Another Week in Paradise

"Eating cake with chopsticks 'cause I'm THAT guy (and also Taiwanese people just use chopsticks for about everything.)"

大家好!(da4jia1hao3-hello big family)
This week was great! I went on exchanges with the zone leaders which was super awesome! I went to 台東-táidōng (Taidong) with Elder Van de Graaf and I learned a ton from him. He's an amazing missionary. I've really kinda been struggling having the faith that the Lord will use ME, that I can be one to testify with power and authority and have the Spirit come through ME to touch the hearts of people, and that I can really make a difference. Elder Van de Graaf told me of some very cool experiences that helped him dispel similar doubts in his own mind.

The night I was with him we were out knocking and came across this old 阿媽-āmà (older woman) who talked to us for quite a while. She seemed to have been having health problems recently, and even though her son was there she felt pretty lonely and useless. We seemed to brighten her night by talking to her and we testified to her that our Heavenly Father loves her and still has a will for her to do here, lives to bless. Then we asked if we could say a prayer with her and after she was super peaceful and happy and thanked us a lot. Elder Van de Graaf was able to set up a time for the sister missionaries to come visit her and teach her more and we left to get home on time. That was a really special experience and even though she said several times to me, "Your Chinese is not as good as his. Do you understand? Not as good" and I was like "Oh, I understand, don't worry ", it was great and I think one of the jobs Heavenly Father still has for her was to be able to give me that experience of helping her, it really built my faith and charity for the people here!

In Taidong

The next day we taught a lesson to a family that has been meeting with investigators for a long time and the husband had finally prayed and received an answer that he needs to be baptized. They feed us about a HUNDRED dumplings after I had already eaten breakfast and Elder Van de Graaf and I ended up having to eat almost 40 a-piece to finish them all and be polite.  So, that was an adventure although thankfully, it didn't ruin dumplings for me haha. It was funny too, because I kept taking sips of water and the husband would be like "No no no drink the SOUP it's much healthier!" It was pretty funny and the soup was good, but it did not help me cleanse my palette to not get completely overloaded with dumpling in my mouth, so it was pretty intense . 

After second breakfast we taught them about commandments and ended up reviewing one of the big ones that they had forgotten. The husband had some concerns that we were able to address much better than I ever thought I could do on my own (which I know I didn't so it works out), and in the end we basically told him that if he trusted Heavenly Father and used faith to keep the commandment, the blessings would outweigh the concern, but that our testimonies were not good enough, HE needs to ask God and act and get a testimony for himself. He decided to do it right then and there, and he basically told God he would never break this commandment again, and at the end he just looked at peace with his decision and determined to keep his promise, the Spirit was so strong and it was way cool. That really strengthened my faith that I can be an instrument in the Lord's hands too!

Later in the week we had a zone conference with President Jergensen, which was amazing. I have never seen the kind of loving correction he exemplified in talking about repentance and things we can do better as a mission, and instead of getting guilty and downtrodden as I realized things I need to change and repent of, I just had the desire to change them and be better. I've really seen so many great examples of leadership in my mission, most of all as I've studied the teachings of the Savior in greater detail. 

We talked about a lot of things in that zone conference, but probably the biggest thing I got out if it was the importance and JOY of centering all of our planning around the individuals we're serving and teaching, really seeking revelation on how to help them come to know their Savior and receive their own testimonies! We've already seen improvement in or relationships with our relationships with our investigators as we've applied what we've learned.

This week our "gezi's got fang'd" (or we got stood up), by literally everyone we set up on the street, even the people who seemed eager to learn more, and no one came to church again this week, which was definitely a trial of faith.  But I'm mostly eager to see what we can improve on this week to help people keep those commitments. The Lord is definitely chastening me a bit, but I've learned I just have to be patient and keep doing all I can, and His will will be accomplished.

With Elder Nielsen

Cool things this week: I learned bopomofa, or the phonetic system they use to type here, mostly because I think it's cool but it's also a little faster than using pinyin once you get really good at it (not there yet obviously, but one day haha). 

Spiritual thought this week: I was reading in Jacob this week and this passage from chapter 4 really helped me push thoughts of inadequacy out of my mind: 
verse 6:  "Wherefore, we search the prophets, and we have many revelations and the spirit of prophecy; and having all these witnesses we obtain a hope, and our faith becometh unshaken, insomuch that we truly can command in the name of Jesus and the very trees obey us, or the mountains, or the waves of the sea."
verse 7: "Nevertheless, the Lord God showeth us our weakness that we may know that it is by his grace, and his great condescensions unto the children of men, that we have power to do these things."
It's really cool because it lays out the process of developing faith. 

First, we go to the source to learn the truth, we seek answers and personal revelation through prayer and scripture study, then we gain hope, which leads to belief, which leads to unshaken faith as we act and through that action we can do things we never thought were possible. Sometimes the Lord does chasten us, but because He loves us, and if we have that faith and do that action and persevere, He will not let us fall!
I know this church is true! This world is a pretty dark place right now, and it makes me so sad when instead of coming to the source of all light, the "sun" of God, they still seek fulfillment and light in the darkness where there is none! I invite you all to come a little closer to the light this week through service to others and rating the Book of Mormon, and I know as you do all of the concerns and hatred the world is creating will be swallowed up and you in the light of Christ's love, and you will see them for what they truly are!

I love you all! 祝你們安心平安！(I wish you all content hearts and peaceful lives)

The weekly food pics...lol.