Holiday Greetings from Minxiong! December 21, 2015

Who knew that I'd be able to feel the Christmas spirit so strongly on a tropical Asian island?? It's really been a pretty festive week! We've had opportunities to be part of a Christmas parade, a huge church Christmas activity, and a Christmas concert in front of a giant mall. The work was actually super good this week too. Probably the busiest/most effective week since I've been in Minxiong. We found some really cool new investigators this week and also we helped our friend Brother Chen come back into activity! That's a big deal here in the Jia Yi district because they still need more tithe-paying Melchezidek priesthood holders! I know I've said this every week since I got to Minxiong, but Elder Mitton and I are really having a blast! We go get lunch at Costco like every day, but it's alright cause we both love it. Great guy. A straight up baller! Also, it was crazy meeting Mr. Chao! I got this super weird email from my dad last week saying that "Mr. Chao needs your phone number". It was kinda weird but I gave it to him and asked why he needs it and who Mr. Chao is. I got an email back saying that there was an email sent the previous week that explained who Mr. Chao was. I never got that email and my email time was all up so I couldn't get another response. Anyways, fast forward a few days... It was during language study and we get this call... guess who it is...... Mr. Chao!!! I still had no idea who he was at this point, but he told me that he had my Christmas present! Turns out Mr. Chao's son just moved into my home ward back in Utah. He went to visit because his son and his son's wife had a baby. Naturally, my parents had to have them over for dinner. They had a good time I guess and it was then decided that Mr. Chao could take my Christmas package to Taiwan and save my parents some pricey shipping fees. The craziest part is that of all the places in Taiwan, Mr. Chao only lives a few minutes away from the mansion! We met up at the grocery store across the street and I got to see all his pics from Utah and his pictures from IN MY HOUSE. Crazy. We're getting lunch with him later this week! 

Well anyways, I hope that everyone will have some time to just take a sec and think about how awesome it is that our Savior was born. The Plan of Salvation is literally THE PERFECT plan. I feel like I understand the true meaning of Christmas this year more than ever before. #missionblessings  Christmas is the greatest! I'm stoked to see the fam on Christmas day! Happy Holidays to all!!!

Elder Mitton hates gloves

I'm pretty sure the entire city of Jia Yi was at this parade. Lots of Asian Santa's!

Christmas Party at Sun Moon Lake December 14, 2015

We had our ONE holiday of the year this past week. The annual mission Christmas party! We took a bus up to Puli to go to Sun Moon Lake! I was kinda bummed it was at a place that I had already been to, but it was still awesome! Seeing all my friends and fellow missionaries was a great Christmas present. We had some time to see the lake and hit up the souvenir shops. Then the best part of the day.... Buffet. Unlimited steak and unlimited mochi. 'Nuf said. Then a great Christmas devotional. Several missionaries are going home this week so they all had opportunities to share their reflections on their missions. Reflections are one of my favorite things. You get to hear a fully experienced missionaries insights and advice, nothing beats it! One of my favorite things that was shared was one Elder likened missionary work to the building of Salt Lake temple. During the building of the temple it was discovered that there were cracks in the foundation. Brigham Young then had the decision to either redo the foundation or build a smaller temple. We all know what happened! This is much like missionary work in the fact that everyone comes out on their missions with cracks in their testimony's foundation. However, we all have the opportunity to rebuild our foundations. This is why missionary work is awesome and why it really is ordained of God. Being able to go out at a young age and finding out what the cracks are in our foundation so that we can go rebuild it is a huge blessing. Anyways, the work in Minxiong is a little hard right now. We got fang'ed a million times this past week which means we had some really long empty trips. That being said, Elder Mitton and I are still having a great time! I bought a guitar last week for 2400 NT dollars (approx. 65 US). I'm stoked to go play it later! There's a ton of Xmas decorations around Taiwan so that helps with the spirit, but from what I've heard not very many people actually celebrate Xmas. Elder Mitton has some Josh Groban Christmas music though so that helps! happy holidays all!

-Elder Poon

Mansion Life Continues December 7, 2015

I love Minxiong!!!!!! Have I told you guys yet that we have a Costco in our area?? Well, we have a Costco in our area and it's great. It's like going back to American every time we go there! What a blessing! It's been great finally getting to know the members this week. Minxiong is a great area. It's really big and there are some good urbanized parts but also a lot of rural parts. We have to bike A TON. It's approx. 45 minutes from the mansion to the church and 45 minutes to Zhong Zheng University where we have a lot of our lessons. Riding in the country side is really nice and peaceful though. Our branch has about 50 active members. Our branch president and his wife are awesome. They took Elder Mitton and I to an awesome Italian lunch the other day and then drove us around and helped us with a few lessons! We are working really hard in the  Jia Yi zone because the Jia Yi District is really close to becoming the Jia Yi Stake! That means that there is a lot of emphasis on reactivating Melchezidek priesthood holding males/Aaronic priesthood holding males that could receive the Melchezidek. It's a lot different in comparison to my other area where the focus was no doubt on baptism. It's really cool though cause I feel like I'm becoming more of a full-purpose missionary. Elder Mitton and I are still having a blast together which is great because it makes the super long bike rides not so bad! I finally got the general conference Liahona and I've loved reading from it. Also, I got a chance to see that new Christmas video that the church put out, A Savior Is Born. So awesome! I got the chills watching it. If you haven't watched, watch it! Sorry I haven't been able to upload very many photos lately. Since the church is super far away we have to use internet cafe's and they're super sketchy and have tons of virueses (viri?) but I'll find a way! 

