A Week of Variety

Hello Everyone!

 

This week has been pretty good! We were able to invite 2 other people to be baptized this week and they said "yes!" We hope to be able to set firm dates with them this following week. The work has been a little slower lately but as Elder Wang and I have done our best efforts to help this area we have been able to see some miracles and success in here in Long Tan. As of right now, we have one investigator that is progressing quickly towards baptism. Her goal is for the end of this month and I know that she will be able to obtain it. She is very accepting of the gospel and you can tell that she has been blessed with the gift of the spirit to believe. I think that is one of the things I have noticed on the mission so far, there truly are some people that are blessed with this gift. When you meet them, you just know that they will be baptized and you are truly able to see their potential. How great are the blessings of the Lord! 

This week we have been able to concentrate our efforts a little more on finding as we have been out on the roads going to and from places, seeking out Less Actives. On Friday, I was able to see a miracle. I had felt that finding was a little harder that day and I was feeling a little down. I prayed in my heart that we would be able to find someone. As I began to talk with those one the street I noticed a young man that I had seen cross the street a little ways back after he left the army campus. I rode up next to him and started to share about our relationship with God and prayer, said a prayer with him and he loved it! He was really interested in meeting with us! Sadly, but not sadly, he lives in Xin Zhuang so I had to pass him off, but I know that the Lord is watching over me and him and that no matter what area in the world we are in. There is one more starting on his way back home to the Lord.

On our preparation day Monday, Elder Wang and I and a couple other missionaries in the neighboring area were able to visit a place called the ShiMen Water Resovior. It is a dam that is built up into that side of this mountain at the border of our area in Long Tan. It is such a beautiful place! The mountains here are really pretty and the water behind the dam was pure blue. It reminded me a lot of all the beautiful hiking areas in Seattle. We had to ride quite a ways to get there, but it was so worth it! After the little trip I had the opportunity to go on exchanges with the Zone Leader, Elder Anderson. We went back to his area, Tao Yuan, which is a little north of ours. We had a great time together and I think we were able to learn a lot from the experience about enjoying the work. 

The next day after that I was able to go on exchanges with another member in our district Elder Robinson. He is from, well actually a lot of different places. His father is an NCIS agent and they often move. He spent his high school years in Singapore, but his family, before his mission moved to California. We were able to visit a new family that we had been able to get in contact with and the family is great! I see a lot of potential in them. Later that night as we headed home and started to talk about life back at home and especially BYU! He did a year there also before his mission. We talked about how awesome of a university it is. It really is the best! By the way, how is the BYU basketball doing and the other sports teams? Im sure the the NCAA is rolling around or maybe already started. How cool.

Well, in all this week has been pretty good! A lot of memories made and people met. Taiwan is great. I hope that everyone is doing well back at home and that your week goes great.

Love you!

Elder Bastian