This last week we were able to hang out with some other missionaries on P-day. We went to this place called Ximen Ding that has lots of different stores.

Next to photobombing, shopping is my favorite activity!

Ximen Ding

We ended up looking at a lot of clothes, since the sister missionaries wanted to! Overall, it was pretty fun. There are actually some more pictures that were taken, but someone else has them –  and I wasn’t able to get them today, so I’ll have to send them next week.

Distance can’t keep friends apart!

On Saturday, one of my investigators/English class students in Yuli was in Taipei, and just happened to stumble across me. His wife lives here, so every other weekend he comes up here to visit her (the other weekends she goes down to Yuli to visit him). My companion and I were sitting inside of a 7/11 teaching someone when Roger apparently walked by, looked inside, and saw some foreigners, and then decided he wanted to come in to see who they were (since he knew I live here in Banqiao). It was awesome to be able to see him again!

Missionary Austin and RM Brian . . . and thanks for the photobomb, Daniel!

Yesterday I also happened to see someone that I met down in Yuli – Meng Xin (Brian). He’s actually the son of one of the members down there. He’s living up here in Taipei for school. Yesterday after church, I just happened to see him by our chapel waiting for a class that he was going to attend. It’s always great to see people that you’ve met before!

Those who can, do. Those who can’t, teach. lol

English class was also fun as usual. On Wednesday we had an unexpected change in our district. Our original district included two sets of Elders and one Sister companionship. However, our mission president had two of the elders suddenly move to a different area. This left us with a predicament, since our English class is split into four different levels (classes), but there are only two companionships of missionaries here. As of now, I teach the intermediate/beginning class alone, but have a member who attends the class to “supervise” me. 😉 Class is fun though, and I think the students really like it. Some of the people bring me fruit every week, which is always super nice!

Happy Mother’s Day!

– Elder Austin Simonson
文浩竣長老

(Big THANK YOU Sister Chen – what a wonderful Mother’s Day surprise to receive these photos/video! Be still my heart! )