finally some photos

so here are some pictures,   you know they say a picture is Worth a thousand words  so i figured it would be a satisfactory email. (22,000 words)

 

Love

 

Elder Taylor

 

P.S.  My favorite one is when the monkey is biting a small African child on the head.

July 11, 2011

Super Good news this week!  I took a hot bath!!  We built a fire, I

put a Pot on the fire we built, I put water in the Pot on the fire we

built, when the water was HOT I took the water from the Pot on the

Fire we built and put it into a bucket, Then I added some cold water

Because the water in the Pot on the fire we built, was too HOT, Then

I took the bucket in our bathroom and I took a shower and I was happy

Ha-ha.  It was my first hot shower in a long time.

So today I’m in a supper slow computer Café I Mean slow… but all is

Well today was a way great day, I defiantly needed it to recharge my

Batteries, so today we had a supper  P-day (all of the missionaries

come together and play Foot ball/ soccer)  The place where we were

meeting is far from where we are living, so we ended up on a 45 min

Motorcycle ride to the area,  but I loved it, it was the best part.

The ride was through the bush and I mean Real Bush he was taking us on

this little dirt trail, it was so relaxing just sitting on the back of

the bike riding through the jungle for 45 min,   It was good time to

think, to unwind, and to just enjoy Gods creations.

    Today my personally study went really well… I study about Zion,

and what Zion really is.  I study about the city of Enoch, about New

Jerusalem, and Also individual Zion,    The big thing that really

Struck out to me was, No matter what it is you cannot have Zion, in a

community, in a home in a family or, in any relationship,  unless it

is built upon the same governing principles as heaven,   And There are

no rules in Heaven,  There are however Laws and principles.

Rules are for rule-breakers.   The Law of Moses was Rules, The Higher

Law that Christ taught were Principles.

So we get to decide ourselves.  Live the Rule or the principles…

There are 3 reasons why we keep the commandments.

1.      Fear of punishment

2.      Want of Blessings

3.      Love for God.

We get to chose why we keep the commandments.  But I know that Zion

people keep the commandments because of reason 3.

Love Elder Taylor

It was a busy week

so I’m Emailing a little late today,  that’s because we spent most of the morning doing a service project, it was supper sweet.

To much happened this week, this week almost felt like a mini life time.
My birthday went pretty sweet. the branch presidents wife feed me till I couldn’t eat any more, ha-ha
I did get small things in a package but I don’t know who its from, Pres and sister Roggia put it into a different box,    So I got 2 cans of easy cheese
one box crackers, a book "Signs of the times" and letters I haven’t read yet.

Today was a good day, started working from the time I got up at 6:30,  and worked till about 4 in the afternoon, and like it was work, not walking around,    It felt good to get my hands a little dirty and cut up aging.  First we cleaned our apartment like overhauled clean...  We pulled every thing down and out,  washed all the walls and floors,   And I don’t mean wipe a rag on a wall this is Africa... it was scraping Africa off the wall,  I would have killed for a pressure washer.   then right after Elder Ameworlor and I caught a bike to go help some members move,   these members are very well off so there home was above the average liberin home so they had actual couches and shelves to be moved.  And they had a freezer that they decided not to empty before we moved it.    It was funny our branch pres was there and he is a pretty gung-ho cleaner.

so my companion and I have been working hard, when he first came the area was so dry (NO investigators) our first Sunday together we had 3 people come to church,  So we have been working like crazy and last week 19 came to church and this week 12 came to sacrament!   Mission is not about the numbers at all, but I can promise you when you see people that you have been teaching progressing and receiving the gospel like that it just wants to make you work harder.   And become even more obedient to the commandments.

The way I think has changed so much, 
          I’m learning to think by principles not by commandments,   I’ve learned you can not break the commandments you can only break your self against the commandments.  I had my eyes opened to how Christ was able to live a perfect life and how his thoughts helped him achieve that.  And vie learned that through self discipline and trusting in the lord, we can become perfect through Christ. 
                  When I came on mission I needed to know more about Christ, but know I need to go from knowing about Him to knowing Him.
I’m very thankful for this short time in my life to serve

I wish the best to every on Love
Elder Taylor

Elder Taylors 20th Birthday

Thank you for the birth day wishes!     
And for every one who didn’t send a birth day wish... its alright I’m not bitter..... Haha


So every body I’m doing very well this was a supper good week, and it was good to here from every one,    the other missionaries and I celebrated today! It was sweet,    last night was transfer news (Tells who is staying and who is going and to who)  So some of the missionaries who live in different apartments came and spent the night at our place,  so last night was fun and exciting.  I’m still with elder ameworlor, and elder moss is going to free town.   Its crazy because Saturday when the transfers happen, ill still be the second youngest missionary in the apartment (age and mission time wise)  The only person younger then me is my companion and June 22 he is 2 months on mission ha-ha. 
But this morning was sweet, after prayer they pulled out a cake!   With CANDLES!!!   There were only 7 candles but still.. A cake with candles!!    You don’t see that often here.    Not even the best part the best part is we put our money together and got some ground beef...  now this isn’t your high quality meat but beef is BEEF and we cooked hamburgers!!!!!!   
I was SO HAPPY!!!    It was so GOOD!!   I promise you there is nothing funnier then 4 Americans and a Zimbabwean take a bite of a cooked piece of beef and bread,   we were all happy.
   Also at our branch pres house we are teaching some people.  and well two people in that house are also June 22   so on that day we get to go celebrate with them,  we are eating ToBoGe a VERRY VERRY BITTER SOUP on rice with snail meat.   
Ha-ha I think I’m doing alright now, ha-ha

