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