May 16, 2011

Well, I have a lot to say in this e-mail. I'll try to type fast.

This week has been amazing.

First, my trainee. To quote from Lambert, just look at him. "Isn't he ...huUGE?" Hahaha. Sometimes I just look at him and think he's so big. In the next few coming days, we're going to start an exercise/ weight loss goals and plans thingy. There's a couple missionaries in our mission that have lost almost 100 pounds.

Elder Harper is a wonderful guy. He loves singing, and he loves doing missionary work. He's a little scared to do it sometimes, and still could be a lot more confident in contacting and teaching, but he'll get there. I'm excited to set and hit a bunch of goals with him. Sometimes I might have to take some of my own goals, and place them to the side, and help him. But that's okay. That's a part of training. As long as we baptize, I'll be fine with that.

I haven't baptized in a long time. We have a Huang2 Yan4 Bo2 investigator. He's great. He still drinks and smokes though. But we are praying with faith and doing all we can to help him hit his goal for the end of May. It's seems like I've contacted so many prepared souls lately. It must just be another miracle of being a trainer. I am really grateful for this opportunity.

Anyways, the other day after visiting a less active, I rode past a guy wearing glasses in a car, and had a thought to contact him. It wasn't a big thought, and there were lots of other people around. But luckily I followed the thought and turned around immediately. He was just about to drive away, but I waved and yelled and stopped him and contacted him. He invited us in to his house right then, and seemed really interested in the message. The next day we came back, and ran into the wife. It was such a miracle. She told me that she had been Buddhist for many years, but just recently had began to wonder about God, and family members, and different things. She decided she wanted to investigate some christian churches, but didn't know where to go, so she prayed. She didn't know how to pray, or even exactly who she was praying to, but she prayed. and the very next day her husband told her that two American missionaries had come to teach them the gospel, and she was really surprised. They said they were going to come to church, but didn't, that was a little disappointing. But I still believe that this family is golden, and will be baptized. Their last name is Xie4 like thank you (xie4 xie4) And it's actually the same character. So I would really appreciate it if everybody could pray for the Xie family. I haven't been privileged to baptize a family yet on my mission, and I really hope that this one can pull through.

Now, I also would really like to share a quick experience that is really important to me. Because I'm in the city, and near the train station as well, we'll often run into people that aren't Taiwanese. It's kind of fun to talk to them sometimes. mostly they are Canadian, English, Australian, or American. Before now I've never had an investigator that was not Taiwanese. I'm so glad I'm on my mission in Taiwan. usually foreigners are really hard hearted and want to prove our message wrong. We've met with an Irishman William O'Leary for a couple times, until a couple days ago I said. "William, the next time we'll meet with you is when you have interest in reading and praying about the book of Mormon and joining the Mormon church." He said we'd never meet again. We have another one named Mike who is better. He isn't hard- hearted.

But, the other day, on the road we contacted one guy named Justin. He told me the Book of Mormon was a book of lies, and that science proved religion wrong and a bunch of other dumb things like that. We said goodbye, and he left. Then I had the thought come to my head that I hadn't bore my testimony to him, and I needed to. I couldn't shake the feeling, so I chased him down, crossed the street went into the shop where he was and looked him in the eye and said "I know the Book of Mormon is True. I know it by the power of the Holy Ghost. I know the Book is True." then left. I felt the spirit. But I started thinking a lot about my testimony and how I gained it. I realized that I had never fasted and prayed to know the truth of the Book of Mormon. I had a testimony, but it needed to be strengthened. I fasted. I prayed, and I read the Book of Mormon. It was really simple. I truly wanted to know. I had a desire, I fasted prayed, and while I prayed, the Holy Ghost truly touched my heart. I know the Book of Mormon is true. But, even more, now I know that I know. I absolutely love the feeling of spirit that comes when I can look at investigators and say "I prayed to God yesterday, and asked him if the Book of Mormon is true. I felt the spirit. I know the Book of Mormon is the word of God."

I would like to bear that testimony to each of you. I know that it's true. I'm really grateful for my family who helped me read the Book of Mormon. I know this is the restored Gospel of Jesus Christ. I will work hard to spread it.

In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.