WASAI!!!!!!!!!!
Translated probably means something akin to "wow!"
Anyways, hello my dearest family, and my amazing friends!
What a week in Taiwan. I've got a lot of stuff to cover, so here we go!
Monday, 10 October 2016
I always do the cool stuff and get the cool pictures on P-Day AFTER I finish emailing you people. What's up with that? I got done emailing, and then we took the Subway over to (Pardon English Translation, I can write in in characters better) Kaosiung? 89. It was so big! We met up with a bunch of other missionaries and had a party at the top. I saw the ocean for the first time! And I also saw one of my favorite district members, Elder Hansen with Elder Graves there! I got a picture with him, and then we went home, did some grocery shopping, and then the day was pretty much done.
Tuesday, 11 October 2016
We went to Zone training meeting today in Pingdong, about the Atonement. I love learning about the Atonement so much. One thing that really hit me during study is how miserable life and everything would be if we didn't have it. I once read this book (as I was like to do in the past) called Elantris, by Brandon Sanderson. The premise was that there was this city full of cursed people, and the curse was that their bodies weren't able to heal anymore. If you stubbed your toe, you would eternally have that pain from your toe, the rest of your life, no healing. So imagine a broken bone! But the point is that if we didn't have the Atonement, we could never overcome the effects of our sins by ourselves, we would forever be under the weight of those transgressions, never clean, never worthy to enter the temple and make those covenants that allow our families to be together. "I stand all amazed at the Love Jesus Offers me!" Imagine life without it! We would have no hope, and no lasting happiness. It seems as though we should truly prostrate ourselves before the Lord each day, and weep with Joy at the mercy and grace He has given us! We truly can do nothing without Him.
Wednesday, 12 October 2016
We went to Pingdeng again today for a language pass-off for one of the sisters in our district. On the way there, Elder Gasser was on the other side of the train, and I started talking with an older gentleman next to me. I didn't understand a couple of things, but we spoke for a few minutes, and I ended up giving him a card with our chapel's address and number on it, and most of all didn't sound like a complete fool! Woot woot! We also had a lesson with Wang DX later that night about the restoration, and he said he feels like the Lord answers his prayers! What could make a missionary more happy???
Thursday, 13 October 2016
We visited my favorite recent convert, Li DX again today. Wow, what a life he's had. He broke two ribs sneezing the other day, and broke a finger when he slapped a table to kill a mosquito. He talked to us about his concerns, and though he wasn't sure on a lot of things, I never saw his faith falter in our discussions about the Gospel and the truth of it. It's always humbling to walk out of there, knowing what he's been through and is still willing to go through. We found a fried rice place, and I ordered their Italian style, which was basically fried rice with Pesto, but it reminded me of Leeks Marina! And all the times I told mom, "Oh, I won't be eating this for two years..." ;-) We had a last visit with our investigator Sanya that night, and my job was to keep the toddler quiet. He was literally climbing all over me and asking me to answer his toy phone. My salvation came when he pulled out a puzzle to do with me. At least he was quiet. I'm thinking Chloroform Cookies next time.
Friday, 14 October 2016
Weekly planning party! Have I said recently how I love it? It's a time when God has promised to guide us to know what we need to do to help our investigators, and it's great! I also passed off lesson three, and I'll have a 1-3 pass off on Wednesday next week with the Zone Leaders. I really felt the Spirit in there. It was an amazing thing. God truly attends us if we try to have Him with us. We visited our recent convert Cai that night as well.
Saturday, 15 October 2016
I just love a good prayer. When you kneel down, truly speak your mind, and then ask to know the Father's will as humbly as you can, I know answers will come as we wait and ponder. We had a correlation meeting, and I came out with a heavy knowledge of how bad my Chinese is. I just don't have all the skills my trainer does! I don't know how to talk to people! And then we went to a lesson that night with a new investigator, Wang JM (DX and JM are "Deesiung" and "Jiemay", brother and sister) She was really open, and Elder Gasser did most of the talking. But in the end, he acted on a spiritual prompting and invited her to be baptized.
SHE JUST SAID YES!!!!!
I really didn't know what to say, and couldn't have said it if I wanted to, but it just blew me away, and I got a really powerful feeling of the Spirit. It was great. And I walked out of that lesson with a very important realization, one I seem to keep having, and will until I really take it to heart. The most important thing I can do is invite the Spirit. Not have all the people skills, not have the best Chinese or memorized approaches. It wasn't because of Elder Gasser's superb Chinese and teaching skills that she accepted, it was because the Holy Spirit testified to her heart that our words, this message is true. After that I almost ignored an impression to talk to a man sitting on the couch outside a lesson, but Elder Gasser and I went over, and I found out he was a non-member in a part-member family, and we had a great discussion about the outdoors, and eventually about testimony. And then during planning, our Nurse Friend Lu JM called and said she can come to church!!! The first time ever!!
Sunday, 16 October 2016
The blessings go on and on. We had two Less-Actives, two recent converts, and three investigators at Sacrament. It was the most amazing things to look around and see what the Spirit had wrought through us. All but two people in Gospel Principles (In which my Chinese got complimented) were there because of ours and the Spirit's efforts! It was just amazing.
Family, this week has been such a blessing, and I hope these accounts can strengthen you all as well. I want to leave you with my testimony that this Gospel is the one and true gospel of God, and that through His Son, Jesus Christ, we can be clean, we can become pure, and we can live together again.
I love you all!
-Elder Meanea
PS - Here is a video that Elder Meanea sent to us of him biking home at night in Taiwan. Enjoy!
Anyways, hello my dearest family, and my amazing friends!
