Wednesday, July 18, 2012

July 16, 2012


Hello Momma! I know the weeks are flying for me too! This wednesday is my 6 month mark! Wow! So crazy, already been gone for six months? It doesn't make sense. I Think you will be ok sending that deep blue stuff because I got the other oils just fine. I actually have not used them for my finger yet, I did put some peppermint under my nose on my upper lip though, it smells good and opens up my sinuses (Don't know how to spell that). Today we have some extra time at home so I am going to read those papers you sent me about them and figure out some good ways to use them. Thanks for taking such good care of me momma! How was your fourth of july party? It looked pretty fun, Dad sent me some pictures! I am jealous I was not there!
Yes we are still teaching yu an (brother Cai's first name) and he is doing pretty good. This week wasn't super great because he went to his grandparents house in tainan for the week and missed church so his baptismal goal dropped. (They have to go to church at last three times before they get baptized, so if they miss church too many times they have to push their goal back or set a new one) So that was a bummer, but last monday we hiked da keng mountian and he came with us! It was really great actually, because we had him, another investigator named park, and a less-active that we recently met all come with us! The da keng elders and their recent convert who got baptized about a week and a half ago also came which was sweet! We had a great time and got to know our investigators alot better which was awesome. Yu an is such a champ. It was super hot and we hiked for a good 3 hours as well as biked there and back and after we were done he went to play basketball with his friends. I swear he never runs out of energy. While on the hike, we got near the top and we ran into this crazy kung fu man (picture below). He was definitely drunk, and he loved to play these little balance games like we would play at reccess when we were little. You stand face to face and put your hands together and then you push/pull on eachothers hands and who ever moves one of their feet first loses. For being drunk he was surprisingly good at it! When we first got up he tells yu an to come over to him and starts making him play this game with him. Of course he picks the smallest skinniest one! He beat yu an a few times and I said alright let me try now, you can't just pick on the little guy! Beat him on my first try!! That's right crazy kung fu man, I am the balance champ. :D We also ran into some other interesting things on the hike like GINORMOUS spiders and gymnastic rings, i'll send pictures. I was pretty sore the next day!
This week we ran into a man named Dustin! We teach a guy that lives across the street from his little place where he teaches english. I said hi to him a few times before, but as we were locking up our bikes before going into our investigators house one day he just walked right up to us! We told him sorry we had to go but we could come back over the next day and see him, and he said alright! Turns out he is from england and moved to taiwan a few years ago to start teaching english. His life right now isn't going to smooth. He blows all of his money on whiskey. He told us he wants to stop but he just can't. He was catholic as a child but hasn't been religious for a long time. Although, he said he has been saying prayers at night for God to help him. Us meeting him is no doubt an answer to his prayers! It is really weird to talk to investigators in english, but I am kind of enjoying it! We have only seen him a few times so far, so more updates on Dustin to come. Pray for him that he may have the strenght to give up drinking! He needs it!
Well I hope you have a fantastic week this week! I love and miss you bunches! Thanks for being the best Mother ever!!   
Love, Elder Ripley




Cool views on the hike


Gymnastics rings on the top of the mountain?


Nasty spider - the picture definitely does not do it justice.  
This thing is the biggest spider I have ever seen in my life!


Yu an, Elder Boice & I


crazy kung fu man

Taiwanese hiking rest spots

gigantic praying mantis that landed on Elder Edwards neck and he freaked
out because he thought it was one of those spiders.  super funny


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