Letter # 45

我非常愛親愛的家庭 (My beloved family which I love so much)

I emailed a couple days late today because today is our Temple Day. So this week preparation day changed to Wednesday. But next week will be regular schedule. First thing I want to say is to give a shout out to my niece Madeline who is AWESOME!!!! Getting into BYU on Scholarship for acting! I am way proud of her. Its crazy to think that next year at this time we will both be going to the same school. WEIRD...... I hope that the plays and Lacrosse games don't have any conflict of schedule! If they do Madeline will just have to tell them that the show has got to wait. HA ...I am really excited about it though.

About this last week, I think exhausted is probably the right word to describe the way I feel. It was the busiest week I have had in this area. We saw so much success too. Including the 2 baptisms last Sunday! That went really well, and the Ward is really happy about it. I feel like the Bishop really trusts us. He sees that we are really working and trying to do our best. So he and his family have been really willing to help.

Well a little about the investigators. The Zhang Family is still really struggling to make the transition from hearing and understanding to the doing and the action of it all. It seems like the husband knows it and feels it. But the wife is holding back so much and is really scared of making commitments. The first time we asked them if they were willing to set a date to be baptized the Husband was completely willing but the wife did not feel comfortable with it. I personally feel that she needs to get into the Book of Mormon. The biggest change that I have seen in Investigators on my mission has always been through the Book of Mormon. That book has so much power. I have seen it change hearts without the person even knowing it.

I don't know if anyone remembers the 18 yr old from Longtan. His name is Ren Bing Zhong. He was the one I met at a stoplight and he was baptized a few months later. He has an amazing story about his testimony of the Book of Mormon. Anyway he got up and bore his testimony in a Sacrament meeting and he told everyone about his testimony of the Book of Mormon. (I am not sure whether I have already told you this story or not). In his testimony he told a story of something that happened to him a week or so prior. He said that one night his friend called him to go out with them and his friends. He said that they invited him to a place that was well we can say "full of temptation". His friends told him that there was going to be all this beer and stuff, and his old girlfriend was going to be there too. Basically for any 18 yr old here or anywhere, the answer would probably be what time? and where? But he went on to say that at first he obviously wanted to go but then he became really troubled with what he should do. He said that he picked up the Book of Mormon and opened it. He said that he came to a scripture in Alma chapter 13 verse 27. It was Alma inviting us to cast off our sins and to not Procrastinate the day of repentance. He immediately called back his friend and told him he couldn't go. He said that his friend started giving a him a hard time about it but he just told his friend sorry and that he couldn't. When he told me this story I was filled with so much joy for him because he really got it. I knew the Holy Ghost had spoken to him.

I testify that something like that DOES NOT happen unless the Book of Mormon was the Word of God. I know its the word of god, and that story has become a great source of my testimony of the divinity of that book.

Well the funny story for this week was last night when we were sitting in a park for a lesson and I looked over and low & behold I saw a bunch of Chinese grandmas line dancing to Brooks and Dunn! I was dying laughing. Mom, you would have lost it for sure.

Well I am kinda out of time right now. But the scripture this week is Alma 13:27.
Everyone..... I love you and I pray for you!

Elder Wei

Letter # 44

你好我的家庭，我經過過年；還活著
Hello Family I made it through Chinese New Years, Alive!

This week was hard on my stomach! Real hard! We were fed just about everyday! A lot of the time is was just pizza or something! Because the members were scared to feed us anything too weird so they just bought us something from America! (In Taiwan that means McDonalds, Pizza Hut, or Burger King) Personally I thought the Chinese restaurants they took us to were way better. Surprisingly I don't think I gained that much weight over this week. My belt is just as tight! The weirdest thing I ate...........are you ready............. Chicken Testicle!!! It actually wasn't to bad but it was kinda just the thought of what I was chewing while it was squishing around in my mouth that made it so bad! Worth it?...... I'm still undecided! Overall Chinese New years was awesome! I am sick of the fireworks though. I will be riding my bike down the street and random explosions are constantly going off. It can get startling ha ha!

Like everyone said this last week was a little bit slower. We still saw amazing things. One of our investigators is a 50 year old women. Her name is Mei Yu Chan. She decided this last week to go to the church she was going to and tell them that she is going to start coming to our church now. She feels like our Church is the one that is going to help her and her husbands relationship. It was kinda a scary thing for all of us waiting on the outcome. But she called us and told us that it went really well and it was really easy to tell them. She is scheduled to be baptized on the 13th of March. As far as the two getting baptized this next weekend. They both passed their interview and everything is looking great. I am way excited.

