It was a pretty good were here in Taidong! Here are some of the highlights of the week:
We started meeting more frequently with our investigator Brother Zeng. He seemed like he was starting to drop off, but we were able to bring a member to the lesson who is an Aborigine, just like him. They were able to talk and get to know each other and I think it really helped Brother Zeng's desire to grow. Plus the member has a great interest to help him prepare to be baptized! We are doing our best to help him over come his bin lang habit which its getting better and better. I think if doesn't run into it this week that he will be ready to be interviewed for baptism on the weekend.
Another highlight, our investigating family whose father is a recent convert has been doing well. His children are getting more and more involved with the church and its activities. Elder Neidfelt and I really feel that the kids will be able to be baptized this month. The mom might need more time as its hard for her to let go of the buddhist traditions and begin habits of pray and scripture study. But I'm sure she will be ready in the Lords time!
Last highlight came in finding, two of the new investigators we found are sweet!!! The first was this lady named Grace. We contacted here as she was going for a jog one night and she set up for last friday. We met in a 7/11 that was pretty crowded and didnt have many seats. At first I was think thinking, "ahh man, she is going to feel really embarrassed to meet here..." But as we sat down she was totally fine and was really interested in our message! She was asking great questions and the best part? As we were finishing up I asked if we could say a closing pray and hadn't even specified that I would like here to say the pray when she said, "ok, I'll do it! I want to practice saying a prayer!" Elder Neidfeldt and I were shocked! Afterwards she told us how she had seen us at the same 7 a few weeks ago eating dinner out front and that day she had stopped near us and had wanted to talk to us, but didn't muster up the courage to do so. She said it was such a coincidence to run into us again. As she told me this story I actually remembered that day and remembered her standing there! At that moment, I had a really peaceful feeling telling me that this was all God's set up. We are really excited for her!
We have some great investigators right now who are getting close to baptism. We are going to make sure that we do all we can this week to really help these people build faith in Christ and repent so that they can be baptized soon! I really hope they all chose to make this covenant with God! I feel like being a missionary has given me a peeks view into what parenthood is like as I can see the potential for these investigators and know how much accepting this gospel with absolutely change their lives, yet they in a sense are like children and dont quite realized this yet and will only slowly come to this understanding over time and through personal experience. You want to help them so bad but sometimes, you just got to leave it up to the Lord to take care of things.
I don't know if this is going to be my last area or not but I really hope that If I stay I can see these people be baptized!!!!! They are all such great people and children of God!
Things are going well here and I feel that I am working harder and more efficient now than I have my whole mission. I want to keep it up and hope that the Lord gives me strength to do so!
I think one thing that I have been learning and feeling the importance of over the past several months is the necessity of magnify our calling as missionaries and throughout the rest of my life. We dont just keep following the commandments when we get back, but we prove our faithfulness through magnifying all of the callings that God gives us.
I hope I continue to learn all that the Lords wants me to while I am here in Taiwan.
This about sums it up for here this week.
Hope you all have a great week at home! Love you all!
Elder Bastian
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