Last Post!

Dear Family and Friends,

Well... I cant believe i am writing my last email to you right now.... It really is a strange feeling. I want to say that I feel good about all the work I have done in the Lord's vineyard here in Taiwan. I pray that he will accept my efforts and be proud of me also. I know that my service will not end here, in a week, but will continue on into the eternities. I hope to live a life centered on the serving the Lord and His children, my brothers and sisters. 

This past week here with Elder Hughes has been great! We really did see MIRACLES. I think that is another great thing about the mission. I have come to learn that miracles are REAL. God really does show us each and everyday that he is a living God, a God that can and will influence our lives for the better, if we allow him to.
Miracle #1 - Brother Hu is progressing like crazy and has already quit smoking and drinking, starting last saturday!!! He has such a pure desire to come unto Christ and to do the things that would make God proud of him. Can you think that only a few weeks ago this man was an atheist? Its crazy! We have been making plans and setting goals with him to help him quit smoking and he has been following them to the line! This week we reinvited him to baptism since his original date had passed. We invited for 8/16 and he said, "can I get baptized earlier? on 8/9?" Elder Hughes and I looked at each other, smiled, and just nodded our head up and down. I love him!
Miracle #2 - Our district witnessed TWO baptisms this week! So cool! Originally it was going to be 4, with every companionship having one, but a few things happened that I will mention in a bit.
A Brother Huang and Li were baptized on saturday and it was so cool to see them in white. The baptism was filled with the spirit! Seeing people repent and change there lives to draw closer to the savior really is one of the most special things in this life.
Yes, it is sad that our investigator Brother Liao was not baptized this last saturday. He gave into peer pressure from freinds and relapsed on on friday by smoking a cigarette. So, his baptismal date will be post-poned to this Saturday. Its a little bit sad that I wont be able to see him get baptized, but I take great Joy in knowing that he is still on tract and that the Lord will help. I have faith the God will help him return to the fold. Plus, Elder Hughes is an Awesome missionary, so I know he will take care of him! I will miss Brother Liao.
Coming into my last week, I have made a goal. Although, I will be heading to Taibei on thursday and wont be in taidong anymore, I have made a goal to preach the gospel all the way until I get released. So that means that even on the airplane home I would like to be able to share the gospel with those who sit next to me! I hope to be able to share with them some of my experiences over these past two years and help them see the blessing that come from the gospel. I am so grateful that the Lord has blessed us with the Restored gospel!
Well, I can say that I love the Lord, I love these Taiwanese people, I have loved my mission and I will be sad to see it end. 

I know that God lives. I know that He loves us. I know that he has once again called a Prophet of God and through him, has restored His church. Christ is our Savior.  "And now, after the many testimonies which have been given of him, this is the testimony, last of all, which we give of him: That he lives! (D&C 76:22)"

This wraps it up for the past 2 years!

I hope all of you have a great week. See you soon!

Love,

Elder Bastian

Translating

Hello Everyone!

Well this past week was pretty interesting, but a lot of good was accomplished!

I was still feeling pretty sick the first couple days of the week, but by wednesday I was starting to feel a bit better and it just so happens that that day, a few of the elders in my zone and I were able to head to Taipei for a Leadership training meeting. We didnt get back until Saturday morning. So most of this past week I was not in my area. 

The meeting that we attended was great though. We were able to receive many trainings on the Fundamentals of Missionary work and how to improve our skill and abilities to be able to more fully preach the gospel like the Savior. 

I was assigned to translate for the 1st day of the leadership meeting which was pretty fun. Translating is challenging as sometimes the people speaking, say really advanced english words that we dont know how to say in chinese so we have to think of how to say it in a simpler way while at the same time trying to stay on top of the moving conversation. The people speaking dont stop for us to catch up so it makes it an interesting challenge.

Overall it was an uplifting meeting!

The biggest miracle of the week though came on Sunday! We have been meeting with an older man named Brother Liao for the past 2 months or so and he has been slowly progressing. Last week he miraculously quit smoking, but we still had a few things that were worrying would hold him back from being baptized. BUT, he over came them and yesterday passed his Baptismal interview so he is planned to get baptized this Saturday! Elder Hughes and I are so excited, because this guy is so sweet! He just has a simple but great desire to follow God and is willing to do what it takes to become His disciple. He is a man of great faith!

