Iain Mckay Letter 4

9/29/15

Dear Elder Hawkes,

Welcome to Asia!! I share with you lots of similar experiences. Yes, they keep adding to your meal regardless of what you say! However, if you keep to a good Asian Diet you won't gain any weight. It is all the US fast foods that do the damage in Asia. Yes, the buildings are skyscrapers and the apartments are tiny. That is the reason they all go to Parks, Can you imagine raising kids in those little apartments! And, YES, everything moves super FAST. But what beautiful people they are. I know the Lord loves them and the Celestial Kingdom will be full of faithful,beautiful, Asians. That might comes as a HUGE shock to some of our Wasatch Front East Bench "Saints" living in their castles and who are convinced they are the only ones entitled to be in the Celestial Kingdom. Same goes for the faithful, humble, African Saints.

What airline did you fly to ROC on? Obviously an Asian airline. The Flight Attendants look like "perfection" and I think they check their makeup about every 10 minutes but I'd hate to be in an emergency situation with them. I think they would be clueless. Incidentally, I flew back from Seoul, Korea on Asiana in June. There was one service rule for the Asians and another for the Whites (ignore them- pretend you don't speak English!! Ha.

I have been studying "Preach my Gospel" and it has again confirmed to me that we need to let the spirit do the teaching. We might "know it all" but the Holy Ghost is the converter. If we live to have the spirit with us as a (hopefully) constant companion people- especially investigators- will "feel it" It is a far more powerful witness than spoken words.

Conference weekend is approaching and it looks like there will be quite a few changes. Bottom line: The Lord is in control. It is His Church. He is never frantic. Revelation comes to our leaders.

Incidentally, I have broadcasting friends in NZ who do Tai Chi. They swear by it. You will see people all over Asia in the parks- especially early in the morning.

Love and prayers,

Iain

1st Week in Taiwan

9/27/15

It is only now that I realize just how grateful I am that I learned how to type without looking before my mission. I'm typing on a keyboard that has the letters and numbers we all know and recognize next to three other symbols I completely don't recognize. Oh, and their is a typhoon outside. You may have guessed it, but I actually find myself sitting in an internet cafe in Taiwan. Last Wednesday, President Palmer called me into his office and told me I was headed to Taiwan the next morning. Next thing I know, I'm being whisked off on a plane that has little Asian stewardesses saying in the most Chinese stereotypical accent one can muster: "Pwease fasten your seatbewt." Out the dark window is a small lattice of orange lights that continue to grow into the skeleton of a huge city that slowly fades into the smog in the distance. I met my companion, Elder Boyce, and we've been working ever since!

Cultural Experiences:

-biking around my new area, Bei Tou, is a little bit like mario cart. Nothing in the city moves faster than you can pedal, so we literally weave in and out of traffic amidst cars, buses, and a truly astonishing amount of motorscooters

-the majority of traffic lights are a flashing yellow, which has no significance at all other than it kinda looks pretty

-the lines on the road are suggestions, as well as the flashing lights of emergency vehicles

-in Taipei they don't build out, they build up. Half the buildings here are skyscraper apartment buildings

-they have so much traffic they build a freeway to go on top of the other freeway

-7 Elevens are everywhere and they are convenience stores

-McDonalds is actually a bit on the expensive side, a heaping plate of rice and whatever else they put in cooked fresh in front of you has been known to cost around $2

-the most irritating thing about Taiwan: they don't drink with their food. I am always thirsty because they simply don't serve drinks anywhere, you have to buy them separate

-I haven't stopped sweating since I got here, and that's not including the rain

-the people are amazing, we literally teach lessons on the streets around train stations

Well, a few more cultural experiences than normal. I haven't mentioned even half of them so there will probably be a big list fairly often. I went to church yesterday, and I was surprised at how similar it was to ours. Granted, the ward was only 60 or 70 strong, but I love how the Gospel really and truly is the same where ever you go. The culture may be different, but because the church is based on fundamentally true principles of faith in Christ, you can always be sure to be edified at a Latter-day Saint church. I love you all! Remember the church is true!

