Aug 28, 2011 - Ji di Xiong Baptism & Best story of my Mission

Hello fam,

Well the "no show" kid.... We still have only talked to him on the phone, other than that, nothing else has happened with him.
But on saturday, Ji wen pong di xiong got baptized and it was really good. Unfortunately his wife and daughter couldn't come because his cute little girl was sick and the mom had to take her to the doctor. He is really great. After the baptism, my companion told him that he has a big responsibility now. Ji di xiong asked "what is that?". My companion answered "you have to get your wife to believe in God." He replied with "I know, I will let her see my change(s)." Pretty good!

Ok my finger is fine mostly. They only had to cut a little bit off.
Well we had hardly any sit-downs and adds and anything else this week. We are kinda struggling to find anybody new.
I was just kidding about my finger. The infection went away after a few days.

As for the missionary spotlight in the newsletter, I don't know. I think I have learned a lot.

1. Anything is possible if it is God's will.
2. We can do hard things. Especially when we set goals and make plans.
3. The Book of Mormon is a very powerful collection of God's word and can change anybody.

I think the best story from my mission is about a man named Chen Di xiong. When I first met him, he wouldn't accept a Book of Mormon and laughed when we asked if we could pray with him. His wife had been a member for a year and a half. Six months later he had stopped smoking, drinking tea and alcohol, gambling, working on Sunday, and many other things. He now has a habit of reading his scriptures every day (with his family and by himself), praying every day (with his family and by himself), and coming to church every week. Whenever he sees somebody smoking he says it makes his stomach hurt and he wants to throw up whenever he smells the smoke. He made such big changes that his daughter and his daughter's friend and his daughter's friend's daughter all got baptized on the same day a few weeks after his Baptism. And he baptized them. All of his other children are investigating the church. Later he gave the church 900 years worth of family history so that all those thousands of Chen's can have their ordinances done for them in the temple. (trust me there are lots of Chens). He and his wife have plans to get sealed in the temple next year. This gospel is for everybody.
Thats probably all I have for that.

Sisi don't run too fast.
Looks like Dad will be doing fine in Afghanistan. Does anyone know what he is even doing there? are we allowed to know?

Gotta go,
Elder Graham

Aug 21. 2011 - Infected Finger & Fanged Baptism

Well happy birthday pops and good luck in Afghanistan.

This week was... well not as good as it could have been. I got some really big infection on my right ring finger. I had to go to the doctor here which isn't fun. and now I have to take all these antibiotics for a few days. And if it isn't better after I run out of pills than he has to cut my finger off.

This week something new happened. This has never happened to me before.... We were supposed to have a baptism two days ago. But then he "fanged" his own baptism. Which means he never showed up. He stood up his baptism. not fun. Then yesterday he didn't come to church. We finally got a hold of him and we are meeting with him tonight to figure out what happened.

Pops I'm sorry I didn't get anything for your birthday.
Yes I would like to see some pictures!
OK MOM YOU FREAKED ME OUT. In the email you said "arrow got shaved" what does that mean? I thought my arrow died... Why would you shave a dead cat? Maybe you just meant Cupid got shaved.
I thought Geoffrey was already in Mexico. That's really weird that Abbey is even old enough to be going to college. Wow.

Well there isn't much to say. I still don't know when I will be going home exactly. I emailed President, and he said I will most likely be going home April 14th ish. Unless there is some reason to go home 6 weeks earlier. Like school starting or something like that.

Love Elder Graham

I was kidding about having to cut my finger off by the way. But he will have to cut out the infected part next to my fingernail if it doesn't go away.

Aug 14, 2011 -

Dear Family,

Well that is sad that Arrow is now in kitty spirit paradise. That means we need a new cat that will take naps with me when I get home. :(

I did not know about the fire. That's pretty sad too.

This week my companions brother is getting married in the Taibei temple. On Friday he will get to go there to see that. Which will be really cool for him. But I have to stay here and do a whole weekly planning session by myself in an area that I don't know. Which isn't fun at all. But I am excited for my comp.

Also this week we will have a baptism. He is a 14 year old boy who walks to church by himself and he is pretty cool. And next week we should also have a pretty cool baptism of 紀di xiong. His sister is a member who lives in the states and got married in the salt lake temple (I think) and he saw how happy she is and so he started investigating the church.

