Week 13: Raining a lot in Taiwan

1. What was the best experience you had this week?

2. Do you have other elders in your apartment?

3. Did you find any new investigators?

4. What is your ward like?

5. Are you understanding Chinese any better?

6. What do you eat everyday!?

Well this week has been pretty slow to say the least. I saw one of our investigators and I handled the situation pretty bad. I went up to him and grabbed the cigarette out of his mouth which in turn burned me but ya. It’s been pretty boring. Still working.

Nope its just me and Elder H. and it will stay like that !!! Thank you very much.

Nope.

They are either really nice or don't really like us. 

Not really.

Rice and ketchup.

I’m sorry if this email is pretty short. This week has been pretty uneventful. Just tracting a lot and it rained like a mother. I got invited to go play with the fire fighters bball tourney today so we are gonna go use that to our advantage. I had some chou doful which is satans way of saying hey heres some food. It’s awful... We visited our second area. The asian of the week will go to this lil kid whose english name is Jimmy: he punched me in the junk and said I was a bad man. Nothing to interesting in English class. The girls got nothing to gossip about. The dream of the week was about C. C. and I back in the good ol days of playing capture the flag. It was pretty tight. We used the hide under the porch method to win the game. It’s good to hear from everyone. So when it rains no one wants to talk to us ahahahha which is hilarious. Oh ya I went on an exchange with Elder B. up to gao xiang which was really cool; he is nice. I taught guitar to an investigator’s son and they want to pay me, but thats not really kosher, but its all good. Anyways nothing really has happened. Found out soy milk has some qualities that would potienally diminish the size of philip. But hey maybe that’s why the majority of asians are small muscled. No pun. Ya sorry this week has been aight.

Week 12: The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants and Other Adventures.

Ni hao  !!!!! All is well in the People's Republic of China!!!

So the Asian of the week has to go to this guy who is most likely not right in the head.  Regardless he has lived a long life. He likes to  play frogger. He will run into the middle of a busy street.  He gives me high fives so we are tight. 

Anyways its been pretty good here. We ran out of money like last week so we have been eating rice and ketchup which is still pretty good to be honest, but its showing on my frame. I can see outlines of where my abs should be but were covered in the girth of my youth. Exercise is at an all time minimum on the account that we are too lazy to get up but regardless we stretch and it is all good. We had zone conference this week. It was pretty cool. I met Elder Terry who knows Seattle Mcray and Will Ballard.  I finally met the famous Elder Noll. He is really cool. I like him a lot. He is really chill. We talked about Jessi for a lil and then about how psyched we are for ELDER PUCKETT!!!!  But ya there was lots of pizza so it was good.

So I met this girl... lets be more specific 5 girls.  They range from about 42 to 60 and they are my girls!!!! We are like the sisterhood of the traveling pants.  They bring people to English and we start a lesson.  They are hilarious! We argued about being in love and marrying too young and then they are like  kids get married too young and then get divorced and I was like not in good ol Utah.....  and they were like why is that well probs because our gospel is true. hahah and then they got interested.  It was really cool  but  they asked if I had a girl friend and i said ya  but  I wouldn't tell  them the name.... so I'm in a pickle,  I have to show a picture by this Wednesday or I buy everyone dongwa cha.

Elder Allen went on exchanges with us it was good catching up with him everyone remember him? Ryan Allen (Troy you broke his arm) (he has the classiest lil bro) but ya he is tight.  I love being around the guy. He is always positive we talked about our old  HC Storm team--the team that straight did not win a game ahhahahaha ah man it was hilarious. Parent- hey I know you guys are trying to have fun but your wasting our money can you win a game.ahhhahahah

Played basketball with these guys on Saturday and I'm not gonna lie.  I was putting the team on my back and I missed like 2 or 3  and M (Asian guy on my team 34) was like Elder you have to make those. OK money is on the line . So I guess there was money go figure but ya he agreed to meet with me this week and so did his friend named J who has a sick cross over and yells (every single time) LBJ when ever he shoots.its hilarious!