_________________________________________________

There is a typhoon outside. You may have guessed it, but I actually find myself sitting in an internet cafe in Taiwan. 

Last Wednesday, President Palmer called me into his office and told me I was headed to Taiwan the next morning. Next thing I know, I'm being whisked off on a plane that has little Asian stewardesses. Out the dark window is a small lattice of orange lights that continue to grow into the skeleton of a huge city that slowly fades into the smog in the distance. I met my companion, Elder Boyce, and we've been working ever since!

It is so crazy here. Salt Lake City is so itty-bitty compared to Taipei. I seriously couldn't believe it. It is literally row after row after row of huge apartment buildings and tight roads in between. Guess what? Everyone goes to parks here. They are absolutely packed in the mornings. People are everywhere doing Tai qi.  They feed you until you are fat. Every single time we eat with the members, they load up your plate or bowl and then continually drop stuff in throughout the course of the meal without asking. When you refuse by saying "chi bao le" or "dude I am super full" they offer it again. Chi bao le. Offer it again. Chi bao le. Offer something else. No I'm chi bao le of that too. I've hit the weird foods already too. Red-bean cakes, fish balls, deep-fried pig blood (I managed to narrowly avoid), and a lot of other stuff I can't put a name to. We have a "don't ask, don't tell" policy. Try to get a hold of some Pomello though. You zi (you as in yo-ho a pirates life for me) as they call it here. It tastes super awesome. The Taiwanese love karaoke, but they are extremely bad at it. There are no trashcans here! You have to really try to find one. They pretty much only have them in convenience stores, though the city is actually pretty clean.  Dad has probably already looked it up, but there is a fair-sized typhoon coming through today which should be pretty fun. Love you!!!

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Family,

We will definitely have to go to Yosemite! And then I can show you around Modesto after! It's a pretty exciting place.... kinda. I hope everything is going great back at home! Sarah I am officially mad at you because you were supposed to ride Cannibal and tell me how it was. And what is this about a new Pixar movie? I saw an advertisement before I left for Taiwan. Well, after almost missing my flight, I finally made it to Taiwan. It is so crazy here. Salt Lake City is so itty-bitty compared to Taipei. I seriously couldn't believe it. It is literally row after row after row of huge apartment buildings and tight roads in between. Guess what? Everyone goes to parks here. They are absolutely packed in the mornings. People are everywhere doing Tai qi, moaning weird sounds while doing yoga, pounding their fist into their palms while walking around, walking barefoot on pathways with big pebbles like egg cartons on them, you name it. I didn't realize how accurate some of our stereotypes are. They feed you until you are fat. Every single time we eat with the members, they load up your plate or bowl and then continually drop stuff in throughout the course of the meal without asking. When you refuse by saying "chi bao le" or "dude I am super full" they offer it again. Chi bao le. Offer it again. Chi bao le. Offer something else. No I'm chi bao le of that too. I've hit the weird foods already too. Red-bean cakes, fish balls, deep-fried pig blood (I managed to narrowly avoid), and a lot of other stuff I can't put a name to. We have a "don't ask, don't tell" policy. Try to get a hold of some Pomello though. You zi (you as in yo-ho a pirates life for me) as they call it here. It tastes super awesome. The Taiwanese love karaoke, but they are extremely bad at it. There are no trashcans here! You have to really try to find one. They pretty much only have them in convenience stores, though the city is actually pretty clean. Well, thats probably enough stuff for one week. In all, it is just super crazy that I am in a whole new country where everyone speaks a language I can't really speak. Dad has probably already looked it up, but there is a fair-sized typhoon coming through today which should be pretty fun. Love you!!!

