November 29, 2010

Alright here is your week story, I'm sure by the end of my mission Ill know how to balance stories, questions ,and news in the time I'm given to type,  but till then only one at a time.

Fredrick is amazing when we met him I was about 3 weeks in to the field and  it was pouring rain, not just any rain storm but a rainy session in a rain forest storm; it was bad enough we had to take a  brake because the rain was beating us. So we took cover under the porch of the first cement block house we came to, any under the porch was this African family a dad his son and a few of the neighbor kids. I was still fairly new so asking some random person if we can use their porch for a minute was a little hard for me.  So we stood there in silence for about 5-10 min, before the rain eased up enough that we could venture back out into it, but just before we departed, one of us (I don’t remember witch one) handed him a proclamation to the family, and we gave a short explanation on how important the family unit is.  Then we left and never stopped by that house aging, we never even traveled down that same small red road (dirt) again,  my thoughts did travel back to that man and his family once, but nothing to dramatic,

Then 2 weeks ago at church we had a man show up to the meeting hold a proclamation to the family, neater me or my companion remembered the man, so when we asked his name he reminded us that it was his porch that we had stopped on months earlier,   so we set a time to come to his home and teach him. That next week when we went to see him, the lesson was amazing! This man was following our every word, every time we made a scripture reference, he would mark it down he would ask questions.  One of my most spiritual experiences so far.  By this time I’m no longer a 3 week old trainee, but have graduated to Jr. companion so asking questions as not as hard any more, I said “What made you come to church? And why now, why so long after we saw you?”  His answer was he was impressed by us two young kids out working in the pouring rain, and he liked what he read in the proclamation to the family.  So he decide to come visit us at the church , just like we invited him to, but he said stuff just kept coming up, then he started to hear some pretty bad rumors about the church. And that Saturday night before he came to church he was thinking to himself, I’ve herd these rumors’ but they don’t go along with what I’ve seen,  So he decide he would come to the church and see for himself.  Since that time he has been taught almost all of the lessons, each lesson just as exciting and spiritual as the first, also he has made the decision to baptize, he will be baptized member of the church of Jesus Christ  of Latter-day Saints December 25 Christmas day.

Besides Fredrick we also have two others being baptized on the 25^th, James and his wife, James is blind and we have been trying to get him a braille book of Mormon or a braille new testament, just something, if you guys could help me out with that, I’m sorry to ask but supplies are hard enough to come by let alone asking for special items. So if you guys could try to find one for me that would help so much, I’m sorry to ask.

And one more thing I need to ask is From Grandpa Randy,  I want to know if you can Email me that story you told me, about the down syndrome child, who got his patriarchal blessing and it said he was one of the angles to escort Lucifer out of heaven,  I shared that story the best I could with some missionaries one night and latter one of them came up asking for me to get him that story, or at least a typed version, he explained one of his younger sisters is special need’s and he wants to share that story with his family during the Christmas phone call.  I share so many of the stories you have told me Grandpa and people love them, I never realized just how amazing of stories they were till I got here, so can you please do that for me?

I love you guys and miss you, Thanksgiving was very good and I'm sad to here about the parade of lights, I truly wish people would get more into the spirit. I know when I Grow up my family is going to understand Christmas spirit, haha I'm already practicing on the missionary's in our apartment. I made a Christmas tree out of a green misquote net and an old broom, stockings out of rain boots' and a train out of old soda cans, haha Ill send photos some time. 

I hope all is well for every one.

Love, Elder Taylor

Thanksgiving week

    Thanks Giving week, I cant believe I'm missing Thanks Giving again.   Ill have missed 3 by the time I come home.  I'm excited though, here we are going to have a Thanksgiving dinner, put on by the senior couples, and they may show us the movie, "Fire Proof".  It sounds like it will be fun. 
     This Last Sunday we had district conference so we had to take buses to travel to the church head quarters in Liberia.  It was amazing, it was a special broadcast to West Africa, President Packer looked a lot healthier  then he did this last conference. Even though it was filmed afterwords, It was an amazing conference.
     Africa is crazy, there is so much dark magic and juju stuff down here, its scary sometimes, but all is well and the Lord is on my side. :) 
     On the bus ride into town a preacher got up and started preaching, praying for us to be covered in the blood of Jesus and how we must repent, or God will strike us down... As soon as they started chastising people who were not giving them money as offering, or who were not giving them enough money.  They started telling us we would be going to hell, and all this crazy business, because we were not giving Gods workers money.  I saw a man pay to have his sins taken away, "Law Indulgence" because the preacher was righteous enough for his sins...If he had the money.
   We ended up getting off the bus early my companion Elder Boateng, (African companion just for the Day) could see I was getting Irritated and got us off before I went off the the preacher,  No joke, he would say, "some people on this bus feel they are to good to give up there money, feel they are better then even Christ himself,"  he would say this starring at me, the one white guy on the bus.  of course I'm not going to give him money, I don't even get money.   This guy is just hounding me and bashing me, when I said "boy this preacher is hungry today"
         That was a really bold thing to say, every one knows preachers eat the money down here, if you want to be rich in Africa, start a church.  No joke, you know how we have fast and testimony meeting on first Sunday, they have pasture appreciation Sunday.   When you pay offerings they separate you into groups depending on what you pay.  The truly sad part,  that is the norm down here.  People are always so shocked when they hear how the church dose offerings and tithing.  Many of people try to give us money after teaching them, because, "Men of God never leave your home with out something for their service to the sinners",   that is so wrong.  
   Anyway after I made that comment a lot of the people tried not to laugh, and a lot of hands holding money went down.  I think I proved my point in the Nicest way I could at the time.  I was pretty mad inside, and I was just praying to keep my cool till we were off the bus.  It was hard, I had some hell fire and damnation preacher trying to bible bash me, but I didn't act Rash, I kept my cool proved my point, and got out of the situation.,
    Some things here are pretty rough, but I got every thing I asked for and I love it.  The work is going well and is so rewarding. We have two Amazing investigators.  James, he is a blind man, he works at a school for the blind, this man is amazing! He is getting baptized on DEC 25 with his wife ( that day is his birthday as well as Christmas), Ill talk more about him next week.  There is one more Amazing investigator, Ill type that story next week as well.  It is a, Church Magazine Quality story,  so you get to wait one more week for that story...
   I love you and miss you all, and oh for Christmas ill call it is way cheaper that way,
see you next week in my Emails
                                                                         Love elder Taylor