I bought some really cheap crocs 50元 (about $1.33 USD). Sweet.

Sisi I don't really remember any of those names. But that's OK I'm sure that they are all good.
Pops I'm not sure about my release date yet but it is either Feb 29th or April 11th -ish.
Pops you also need to not cry so much..

Well that is kinda it for now, I have to write my Mission President.
Elder Graham

Aug 7, 2011 - My new comp & eating snake

Hello family! Its good to hear that you are having a good time. In taiwan today is fathers day. Happy fathers day pops!
So this week has been interesting. My companions english is not the best. And so it is really funny to hear him try and speak.

Last monday after I emailed you guys, we went out and ate snake. Isn't that sweet? if you zoom in on the picture, you should be able to see the snake skin and everything.
Its kinda weird being district leader here. I guess that a little while after I left, this whole zone kinda stopped doing to well. This is the biggest zone in the mission. And in the last 8 months its been the lowest baptizing. So they whitewashed (moved both of them and brought in two ...cough... more experienced ones) the zone leaders and brought in all new district leaders. Last week this area got 2 people at church. Yesterday we got 7. This is how we do it! This area is going to start blowing up. The members are super nice here in dong hai. Yesterday at church I saw a bunch of people that I knew from last year. Its pretty sweet. Today we are going to fong jia to go to a resteraunt that I used to go to.
My new companion has a sister who is in this same mission. (wouldn't that be weird) And his ex-girlfriend is going to fongjia but he says that it doesn't bother him. But anyway, his sister is in the hospital because she has brain cancer. But she is getting better! She will be coming back later this month. Yeah Τ快猭!!
It would be really weird to serve like in provo or something like that where home would just be like an hour away.

See ya in a year,
ρ
玊狽
Elder Graham

July 31, 2011 - District Leader over my old area - Taizhong!

Sooo helloooooooo family,
This is Elder Graham. Happy birthday mom!! Just so you know I sent a package. It was about 60 bucks to send. But it only has some shoes and things like that. A hat. And a really big scroll. Some of it is for me when I get back, like the shoes. But you guys can put the poster up in the house and wear the hat. The hat is really funny i think. It isn't made by our church but basically it says if you believe in Jesus you will be saved.

So yes. I moved. And guess where I moved to? Taizhong. I am now the district leader over my first area! I even get to go to the same chapel! I'm so excited! I get to see all the old people and go on exchanges in my old area! Isn't that cool? And guess what else. Oh man I am super lucky. My companion is a 台灣人. Isn't that sweeeeeet? He is from taidong. And he is going to help me with my characters and speaking and he will teach me a little 台語.
He is super cool. Kinda a bigger guy and he is like a teddy bear. sweet. So yeah. My new area is in 台中西屯區 just like my first area! But this time I am by DungHai University. (deng hai). Our house looks over the school grounds and our apartment is huge. The best apartment I have had so far. So sweet. We are going to do some cool stuff.

Sisi, That lady was right. Boys are all stupid. And you shouldn't care what other people think anyway.
Yes Sisi. That's why dad gave me a shotgun for my twelfth birthday.
What kind of phone did dad get mom?
Chinese food is way better than Thai.
Like I really want to come back to Taiwan. I am planning on it. But I just don't know when..
Well this elder has to go. We don't have a lot of time.. Next week will be better.
Love Elder Graham

July 24, 2011

OK the pictures are sweet but they are so small I can't see who is who.
But anyway. It looks like you guys had lots of fun.
Kami. you will never be a woman. Sorry. You will just be my sister.
Sisi. You don't like boys yet. And don't mention food. I'm soooo hungry. But guess what? I am going to an all you can eat place with all you can eat Hagen daz Ice cream. It is sooooooooo good. yay.

OK so this week was pretty good. Nothing huge happened. Rudi has been watching over his grandma while she is in the hospital. Hospitals are different here. Like you have to do everything yourself. You even have to bring your own toilet paper. Soooo he may or may not be getting baptized on Saturday. I'm not going to lie to you guys. I haven't been tracting in my whole mission. Maybe like 3 times for about 5 minutes every time. Its way more boring than talking to people on the street.

Am I surprised about everything that I have learned on my mission. Hmm. Some people will turn their backs on God. Even after spiritual confirmations of truth. People will let other things get in the way of things that will effect eternity. Things that don't matter.

