Letter # 28

Hello my Family!

How is everyone? Things are picking up in Taiwan I think in every single part of the Work. Especially In Longtan! Our 2 investigators passed the Baptismal interview for this coming Saturday and we will be having two more interviews for next Saturday. I am so excited about all the success. It is the most I have seen on my whole mission!

I also saw a huge miracle this last week. It was in the morning and we were biking to drop off some mail. While we were biking I wasn't really thinking or I guess day dreaming If you will. As we pulled up to the post office I had this big feeling that came over me. The feeling
was like "Why aren't you looking for someone?" It was kinda like a "PAY ATTENTION DUMMY" kind of a feeling. I Immediately looked forward and saw one person. It was an older lady on a scooter. I pulled up to her and she wasn't terribly excited to talk to me. (Big Surprise) Anyway as we started to talk she told me that her son is going to our church. After a few questions we found out that her son was Yang peng yuan - Who is getting baptized on November 7th.

We invited her to come to church but she said there was no way because she already went to another Christian church. Surprisingly we were meeting with him that night. As he showed up for the lesson his mom came with him to even more of our surprise. We took her around the church and was able to sit down with her and teach her a full lesson. We shared the Restoration with her and taught her about the Book of Mormon. It was a very basic first lesson. As she read the Book of Mormon she said it was so clear. Long story short.... She said that she would be willing to be baptized and set a Baptismal date for two weeks after her son, She told us that she was for sure coming to Church with her son this Sunday. It was an unbelievable miracle.

But of course with such good comes such opposition. We called her the next day and she told us that she couldn't come to church with us. We assumed that she had spoken to one of her friends from her other church. I guess they gave her some advice and she decided she wasn't sure yet what she should do. Her son is still praying for her and so are we. We really hope that she can remember the feelings she had when she first met with us.
Everyone please pray for her.

Well this week I gotten bitten twice! Once from a Pig and once from my companion. The pig I can explain well. I was taking pictures with its piglets and it bit me on the leg. Luckily it couldn't grab on or break skin or anything. My companion...... well I don't remember what happened but We were making lunch and then all the sudden we started wrestling and as I got him in a good hold. HE BIT ME!

Oh something else funny that happened. My Companion got attacked by a Grandpa in a wheelchair. We were contacting the person who was pushing him along the street, and we were able to stop her and start talking to her. As we started talking this 300 yr old guy in the wheelchair, Started freaking out. I swear this was the oldest person I have ever seen in my life. But he still had the fight in him! He didn't have teeth and I couldn't understand a word he was saying but he starting pushing and hitting my companions bike and staring me down. I was dying laughing. My companion didn't think it was that funny!

So I received an Email from Bishop Bunnell and in the email was an attachment. The attachment Is called (Lifting burdens : The Atonement of Jesus Christ "Mormon Messages") It can be found on Youtube.com. I hope everyone can look at that. It is so filled with truth and I was truly filled with love and hope when I watched it. It is the most simple doctrine of this gospel. Yet the centerpiece to how we are able to obtain anything of worth in this life. The fact that we have a Savior that is with us and loves us brings so much peace to my heart. Its true! ITS TRUE! I know because like Alma says in Chapter 32. I can feel the swelling motions in my heart. I know that the seed is growing! ITS TRUE! I cannot deny what has been confessed to me by my feelings. This is the way!

The Scripture I chose today was something I actually read this morning. Mosiah 23:27. Read the whole chapter and focus on why Alma is so certain that they need no reason to fear.

Okay gotta run! Love all of you so so so much!

Wei Zhang Lao

Letter # 27

Well Hello everyone.

This week went well for the most part. I can start by saying that It has truly been a refining process for me the last few weeks. Realizing the personal weaknesses that I have has been a painful process,of course, but a slight sigh of relief knowing that I have a good amount of time to become what I am supposed to be.

My companion and I got into a bit of an argument. Basically the argument was about how much different we are from each other. It progressed to the point when I did not have much desire to go out and work with him. I ended up asking him "What it is that we can do?" We ended up kneeling down in prayer and as he started giving the prayer he started to cry and apologize to God for what had happened. As he gave the prayer I realized how quickly the argument was my fault and how low my personal pride had brought us. After the prayer was over Elder Woo stood up and being a little embarrassed to ask me; if he could give me a hug. For their culture I will tell you that is not the easiest thing to do for them. In other words "they don't do that". I felt so ashamed and embarrassed. Mostly because I knew better. As a missionary who has been out as long as I have I realized how much more growing up I need to do. A lot of growing up.

This last week I have really reflected on why is it that I am doing the things I am doing. As I reflected I realized how much praise I still seek from man and not so much the Lord. And How much every decision relates back to my own personal selfishness. Most importantly, the true Love and Charity that I feel I lack so much in my heart. Like I said, this past week or so has been a refining period of much prayer.