Happy Holidays Y'all

-Elder Poon

The BAT CAVES

Day 1 with Elder Mitton at the train station!

November 30, 2015

This week was legendary. It's really been a new start moving to Min Xiong! I once again hardly know anyone and don't know how to get anywhere, but this time around my Chinese is a little better (hopefully) so I think it'll be a quick adjustment. Me new comp, Elder Mitton, and I are already homies! We have discovered that we have a lot of the same interests, the same camera, the same food allergy, our dad's have the same name, and I'VE BEEN IN HIS HOUSE. So a few months before I left on my mission I went to this party at this super nice house by the Provo temple. Turns out that Elder Mitton was already on his mission at the time, but his cousin was using his house to throw this party. Crazy! The best part of this week was undoubtedly getting to see Elder Stevenson (the older/the apostle). The whole mission came together in Taizhong and it was awesome. Seeing all the great missionaries/friends that I've made was almost as good as hearing Elder Stevenson speak. He spoke a lot about how important promised blessings are. They're really the only reason anyone has to be interested in learning about the church. "Therefore ask, Knock" is not a great scripture. Throw in the promised blessings and it becomes much more meaningful. I then got to hear Elder Stevenson again yesterday when he came to the Jia Yi district conference with President Blickenstaff. Man, I'm so blessed! 

-Elder Poon

The Min Xiong Mansion November 23, 2015

This morning I took an hour train ride from Taizhong down south to Jia Yi and then a small cab ride over to my new area: Min Xiong. Min Xiong is a relatively new area. It was started up right when I got on island. It is legendary for one thing: The Mansion. Through some crazy circumstances, the missionaries in Min Xiong now live in a 4 floor high rise house. So for the next little while it will be my new companion (Elder Mitten from Provo) and I in the Min Xiong Mansion! It's gonna be awesome. I'll miss Taiping and all the awesome people that I met there and I'm super grateful for all the things that I learned there, but I'm stoked to experience something new! This past week has been super fun and there were a lot of activities. Last P-day we went to the bat caves in the mountains of Taiping! It was a really long bike ride up, but it was definitely worth it! These caves were super fun, but super gross. Tons of bat poop all over the place, but we made it all the way through! A bat ran into Elder Parker's face and it was hilarious. We also ran into some members from Taipei so that's cool. Then this past Wednesday was our English Party/Talent show. I got to play the guitar and we did a rendition of I'm Trying To Be Like Jesus/Glorious. It was a real good time!  About a movecall ago, we contacted this super golden girl in Taiping and then taught her a few times but then found out she lives in different area so we referred her over there. Anyways, her baptism was this past Saturday so we got to go over to Daiya to attend! Sunday (yesterday) was really weird having to say goodbye to all the great people in Taiping. It's crazy how great of friends I've made over here already even though clear communication hasn't always been there! Well, gonna go grab some grub and then probably back to the mansion! There's some really famous mountains over here so I hope to go check those out some time! Also, I get to see an apostle this week! The whole mission is coming together to see Elder Stevenson (the older) when he comes and picks up his son Elder Stevenson (the younger).

Hagw y'all

-Elder Poon

(Pictures from mission blog from November 4th, Mission President's Tour to Taichung) 

I Believe in Christ musical number by these talented missionaries

Sun Moon Lake

Shi Baba (green shirt on the end)

Green Mango popsicles

.25 November 16, 2015

Hello! Sorry I have not written a big email in a while! My last couple p-days have been super busy!! Anyways, life is so awesome. Elder Chan and I are having a blast in Taiping and it makes the work so much better! The highlights of the last couple weeks are 1) mission tour! Elder Sam Wong from the 70 came and toured our mission. He gave some great insight on how we as missionaries have several different tools and skills that we need to work on so we can be prepared to be a good missionary in any phase of the work. It was a great conference and he also spoke at our stake's stake conference the following weekend so we got a double dose of Elder Wong and his wife and also of President and Sister Blickenstaff! Then last P-day, a member from Dali named Shi Baba, wanted to take a few of us missionaries to Sun Moon Lake! It was so awesome! So beautiful. I had almost forgotten how much I love nature. Shi Baba owns a few dongxi dians (stuff stores) so he is constantly reeling in the $$$$$. Therefore, he took us to a super nice lunch first and then bought us all tickets for a ferry around the island and tons of fruit along the way. The rides there and back were just as fun as the lake too! We had a guitar in the back and we jammed out hardcore (missionary style). Then this past week I celebrated my 6 month mark! I/4 done! My brain honestly cannot fathom it! To celebrate we went to Mr. Steak! However, a salmon bone got caught in my esophagus and that sucked... It was still good though! Then a few members invited us over for pizza!! A great day indeed. The work has been fairly solid as of late. We're just trying to keep diligent and we've seen the Lord's blessings in doing so! We had 3 miracle new investigators yesterday! Taiping is the best, man. I'm gonna miss it if I have to leave next Monday cause it's the end of the move call, but I'm also stoked to see new things and experience a new part of Taiwan! That's all folks! I'll try harder to not miss weeks in the future!

-Elder Poon 

6 month commemorative tie burning!

Teppenyaki!! Fun Fact: I'm sitting by an apostle's son in this pic.