Taylor's in Temecula with a Tahitian

I am in Temecula CA in the Redhawk and Morgan Hill Wards! My companion is a Tahitian who had to come and learn English because his primary language is the language of love... French. His name is Elder Tetuanui and he is 6'4 and very brown. He never stops smiling and I absolutely love him. We live outside our mission area so we have to commute to the area everyday. Therefore, we have a full time car and don't die in the sweltering 103 degree weather! The apartment is actually a lot nicer than I had expected and I am very happy living there. I remember complaining at home that my room was too hot at 73 degrees and now I am super happy if my room is 77 or 80.

The people here are awesome! The members try so hard to help push along the missionary work in the area. Because of them we have a very large teaching pool and I have baptism's already set up and I've only been here a week. The first few nights here I actually wasn't fed cause there was a glitch in the dinner scheduling but I knew how to get along and we were given some food by a non-member family who we helped move. They were going to Thailand and had no need for it so it fed us. This happens a lot and the lord really does watch out for his missionaries. The meals I have had with members have been SUPERB! I don't know why. Just really really good culinary people in So. Cal I guess. The members really just make this area the jewel that it is. They invite their friends to take lessons and to come to church. They teach with us and help to back us up in what we preach and testify and it is powerful. Who were the bishops that sister Jones wanted me too look for again? 

I've had a few experiences of course that I would love to tell you guys about. I have entered this mission field with confidence and most people I meet are surprised when they find out. The first experience I would like to share is probably the coolest experience as of yet. Elder Tetuanui and I were having a hard time and it was my second full day in the field. I was frustrated because he had a number of people cancel appointments on us including dinner. Well Elder Tetuanui said that he wanted to visit one more house, the house of Phil and Lilly, before we went to find dinner for ourselves. We knocked on the house door and this older man answered the door and just had this look of surprise and shock as he beckoned us quickly to come in with the exclamation "Oh! It's you! Good!" We were not expecting this because Phil had in the past told the missionaries that he didn't want the lessons anymore and was not going to accept the gospel. Well we went in and he sat down and explained that he had truely been expecting us and that he was contemplating recently about going to church and praying to heavenly father for help. Phil had been living with his girlfriend Lilly for years and she had recently had a hard time with Colon Cancer. Because they were not married her sister came and took her somewhere else she could better be taken care off and no one let Phil know where that was. He is now heart broken and has decided perhaps the church is somewhere he can go to feel better and make new friends. We didn't have to say a thing to convince him of this. We simply just had to be in the right place at the right time and the Lord had prepared Phil to come to church and seek him out again. We hope that he will continue to do so and will be checking up on him frequently of course. 

My address will from now on be 

Elder Taylor Gemperline
451 W Bobier Dr. 
Vista CA 92083

It will never change so please feel free to write! I love you all!

One more week

Hello everyone! I am in my last week here at the MTC and am going a little crazy. Nothing new at the MTC though so don't worry. We'll finish our lessons and role plays by Saturday and I have "In-field Orientation" scheduled for the entire day tomorrow. I guess it is just a class where they tell us about what the field will be like. It shouldn't be TOO bad right? I'll be flying to the San Diego airport on Tuesday very early in the morning. I am super excited to get out of the MTC but Extra super excited about finally being out in the field. I honestly feel like the most prepared person of the people I know going with me to Carlsbad California. I am however finally beginning to get nervous. Well Ciao! Stay safe. Love from Elder Gemperline.

One Week at the MTC

Hey everyone! 

I'm in the MTC and have been here for a week and 1 day now. I am with an exceptional group of Elders in District 37A. We managed to get into the most recently renovated building so that is pretty lucky, but for some reason... they really don't like to stock the paper towels. I have a companion Elder Chapman from Pleasant Grove. He is a really good kid who can tune into the spirit better than most young men I've meet. He is also going to the California Carlsbad Mission. We all have great teachers: Brother Roberts and Brother Sikahema who have very different ways of teaching but who are both extremely effective in preparing us for the field. We do many many role-play situations as you would expect in the MTC and it is always fun to go in, think you're doing good, then they ask the perfect question to just snag you and stop you in your tracks. All this is part of the good ol' learning process though. 

I am really getting sick of the food here. I desperately need to get a salad at every meal to take the guilt of eating so badly off my shoulders. I do love the gym time though. It's like the best part of the day. It is kinda fun to get up every morning and put on that name badge and a tie. Makes you feel so professional and refined. I'm having a hard time not using sarcasm as they have asked us to stop using. It's just so easy to break old habits leeeetttt me tell ya. CRAP I just used sarcasm again.

We got to see a devotional/ fireside presented by Elder Kipishcke. (I can't remember how exactly to say it) who graciously let me use one of his general conference seats back in the spring. His wife can barely speak English and she was SO funny. SO SO SO funny. Her son was in the MTC at the time and was sitting on the front row right below her which made it even more funny because he was so embarrassed. She at one point got so excited that she almost pulled the entire stand off the front pullpit. Elder Kispishcke himself talked about repentance and how it is the least known thing in all the mission world. It needs to be taught more than it is and it is by crying repentance more than anything unto the people that missionary work best progresses. 

Well I only have 2 more weeks here and it is off to Carlsgood!!! ... I mean Carlsbad!!! It will be renamed Carlsgood when we are done with it :D. I thank you all for your prayers to the missionaries. Peace all good people!