Taiwan~ At Last!!

Here I am in the far east, in a little (not so little) city by the name of Taoyuan occupying a well endowed computer station in an internet cafe on my very first p-day in the field.

Go ahead. Ask me, I know you want to. What's Taiwan like?

Let me tell you.

Pretty much amazing. I am loving life here. But let me back up and tell you briefly of my arrival shall I?

The plane ride from LAX was 14 hours. We slept mostly, but managed to fit in a few hours of studying, and the food wasn't even terrible! Imagine that. When we stepped off the plane the air was already balmy. It was not so very different from any other air port as far as appearances in the terminal went. We passed through the customs and such into the main areas and the halls were lined with many brightly lit stores, still open at 10:30 pm. Except all the writing was in Chinese...Which I can't read.
On to baggage. Here was a little different from the many baggage areas that I have seen, there was more of a grunge feel to it, but it was not really noticeable until my companion sister Petersen and I decided to visit the bathroom and freshen up for first impressions to the president. The smell hits you first, because the Taiwanese have this custom of not flushing the used toilet paper. Beside each bathroom area there are little garbage cans where you use the paper then place it inside. Because the paper doesn't get flushed right away the smell radiates and its not so pleasant. I also say bathroom area because there are places that do not have western toilets. They have squatters, which kind of look like a long urinal placed in the ground. Those are fun. I had my first run in with one yesterday ... but I digress.

We obtained all of our luggage and headed out to the main area to meet our mission president. The Taichung missionaries who we'd spent all of our MTC time with bit us a final and sad farewell. President Grimly, his wife, and the assistants to the president were there waiting for us. And also my dear friend sister Esther Wynder from BYUI. She was overjoyed to see us, and she became our 3rd companion until we would meet our trainers. She had been there for two weeks already temporarily with the Temple sisters because her visa finally came through and they sent her from her temporary station in SLC. We drove to the mission home which was directly across from the temple and were settled in the temple annex, the rooms they keep for those traveling long distances to the temple (and conveniently for missionaries too). They were actually pretty nice, much different from those in Germany.

The next two days were orientation. We had meetings with everyone who works in the temple office and they explained rules and financial things and such to us. We also got to try some delicious Taiwanese food. Oh the food, I really could go on about it. This country is dangerous for someone with my passion I believe, because the Taiwanese believe in food. They believe in it so much so that there is some kind of food shop or food cart on every street corner and about every 30 yards between. And they try all kinds of things, sandwiches are actually popular, especially breakfast sandwiches. We had the most amazing fruit sandwiches! Who thinks about putting fruit on sandwiches? Well the Taiwanese do!! and it was soo amazing! Also people told me before that it was hard to find milk here, well not in Taipei or in my current area. They do all kinds of interesting things to it too, besides just the plain variety...I just want to try everything!! My companions think it is quite hilarious, my new favorite saying is "What is this!!?"

Once again I digress. The first night we were really there in Taiwan (Not counting our arrival night in which we were completely zonked.) we were split up with some of the sisters around Taipei and had our first real missionary experiences. I was paired with a Sister Hintze, one of the temple sisters. We had to stay around the temple area because there is a small museum of paintings that is a tour area in the large temple annex beside the actual temple. People can come in or be referred to this tour area and are giving a tour of paintings depicting everything from Christ's birth to church history. Its actually pretty cool. But since we were bound to the spot we didn't do much contacting. Only when people passed by and we nabbed them and pulled them in. We trained a pair of sisters (the temple sisters also do workshops) and then talked a lot. I peppered her with a million questions while we waited for unsuspecting people to pass by. We contacted 3 or 4 and then finally pulled in a man and gave him a quick tour. I even participated a little by baring testimony (about the only thing I could do).

The next day we went out to the site where Taiwan was originally dedicated to the preaching of the gospel and dedicated our selves as well (and fed some hungry mosquito). Then we went back to the mission office and had a few more meetings before meeting our trainers and getting to know where we were going to be placed for our first areas(finally). When we were literally marched into the room singing called to serve (the assistants have a sense of humor) we were lined up across the room from the pool of trainers. For the sisters there were two Taiwanese and an American. I had been praying to get a native speaker to help me with my Chinese so these were good odds. Well upon peering closely into each face of each sister I had a pretty good guess at who I would receive. I was correct. My trainer is a Sister Li, and she is in fact a native speaker, BUT she was born in Taiwan and raised in Provo since age one! So she is an American Taiwanese haha.

