The Three Amigos
Today is our temple day! We’re trying to get out of here quickly so we can have enough time to actually do some fun things…our three hours study time will be replaced with time in the temple.
Co-op garden…no weed, just edibles – veggies, of course!
I bought some grow lights from China this last week and added them to the garden I started. Currently I’ve planted radishes, basil, cucumbers, celery, and petunias, but there are plans in place for potatoes and carrots at some point!
The Great Pumpkin, Taiwan Episode
Bringing a little desert to this tropical paradise
On Monday this week we started practicing for the Christmas choir. We’ll have to give up at least an hour of our P-day each week through the rest of the year, but we’ll be performing at an elementary school on December 10th and then down at our chapel next to the temple on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. It should be fun!
No matter how you view it…
Yesterday I conducted my first baptismal interview. Since I’m district leader, whenever the missionaries in my district have someone who needs a baptismal interview, I’m the one to do it (unless it’s my investigator – then the zone leaders give it). This was my first one, so it was pretty fun.
…it’s a plan!
It was actually a morale boost though, since once it was complete, I realized that I had carried on about an hour and a half conversation with someone in Chinese. Unfortunately, given his responses to some of the questions, he’s going to be required to have another interview administered by the mission president – other than that though, it went great!
It’s crazy fun here in Taiwan!
Taipei skyline
Right now, we’ve got two investigators that are scheduled to be baptized this weekend. We just found out that one of them has a certain issue that will also need to have a second interview administered for it (I guess having more than one wife is illegal in Taiwan too!) so we’re not sure if he’ll be ready by this weekend, but hopefully we’ll have at least one baptism!
– Elder Austin Simonson
文長老
I received an email today from the Baileys…WITH PHOTOS!!!! YAY! I have included their sweet message (and used the photos)! THANK YOU ELDER AND SISTER BAILEY!
Dear Family of Elder Simonson,
We are Elder and Sister Bailey. We are currently serving in Taiwan as family history missionaries. We have been serving for the past few months in the Zhonghe / Yonghe area along side your son.
#1 District in Taiwan (polling may be slightly biased…margin of error, + or – 100%)
For the past 2 weeks we have been hosting the weekly district meeting at our apartment. I have attached a picture we took today of the Shuanghe District and the 4 great Elders and 4 great sisters, we are serving with. The other young man in the picture is named Jack. He has been a member for about 6 months and spends as much time as he can with the missionaries in order to prepare to serve a mission himself.
Cinnamon rolls! YUM!!!
One of our family’s Halloween traditions is fresh homemade cinnamon rolls with apple cider. Sister Bailey baked the cinnamon rolls today. We had to substitute apple juice for apple cider.
Your son is doing great. He is healthy and happy and we love serving with him. He is doing a great job as a new district leader.
We just wanted you to know.
Sincerely,
Elder and Sister Bailey