Transfer 10 - Week 1

This past week was a good one! 

We've now whipped our apartment into shape and it's all good to go, though we still lack a working washer which has been great because it's given us an opportunity to learn how to wash our clothes in the river nearby. No just kidding the repairman is coming tomorrow and the timing couldn't be better because I only have one shirt left! 

A few days ago we were visiting a few less actives and as we were standing outside one of the apartment buildings, a student passed by us to go inside so we got his attention and started talking to him. After a few minutes of chatting, his friend came by and joined the conversation. Then, after a few more minutes, another friend joined in! It then happened again so at the end of it all we had 4 high school students talking with us. We chatted with them all and found out that one of them actually lives in the same apartment as us! After talking about church a bit we invited them to come and check it out. Surely enough, yesterday they all came to church! What's more, they brought 4 more friends! So in total we had 9 people at church (another one of our investigators came as well) It was incredible! 

Last Saturday President Holland came to visit us missionaries and give us a little mission conference. The whole mission went to Taipei and there he delivered a great talk about hard work and loving the people. It definitely gave me extra motivation and seems to have given my companion revelation because ever since the meeting he has been writing in his journal non-stop! I jokingly called him Isaiah but he didn't seem to get it. Maybe it was just a bad joke! It was a great experience to hear him talk though. One of the interesting things he said is that, "We only send the best to Taiwan." But I'm pretty sure he says that to every mission he visits haha. 

All in all it was a good week! Still working on building up the area and it's coming along! We've got an investigators scheduled for March 15th, so we hope she can make her date! Love you all! 

Elder Hagedorn

My companion and I coming to our new home after Transfer Meeting. I just had to get his reaction on camera! 

Rode up to Bade to get some old blankets from the old apartment and then on our way back to Daxi in order to keep from freezing at night! Yes, I looked similar, though not quite as crazy. 

On the train coming home from Taipei after the conference with President Holland. Super crowded! 

See if you can find me! 

Transfer 9 - Week 6

This week has been a little crazy! The past few days has all been my new companion and I in the apartment cleaning, fixing, moving, etc. Basically anything that you can do to an apartment, we DID. So yes, we have officially moved into the new apartment and no worries, it's not as terrible at is used to be, though it still might make the weaker weep. Luckily we were able to meet with the landlord and tell him everything that needed to be fixed in the apartment, and for the most part, he fixed it all! Though they were all quick fixes and still look pretty bad, it's acceptable now. 

Normally, there's no way I would actually live in this type of place and if I saw it before my mission I might cry but being on a mission I just see it as a small trial and God's way of telling me that I need to humble myself so with this perspective, I'm actually kind of enjoying myself! When I see the bathroom now, I almost just laugh! Looking at things lightly and on the bright side is an incredibly positive thing and it's more fun so I've tried to choose this way. 

Doing missionary work this past week has been tough because all our time was dealing with the apartment. We've now officially handed over all our old investigators and less active members to the Bade missionaries and now we are officially the Daxi Elders and starting from scratch. But there's hope! We have 1 active member who lives in our area and he's great! We've been able to find a couple investigators and we ran into a less active family last night whom are really nice and willing to meet with us! Slowly going to get this place going! 

Oh and I forgot to mention I have a new companion. His name is Gao Zhao Yu and he's from Taiwan. He's 26 years old and he will now be my Chinese tutor master paedagogus. Should be a good time :) 

Love you all! Happy Valentine's Day! 

Transfer 9 - Week 5

This week we actually didn't end up moving into the new apartment... But the whole thing is rather a funny story. Originally, we planned on moving in on Friday morning so having gotten the key Thursday morning we decided to go checkout the apartment before officially moving in. Upon arriving, we found that the apartment was quite horrid and the first words I uttered while stepping into the bathroom were, "I could see myself getting stabbed in here." Luckily, we notified the President and the other missionaries in charge of handling these matters and it should be taken care of. 

Needless to say, we haven't moved in. Turns out that they had found this apartment online and the pictures and price were amazing, the operations assistant for our mission, being new, was slightly inexperienced and bought it right away, signing a contract for a year paying in full. At first, we told them to just cancel it all and let us find another apartment but since they had already paid they said it was too late. We contacted the landlords and met with them, finding that the pictures on the internet and the actual apartment were quite different so we then told the landlords that they must fix everything before we move in. It should all work out, but we won't be moving in anytime soon. It has all been unfortunate for these things to happen but it's also kind of funny. Elder Nasman and I were upset at first, thinking we would have to move in to a terrible apartment, but now we've found it's just better to look at everything with a sense of humor. I'll include some pictures of the apartment. Don't worry though, because we won't be living there. 

