Fixing Tipped Motorscooters and the Way to Happy

11/2/15

Well, this last week was totally awesome as usual! I do have to say, Taiwan has some craaaaazy people. Like, crazy. I don't know what it is about Taiwan, but the proportion of crazy to sane is much higher than any place I have ever been. People just loose their minds and then go looking for them. I will give you an example. I was sitting in church yesterday, fasting, while all of you were trick or treating, when a guy named Kevin in his early 20's walks in. Kevin's elevator doesn't go quite to the top floor, and for some inexplicable reason, he speaks English. Kevin also happens to be gay, and gives extremely awkward hugs. This time, however, he sits down right next to me, and starts trying to hold my hand. The teacher, rather nonchalantly while continuing to teach, walks over and shakes Kevin's hand, effectively rejecting the gesture of adoration. Aha! I have the solution. He tries holding my hand a few more times (to which I apply the new-found technique) and voila! He shakes my hand and then returns to just sitting there. Five awkward minutes go by and he leaves.

Other Very Interesting People:

-One man who yelled at the world and went around Beitou Park tipping motorscooters by the dozen

-One 93-year-old member who speaks like Scooby-Doo and lives in a care center where they are allowed to roam the streets as long as they come back at the end of the day

-One homeless guy who has been known to lay in middle of the street outside of the MRT (Metro) station, moaning until an ambulance comes (this is a common occurrence)

-Many old ladies that go up into the mountains to feed the armies of wild dogs that live there and come down into the city

The first of those very interesting people actually turned into an awesome experience. After the crazy man left, almost getting hit by a bus in the process, my trainer Elder Boyce suggested we go and put up all the motorscooters he had tipped over. So we followed his trail of wrath putting all the motorscooters upright. A man came over that was in charge of watching the entrance of a hotel and said to us, "So nice! You very kind!" That really sunk deep. I hadn't even thought to pick up those motorscooters, but my trainer saw the opportunity to live like Christ: the opportunity to serve others. Sure it wasn't our responsibility, sure we didn't teach any lessons. We did, however, show everyone that saw us performing that act of service that the Gospel is about something much more than coming to church, much more than an excuse to not feel guilty about a mistake, and much more than a baptismal statistic. I learned in that moment, maybe if not for the first time but from a new and deeper perspective, that my work here as a missionary is much easier than I ever thought it was or even could be. You all are the best and I hope I continue to try to live up to the standard you all have set for me. Best of luck!

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So, I absolutely have no idea what to get any of you for Christmas. And don't even say 'oh you don't need to get anything for us! You're letters are juuust fine!' No! I will have none of that! Let me know next week so I can send something, even if it might be late for Christmas. I've heard it takes two or three weeks for a package so we still have some time. And now, so I'm not a hypocrite, I will ask each of you for a gift. Keep in mind that these are just examples and that I would love anything, but I will give you suggestions: Christian, I need some bookmarks! I have a lot of things I need bookmarks for so make some bookmarks that can take some wear-and-tear and make them scream "HEY! Christian made these!!" Mary, I neglected to bring any music with me. Maybe you could put some church music on my orange flashdrive, on a CD, or my little tiny ipod. MOTAB, hymns, EFY albums, BYU Men's Choir, nothing fancy. Sarah, Plan of Salvation cards! You should totally make some for me. Pre-mortal Life, Birth, Earth-Life, Death, Spirit World, Resurrection/Judgement/Immortality, and the three kingdoms. They can be little 3D trinkets or flat laminated stuff, but leave a way for me to put the Chinese characters on them. Dad, poem or haiku about the biggest lesson you learned on your mission. Or just a paragraph or two. Something simple don't get too complicated on me. Mom, you are difficult. I know you will add things regardless of what I ask for, so I'm tempted to not suggest anything specific, but a little trinket like a bookend would be fantastic. Other than that, throw in my kangaroo coin pouch and my monorail pin somewhere in my room and that is an absolutely awesome Christmas present. If anything, that all is probably a bit too much, I just want something super small that doesn't even take a lot of time from each of you. Anything that makes my body temperature raise any higher than it already is is forbidden. Just kidding, but let's just say I won't be getting snow for Christmas. I wake up every morning covered in sweat. It's just a nice perk of Taiwan. Please please tell me what you want for Christmas! It really is so hard! If you want Ponyo, Totorro, Howl's Moving Castle, or any of the Miazaki? movies I can send them in Chinese. Interesting but not too useful. Chopsticks? I really have no idea. I have one gift for one of you and that is it so help me out... Also! My family names for the temple on FamilySearch need to be done, you should do them! There might even be one for you Mary! (sorry if there isn't)

I saw the saddest thing today. It was a guy with his shirt off and his elbows wrapped with cloth, army crawling through the local market, pushing a bin of coins and pulling a crate tied to his waist full of odds and ends and a radio playing Chinese music behind his twisted legs. As he slowly crawled through the market full of people, my heart just dropped. I had no idea how to help this man. What a heart-wrenching scene. Reflecting on it now, I see that same man in every person I see: crippled, crawling through life with no hopes for the future, dragging a crate behind them full of sin. All they leave behind them is the small echo of Chinese music. Without the Gospel, these people are worse off than he was. I may not know how to help that poor poor man, but I do know how to help everyone else that lives here. I'm sharing the way to become happy: the way to live life to the fullest. I have been blessed with this incredible calling, and every day I spend I realize that more and more.

You are all the best and I can't wait to Skype you 2 months from now! Let me know what each of you wants for Christmas in your letter next week and I will see what I can do! Also let me know if you got the letter I sent with a few little things in it. I love you Dad, Mom, Sarah, Mary, and Christian!!!