So strange. I must admit, I don't understand. In times past there was so much gush...sickening sweet. And now, when one would expect some sort of recognition, or remembrance...just SOMETHING....nope, nothing. Worlds change drastically in one year.

T44

Perhaps he's trying something new. Perhaps he's busy training his new companion (he's unnamed at this point, but we do know his nationality: Canadian). Perhaps he doesn't know there are peops who are interested and like to hear of his comings and goings? He didn't send a "public, passalong" email this week. In fact I didn't get a letter from him. I'll passalong snips from emails to Jeff and Lila.

Colby was grateful for Tofu recipes Lila sent. The Internet place he went to had no USB ports or if they existed, they were disabled. So no new pics this week.

Colby said :" read a talk by Elder Bednar this past week. It is called "Things As They Really Are". I think. Well it's just how computers and simulation should be used to enhance life and not be a substitute for it. We have an investigator who just spent three days at an internet cafe and nobody knew where he was. Very addicted."

Colbs has had a fun time showing his new companion around the area. There are great places to eat.

He also said, "it is interesting training. After every contact, I am trying to stop and talk about what we did, things that he might have wished to say. and that kind of stuff. I'm really grateful for the chance to train. He is for sure my best friend right now, and he will always be a great friend. THank you for all of your love and advice.

The good thing is that we DO get contact from him weekly. I think I'd go really nuts if I had to wait for paper letters. Some might argue that I'm already nuts. You know what I really mean.

oh no...this is too funny.

Taiwan week 43

Hey mom!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! this week.

The Chinese hymn book does have "Once in Royal David City". It is page 126 in there.

Well it has been a pretty good week. Elder McAllister have been learning alot and eating really healthily. I found out how delicious and cheap tofu is. Great stuff. You can get two pounds for 30 cents american. AND YOU CAN DO ANYTHING WITH IT. Also, it is a great source of protein. Good stuff.

Nothing particularly special happened this week until last night until about 9:30 when Elder McAllister and I got the call that we will both be training next move call. Cool stuff. We are going to be splitting the area that we are in. He is going to move to the other Elder's Apartment which is being turned into a 4 man and I am going to be staying right where I am. (Yeah! I don't have to pack!) DId you ever get to train on your mission? How was it? Any tips? I'm really excited. We will be going to a training meeting on Wednesday and then we will go back to pick up our the new missionaries on Friday morning. After that, we will just get to work like usual! There have been some changes recently about the way that the church is having people be trained. There is a strict 12 week program that is going to be followed, so I am certain to be with my new companion for two move calls. I'm really excited.

In thinking back to General Conference, one thing that really hit me was that I didn't have a huge source of memorized scriptures in my mind to pull from. So this week I have been taking a little bit of personal study time to memorize some. I have been loving it alot. I memorized D&C 121:34-46 because it has always been a favorite of mine. I also have been starting to take a bite out of the Book of Mormon Scripture Masteries. I have the first five or six of them. I love it. I also find that as I am thinking about the scriptures that I am memorizing, I can very easily apply them to my situation RIGHT NOW. It has strengthened my testimony of the Scriptures even more. I have a plan to memorize all of the Book of Mormon Scripture Masteries in the next two weeks and then hopefully start into memorizing all of Moroni 7. Good stuff.

Well, I'm glad to hear that everything is going well.

Thank-you so much for all of the prayers and insights this week!

I hope you have a good this week.

Love ya!

-Elder Sanford

13 Oct., 2010 to 13 Oct., 2011 equals ONE YEAR

Well, it has been ONE YEAR since Colby began the life of a fulltime Missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. As you know from my posts of his letters---he loves it and enjoys it.

We ate Chinese food, ate with chopsticks and had fortune cookie fun. (I wonder who comes up with the fortunes inside the cookies. They are generic enough that they could be applied to almost anyone, and they are true enough that you're sure it was meant for you.)

I was a Missionary in Chile from 1985 May to 1986 November and I can tell you it was wonderful!!! There is nothing greater than to give ones complete existence to the Lord. 24/7 . 365 x 2....

I'm so glad he gets to give this service. He'll never regret this time away from "normal life". It'll be a help to him every day of his life in one way or another!

