Polynesian Cultural Night at the Family History Center in St. George

Saturday Night, May 17, 2014 we attended a great Pacific Island Cultural Night. About 1,000 friends, neighbors, and visitors came to enjoy the evening. All were invited to have their picture taken against the tropical greenery. They then "traveled" from island to island to learn of the cultures of each.
The evening was topped off by the delicious taste of perfect Kahlua pork and rice while being delightfully entertained by musicians, singers, and dancers representing many of the Pacific Islands.

Pictures are posted on http://www.genealogynow.org/blog/see-pictures-from-our-pacific-islands-culture-night

Elwin and Shirley Davis entering the Cultural Night greeted by the islanders

The Jensen's (the Davis Home-teaching family) entering the Cultural Night greeted by the islanders

All the pictures are posted on their webside

Step 1:  Volunteer introduces the LDS Church Family History Program on line.

Dr. Leigh and Arden Leigh and the Davis'

Scanner where you drop the pictures into the slot

Copy your old slides into digital format

Reference shelves w/some Island desplays

Visit the Island

Island artifacts

Greeted by a beautiful islander

Children's play area/w a workroom outside where parents can see in to check on the kids while they work

Visit the Island

The Green Story Room - Record stories of the good ole time with background from that period

Entertainment by the islanders

Entertainment by the island warriors

Entertainment by the islanders

Leave your comments booth

Happy New Year 2014!

  The year started out with a special invitation from our friends, Tina Tsao, Cai Zi-Xuan, Celine, Albert, Susan and BaiSheng Zeng and Rita to go on a day trip in the mountains.

  Our first stop was at Xu JieMei’s house in the middle of Lion’s Head Mountain.  We got there and the girls piled out of car with sacks of groceries and started cooking.  It was unbelievable.  These girls called themselves the “Heaven-sent cooking angels” or 美食天堂天使。  They have 5 or 6 sets of uniforms and they divide the tasks and conquer.  Never saw a dinner getting cooked so fast, and the kitchen getting cleaned up so quickly too.  It was very amazing and the food was delicious.

Looking out from the Xu's house on Lion Head Mountain

At BaoShan, at 1300 meters high

Poinsettia trees line the mountain roads

Coffin beans growing in the mountains

Tea Tree terrace at BaoShan

  The lunch was delicious.  We have told Tina and ZiXuan the night before when they came by, that Elwin loves mapou toufu and beef soup.  So, those were the 2 dishes made, plus a giant pot of soup that Sis Xu made ahead.  As you can see from the picture above, we had a lot to eat.  It's fun to be with our Taiwan friends, they are always eating, my favorite thing too.  :-)

  Of course, we wouldn't be coming home hungry.  So, on the way home, we stopped in Mei Nong and had Hakka food.  Again, it was delicious.  Elwin tried to sneak out to pay the bill, but the cashier was directed not to take Elwin's money, because we are missionaries, and it is a pleasure for them to treat the missionaries.  What wonderful people they are!

  We would like to share a story here:

“The Best New Year’s Resolution I Ever Made,” Ensign, Jan 1979, 56
(Name withheld upon request) 

The idea came to me one afternoon in late December. I had just completed a six-week challenge suggested by a magazine article on doing good deeds daily. Some of the author’s activities had included writing letters, calling people he had intended to telephone for a long time, taking someone a pie, a plant, or a small remembrance, praying for others, and sharing the joy of living. It was such a joyful experience that he challenged his readers to emulate his experience. 

At the end of my six weeks I was absolutely ecstatic about all the good things that had happened. Then it hit me—why not make it a year-long adventure and commit myself to doing something good for someone every day? It intrigued me to think that at the end of the year I could have touched the lives of 365 people. And I could keep track of my successes or failures in my personal journal. 

As the year began I could hardly wait for each new day. It seemed so easy to think of good things to do. For example, I could catch up on my correspondence and lend a helping hand to neighbors with small children. 

I was doing well through February until one night, after a particularly exhausting day, I suddenly realized that I had not done one good deed. I couldn’t bring myself to record a failure, so I crawled out of bed and wrote a letter to a long-forgotten friend.
Not all of my good deeds were preplanned; some just happened. I recorded in my journal the following example: 

“We had an early dinner and looked forward to an evening together with not one meeting scheduled. We decided to relax and watch a favorite television show. I had just popped some corn when the doorbell rang. I groaned, ‘Now who could that be?’ and opened the door to see three of my Mutual girls grinning at me. 

