It's cold and rainy...

 Yes, it's cold and rainy today, but you gotta have winter sometime in winter, right? Of course, "cold" is relative - it's 54 degrees Fahrenheit, "but it feels colder, because it's wet." haha. Anyway, to compensate, we're staying in all day. The DeWitts have moved into the nearby "Beitun" apartment, and they joined us for Sacrament meeting today. Last week, we traveled (by bike, over Sister Wells' protests) to the Xinyin sister's apartment to serve the sacrament to them. It was kinda far, about 30 minutes, but it was a lovely day, and I like nothing better than cycling through the city streets, admiring the many sights along the way. We just heard that next week we can begin meeting in person at the chapel again! Regrettably, I failed to get photos of either get-together. Sorry!

We've taught our Junior Primary class these two weeks by preparing a 15 minute Zoom recording so the children can watch it anytime (and repeatedly, if desired. Haha!). It's far more work than just teaching the class, but we think (hope) it has been worth it. Sister Wells does a bang-up job, of course, with songs, puppet shows, stories, and more. I smile sweetly and mispronounce the few words I have to speak as Lot to her Abraham.

Monday, we drove to Kaohsiung to administer the Michigan Test to a couple of missionaries hoping to attend BYU Hawaii. While Sister Wells was proctoring the test, I walked to the nearby "Gushan" apartment, which is currently vacant and which we've decided to close permanently. It is literally next to a very large Scientology building. Anyway, I walked through the apartment, took photos of every room, and evaluated what it would take to pack it up and close it. In short, it will take "a lot of work."

After lunch at "Seven" (7-11, which has lots of quite good packaged meals available), we traveled North to the "Anding" apartment in Taichung. This apartment was rented at just the wrong time, as the Covid-19 pandemic was beginning, and has never been lived in. So, packing it up was pretty easy - just box the unused, new, dishes and other loose items, disassemble the wire racks used as kitchen counter extensions, haul in the dryer from the outside porch, and other light tasks. I also had to find the water, gas, and electric meters and get photos of the current reading, so we could finalize the bills. I arranged for a moving company to pick up the furniture and bring it to our storage facility in Wufeng later in the week. (Which turned into something of a fiasco, since I forgot the key to the storage warehouse and had to drive back to the office (30 minutes) to fetch it, only to find that the warehouse landlord had come by and opened it before I returned!). To give you an idea, this is the Anding apartment, which is quite nice by Taichung mission standards:

The rice fields are being planted again (they get 3 crops a year, I believe), and they are quite picturesque. After we finished storing all the Anding furniture, Elder Turner and I took some photos. Here he is, leaping over an irrigation ditch after getting some closeups. The blue building in the background is our storage warehouse. We get the left half.

Wednesday, Elder Turner and I helped the DeWitts unpack their furniture from Kaohsiung into the Beitun apartment. We took the van back to the office. Next time I went to start it, it wouldn't start! It seemed like a fuel pump problem, because it would turn over and then stop right away. Sister Wells called the dealer (because, Chinese) and they sent a tow truck.

After a while the dealer diagnosed the problem - we were using the (recently found) lost key to the van, and the van would not accept it because only two keys can be programmed at a time, and we had replaced the lost key just last week. Long story short, they were able to make it so that all three keys work now. I was a little embarrassed to not think of the 2-key limitation, because somewhere in the deep recesses of my overly-gray matter, I think I once knew this.

I was happy to finish creating six proselyting cards, based on earlier versions in the mission. Our printer quickly printed enough for each companionship to have 30 or so of each, which we distributed at Zone Conferences the same day. On the back is a list of all the meetinghouses, a QR code, a scriptural reference, etc.  I was quite pleased with how they turned out. 

Sister Wells is helping a member, Louyufan "Sheron" Lou", who is struggling with the English in her BYU Pathways studies. Sheron stopped by the office to give us a treat - banana cakes, which are literally in the shape of a banana!

And, praise be! a wonderful sister has been called as a service missionary, to replace Sister Wells in the mission secretary role. Sister 孫王儷君 Cindy Sun has lived in Canada, and taught in a "buxiban" English school here in Taiwan. She has also worked professionally as a secretary, and we are thrilled to have her on board, in the nick of time to train before we go home!

Finally, we had a P-Day outing with our faithful "tour guide"/service missionary, Elder Lin and his wife. The Turners also joined in the fun, as we traveled to Houli (pronounced "holy") to take in the Cherry Blossom Festival and the street fair there. It was a cool and breezy day, just right for a most interesting and enjoyable outing. And, it didn't start raining until we were just finishing with the tour of the beautiful cherry trees! Here are some photos (a few of the many we all took!):

The railroad has long since been replaced, but they kept this station
and some track for visitors.  It was like stepping back into the 1930s!

After  much searching, Sister Wells found the perfect bit of jade and a bead. The indigenous vendor skillfully assembled them onto a string necklace. We were so delighted, we forgot to pay! But, he was kind enough to remind us. Haha 

Strawberries (in season right now) and tomatoes (also in season) on a stick, and dipped in glaze.

Onion pancake, made differently than I learned how to make them.

Hot dogs and cheese on a stick, deep-fried, of course!
We got the one on the left, coated with batter and french fries!

I took this photo of the group looking into a traffic mirror. Clever, huh?

And, of course, there were several shrines along the small street we visited.

This vendor of calligraphy scrolls was proud to show us articles
featuring his shop in the American publication "Epoch Times"

This vendor sold orchids, which went nicely with the cherry blossoms in the background.
We bought a small orchid plant as a gift for the DeWitts who similarly gifted us when they arrived
in Taiwan last November. The orchids stay looking just like that for three months!

The cherry blossoms were lovely, and everyone was posing for pictures!