Rob Erwin Mission - Taichung, Taiwan: November 15, 2015

Dear Family and Friends,

My training ends this week, 3 months of training you could say is a bit stressful, and the pressure is intense. But I think that it is in the heat of the fire that we can be molded. We have seen success and have struggled a lot. But I feel ready to try and carry on without my trainer pushing me along.

One of this week's challenges was Elder Brady and I got taken out to this fancy all vegetable restaurant.... It wasn't too bad, but I wouldn't survive very long living on fancy/strange vegetable creations.

Every day I ride my bike past this massive picture of the castle at Disney World ... I have no idea why it is here but it makes me think of my mom every time I see it.

We also have started trying contacting in some stranger more rural parts of our area with little success there but it was a nice bike ride.

Elder Brady's Backside

We had a sad thing happen this week. Our investigator who was getting baptized this Saturday didn't show up to her interview and we haven't been able to get a hold of her. I have faith that she will come back but maybe her time is just not right now. I had an overwhelming feeling that she is not lost but might just have a little further to walk on the path of conversion. We have to trust that God will direct everything for the good of his children.

Here are the answers to the weekly questions.

• Have you had anyone offer to take your jacket AND your pants when you enter their homes? Lexi McMillan's grandpa Fish was the very first missionary in Taiwan and he said it was customary for people to ask if you'd like to remove your pants when entering a home.

Hahaha, no they won't ask that. We just suffer with our pants on ;)

• Have you seen any noodle shops that still dry their noodles on racks out next to the street?

Yes, and I have watched them throw them. Throwing noodles isn't what it sounds like. When they hand make noodles, they call it throwing noodles.

My mom added a link to a Youtube video on Taiwan noodle making.

Here's the link

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sRug_byPqTc

• Do some people still use handcarts to move merchandise?

They have rusty bikes that have huge backs that they will just park on the road and sell stuff out of.

• Have you found a store that sells rain coats with a liner? You should get one before it gets cold. Which is funny for me to say since it's still so hot there.

I haven't but don't worry because I know where I can get one and it is still ridiculously hot and the missionaries say it won't get to much colder.

• Are you writing in your journal daily? Yes

• Isn't this your last week with Elder Brady? What day is transfers?

Monday is the day of the move call. Since Elder Brady is going home, I will go with him to Taichung and either pick up a new companion or I might move out of Zhanghua. And If I go any further south, I will not need that coat because it gets hotter and hotter the more south you go.

• Who runs Elder Brady's Facebook page? Is it his mom?

There are missionaries who have permission to use Facebook. Elder Brady is one of them, but only on p-day.

• Have you had a chance to teach any lessons or discussions in Mandarin yet?

All the time....with members and investigators.

• Does Elder Brady still do all the talking on the streets and at the restaurants? Or do you do it sometimes?

I can take care of myself usually. I have to talk to people on the streets while we contact so that is not a problem. I don't always understand but I make it work.

• Here's a question from Elise and Keira. They want to know if you have lost or gained any weight since being in Taiwan? I weigh 56 kilograms so I have indeed gained some weight. I've gained about 10 pounds

• Keira wanted me to tell you that she ate a chicken heart this past week. She said it wasn't bad tasting but the texture was weird, it was spongy.

Tell Keira that it is like she is in Taiwan!! She is so brave!!! I am always a little afraid about what scary thing a member will feed me next. But I don't know if I would be willing to eat a chicken heart like her ;)

I love you all,

Sincerely Elder Erwin