For missionary work, it was a tough week. We were however, fortunate to run into a less active member who wanted us to visit her younger brother, diagnosed with cancer and immobilized in his bed. We went to visit him, not really sure what to expect and he said he had dreamt of us the night before, visiting him and wanted us to teach him. We then taught him a brief overview of the Plan of Salvation and shared with him Alma 40:23, speaking of the resurrection. As we were leaving, he said, "The time has been brief, but I have received much." Later that afternoon he went to the hospital and should be back in a few days. We hope to meet with him and teach him more about the Gospel, giving him hope in this life and in the life to come. 

We biked a lot this week, as we have the past few weeks, and the rain has been coming down. It's gotten cold again so the days have been a little rough but also kind of nice because we feel accomplished just going outside at all. 

This Friday is transfer meeting and my companion and I both anticipate that we will be getting new companions, but we will see. The week has been great and I feel God is just trying to teach me right now. Teaching me patience, humility, diligence and faith. We've been working hard but haven't gotten much results, but I feel it's just how things are supposed to go for now. Brother Tao, the man with cancer has definitely been a really cool opportunity. I love you all! 

Elder Hagedorn

Here's the bathroom... Notice the bottle of spray paint that they probably had used a few hours before us getting there. 

I'm not exactly sure how they're going to fix this apartment but I guess by the time they do I'll be gone! 

Here's my companion in one of the rooms. When I stand in it I can't stand up straight haha. 

Sorry the picture is a little blurry but it was cold and rainy! Here's me on Daxi Bridge. 

This is a pretty little field we passed by while biking . 

Transfer 9 - Week 4

This week was an interesting one! So from last week you know that I have moved into a new area, Daxi and am getting a new apartment. We will be moving into the new apartment this Friday, saving us hours and kilometers of biking. Now I'm using kilometers instead of miles, I've been away for too long. But one day we were biking around Daxi exploring our new area and we biked over 50 kilometers! Most of which was uphill. 

So it's been Chinese New Year and what they do over here is eat. Last week every lunch and every dinner was supplied by our gracious members but sadly they all live in Bade. So us, also living in Bade but needing to travel Daxi because we haven't moved in yet basically spent last week biking to a member's house right out of the door for lunch, biking 40 minutes or so to Daxi, completely stuffed and in pain up some hills and down some hills, to arrive there and contact people for a couple hours, to bike back to Bade (still stuffed) up some hills and down some hills to the next member's house for dinner and then repeat the process back to Daxi for contacting and back to Bade to go home to our apartment. Pretty tiring! Luckily, though, we've been able to find some investigators in Daxi and we hope we can help them out and continue to teach them. We've also managed to contact a few less actives in the area and one came to church on Sunday! Whoo! 

I would also like to wish my beloved sister Angie happy birthday!! Double whoo! And everyone Happy Chinese New Year! Oh and I've also been informed that the Seahawks won the Superbowl! Triple whoo! Love you! 

Elder Hagedorn

On the southern border of our area at Shimen Reservoir. Kind of nerdy I know. 

Taken on our 50km bike ride. 

Also taken on The Bike Ride. 

My companion and I kind of really like fruit snacks... Don't worry it's cleaned up now! 

Bike Ride. 

Our lovely Bade district at the temple. I look like a giant

Transfer 9 - Week 3

Know how we have been going up recently to Daxi (city up on the hill)? Well I guess it paid off! Last Friday at a Training Meeting our President split our area and made my companion and I the "Daxi Elders" and it is now our official area. We will also be moving into a new apartment within in a week. 

Luckily we've been able to find some new investigators and I guess the President was thinking the same thing as us in that Daxi needs some attention! We're pretty excited to open up a new area and just get things going where missionaries haven't been in a long time. Sorry this email will be short but we are in Taipei and don't have much time to email this week because it takes such a long time to travel back to Bade. We woke up at 4:30 this morning in order to get to the temple this morning on time! Really excited for this new week and new area! Love you all! 

Will reply to emails next Monday!