“My heart sank as they scattered their bodies in the entrance way, but I hid my feelings as they began to talk. After two hours of just listening I was really a part of their lives. At that exact moment, they had needed someone to listen to them. Although I had missed my television show, I thanked my Father in Heaven for the opportunity he had sent that night to touch the lives of three young girls. 

I was able to touch other lives, too, through my Church callings. I had never before realized how tuned out I had been to the needs of those around me. I began to see those who were lonely, those who needed an arm around their shoulder, and those who needed something to spark a dull day. 

April and May found me making little spring treats to take to “new” friends. My activities were developing a new dimension: not only was I touching those around me, but now I was reaching out to people I never knew before. I still felt the excitement of my resolution, but added to it now was a deeper, spiritual feeling that made me feel much closer to my Father in Heaven. 

I came closer to my children, too, with another unplanned good deed.
School had let out for the summer. My seven-year-old son reminded me, “Hey, mom, you promised to take us all hiking.” 

“Oh dear,” I muttered, “why do I make such outlandish promises in weak moments?” But I hadn’t done my good deed, and here was a chance. 

We all climbed into the car and headed for the hills. I gave them some basic instructions for hiking in that area, and then we set forth. The sun was shining, the lizards were running and I was hoping that we wouldn’t be joined by a rattlesnake. My five-year-old stumbled over rocks and fell into crevices and kept thanking me for taking him hiking. My six-year-old daughter grabbed my hand and said, “This sure is fun just being in the dirt with you.” I felt so full that I could only respond by squeezing her hand. 

When we returned home, my children’s wide smiles thanked me again for the time I had taken to be with them. “That was a lot of fun,” I thought, “and I was able to touch four lives very special to me.”
As the summer days lengthened, I wanted my family to experience some of the joy I was finding in my “journey of love.” We set aside Thursday for making treats or doing something nice for others. The children did the baking and delivering with me at their side, and they delighted in the joy that they brought others. 

By September and October my resolution had become a daily habit. Oh, I was still human. Sometimes my heart was not fully in tune when I started out to visit someone ill or down, but I always came away with a strengthened testimony of doing good. 

For example, on the first day of school my youngest child and I stood on the doorstep waving good-bye to my other children as they left for classes. I had intended to do some long-delayed house cleaning, but I also had a strong urge to visit a new acquaintance, a bedridden twelve-year-old girl. When we arrived at her home and walked into her bedroom, I noticed big, black circles around her eyes and sadness in her face. “Hi,” I greeted. “Thought we’d come and see our favorite person.” 

Her face lit up a little. “Now tell me,” I said, “what’s the best thing that’s happened to you since we were last here?” She looked at me with her tired eyes, smiled faintly, and said, “The only good thing is having you come again.” 

Tears filled my eyes, and I hugged her tightly. So that she wouldn’t see the tears, I talked of a youth fireside the previous Sunday at which President Kimball was the special guest.
As my little son and I left her home, I took hold of his hand. “Oh, Danny—” But that was all I could say as the tears streamed down my cheeks. Once again, I was coming away from a visit with much more than I had taken. 

As the year has progressed, I have come to realize that charity is not always convenient, and that it sometimes takes much thought and planning. At first, I was proud of all the “good” I was doing, but as the year comes to an end, I am humbled to realize how selfish I have been all my life. As I left the home of the bedridden, or listened to frustrated teenagers, or climbed the hills with my children, I often thought of all the lives I could have touched in previous years if only I had taken the time. My one consolation is knowing that I can make a similar journey in this coming year, and in all the years ahead.

We wish you a very blessed, productive 2014!

Family History Training

12/08/2013

Visited YongKang I and II wards: Together we gave 4 talks, and 2 hour-long Family Tree workshops. It was a fun day for the 7 of us. 拜訪永康一支和二支－我們7個人做4個演講，兩個家譜樹的訓練。謝謝大家。The Zeng Family had all of us over to their house for a delicious lunch after the workshops.







Chen Mei-Li, Bro/Sis Guo, Sis Davis, Ling Winters, Elder Davis and Bro Liu @YongKang Ward


11/24/2013

高雄家譜中心今天拜訪大寮支會. 區域家譜顧問陳賢進會長演講超棒。真是一個特別的學習機會。The Gaoxiong Family History staff visited DaLiao Ward today. The District FH President Chen XianJin gave a wonderful talk and we did an hour of training during RS/Priesthood time. What a great learning opportunity that was.