-Elder Hawkes

Welcome to Teipei

about half the motorbikes and pedal-bikes at one of many train stations (keep in mind that those are only the motorbikes that are parked and does not include the billions of others on the road at that time),

me on a bike in front of a classic Taipei row of apartments.



an intersection in front of our apartment (look for the 4-story McDonalds)
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Off to Taiwan

Elder Reintjes and I at the Taipei airport



Taipei temple



 the alley-way where we park our bikes

New Bikes and New "Doctrine"

9/21/15   

   Transfer calls came in yesterday and it looks like my visa has not quite come through, so I will be in Modesto for a little while longer. In the mean time, I am being assigned to work in a trio with the Assistants! So my companions will be Elder Murdock and a new assistant, Elder Jones. Saturday night I believe I got food poisoning, because I had to wake up every two hours to relieve my digestive system. It was absolutely horrible. Even Elder Shepherd had to throw up a few times. Consequently, we both found ourselves sick in bed all of Sunday. I don't know whether it was the lamb our Hindu investigator cooked for us, the huge glass of apple juice I drank in an attempt to have a lucid dream, or the sketchy DQ we went to in memory of the Centerville DQ, but boy did it knock me out. 

   So I discovered why Elder Shepherd kept leaving me in the dust on his bike. I mean, he has a torn hamstring and joint problems and I still couldn't keep up. I don't have a bike and his was in the repair shop, so we got two bikes from the Mission Office that had been left behind by other missionaries. Elder Shepherd got his bike back from he repair shop and so I got to have the other bike, and that is when I figured out that it was the bike. This new bike I am on is like the Lamborghini of the bike world, and the old one is a power-chair. Now I'm the one that leaves Elder Shepherd in the dust.

   We have an interesting investigator named Francis. I'm not sure if I have ever heard more crazy doctrine than we have heard from her. She says things about the Bible that I have never heard before in my life. For example, she is obsessed with this Lilith character that was created with Adam when God blew dust, and the reason Adam was thrown out of the Garden of Eden was because he cheated on Lilith with Eve. She also believes in a 'scientific study' that showed water is alive and can talk back to us by turning red and murky or clear depending on if words where mentioned about Satan or God. Stuff like that. She absorbs everything she is taught. Literally. However, she illustrates a a good point as well. We have taught her so much and she listens to all of it. A lot of times, I think we as church members believe we know everything, or at least understand the basics. What others have to say isn't always on the top of our priority list. Granted, we need to examine everything before we take it in and accept it as doctrine, but I think we could all become a little more teachable and look at things from different perspectives as Christ has asked of us and how Francis has shown me. "He that hath ears to hear, let him hear."

Building Momentum in Modesto

9/14/15

Brothers and Sisters,

Things are getting better in Modesto California! When we came into this area, we only had one official investigator. Can you believe that? One. Now we have around nine or ten. Momentum in the wards is picking up as well. Missionary work is a lot like a train: the more people you have on board, the more effective it will be. Well, there is another thing about trains. Boy are they heavy. Have you ever watched a freight train accelerate? Good, neither have I because you would be there all day. Every time you switch from Sisters to Elders or Elders to Sisters the train just halts. Dead stop. Transfers? Slam on the brakes. Not a dead stop, but not far from it. So why do we slam on the brakes every six weeks? We wouldn't do it if it inhibited the missionary work. But we do, and it is so incredibly hard to get the momentum back up and moving. However, every six weeks comes a fresh new pair of missionaries, which means new motivations, new excitements, new perspectives, new everything! My point is, the work doesn't stop. Our comfort does. And as we have all heard: there is no comfort in the growth zone. If you are uncomfortable, it means you are growing! If the missionary work stayed the same, we wouldn't see any progress. 

