September 23, 2013

You got stung by a scorpion! Where was it? It really isn't as bad as you thought it was right? I just remember it felt like getting pricked by a little thorn or something and then it just tingled for awhile.
My new area is super awesome! My first week here I went on exchanges to xinying, my old area, and I got to see alot of my old friends there!
As for my responsibilities here in jiayi, we are pretty much in charge of just making sure the missionaries in our area are healthy and happy! We do alot of exchanging companions and helping them out in their areas with basic misisonary skills, investigators and relations with the ward. We help others feel the fire of missionary work and inspire them! It is a really awesome opportunity to develop relationships with the missionaries around us and serve them, we are loving it! I have already grown and learned so much from the interactions I have had with the missionaries here.
I got to meet the ward yesterday which was super cool! We have such an awesome branch here. Our president is so great. We went to visit a member in the hospital yesterday and administer the sacrament to him, so I had a pretty good chance to get to know president a little bit. We also talked to a few people at the hospital with president and invited them to learn about the Gospel, it was pretty sweet to do some contacting with our branch president! He also has the fire for missionary work, I am super exctied to be here and be able to work with him!
We are going to go eat lunch now but tell dad I will email him after. Love you mom!    
-Elder Ripley


Hey Dad! Just had a real good burger for lunch. Double patty with peanut butter and the other was fried chicken with some sort of orange glazing..wow delicious! They have some pretty weird flavors here in taiwan and they are super good! I will have to take you to eat one.

Things are going great here in jiayi. My companion and I are really working hard to help everyone in our zone feel the fire of missionary work and inspire them. President has a really big vision for this area right now because it is the only district in our whole mission, every where else are stakes! He really wants this district to become a stake because it is getting really close!  Every single one of our key indicators increased last week and the baptismal goals are higher than they have been in 6 months in this zone! And new investigators more than doubled! That is just crazy! We are really seeing success! I am really enjoying being here in jiayi, and I know I am going to love it even more as time goes on. I could have never been a hard working enthusiastic missionary if it wasn't for your example dad! I am still looking forward to the day we go tracting together :D

It is good to hear you are getting better quickly! Keep excersizing and getting good rest and I know you will be in great shape.

I am pretty excited to see the present you sent! I can't even guess what it would be! Love you dad! Hope you have a great week!    -Elder Ripley

Zone Leader

Dear Mr. and Mrs. Steven Paul Ripley Sr. and family,

 

I am pleased to inform you that your son, Elder Caleb Alan Ripley, has been called to serve as Zone Leader in the Taiwan Taichung Mission.

 

Only the most experienced, obedient and energetic Elders are called to be Zone Leaders.  Zone Leaders not only must set an unwavering example, but also spend much of their time training and motivating other missionaries in their zone.  He will supervise several districts and be a source of counsel and advice for the missionaries in his zone.  I am confident your son will fulfill these duties with the utmost diligence.

 

Please continue to encourage your son to reach out in excellence as he serves the Lord in this new calling.  You can be proud of him and his efforts.  He is certainly living up to the trust the Lord has placed in him as he serves here in the Taiwan Taichung Mission.

 

Sincerely,

 

President Kurt L. Blickenstaff

Taiwan Taichung Mission

September 16, 2013

Hey mom! I am super excited to get to see the pictures you send! Thanks abunch! Brook is married!! That is so cool! Really crazy-One of Brookes recent converts is in the ward that I was just in in tainan and I had the opportunity of doing her little sisters baptismal interview last saturday! So cool! Those technology classes sound really cool! I am sure you are having a fun time with that figuring everything out. Looks like stacy was really hurtin in that picture! I am sure he got back up and running pretty quick.

Well transfers came this week and...I moved! It is really sad to be leaving tainan because there are so many people that I love there, and I had aton of really awesome experiences there! I am going to miss that place so much!! I am pretty excited to be in my new area though, I am now in jiayi! It is just right above tainan. Two of the places I preiviously served in (taibao and xinying) are both in this zone which is pretty cool! My new companion is Elder Furner. He is from farmington Utah! Really humble and nice guy! I am excited to be here with him, we are going to see alot of succes in this area and learn alot from each other. It is sad to be leaving Elder Washburn too, he is such a stud. We have zone conference in a few weeks though so I will be able to see him then! Well I hope you had a great week and are still having fun at school. Miss and love you mom!    -Elder Ripley

September 9, 2013

Hey momma! How goes it? Dad is really lookin pretty sick these days! You better tell him to get feelin' better soon, otherwise I will whip his butt in our wrestling match when I get home no problem! I am sure you are keeping busy at school, seeing as though everything is just getting started up again! Hope everything is going smooth with work and everything. Where is dad working at these days?

