Sun Moon Lake

Missy keeps a blog current for us as we send her photos and text relating to our experience in Taiwan.  We do not share personal thoughts and feelings on the blog.  Our goal is to keep our family and friends posted on some of the interesting experiences we have.  We also hope it will be a motivating experience for some lone “internet surfer” to get serious about serving a senior couple mission. 

I am including some posts from our blog for my journal:

Sun Moon Lake

It was Friday, August 12^th, and I had seen enough concrete, heard enough cars and scooters, and inhaled enough exhaust to suit me.  Besides, it had been nearly four months since I saw a real tree.  I called President Bishop and he agreed. It was either get Sister Liston and me out of town, or increase our anti depression medications.  The Bishops picked us up at 7:30 Saturday morning and in less than 90 minutes, we were at a beautiful lake with real trees, real air, much cooler air, and the only exhaust came from re-told stories being repeated by President Bishop and me.  We had a great day at Sun Moon Lake high in the mountains of Central Taiwan. 

The lake is beautiful and we took a boat tour to three different locations on the lake.  The first was a small village on the opposite side of the lake where we hiked, visited a butterfly garden, and sampled food at three of the local venders. This is always a treat, but you never quite know what the food will be like.  The Provo health department surely wouldn’t give them a food handles permit, but we gave them four stars for great food.  “If you don’t like the dirty chair, don’t sit in it.”  The cabbage/mushroom roll was great, and so was the chicken/pork rolled in a tortilla type thing.  The mango ice cream was perfect on a hot mountain afternoon.

Taiwan is beautiful and the people are great to us.  This is the area where the LDS stakes have their youth outings and it is easy to see why.  It is a very relaxing location.  We spent about four hours on our tour of the lake and hiking. President Bishop had a wonderful time entertaining some children while we waited for our boat to return and pick us up.  It is always good to see him relax.  He works very hard as mission president, and we dearly love and respect he and Sister Bishop.

We would have enjoyed staying there all day, but duty called us back Taichung.  The road to and from the lake is lined with rice paddies, a novelty for us, but as common as orchards used to be in Utah County.  When the President dropped us off in front of our apartment we were immediately struck by the heat, the exhaust, and the incessant vehicle noise.  But, we were refreshed, and energized for another week.  So energized, we took the elevator to our apartment, and took a nap.  Something we never do.  It was great.  We loved our “time out” in the mountains, and do feel ready for another four months of serving in our concrete city.

Us with President and Sister Bishop at Sun Moon Rock

A lunch vendor making a cabbage mushroom roll.

Stake Center Ground Breaking

Taichung City has two LDS stakes, but only one new dedicated Stake Center.  The north Taichung Stake meets in a chapel built in a large office building on one of the upper floors.  The church in Taichung is growing rapidly.  On Saturday, July 30th, the Stake celebrated a ground breaking for the construction a new stake center.  The photos attached to this email give you some idea of how beautiful this morning event was.  Here is a little background information:

The property is a large open asphalt lot which has been used as a “night market” several evenings a week.  Immediately adjacent to the site are large apartment buildings.  There are also some retail businesses on the street. 

The stake and area leadership did an outstanding job in preparing the event which came across very professional and highly organized.  It was all in Chinese, so we picked up many of the words, but not all the detail.  However, the audience was very much into the brief talks and music.  We have been overwhelmed with the outstanding priesthood and auxiliary leadership in the church here in Taiwan.  Equal to what we experience in the States.

There were seven to ten city dignitaries who attended and spoke briefly to the audience.   A female city leader spoke very positively about the LDS population in her city. She commented how all the LDS people she knows are happy and smile all the time.  (We hear this comment regularly from people we talk with about how we are happy people.)  What a nice testimony of what the Gospel of Jesus Christ can do for people.

I am sure you will enjoy the photo of Sister Liston talking to a little boy who was there with his family.  Somehow she always manages to find a child to share the love she has for all children---especially our grandchildren.  Chinese children are absolutely beautiful.  And this little boy is no exception.  As I look at the photo, I can see this boy speaking to his ward in 17 years as he leaves to serve a mission.  I think it was thoughts like this that made our Saturday so special.  We felt very much a part of the growth of the Church in this beautiful country with loving, good people.

Ground breaking audience

Stake choir

The ground breaking

A picture with Pres. and Sis. Bishop

Sis. Liston talking to a  little boy who came

Pres. and Sis. Bishop

Taichung Dignitaries

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.