What a week in Taiwan. I've got a lot of stuff to cover, so here we go!
Monday, 10 October 2016
I always do the cool stuff and get the cool pictures on P-Day AFTER I finish emailing you people. What's up with that? I got done emailing, and then we took the Subway over to (Pardon English Translation, I can write in in characters better) Kaosiung? 89. It was so big! We met up with a bunch of other missionaries and had a party at the top. I saw the ocean for the first time! And I also saw one of my favorite district members, Elder Hansen with Elder Graves there! I got a picture with him, and then we went home, did some grocery shopping, and then the day was pretty much done.
Tuesday, 11 October 2016
We went to Zone training meeting today in Pingdong, about the Atonement. I love learning about the Atonement so much. One thing that really hit me during study is how miserable life and everything would be if we didn't have it. I once read this book (as I was like to do in the past) called Elantris, by Brandon Sanderson. The premise was that there was this city full of cursed people, and the curse was that their bodies weren't able to heal anymore. If you stubbed your toe, you would eternally have that pain from your toe, the rest of your life, no healing. So imagine a broken bone! But the point is that if we didn't have the Atonement, we could never overcome the effects of our sins by ourselves, we would forever be under the weight of those transgressions, never clean, never worthy to enter the temple and make those covenants that allow our families to be together. "I stand all amazed at the Love Jesus Offers me!" Imagine life without it! We would have no hope, and no lasting happiness. It seems as though we should truly prostrate ourselves before the Lord each day, and weep with Joy at the mercy and grace He has given us! We truly can do nothing without Him.
Wednesday, 12 October 2016
We went to Pingdeng again today for a language pass-off for one of the sisters in our district. On the way there, Elder Gasser was on the other side of the train, and I started talking with an older gentleman next to me. I didn't understand a couple of things, but we spoke for a few minutes, and I ended up giving him a card with our chapel's address and number on it, and most of all didn't sound like a complete fool! Woot woot! We also had a lesson with Wang DX later that night about the restoration, and he said he feels like the Lord answers his prayers! What could make a missionary more happy???
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| Elder Meanea's Bike |
Thursday, 13 October 2016
We visited my favorite recent convert, Li DX again today. Wow, what a life he's had. He broke two ribs sneezing the other day, and broke a finger when he slapped a table to kill a mosquito. He talked to us about his concerns, and though he wasn't sure on a lot of things, I never saw his faith falter in our discussions about the Gospel and the truth of it. It's always humbling to walk out of there, knowing what he's been through and is still willing to go through. We found a fried rice place, and I ordered their Italian style, which was basically fried rice with Pesto, but it reminded me of Leeks Marina! And all the times I told mom, "Oh, I won't be eating this for two years..." ;-) We had a last visit with our investigator Sanya that night, and my job was to keep the toddler quiet. He was literally climbing all over me and asking me to answer his toy phone. My salvation came when he pulled out a puzzle to do with me. At least he was quiet. I'm thinking Chloroform Cookies next time.
Friday, 14 October 2016
Weekly planning party! Have I said recently how I love it? It's a time when God has promised to guide us to know what we need to do to help our investigators, and it's great! I also passed off lesson three, and I'll have a 1-3 pass off on Wednesday next week with the Zone Leaders. I really felt the Spirit in there. It was an amazing thing. God truly attends us if we try to have Him with us. We visited our recent convert Cai that night as well.
Saturday, 15 October 2016
I just love a good prayer. When you kneel down, truly speak your mind, and then ask to know the Father's will as humbly as you can, I know answers will come as we wait and ponder. We had a correlation meeting, and I came out with a heavy knowledge of how bad my Chinese is. I just don't have all the skills my trainer does! I don't know how to talk to people! And then we went to a lesson that night with a new investigator, Wang JM (DX and JM are "Deesiung" and "Jiemay", brother and sister) She was really open, and Elder Gasser did most of the talking. But in the end, he acted on a spiritual prompting and invited her to be baptized.
SHE JUST SAID YES!!!!!
I really didn't know what to say, and couldn't have said it if I wanted to, but it just blew me away, and I got a really powerful feeling of the Spirit. It was great. And I walked out of that lesson with a very important realization, one I seem to keep having, and will until I really take it to heart. The most important thing I can do is invite the Spirit. Not have all the people skills, not have the best Chinese or memorized approaches. It wasn't because of Elder Gasser's superb Chinese and teaching skills that she accepted, it was because the Holy Spirit testified to her heart that our words, this message is true. After that I almost ignored an impression to talk to a man sitting on the couch outside a lesson, but Elder Gasser and I went over, and I found out he was a non-member in a part-member family, and we had a great discussion about the outdoors, and eventually about testimony. And then during planning, our Nurse Friend Lu JM called and said she can come to church!!! The first time ever!!
Sunday, 16 October 2016
The blessings go on and on. We had two Less-Actives, two recent converts, and three investigators at Sacrament. It was the most amazing things to look around and see what the Spirit had wrought through us. All but two people in Gospel Principles (In which my Chinese got complimented) were there because of ours and the Spirit's efforts! It was just amazing.
Family, this week has been such a blessing, and I hope these accounts can strengthen you all as well. I want to leave you with my testimony that this Gospel is the one and true gospel of God, and that through His Son, Jesus Christ, we can be clean, we can become pure, and we can live together again.
I love you all!
PS - Here is a video that Elder Meanea sent to us of him biking home at night in Taiwan. Enjoy!
I am enjoying your blog so much Elder Meanea. Thank you for all the details and your wonderful testimony. It gives a wonderful additional perspective to what Trevor writes home about. Loved the bike riding video! You boys are really working hard and finding success. Congratulations and stay humble :)
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