April 22, 2013

      Baylee! Holy smokes you are a freshman in highschool now!? Where did time go? I can't believe you are that old! Slow down abit! Payton! Your are already in junior highschool! Wow you two are getting so grown up. I love you guys too!! Miss you bunches and can't wait till I get to see you!! If there is anything you want me to bring home for you from Taiwan make sure and tell me!

       How's Natalie doing! Looks like her and celeste are enjoying their wintermelon tea, was it pretty good with ice cream? I love that stuff. Wow our new couch is looking pretty comfortable too! Why didn't we think about buying that while I was still sleeping on the couch every night? :D

      I have thought alot about how my mission will effect my life as well. Just like you said, my testimony, being a member missionary, learning a new langauage, my future family, my relationship with Heavenly Father and so many more ways. I am so grateful for this opportunity I have to serve the Lord for two years. It will/has changed my life more than anything I have experienced thus far in my life.

      Things are going so great here in xinying! We just had a mini move call today (It is a transfer day in the middle of a move call or six week period) and my companion was called to go to ping dong in the south! So my new companion is Elder Magnuson! I am super pumped to be with him! He is from Florida and is super great. We are going to have a really good time together and see alot of success, we are both pretty excited! So this last week we had a pretty fun experience. The ward had been calling some members lately and ran across a few whos numbers were no longer in use and were hard to get ahold of so they asked us to go to their houses and make sure they are still there. One of these members lives in nan shi keng, A small village up on top of mountain. So we made the journey out, about two and half hours, up to nan shi keng! Once we got up there we looked and looked and looked and just could not find this house. The house numbers there are all mixed up and super hard to find. After riding up and down a few times we stopped on the side of the road and said a prayer. We asked Heavenly Father to help us find this members house! After praying we felt like we should head back up the mountain a little ways to a Daoist temple. Yeah it was a little weird having the feeling, "go back to the Daoist temple" haha but we hopped on our bikes and headed back! As we rode past the Daoist Temple we ran into a small group of people and stopped to ask them about this persons house. Amazingly enough one of the people was their lizhang or the person that oversees there village and he says oh I know them, they moved 20 years ago! WHAT!?!? At this point we were thinking ok we rode all the way up here to learn they moved 20 years ago? Oh man..the guy goes inside for a few minutes and then comes back out with a paper in hand. He gives us the paper and says oh here is their current phone number, they moved up north. WHAT!?!?! They moved 20 years and somehow this guy who lives up on top of a mountain in the middle of nowhere has their number..huge miracle! We were extremely grateful to have a way to get in contact with this member. As we headed back down the mountain it started to get dark and we took a few wrong paths on the way down. Just as it gets dark enough that we can't see much a truck passes by and we stop him and ask which turn we need to take to get back down to the city we were headed to. He points the way and then takes off. My companion and I start heading back down the mountain in the dark with no lights (they had just ran out of batteries) and we can hardly see a thing because there are no road lights up there. Just then truck passes by us, turns around, and then pulls right up behind us. It was the same guy! He says hey throw your bikes in the back and I'll take you guys to the bottom of the mountain! There is no doubt Heavenly Father was looking out for us that day as well as allowed us to find one of His lost sheep. We totalled about 40 miles that day :D I am grateful for a loving Heavenly Father that takes care of every single one of His children.  

       Well I love you fam! Hope you have a great week! Take care!     -Elder Ripley

April 15, 2013

      I am glad you got the package! Yeah to make the tea that is all you do, put it in boiling water and let it dissolve. The less water you use the sweeter it is! If you make it super sweet and put some vanilla ice cream in with it, it is so delicious! Did you guys drink it hot or cold? Some people do drink it hot but most people drink it cold. I think it is alot better cold with vanilla icecream! And is that peanut butter good or I am just crazy? I think it is so much better than jiffy...I am glad Brother Smith enjoyed it :D Tell him if he needs more just let me know! So you are going to be staying in casa grande for 2 weeks with grandma velma? Sounds like that might be just as exciting as the 2 week safari in Africa! Haha tell Grandma I love and miss her for me! How are you going to manage that with work?  Hope all is going well back home! Oh and yes alot of chinese books are read from left to right and that big building is a buddhist temple in mingjian! 