We had lunch with our trainers and then were sent into the world! We had to walk through a sudden downpour to the bank to exchange some money and then pay for my bike. We shortly there after headed to the train station to ship ourselves and my 3 suitcases (plus carry-ons...) to our area of Taoyuan. Fortunately when new missionaries come in, until the official beginning of each transfer there are 3 companions in a companionship so we also had another sister Pederson with us. At the train station we were blessed to meet one of the members from our area, a young woman (and also a twin) who helped us with my dongshi (stuff). It really was a blessing because it was kind of a zoo experience to get all my stuff in order and on a train.

The members in our area are apparently quite awesome (everyone told me so and I am still discovering). They love the missionaries and are very supportive, and almost every night they have us over for dinner somewhere (I am in a small state of panic for my waist line...). I have already had three meals with members since coming on Friday. The relief society president and her husband met us at the train station in Taoyuan and they hauled me and all my stuff to our apartment. My companions had to ride their bikes back so it was just me ion the car with them, but it wasn't as awkward as you might think. The relief society president talked to me for about 5 minutes and we both introduced each other in a mix of broken English to broken Chinese, then it was just a quiet drive while I absorbed the city scenery.

Our apartment building is actually nicer than I thought it would be, the courtyard where we ran Saturday morning is large and groomed very nicely (maybe if you all are good I will send pictures) and our apartment is a three room apartment with 2 bathrooms. Though it is a little trashed because Elders lived there before sisters. We sleep in the living room because we have to be in the same room but we each have a bathroom and a room for all of our stuff and then there is a spare room for all of the left overs.

We have taught a few lessons, tracted a bit and contacted some since I have been here. We had stake conference yesterday and then several appointments for meals and such and with some inactive members. I am loving this, and this area already. The members are so very nice to me and they are all HIGHLY amused by my height. I think I've already heard "Oh ah!!! Hen gao!" (oh!! SO tall!) more in the past three days than in the past 3 years of my life. People stop and look at me. Its really amusing to sister li who is completely Taiwanese in appearance. Saturday night at the train station contacting I had people come up to me and want pictures or to shake my hand (several of them mentally ill creepy types...) and people commonly call our to me on street corners as we ride past. Here closer to Taipei its not so strange that I'm a foreigner because it is a hugely urban city location. But my height is very abnormal (as expected) and pair that with my foreigner appearance and it gets attention. I'll use it to my advantage though.

I am quickly falling in love with riding my bike down crowded city streets with mopeds, buses, and trucks flying by extremely close. Its somewhat exciting every time. The street sides are crowded with tall buildings covered in signs and advertisements sticking out the side into the street and like hands waving out car windows for attention. The people here are very friendly, and very polite. Even when they reject us. Apostles have said about the Asian missions that we don't really experience a real rejection because the people are so sweet about it. They politely decline and accept our pamphlets without slamming any doors in our faces. Even those who dislike missionaries for some reason will some how pair bold dislike with a kind refusal. its interesting.

My first baptisms will be this Saturday, there will be 4 hopefully. A girl at the age of ten who's mother is a member but not the rest of her family, and 3 boys between ages 9 and 12. There mother is also a member but their grandparents are staunch something else. I'm not sure what the name is, but its a very secretive religion that has earned the name of 'The secret combination" from the missionaries. The father is atheist but doesn't disapprove of the mother attending church...though he doesn't know yet she is baptized...The children plan on asking him before Saturday. If they all pass the interview tonight then its a go. I met them for the first time last night, we rode over so they could say goodbye to sister Pedersen because she had taught them all they way through. They were so amazing! And friendly. Those boys need the priesthood in their lives.

I can only understand maybe 20 percent of anything I hear, but hopefully time will help that. I'm crossing my fingers and adding a prayer of a couple hundred.

Hmm, on another note, I can only read my letters on Mondays here! How silly is that? But I guess that does make us focus more on the work, which is probably a good thing. However! Write me and I will do my best to write you back, even if its short. My p-days here are very full too because we are doing all kinds of amazing things. I hope to travel more and see more of the island on my p-days.

Today we are shopping for foods and some other essentials and cleaning up the apartment. Tonight we have another dinner with a member and some other scheduled events. Should be a blast.

I love you all! Zai Jian!