Now to Taiwan, missionaries descending,
Contact, at, the light!
No Chinese or Ama fearing,
Contact, all night!
(Copyright Elder Meanea 2017, Ama: Old woman or Grandma)
A prosperous P-Day! The sisters tricked us into going to Taichung so they could hang out with other sisters and just talk. We didn't end up doing much else since part of the Zhong You mall was closed. But we did play Uno in a Family mart, of which I lost every single game, so that was not the best. Oh well. Still pretty fun! I slept on the bus ride home, which was about an hour, and then we just whiled away the night finding those willing to come unto Christ.
Tuesday, 6 June 2017
What a wacky day! Wow. We started out by trying to track down a former investigator, which we never found, but I saw people paragliding off of the mountain. So I'm going to see if we can get permission for that on P-Day. Cross your fingers. :-) Then we met up with a recent convert called "Monkey Joe" or Brother Zhou. We went up to his farm to help him plant some banana trees, which was super cool and fun. After that a little miracle happened. We were biking home, and a van pulled off next to us while we were stopped and asked if we knew a Mrs. Su. We contacted this lady a few weeks back and she invited us to go and speak to some of the kids. This man who pulled up worked there and is also a less active member in the church, and he set us up to go speak to about 50 kids at this facility, but it turns out it is kind of a correctional facility for troubled kids. So us and the sisters went and taught them about Heavenly Father. It was really cool to see that a few of the kids actually had real interest in our message. We really felt that it was a special opportunity for some of these kids. I expect to see one of their stories in the Ensign or Liahona one day. So that was really cool!
Wednesday, 7 June 2017
A "Woot Woot!" missionary day, Ladies and Gentlemen! We began by visiting our friend Wang. He is a former Pharmacist who is slightly crazy and handed me some pills that he said was for my complexion, but they were just pills in the little tin tray, no box or anything. So, I obviously let Elder Densley try them first. But after that, we taught him about Joseph Smith and he just said, "I believe it." So we said, "Cool, do you want to get baptized?" And he was like, "Sure. Sounds good." And we said, "Cool." And that was about it. After which we biked up a jungle mountain to meet with a drunk guy we met fishing who raises chickens. We met him a few weeks ago had another good lesson about the restoration of the Gospel. It was so cool. Both times we taught about the restoration today, I just had this supernal feeling of love from my Heavenly Father when we bore testimony that He loved us so much as to give us his prophets once again upon the Earth. He hasn't abandoned us to the opinions and theories of men. I would be pretty scared if that were the case, because just look at the world. But it's such a great relief to know that we can always trust a loving and perfect God to guide us. We in fact are commanded to pray to Him always, always asking for that which we stand in need. I bear testimony that the windows and balconies of heaven are wide open, and water-balloons full of guidance and blessings await, it only we humble ourselves and ask Him.
Thursday, 8 June 2017
We got up early to ride a bus, to catch a train, to walk to our zone conference this morning. It was pretty fun, about 3 hours travel time in all. The conference itself was an amazing time of much needed spiritual nurturing and spiritual nourishment. And also Subway Sandwiches. Which were also needed. After the conference we took the same trip back home. When we got back to Puli we got a call from Tang Mama who had just made some fresh cinnamon rolls, and desperately needed missionary help to devour them. It was already pretty late by the time we got back, so it was time to head home after that. She makes amazing food, like, incredible. So besides being well fed today, I really loved the chance to receive revelation for my personal needs and concerns. In Zone conference we discussed a lot about helping people apply the Gospel of Jesus Christ, namely faith in Him, repentance, baptism, receiving the Gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end. It really hit me that it is impossible to testify of these things if we aren't living them ourselves. And how they need to become the pattern in which I live my entire life.
Friday, 9 June 2017
Of course, weekly planning, after which we went to meet with our cool college age investigator named Mardison. We prepared really well for this lesson, and extended a super spiritual Baptismal invite. But he's just not into it right now. It was sad, but it was really cool to feel the Spirit there, and to know that our actions were supported and confirmed by God. That's one way you can know to be satisfied with your efforts. People still have their agency, but if you "Teach Repentance" and "Invite others to come unto Christ," then you are the best missionary God could ask for.
Saturday, 10 June 2017
We spent the morning helping Huang Laoshi in her garden again, which was fun and hard. We burned ants for a while, then pretty much cut down all her trees, though she says that they'll grown back. They are mulberry trees! I don't know if I've ever had a mulberry before, but she promised us some jam soon. After which we were going to have a lesson, but then he cancelled on us, so we returned home, finished studies, and then went to the church to partake of the fruits of a Relief Society cooking activity. They were really good bagels. And then we went and dropped them off at a members house who is having a hard time recently. The sisters came with us and we had an impromptu family home evening with them and shared 2 Nephi 4. I love that chapter. And now I have to speak in Church tomorrow! So I'm going to go pass out and hope everyone forgot I was supposed to talk by the time I wake up. Cheers!
Sunday, 11 June 2017
Spoilers, I survived! I actually spoke for a solid 17 minutes and could have gone longer, but I was out of time. It was really cool. I could really feel the confidence the Lord gave me. As I was going up to speak I had the thought that I was speaking for their benefit, not for my own. And I had prepared, and thusly the Lord was certainly going to use me to help answer these peoples questions, just by the Spirit I hopefully brought. It was a cool realization. Then we took a trip up into the mountains tonight to visit a member family who's mom got sick a few weeks ago. The sisters guided us and we got lost. But we finally found the house, but it was too late to visit and we were soaking from the rain. And then we had a very rainy and burning-brake bike ride down the mountain.
And that was the week! It blows my mind every time I think of what I'm here doing. As I write this I'm watching my companion build a habitat for the giant Taiwanese beetle that we just caught on our porch and most definitely aren't going to keep as a pet, and I've been out here for almost a year because I know that Jesus Christ died for us, and he provides the only path to eternal peace, and I want all my brothers and sisters to find it. I love you all so much from the tiny island in the south China Sea! Have an amazing week finding that path every day.
-Elder Meanea
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