Biking in Taiwan

We thought you might like to see a few biking pictures.  Notice how beautiful the view of Taichung is from the mountain road we bike on.  Mom and I are going to try and find a good bike for me to buy today. 

When we got to the top of the road today this Chinese man about my age came over to me and asked if my bike was hard to pedal.  President Bishop stepped in and explained this was a two year old missionary bike I borrowed.  Finding a bike frame my size in Taiwan is near to impossible.  All Giant bikes are made in Taiwan, but it takes six weeks to order a bike bigger than 53 cm.  I ride a 58 cm bike at home.

We hope to find a bike that will be a good fit for me.

Confucius Temple & Buddha

Taichung is a city of about two million people.  As part of our mission office responsibilities we have been able to drive around much of the city, and the expanse of large office and apartment buildings seems to go on and on.  However, right close to our apartment are two cultural sites worth sharing with you.  The first is the Confucius Temple on a large multi-acre parcel of land.  It appears ancient, but was actually build in the last century to celebrate the contribution of Confucius to society.  We first went there on a Sunday afternoon and found the grounds to quiet and peaceful (something the city of Taichung is not).  His birthday is celebrated on September 28th, with a celebration on the temple grounds.  We plan to attend.

Confucius Temple located two blocks from our apartment

We lived here over a month before we discovered one of the largest "smiling Buddha's" in the world within a block of our apartment.  We went for an early morning walk in a direction we had yet to walk.  All of a sudden, as we turned a corner, across the street is this huge, 90 feet tall statue of the Buddha.  Truly an imposing sight.  I have provided several photos to give better perspective of how big this is.
When President Bishop was in Taichung as a young missionary he remembers the statue being in an open area, where now it is on the grounds of a temple. 

Taiwan is truly a beautiful country with cultural experiences hard to fully comprehend.

Tai Chi

Six mornings a week, at 6:00 a.m., Sister Liston and I participate in an informal, but very well organized Tai Chi exercise group. The group just had their ten year anniversary.  Several weeks ago, during our morning walk we ran onto this group and asked if we could join them.  They readily accepted their new American friends and have been so very cordial to have us involved with them.  They are a Christian group of friends who start with prayer each morning exercise, turn on the CD player with beautiful Chinese and Polynesian music.  Of course, there are no words we understand, but the music is very memorable.  Learning all the hand, arm, feet, leg, and body moves is not easy for me.  These people are so graceful, and all of them not what move comes with each part of the music.  But, we are both learning and getting better. 

The photo below shows the small "strip park which extends about six blocks centered between two streets.  People walk, exercise, sell their wares, and generally congregate in this green space set aside in a very busy, noisy city.  We certainly enjoy their friendship and the chance to stretch our ability to communicate with them.

This is one more example of how kind and accepting the Chinese people are to us as strangers and Americans.  We want to set a good example as Americans, but especially as representatives of Jesus Christ, and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Rain or Shine...

We feel honored to serve as full time missionaries for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  It is a goal that we have shared since we were married 42 years ago.  Who would have ever dreamed our mission experience would be in Taiwan with the wonderful Chinese people?  One of the greatest experiences we are enjoying is the time we spend with the 150 missionaries serving with us in Taiwan.  Their faith, love of the gospel, willingness to teach and preach in all conditions is exemplary.  They are truly great ambassadors of our Savior, Jesus Christ.

When Ron served as a young Elder in Western Canada he spent a great deal of time going from house to house to find those to teach.  From the picture posted here of Sister Weinheimer, you can see our missionaries go” vehicle to vehicle” striving to find those who will listen to a short message, and schedule another time to teach the gospel.  Look at the intensity and commitment to what she is doing.  She is a wonderful missionary, and there are many just like her. 

Sister Weinheimer

Can you picture yourself at age 22, on a bicycle in all kinds of weather?  Yesterday (July 9, 2011) the ambient temperature in Taichung was 95 degrees s with 70% humidity.  That creates a heat index of 100 degrees and our Elders and Sisters are on the pavement talking to anyone who will give them time.  Does it ever rain in Taiwan?  June, July and August are the monsoon months and five inches of rain is expected each month.  You can see from the two photos that being soaked is just part of being a Taichung missionary.   Our missionaries are wet all the time---either rain or sweat.  We are proud of them

Here are some pictures of some of the other incredible missionaries that we have the opportunity to work with, that are so dedicated to this great work, rain or shine.

Sister Chen

Elder Kossman and Elder Wheeler

Market---(Shir Chong)

Shopping in Taiwan is not difficult, once you learn the basic shopping skills, especially the money system.  Of course it is easy to drive to the local Costco, park in the underground parking, walk up one ramp to the photo and food court, and then take your cart on a moving ramp to the main floor.  Costco is pretty much like Orem, except the crowds make Orem look empty, and the variety of foods cater to the Chinese diet.  However, we can buy many of the Kirkland products making it feel somewhat like home.
But, shopping at Costco is for wimps.  (And we wimp out about twice a month).  Real shoppers go to the various markets all within walking distance of our apartment.  It is impossible to live in the center of Taichung, and walk one block without passing vender after vender.  Some are on the streets in their trucks or motorcycles converted into a “truck of sorts.”  (see photo)   Some use the front of their homes as a store front.  They look like a garage door at night, but in the morning open to a store with an apartment in the back and in some cases upstairs. 