The Zhang Family is progressing right now, but slowly. They said they would see us at Church this Sunday but they never showed up. We are going to wait a couple days to call them and find out what might of happened. My companion and I this week are really focusing on New Investigators. We feel that we should be teaching a lot more than we are. So please pray for us to find those in need!

As far as weather here... It has been Rainy and Cold for the entire past week! But its getting a little better now. In Three days I will have officially been on this Island for one year.

This week in sacrament meeting the family that was originally supposed to speak got sick and couldn't come. So Saturday we get the call from a member of the Bishopric who asked us to fill their spots and give talks. My companion and I coordinated with each other and gave talks on how the Gospel blesses families. My companion gave this amazing story about his ancestor (Christian Hanz Monson) in Norway that gave up everything for the church. The story is awesome. His ancestor worked in Norway as a prison guard and the missionaries were being held in the jail there. It was around 1840. But basically Christian was assigned to be the one to beat the missionaries and just make life difficult for them. But eventually he started listening to the lessons and one night he snuck them out of the Jail and they went to a river and he was baptized secretly. Then he walked them back up to the Jail and locked them back in. The whole story is incredible but I got up after him and told the ward about my Family story. About both my parents being converts and what that meant to me. Also talking about how 7 missionaries had come out of a decision that my parents had made. I also told the story of Paul and Noelle! The ward thought that was funny.

Well for the scripture this week is 2 Nephi 28:3-5
I have been thinking a lot about the Apostasy lately and the truth about it. In Talmage's book Jesus the Christ it lays it down really clearly what happened in the fall of Christ's Church. When you look at the history of the Apostasy it will amaze you what really happened. It helps me realize more and more the need of the restoration! I hope everyone gets the chance to study on it.

Okay gotta go 我愛你們
I love you all.

Elder 魏

Letter # 43 - CHINESE NEW YEARS

GONGXI GONGXI! HAPPY CHINESE YEARS EVERYONE!!!!!!!!!!
Yes it is finally here. MY first Chinese New Years in Taiwan, and it is absolutetly out of Control. There has been Fireworks going off like crazy. On Saturday night I kept waking up cause the fireworks were so loud. Everyone knows the big Fireworks that are illegal in for citizens in America. They only go off at like baseball games and like the fourth of July and stuff. Ya those are not illegal here. Anyone can by them and shoot them off whenever you want. You can only imagine what its like.

Missionary work here during this time is SO HARD! We are lucky if we find any time to meet with our investigators. It's kinda hard finding something super productive. Contacting doesn't really work because basically everyone is inside and almost every store is closed. Knocking doors is even more difficult. Because fom what we were told its really rude to knock on peoples doors during New Years. One thing that we try to push at this time is visiting less active members. Trying to get a meal time with them is ideal. Basically everyone in the ward right now just feeds the missionaries. Pretty much the meals for this whole week are set up to meet with people who want to give us food. And when I say give us food, I am talking like a Thanksgiving size meal every single time. We have only had two days so far and I feel so trampled. I am seriously walking around with my hands on my lower back trying to support my stomach. I have a little taste of what it might feel like to be pregnant. I am seriously in pain! I know poor me right. I still got 5 days to go!

This last week we saw so many miracles I wish I had the time to share them all. But one was really amazing. It was difinitely one of the great mission experiences for me. Well it started when we were waiting for a lesson and it didn't show up. We decided to go to the train station and find some people there to talk to. Right as we got there we ran into this guy. All we said was hello to him and then he started talking to us in perfect English. He told us he was from the states But his parents were both Taiwanese and that in fact he didn't speak any chinese at all . It was really weird. As we continued to talk to him we found out that he was Christian and had alot of Faith but never joined a Church. We started talking to him a little bit about our church but I was really struggling talking and teaching in English. But as we continued I noticed it was getting easier and that I was being helped. I really believed that. I told him about Joseph Smith and bore my testimony about God's relationship with us and how the Restoration ties into it all. After we both bore our testimonys He was just completely quiet.

He waited for a few seconds and told us that he was so touched and he knew that everything we were saying was true. He said he was so thankful that he ran into us. He told us that he know god sent us. Unfortunately he lives in central Taiwan but amazingly the city that he lives in has an English speaking ward there. We asked if he was willing to meet with the missionaries and he told us that he was more than happy to meet with them. It was an amazing miracle that I saw first hand. Again strengthening my testimony in the divinity of this work. Its True! I have so many other stories I want to tell but I really dont have time.

As far as the Investigators go. This week went great. The baptism went well also. We are all excited for the 27th. Ming Long Lee and Bang ying Leo are both getting baptized and are really going strong. With Ming Long Lee we did something fun with him the last time we met with him. We let him be the missionary and teach us. We asked him questions and stuff, it was way cool! He is praying to know if he should go on a mission or not. Family please pray for him.