Other than that the work is going fantastic. We now have added even another person with a Baptismal goal! It is a 28 year old women who is in my English class. After class, two weeks ago, she came up to me and said "so are you guys like priests or pastors or something" I told her that we could set up a time and answer that question! (Ha ha TRICKY TRICKY). She is now into the Book of Mormon and praying every day. I am really excited about her because she is unbelievably smart. She seems to understand what is taught! Awesome!

Oh, on a funny note one of our Investigators is a Chinese Doctor. What I mean by that is that he not a normal doctor. He does the Chinese medicine stuff. It’s called (Zhong-Yao). He does the Acupuncture and all that weird stuff. People pay him a good amount of money to do it too. Personally I think it’s all a load of junk. Some of the treatments are so weird. They stick needles in their head to help them sleep better. Ya I would pass out too if someone stuck a bunch of needles in my head. Well ...He drinks his own urine. Yes, drinks his own pee! ...everyday. He is convinced it’s good for you. But he told us this when we were teaching him the word of wisdom. It was so funny!

Well my companion is going home in three weeks. He does not talk much or ever about it. For me, if I was going home in three weeks it would be a little difficult to not think about it. But he is not really going back to much. For those who don't know...He is from south Taiwan 27 yrs old and went on a mission after being a member for only a year. He is going back to a lot of debt because he bought his family a house when he had money. Then invested the money and now it’s all gone. He has sacrificed more than any other person I have met in my whole life. Lately I have been messing with him about finding a wife. President told him in an interview to find a wife as soon as possible. So I have been teasing him and pointing out old women for him... HA ha. He hates it. It’s funny because the President's wife even mentioned someone for him to come back and date. Some girl from Taipei that just got back from Temple Square serving a mission. I had fun with that one too!

Oh Mom, I almost got killed. I was riding my bike "reasonably fast" trying to make it through a green light. With a bus on my left not realizing the bus had a blinker sign to turn right at the light. I will just leave it at....I was fairly lucky! Don't worry I'll make it off the Island alive.

The scripture for this week is Mosiah 13:1-7. It’s about the Prophet Abinadi. I read this in my personal study a couple days ago. It’s awesome!

Love you all.

Love Peace and Chicken Grease!

Letter # 26

Hey Family, 你好 魏家庭 大家, (Hello Wei Family, Everyone)

Yes the Chinese name for Weinberger is "WEI" it is pronounced like the restaurant (PEI WEI), or (by the "WAY") I am pretty sure I am the only person with the last name Weinberger to go to Taiwan or have a Chinese name for that matter. So I hereby forever pronounced
("WEI" 魏) to be the Chinese name of all Weinbergers, everywhere. I put the character for the name in the last sentence. That's how I have to write my name.

Well first I want to say. Conference was AWESOME! It was really refining. It taught a lot of basic principles in the Church such as Love and the most basic doctrine of God being a loving heavenly father. I think sometimes as members we almost forget the small simple doctrines like that sometimes. But when properly learned brings about great change. For me, I always new that love was a good thing. Everyone knows that. But it wasn't until about a few months ago when I started to really understand what true love meant. It was through the scriptures and something a member said when we were in a meeting to spark my interest to think what love really was. What it really meant to love those around you. Obviously coming from the love of Jesus Christ. Then confirmed by President Uchtdorf I realized what I had learned prior about love was in fact true. Such a basic doctrine. Probably the most basic. Was the one that changed me the most. This conference made me reflect on my kindness towards others, and how that I might better learn to love. My favorite talk without a doubt was Elder Holland's. My mouth was pretty much dropped the whole time he was speaking. It was Amazing. I don't know how anyone could openly listen to that talk and not be convinced of the truth of what he was saying.
Personally I don't feel like my testimony of the Book of Mormon has ever been that strong. But that talk strengthened it so much! I think that everyone should get online to watch the talk called "Safety for the Soul" again. Maybe it might be a little different as a missionary but I was completely blown away.

Well miracle story from this week is from a new investigator that we have. Well long story short he is a 40 year old guy who is divorced and doesn't have any relationship with his two kids. A long time ago he was almost baptized into another christian church. His name is Brother Woo. So anyway the first time we met with him was at his store and it wasn't really a special feeling type of lesson or anything. But the second time, a few days later. He came to the church and we had a great lesson. We taught about the holy ghost and the blessings of baptism. He said that the things we were saying to him made sense. He told us that the thing that makes sense to him is making an agreement with god. We gave him a baptismal goal right then and he accepted. After we asked him to kneel with us in prayer and asked if he would give the prayer for us. As we started we all bowed our heads and were waiting for him to say a prayer, But he didn't say anything. My companion and I just looked up at each other wondering what we should do. But he just kept with his head down praying. After a few minutes he lifted his head up and tears filled his eyes. He picked up the Book of Mormon and was just looking at it with tears still running sown his cheeks. It was obvious that there is pain from his past. But it was a miracle and an awesome experience. He is reading and praying everyday. Also yesterday started on his route to quite smoking by his baptismal date.

