Sunday, December 27, 2015

Christmas!!!! Some Goals for the New Year, and I'm Gonna Be a Dad!!!

Elder Erwin and Elder Millett
Pictures by the bridge in front of our house


Christmas 2015 Tainan, Taiwan



Christmas skype 12-25-15 Family photo



大家好。

我希望這個禮拜都很好玩!
And then we had our Ward Christmas activity and stuff. So yeah, all in all, my LAST Christmas in Taiwan was a really good time.

Well, now that Christmas is behind us, and the New Year is approaching, I figured I would share some goals with you guys. Well, this coming year, I hope to finish out my mission strong. And while 10 months may seem like a long time to some, in mission terms, it is very short. So, I plan on using this small bit of time to the MAX! Secondly, I (like millions of others) plan on exercising more this year. I have lost so much weight on my mission, and recently I have gotten kind of content with where I am at. But, I want to start putting on some muscle now. So, I'm brushing the dust off of my P90X dvd's and am going to "Bring It." And lastly, I plan on really getting my goals set for college and for career. And while I will continue to focus on my mission, I realize that I will have to start selecting courses and classes before too long, so I will need to have some goals and plans in mind. So, those are just a few of my goals for the upcoming year.

And lastly, I'm pregnant.........

Stop panicking, let me explain..... So, this last week, I got a call from President Blickenstaff telling me that he would like me to serve as a trainer. Yup, he wants me to train a brand new, fresh-out-of-the-MTC, green, Elder. I have no idea who it is at this point. I will find out when I go to pick him up in Taichung on Thursday morning. Elder Erwin and I have only been together for like 2 and a half weeks, and now I'm kicking him out. I am a little stressed, if only for the reason that I have only been in Tainan for about 2 and a half weeks now. I don't really know my way around yet, so I'm going to have to get around that problem. But, I am looking forward to this experience. I have heard from older missionaries that training is so much fun!!! And, I have to think to myself, "I was there once. I was the greenie. I was the new guy, and that was only a short 10 months ago that I got on island." So, I am excited to help fuel the fire in a new missionary. I am super stoked to be the guy to give him his first taste of Taiwanese lifestyle, food, people. It is going to be quite the ride. And he is going to be born in just a few short days. Looks like I'm going to be Papa Millett now!!!

Well, that is about it for this week. There should be some fun pictures coming your way soon. I love you all and I miss you guys very much! Have a very happy Belated Christmas, and a very very Happy New Year. 

Lots of love,

Sincerely,
Elder Chase Joseph Millett
雷長老
(雷爸爸)

Monday, December 21, 2015

Tainan, Too Much Singing, and Who is Elder Erwin?



Sun Moon Lake

MTC district reunion at the Mission Christmas Celebration



大家好。

I hope that your week has been awesome! (Wow, I tend to start every email this way. I guess I never noticed until now. 很奇怪。)

But, anyways, ours has been pretty good too. Busy, crazy, and all of that other jazz, but good. I guess I had better start by telling you a little bit about my new area.

So, I cover the Tainan 3rd Ward, which is kind of like the central part of Tainan. It is pretty urban, (not quite as urban as 東海 was, but still pretty populous.) Our apartment is on the 16th floor. We are right on the edge of a river that runs right through the middle of the city, so that is kind of a fun view. We get to cross this cool bridge every day. I will get pictures of that to you guys in a bit. So, as I said in my last email, the food in Tainan is known for being very very good. And it is indeed that. There is this 咖喱飯 place right behind our apartment that is SOOOOO good. And even chain stores like Ba Fang are a lot better here too. So, I fear that I will get fat again. But, I won't let that happen. The chapel in our area is an exact duplicate of the chapel in 嘉義, just mirrored, so it is kind of weird. But it is cool. It is a pretty old chapel, built like 30 years ago or something. Our ward is pretty cool, as far as I know them so far. Our Bishopric got changed on Sunday after like 5 years, so that is a big change!!! Our new Bishop is 葉主教. He is a really nice guy and we are looking forward to getting to work with him. The weather this past week was actually super chilly. I actually brought out my big wool coat and scarf, and I still caught a cold! Dang it..... But it has started warming up little bit more, so I'm getting better. I'm afraid of what Utah winters are going to do to me when I get back!!! Yikes! But yeah, the area is fun. And oh yeah, we have a Costco!!!! In our area!!!!! YESSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!! But now only one problem, we don't have a Costco card.....Looks like I'll have to get one. But yeah, Tainan is a great place.

Nextly, we have been singing a lot this past week. So, on Christmas Eve, we, (meaning the Tainan Zone), are going to be performing for the Tainan City Government. We are going to be singing, playing the piano and things. Elder Erwin has to play like 3 violin solos for this thing, so he has been working on those. But, after lots of practice, and a giant group practice for like 3-4 hours yesterday, my vocal cords are exhausted. I still have a voice, luckily. I have discovered on my mission that I love to sing. Regardless of how terrible I may sound, I love to do it. But too much of a good thing is a bad thing. So, I am going to have to take care of my pipes if I hope to be able to perform at this thing.