Time has started going more quickly. We'll get 2 more phone calls from him and then he'll be home.

42nd week in Taiwan

Hey !

Yeah, Conference was really good. I got the impression that we all just needto work hard and endure to the end, be a testimony of Christ at all times and read/memorize the Book of Mormon. I am personally going to start memorizing alot of scriptures. I am also going to write in my journal alot. I have been a little bit behind lately, but I know that it is important.

Last Tuesday, we met with our ward correlator who is also american. He doesnt' know any chinese because he teaches english here. We ate these really great egg roll rice things. We also were lied to and drank just a sip of hong cha or red tea. Ooops. Accident.

Wednesday was cool. we are planning this big English open house thing for the end of the movecall to invite more people to come to take part in the English program.... so that we can get more people to come to the church and get more people baptised. yeah. It will be fun. I have to put together a play of the Three little pigs.

On Thursday, we met again with one of our progressing investigators who is pretty much done with smoking. He is the one that I got the chance to fast with afew weeks ago to help him over come this problem. His addiction is going away! he's a really cool and happy guy who I will be so happy when he is baptised.

On Friday, we took a train to meet with a 14 year old. We shared with him about what the Lord expects of him. He set a goal to be baptised in a few weeks. Cool. He brought two friends with him as well. I thought that they would be a distraction, but they actually did really well and helped us read.

Saturday: CONFERENCE. I really liked the saturday sessions. I got alot of personal revelation and I know that the things I learned will help me with my investigators aswell.

Sunday: what? yess... CONFERENCE. It was all very good. I really liked Elder Bednar's talk. I think that it makes so much sense for kids to get into family history work. I also really liked all that was said about The Savior. I am excited to read over the talks again. Favorite? Maybe Ian S. Ardern's talk.

Good week.

Today, we had an interesting Zone activity and went up to the zone leader's area. We first played Ultimate Frisbee and then had a little devotional followed by going and eating at a huge all you can eat Steak place. When it was first announced, I was a little bit frustrated. It sounded like the exact opposite from what I wanted to do at the time. I'm not super fond of playing sports or eating meat at all, but I went into it in the right spirit and really had a good time. and alot of salad! It was a good day in which, despite the circumstances, I strengthened my relationship with the Zone, which was the idea of it all.

I have been loving waking up and having granola and cranberries. It' pretty much all done now. THanks again for sending me such a wonderful birthday package.

I hope that you have a good week!

-Elder Sanford

41st week in Taiwan

WHOOO!!

That's SO COOL I am so happy about the Temple. It's like the best birthday present ever! I am so excited. I really am so stoked I don't know what to say. Wow. I can't wait to go!

Yes, this week was pretty great. We worked really hard and had a great filling of the Spirit in Zone Conference.

The most interesting thing that happened is that Elder Liu and I got a call from President Bishop at the end of the day on Saturday. He moved to Tai Zhong to be a Zone Leader there and the other Elder that he replaced came here. So yeah. My new companion Is Elder McAllister. None of us expected the change, but I'm really excited. He's here now. He used to serve here at the beginning of his mission, and he is going to be training next move call here, so I'm going to be kicked out at the end of the move call. I don't know what all is going to happen, but I"m going to work my hardest. Yeah!.

I am so happy for the temple.

Other than that, we have been seeing the work moving well here. There is one investigator who we have been working with that has a problem with smoking. Other than that, he is all ready to be baptized. This past weekend, he, his family and Elder Liu and I fasted together. Last night. I cooked up a HUGE pot of pasta and we broke the fast together and we are ready to see Christ work some miracles.

I am really excited for this next week and having General Conference. I made a flier for the stake to advertise General Conference. I included a picture of it. I really hope that as many people can attend. On it is just says "Ting Ta Shuo" which means listen to God speak. Pretty direct. I'm super excited. Conference is going to be great.

Oh, my birthday was great. I got the package on tuesday at Zone Conference and opened it on thrusday morning. THANK YOU SO MUCH!! I really needed these wonderful shoes. and I am really excited to have cranberries to eat. The package was wonderful. Apart from hitting up the streets with the gospel, my companion took me to a nice waffle dinner at this one cool waffle place. Very good. Great birthday. THank-you.

-Elder Sanford.