So I just barely emailed on Wednesday and I don't have any new pictures. Sorry.

This week we hit most of our weekly goals. We had a good four investigators at church. This is the last week of the move call. I hope I don't go trainer......... I also don't want to move. But I have been here for three move calls and my time might be up.

Anyway. I'm sorry this was short again. I will talk to you guys again next week.!

Elder Graham

July 20, 2011 - Rain, Temple & Zone Conference

Hello family,
This is Elder Graham.

This week has rained like crazy. It rains every day for long periods of time. which is not fun because if we aren't teaching a lesson, we are outside contacting people. But when its raining, there isn't anybody to talk to. AND its in the rain and we are soaking wet.

Thank you for the package with garments. YAY for new garments. I've been sweating in mine everyday for over a year. Its weird to think that I've been here for over a year.

So today we went to the Taibei temple. It was really good. And I got to see a sister who I served around when I was in 蔼动. She went home two transfers ago. But now she works for the church in . She is going to BYU in December and I told her to get in contact with you guys when she gets there. Her name is Chen xiao ting. I think... I forgot. Anyway..

Sisi I don't think that Dad is getting slower. You are just getting faster .
OK for like the fifth time. When you say you are having "the talk" with Sarah. What does that mean?

Zone conference was really good last week. I learned a lot. Then yesterday was Leadership Training Meeting. Which was also really good. But they take all day and all it is, is we get taught for half an hour, then we practice for an hour on the thing that we learned about. I always have a headache by the end of the day. They last about 10 hours.

Rudi passed his interview.... But then last Saturday he went to a wedding and drank some alcohol. sad face. But yeah. After that, we didn't get a hold of him for two days. It made me worried. But he finally picked up his phone and we are meeting with him tomorrow. He is still planning on getting baptized on the 30th.

Next move call is in a week and a half. I might be training in the next couple move calls. We are getting like 40 new missionaries soon. That's a lot.

I told my President about my weakness of loving babies to death and he said that when he was on his mission here, he held babies all the time. It wasn't a rule back then. But it is now and we need to obey the rules. We have some super cute babies in this ward...

Well sorry this was short. We got back late.

Elder Graham

July 10, 2011 - He2 Di Xiong Baptism!

Dear Family,

I do miss the 4th of July, I hope you guys had a good time. So yes.
He2 di xiong got baptized and confirmed. He will be getting the priesthood next week hopefully. His service was really good. Really smooth in the water and out. One solid dunk. He said that the thing that made him want to be baptized in the first place was that he had a great feeling when he attended a baptism last move call. And ever since then he has really wanted to experience the same thing. I'm really glad that we invited him to go to that baptism!
Other recent convert news, Lin2 jin4 tian2 (baptized last month) is having his interview to receive the Melchizedek Priesthood next week. Sweet. And he has three callings! I love that man. So willing to serve the Lord. He is slowly sharing the gospel with his family as well.
Rudi. Rudi is slowly progressing. Right now he has a goal to be baptized on the 30th of this month. We are helping him work towards a baptismal interview this weekend.

This week is zone conference. I can't wait. They are awesome. And next week is the temple trip. Which means I won't be emailing until Wednesday of next week.
Here is just has been really really hot. I sweat all the time. No matter what. Even if there is AC. Its an auto-sweat zone here. When we come back we are all going to die.
We found out that in the next couple months, there will be 40 new missionaries coming on island. That is a lot of newbz. But it also means that there will be lots of trainers and lots of young leaders. Oh boy I hope I don't train. haha

OK. there is a missionary rule... That I am super tempted to break. Every single Sunday. Every Sunday all the members bring their cute little Asian babies to church. And here babies are just passed around like a bag of chips. Everyone gets to hold the baby. And every week someone offers me a baby to hold. They hold the baby out and expect me to take the cute bundle of angel sauce. But like cigarettes, I have to avoid it as best I can and just say no. It makes me so sad.

So yeah. I miss holding babies. Like, Jesus said bring the children unto me. And I'm just trying to be like Jesus!!! gosh... But it's against the rules. Someone better give me a baby to hold when I get home. I miss babies.