Lastly, it is time to introduce you to my companion, Elder Erwin. He is such a stud guy. He is from South Jordan. And he plays the violin like no other person I've ever seen. He is incredible!!!!! He has been playing for many years and it definitely shows. He has 2 older sisters and two younger sisters, so he is the 獨生子, right in the middle! He loves everything music. He also plays the viola, the bass, the guitar, and the piano. 都可以. He was trained by Elder Brady, my district leader from when I was back in 嘉義. He got to Taiwan in August, so he is still fairly new. I am technically his "Mom." The "Mom" is the first companion you have after you are done training. But I am more like his half-mom because he was with another Elder for 3 weeks before I came in. So, yeah. He is super cool. His Chinese is really good for as new as he is. He has a super strong testimony of the Gospel, and it comes through in his teaching. Well, I am super happy to have the opportunity to serve with him. I look forward to all of the adventures that lie ahead. And I am sure you will come to learn more and more about him as time goes on, just like I have.

Well, that about sums it up for the week. I am healthy, (aside from my little cold.) I am happy. I am adjusting well. I have some friends here in Tainan, like Elder Yeh, Sister Hancock, and Elder Crockett, so it feels like home. The work goes on! I love you all and I hope to hear from you very soon! Have a very Merry Christmas! And have an awesome week. 聖誕節快樂!  聖誕節快樂!

Sincerely,
Elder Chase Joseph Millett
雷一鳴長老
台南三支會的傳教士
The View from our apartment

A sneak peek of our apartment



Sunday, December 13, 2015

Christmas Activity, Lessons from 屏東, and Oh yeah, I'm moving again!!!!!

Hello Family,

I hope that your week was fantastic! We had a really fun week! We had our Mission Christmas Activity at Sun Moon Lake on Friday. But, I will get to that in just a second. But there is definitely a lot to talk about, so why waste time.

So, as I just said, we had our Christmas Activity this past week, and boy was it a good time! So, on Thursday night, we decided that we were going to go up to 嘉義 one more time to let Elder Rogers and Elder Crockett practice before the performance. So, we got permission and were at the 嘉義 chapel until about 11:00 and then we went home. We woke up at about 5:30 the next day and went to the 嘉義 train station. We got on a bus that would take us up to the activity. (We were traveling by zone, so we were just tagging along with the 嘉義 and 台南 zones. Well, the bus drivers stopped to use the restroom, and we moved over to our zone's bus. About 2 hours later, we got to Sun Moon Lake! It is a gorgeous place!!! Well, we got off the bus and we took about a 1/4 mile hike up to the Ci-En Pagoda. There we took the mission Christmas picture, which you can find here,



(and I had 陳會長 take this picture for me.)

I'm Still White as ever!!!

Anyways, after we took the pictures, we went down to a little aboriginal village by the lake to do a little bit of shopping. I bought some super comfortable "genie pants" as everybody called them. (You will get pictures of those later.) While there, we also went down to the dock and took more pictures. Then, we got back on the buses and drove another 2 hours to where we were eating dinner, another 吃到飽 in 南投. It was really good. I definitely can't eat as much as I used to, a consequence of losing weight I guess. After we ate there for 2 hours, we drove to 員林 for the Christmas devotional. We got to hear some musical performances, including Elder Rogers' and Elder Crockett's. President and Sister Blickenstaff and the office elders put on a Nativity scene for us, so that was fun. We got to hear departing missionaries give their testimonies, and then President and Sister Blickenstaff gave talks. It was a super spiritually satisfying evening. And, at about 9:00, we got on the buses again to head home. We got to the 鳳山 train station at about 11:45, and then we got back to our home in 屏東 at about 12:30 or so. We were DEAD TIRED!!!! But it was definitely worth it. It was a blast of an activity, and I am so grateful for all of the Mission's hard work in putting it together. It was definitely something I'm going to remember for a long time.

Secondly, I just thought that today I would share a couple of the things that I've learned in 屏東. Being there has really helped me to develop patience, whether it be with a companion, a stubborn investigator, or with myself. I also learned that although missionaries come from all different backgrounds, we come together to fulfill the same noble purpose. Elder Rogers and I were very different people, but we became really good friends and shared the same goals. These, of course, are only a few of the lesson I've learned there. Pretty good for being there for a month I think.

Well, why did I share all of that? Well, because I am moving again. Yup, I am outta 屏東! Because it is becoming its own stake, the area is becoming a Zone Leader area. So they kicked me out to make room for the new Zone Leader. Elder Rogers will stay there for 3 weeks, and then he will move to make room for the other Zone Leader. I was only there for a month, but it was definitely a good time. I love the members, investigators, and the missionaries there. They were all so good to me and they will surely be missed. 

台南, here comes the Thunder!!! Yup, I am in Tainan now. I am in the Tainan 3rd Ward. My new companion is Elder Erwin. I really don't know much about him right now, other than that he is from South Jordan, Utah and that he plays the violin. So, I will fill you in as we spend more time together. But know that I made it to Tainan safely, and that I am looking forward to the experiences I will have here. (Plus, the food in Tainan is FAMOUS! So that is always a plus!) I am still Senior Companion, and District Leader. I have a district of six missionaries, Us, the Sisters, and the 4th Ward Elders. So, new adventures await!!!!

