Lil' Sebastian Rides Again

My trainee, my trainer and his trainee, and me

Hello everyone!

This week was really good, we saw a ton of miracles like usual and we're getting excited for Christmas! The lights in the 711s are twinkling, the presents are under the little fern we bought as a Christmas tree, and I actually felt cold this week so I'm definitely feeling the Christmas Spirit.

We were asked to participate in the north Taipei stake concert with the other Taipei missionaries because I was playing the cello, and they had a nativity with Mary carried in on an actual miniature horse that looked like Lil' Sebastian from parks and rec. So that was pretty sick. 

Yesterday during church I was able to play O Come O Come Emmanuel with a young man in my ward accompanying me, and it was really nice to be able to play for people again. I'm so grateful the mission has had an extra cello to let me keep here in BaDe! It's been like I never left almost, it all came back super fast #blessings.

We're getting pretty excited because our sensei Xin bei bei is finally getting to the temple after being baptized a couple months ago. Someone had told us it had all been taken care of and someone had taken him already and stuff, but then we found out he hasn't been, so we reviewed the importance of it and got the ball rolling for him to go do baptisms for the dead for real. He was very happy to hear he can help his deceased ancestors receive the blessings of the gospel.

Yesterday, we met with this guy we had contacted the day of our Halloween party who has been taking care of his mom in the hospital for the past month.  He finally had time [to meet with us.] We got there and realized he and his family are PIG FARMERS! They have stalls filled with pigs in different stages of their development, all in these ancient little huts filled with spiderwebs.  It's kinda freaky but it was pretty cool.

They also raise geese, chickens and ducks, and various crops. We had a really in depth discussion about his questions on religion and the plan of salvation and it was just solid, intelligent, and also spirit-filled, and it seemed to kinda click for him. He's still looking at all religions and stuff and not ready to choose any one yet, but he's enjoying the Book of Mormon (he's in the book of Jacob) and he was very willing to pray about it. When we walked out we asked him if his brother and his family would be willing to listen next time, and he said the rest of them haven't really put the thought or attention into religion that he has been doing recently, so they probably need more time. When we went home we were looking in our Area Book Planner app at his dot on the map and saw there is a member that lives really close to him. Then we realized that the member has the same surname and first character in their given name, which is what happens with siblings, so there is a chance his brother might somehow be a member who was baptized a long time ago.  But I feel like one of them would have said something when we met them, so stay tuned. Exciting stuff!

I know the Lord guides His missionaries, and that He will guide anyone who is willing to seek guidance and take action to help those around them that need light in their lives! So go light the world! I would love to hear what everyone is doing to light the world so I can share ideas with our friends here, so anyone who's willing to send me an email and share those things with me I would appreciate that a lot! I love you all!

Elder Joshua Ogden
Missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints
武忠樂長老
耶穌基督後期聖徒教會的傳教

St. Nikolaus tradition!

A place for growing passionfruit

Daxi

How plantains grow (and bananas for that matter.)