Exchanges ~ Aug 28, 2007

Hey how is everyone doing-- so when are you going to new zealand- tomorrow? next week? in a year? do you have a date--- just wondering

yah i was sick for 3 days or so witha fever- just some ibprophen got me over it and some rest-- i was really slow on my bike for a couple days didnt have much power. but im all good now.

so we had this weird eclips thing-- messes with the work-- everyone is outside burning and doing their buddist stuff- is weird- sometimes we run into huge groups dressed in black dancing an we get this sick feeling. othertimes we will go into houses and we will see parent fourcing thir very young kids to kneel at alter and chat and stuff- alot different then america thats for sure. they se out huge tables of food on the streets and shove incence sticks in them and they burn fake money- because the smoke takes it up to their dead family so they can eat and have money.

Baptisims were so good- it was so fun to see them go through it - they were both very ready and prepared- i felt the spirit through the service even though i couldent understand- just like church.

they other day we were on exchanges- i was with elder higgins and we were in my area-- we were trackting and found this nice guy that we taught part of a first to. he was very intrested and we went back the other day and taught him a full first..-- it was cool he set out a table in the middle of the room and all around it were 2 missionaries a mom and dad and a 5 year old and a 2 year old all listening intently-- it was fun and the spirit was strong-- the mother asked some intence question about how the book of mormon was abridged but it was way good. yesterday i went to hualin for exchanges-- a 3 hour train ride and they went and taught part og a 2nd to them. also tried to set a baptisimal date. the father would have-- he is a very humble man that is just loving the message-- eveytime he just sits and takes notes. the wife had a christian background so a little harder- but she did say that when she gets her answer she will get baptised. so we are excited- then in a year the will be sealed in the temple!! their names in the lu family so please pray for them.

also while i was in hualian they were at a stop light and talking to this car-- she felt the spirit and she pulled over and got out- they taught her a little and set up a time to visit with her--- so good we are excited to go see her and her family-- she is the owner of a icecream shop and she said she wants to give us some free icecream-- cant say no to that-- so good--

i really enjoyed hualine-- i was with one of out zone leader-elder castleton from california-- i wonder if im related to him--- we taught 7 lessons that night and 5 of them set up a time that we could meet come back and meet with them-- it was good --- thats why we do exchanges alot-- its just how it is- more miricals when your on exchanges.

on the way back from hualian we stop and a little town called guanshan to preach a little gospel- the city is in our area so we try to go eveyonce in a while-- like a ghost town though-- no one there empty place as ever-- we did go visit an old guy like 90 or so that cant come to church cause its to far-- about a hour train ride and then a taxi ride- such a nice guy though with really good english-- he would sing us hymes and other fun songs- really funny guy. we then went out into the rice fields looking for some other members houses and ran into this other guy-- he knew right of who we were- he had takin the disscusions years befor but still didnt have intrest-- i think it is cool we can be in farm country and everyone still know who the mormons are.

dad your chinese is good understood perfectly-- you could say -
ni de ba ba shi shei-- thats "whos your daddy"? we say a couple funny phrases that we have translated. literally it is translated -your type father is who-

well yep all is great here-- sounds like all is well at home-- president should have sent you a pic of my companion and me- we dont have to many cause we can only have cameras on p-days and stuff but i have a couple i can send.

clothes are all good-- sometims in the rain we are just as wet as if we and jumped in a pool-- really wet but we dry out

have fun thankyou for your prayers-- love joey