Our area is blowing up. We are so blessed right now. In all honesty I think it is because of my companion. He has sacrificed more than any person I have ever met and it his last transfer. The Lord is blessing him. Right now we have 4 people getting baptized this transfer. That is more than this area has ever seen. My last area in Banqiao, I was there for almost 6 months and saw 2 baptisms. I have only been here in Longtan for 2 months and have seen a baptism and then 4 more coming quickly next month. Its also not normal for the area I am in. In the past this area was one of the least baptizing in the mission. So I am so grateful for the success we are seeing its amazing.

Well I gotta go. Today we are going up to this reservoir in the mountains. It should be awesome. All the missionaries say it is beautiful.

Well the scripture this week is going along with the conference theme, Service and Love. It is Mosiah 2:17. Also the commitment to everyone this week is to pray every day for a chance to help or serve someone who is in need. I am excited to hear what happens.

Okay love you all so much

Wei Zhang Lao

Letter # 25

Hello my beloved family, everyone!

Well I did it! I made it through my first Taiwanese summer! The gallons of sweat is only half of it. I got one more summer to go. So speaking of the weather. We got really lucky and avoided a huge Typhoon that pretty much destroyed the Philippines. It pretty much just broke off right before it got to us! So the good thing is that the wind didn't get us..... but the rain did! I have been soaked the last couple of days. My companion and I have got the system down now for drying our shoes in front of the fan while we sleep! Other than that it has cooled down a lot!

On a funny note I caught my Chinese companion trying to throw some of the turkey jerky mom sent me in his crazy invented Chinese soup! It was funny I caught him right in the act! I was like What Are You Doing? He just kept saying how good it was going to be!........I tried it....no, it wasn't good. He actually has taught me how to cook this stir fry and stuff! ...Yes mom and dad I am buying, cooking, and eating my own veggies. I know, who would've thought!

Investigators are going great! we have two that are really progressing right now, and are both planning to get baptized on the 31st. One of them is an amazing story. My companion and I were riding our bikes contacting and stuff and we passed by this guy he looked like he might of been in college or something. We both waved at him as we were riding our bikes by him. He just kind of looked at us and didn't give us any mind. As we kept biking. I had a feeling that came to me, it said..... (don't give up that easy!) I gave into that feeling and immediately turned around. As we
started talking to him we found out that he had met with missionary's a year or so ago. He immediately set an appointment with us and has been progressing ever since! It is a miracle. Like I said earlier his Baptismal date is scheduled for the 31st of this month.

Oh ya, transfers came around again and I am still with Elder Woo in Longtan. This is his last transfer of his mission. I have so much respect for him! I have never met anyone that has sacrificed more than him. Although we are complete polar opposites I have learned and progressed more form him than any of my other companions. Sometimes it gets a little boring when we are together so I have to find my own way of having fun with him.
For example:

• Making him say Jackie Chan lines from movies/Any American slang!
  
• Slamming my breaks when I am riding my bike in front him.
  
• Turning off all the lights in the apartment and hiding, waiting for him to get up to find the switch and then popping out and scaring him.
  
• Wrestling with him, ha ha he hates it and refuses to fight back!
  

...ha ha he is too nice. But that's about as crazy as it gets with the two of us. He is a really simple guy who likes the simple laid back life. Last week I got some of the best advice of my life. It of course came from my all wisdom Chinese companion. Usually when I am struggling and I need advice I just go to the American elders and ask them questions and advice. But this time it was at night and we were home, and I was just feeling down. I told my companion that I was struggling and worried that I was not becoming the person and missionary I am supposed to be. He told me something that I will never forget. "Before a pretty butterfly becomes itself, Its just a little worm in a cocoon, The worm has to work its hardest to get its way out, that's not easy work. But eventually he gets out and sees what he has become". Now everyone imagine a Chinese person saying that to you in as many English words as he could use! It was such a basic principle of life and especially the gospel and It was given to me in a way that made sense. It was an awesome experience.

Well I gotta go. but the scripture this week is Moroni 8:26.

Everyone really ponder this scripture. What the gift of the holy ghost means, and how do we keep it with us. This scripture really touched me this week.

Okay I love you all! thanks for the family letters I will get back to all of you!
You're in my prayers

Wei Zhang Lao