Lastly, I just want to bear my testimony that I know that God lives and that he loves us. He perfectly knows each and everyone of us and is constantly helping us. Although sometimes it is harder to feel his influence than other times, he is always there. How could a Father ever forget his child anyways?

I am grateful for this knowledge that I have in my life.

I love you all and hope that you have a great week at home!

Elder Bastian

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

Finding People

Hello Everyone!

This past week here in Taidong has been pretty good. Its getting super hot down here, so Elder Hughes and I bringing extra water with us each day so we dont get dehydrated. We walk outside and within about 20 minutes we are pretty soaked with sweat!

But the work goes on with diligence!

This past week here in Taidong we had a pretty special missionary activity where the mission president sent 28 missionaries down to the east coast of Taiwan to help out in each of the proselyting areas for 4 days. The missionaries that came down had the sole purpose to FIND people who are prepared to here the gospel so they were outside for 10+ hours each day knocking doors and contacting people on the street. It was pretty cool and a huge help to us! The mission president has a huge vision to help the east coast as it is the last district in the mission. The rest of the areas are all stakes. Im glad that he has so much love for the people out here.

Here are a few other highlights of the week:
Last night as we were finding we weren't seeing much success so we stopped to say a prayer and as for Heavenly Fathers help. We decided that we would head one direction after the prayer and the first person we stopped and talked to turned out to be super good! We ran into this girl and her boyfriend. Through a few questions we were able to figure out that she has a not so good family situation right now and really hopes that God can help here. I testified how the gospel has helped the 9 of us in my family and told here how I know it can help her. Shes set up again for this tuesday! We're pumped and so glad that we were lead to her!
We also have a newer investigating family of 4. This week meeting with them the Dad seemed to open up more and they all said they were willing to keep our commitments to pray and begin reading the book of mormon to seek for an answer. It was cool to see them commit to do these actions that with help them to draw closer to Heavenly Father because they have such little knowledge of Christianity and a lot of the thing we share with them are newer concepts. I hope they will be able to feel the spirit as they begin to pray.

Its been a good week and Elder Hughes and I are going to continue to do our best to help these people come to FEEL that Jesus Christ is their Savior. As I have been out on the mission longer and longer, I have learned its so important for people to really FEEL deep down in there heart that what the are doing (coming to know God) is whats best for them. The best way they can get these feelings is through their own experience.

Well this about sums it up for the week! Hope everyone is doing well at home.

Love you all,

Elder Bastian

Monkey Mountain

Hello Everyone!

I don't have a ton of time to write my email this week so it will be a bit shorter, but here are some of this week's highlights.

On Saturday our 11 year old investigator Lin Feng Xiu was baptized. It was a very special experience. After he was baptized he told me that he really had this special feeling in his heart and said that it must be the Spirit!

He had a big smile on his face. I hope that he and his mom continue faithful in the gospel till the end! It will be awesome to see him in 7 years or so preparing and leaving to serve a mission.

Another cool experience this week was talking to this 17 year old kid on the street. He said that he was recently starting to attend a different church in another town, but we started to share about the restoration of the gospel and mention that we have a living prophet and he stopped and said, "What? You really mean that there is a prophet again on the earth?" We said, "Yes!" He seemed so shocked and interested. We were pretty shocked too because most people that we talk too, a prophet means very little to them. He is set up to meet again tonight and I really hope he comes!

Today we will be heading out to a cool mountain for P-Day. It's called, Monkey Mountain, know for its roaming monkeys that you can feed and take pictures with. It should be fun!

Well my time is just about up! 

Hope that everyone has a great week back at home!

Love,

Elder Bastian

It's Gonna Be a Good One

Hello Everyone!

Wow, I can't believe that I have now entered into my last transfer as a missionary representing Jesus Christ. Time has flown by. Last week I went back and read the very first email I ever sent to President Day when I first got to the Island and was being trained by Elder Johnson. It helped me to reflect on the beginning of the mission up until now and see how much the Lord has helped me to change and to think about all the people I have had the opportunity to help come unto Christ. I hope that I have been able to help all those who the Lord has wanted me to help! Time really does fly.

This transfer Elder Niedfeldt moved. He actually is now serving in the area where I started my mission! Pretty cool! It was great being with him and learning from him. I am also super excited to be here with Elder Hughes, my new companion. He is a Fire Ball and has such a positive uplifting attitude/presence. We are having a great time together and have already seen miracles! I know that this last transfer will be filled with miracles performed by the Lord!

