The American Culture is So Weird!

Welcome! To the END of February! It's a holiday again. Huang De Kai (Jack) who I was with in Wufeng for a move call is visiting us today with one of my recent converts Li Sheng Jie (Alan). We're hangin' out on Preparation Day together, and they're both super funny! Huang De Kai has returned home from his mission, so he's down today just visiting. It's great fun! Except that they're all playin' around on Facebook, and my blog, and stuff next to me... grrr.... ;) Although I have seen some interesting pictures now, that I didn't know were on my Facebook. I guess there are a few people who still remember I exist and keep things updated for me.

It's a little weird seeing a couple of those pictures. I feel absolutely no connection to them, and it is literally an entirely different world. It feels SO far away, that there's no feeling at all. lol. The person in those pictures is a completely different person, and my life now is the life I'd rather be living. I am scared to death to see the year mark come up. I don't like the idea of having less time left than I've been out. I like having more time left than I've been out. Why does Taiwan have to be so far away? And why is it so expensive to get here? I have literally found myself here. And I've realized that nearly EVERY part of my personality that didn't mesh with the Americans back home, meshes perfectly here. Elder Mohr comes in from California, like, totally, like, he's, like, got, like, a, like, totally, like, Californian accent, and like, total Cali lingo!

BUT, the other thing that's great, is that I've realized I have literally become a part of this culture. The American culture is SO WEIRD! And, in fact, the difference between American culture with Elder Mohr, and Taiwanese culture with me, has caused some small contentions. It's interesting to see how he handles that. It's like I'm Elder Zhu, Huang, or Pei, and Elder Mohr is me. So weird! But I love Elder Mohr with all my heart, and because of his diligence and willingness to learn (and his AMAZING Chinese), we've been able to pull Tanzi out of the slump it was in for a couple weeks. The investigators are FLYING in by the boatload to talk to Elder Mohr (the ''cute" one). And I just watch, and push, and train, and handle the background stuff. Elder Mohr baptizes. :D

On a normal move call: The last Saturday of the move call, we receive what we call "move call". The President calls or talks to the Assistants, the Assistants call the Zone Leaders, the Zone Leaders call the District Leaders, and the District leaders call the Seniors/Trainers. That day, we find out where we're moving, who our companions are, and how to go about handling the travel needs. Some need the train, some need the bus, others get taken by members, and so on. We have to maintain a companionship of missionaries at ALL times. Always 2. So that causes difficulties sometimes. RARELY does a missionary travel by himself.

For missionaries going trainer: We get called on the last Wednesday of the move call, right after English Class. That night the new missionaries come in and start their 2-day orientation. Thursday is spent with last minute visits to investigators/members for the departing missionary and the departing missionary needs to pack. Friday: The departing missionary leaves for the neighboring area in his district to make a 3-way companionship until the next Monday. The newly called (not set apart) trainer will travel to the Mission home Friday morning to pick up his new companion. Then they go back to their area and start proselyting. VERY efficient, and VERY smooth. VERY nice. The whole process is nerve-racking though. Imagine how English class feels that Wednesday night when you've attended leadership meetings recently when you're not a leader (so you know you'll be becoming a leader soon). The ENTIRE time at English Class is nerve-racking. And when you see President Bishop's name on the phone when he calls at 8:35... yikes. And here comes a new phase of mission work, just like that. It's easier than I thought it would be, though. Elder Mohr is better than I ever could hope to be, so it's not a problem serving with him. I've never been happier.

Got the coat. It WAS needed, and I was SUPER happy. Now it's too hot. If I'm still in Taizhong next winter, I'll need it again. If I'm in the south, I'll be sending it home. Sorry! Just remember it WAS 100% worth sending. I was freezing my pants to my bike seat before I got that coat. So thank you! (sweat, wet bike seats, cold, wet weather, and far distances... don't work out so well... ;)

Uh... that CTR ring... New Years Day. We went to build DiGua (sweet potato) dirt mountains in the rice fields of one of the members, and it must just be the shape of that particular kind of CTR ring... but it decided to run away. Last time I had a CTR ring of that shape it disappeared in a bunch of leaves in Heritage Park. Now, it disappears amongst a bunch of rice, and dead grass. Well, there's a story there at least. Sorry. I'll pay you back or something.

It's not temple move call. That's next move call. Once every two move calls, so once every THREE months we get to go. If we are close enough. It is 100% uncertain whether or not we will be moving every move call. No one knows. I may be moving (I personally think I will be), but it is literally 100% uncertain. President Bishop has changed a bunch of things, so no one has any idea anymore. :D

So you all won't know if I'm moving, until my first day in my new area. :D

Love you all!!! Great talk Shelbs! I loved it!

-Elder Carter

ps- And it's been a hard month. A lot's happened. A lot I don't even feel like sharing through email or letters. It's been hard. It's still hard, and I don't know when I'll pull out of it, but I've decided it's pointless to keep focusing on getting out of the rut, and figure out how to take the best path through the rut, and make the rut better for those that will follow. It's kinda fun being on the rough road. That's what I always did when I went hiking in Utah. I found the most rocky road and hiked that. Made hiking a lot more interesting. Now, that's what's happening here. I just need to not focus on the smoothness of the road to my right, and focus on making this road the best one I've ever walked. Only by walking this road can I progress and improve anyway. If all I had was the smooth road, God would be doing me a disservice, someone once reminded me. Plus, I am happier than I've ever been on my mission, so it's comin' along. We'll make it.

Love you.

See you too soon.