January 14, 2013

January 14, 2013 

Hey Momma! How was your week? Sounds like you had a good time over at Aunt Alice and Beckys house. Tell them I say hello and I love and miss them!  Your hair is looking pretty good these days! Rebecca did an awesome job! I got the package that Becki sent me! Oh man I am really enjoying the food and the tie as well! I have been living on cereal for the last few weeks and it has been so great.
      We went to the zoo today! Wooo! Haha it was a small nearby zoo. Some members from xinying came and picked us up this morning and then we went and picked the Elders in xin ying up and headed out. We had a pretty good time there, getting bit by ostrichs and seeing monkey shows. It was pretty sweet. The cool thing about zoos in taiwan-you can touch anything, yes, even the porcupines. I'll make sure and send the pictures soon. I keep saying I will but this time..I really will.
      This last week was a pretty great week! We got to go back to xin ying and attend brother shens baptism! My district leader who happens to be in xin ying called me that afternoon and says hey your giving a 5 minute talk at the baptism ok? Sweet. I was a little nervous but I think I did alright...It was super cool to get to go back and see him get baptized. I will send pictures of that soon as well. It is hard to explain the feelings of getting to see someone you were able to teach the restored gospel too get baptized and make that covenant with God. I am so grateful I could be a tool in the Lord's hand as part of his conversion. I sure hope you all get a chance to meet him someday! His english is pretty much perfect so no need to worry about that. So yes you can tell Elder Hansen that Brother Shen got baptized!
      We also saw another pretty cool miracle this weekend while tracting! We tracted into a lady named sister huang! She has been reading the bible lately and has a had a desire to know God. Talk about being prepared by angels! She came to church yesterday and had a super cool experience there with her daughter and by the end of the meeting she was asking if they could come back next week. Every missionarys dream. So great! The Lord is blessing us here in taibao as long as we are working hard and working by the spirit. Keep these people in your prayers! Well I love you all! Have a great week!      -Elder Ripley

Hahaha wow it looks like the weather has gotten pretty dang cold! I am sure that got a good kick out of their water features freezing over. I thought it was getting so cold here and then I turned the setting on my thermometer from Celsius to Fahrenheit and it said 50 degrees...I am turning into such a wimp!  Sounds like Alabama took it pretty easy. Those are never as much fun to watch as the close games!  Everything is going great here Dad. The Lord has blessed me so much. Hope everything is going great back in AZ. Love you Dad! Have a good week!     -Elder Ripley