Highlight 1! Our investigator Lin Feng Xiu will be baptized this coming Saturday night!!!!!!!!! He passed his interview on Saturday night with Elder Gibson. He is such a sweet kid and really has a good, clear understanding of the gospel principles and their true importance. No wonder Christ tells us that we need to be more like the little children! I wish all of our investigators were like him! So this is the first thing I am pumped for.

Highlight 2! Our investigator Brother Hu came to church for the first time on Sunday! I am so grateful for all the service that our branch president has done for him. He has really reached out to him, even exchanging phone numbers and texting/calling him, helping him find a new job, and also giving him a ride to church. I really think that the branch president's help has been monumental in this investigator's progression. He trusts us and is so much more willing to trust our testimonies as he strives to develop his own now. He also set a baptismal date for 7/19. I hope he makes it!

Last Highlight! This past week we went to visit a potential investigator that had set up an appointment with us. I had forgotten who he was when we called and set up with him, but we figured we would find out when we got there. We got there, and he happened to be the husband of a lady I contacted several weeks ago who hadn't seemed too interested, but they both sat down to talk. Then, we asked if their kids who were playing in the other room would like to listen to the message too. They came out and all 4 of them had a lesson with us about the restoration and the mom seemed pretty interested! MIRACLE! We hope to really be able to help their family come unto Christ!

This last transfer I really am just going to keep doing my best down here and seek to love these people with my whole heart. Its going to be a good one.

Well, this about wraps it up for the week. 

Hope everyone is doing well back at home!

Love you all,

Elder Bastian

Attitude of Gratitude

This past week here in Taidong was pretty good. Elder Neidfeldt and I were able to see some great miracles and learn some important lessons.
I will start first with the miracles: 

We met with our 11 year old investigator name Lin Feng Xiu this past week. He is the son of a recently returning less active sister in our branch. He has been coming to church with his mom for about the past 4 or 5 weeks. We started the lessons with him and invited him to baptism on Saturday. When we first asked him if he knew what baptism was he said "its a new start in life!" we were pretty surprised he already knew that. Then we taught him the rest about it and invited him to follow Jesus Christ and be baptized. His reply? "YES! I really want to be baptized!" He didn't look to his mom or anything. This was totally from his own desire. I was truly filled with joy from hearing his reaction and decision to be baptized! His date is set for the 28th of this month and im sure he will be able to make it. Elder Niedfeldt and I are sooo excited!

Another miracle: we were finding on Sunday night and up to this point in the week we didnt have too much success in finding, so we were really praying that God could lead us to his prepared children. There was a family that we had tracted into the week before who had let us in and listened to a message, but because they were more devout Buddhists they didn't seem to show great interest. But we went back last night and met with them again. They had really changed! They allowed us to pray with them and the wife even said she would pray. They also told us how they really want to come to our church and are going to try and come this next week. One again, Elder Niedfeldt and I were humbled by the experience and understanding that the lord prepares His children according to His time. And now we have a new investigating family!!! It was a pretty cool experience, especially since it was a straight down pour of rain that night when we were finding.

Another great lesson that Elder Niedfeldt and I have learned this past week is the importance of prayers of gratitude. As we were on exchanges this past week with Elder Glaittli and Forbes, Elder Forbes gave Elder Niedfeldt an invite for us to say prayers of gratitude after we see success in finding whether we find a new investigator, get someone's phone number, or even talk to a nice person. We have started to do so and truly we have been feeling a difference. I have really noticed that the spirit is more fully with us and they I am more humble and understanding of these people. I think it has made finding much more happy! I'm grateful that Elder Forbes gave us this invite. I know that expressing thanks to our Heavenly Father frequently is so important. Sometimes we get caught up in seeing what our life is missing or focusing on what our struggles and challenges are, and seem to look right past the many blessing that the Lord has already given us. This type of thinking can blind our lives and lead us to live in sorrow, but as I can testify and Elder Uchtdorf did in conference that as we focus on having an attitude of gratitude the Spirit will permeate our lives and new measure of happiness will flood in.

Well this about sums its up for the week. Hope everyone is doing well at home!

Love you all!

Elder Bastian