Well the Scripture this week is Alma 22:15. I love this scripture. I have felt this power and Joy in my own life. That is something that I could never deny!

Love you all,

Elder Wei!

Letter # 42

你好我的家庭
Hey Fam!

I emailed a little later than usual this week because this morning we had an Investigator take us to lunch today. He actually took us all the way up to the very north coast of Taiwan to this city called Danshui. Its like this port town with a huge river running through it and is surrounded by green mountains....... Yah, it's beautiful. Anyway he took us to this way nice restaurant right on the coast. We spent the rest of the day walking on the pier eating ice cream in 80 degree weather ...So how is Utah? :)

Anyway, it was a good "preparation day" without to big annoying overdone plans. Plus it was good to spend some time with our Investigator. He is getting baptized on the 27th of this month. He name is Bang Ying Leo. He is like 40 and unmarried but we are pretty sure he will just find someone in the Church. ( We are hoping so anyway).

So this week was a tad bit slower than the last weeks. The closer we get to Chinese New year the harder it gets to meet with people. But still going strong with the two people that are getting baptized on the 27th. We actually are having a baptism this next Sunday and its an amazing story. This 21 year old girl, her name is Hui Ru Xie; is someone we met about a month and a half ago. It was one of my first days in this area. But my companion and I were just biking past this convenience store one day and this girl was just kinda smiling and waving at us. YA......WIERD! But nevertheless we stopped and started talking to her. She had a lot of interest in our English class but unsure about the gospel. She said she was willing to set up a time though. We ended up letting the sisters take over. But ever since then she has been to church every single week and has completely changed her life. She passed her Baptismal interview last Saturday and it was decided that I was going to be the one to baptize her. I am way excited. Its amazing how some people come. But I am so thankful that my companion and I stopped to talk to her. I know that God prepares people. I don't know by any means how he does it but I believe he has his own specific way for every person. She was well ready when we talked to her.

We had another unbelievable miracle happen this last week. It was with the family we are teaching. The Zhang Family. Anyway the last time we met with them it was a great lesson. We watched the Joseph Smith Restoration video with him and the dad had a great feeling about it. But after the video he mentioned his worry about the smoking thing and quitting. We tried our best to explain to him that the Lord would help him. We saw him a few days later on the street and he had this really bad cough and was going to see the doctor about it. But the miracle is, that a few days before that the dad got involved in a little scooter accident and hit his chest on the front of his scooter pretty hard. So he had this cough that was getting worse. This last Saturday we called him to remind him about Church in the morning and he told us that he was in the hospital and had to get surgery. We rode over there really quickly. When we got there we found out that he had these bubbles that were in his Lungs because of the accident. He told us that the doctor told him that he could never smoke again because it was to dangerous. When my companion and I heard that I kinda just put my head down and tried not to laugh. We both knew that the Lord stepped in and was helping us out. What was interesting was that we both felt that if there was one thing that was going to hold him back, it would have been the cigarettes for sure. It was really an amazing miracle. We went over to the hospital yesterday with one of the members of the bishopric and gave him a blessing. We are going to call him tonight and see how he is doing.

This week I also received a big answer to my prayers as well. There was one day that we had that was just filled with trials and it kinda seemed like the day was just getting worse and worse. Every missionary knows exactly what that feels like. The day ended and it was a relief. I made it to 10:30 and got on my knees. I was filled with a lot of distress and doubt. In my prayer I kept asking how I could be better and what I could do to become better. The morning rolled around and a call came on our home phone, and basically there are only two people who ever call on that phone. The District Leader or this kinda "special person" named Kevin. I only know him by his English name. He has known the missionaries for years and somehow knows all of our phone numbers. But it was 6:40 and I was in the middle of my morning prayer and the phone was just constantly ringing and it would not stop. I knew it was him and I was just hoping that he would give up and stop calling. But he didn't. The phone just kept ringing. I was already annoyed as it was but I kinda just gave up the prayer and went over to the phone, not really the best of moods and answered. It was him and he called me just wanting to chat and see if I was going to church and stuff. He kinda asks the same questions every day. But I got really annoyed this time and was really short with him and immediately told him that I had to go. Right as I hung up I had a very guilty felling and I realized that my prayers were answered. The Lord let me know exactly where it was that I needed to be better. He told it to me as straight is it comes. I need to be filled with love all the time. Not just some of the time, or when I feel like it. But all the time in all circumstances. That experience strengthened my Testimony so much in the power of prayer and the importance of having love always in my heart.