Life is going pretty good here in tainan! Transfers are not until next monday so I have no idea whats going to happen yet! I am still with Elder Washburn right now. We are doing really fantastic, finding lots of new investigators and keeping really good relations with the ward. I love this place too much. We are still workin with John. We are also still meeting with our friend from swaziland! He is doing really great. We are going to have an english class party this wednesday and he is going to participate by teaching everyone about swaziland and teaching us some games they play there as well as giving us a little taste of their traditional food! We have another investigator from Haiti that will be sharing as well and his friend from panama might come as well! And one of the sister companionships in our district have an investigator from indonesia who will also be sharing. Super cool! But anyways our bud from swaziland is doing really well.

Hope everything is going well back home and everyone is healthy and happy! Miss and love you!! Have a fantastic week!    -Elder Ripley

September 2, 2013

Dad is lookin pretty good cruisin around in the stang with his new glasses. Haha I got a pretty good laugh out of the story about him not being able to tell which car was his! Sounds like school is going pretty well, I bet alot has changed since I was in elementary school! What is your favorite thing about working at the school?

We had a great week this last week! I think that the biggest miracle we saw this last week was hitting a goal in our district. WE DID IT!! We were all so excited that we hit the goal, because we had faith that it would happen and it did! We know that Heavenly Father allowed us to see this miracle because of our love for His children and our effort in helping them know of His love for them. WE LOVE MISSIONARY WORK! There is a sentence we often say in chinese in the taiwan mission,  有信心有辦法! (you3 xin4xin1, you2 ban4fa3) I think the closest translation would be "where there's a will, there's a way" but change "a will" to faith I guess..Where there's faith, there's a way! we really saw this prove true last week as we worked with faith to hit our goal!
Hope everything is going well momma. Sure miss you! Keep working hard at school and having a good time! Love you bunches.     -Elder Ripley

Sounds like everyone is moving out now that they know I will be back soon! They are probably scared that being a returned missionary I will start dragging them to church with me :D
You were looking pretty good cruisin in the stang with your new glasses on by the way. I am sure the neighbors heads were turning as you drove by.
That picture of the chapel is so awesome! The one ray of light shining on it and the rainbow behind it. It truly is the Lord's house!
This week our district really worked with faith and worked hard, I am sure you will read the story in the email I sent to mom. I am loving it here in tainan too much! I don't want to leave! I am scared I will be transfered in the next move call which is in two weeks, but I have already made up my mind if I do leave I will trust that the Lord is sending me where I need to be and face change with a good attitude.
Sounds like everything is going pretty smooth back home. Hope all is well, love and miss you Dad.   -Elder Ripley
PS- is that Brooks Johnson in the background of the picture of you and mom and the Laws house?

August 26, 2013

I am glad to hear you got that card! There should be a few more on the way!
Brother Wu is doing so great. The primary teacher had my companion and I go into primary this last sunday and share an experience about a time where we followed the Spirit's guidance and he was having a such a great time listening to our stories. It was pretty cool! Bishop didn't have him stand up during sacrament and introduce himself I was bummed!
Yes Elder Washburn is still my companion! We are loving it here in tainan and are just tearin it up.  It is not often you teach people with christian backgrounds here in taiwan so it is abit of a switch up for us! We just went into the lesson with faith and followed the spirit during planning as well as the lesson and saw miracles!
Hey mom can you help me get some email addresses of friends? Kelsey Dagupan and Nik Huff! That would be fantastic, thanks abunch! Have an amazing week! Love you bunches!

THAT PACKAGE IS HUGE!!!!!!! Thank you so much Dad!!! Were are just pigging out!! I was so surprised how much stuff you managed to fit in there too! Holy smokes! I am pretty sure this one could last me until the end of my mission! Hahaha. It worked out just right because a few days after I got it president Blickenstaff and his wife came to tainan for an activity and they came and inspected all of the apartments of the missionaries in my district so we had some treats out for them when they came. Haha I am sure they enjoyed it.
How was your week!? We are doing pretty awesome over here. Still just following the spirit and working to become better missionaries!
I cant believe Kellen and Kelsey are both leaving right now! That is so awesome! I am sure they are both going to be amazing missionaries! Wish I could have been there to hear their farewell talks! I love them!
Thanks again for taking such good care of my baby while I am gone. I am sure she will be running better when I get back than when I left!

Well I hope everything is going well back home! Love and miss you! Talk to you next week!    -Elder Ripley