this morning we had church, and we had an investigator come to church with us!!!!!" Now here is the awesome part "After church, when we taught him and he prayed, he said something to the effect of "Please help me plant the seed of this gospel in my heart, so it may grow and help me." and we hadn't even read Alma 32 with him yet!!! He's so golden, he's practically already glowing!!" So cool :) After that, really we studied, and contacted, and then went to a family home evening!! So cool!!!!

So ya, there's my week!!! I don't really have a lot of photo's this week to send, but I'll take more this week and send them!! Promise!!!!! The work is moving forward in Taiwan, and I'm so excited to be a part of it!!! I hope everyone's having an amazing time back home, and I'll talk to you next week!!!!!

CTR,

Elder Dawson

P.S. What is my blog address?? Some people have been wondering so they can read it, and I don't even know it haha, if I could get that, that would be awesome :)

the blog address is::
 http://dannydawson1207.blogspot.com