Thursday, July 28, 2011
I'm back (sorta)
Don't get confused when I insert the Posts that I haven't created yet. I will insert them on the day they SHOULD'VE been. So in a way, this post is in and of itself is a teaser, because I don't have any of my travels blog entries ready. I'll put in the Colby Missionary entries. They're ready. Don't give up on me. I have Minnesota, Kansas City, and California blogs on the back burner (charring).
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Week 31 in Taiwan
Yeah!
Hey!
Cool, you're in California. that's really fun. Mom, I'm glad to hear that visiting the parents in KC went well. I hope that you have a good time on the road and at the Oakland Temple!
I gad a great week this week . We just got back from Ping Tung where a member took us to the Shabu Shabu place where we ate. It is a place that you have a pot of boiling soup in front of you, and you can go to this big bar of things to throw in. There is a lot of great selection. A lot of great things that you can eat without boiling them either. Eggs, Tomatoes, Lettuce, Tofu. You usually make up a little bowl of seasonings to dip the stuff that you boil in. Probably a step up from what you had... you went to Chinatown? Cool. I want to go! I hear that they speak a lot of Cantonese there. but they probably still speak alot of Mandarin there as well. That be a fun thing. Yeah don't drink the tea.
We had a baptism this week! His name is Pan. Very cool guy. He already has his masters in electronics, but he is testing to get into another big university. He was first introduced to the church when he came for free English class! Yeah!
Yeah, I was reviewing some of the Conference talks from this past session. Going through them, I found a couple of really good parts. One thing that President Monson said that I liked was, "Don't ever do or say anything of which you would not be proud". When I read it it made a lot of sense to me. I also read over President Uchtdorf's talk, "On the Road to Damascus". I think that it is so great. Just go out and do. Don't wait for the miraculous confirmation. It will all come over time. Good stuff. I'll have to look over Elder Bednar's talk again.
Ok, well, have a good rest of the month! It's almost over and it went by so quickly. Man. Thank you for all of the love and support!
Well, I hope that everybody has a good week and that the trip back is safe! Tell Claire good luck and to use her head.
-Love Ya!
Elder Dib Sanford.
Monday, July 18, 2011
week 30 in Taiwan
Hey !
yeah, it was a good week. ALOT OF RAIN. I'm going to have to buy my self a new pair of shoes later today because for the past month I've been letting the holes in my soles get bigger and bigger. I actually just wear plastic bags over my socks in my shoes and the water isn't too big of a problem. But two or three times this past week, I had a couple times where I came to a stop and the wholes some how got caught on my pedals and I fell over sideways into my companion. I caught myself before I fell on my face each time, but I can imagine it being bad if I couldn't get my feet off in time and... yeah that would be bad. So there is this place that sells alot of different kind of shoes. We'll see what I get. Some thing with a pretty hard sole? How are your shoes holding up?
It's a good thing that I have to be in bed each day at a specific time or I would probably stay up late reading the scriptures. It seems like I just can't get enough time with them.
What do I eat? In the morning it is usually pretty much the same. A bowl of Quaker's Oats with Soy milk poured over it. I usually have a banana or two chopped up in there too. (I got the package this week! Thank-you so much! ) I've enjoyed having a sprinkle of cranberries in my oats every morning (and I've been sharing the candy with some of the people in the ward. They don't have anything like that here. and the butter mints were especially good because they were red white and blue so it was for sure American!) I've also had some toast in the mornings recently because a member has been giving us a loaf of wheat bread each week. For lunch and dinner there are a few different options. We always eat out on the street. I have recently found a really sharp bread shop that makes very classic loaves of bread. THey have walnuts and different berries in them. I enjoy going there every so often. we go to this place called Da Fu Jiang which is a "bian dang" place. That means that there is a huge line of different dishes that you go along and pick out what you want to eat and then at the end some lady looks at what you got and says how much you owe her and gives you a bowl of rice. It's usually really good, and not too expencive. If it's not a bread shop or bian dang place, then we just find a random street vendor and pick up a mango or a couple bananas or a guava or something. On occasion, members will invite us over to eat and it is usually just like the bian dang place. That way of eating is very popular. and delicious.
Thank-you for sharing the conversion story of your side, and the story about grandpa. What else? I really love hearing stories like that. I'm going to share the conversion with somebody this week and it's going to help them come to Christ.THank-you for my "call letter". In reading it, I realised a couple of good, key things. Have a good time. Tell everybody hello for me! (oh and the KC temple is looking great!) love ya!
-Elder Dib Sanford.
yeah, it was a good week. ALOT OF RAIN. I'm going to have to buy my self a new pair of shoes later today because for the past month I've been letting the holes in my soles get bigger and bigger. I actually just wear plastic bags over my socks in my shoes and the water isn't too big of a problem. But two or three times this past week, I had a couple times where I came to a stop and the wholes some how got caught on my pedals and I fell over sideways into my companion. I caught myself before I fell on my face each time, but I can imagine it being bad if I couldn't get my feet off in time and... yeah that would be bad. So there is this place that sells alot of different kind of shoes. We'll see what I get. Some thing with a pretty hard sole? How are your shoes holding up?
It's a good thing that I have to be in bed each day at a specific time or I would probably stay up late reading the scriptures. It seems like I just can't get enough time with them.
