Adam arrives in Pingtung as new Zone Leader

After spending a little over 5 months in Taibao, Adam was transferred to Pingtung City yesterday to serve in the Pingtung Ward.  He and his new companion, Elder Westcott, are the zone leaders.  It will be a great experience for him to train and lead a good size group of missionaries.
Pingtung is in southern Taiwan, just east of Kaohsiung.  It is supposed to be the hottest area in Taiwan.  The famous film director, Ang Lee (Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon) is a native of Pingtung.
Here are some of the photos of Adam while in Taibao.

Jiayi Zone Conference with Pres. and Sis. Teh and Elder and Sister Meurs 

Multi-Zone Conference and Christmas Devotional

In Taibao with Elder Cram

Krispy Kreme from Taipei arrived just in time for Thanksgiving

With Elder Cram on the streets of Taibao

Celebrating Elder Cram's birthday at the local 7-Eleven

At the famous duck soup shop in Taibao

With a local member's son

Care package from mom picked up from 7-Eleven

With Taibao local church leader

More Taiboa church leader

With Taibao members

At train station to to to Pingtung

Saying goodbye to Elder Cram

Adam the Trainer and District Leader

At the most recent transfer on Aug 17, Adam became a "trainer", with the responsibility of mentoring a brand new missionary as he entered the mission field.  His new companion is Elder Dotson from Enoch, Utah.  According to Elder Dotson, Enoch is even more rural than Taibao so he is being eased into the mission that covers some really densely populated areas.  Adam is also given the assignment to be the District Leader, with Min-Hsiung (Minxiong) as the other area in the District.
The Taibao Branch is pretty small, with about 20-30 people attending church each Sunday.  There are a total of 7 young people (Primary children plus Young Men/Young Women).  The branch president is 29 years old but, according to Adam, is a super cool person.  Adam's apartment is only 3 minutes from the chapel so it is very convenient.
Adam loves this area (just like he loves all his former areas) because the people are so down to earth, really nice, and really hard working.  His area includes the beach so it's a little farther from the mountains and the rain.
He is teaching some really good people and working with members who have been to church for a while.  Now that he has a companion who is brand new in Taiwan, Adam has to take more responsibility in communicating in Chinese with the local people.
Here are some recent photos.

With someone Adam is teaching.

Getting a local member who has not been to church for a while

Best dinner ever!  Homemade Peking duck and dumplings.

With Elder Chang and local members before Elder Chang leaves the area.

Elder Dotson's first hotpot dinner.  They're very thirsty!

At the Taibao City sign.  Calligraphy by the city mayor.

Taibao Sunset.

Farmlands in Taibao City

New Area: Taibao in Chiayi County

After a very productive and rewarding 5 months in Kong Shan, Adam was transferred on July 3rd to Taibao City, in the Chiayi County, midway between Taichung and Tainan.  Taibao is a small city in a rural area that is very flat and famous for melons.  It is named after the official rank of its most famous native son, Wang De-Lu, who was a high ranking official (a Taibao) in the Chinese emperor's court.  It is also famous for a temple memorializing the water buffalo to remind the people in the area how hard the water buffalos worked to till the ground when the area was first settled several centuries ago.  As shown on the map below, a few city blocks of buildings are surrounded by farmland.  The LDS church is at the corner of an apartment block with a huge sign hanging on the side of the building.

Aerial view of church in Taibao 

Taibao Branch Building

Adam is reunited with his missionary training center companion, Elder Chang, and another elder in the group behind him at the MTC, Elder Farnsworth.  He is really excited about the new area, his third since arriving in Taiwan.

July 13, 2017 will mark the half-way point of Adam's mission.  Below are photos from his Kang Shan days.

In his Kong Shan apartment

Rainy day in Kong Shan

After bike accident.  Both were okay.  Companion with sprained elbow 

Monkey Mountain Outing

Monkeys in the park

More monkeys

Kang Shan District elders 

Giving a presentation to the ward council

Group outing

Mission Conference

Zone Conference

With new member at his baptism

Playing pingpong with a 92-year-old man that reminds Adam of his Grandpa Li

The 92-year-old friend who beats Adam in pingpong most of the time

Adam's birthday package

Birthday album from home

Chinese hotpot during his last week in Kong Shan with Elder Richards

Earthquake! All safe

There was an earthquake near Tainan this morning but Adam and all missionaries were safe.

Adam's first 2 weeks in Kang Shan had been good.  He enjoys working with Elder Zavalla, who is wowing the local people with his language skills (fluent in Mandarin, English, and Spanish).  Adam was pleasantly surprised to receive a care package from the Dalisay family, especially the Star Ward Yoda tie, which Adam is going to wear often.

Care package from San Francisco

Favorite snacks in the package

Yoda tie!

At church Christmas party

About to teach a class

Teaching a class at church

Teaching a class at church-2

Photos from Vincent's Visit

Over the holidays, Adam ran into Vincent, a friend from San Francisco who was visiting Taiwan.  Vincent served his mission in Kao Hsiung a few years ago and he sent us these photos.

In front of the chapel in Kao Hsiung

Beef noodles - Adam's favorite

Adam in action.  Talking to people at the traffic light