A sneak preview of the National History Museum in Taiwan.
預覽臺南的國立臺灣歷史博物館 － 超棒！有人知道這位先生是誰喔？

11/22/2013

Thanksgiving Day Celebration at the SanMin Ward, East Gaoxiong Stake

11/17/2013

Had a great visit to Tainan 3rd and 4th wards! We spoke on "hastening the work of family history". We stayed with Bishop and Sister Wang on Saturday night. What a choice family. We feel so blessed to be with the saints of Taiwan.
很感謝有機會去臺南三支和四支參加聖餐聚會。我們鼓勵大家做族譜。我們感謝王主教和王姐妹的招待。

November 3, 2013 - Gaoxiong Family History Center Staff:
Even if it meant to go all the way to the PengHu Islands.  It was a daring adventure to say the least.  Elder Davis and I have a speaking engagement at the JiaYi District Family History Training the night of November 2.  The 2 Chen sisters decided that if we wanted to go visit PengHu Branch, it was now or never because of the weather condition.

We prayed and felt impressed that we could make it work.  The 2 Chen sisters would go ahead and go to PengHu on Saturday, November 1.  Sister LiXue Chen is from PengHu and wanted to go visit a couple of her relatives.  Elder Davis and I would go ahead and visit JiaYi District and do the training.  In fact, we arrived in JiaYi early in the afternoon and did one-on-one training with anyone who might be interested or had problems with Family Tree operations.  It was a good decision as the director of JiaYi District Family History Office was brand new and could use some help.

We finished the training at 9 PM and Brother Chen Xian-Jin ordered a taxi to come to pick us up right at 9 PM to take us to the GaoTie Train Station.  He gave the taxi driver NT$400 to drive (fly) us to the train station to catch the 9:20 PM high speed train.  It was a tense trip as the elated taxi driver ran every red light to get us there.  You see, JiaYi GaoTie Station is way out of the city.  We could barely take a breath before the train took off.  We were home by 10 PM and were able to get up to catch the 8 AM flight the next morning from Gaoxiong airport to PengHu/MaGong Islands.

Sister Xie, wife of Branch president Xie, came to the airport to pick us up.  We were in our seats singing opening song at 9:05 AM.  It was miraculous.  The Spirit was so strong and members were so genuinely happy to see us.  Our training went from a planned 45-minute workshop to a 3-hour event, on a Fast Sunday.  It was one very special day at the PengHu Branch for all of us.



10/27/2013

謝謝屏東黃主教和弟兄姐妹們歡迎我們來。戴長老和戴姐妹在聖餐聚會演講“歸信主”。兩位陳姐妹，劉弟兄和我們也教大家在網路上做家譜歷史和加入照片的方式。這個工作使我們更接近我們的親人。瑪 拉 基 書 Malachi 4：6 “他 必 使 父 親 的 心 轉 向 兒 女 、 兒 女 的 心 轉 向 父 親 、 免 得 我 來 咒 詛 遍 地 。”

We had the opportunity to visit PingDong Ward today. We spoke on "Conversion unto the Lord", then Sister Chen taught about family history writing, and we all did a workshop on how to upload pictures and family history stories. It was a great Sabbath Day. Malachi 4:6 And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.


7/29/2013

Visiting DongGang Ward in the West Gaoxiong Stake. President Chen Xian-Jin was the speaker that day. He's the director of Southern Taiwan Family History Department. He talked of the Buddhist beliefs of worshipping their ancestors with various fruits, burnt incense sticks, paper money, etc. He told us the Lord only requires us to come to Him with "broken heart and contrite spirit". It was so wonderful to hear how many our Buddhist converts need to do to come to Christ and to search for our ancestors.




A few words about the Gaoxiong Family History Center turning into a Learning Center

7/24/2013">動力火車！啟動了！As posted by Brother Liu and facebook.

