Week 3

New Room Configuration

Nimen hao!

Wow this week has yet again been exciting, spiritual, hard, and wonderful! Elder Christofferson gave an awesome devotional on Tuesday about the coming forth of the Book of Mormon and how when it started out we were lucky to be able to print a couple hundred for an edition, and now there's tens of millions in circulation (I can't remember the exact number he said). That was a big theme this week between him and our teachers and the branch presidency and Sister Dalton and her husband last night. We have heard over and over again about the power of the Book of Mormon in conversion, and honestly I can see why. As I've dug into it as a missionary I have been able to feel the spirit testify to me of the truthfulness of this work so strong, and really as missionaries our only job is to help those who are willing to listen understand what they learn in the book and what they feel as they read it. 

This really his God's work, and not man's.  No other force on earth could: 

1. Get a bunch of 18-20 year olds to leave their homes for two years to teach about a book

2. Allow those teenagers to change hearts and minds and convert people to the gospel, and 

3. Make such a positive impact on people's lives

Unless that was the very force of God, that the Book of Mormon, with all its linguistic and historical complexity, was in reality translated by a prophet of God, who was called of God even as a farm boy with a third grade education, and that these missionaries, practically children, were called of God and assisted by His hand to find people who are ready to have this wonderful knowledge in their lives. I know it, and I can not deny it, because the spirit has testified it to me and opened my eyes to the truthfulness of this work. It brings me so much joy, and I can't wait to share it with the people of Taiwan!

The language is coming along well I'm seeing more and more progress in myself and my district, which can only be attributed to our father in heaven because without Him we have no clue what we're doing haha.

I got to play A Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief on the cello for devotional last night and that was a really cool experience (even though I forgot to tighten my bow at first...)

We saw a talk by Elder Holland called "Open Your Mouth" which was, unsurprisingly, incredible. He gave examples from the scriptures from Enoch down to Joseph Smith of people who, even though they felt inadequate and probably were, were called of God regardless and did great things with His help. He talked about how words were their best and only "weapon" (referencing the "Armor of God") and are our only weapon today, and how God organized the universe with his Word and how, if we as missionaries (and member missionaries) live worthy of it, and open our mouths, we will be "given utterance" as Paul says.

Elder Raymond is our new district leader, and yesterday elders Pilling and Andersen were called to be online coordinators as well. It's pretty funny though, because we're the only mandarin district without iPads and they have to teach the incoming districts how to appropriately use their iPads 

We rearranged our room, and now the head of my bed is right in the window so I can fall asleep looking at the temple spire and the mountains in the distance, so that's pretty sweet.

Well, that's about all I can think of, so I'll talk to you guys next week! Love you all!

Elder Ogden

View from our classroom

Frost melting in the shape of the building's shadow

Josh thought one of the elders in the two pictures below looked like it might be Mark when he was on his mission.  It's not Mark, but...who knows?  Maybe one day he will run into a picture with his dad in it. :)

These two pictures are the view from Josh's "new bachelor pad--the top bunk."

Not a bad view at all, if you ask me. :)

And just because it was so wonderful to find this gem in the shared Google photo drive that his district has...

It was great to hear his voice, even if he was being impatient with the musical abilities of his roommates.  Lol.  That's our Elder Ogden, for ya.  Some things never change...:)