       As for Taiwan things are going pretty good! Elder Liu and I are still working hard to find those people that are prepared to recieve the Gospel. We spent alot of time this week in secondary areas looking for some less active members which was an adventure! The ward gave us a list of members that they had not seen for awhile and their phone numbers were no longer in use or wrong numbers and asked us to visit them! We had a hard time finding alot of them because addresses in small towns in taiwan are super hard to find and alot of the people had moved and what not but we did find a few! We haven't had the chance to meet with them yet but we have confirmed they still live in ward boundaries and have contact with them which is good. One of them is a lady who moved out of her old house but lives close by, and when we went to her house we ran into her dad who helped us get ahold of her. Turns out she has been in a car accident lately and may need some help! I know that God sent us to find His lost child! We are still working with Bother Liu as well. He studies the scripture like no other investigator I have ever seen. 

       Well I hope you had a great week last week and have an even better week this week! Love and miss you bunches! Yes that animal I am petting is indeed a kangaroo. Pretty cool huh? Enjoy the tea and peanut butter while it lasts! If you want more or any or weird foods from taiwan just let me know.  

Love, Elder Ripley

Hello!

We just dug into the waffles and chicken flavored chips this week and there are surprisingly not bad! The flavor didn't taste alot like waffles and chicken but I can see what they are going for. As far as cereal goes we are doing alright! Right now I am at about 4 bags left so we should be good for at least another few days...haha just kidding at least a few weeks! Thanks abunch dad, we are really enjoying the cereal aton over here!

 

Thanks for taking such good care of my car for me dad! That is such a nice looking car too. I will probably never buy another car, just drive the stang for the rest of my life :D Haha unless you trade it in for a ferrari again.

 

Yeah I heard Kolbe got hurt from a member in our ward haha everyone in taiwan knows kolbe bryant. That is a bummer! Sounds like the diamond backs are doing great! Everyone in taiwan knows them as well!

 

The Gospel is still true in Taiwan as well. I am so grateful for your prayers dad! I pray for you every day as well! Hope all is well back home. Miss and love you, Elder Ripley

April 8, 2013

    The package should get there soon enough. It usually takes like two weeks right? You will probably get it in a week or so? Sedona looks like it was a ton of fun! The kids look like they really enjoyed riding those horses! So Dusty and Heather are gone and Celeste is back with Cody? Things never do get dull at the Ripley house! How far away are Dusty and Heather? Sounds like everything is going pretty great back in the good ole AZ. Was the yardsale a hit? I am sure you guys were probably pretty busy!
    As for us everything is rockin here in taiwan! Elder Liu and I are still working hard here in xinying! Our investigators are doing pretty good. We are meeting with Brother Liu and he is pretty fantastic. I love that guy. We are also meeting with a stud named brother zeng. He has been having some trouble with english class in highschool so we have been helping him out a little lately. We taught him to pray before he studies english which he has been doing this last week! So good. He has come to church the last two weeks as well! We also saw a pretty cool miracle this week. I ran into a lady on the street about a week and half ago and tried sharing a little bit with her about the church but she was a little busy at the time so I gave her a little flyer with our churches address on it and what not and last week on tuesday right after we finished district training meeting she showed up at the chapel! We are not at the chapel unless we have a lesson or a meeting so her showing up right when we happened to be there was a miracle in intself! We invited her to church and she came this week with her two kids! We introduced them to alot of people in the ward and I know they had a pretty good experience. I am super pumped to continue to share the gospel with this amazing family this week!
      Well I hope all is going well back home! Miss and love you bunches!! Have a good week! Your favorite child,
      -Elder Ripley

April 1, 2013

    So how was Sedona!? Did you guys just go hang out there or what? Sounds like a party! That is so cool that you got to see Carson and Emma! Oh man I miss those two! That is so crazy that he is already home! He sent me a picture of them so don't worry about it too much.
     My companion and I are still doing great! This week we saw some pretty cool miracles. We found a few awesome new investigators! Right now we are really trying to help them accept baptismal goals. It has been a little tough lately :D They just have a few concerns here or there. With a little faith and some prayers it shouldn't be a probably helping them overcome these concerns. Keep praying for them! This week while reading the scriptures I ran into another really cool scripture about prayer. It is in Alma 2 I think. Alma is fighting Amlici and Alma says a quick prayer out loud and asks the Lord to allow him to become a tool in Hands and preserve his people. Right after he takes Amlici out. I learned that as long as we have righteouss desires the Lord will help us doing anything!
     Sorry my email is a little short this week! We gotta get going! Love you all and have a great week! Thanks for the music!! It is exactly what I was looking for.
     -Elder Ripley 

