Hello Everyone!
It's been a week of many changes! We left for Taiwan last Tuesday at around 8:30 in the morning. On our flight to LA there happened to be a lady sitting behind my friend and she had a copy of the Book of Mormon in her hands and was reading it. He started to talk to her. She is from Taiwan but is currently living in Hawaii. She is not a member and had been visiting friends in Salt Lake City when she ran into some missionaries. She said that past weekend was the first time she really started to investigate church seriously and she was very interested in the church and in the Book of Mormon. The were able to talk to her and testify of the truthfulness of this book. It was really cool. They were able to get her contact information so that when she gets home she will be able to start meeting with some missionaries. It was cool to see the missionary work starting so quickly.
The rest of the flights were long, but good. We arrived in Taiwan about 23 hours after we first left Provo. What a culture shock! So many people and so many lights! It's a great place. We were picked up by our mission president, his wife, and the assistants. They took us to the mission home where we stayed for 2 days to receive some orientation and training before we met our companions and headed out to our proselyting areas. The mission home is right across the street from the temple so it was very cool to be there and wake up each morning to see the temple. Most people around in the neighborhood, when we talked to them, had said that they have seen the temple before.
I think my mission president said that there are about 6 million people in the Taipei basin. The main area for missionary work. It is so cool. On Friday we were able to have our transfer meeting where I was able to meet my companion. His name is Elder Johnson. He is from Provo, Utah and he has been out for about a year and 4 months. His Chinese is sooo good. He's been such a help and a great companion. He is really cool. He actually went to the University of Arizona for a year before his mission where he played baseball for them. So, both of us are collegiate athletes, I bet that doesnt happen too often in companionships! Kind of cool. We found out which area we are going to the same time and we are serving in the south Taipei area called Zhong He.
Elder Johnson has been in this area for about 6 months. We were able to get our stuffed all moved over a little later that day. We had to take the "MRT" a little underground subway, which is supposedly the cleanest one in the world. It is super helpful! After some planning, we headed out to do some proselyting and we taught a lesson with a 16 year old who is preparing to be baptized. Right now we have about 12 investigators. They are all so great. It is awesome to be able to share the gospel with them and see their lives already changing even though it's only my 6th day here. One of our investigators, Mei, is so great! He just loves the gospel and eats everything up that we share with him about it. I have been able to meet about 5 other of our investigators and will meet more of them this week.
The other crazy part about Taiwan is the traffic! It is nuts. There a tons and tons of scooters and cars everywhere and you just weave in and out of every one! It is a lot of fun. Especially contacting from the bikes at intersections. We usually have about 30 or so seconds to start talking to the person and get their interest and have to pull off to the side where we can talk to them about the gospel and set up a time to meet with them. It's crazy, but awesome! It's been a little hard for me because of the language, but each day is getting better and I get more and more confident at it.
My companion has no fear! Ha, he talks with everyone, Literally. I know I need to do the same and am working on that a lot this week and improving my Chinese to be able to better talk with them. I have already learned so much! Yesterday, I was able to meet our ward. They are soo great! There are about 130 people in the ward and I was able to introduce myself and bear my testimony in Sacrament meeting. It was really fun and you could feel the spirit so strong in that meeting. They are all so great! Other than that, everything is going well. I am working my hardest each day. And I know that this gospel is true and will make changes in so many people's lives. It is just awesome. I love all the people here.
I hope everyone is dong well back home! Here in Taiwan my mission president allows me to receive emails from everyone. So feel free to send them! That is probably a lot faster than mail, but mail is still nice too! Time's up for today, but I'll let you know what's changed next week!
Love, Elder Bastian
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