Meeting With Elder Holland

Hello Everyone!

This past week was pretty great here in Taidong. Elder Nelson and I were able to see some great success. Many miracles came last night after we got home from the 5 hour train ride which started in Taipei. We all ate dinner and by the time that were done we only had about an hour and a half left for the night to go out and work. So Elder Nelson and I prayed to know where we should go and then hopped on the bikes and headed out. The first door we tracted into was this Christian lady. She mentioned how she has heard from her ministers that our church was a cult. I then asked her, "well what do you think? You have talked a little bit with our missionaries before." She said she didn't know and then she asked if our church used the book about Moroni. I said yes, you mean the Book of Mormon? She said yes and then asked US, If she could have one! How cool is that? I wish everyone did that. We will head back this week to see how her reading has been going. Miracle 1. 
Next, we kept tracting and ran into this man who let us in to share a message. He said he used to go to church when he was young and was baptized there. We then talked a little bit about Prophets, restored authority and baptism. We invited and he said he would need more time before he could decide, but I could really feel the spirit leading the lesson and he set up for us to come back this Tuesday and teach him more. Miracle 2!
Lastly, We rushed off to our appointment we had scheduled, we were meeting with a man I had never met before and from what Elder Nelson told me this guy seemed pretty uncertain. Nevertheless we showed up and it just so happens he was there, AND he brought his best friend! As we got to know them we learned that both of them were former investigators from about 2 years ago and had been to church about six times then. I felt impressed to share the gospel of Christ with them and focus on baptism and the spirit. Afterwards we invited them to be baptized and the both said, "Yes!" so naturally! They then told us that they actually almost got baptized the last time they met with missionaries but got busy with work so they didn't, but that they still want to now! We set a date for the first number that came to mind 3/22 but im sure they will be able to move it up even earlier! They both have a great desire to come unto Christ! Miracle 3!!! We are so excited! The Lord truly blessed us last night.
The other miracle of the week was meeting with Elder Holland and the other General Authorities which came including Elder Halstrom and Elder Wilson of the Seventy. It felt so peaceful to be there with all of them and be edified by the words they spoke through the power of the Spirit. Elder Holland talk was focused on the importance of the mission in a persons life. He said a few word that really stuck out to me, he said, to not worry about things in the near future after the mission, you can recoup when get home, but that he wants us to give everything we've got now so that we fall off the plane from exhaustion, when we get home! I am definitely going to do that! haha. I know this mission is the refiners fire for us missionaries and its importance is so great in our lives. We will be molded into the men God wants us to be as we do our best to serve him. I'm grateful that God has given me this opportunity to come here to Taiwan and serve my brothers and sisters. It has been such a profound experience!
Im also grateful that we are lead by modern prophets and that I had the opportunity to hear from one last weekend. It was a marvelous experience.

Well thats a quick wrap up for the week. 

Love you all!

Elder Bastian

Finished My Time as Zone Leader

Hello Everyone!

It's been going well over here. I actually moved this last transfer which was on Friday! So, I have finished my time as zone leader. I am now back down on the east coast of Taiwan, but this time in the place called Taidong. Many of the missionaries often call this place the promised land of Taiwan, haha. It's a little more rural here, not crazy packed in like Taibei. Our apartment is about a 10 min run from the beach. The people here are also more open and willing to talk so that's been a blessing too! I really like it here already and I might finish my mission here since I only have 5 and a half months left. My guess is that I will train someone next transfer. My companion right now is Elder Nelson from Delta, Utah. He has been on his mission for about 7 months. He is awesome. He is such a nice and humble guy who is willing to work hard. He is also pretty funny. I think we will see much success here. So I'm really excited!

Well, I have to say... I was pretty pumped when I saw my name pop up for Taidong at the transfer meeting!  After we got the sheet that said we would be moving, I had a feeling that I would either go to Hualien or Taidong...and I did!  Maybe it was the spirit giving me a hint :)

The last part of the week, I was in JingXin and it went great. I had the opportunity to go on exchanges there with Elder Chatman - my old companion. He will be returning home the end of this new transfer. He is also doing great. It seems like "coming to the end" has given him more of a desire to get out there and get the work done with fire and boldness. I have felt that too. I received an email today from my friend who is in Brazil and he said that as he entered into the last 6 months of his mission last week he felt more of a feeling to savor every last moment of the mission and the experiences the Lord has given us and will give us. The past few weeks, and as I have come here to Taidong, I have really felt this! It's a new start to the last chapter and I've got the fire! I really feel that Elder Nelson and I will seem miracles here in Taidong.

