Oh oh!  Elder Opper found an open petty cash box!  Elder Liu, Cheng Hao; Elders Krantz & Lloyd

and then enjoyed a grand size hamburger!  (Not really, but Elder Greene got a lot of teasing about the
cash box.)

Office Elders:  Aaron Hanich, Adam Opper and Liu Cheng Hao.

Our last zone leaders Elders Jason Buenning and Spencer Maua'i with young student Daniel (nicknamed "Fish") who was a mascot in the office. Living in the same apt complex, Elders Buenning and Maua'i regularly sang to us with beautiful harmony at our apartment door in the evenings.  That was worth a treat!

Our farewell office staff lunch at the "Red and Green" Mexican food restaurant.  Elder Liu, William Cocke (Asst), Greenes, Bishops, Bryce Wong and Aaron Hanich.

A 2009 photo of Elder Craig Anderson (my computer go to man) and Sister Dowse whom I replaced.

Elder Jason Evans, Assistant to President Hoer in 2009.

Elder Yang, Ming Han, an ambitious, devout missionary.  He was a lot of fun.

Elder Ephraim Taylor (Assistant), Cameron Porter (Operations) and Carter Mix (Assistant).

Office elders:  Ryan Krantz (Assistant), Yang, Ming Han (Recorder), Adam Opper (Operations), George Parker Lloyd (Assistant).

Our last group of English teachers: back row -Nathan Wilke, Alexandra Liu, Kiri Manookin, Jenny Dompier, Katy Dalley, Erin Shaw, and Relief Society President Destiny Palmer.  Front row - Sharolyn Peterson, Greenes and Cameron and Lauren Miller.

The Millers bring much strength to our little branch.  Cameron was a former Taichung missionary.

A sweet friend Dolgorsuren Seleed with Sister Bishop.  Doogi is a dentist from Mongolia and is continuing her schooling in Taiwan.

An earlier picture of good friends Larry and Jane Close and Jana and Kevin Hogan.

Whitney Sheahan taught English for 1 year in Taichung before moving to Hualien.  She and Randy Lin will soon be married!

Meg Yancey has a wonderful singing voice and is now on a Mandarin speaking mission in New York!

Brother Shih (Shih Baba) came to the office every departure day for returning home missionaries, bringing food and sometimes gifts to the missionaries he loves.  Though he spoke no English, he was always involved in random acts of kindness to many.  Once he drove us about 40 minutes across town when he didn't even know us!

We felt an instant love and bond of friendship for Mr and Mrs Lai, best friends of Brother and Sister
Lin, Meng Yi.

A memorable evening enjoying an after dinner sing-a-long with Elder Ruan and his family.  Elder Ruan is a very busy businessman and an Area Authority Seventy, traveling all over Indonesia building up the kingdom of God.  He also has a keen sense of humor and is a delightful host.

Part of Sister Du's choir minus many in the strong men's section.  Some are shown in the pink skirts
and pink bowties (for men) worn for the Christmas program.  Multi-talented Sister Du made all the
costumes.

We had never seen the fun of putting a pomelo rind on one's head as Emily Baclayon did during a
holiday barbecue at her grandparents' home.  It was a traditional sidewalk barbecue on a couple little
grills with family sitting around enjoying the delicious meats first and then some veggies and of course
fireworks!

Our friend "Joseph" from the Wuchuan 1st Ward.  We enjoyed visiting with Joseph in the halls at church  and sometimes in the office when he would come to chat and practice his Spanish.  Great young man!

Daisy and sons were friends with Elder Chou Yi-Min, our recorder and would bring him delicious baked goods every week.  When Elder Chou was transferred out of the office, Daisy continued to visit us and bring us goodies.  We enjoyed sharing our motherhood experiences.  We will miss her!

Brother and Sister Du's family.  Sister Du led the choir that Sister Greene accompanied and we had a very memorable Christmas program with the 1st Ward and our little branch.  Accompanying singers in a language not understood is a little challenging, one can never lose focus!  Brother Du was a handyman and could always be called on for repair jobs.

Saying goodbye to our friend Rebecca Haskins, a sweet young lady in Sister Greene's Sunday School class for a time.

Farewell to the monstrous phone analysis Elder Greene was responsible for each month!  He shared a back room office with the office elders who served as operation managers.

Thanks to the expert medical care Elder Greene received, we were able to complete our full mission!
Dr. Chen Jan-Yow, cardiologist, welcomed Elder Greene's visits every month.  We appreciated his
personal interest and thoroughness.

Parking at the Taichung County Courthouse was convenient as the main post office was directly across the street.  Post office workers were always friendly and helpful and after overcoming some shyness, loved to practice a little English with us.  We got along fine with our few "postal" words in Chinese.

Mr. "Happy" at the Immigration office was always very helpful to us in obtaining and renewing Alien Resident cards for our missionaries.  He even resolved a few dilemnas efficiently.

We enjoyed the plumeria tree and beautiful landscaping at the front of our office.

We loved what we decided was a Malayan Night-Heron (and its mate).  One could hear its throaty
"bo-bo" call around closing time.  The elders did not enjoy its large droppings however!

Thank heavens for good umbrellas!  I ruined a couple pair of shoes in the wet weather so had to carry a good pair to work until I bought some nice looking rubber ones.