The scripture I want to share this week is Alma 5:38. The whole Chapter is really good and talks a lot about repentance. Everyone read it.

Love you gotta go!

Elder Wei

Letter # 41

我親愛的家庭 (My beloved family)

Well this weeks filled with many ups and downs. For the most part it went well. Transfers were this last weekend and I am still with my same companion Elder Shumway. We together make the Shumburger (It's delicious). We actually work amazing together and he is a really good missionary. I am way happy am still together with him. For multiple, multiple reasons. He is younger than I am but he is one of those Elders that knows exactly why he came on a mission. He will be a good leader.

We have really been working hard in our area, and we are seeing blessings from it. We are have two baptisms on the 27th. One is an older guy who has had friends in the Church for years and is finally really progressing. The other is the 18 year old kid. He is doing well right now. This last week we went on a Taipei Temple square tour with one of the investigators. She and her daughter loved it. Her daughter is 9 years old and is completely hilarious. She wanted to know if God was really in the Temple and she started getting frustrated because she couldn't see him. She will make a great Sister missionary when she is older. I sent a picture for everyone. But overall I think they really liked it. Taipei is such a crazy city. On the street where the temple is there is peace that cannot be felt anywhere else in the city. Its crazy because you can take one step on the street and you know that the feeling is just different there.

Something a little stressful happened. We went to go visit one of the new members last week, Sister Lee kind of an older lady; and when we got to the house her husband was outside. I have only been here a little while so I don't know the full story but her husband absolutely hates the missionaries. He was super rude to us and lied to us and told us she wasn't home and stuff. When we left he ended up yelling at her really bad. She ended up calling us telling us that she can't really come to church anymore. Well at least for the time being. We didn't even really know what to say. But she is really strong willed and will be back. That I am sure of. It's funny cause she will still find an excuse to call us every single day to tell us something new. She is funny. She is exactly like Grandma June. Not kidding. She has Grandma June's gun powder, just put into a Mormon. Sometimes inviting her to teach lessons with us can be a little crazy but she has an amazing testimony.

This morning was a little crazy for us. We had to get up really early in the morning to take one of the elders in our district to the airport. He is flying to Taidong. It's a little city at the bottom east corner of the Island. The monkeys over populated the people. But at the airport I had a weird flashback of the day I got to Taiwan and the scary realization that I only have ten months left until I am getting on that plane to come back. THAT WAS FREAKY! I stopped at the mission home on the way back and ran into my first District Leader, Elder Scott from Australia. He is heading home tomorrow and that was really weird for me to see. Basically this morning was rough. But gave me even more fuel to push me harder for the time I have left. I refuse to turn into an old lazy missionary. I HATE THAT! I made a commitment that I am going to get on that plane knowing that I pushed to the end.

Well the scripture for this week is in Alma. Its the story of Ammon and King Lamoni. Alma chapters 18-19. The point that I want everyone to pay attention to is the choice that King Lamoni and the queen made. There choice was to believe, and what the Lord is able to do with those that choose to believe. There were others that received the same witness of miracles. But the choice to believe is what it came down to. All progression is built around faith. Its our choice to believe or not to believe. If we choose to harden our hearts and not believe the Lord cant mold us. That is true because I witness it everyday.

Okay 我非常愛你們. ( I love you all so much )

Elder Wei 魏長老

Letter # 40

Hey Family!

Well another good week but had some irritating parts none the less. Mel the 18 year old investigator was not able to make it to church. He didn't wake up to his alarm. We are probably going to have to change his baptismal date. But he is progressing.

That young couple that we are teaching are doing great. The husband came to church this Sunday and really like it. He was listening so intently to everyone talking trying to get the most out of it. We meet with them again tomorrow night.

We also set a new baptismal goal with an older women this last week. She has pretty much investigated every religion on the face of this Earth. Teaching her is no easy task! We have really been pushing the importance of the Restoration with her. Her name is Mei yu Chen. The last lesson we had with her we printed off a talk from the November Ensign, the Conference edition. The talk is called Joseph Smith, Prophet of the Restoration by Elder Tad R. Callister. We read it along with her and it really put things into perspective for her. For me as well. It helped me realize very crucial doctrines that we as members of the Church might sometimes take for granted. For example, the type of being that God really is, what relationship he has with his son Jesus Christ, where we come from, why we are here, and where we are going. In essence... The Plan of Salvation. Without this, imagine what our lives would or could possibly be like without these useful doctrines. What comes to my head is LOST! we would be lost, and would be relying on other means to satisfy the great questions of the human soul. I cannot express how thankful I am to know this doctrine and its divinity that comes with it. What a blessing we have.