I hope that Elder Zhou and Elder Tay will also see miracles in the West Zone (my last area) as they lead the missionaries there. I'm so grateful that the Lord gave me the opportunity to serve as Zone Leader for the past 4 transfers. I have felt the Lord work through me to accomplish his purpose as I have focused on serving and loving others. I have truly learned so much about missionary work, people, and life in general the past few months. The missionary hand book statement that says, "you can learn much from the missionaries that you work with" has truly come to pass. One of my favorite parts of being a missionary has been to see all the different skills, talents, and attributes each missionary has. The Taiwan Taipei mission is truly filled with some of Gods most gifted children!

Now that I am in here with Elder Nelson, we hope to continue to learn from each other, grow, and see success. We have 1 investigator that is extremely close to being baptized. His goal is for March 1st and I am positive he can meet it! We also have a couple of other investigators that I am in the process of meeting and getting to know. They seem to be good too! I hope to just be able to continue to use all of my time and effort so that the Lord will place miracles in our path. In other words, I want to be a Preach My Gospel missionary to its fullness!

Sorry for the long email!

Hope everyone has a great week back at home.

Love you all!

Elder Bastian

Ups and Downs

Hello Everyone!

This past week has been pretty good here in Jingxin. We continued to see miracles as we have focused on baptism and to rely on the Lord to lead us to His prepared children. It has given me a satisfying feeling in the heart to know that I have strived to do my best assisting the Lord in His work. Obviously there are days that are up and day that are down, some more than the other in each way, but I know I am doing what God has planned for me to do and this will help me the best in my life and allow me to help the most amount of other people too. Im grateful also to have a companion that is willing to listen and support me in this work. I couldn't do it with out him!

This past week Elder Zhou and I were able to meet with another former investigator last night for the first time. As we were getting to know him I asked him why he was willing to meet with us again. He told me that he came here seeking for an opportunity to change his life. I smiled and then testified of the Savior and his gospel which gives us power to change our lives for the better. We then taught about a forgiveness of sins and baptism and asked if he would like these blessings, he said, "Yes!" His biggest challenge is going to be overcoming chewing binlang but he is a good man with great desire and thats all it takes to start on the road to eternal life!

Im saddend to report that our main investigator Brother Wang will not be able to be baptized right now because his wife really strongly opposes, but he still wants to in the future. Man.... he was so close! We were planning to have his interview this week, but its ok. I know the Lord has a perfect plan for him and everyone else on the earth so he will be able to be baptized one day, hopefully soon.

The work is going smooth here.

Hope all is well back at home. Have a great week everyone!

Love,

Elder Bastian

Plan of Salvation

Hello!

I first have to say that I am stoked for the win of the Seahawks in the superbowl, what a monumental time it must been in Seattle sports!

But, now back to the important things. This past week went pretty great! It was the Chinese New Year so we were able to eat lots of great food and build our relationships with the ward members. 

We were also able to teach some great lessons to our investigators, one was with Brother Xue, what has been a catholic for many years. (It's rare to run into catholics here) I will give you the story:

 We were reading from the Book of Mormon with him and were able to finish up the lesson when I just had that quiet impression to share with him Alma 40 about the spirit world even though we had not taught him the Plan of Salvation with him yet. We started to read and discuss this doctrine and the man's eyes started to light up, he continued to tell us that all the years that he has been a catholic the one part of their doctrine that he always had a hard time agreeing with was their perspective on heaven and hell. That after death you are either immediately saved or go to hell and there is no way you can change after that, but as we taught him about the "waiting period" that the spirit world is where every one has a chance to hear the gospel and accept so they can receive salvation; he really felt the spirit testifying to the truthfulness of this. I was so excited to see him recognize the truths of the restored gospel. Next time we will share the full plan of salvation and im sure he will love it!

It has been so fun to teach other about the restored gospel and the blessings it brings to our lives!

Well my time is about up for this week. Sorry the email is short and I didnt put in pictures. I promise next week!

Love you all,

Elder Bastian

Temple Today

Hello Everyone!

This weeks email will be much shorter as I am running out of time!

It's been a great past week. Elder Zhou and I have seen some good success in finding new people to teach who are interested in the gospel it has been fun. I have really been striving these past few weeks to love all of the people I am serving to a fuller extent and it truly has brought much joy and peace to my mission experience. I have striven to love the people, love the ward, love my companion, and love Taiwan more fully. I leave my testimony that as we seek to forget ourselves and love and serve others, the Lord will take care of our needs. It's been a neat experience to be on the mission and learn so much!

Today is our preparation day and we will have the opportunity to go to the temple today. I am so excited! I know it will be a peaceful spirit-filled experience, one that will be me to recommit myself more fully to be a disciple of Christ. This morning we also had the opportunity to hike a mountain that is close to our apartment with some other elders and sisters. It was very fun and so beautiful! I will send some pictures next week!

I love you all and hope you all have a great week! 

Go Seahawks! I hope they win the superbowl!

Elder Bastian