November 15, 2010

So I lost all of my photos from home, and the MTC. I don’t know what happened to them they were on my camera one day and the next day half my photos were deleted, I lost over a hundred pictures.

So please send me photo's from home!

I need photos of friends family, good old Star Valley.

This week was good and crazy just like normal,  we ended up inverting with a lady who was threatening to commit suicide. Long story short she is OK now. 

Its crazy to think Im on my last week of my second transfer, Ive been gone almost 4 months already. Time is flying,  that's why my Emails are slowly getting shorter, because time in between emails is getting faster.  This week was good though, we had some major break trough's with some of the people we are teaching. This one lady Teta she is a single mother with 2 children, she just found out that every thing we have been teaching her is true. Truly found out for herself, My companion Sang her a song and she just started bawling... the spirit was so strong. I was letting her use my scriptures and now my Bibles Book of  Psalm's  is covered in tear stains, way better then any high-lighted verse

The work is not slowing down at all, This last zone conference I found out we are the leading mission in West Africa, and I think Africa.  We are growing faster then any other Mission. For the small number of missionary's here the church is growing like crazy! we have over 150 baptisms this month. my zone alone is responsible for 100 of them. Im in the leading district, in the leading zone of the leading mission in Africa! The Mission has gone from 40-50 baptisms a month to over 150, Im not saying this to be cocky but to show just how inspired the leaders of the church are.  They have been changing the way missionary teach since I got hear, the change will hit the MTC in May they want to get us in the Field trained in the new curriculum first before they start sending in people from the MTC that way. The change is crazy and big, its like trying to build an airplane while in the Air, I'm so lucky to be part of this transition. Its every thing I hoped for In a mission and so much more, In May the missionary's will come out of the MTC not knowing any of the standard lessons we teach, We have to teach them, I cant even begin to describe how the work is changing, but I imagine going from mission guide to Preach My Gospel was much the same. I know our leaders are inspired I can see It.

Love Elder Taylor

Another crazy week,
    I was sick with food posing for a few days and that was terrible.... truly terrible, haha but it’s I'm just a few pounds lighter and feeling tons better again :)  Cuz I was sick we didn't go out teaching to much, but my companion and I still had 2 investigators get baptized. thankfully I wasn't the one baptizing, one of the baptismal candidates was over 200 pounds and well let’s just say my physical physic couldn't have handled it at the time. haha
     The most spiritual part of the week was conference, it takes about a month for us to receive it. So yesterday we watched both Saturday sessions and Sunday sessions in one sitting, talk about a spiritual overdose but it was Amazing!  Elder Holland's talk was defiantly without a doubt inspired, and for me. It me harder then any other talk I’ve ever heard.  If you didn't see it please do this week, that is my request, (how can you turn down a missionary?) it is truly such an amazing talk and I know it was just what I needed. Especially with the news about grandpa.... I'm totally comforted.
     The number two talk for Elder Taylor was given by non other then the prophet of the lord himself.  His talk on gratitude... wow. I hope and pray when I come home in 2 years, I will truly understand that word. 
     I truly wish the whole world would slow down and just take a second to listen to that man. I know that they would know who he truly is. I saw people who could not understand English brake down into tears,  and one thing I have discovered is  Africans don't cry, it takes a lot for an African to shed a tear, but I saw people sobbing when he spoke, they couldn't understand him, but they came to know who he was.   I can Stand and Testify that President Monson is more then just the inspired leader of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, He is truly the Prophet, Seer, and Revelator, of the Living God.       I will follow the Prophet.
                                                                                                                               
 I love you and miss you all
                                                                                                                                                              Elder Taylor

23 lbs gone

Well I weighed my self today… I am 23 pounds lighter then the day I left :) and have to get my clothes tailored.

This week definitely went by to fast. And a lot has happened; first being the number of rats in our home has decreased by two thanks to my district leader and his shovel.  I’m not going to lie the last week in the home was like that movie mouse hunt (African Rats are Crazy Smart) also as I was doing some cleaning I ran face to face with Godzilla, I’m not even joking I opened up this cupboard and there is this giant Iguana or Chameleon or some kind of lizard you see in the zoo. It startled me so much that I fell of my chair.  I’m sorry I don’t have to much to say this week, It just went by to fast.

                                                                                                   Elder Taylor

PS: There are a couple pictures of the shrinking  Elder Taylor on the:  http://www.sierraleonefreetownmission.blogspot.com/  This is the blogspot for the mission lots of great photos.