Jia You

Hello Everybody!

 

This week has been great! We have been teaching most of the days to our role play investigators. I am really learning how to best teach each of the lessons and learn to teach by the spirit and allow Him to guide me in my words. Sometimes it's hard because I want say something in Chinese but I dont completely know how so this week I have been trying to expand my vocabulary so that I can testify and descibe things more effectively. I'm pretty sure that I have mastered that basic Chinese needed to teach! But I know that it is not good enough and that I need to keep striving to expand my vocabulary and listening skills. 

My companion and I taught at the Teaching Resource Center again on Saturday. The place where we teach real people who come in and volunteer to listen to us. It's pretty cool because we get to meet and share are message with new people each week. Most all of them are already members but I have had that chance to teach two people who aren't members so far. It is awesome. This last Saturday we taught a BYU student. It just so happens that I knew this student from BYU. He was is my missionary prep class. He has been taking Chinese for three years but hasn't had the opportunity to go because he has had some health issues but he hopes to get out soon. As we started to teach him and get to know him a little better I had the impression early on to bear my testimony to him that God loves him and that He knows each of us perfectly. 

That he is His son and that He is always there for him. I started to get choked up and didn't really know why I was testifying of these things at this point in the lesson, but I could feel the spirit and knew that he felt the spirit testifying to him that these things were true. He started to get a little choked up too. I know from then on that it wasn't and isn't ever me teaching the people but that I and all missionaries are just instruments in the Lord's hands to bring to pass His work. The spirit is the master teacher, and he will always let us know what is right. 

The second group of people that we were able to teach was a father and son and then another man who goes to BYU. You'd never guess but the son is only 8 years old and is already learning Chinese! I couldn't believe it. He doesn't know to much but he knew enough to introduce himself and say how old he is. His dad doesn't speak Chinese at all. The other guy was born and raised in China so his Chinese was perfect. It was fun to share our message with them and get to know them better. I have come to love teaching more and more.

I finally am over my cold after a long bout with it and it feels good to not be coughing anymore. This week I started to go jogging during my exercise time with one of the other elders. I have just do a mile each time we have run but still it feels good to be running again. The first time we went we ran a 7:34, the second time a 7:04, and then this last time a 5:49. I think I got a little ambitious :) but I'm loving it. I hope to be able to run a good solid mile by the time I leave. We will see what I can do then! Tonight we have our weekly devotional. We never know who the speaker is 'til we get there but we are hoping that one of the Apostles comes to speak again. The last once came about 4 weeks ago. We will see! I always love hearing from them. We hear such good talks every week! So spoiled! Anyway, time's up 'til next week.

 

Love,

Elder Bastian