How nice!  Elder Greene gave me the largest umbrella in this downpour!

Our chapel was right next to the lovely mission home and the mission office.  This was the first meetinghouse built in Taichung about 38 years ago.

LEAVING DEAR FRIENDS IN TAIWAN

WEDNESDAY, MAY 11, 2011

LEAVING DEAR FRIENDS IN TAIWAN

With our departure a few weeks away many of our friends invited us to lunch or dinner with them.  Alexandra Liu and President & Sister Bishop at the Hawaii 51 restaurant.

A special evening dinner with many of our friends arranged by Brother and Sister Lin, Meng-Yi, standing in the center of the picture behind his wife who is seated.  He is a convert that we had the wonderful opportunity of teaching before and after his baptism.  Brother Lai, next to Elder Greene, is a wonderful contact that we have had the opportunity to teach as well.  We are sad that we will not be inTaiwan to continue teaching and hopefully attend his baptism.
                      
Saying goodbye to Geena Li and Maggie Jiang, a new convert from Harbin, China, at our last Sunday before leaving Taiwan.

Elna Tsou, a Filipino member, with daughters Lana and Sophia and the branch president's son and daughter, Emily and Bradley Baclayon

Our branch Primary teachers and leaders.  (Gerald Galbraith and Cameron Miller on the left.) The three sisters to the right of Elna are American English teachers in Taiwan and they are a great strength to our small branch (Kiri Manookin, Jenny Dompier and Katy Dalley.)

                                     Jenny is our Gospel Doctrine Teacher in Sunday School.

FRIENDSHIP - A PRICELESS TREASURE
The Lord has proclaimed in the scriptures that if we pay an honest tithe, not robbing God who has given us all, he “will open the windows of heaven, and pour out a blessing that there shall not be room enough to receive it.” [3 Nephi 24:8, 10 and Malachi 3:10] Of course, while the Lord prospers those who keep His commandments and sometimes in material ways, “windows” seem to be a symbol of light, suggesting the spiritual blessings that come through obedience.

These last few weeks we have been showered with so much love: visits from friends, hugs, gifts, dinners, kind thoughts, and so forth, that it almost seems more than we can receive and we think of the “windows of heaven” being opened and showering down blessings. We have just had to turn down 3 lunch/dinner invitations due to lack of time. Friendship is one of those blessings that means so much to us and makes us sad to be leaving Taiwan. If it weren’t for our wonderful family back home we’d just have to consider staying!

We Live to Die and Die to Live - a Joyful Message

Missionaries helping clean cemeteryMissionaries from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints gather at a huge cemetery in Taichung, Taiwan to give service and participate in the Qing Ming tomb sweeping festival. This is an annual event and LDS missionaries give service at many cemeteries throughout much of Taiwan. The city leaders and many families were very appreciative of the four hours of service that we gave and the city provided a lunch for us when we finished our work.

President and Sister Bishop are great at leading by example.

Elder and Sister Greene had to work hard to keep up with the Elders and Sisters.

Elder Maua'i from Hawaii hard at work.

Elders Mutton and Johnson learned that work is easier, more enjoyable, and they accomplish more when two people work together. In the background many abandonded tombs, burial plots, are in disrepair because there is no one around, or perhaps still living, to care for the final resting place of family members.

As we saw the numerous abandoned tombs, we felt sad that no one was there to remember the deceased. But we know for a surety that our Heavenly Father is aware of them and that their spirits and bodies will be reunited in the resurrection because Jesus Christ overcame death. Every living soul will receive this free gift from the Lord, and as prophesied in Isaiah 25:8 -He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from off all faces. . Our Heavenly Father, who notices even the tiniest sparrow, loves all His children and will not forget even one. A little children's song tells the whole story:

Did Jesus really live again? Yes when the third day came,

He wakened and He left the tomb, He called Mary's name.

Did Jesus walk with those He loved? Yes people touched His feet,

And of the fish and honeycomb, He did truly eat.

And there were nailprints in His hands and a spear wound in His side,

Did Jesus really live again, after He had died? Oh yes, and so shall I.

There were over 500 witnesses to the resurrection!

MISSIONARIES GIVING SERVICE Qing Ming Festival in Taichung

Sister Greene with a delightful group of Sisters who love to give service.

Elder Wong, one of the Assistants to President Bishop, puts his whole heart into his work. Check out that fancy footwork!

Sister Greene is living up to the label of a Bag Lady.

President Bishop and Elder Greene loading up the bags, which is much more enjoyable than lifting weights for exercise.

The bags of trash completely filled the truck which had to return a few times to cart off all that was bagged up. Our time was well spent in a worthwhile project. During our work a number of people expressed appreciation to us that we would come and clean up their cemetery.

The Book of Mormon teaches us so much about the resurrection. We are so grateful for this knowledge in this sacred book of scripture. The Son of God will come to redeem his people, and shall suffer and die to atone for their sins; and shall rise again from the dead, which shall bring to pass the resurrection, that all men shall stand before him, to be judged at the last day, according to their works. Alma 33:22 How fitting to have the opportunity to serve our Taiwanese brothers and sisters at a time when the whole world of Christendom will soon be celebrating Easter, when Christ rose from the tomb and saved all mankind from everlasting death!