Taiwan week 1

YAY! We have a letter. It's so good to know he's there, safe, likes his companion and is enjoying the work!!! Happiness! He sounds so happy!!! Here's his letter:

Well, I'm here! My new companion is Elder Buenning. He's moved all around his whole life, but he's half american half cantonese. He's a really hard worker, diligent goal setter and over all great second companion. We're serving in the Tai Ping mission. It includes Dong Xu, Tai Ping and Zhong Xu, and let me tell you, it's so awesome. I'm living almost in the heart of Tai Chung. I'll send pictures as soon as I figure out how they work! pretty much it's just like any big city. Populated. Oh and there are about two times as many scooters here as there are people. Like no joke, every nook and crany has a scooter parked in it. Pretty much on of the most insane things I've seen.

After getting off the phone with you guys, I got on the airplane. Pretty nice airplane. Pretty good food. Insanely long flight. Insane. 14 hours and 32 minutes total. Pretty close to death. So I was stoked when it finally landed. We waited for our luggage and then went and met the mission president and his wife and the Assistants. They were all pretty happy. We stayed the next day and a half there at the mission home doing orentation. We slept in the Zone leader's appartment. THen we went running in the morning. It was actually really fun. Friday, we went and met our trainers. And so the work began! I"m talking to everybody that I can. At every light, at every intersection. I'm trying to find the souls that the Lord has set up for me to find. So far, I've found 3. I thought that I found 4, but one of them put a fake phone number. Lame. It's really tiring work and I get rejected alot, but I love it. Elder Buenning is pushing me hard, which is exactly what I need. I got my bike. Elder Buenning and I put this crate thing on the back so that I could hold things in it that I need. Like my bag. and my jacket. It's very nice. Also, the stores here are awesome. THe missionaries call them "Dong Xi" stores, which means Stuff Stores. and that is exactly it is. You go in and they just have bunches and bunches of stuff. It's pretty insane. And it is all pretty cheap too. right now the exchange is about 33 to 1, Kuai to Dollar. Nice. I can usually eat pretty nicely for about 80-100 Kuai. OH and the Fruit here is amazing. THey have every fruit you could ever imagine! and it's all so delicious. So good. THe church members were nice. I really liked going to church. We teach our lessons there... when the investigator shows up. THey actually usually don't, but some do, and that is awesome. Right now were teaching an 11 year old that is pretty timid. We need to meet his parents though. I hope that will go well this week. Oh, and on the second day, we had a funeral to go to (didn't Dad have one his first day ?) Flowers EVERYWHERE. That was crazy. They take death seriously here.

Well everything is going wonderfully here and I'll be more organized next week, I'm a little rushed today because I don't know exactally how to do this. It's great here though! Keep on doing the family things, I know they will help each and every one of you.

Love ya all!

Elder Sanford