March 12, 2012

this week went well; I went on an Exchange with Elder Wuthrich this

week in my area, like I said I'm still new to my area and don't know

it as well as I should, so we ended up lost, haha there are 4

mountains in our area that we can teach on and we climbed every inch

of those mountains and found everything but the homes of the people we

wanted to see, haha but it was still an awesome experience I was able to

learn a lot form that Elder, He has been out just over 6 months and is

very prepared and very qualified to preach the Gospel. we had a lot of

walking time, so it was good time to talk about amazing of an

experience mission is and how much we have been able to take out of so

little time.

   So quick story from the exchange, were in the market, (Off

the mountains) looking for a compound with some recent coverts and

investigators, they knew we were coming and had planned for us, but

like I said we were lost, I know the general area but that market is a

maze of roads and people, not to mention the home we are looking for

is in a compound, so we are not even looking for a home, we are

looking for a wall, and trust me most of the walls here look the same,

    well... one of the recent converts in the compound we were looking

for felt prompted to go talk a walk (remember they are waiting for us)

so she did, she left to compound and walked around the market a bit

and on her way to turn back we ran into her!  happy day, she was

surprised to see us, we told her we were looking for her home, so she

took us to the compound, were we had a wonderful lesson we taught our

investigator and a Muslim man who joined us for the first time the

plan of salvation and at the end of the lesson the recent convert bore

her testimony, and how she has been blessed since she joined the

church, she even told them how the holy ghost told her to take a walk,

and how she found to lost Elders,   haha

 I was lost but then I was found, by a recent convert who was able to

listing to the quite promptings of the spirit

love Elder Taylor

march 5th 2012

so all is well on the eastern front,

I’ve been transferred to an area called wellington 2 and

I am now serving with elder Allred who is one transfer (6 weeks)

older than me on mission, so I’m still in the Free Town East Zone

I’m moving up in life, the apartment I’m in has power some of the time

and we pay people to help us draw our water because the well is so far away,

I tell you I’m living the high life, 3 times this week I got to sleep with a fan

blowing on me, I promise you I slept like a baby. haha The apartment is in a

very muslim area so at 5 every morning I get to wake up to the sound

of a muslim mosc

at first didn’t like it, but now it’s like a nice pre-alarm saying you

only have 1 more

hour of sleep. it’s always nice to be pre warned about waking up on time haha.

this week was a lot of climbing up and down the mountains of sierra Leone,

nothing to crazy happened... but then again I’ve been here a while, it takes

a lot to surprise me these days. haha

I was told this in one of my emails and I really liked it, I liked it enough to

put it into my email.

"only Jesus Christ can turn ....a MESS into a MESSage, a TEST into a TESTimony,

 a TRIal into a TRIumph, a VICTim into a VICTory. He is worthy to be praised."

Elder Holland Visits us in Africa

       Elder Holland visited us here last week.  It was amazing, without a

doubt he is an Apostle of Jesus Christ. Elder Holland spoke a lot on mission service.  He explained how we need to let this time in our life change our lives.  He bore powerful testimony on missionary work.  He spoke to us the same way he speaks during his conference talks, with a lot of fire,  power and a lot of love.   He told us, he pleaded with us, he charged us to go home

with no regrets, to be a good missionary to change our own lives.

        He said the brethren know the challenges we face and know its

not easy.  Most of them were missionary’s too.  Then he said something

very powerful, that I will never forget.  With much heart, he told us,

“The road to salvation is not a cheap and easy one, so don’t expect

it, don’t look for it. The road to salvation always passes through

Gethsemane”

       This opportunity to meet Elder Holland came at such an amazing

time on my mission. I feel like I’ve worked hard, like I’ve been

a good missionary.  I’ve been obedient, I’ve kept the rules, only

forgot to take my medicine once in a while, haha  (Malaria)      But

these last 6 months,  this is my time to show the Lord what I’m made of.

I’m used to food, the language and the people.  That conference was

the perfect start for this last 6 month opportunity to serve the Lord.

 Its not, I only have 6 months till I’m home, it’s I only have 6 months

left of this once in a life time opportunity to go home a better man

with no regrets.

       I love my mission.  I am so excited to see my family, but I’m

not done serving yet.   At the beginning of my mission I felt I had

sacrificed quite a bit to be here.  I have since found how little I

really gave and how much I have received in return,  I am continually

indebted to the Lord. I will continue to do everything I can to

try and pay him back, even though I know we will never be even.

Elder Taylor

02/06/2011

January 23, 2012

First off I want to establish the fact that I got this sweet little

book in one of my belated Christmas packages. It had voice messages

from many of my family members and is definitely one of the greatest

gifts I have ever received.

So cool story for the week,

     So we lost our phone for a week,   what happened was the transfer

news came... and only one elder Left it was Elder Tawhia my former

companion from the Middle East.  Coming to replace him was a new elder

from the MTC elder Inyag from Nigeria,   Elder Tawhia was the second

oldest in the apartment, now the Number 2 man and first mate is Elder

Essego my current companion.  Both him and elder Stewart are now the

next in line age wise, They are both 4 1/2 months on mission....   I

think this has to be the youngest district in the mission,

    So any way when they came to pick up elder tawhi to carry him to

his new area (kennama) on the opposite side of the country and bring

us the new missionary we decided to take some photos, I asked one of

the elders who was also traveling to kennema to hold the phone. while

we took pictures, Long story short I never asked for the phone back...

about 20 min latter after they left one of the elders received a call

from my phone saying my phone is now on the way to kennama.

     Yeah... so for a few days Elder Taylor was wandering around

Africa without a phone.   Eventually when the driver came back he was

able to drop it off to us,

One thing I enjoyed this week was my personal study, I really am

finding a love for the scriptures and the book of Mormon and I have

found out the scriptures really do have all the answers

Love Elder Taylor

January 9 , 2012

I got to met a General Aauthority this week, Elder Curtis of the 1st
quorum of the 70, It was so amazing!!   All of the missionary's in
Freetown came together for it.  All of the instruction was amazing!!
The mission President and his wife, talked about about their
testimony's of the restoration.  The President shared his personal
conversion story, it was so wonderful.  Sister Curtis talked about
reading the scriptures with there family daily, I dont remember all
that she said, I just know that I was struck by the glow she
had about her.  She was just so happy and was showing the light of
Christ in her smile and tone.   Elder Curtis' instruction was so
powerful.  It also was on the book of Mormon, he said so many things I
wish I could write, but I don't know how to put it in words.    My favorite part was
this: towards the end of the instruction he asked us our
favorite chapters in the Book of Mormon.
It was so amazing to see him get excited and go off on why that was
such a great chapter, it was an amazing opportunity to see his
testimony and personality together.  The chapter I said was, 2 Nephi 4
the Psalm of Nephi.  The things he said about that chapter hit me,
and in that moment I was taught by the spirit.
      Im sorry my email most likely doesn't make sense, and that's because
I don't know how to put into words what I was taught.  Someday I will show
you my notes, I took them in my personal journal.  So, just know that
Jan 7, 2012 is a good day to ask me to read about.

Haha I love and miss you all

Love Elder Taylor

More Pictures

Elder Taylor is Very busy and working hard.  Please enjoy the photos..