Monday, 16 January 2017
We went hiking in the mountains with the Dakeng Elders and Elder Burge's friend named Scott. We had a great time, tripped on some logs, saw some giant spiders, and got some amazing pictures! I was actually in the Jungles of Taiwan, and it was crazy beautiful. I didn't see any jaguars, unfortunately. We got back just in time to have a quick dinner and go contacting. We were walking the park near our house when we ran into that lady we gave a Book of Mormon to again! She said she's already read a bit, and if she runs into us again she'll give us some fruit. She is way nice, and maybe if we talk enough she'll let us teach her!
Tuesday, 17 January 2017
We went and had some Chinese Tutoring with our English speaking friend John Legend. He's a really cool guy, and I learned a lot of stuff yesterday. When then met with Johnny again, who is technically improving. He is willing to believe in a God, but he says if He does exist, He doesn't care. He gave the example of a volcano exploding. He said you can't just stand still and pray God will save you, you have to rely on yourself. JOHNNY!!! I just want to show him what I know I have felt about God, that He is more full of love than we could ever imagine. But he's still willing to meet with us and learn. I just pray we can receive the Spirit's guidance to know how to help him. Then we had a ward council that night that went well.
Wednesday, 18 January 2017
We had a pretty busy one in Beitun today! After studies we went out to eat lunch with an investigator named Allan. He has been with the Beitun Elders for a long time, so hopefully, with a bit of faith, trust, and forceful psychological maneuvering, we can help him. ;-) We then had a really cool lesson with a less active member kid that we've been trying to meet with for a long time. He is just super busy, and is willing to come back to church. It was really powerful to help him start remembering why he's a member in the first place. There's that part in the Book of Mormon where it talks about "If you have felt to sing the song of redeeming love, I would ask, can you feel so now?" At any point in our lives, no matter where we've gotten to, Christ is always standing right next to us, inviting us to come to Him, come back from wherever we are, be clean again through His sacrifice. It's always much too amazing for me to comprehend. And to cap off the night, our sisters were sick, and they are the assigned teachers for one of the groups in English class. So I'll give you one great big whopping guess who's job it was to fill in for them. *Points emphatically at self and Elder Burge* Yeah, it was pretty much a disaster of teaching, but we made it out alive!
Thursday, 19 January 2017
A District training meeting today, talking about exactly what I was discussing earlier in my email, that is, promised blessings! It makes me wish that every time I contact someone, I could just pull out a giant binder full of a part of all the blessings that the Lord has promised us through obedience to His Gospel. But I suppose there is a reason that God instead just wants us to testify with the Spirit and try to touch their hearts. We also had dinner with the Zone Leaders today. It was McDonalds, but no, we do not go there very often at all, Dad. Honestly, I like Taiwanese food a lot better now. American stuff is a treat, but now I can't have too much of anymore before it does terrible things to me. Anyways... New missionaries got on island today! They were in doing orientations in the chapel, and it was weird, because we had all phases of the mission cycle there. The new guys. Me, at 6 months, Elder Burge at 1 year almost, Elder Wilkinson at a year and a half, and Elder Kunz, who goes home at the end of the next transfer. Super weird...
Friday, 20 January 2017
Weekly planning! Woot woot. I'll actually give out a little list of the investigators that we currently have. The first is Johnny. He is slowly coming around, in his own way, and has progressed to wanting to believe in a God. I know the Spirit can continue to touch his heart if he'll let it. And then there is Jeff. He is a college student who has a lot of interest in our church and it's differences with other Christian churches. He seems to have a genuine interest in how the Gospel can help him. Next is Jenny. She is a 40-ish year old woman who currently has a dad in the hospital in Taipei, so she doesn't have a lot of time to meet, but she cries every time we share about the gospel and the blessings it brings. Then there's Ding. He is the super busy businessman who has about 5 minutes to meet at a time, and then John, a kid who spent a lot of years as an exchange student at the University of Utah, who is super willing to learn about the church. That's all for now, but that night we also went and had an active member family with a cool family called the Yangs.
Saturday, 21 January 2017
Thanks be to the honest zone leaders! They found a super golden kid who was an exchange student in Utah for a year, came back, and wants to know why everyone there was so nice and happy. Utah is his favorite place on Earth, apparently, and he already has a baptismal goal. But he lives in our area, so the Zone Leaders handed him over to us. He seems really cool. And then we watched the Restoration with Johnny, and I think he liked it pretty well! Then I found out I'm staying with Elder Burge in Beitun for another round, so it's going to be pretty fun!
Sunday, 22 January 2017
Johnny was at Church again! We had a great gospel principles class about agency, and why bad things are allowed to happen in life, so that was basically an answer to a prayer, then in Priesthood we talked about sincere prayer, which is also something we have been trying to focus on with Johnny. I love seeing how coming to church always helps, either directly or indirectly. Then we went over to the O Family's house, and they had an American barbecue, with real steak. I haven't had steak like that in about 6 months. xD Then we shared about the Restoration. We found a really cool picture of a glass mural in the December Liahona magazine that came from an art exhibit about Christ, and I cut out two. We had them each pick their favorite part, and we cut that piece out and gave it to them. We also kept some. Once everyone had a part, we told them to put it back together. They laughed and tried, but it was impossible. Then we got out the new picture, and "Restored" it, to help them see why we had to have a Restoration of the Gospel. Because God still loves us in this time as well as in times of old, we are still His children, and if we're willing, He will guide us.
The end of a week, and a transfer here in Beitun. I hope to make the most out of the next one I have, because this message, and this Church are God's, and everyone needs to know it. I love you all, and pray you stay close to the Lord.
-Elder Meanea
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