Know I’m doing well and happy!  my year mark in coming up soon, kind of wired but know I know I’m were I’m supposed to be.
Love
Elder Taylor

All is going well

All is going well.
   My companion and I had a pretty good week, we are really improving the area.
We have been working really hard and it is starting to pay off, we think we might have around 10 baptisms this month,  I really hope so, not for sake of numbers or anything, but because truly nothing makes me happier then seeing some one who is truly converted baptize.
  Also I went to the CAT company today to try and get a Liberia CAT sticker for dad,  the French guy who owns it said to come back Saturday when he was in his office, so he could give it to me privately, he said "If I give to you now, and every one sees, well... this is Africa and every one will want one"  also I got offered a job on top of it...  but I told him I’m a missionary and I still have just over a year left to serve,  but who knows maybe later in life.
  My companion and I are planning a missionary fire side, this next Friday, (so not this one but the one after.)
  It will be on the book of Mormon, I’m giving a presentation or instruction on what the book is, and what it talks about, and then we are going to watch the Testaments, followed by a testimony from my companion.   I’ve been praying allot to see what can help this area grow, and I really hope this will let people see, that the Book of Mormon and the scriptures is more then a rule book. It is book telling stories of great people who lived great lives, and living eye witness testimony to our Lord and Savior Christ.   The people here are very visual learners, so I hope this film will help.
   I’m getting these raw sores all over my arms, not so sure how they are getting there....  I think it looks like Leprosy ha-ha,  but I don’t think it’s that bad. We have this travel safe Africa book at the apartment, so we were looking up plausible causes, right now the vote is on bed bugs.    Which I don’t understand because I sleep in a net and wash my sheets regular, and believe it or not keep my room clean.
  That’s really all to report on this week, know I’m happy and doing well
Love Elder Taylor

New Companion

Well I received my new companion straight from the MTC, he is pretty cool.  The way he was taught in the MTC is cool to,  he is in the first batch of missionaries to be trained with the Fundamentals of preach My Gospel.  This new way of teaching and training is sweet, Elder Ameworlor (That’s his name) came out of the MTC twice as prepared as I or any of the other missionaries have been before, teaching with him is good, he seems very comfortable in following the spirit.   This defiantly will be an exciting transfer, I’m sure we will learn Much from one another.

Love Elder Taylor

Crazy Week!!

So this week has been extra crazy!!!  

Still no book of Mormons, but that’s alright we are managing; we still have a baptism this Sunday.   

     Our water has been crazy, the place I’m living dose not have a well or pump.  It receives small running water in the night, and we just have a huge tank we fill up with water.  Any way water quit coming....  So that tank got empty....   and we had to ration our water.    I have been showering with a liter of water a day....  A liter (like a water bottle) to shower my whole body.  I promise you I haven’t felt clean in a long time, and I promise you I sweat here, I sweat alot....    

     But no need to shed too many tears for me haha, because well Elder Taylor is American, and We as Americans are Doers.   Myself and Elder Moss decided we were sick of not having water so you know what we did...  we decided to dig a well.  And all we had was a broken shovel and buckets....

    No one else agreed with our Idea (just want to point that out), and guess what happened?  We dug a well and we hit water... and now our apartment has water and a well.     (I think Elder Moss is sending home pictures and video)

   Now unfortunately that didn’t completely solve the problem...  (But we did prove our point) the water isn't clean enough to wash with; (It will be after we dig down a few feet deeper).   So today we had to carry buckets to the closest well to draw water carry it back and fill up the big tank,  (Close to 250 gallon),   We made a lot of bucket trips,   and it was good to see every one help, the 6 of us who live in that apartment were able to fill it up in about an hour,   the well was about 150 yards from our compound,

    I had no Idea, back home I had no idea, how lucky I truly was.   I cant explain what it is like to have to go pump water, then filter it just to brush my teeth,  Going to the restroom is an effort, because you can not just go and turn on the light use the bathroom flush and go back to bed,   You get up,  get out of your net that your tucked into, find a candle and a mach, put on shoes go out side get a bucket of water, use the restroom, go back outside to return the bucket of water, blow out your candle climb back in your net and wait till morning.  (I am not complaning, when I put in my papers I prayed to God to send me some were I would Realize how much I truly have) I can now tell you I had no Idea, How Blessed I was back home. 

    I love my mission; it was every thing I asked for and more.

    There how every was one truly tragic thing that happened this week, The Kimbles the senior couple, here in Liberia, returned home to the US yesterday....  The Kimble’s are TRULY AMAZING people; they took such good care of us missionaries both spiritually and physically.  They deserve nothing but the best.  My self and all the missionaries included feel for them.  There is not a missionary in Liberia who has not been on the receiving end of there love.  And every single is a missionary here is praying for them to be comforted in this time of need.  They truly were our Parents here.   And we will miss them

   There are supposed to be 2 sets of senior couples here, the first left just before I came Because of illness, and now the Kimbles have returned home.  And new couples aren’t scheduled to come till the end of May, but now they don’t have any one to train them or teach them.    I can not tell you how much work the kimbles did,  They truly were expected to work, work hard, and the meet the challenge,  So I’m not sure what Pres. Roggia will do, he has a bunch more weight on his shoulders,   But he has been called and set apart, so I know the Lord will Direct him.  

      So as of now we are alone in Liberia.  This has been an eventful week.

Love

Elder Taylor