Anyway. I have to go now. Love you peeps and I will email you next Wednesday

July 3, 2011 - Rudi not ready

Dear Family,

Yeah sorry our whole zone went to cao tun to play frisbee and football. I was the only one who didn't bring a change of clothes. So i played in my proselyting clothes. so after getting all sweaty, we went and ate an all you can eat bar b q. It was really good, but as always, too expensive. 400NT.

So yeah. Anyway. So this past week... Well our investigator Rudi failed his baptismal interview. He isn't willing to stop drinking tea, or pay tithing after he is baptized.

But there was an investigator he2 di xiong. He was our investigator but then we found out that he lives in the other elders area. He is getting baptized on Saturday. He asked me to baptize him. Sweet. we are trying to find him some girls to date because he is 43 and doesn't have any family. His parents ditched him when he was 13. And he is taking the eternal marriage class that is every Wednesday at the church. And there are plenty of older women in both wards who aren't married. Sooo hopefully we can set something up.

Hmm lets see.

Pops the translator that I have can let you do that, but I think you can find programs like that on itunes for my ipod touch, or something like that.

When I talk to people on the street, I call them a 帥哥 and then I talk to them about their families. Like it says in Preach my Gospel. Sometimes I ask them a question of the soul like 你相信神的存在嗎? But then they say yes, but they are talking about idols and stuff. But sometimes we just ask them questions like 你覺得人生的目的是什麼? Man it is a million times harder to type in Chinese. Especially cuz they don't use pin yin here. They use ㄅㄆㄇㄈ. bopomofo. So its a little hard to type cuz I'm still learning. I could just write it a lot faster..

Well I hope you guys are doing good. Its really hot here too. Even in air conditioned places it is really really hot and I just sweat all the time. I drink lots of water.

Oh yeah. Happy fourth of July. That's today for me. Nobody here even knows about it.

OK well I have to go now. You guys have a good week.
Elder Graham

June 26, 2011 - 4 Converts to the Temple & Rudi

Hello family.

Sisi I don't know what that means. You had what talk with Sarah?
I also did not know of the sunday tradition of eating smores.

Yeah so last week our district gained two new missionaries.

Something pretty cool happened this week. Last month not a single one of our recent converts went to the temple. But this month, we got four of them to go and do baptisms for the dead. So it was really sweet. They all loved it. Hopefully it will help them all endure to the end.

Pops, the plan of salvation is : 救恩計劃 or jiu4 en1 ji4 hua4

Not a lot has happened this week, but last night there was an earthquake. And it was raining really hard for a couple hours.

My companion is a really hard worker and I want to be as diligent as he is. He is on the phone calling investigators or members until 10:30 when we have to go to bed. really li hai.

Thats really cool that Geoff is in the MTC. He should have a good time in there. The mtc feels like a long time...

The investigator that lives in the other elders area is super solid and is having his interview tomorrow. We helped him find a job and so he is going to try and stay at his current apartment. His name is He2 di xiong.

We also have another investigator who's name is Rudi. Rudi has been an investigator for over a year. He may or may not be ready but he is going to have his interview sometime this week.

Everyone here claims to be Buddhist, but then you ask them certain questions and basically nobody actually believes in it. They just do it because their parents did it and they don't want to break tradition. They don't even know what Buddhist believe. They just go to the temple every month or so and bow down before the idols.

Anyway. Thats all I have for today. Not much to report on. I have a goal to be able to write 500 characters from memory by the end of next month so hopefully that works out

Elder Graham

June 19, 2011 -

Dear Family,
Today is move day. My companion and I are staying here which I think is good. We are starting to get this place built up again. We are working with the members and working hard. We had three pretty solid investigators at church. The problem is that the most solid one.... Lives in the other Elder's area. But he might move at the end of the month. He is so good. Anyway.
So... Ok today my trainer goes home. He was only on his 7th transfer when He trained me. I am on my tenth. At most I have 42 weeks left on this island. This time is going by pretty fast. The last few days have been spent thinking about goals and plans for those goals. I want to master the art of setting goals and then doing them. What I need to work on is making daily plans and then recording every day how my plans are doing.
Other than that nothing really happened.
I got a letter from Josh that was sent over 4 months ago. Weird. I hope it doesn't take that long for my letter to him to get there! Thats crazy.

I didn't get the stuff from mitch but I don't think he can send emails to me with attachments for some reason.
Sorry this was short. I have to babysit a junior companion while we wait for his new companion to get here.
Love elder Graham