What do I eat? In the morning it is usually pretty much the same. A bowl of Quaker's Oats with Soy milk poured over it. I usually have a banana or two chopped up in there too. (I got the package this week! Thank-you so much! ) I've enjoyed having a sprinkle of cranberries in my oats every morning (and I've been sharing the candy with some of the people in the ward. They don't have anything like that here. and the butter mints were especially good because they were red white and blue so it was for sure American!) I've also had some toast in the mornings recently because a member has been giving us a loaf of wheat bread each week. For lunch and dinner there are a few different options. We always eat out on the street. I have recently found a really sharp bread shop that makes very classic loaves of bread. THey have walnuts and different berries in them. I enjoy going there every so often. we go to this place called Da Fu Jiang which is a "bian dang" place. That means that there is a huge line of different dishes that you go along and pick out what you want to eat and then at the end some lady looks at what you got and says how much you owe her and gives you a bowl of rice. It's usually really good, and not too expencive. If it's not a bread shop or bian dang place, then we just find a random street vendor and pick up a mango or a couple bananas or a guava or something. On occasion, members will invite us over to eat and it is usually just like the bian dang place. That way of eating is very popular. and delicious.
Thank-you for sharing the conversion story of your side, and the story about grandpa. What else? I really love hearing stories like that. I'm going to share the conversion with somebody this week and it's going to help them come to Christ.THank-you for my "call letter". In reading it, I realised a couple of good, key things. Have a good time. Tell everybody hello for me! (oh and the KC temple is looking great!) love ya!
-Elder Dib Sanford.
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
I know that this blog is looking like an exclusive "Missionary Blog"...but it's not. It's for our entire family. Life has been super busy and I almost don't get Colby's news posted some weeks before the next installment should be posted. His part of the blog is easy, truthfully speaking, because it's already written. Don't think I'm slighting the rest of my family, or showing preference to one person, I'm merely busy, and hey, at least I'm posting SOMETHING? Right?!
Monday, July 11, 2011
Taiwan 29
Hey!
So I was thinking this week about how dad's conversion story and I realized that I don't know the conversion story from your side mom. Who was the first to hear about the Gospel and how did that start? Why were they interested in it?
Wow! You're going back home! That will be fun. I think that you'll like it. Keep me informed. I'm not allowed to email people outside of my immediate family, but I can get permission to email grand parents as well. So I'll ask about that.
OH! So this week, I got to go to a "specialized training meeting" for people who aren't in a leadership position. When I got there, I ran into a missionary who said, "Ahh, Elder Sanford, you're translating for us today." Knowing that that kind of a thing would be impossible, I sarcastically said "Yup, you know it!" but when I got inside, and looked at the program, I found that under the "translation" spot was Elder Sanford. Nobody had told me. But yeah, I said a little prayer and translated for the chinese missionaries who attended the meeting, from 9 am until 5 pm. It was so intense. Did you ever feel like you learned completely different things from a talk because you were translating? At first I didn't feel like I learned anything, but looking back, I can remember alot more of what was said, and thinking back on it all, I have received some inspiration that I probably wouldn't have other wise. Fun stuff.
Thank you for all of your love and help and prayers. I hope that you have a good week!
-Elder Dib Sanford
So I was thinking this week about how dad's conversion story and I realized that I don't know the conversion story from your side mom. Who was the first to hear about the Gospel and how did that start? Why were they interested in it?
Wow! You're going back home! That will be fun. I think that you'll like it. Keep me informed. I'm not allowed to email people outside of my immediate family, but I can get permission to email grand parents as well. So I'll ask about that.
OH! So this week, I got to go to a "specialized training meeting" for people who aren't in a leadership position. When I got there, I ran into a missionary who said, "Ahh, Elder Sanford, you're translating for us today." Knowing that that kind of a thing would be impossible, I sarcastically said "Yup, you know it!" but when I got inside, and looked at the program, I found that under the "translation" spot was Elder Sanford. Nobody had told me. But yeah, I said a little prayer and translated for the chinese missionaries who attended the meeting, from 9 am until 5 pm. It was so intense. Did you ever feel like you learned completely different things from a talk because you were translating? At first I didn't feel like I learned anything, but looking back, I can remember alot more of what was said, and thinking back on it all, I have received some inspiration that I probably wouldn't have other wise. Fun stuff.
Thank you for all of your love and help and prayers. I hope that you have a good week!
-Elder Dib Sanford
Yeah Baptism
Elder Sanford, Li Jun De and Elder Braby.
Yeah Baptism. Li Jun De got baptised this past week.
Monday, July 4, 2011
Taiwan 28
Yeah
So, Happy Fourth of July! It's really fun to see all of the pictures and hear stories of all that is going down. I'm really missing the block party. But yeah, I guess I literally missed it this year... everyone looks like they had a blast.
Elder Braby and I "celebrated" by going to Ping Tung for a little and visit the Elders there. We ate at a super fancy restaurant and now I have to hurry and write because we don't have a whole lot of time.
I want to send out a special thank-you to all of those who are helping me financially out here. I'm using the money the best I can to help the Lord on his work.
We had another baptism this week. It was really wonderful to hear his testimony after he was baptised. He is going to be a wonderful addition to the ward. He has one of the most solid testimonies that I have seen from a recent convert yet. He really knows that this is the truth and he has a desire to do whatever he needs to, to live by the gospel. Such a wonderful guy. His name is Lin Jun De. He'll probably get the priesthood and a calling pretty soon here. I'll send a picture NEXT week. Long story...
I am having a BLast here in Chao Zhou. It is such a wonderful place.
I hope that you all have a Blast there. Have a wonderful Fourth of July and remember the true freedom that we get by following the commandments that the Lord gives us!
-Elder Sanford.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)