Last Three Weeks

Hello Everyone!

This past week down here in Taidong has been good, but also not so good! I will explain.
First I will talk about the great things that happen as we really did see  miracles this past week!
Number 1: We found our investigator Brother Hu again! We thought he had dropped off the face of the earth, because for the past week and a half he didnt answer our phone calls and when we went to his house he wasn't there. But one day as we were finding this past week my companion had a feeling to go to his house and see if he was there. He was home! He then explain how he hadn't payed his phone bill so he wasn't able to get in contact with us. The best part, is that he is still progressing and has a great desire to come unto Christ! During the time we didnt have contact, he read all the way to 2 NE 1. Saturday we shared with him the Word of Wisdom and even though he has a lot of problems with it he is completely willing to work to overcome it! Then sunday he came to church! MIRACLE!
Number 2: Our 73 year old investigator who has been smoking for almost 60 years, quit smoking!!! It was crazy. My companion and I had felt we had done all we could to help him and were praying our guts out for him and God put in the last little(or HUGE) bit to make it happen!

Last Cool Experience. Saturday night we were able to watch a batismal service for the other branch down here. A 20 year old girl and also an 80+ year old couple got baptized. I was able to be the witness while they were baptized. The coolest part was watching the 80+ year old brother be baptized. He has some more major health problems so he isnt able to walk or get around by himself at all. So when he got baptized four elders had to help him into the water and them help him be fully immersed. The whole time this man had a super calm look on his face. He just seemed to trust God even though it was extremely difficult for him to be baptized and people had to help him in. It really brought the spirit as we saw this man's faith and absolute trust in God. Miracle!

The biggest downer of this past week is that I got sick! It started saturday morning and has continued till now. I am feeling a bit better today though. Yesterday was pretty bad though. We stayed inside the whole day except for going to sacrament meeting. I was able to take a nap and rest some more. It stinks to be sick because you feel like you aren't getting anything done! but I trust in the Lord and know he has a plan and that things happen for a reason.

These last 3 weeks I am here I want to really focus on the work be in harmony with my companion, so that I can sprint to the finish and he will be prepared to take over the area when I leave. As I have been sick, Elder Hughes has already been doing a great job on keeping on top of the work making sure that our investigators were taken care of at church and things.

I remember something my friend wrote who just went home a few weeks ago. He said, the last month of a mission is like last 100m of a race running down the home strecth. Your running your hardest, sprinting to the finish, but your also the most exhausted at that point, and you're relying on the cheer of the crowd and parents to push you through, except with us on the mission we are relying on the Lord. The last month of the mission as I push my hardest I really will rely on the lord and and seek His strength and guidance to do HIS work. I wont be able to do it with out him. I will seek to do this through humility, prayer, and obedience! I am so grateful that the Lord has given me this opportunity to serve. 

Well this about wraps it up for the week! Hope everyone has a great week at home!
Love you all,

Elder Bastian