Pineapple Fields Forever March 21, 2016

Occasionally there is a need to bike to this place called Zhong Zheng University. It is about a 40 minute bike ride from the mansion along a high way. Minxiong is great. The pineapple here is the better than anywhere else on the island! However, these fields of pineapple got fertilized with chicken poop the other day so the rides to and from Zhong Zheng University were a wicked adventure. I don't think I've ever killed so many bugs with my face before. Oh, which reminds me! We were at a place eating hot pot and I want to go get some soda. Before the fizz fizzled down I took a huge gulp. Then I looked down and realized that my cup was filled with ants and I just drank a ton of ants! Lol. I love mission life and that is not sarcastic! I feel like maybe 6 or 7 months ago these things would have bothered me a lot, but now I'm able to brush off things like this pretty easily because I know that when I'm upset I don't have the spirit and if I don't have the spirit then I can't chuan jiao (preach the gospel). I know that the Lord is constantly testing us. Placing events in our paths to challenge us and help us grow. Therefore, I choose to be happy regardless of what happens. Rather than ask, "why must I drink ants and ride along hills of chicken poop with flies flying in my mouth and nose?" I choose to ask, "Where is the next challenge? When is the next time I get to prove myself? and when is the next time I'll be able to ride along these beautiful fields of pineapple? because this might be my last!" 

-Elder Poon

Minxiong Madness March 14, 2016

Baby Jade doesn't have cystic fibrosis!!!!!!! Wahoo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! What a blessing! I feel like another blessing is that as I was going out and doing the work this week I didn't really worry about the situation. I was kinda actually stressing myself out because I felt like I wasn't worrying enough about the situation, but then a wise zone leader by the name of Elder Nipper gave me some great council and related a time in his mission where he had kind of a similar trial and I learned to stop worrying about not worrying a lot. In addition to that, this week we stumbled across an apartment building full of Thai people. We contacted one of them outside the building and they invited us in! Turns out that my grasp of the Thai language has digressed considerably. I could still understand some stuff but whenever I tried to speak it just came out in Chinese. Most of them were drunk but we got a couple numbers so we'll see how it works out. We saw a lot of progress in many of our investigators this week. We have one investigator who is a nurse and she is no doubt golden. She's been meeting with us regularly and coming to activities. She loves the branch already and they all love her! Also, we got a referral from the zone leaders a few weeks back. This guy is named Liao and he is so cool! He's in the military. His job is fixing machines and stuff. He's super smart. We gave him the Book of Mormon two weeks ago and he already finished Alma. He has a lot of faith but we're trying to help him see things from a more spiritual perspective rather than an academic one. Also, we are meeting with the coolest most handsome Indian man I've ever met. His name is Vicky. He could get baptized but he says he needs to tell his priest in India. It's kinda frustrating because that priest guy is super hard to get a hold of! Anyways, that's the work right now in Minxiong! 

Love y'all

Matching ties with President Li

The most handsome Indian man in the world

President Li and his wife invited us for dinner again last P-day. Turns out it was their 3 year anniversary of getting sealed in the temple! Therefore, we went to the only 5-star hotel in Jia Yi and ate at the buffet there. :) I love those people  #unlimitedcremebrulee

The the the..... THE GRINCH March 7, 2016

Minxiong is awesome. Since everybody has returned from winter break, there's a lot more going on! That in combination with the blessings from power week, we now have a really solid pool of investigators which includes a nurse, a military man that served in the middle east with U.S. troops, and an Indian guy (just to mention a few). We're hoping that we can continue seeing these people progress. We have a great branch that is really caring and supportive of our investigators. I really hope we can see some friends step into the waters of baptism soon mainly for their own salvation obviously but also because I think it would really help the branch. Our branch president, President Li, and his wife are some of the greatest people ever! They're taking us out to dinner again and this time it's to a super nice buffet! I can't believe how well I eat here in Taiwan... Elder Jackson is a wizard. Literally. He is crazy good at magic tricks and he uses them to teach the gospel which is even cooler! Becoming senior companion has been a little bit stressful just because I'm now the one that has to make most of the decisions and I'm now the one with better Chinese but I feel like it's made me strive to work harder and Elder Jackson is a stud so it's not too difficult! This past week the coolest thing I have realized is that I have really come to love the people of Taiwan. I don't know these people but I feel for them in a way that I didn't before. There was a moment this week where I felt like I really had a better understanding of the love that Christ has for each and every one of us. He's always there to lift us up as long as we let him! I don't know why but that just reminded me of a quote I read the other week by Howard W. Hunter “If our lives and our faith are centered upon Jesus Christ and his restored gospel, nothing can ever go permanently wrong.” Man, I feel like the mission has turned me into the Grinch at the end of the story where his heart gets like 3 times bigger. It's all about love!

Love,
Elder Poon

Lunch with Mr. Zhao again. Teppenyaki!

Finally ate the lemon squares that Dora sent for Xmas! Also, Elder Parker and I are in the same district again! Wahoo!!!

This is in our neighborhood's local court yard area. Elder Jackson is pondering this question, "If a pineapple and an apple got in a fight? Which one would win?"