Elder Erwin and I
Well, that is about it for this week. I am looking forward to hearing from you. Know that I am happy, healthy, and excited to be serving the Lord here in Tainan, the "Land of Milk and Honey" for missionaries! So, I love you all and I will talk to you soon!

Sincerely, 
Elder Chase Joseph Millett
雷長老

Sunday, December 6, 2015

聖誕節快到了, I Want 包子!, And "Through Heaven's Eyes"

大家好!哇塞!聖誕節快到了。祝你們一個很快樂的聖誕節!
(Hello Everyone! Wow, Christmas is almost here! I wish all of you a very Happy Christmas!)

Well, yeah, that is pretty much the first part of my email. Christmas season is here, and even here on this tiny Asian island people are getting ready. There are decorations, at least in a few places. Our chapel is decked out in Christmas decorations and things, so I get to see it every day. And we are already planning our ward caroling and Christmas activities and such, so yeah, the season is definitely here. I just love this time of year. I am so excited to be able to celebrate the birth of our Savior. Since I've come on the mission, I have developed a much greater love for the Savior, and what he means in my personal life. I will be talking about that in a later part of this email, so be ready!

Secondly, yes I want 包子. 包子 are kind of like dumplings, but better. We have a recent convert in our ward, a super friendly sister who's family owns a super popular 包子 place in 屏東. So, most mornings, (when we actually get up and exercise), we will bike 10-15 minutes across town to get to her restaurant for breakfast. We are addicted!

And lastly, recently I've fallen in love with music from the movie, "Prince of Egypt." I have never seen it, but I obtained some of the music from it a while back and I have fallen in love with it. Essentially, for those of you who don't know, the Prince of Egypt is a Dreamworks film depicting the life of Moses and the Exodus from Egypt. I have heard nothing but wonderful things about it. So, one of the songs from the movie is called "Through Heaven's Eyes." Essentially, the song is about not using the standards of the world to measure yourself. There have been times on my mission, or just in life in general, when I have felt that I needed the world's approval in order to be considered great. That might involve comparing my Chinese to others or comparing numbers. But, this song is just a subtle reminder to me that that is not the way that God intended things to be. God loves all of us, regardless of our circumstances, personalities, or decisions. That is why he sent His son, Jesus Christ to atone for the sins of mankind. Although, we are imperfect, we must remember that we are "great in the sight of God." So, I invite you all to listen to the song, not for entertainment alone, but for the wonderful and uplifting message that it contains. It has helped me, and I know that it can help you too.

Well, that is about it for this week. I hope all of you have a Merry Christmas. This will be my first and last Christmas on this side of the planet, so I am going to enjoy it to the fullest! I am happy and healthy and I wish you all the same.

Sincerely,
Elder Chase Joseph Millett
雷一鳴
雷長老
Cleaning out a Library full of old Manga.

I will try and answer some questions where I can.

1. How has your week been? 
Fine. Busy as always. But still a lot of fun.

2. Companion?
Elder Rogers is a funny guy. Our personalities are definitely very different. But we are able to make things work. And we are continuing to work on developing companionship unity so as to be more effective teachers.

3. How is the new area?
屏東 is pretty fun. It is kind of in between my previous areas as far as population goes. It's not as rural as 太保, but it is nowhere near as urban as 東海. It is warm down here. But since it is the Winter time, it is pretty comfortable most of the time.

4. weather?
Have some pretty warm days, but we have also had some fairly chilly days, so every day it is a surprise. It has rained a couple of times, but not too many.

5. food?
Not anything too crazy recently. But we have found a couple of fun little places around to eat at. And we found a Subway in our area! But mostly we've been eating 包子.

6. families?
We are still working with 林弟兄 and his family, and we are preparing to start teaching the family of 郭姐妹, an RC.

7. investigators?
We have a few solid people lined up for now. A couple of older college students and some former investigators who want to start learning again.

8. church?
Church is pretty good. Our Bishop is a really nice guy. Our members are a lot of fun. Our chapel is kind of strange. It is like half outside/half inside. I will send you pictures later to show you what I mean.

9. english class? 
I am still the Beginning Class teacher. I have the biggest class in our district, about 20 or so students per class. But it is a lot of fun.

10. Doing anything fun for pday?
Just in JiaYi again. But I will probably go get a haircut and sneak to the mall for a few minutes.

11. How goes the travel itineraries?
Still traveling a lot. Have come up to JiaYi 2-3 times. And will be going up to Taichung on Thursday for the Mission Christmas activity. We will be going to Sun Moon Lake.

12. Almost ready for the mission Christmas party/program?
See Above....

13. When is that?
See Two above....

14.  Do they celebrate Christmas in Taiwan?
Yes, but mostly the cultural part of it. Christianity is pretty small in country. But there are still some who celebrate the Christian aspects of it.
15. When is Chinese new year?
Sometime in February 吧.

哇塞,你快瘋了吧 translation "Wow, you are going crazy!"
沒有問題。我還愛你喔 translation: "no problem. I still love you"