We Have a President!


At long last, President Karl Fields and Sister Melanie Fields have joined us here in Taichung! After being released from their quarantine in Taipei (and a visit to the Taipei "Temple Square" and a few other sites), the APs drove them here to Taichung. We enjoyed a small soirée with them, in the mission office. 














Elder Robert and Sister Gloria DeWitt, from Spanish Fork, Utah, were also released from quarantine here in Taichung. We enjoyed hosting them for a meal and to do some laundry, and after a quick visit to the office, they set off for their new home in Kaohsiung. They will be helping with missionary needs in the south, as well as helping with missionary health concerns mission-wide. Now we have a full complement of senior missionaries. A far cry from our early days here, when we were the only seniors in sight!

We also attended the baptism of Zhiyun and Vic, the two youngsters we've been helping prepare for baptism. Zhiyun's baptism wasn't correct, so it needed to be repeated. But, he balked. After protestations and some tears, and Vic's baptism, he got dunked again.






We've done another couple of videos for our Ward Mission Leader (or is he just a missionary-minded brother?). Here's a selfie with him:


Elder Turner and I have been running around Taichung and neighboring areas, helping with missionary apartment needs. I enjoy working with Elder Turner. He's a "good egg!" Here we are in the building elevator, delivering a replacement washing machine. (*Note: the two of them know every old song known to man - one of them whistles a tune, and the other finishes it. One starts a lyric and the other adds the next line. They are quite a pair!) 

Still in quarantine and without a good idea of the geography, our new mission nurse, Sister DeWitt unwittingly scheduled Elder Yao for an appointment at a hospital in Shalu, about 45 minutes away. They took a taxi to the emergency knee appointment, but two follow-up visits were required for paperwork, and we had the opportunity to take him to those. The fun part of the story is, that on one trip, the GPS took us to a tunnel that was too low for our van, so we turned around and followed an alternate path, which surprisingly took us up a mountain road! It was narrow and winding, but we saw some great scenery, and got a birds-eye view of that part of the city!

 On the way home the other night, I was able to snap this picture of one of our APs, Elder Fairbanks and Elder Lee (on an exchange) doing a little street contacting with an Uber Eats driver on our corner. These young missionaries are just terrific!!


We continue to lead the English Connect for Missionaries (via Zoom) and the English Conversation Group (a live class) for friends each week. ECM has gotten a big shot in the arm since President Fields arrived, and had one of his first "Alignment" meetings on that subject. This is one of our favorite activities. Sister Wells does all the work; I'm just handy for saying whether her screen is being properly shared, and to call on someone to say the prayer. Haha.


We enjoyed a meal out with the Turners, at the Aztec, a Mexican restaurant we have previously visited.


We both got haircuts at "Hi Five" for $100 each (about $4.00 US). The young lady did a fine job, and we were both satisfied. Afterward, we browsed the Yizhong Street Night Market for Christmas presents for the grandsons. We found some neat little superhero figures and bought a sack full!



Of course, we had to show photos of the grands to the shop owners and they were properly impressed. Such fun! Today was Fast Sunday, and Sister Wells bore her testimony in Sacrament Meeting. I stole this photo, to remember the occasion. She is a wonderful missionary!


And, a wonderful Primary teacher. Here she is, in action today:





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