March 25, 2013

Wow the temple is opening so soon! That is super cool! Tell Natalie I say hello when you see her!  Happy Anniversary Momma!!!!! Wow 33 years, that is quite along time. I am so grateful for my awesome mom & dad. You are my favorite parents in the world! :D
      This week I read a really cool talk! Converted unto the Lord by David A. Bednar. It is from last general conference. Super great talk, if you get a chance give it read! General conference is coming up quick! So crazy! Time is flying by.
      Well I hope all is going well back home! Love you all! If there is anything you want from Taiwan just let me know! I sent a package today with some stuff that I didn't feel like carrrying around as well as some cool stuff from Taiwan! Enjoy! Love and miss you -Elder Ripley



Jaden Feddock is already leaving! Wow! He must have graduated highschool early right? That is so awesome! What a stud. And I can't believe Carson Schaub is already home! Tell him hello for me when you see him.

Dusty and Heather are moving out? Is Dustin still working at Quantum? Tell him to get a job in Hawaii already!

Hope you had a great week! Happy Anniversary Dad!! I am so grateful for two awesome parents that I had the priveledge to be raised by! Hope you let mom win in phase 10 on your anniversary :D Love you dad! You are always in my prayers as well. I know the gospel is true!        -Elder Ripley 

March 18, 2013

Hey Momma!
      Sounds like quite the challenge, sleeping while holding grandmas hand and trying to keep her from take her eyepatch off! Hope she is doing better this week! I did not even remember that it was Saint Patricks Day and I wore a green tie to church that day. Too perfect. They don't celebrate Saint Patricks day here though. You made a bottle of honey explode? How long did you put it in the microwave for?! Haha holy cow youre right you are pretty lucky that did not hit you in the eye!
      This week we had some challenges but thats ok, thats what makes us better!
     While studying the Book of Mormon this week I read a part that I really liked! I think it is mosiah chapter 24. At this point in the Book of Mormon Amulon is ruler over Alma and his people and he orders them not to pray, and if anyone is found praying they are to be killed. The people start praying in their hearts and the Lord hears and answers their prayers! He promises that their burdens will be lifted and in the next verse it talks about how their burdens were liften and they faced their trial cheerfully and with patience. I thought it was super cool that even though their situation had not changed and they still had the same burden, their burdens were lightened and carried with ease because the Lord helped them change their hearts and their attitudes! In the next verse it talks about because of their faith and patience they are delivered from bondage. Faith proceeds the miracle and a cheerful attitude, some patience, and heartfelt prayers will produce that faith! With Gods help and a good attitude we can do anything!
      Well hope you had a great week this week! Love you bunches!      -Elder Ripley

March 11, 2013

    Yes I still love to read about my buds on missions! I can't believe how soon Carson gets home! Crazy news though!! That stinks about Aunt Winnie's Ipad getting stolen! Bummer! I have heard a little bit about the small ipad and ipad 2 from people here but not aton. Sounds pretty sweet! That is good that you are in the habit of being early to bed and early to wake up! I wish I would have been better at that before coming on my mission...
      Well everything is going pretty great here! We are still working hard to find those people that are ready for the gospel!
      This week while reading the Book of Mormon I read in Mosiah 20 about King Limhi and his people! Super cool story, if you get a chance read it. But pretty much what I got out of was this-King Limhi saw the lamanites coming fromt he top of the tower and he prepared his people to face them. When the lamanites came his people were ready to fight and they fought like dragons!! Yes..dragons..(Tell chelsea gray...yes there are really dragons, she has asked me before :D and tell her congratulations for me!! So crazy that she is married!!) So anyways they fought like dragons because they were fighting for their lives, wives and children, and even though the lamanites were double their number, King Limhi's people dominated. I learned from this story that it is all about preparation and desire! Especially in missionary work but even in all other aspects of life. If we plan well and our desires are in the right place we can do anything with the Lord's help! We can be ready to fight like dragons for the Lord everyday. Well time is runnign quick. Hope you all have a great week! Love you bunches! Your son,       -Elder Ripley