This morning on our two mile walk we ran onto a huge day market in the back alleys of a neighborhood close to ours.  It was raining but we wandered through the market for about 45 minutes buying peppers here, mangos there, onions at another vender, and of course pineapple and broccoli.  No, we did not buy any pigs feet or duck blood.  We’ll save that for another lifetime.  The chickens were fresh, head and feet still attached after they were killed on site.  The vegetables and fruit are superb.  The mangos we bought today were the size of small cantaloupe.  The pineapple is better than Maui Gold What a fun adventure.  We came home wet from the rain, but with memories of a wonderful morning in the market we will never forget. 

The money system is a base-10 system so once you get the math down you are on your way.  Until you ask the price and the Chinese they speak is not the Chinese you were prepared to hear.  After a few blank stares the kind vender will write the number on his/her hand with a finger and then you understand.   The prices are actually comparable to what we pay in the states.  The experience is priceless.

Mission Office Duties

We thought you might like knowing a little bit about our office day. We wake up at 5:00 in the morning and go for a walk around the city of Taichung.   There are two different very nice "Walking Park Streets" we walk through in the morning.  After stretching, reading, having breakfast, we get into the office at 9:00 a.m.   Although our duties are quite separate, we do help each other a lot, especially as we are learning our duties.

Elder Liston manages all of the mission finances.  Tasks include reimbursing missionaries for mission related expenses, assisting Elders with their monthly credit cards when they are not working, authorizing purchases of replacement apartment items, paying mission expenses, bank deposits, bank withdrawls, and budgeting and managing the mission budget with President Bishop. The paying of mission expenses includes all that is related to managing over 75 apartments (leases, utilities, furnishings, etc.)  I could go on and on with more details and activities, but I think this will suffice. The church has a sophisticated software program used in all missions making much of the financial work consistent and easier to manage. 

Sister Liston has the more complex and detailed responsibilities.  To put all she does on a work flow diagram would take up too much of Taiwan's real estate and more paper than the mission currently has in stock.  Think of managing the paperwork that goes along with 160 misisonaries, including more than 80 coming and 80 going each year.  Visa's, Passports, Alien Resident Cards, Medical Cards, numerous internal documents used by the President and Assistants, Travel plans to and from Taiwan, phone lists, Letters to parent-- pre missionaries--missionaries--stake presidents-- bishops, Missionary photos for various applications, etc., etc., etc.  The mission has a comprenesive data base which is the foundation for many of the reports, letters, applications, etc.  There are numerous queries which Sister Liston uses to create these letters and reports.
We are supported by two good office Elders who work very hard to support us.  The office Elders have duties outside the office, so we are often alone managing the mission office. We also work together on many tasks like mail, postage, paying bills at the local 7-eleven.    We are also supported by our predecessors, James and Joann Greene who are now back in Rexburg, but so very helpful when we call at least weekly. 
We also have faith that this is the work of our Heavenly Father, and we pray a lot to learn and do our jobs to support our wonderful missionaries who work tirelessly to bless the lives of the people they serve. We get home as early as 6:30 p.m. and as late as 8:30 at night.  Obviously we are tired.  One of the blessings of being so tired is better sleep. We feel like we are on a "crash course" learning how to swim while being thrown into the ocean, but we are learning.  We love working with President and Sister Bishop and all of the missionaries.  Serving our Father in Heaven is always rewarding.

Here are just a few pictures outside the mission office as well:

Looking out the front gate

Flowering tree in front of the mission office

Sidewalk in front of the mission office.

Tofu and Duck Blood

The office Elders invited us to a restaurant with several members of the ward in which they serve.  It was an upscale restaurant which specializes in "hot pot" meals. 
A two portion soup pot is brought to the table, placed on a gas burner in the middle of the table.  Both sides are filled with broth, spices, sea weed, etc.  the one side is filled with "hot" spices for the more gutsy pallet.
We allowed our chinese friends to order the main course.  It was cabbage, tofu and duck blood.  Tofu and duck blood Chunks the size of pieces of fudge were brought to the table already cooked in a pot.  The ingredients were poured into the pot to simmer together and we took piece after piece out of the pot and place in our bowl with rice.  the Tofu was good.  the duck blood was okay, but hard to think about it.  It had the consistency of jello, but was fairly easy cut into smaller sized pieces with your chopstick.  Mom looked at me and said, "who would have imagined?
Lola and I have found a great diet in Taiwan---chopsticks.  By the time we fully learn to use them, we will be a few pounds lighter.  It is interesting that eating slow fills you up sooner.  Especially Duck Blood.
We enjoyed our time listening to and being brought into the "mostly chinese" conversation.  Their were four children at the table next to us who were very interested in speaking with me in English.  Lola and I love being around the chinese children.
Pictured in the photo include our office Elders, Hanich, Liu, and Tung.   The other photo shows our guests and the capable server for our table.  Everytime she left our table aftger serving us she would bow.