 Love you all. You can email me now at joshua.buhler@myldsmail.net.

Elder Buhler

WEEK 12: PIG EARS, TRACTING AND BEING CHASED

NOTE: I ASKED JOSH SOME QUESTIONS IN MY LAST EMAIL TO HIM AND HE ANSWERED THEM. HONESTLY, I WOULD REALLY DO A GOOD EDIT FOR PUNCTUATION AND SPELLING IN HIS EMAIL BUT IT TAKES AWAY SOME OF JOSH'S PERSONALITY AND CHARM....JUST READ IT AND SMILE. 2 YEARS IS A LONG TIME AND SO FAR IT SOUNDS LIKE HE IS REALLY HAPPY. WHEN I READ HIS EMAILS, I THINK OF THE JOSH THAT WOULD COME IN MY ROOM AND PLOP IN THE LAZY BOY CHAIR AND SPILL OUT HIS GUTS BY TELLING ME ABOUT HIS DAY.....

1) Do you have a lot of investigators? Who is your most interesting investigator?

2) Are you really busy teaching?

3) Do you knock on doors and go tracting?

4) What is the strangest thing you have eaten?

5) What's your favorite thing to do as a missionary?

Ni hao everyone!!! This week has been crazy!!! Got some tornadoes hitting by us!!! And some evil spirits haahah but ya lets start with answering your questions

1 not really.... too be honest we don't have a lot of investigators.  probs the 2 french guys or this other person we met.

2 not really once again we are contacting more.

3. ya we go up to the aboriginals huts in the strait up jungle and that's where the magic happens or we just get chased with knife toting drunks ahhaha

4. idk pig ear or thousand year old egg.... or chodofu... hate that ish....

5. basketball proselyting....

so this week has been super crazy like i said... nothing too spiritual... our only investigator.... started smoking drinking and doing tobacco because of a girl.... at the same time it was ridiculous.... i gave the kid some girl advice.. i think it was the same advice troy and miles gave me...  We hitch hike a lot.  like honestly we pull over on the side of the road and and hold out our thumb and bam we get a ride. we spent a whole day helping some guy set up his bow flex and he has a whole arcade .... we go basketball proselyting and baseball proselyting.... and not gonna lie i i make buckets and I'm 2 for 3 on winning and teaching a lesson  but its super fun. we meet some pretty crazy people i got chased by some drunks with knives and that was kinda scary buy hey that's what college football is for right? 

oh ya i read McKay i mean Elder Murphy's email and hahaha it strenghtened my testimony so much.... someone please tell him that ahhaha.... um. i loved dieters talk and president monsons talk reminded me of a lot of the dumb things i have done in my childhood...   i also go baseball proselyting... which is pretty cool  cause the kids actually talk to us when they find out we are decent athletes....  so if anyone wants to send me a red sox hat or a dodgers one... that would be kosher ahahha we got invited to tryout for the high school teams... basketball and baseball... i think we are gonna show up ahhaha... we get fed by some families ahhaah we kinda ran out of money and they won't let me exchange my money cause I'm an immigrant....  so i eat a lot of water and rice or rice and water hahah its bloody dead hot here .... across the street is a Taoism temple... but hey its all good. we ride about 15 miles a day. so ya you could say we are in decent shape ahah... there is an Asian version of Amie here!!! now before you all start making assumptions cause y'all from Utah. chill y'all.  she only looks like a lil but she sealed the deal when she punched me in the arm when i suggested you get baptized. it was pretty funny. anyways a member gave us a Costco pizza and sweet mercy that was one of the best things i have ever had in my life....  i saw like 7 stars last night  the pollution cleared up!!! so ya i feel if Al Gore came to Taiwan he would have a heart attack. The Chinese is really easy... ya no ahahah its so flipping hard ahaha  I have no idea whats going on all the time I just guess and nod my head.  

