Sanchong District

November 06, 2017

Sanchong District - Week 2

The week is a blur. Can anyone relate? Lemme just give you a little update. We're getting smartphones! What?!

We have four new investigators named Kelly, Tammy, Roni, and He Jie Mei. Last Monday we went to the Taipei zoo for P-day and walked around in the rain to see some cute animals locked up in cages. On Tuesday we taught a lesson to one of our new investigators named Wan Zu. We wanted to share the scripture Alma 38:5 with her, which is...

5 And now my son, Shiblon, I would that ye should remember, that as much as ye shall put your trust in God even so much ye shall be delivered out of your trials, and your troubles, and your afflictions, and ye shall be lifted up at the last day.

...but we were using the Book of Mormon written in characters so she could read it. Since it's hard to find scriptures in characters sometimes, instead of having her read Alma 38:5, Sister Clyde accidentally pointed her to Alma 39:5.

After a second of hearing that Wan Zu was reading a different-sounding verse, we quickly directed her to the correct scripture in the correct chapter. Later that day we looked back at the verse that she'd initially read. It said:

5 Know ye not, my son, that these things are an abomination in the sight of the Lord; yea, most abominable above all sins save it be the shedding of innocent blood or denying the Holy Ghost?

Bahahaha, oops. Hopefully it didn't make too much of an impact. On Wednesday we invited one of our other investigators, Weng Jie Mei, to get baptized. She's an elderly lady who really only had an interest in learning English originally, but she agreed to be baptized! I really really hope she does. Of course. On Thursday with our district we had a "qing ke" which means that a member treats the missionaries to a meal. Patty and Hugo (as these members are called) kept feeding us and feeding us and I was filled to the brim with rice, yes, but also with gratitude for their kindness and support towards the missionaries. Friday we had a RAD Zone Conference where we gathered in the Jinhua chapel near the Taipei temple and got pumped to do missionary work!!! (Not that I wasn't already pumped, but there's something special about meeting with the Mission President, his wife, and other missionaries and learning how to become better.) There was a moment when President Jergensen told us about how he was called to be President of the Taiwan Taipei mission. He shared about how he was able to meet with Apostles of the Lord, Elder Holland and President Eyring, on two separate occasions to be interviewed. He gave us his witness that these men have been called of God and are His chosen servants. I felt the Spirit so strongly that I had to swallow my tears, and I knew his words were true. The Spirit has told me MANY times that this is true. But I came to the realization that over and over the Holy Ghost can witness of truth and teach you things and it NEVER gets boring!

Also on Friday, Sister Clyde and I set a goal to have 15 gospel conversations with random people, and we had 16! We even had a couple of set-ups. We met an Indian girl named Nithiya who speaks English, and she really really wanted to go to our church! She also said that it was God's gift to have met us. Wow. Saturday we had 10/10 gospel conversations and two set-ups, and Sunday we invited two more of our investigators to be baptized, Zhen Dixiong (Dixiong means "Brother") and Chen Jie Mei (Jie Mei means "Sister"), and they said yes! And this morning, Monday, we played ping pong with Weng Jie Mei and a few of her elderly friends, hahaha. So fun. I'm excited for missionary work. I love it. The moments fly by because I'm trying to make the most of them. God has given me this precious time and I intend to take it seriously!

I love you all so much, and remember that "as much as ye shall put your trust in God even so much ye shall be delivered out of your trials, and your troubles, and your afflictions, and ye shall be lifted up at the last day."

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(Sister Clyde pictured) Riding through Lu Zhou to meet with a girl named Wan Zu--she ended up becoming our investigator!