In the same lesson I was able to share the story of my older brother whom I have never met. Michael. He passed away as a toddler. To those who are not familiar with the Plan of Salvation I can't begin to imagine the grief that would cause any parents. I expressed to this investigator the blessing of knowing that through the book of Mormon a lost and crucial doctrine was restored. In Moroni 8 it talks of little Children being alive in Christ. It speaks of their innocence. With this we know that those children are not lost but in fact have already received their salvation automatically and are living in the presence of God. What a blessing we have for knowing this. I was called to share a quick message with the ward on Sunday at Sacrament meeting and shared the same story. I was touched with what I was taught spiritually. It was a great experience to realize the big picture of the Restoration and what comes along with it.

Good story from this weekend. The Elders in the area right next to us had a baptism. We came to the baptism. But right before the baptism we were getting ready and making some calls and stuff, when the other elders busted in the room and told us that we had a serious situation on our hands. I got a little scared and jumped up from the desk wondering what was going on. I thought something really bad had happened. But the Elders led me into this room, and there was this huge spider! Like Huge! Soon enough all these kids from the ward found us in this room chasing this spider around. I elected to kill it! I don't think spiders should be allowed to be on this earth! But the other Elders wanted to catch it. So they gave me this plastic container and I cornered him in and got him. We ended up just letting him go outside. Which I am still furious about. But it was way funny.

This week I also had the chance to go on exchanges with an Elder that I served with in my last area. He actually played lacrosse at UVU the same time I was at the Y. We played each other twice that year. I still keep up the smack talk with him now though. Like pretending like I don't know what the name of his school is called or asking him if he remembers the scores of the games when we played. (ha ha ...brings me back to high school) I have been in his district twice and he is an Elder that I really look up to because of his pure humility. He is seriously the nicest person and never shows an ounce of pride towards anything. He serves hard, loves these people and always speaks with love in his voice. I have never heard him say one bad thing about anyone or anything. This week I realized I needed to become more like that. I was really thankful for that exchange.

Well the scripture for this week is the talk I mentioned. Its on Lds.org. Its really powerful I hope everyone has the chance to read it.

Okay love you all so so so much.

Wei Zhang lao

Letter # 39

Family, Family.

Well things still going fantastic. We set up two more baptismal dates last night and we are really excited about it. We also found a FAMILY this last week. They are the Zhang Family. They are a younger couple with a one year old son. We met them outside contacting. He said that he wanted to know how to raise his son the right way. Prepared?... ya. Our first lesson with them was just a couple days ago. We had it at the home of one of the members of the Bishopric, and it all went great. They set up another time to meet with us next week and we are really looking forward to that. Pray for them please.

One of the people we set a baptismal goal with last night is this 17 year old kid in High school. His situation is very interesting. He is a Christian, had met with missionaries before and has also been to church. We met him outside a couple weeks ago. Anyway this kid is so unbelievably smart. He is the top of his class in High School. Here that is big! The students here work really hard on the books. Most are incredible students. But he just retains everything we teach him its crazy. He understood the great Apostasy before we taught it. He is very interested in truth. He believes in Jesus Christ but like a lot of people confused about which Church to go to. Last night we met with him for the second time. When we first sat down with him I asked him if he had prayed about Joseph Smith. I was surprised when he told us that he had.

He then right away told us that he believed it. I of course asked him why? He went on to tell us that the night he prayed about it he had a dream about Joseph Smith and him translating the plates of the Book of Mormon. He said that when he woke up he had a happy feeling. He said this and I kind of sat there like "really"? I then didn't even know what to say. We had a whole lesson planned to teach him. But after he said that the lesson almost had no relevancy for him at all. We then talked a little about what this kind of answer means for his life. Lastly I asked him if he continues on this path and continues to feel the truth from it, Would he be willing to be baptized. He said of course. We set the date for the 13th of March. It really was an amazing miracle but we will see how it plays out.

The ward is also getting really excited with the progress of missionary work in the ward. They are supporting us completely right now. That is such a blessing to have the ward completely behind you in Missionary work. Our Relief society is amazing. The president and her counselors take down the numbers of all the female investigators we have and are constantly staying in contact with them and making good friends with them. That is so crucial for an investigator, and its been a blessing for us lately.

For me personally this last week I have been thinking a lot about developing a pure testimony. One with a root and foundation like the Savior talks about in the parable of the Sower, Gospel of Mark. I have been thinking and evaluating my own testimony lately, and it has been just another one of those humbling experiences that let you know that you've got a long way to go.

The Scripture for this week is Mark Chapter 4.
I hope everyone gets a chance to read it.

Love you all!
Thank you for your prayers.

Wei Zhang Lao!