Monday, February 7, 2011

Taiwan Week 5? (it's 6)

Fun stuff. Because of the New Year Holiday he didn't get to do as much Missionary work as normal. Things should pick up this week though. He loves letters and, of course, packages. Let me warn you: the packages are pricey to send (but he's worth it!) If you can keep the weight just under 4 pounds the package will be around $30. It's so good to hear that the package we sent arrived finally...that he got it. Jeff has horror stories of shoes being sent in separate packages to insure he'd end up with the pair...and a Honduran postal worker had to steal one of his packages back from a another postal employee, so Jeff could get it. So far Colby hasn't had that happen, but he did have some close calls of another sort. Keep up those prayers for safety. They help!!! Well, here's this week's installment. Enjoy! :

So this week was Guo Nian, or new years. Very intense. We got "Qing"ed out for every meal. Yes six days straight of real, authentic, as Taiwan as you can get food. Yeah. We had the rice, the noodles, the stir fry. But we also had the shrimp (that we had to rip the head and legs and stuff...) and the "Lion's Head" which I still don't know what it was but I doubt it was really lion. I hope. The Chicken's feet was a usual at every meal. Pig knuckles. Little octopus things... We still have two more meals worth because today is officially the last day of Guo Nian but I'll keep you posted. Elder Buenning and I enjoyed washing it all down with the cocoa that we got in the boss package. Yes is got here. THank-you so much for it. The mugs make me think of home. THank-you.
THis week, it was pretty low on sit downs with people because for Guo Nian, EVERYBODY goes back to their parent's house. THe streets were practically empty except for random people and the usual pack of stray dogs. Oh yeah, and the Crazy guy that grabbed me. Drunk of course. I shook free and booked it on my bike and he ran after me yelling "Wait! Please! (or maybe police? I couldn't tell)" He was holding some fox pelt and had a ripped old wife beater that Elder Buenning said had the characters for "the angels have come" or something on it. He also had a few stress balls in his other hand that he was shaking at me. Yeah intense. Oh and last night, Elder Buenning stopped and was checking an address so I rode over to a Taxi that was stopped at the light and was rejected by the driver. Then the passenger rolled down his window and said "Hey are you American?" then the Taxi driver looked at me and said in perfect English "He's in the Taiwan Mafia and he's drunk, don't talk to him" needless to say, I rode off. Intense.
Well my time is short now, but I just wanted to wish you all a happy new year! I love getting and reading letters about what is happening at home. Thank-you for keeping me updated. I know that this Church is true and that the work it hard, but necessary. Please do all that you can to build yourselfs and others around you to be strong in the gospel. I know that as we do this, the lord will help and we will be blessed.
More from me next week,
I Love Ya all!
Elder Sanford

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