Street Names:

-Coffee Rd

-Walnut Park Dr, Black Walnut Dr, Walnut Grove Wy, Walnut Tree Dr

-Mill Oak, Moss Oak, Shadow Oak, Star Oak, Majestic Oak, Coral Oak, Lincoln Oak, Canyon Oak, Manor Oak

-Friar Tuck Wy, Maid Mariane Ln

-Fine Av

The ones under the same bullet point are right next to each other. Basically, the street names here are absolutely crazy and sometimes fairly clever. Unfortunately, they make no sense and navigation is nearly impossible, especially now that we are on bikes and that our GPS and map were stolen by the Assistants. Nice. But hey, at least the Laotian Elders coming in today get all that good stuff! Elder Beck, my District Leader who I went on transfers with, bought me some corn from a little Hispanic salesman riding his little truck around on a bike. It's a corn cob dipped in mayo and cheese and then sprinkled with chili peppers. Super tasty, but my mouth was absolutely on fire for the next hour and I couldn't even finish that horrible thing that we only paid a dollar for. At least he liked it. We got a new investigator named Andrew, who just came up to us on the street and said he was Mormon and wanted us to meet with him. At the time he was homeless and fresh out of jail (and probably drunk), but now he is living with his brother. We talked with him yesterday, and had an awesome conversation. He never got baptized, but talked with missionaries before jail and now wants to have the lessons, go to church, and get baptized! It was so crazy! So we gave him a Book of Mormon because he lost the one he was reading in jail. So it turns out all of our investigators come from jail. Kinda funny. There's something in that though: the Spirit can only teach those that are willing to listen. Sounds pretty obvious but it really is so hard to apply. You all are the best! Thank you for the amazing support and for the lessons you have taught me throughout the years, even when I wasn't that person willing to listen the first 100 times. Have a great week!

-Elder Hawkes

Mission Phases

8/31/15

Brothers and Sisters,

Hard to believe it has been an entire three weeks since I've been in the mission field! In the MTC, Brother Stephen B Allen gave a devotional in which he described the four phases to adjusting to a big change: the Honeymoon Phase, where you are just happy-go-lucky and have all the energy and motivation in the world because you are excited for the new experience; the Hostile Phase, where you just get down on yourself and get irritable because you feel you aren't adjusting to the change very well; the Grin-and-Bear-It Phase, where you smile because you know you have to even though you don't fell it, and you just keep moving forward even though you don't like it; and finally the Successful Adjustment Phase, where you gain the peace and comfort from a set routine and become effective and efficient. Yep, I'll be honest, I think I would consider myself around the Hostile Phase. I'm not exactly a roller-coaster kind of Elder though so my 'hostility' is very mild. 

We all share that roller-coaster kind of adjustment in our lives, my hope is that we can all understand a greater perspective. In my Gospel Essentials class yesterday, we discussed the Atonement. One of the most comforting things about the Atonement is that Christ suffered our sins and can see the end result. We each go through the refiners fire--big changes and trials--in order to become better individuals. The challenge is gaining that perspective that Christ and Heavenly Father have in seeing that end purpose: that person He wants us to become. As Elder Joseph B Wirthlin says, "We see ourselves in terms of yesterday and today. Our Heavenly Father sees us in terms of forever."

Two days ago, Elder Shepherd and I drove to an appointment that cancelled out on us because they 'forgot'. Classic right? Anyways, we were driving away when Elder Shepherd says, "I can't do it anymore!" and flips the car around and starts driving back. He parks the car a good ways away from the house we just left and I'm thinking to myself "what on earth is he doing?" We got out and I practically have to chase him as he Olympic-speed-walks towards a young man, his sister, and his dog in the back of a pickup truck listening to some music. Elder Shepherd loves dogs so he went straight to the dog, but we started asking him about his interests and he said he had anger issues so he got into MMA. Uh oh. So I ask him if he as any other interests, and he says, "right now actually I am really into religion. It has helped me cope with my anger." It turns out that he goes to the House, a non-denominational Christian church that even they occasionally unknowingly refer to as the 'great and spacious building', and is training to become a pastor. But he said he would love to meet with us!! So we are stopping by sometime this week to tell him a little about our church! Galatians 5:25, sent to me by my mom, says: "If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit." Let us all strive to have the influence of the Spirit in our lives and to find the purpose in each of our refiner's fires.

--Elder Jordan Hawkes