 We met some way more christian guys than me!! ahha i asked if i could see the guitar and here i am playing fast cars and a team and this guy busts out the christian single i can only imagine. and starts praising Jesus... it was really  crazy ahahah....  but ya we started teaching a young woman whose job is probs not the best because it goes against the law of chastity... but its ok we see her all the time at her corner and try to teach her its great!!!  but ya them Asians here have  a crazy three point shot its ridiculous....

so i would like to do an Asian of the week and that goes to this guy who is not right in the head but he walks around screaming at people and spits on ppl in nice suits and school kids hahaha hes a riot always gives me a high five. he is like the only guy who will talk to me .. everyone here legit thinks i am a native American out of  like the res. like the kids make the Indian sound and everything ahahh 

thought of the week is tracting is a lot like doing 1 on 1s with elder miyasaki. i have gone against him for like 5 years and some times you win some and other times he humiliates you in ways you can't even imagine.  its all good because sometimes the guy will talk to you sometimes they make you feel retarded. 

but ya its cool to here my mom is in better shape than i am and running farther than i could sweet mercy a triathlon? i get winded walking to practice or even getting out of bed. that's cool dad took Jared to a game. glad he got a jersey. hey pops when i get back were gonna go to all the fathers and sons. it will be fun. i hear Jacob is well tearing it up. what else could i say other than... when i come back .... IMO gonna destroy you in soccer... we have a ball and i juggled it a whole 20 times.... also don't cut your hair everyone in Taiwan loves it your a celebrity.  cass they think your gorgeous!! and its cool to hear that volley ball is going well!!! cait!!! i hear you did way good at dance
!!! keep working at it i know you are way better than i ever was!!! and Jared... bro i love you!!! you tell coach jolley that you will see him at tryouts !!! I'm glad you are friends will dallins lil bro because I'm tight with dapper and he is swell. Callie i miss you lots... the dogs are honestly insane they lie out in the middle of the road and they roam in packs .... and are miniature scary ish.... 

troy there is a sister here with diabetes... and she didn't take my jokes to well...

Anyways love you all email me if you will. God bless America!!! 

Week 11: Loving the Missionary Life.

NOTE: AS YOU CAN TELL, JOSH IS ASKING I NOT "CENSOR" HIS BLOG. HAHA. OKAY, SO THIS WEEK I JUST RAN SPELL CHECK. 

Ni hao everyone!! Well this week has been crazy !!! First of all mother.... quit freaking censoring me!!!  I am gonna have one of my friends create a blog for me !!! Taiwan didn't like being censored by China and i don't like being censored by my mother either !!!!! I demand no censorship!!!!

Anyways I got hit by a scooter into a parked bus but its all good because we got an investigator from it. The kids here look like polys its so weird but ya . food here is good. I had a thing called hot ice where its like sugar beans and taro root under a snow cone.

I have had some traditional food here and it is pretty good. its super healthy and i have been losing some weight. I bought a Sweeney Todd strait blade razor so ladies know that i shave like a real man. 

we met our ward leader he is a total hippie from Utah who ran away from the states after the mish and he teaches art and lives the most chill life in the entire world i swear!!!!... but ya its way cool here. I ate some cold noodles which were alright. We're headed up to the mountains to go teach some aboriginals a lesson in basketball.

I  have 2 investigators who I spoke french to this week. 

It rains a lot.... i sweat a lot.... Hoopes is a pretty chill companion but he is always telling me that I am gonna get married.... which is highly improbable since I don't know what commitment is. But ya I miss all of y'all so much. You should send some American fruit snacks so I can give them out to the kids !!!!!!! Also send American food! I miss it!!!!! Mango salsa and chips!!!!  Oh ya today we went golfing with the new members, that was pretty cool. I  need to work on my swing. We are white washing  so that is interesting.