9個月的時間，家譜中心五人團隊(五人加起來300歲) ，拜訪過29個分支會 (從斗六 到 恆春 ) 我們講好七月份天太熱要休息一下，每人回到自己的支會，但我們的火車頭(戴姐妹) 可能是受到 先知 以來加 的靈的指示，啟動了強力的動力火車！家譜事工會更多元化，團隊會更壯大……

在圓山的家譜顧問培訓活動中，38人參加，我們只有幾天的規化，這一切都是 先知 以來加 的靈的指示，期盼 火車頭(戴姐妹) 在鳴響了啟動聲後，讓我們坐上了動力火車！努力的在事工上，衝！衝！衝！

（Translation of the above posting by Brother Liu Lan-Sheng, written about the Davis')

During the 9 months time since the Davis' came on their mission, we, the director of Gaoxiong Family History Center, the two assistants, Sister Chen Li-Xue and Sister Chen Mei-Li, and the Davis', have visited 29 wards and branches, from Dou-Liu to Heng-Chun. We took a break in July because of the hot weather and stayed at our own wards. But Sister Davis was inspired by the Spirit of Elijah and we kept the momentum going by starting to hold Family History Training once a month, on the last Wednesday of each month. We have had 30-45 people attending each month.

July Family History Training Meeting

December 2013 Family History Field Trip:

Who would have thought of taking 40 family history buffs to a field trip in Southern Taiwan?  The 5 of us Family History Center staff did.  We set our minds on something good and within a month time, we had it all organized, with places to visit, fundings to pay for the trip, and mostly difficult of all, selected/invited 40 members to go on this special trip.  We even had a member's brother who donated a banner for us.

All along, we knew the Spirit was with us.  The idea was born in November and with the enthusiasm of the 5 of us, we moved road blocks, or mountains.  It was truly amazing.  I could hardly believe every piece of the puzzle was put together.  It was one of the best field trips.  Best of all, my own sister, Ling Winters, from Spokane, Washington, was able to join us for the trip.  After all, Shi Lang is our ancestor and we wanted everyone to see for him/herself how genealogy/family history can be preserved.









It has been a wonderful ride!

Christmas celebrations!

     There are Christmas decorations everywhere; at the malls, on the streets, in the apartment complexes, restaurants, ... yet the Christmas spirit is not quite there.  Contrast to that, my sister Alice and I were at Washington D.C., one week before Christmas a few years ago.  There were no Christmas decorations anywhere.  Well, except for the Korean restaurant where we had lunch, there were Christmas decorations, with Christmas music playing softly in the background.  I remember the feeling of Christmas spirit there.  What is the Spirit of Christmas?  It is the Spirit of God working on us.  It is the Spirit that whispers to us when we are still and listening.  It's the good feeling that we feel many times when we are on our mission.  We are grateful for the wonderful people of Taiwan who made our stay here so memorable.

     Christmas Eve:  We were invited by the Lin family to have dinner with them.  The missionaries shared Christmas stories.  Then we went out caroling to the Lin's neighbors.  We were able to explain to the neighbors about family history and family search.  It was fun evening.

Needless to say, we had a good time.

December 13 - 15:  Temple weekend

     This is our favorite time of the year.  East and Gaoxiong Stakes had the temple day on Dec. 14.  We usually go a day earlier to work at the temple serving the English speaking members.  This was especially special because my sister Ling is with us and also we invited the senior missionaries from TaiZhong Mission to come to enjoy the festive activities at Church in Taipei.  The most amazing thing was that the Family History Department Head, Elder Allen Packer came for a visit.  Elwin and I were able to suggest that a fireside for the Gaoxiong members be held in Taipei after the temple sessions since the members were already there.  We were so happy that it worked out.  Elder and Sister Packer, and Elder Rockwood were the speakers.  They brought messages of love and concern and also the roll out of the focus of Family History.  

    We stayed for the evening Nativity Pageants on Saturday night.  It is usually held outdoors, but because of the rain, it was moved to the cultural hall for the 7 PM showing.  The English Speaking Ward did a fantastic job.  We then stayed for the missionaries choir afterwards.  We stayed at the Citizen's Hotel (星辰大飯店) on JinShan South Road.  It was a fine hotel.  

Dec. 19:  TaiZhong Mission Christmas Activity

    We took a tour bus at 6 AM with all the Gaoxiong District missionaries and headed for SunMoon Lake.  The main activity was a group picture and the big feast at the TaiZhong Buffet Steak House.  I loaded up on seafood while others went for the steaks.  Elwin had Mongolian BBQ.  It was fun to be with the other senior missionaries too.  We got back at 9:30 PM (me with an aching body).  

     Thanks to all the people who made the activity possible.  We had a good day!

Dec. 22:  East Gaoxiong Stake Christmas Party

     Not only did we have tons of food, we also had a talent show by the children and youth.  Also invited was the local elementary school orchestra with 3rd, 4th and 5th graders.  It was very special.

The missionaries had a service project at the local Red Cross on Dec. 22.  It was a wonderful opportunity for us to do some outreach.