The fruit here is so good.  Um gospel wise.... well church was cool. I met some guy in the Air Force who told me basically give up my dream of  being a fighter pilot. That really was a downer i guess. Um ya, I'm learning Chinese slowly.

Caity, I love you !!! how is dance i met this family with little girls just like you and they think you are beautiful.

Internet is about to cut off see ya in a week @!!! They love Jacob's hair and mom they think you are like 21 and way to pretty to have 5 kids.

Love,

Elder Buhler

SIDE NOTE: I GOT THIS EMAIL FROM ANOTHER MOM ON MISSION MOM WHOSE SON WROTE ABOUT JOSH IN HIS LETTER HOME. IT TIES INTO HIS FRENCH INVESTIGATORS HE MENTIONED ABOVE.

He mentioned Elder Buhler:

"Elder Feigleson is in the same apartment as them too [their zone leaders]. It was really fun to catch up with him. Seeing MTC friends here is great! Speaking of which, the next day, Saturday, we did gravesweeping. Elder Buhler was there and it was awesome catching up with him.

Super cool story. So in the MTC, Elder Buhler started learning French, just cuz he wanted to. Everybody gave him crap for it haha. Turns out the other day they contacted some native French speakers that are investigators now. Turns out he learned the French for a reason. accidents don't happen."\

Here is what I got from  his mission president when he arrived on March 30th

Dear Sister Buhler,

Elder Buhler arrived tired but safe and sound. He will be assigned to ChaoChou in southern Taiwan with Elder Hoopes. 

Warm regards,

President Clark Bishop

Week 10: Lost Luggage, White Washing, and Almost Getting Killed

Ni hao everyone !!! I'm safe up here in good 'ol Taiwan!!! I miss you all! Thank you for everything !!!

The flight was good. I got to sit in between an atheist and a Buddhist and behind a Jewish man. I placed a Book of Mormon with the Buddhist. I talked with the Buddhist for a good 8 hours. It was amazing at how similar everything is!! I think I learned more about life from that guy than anyone!! He was honestly amazing but ya it was a long flight. I watched an Asian man watch Pitch Perfect and he didn't smile even once. Jenn Fred can you believe that?! But ya it was good. Iwas pretty sick but heck that's nothing a little meds can't help. I got lost in Japan for a little but its OK. They lost my luggage but at 11 I got to see my mission president and he is really nice. By the way, I didn\ t watch any movies because I only watch movies with GRIM SHAW!!!!!!!! (who didn't answer his phone).

Sunday was cool. Some homeless guy just wandered in started yelling. Then a member bore his testimony about preparing for war.  It was interesting. I have a Elder Hoopes as my companion and mom I think his dad served with you in Hong Kong!!! But ya he is pretty cool. 

I have almost died like twice because of Asian drivers. They just pull of these amazing feats its crazy. Its hot here and Ive been to like the poorest places and when I say poor I mean like poor and ya... its sad but I have met some cool Asians here like Bro Clark. and an Asian rapper. Food here is so good!!! I got 20 pot stickers for 2 bucks and the drinks are good. We just took a train down here and we had no room but it was good. I just go my bike and they told me to ride so I did. I'm apparently white washing whatever that means....  but ya I like this a lot, its cool . My favorite drink is super supau.

The Asian of the week is the homeless guy who came to sacrament.

Person of the week is the Buddhist monk.

I am so glad to hear about everyone doing so well. I miss you all so much feel free to email. There is like a  ton of people who live in a small spaces and it is hot as heck but ya apparently one of the phrases here is what the heck but it is used super casual ... But ya my companion is tight, super chill but hard worker he is a zone leader. But now our zone leader is young from school, Ming's older bro!!! I saw elder Ryan Allen!!! (NOTE: I THINK HE MEANS RYAN NOLL) Anyways I'm super tired and we have to go decorate. I hope everyone is doing well. love you all!! i love getting stuff from you guys!
Love, 
Elder Buhler