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

Tender Mercies

Hello Everyone!

This past week was good here in Taidong. Elder Niedfeldt and I have been making some good goals and plans together and we are working hard to accomplish them. Elder Niedfeldt is a great example of someone who is sooo committed to the goals he sets, I wish that came easier for me. but I am learning a lot from him and doing my best to set more meaningful goals that will guide the missionary work. It was easier for me to make goals when I was at home running, or at school and things, because I felt I had most all of the control on how the outcome will be. I've learned that It really does take faith to set goals on the mission, but I know they show God our desires and hopes. 
This past week we met with the Zhuang Family again. They are doing well. We taught them about the 10 commandments.  The mom in the family has some concerns about her own mother opposing her joining the church, because her mom is a pretty devout buddhist, but I think that our peike was able to help her a lot. This week when we meet with them on tuesday we want to invite them to take a step of faith and set a baptismal goal for the 28th of this month. They are so good! I hope the mom will overcome the fear she has of her mom and know that baptism is the best decision she can make in her life right now, even if she doesn't necessarily see or understand ALL the blessing its will bring her. Its a step of faith.
Another "tender mercy of lord" this week actually came on monday. We had biked out to this beach-side park that was up the coast. It was really pretty there and after seeing the ocean we were walking back up the trail to where our bike were parked and we ran into some of the landscape workers there. They had a pile of coconuts and when they saw us the yelled out "Foreigners!" then they picked up a coconut and called us over, chopped it open and had us drink the milk inside. They were so nice! It brought a good spirit to our day. Im glad the Lord often blesses us through the people around us.

Well my time is about up for this weeks email. The work is going well and I am continuing to work hard until the end! Im glad to have the Lord on my side, helping me along the way.

Hope everyone has a great week.

Love,

Elder Bastian

Too Many Mangoes

Hello Everyone,

This past week here in Taidong was overall good. We some good successes and few downers, but overall I feel that Elder Niedfeldt and I worked our hardest and that is what counts. 
Some highlights of the week though were:
Meeting again with a recently returning LA's and her son who is our investigator. In the beginning, he was pretty closed up to praying with his mom and would tell her that he didn't want to come to church, but we met last saturday and learned that they prayed together this last week 2 or 3 times and the he is liking church more and more! He is slowly opening up to the gospel, its a miracle! I really feel that this is a huge blessing for his mom and him as she is becoming more and more active also. We really hope to help him be baptized in June. 
We also have been meeting with this 70 year old man and he is super willing to listen to our message. Its been a challenge to help him really understand it clearly as its so foreign to him but he is warming up nicely, has set a baptismal date, and is excited to come to church this coming Sunday. If we can help him quite smoking, I think he will get baptized for sure!

The Zhuang Family is also doing well. The 2 daughters came to church this past week, but the mom did not. This week were are focusing more on teaching the commandments. Its interesting how here in Taiwan that one of the harder commandments for people to accept is the 10 commandments because #1 says to only worship Heavenly Father. In Taiwan, many people believe there are thousands of gods and that even there ancestors are gods. I have noticed that the best way to help the understand that we are to only worship Heavenly Father is by helping them have their our spiritual experiences through prayer and communicating with him. Its pretty interesting. I hope all goes well when teaching them this on Tuesday!

Its been pretty hot here lately, but we also had a sweet miracle! Yesterday as we were doing studies at home someone knocked on our door. We opened it to find a little boy and girl holding this big bag of mangos. The said they were neighbors for the floor below and that the had grown too many mangos this season so they wanted to give us some. They were huge! I ate one yesterday and man it was delicious. I will attach a picture to the email.

Well that's pretty much it for some of the bigger highlights of the week.

Elder Niedfeldt and I are continuing to work hard and hope to see much success.

Hope everyone has a great week at home.

Love,

Elder Bastian

Reflecting on the Mission

Hello Everyone!

Its been a pretty good week here in Taidong.

Here are some of the highlights/big news from this past week:

We were blessed with 3 new investigators that all came from member referrals! This is the first time its ever happened since I've been on the mission and whats even better is that they all seem pretty interest. We really hope to be able to work with these members to help the friend/ family be able to progress towards baptism. I know that member missionary work is sooo crucial to help people come unto christ! When and investigators has a friend by his side to answer his questions and encourage him along the way, the probability for them to join the church is so much higher. Then the member and friend can both rejoice in the blessings that have come from this gospel. 
We are also continuing to work with the Zhuang Family. They are so great. Once again they came to church as a whole family! Its their 4th time now. They are continuing to progress and will definetly be baptized in time. They are just trying to resolve some family opposition with the Grandmother. We are going to bring a member on tuesday that struggled with family opposistion at first, but over came it, to help them out.
Sadly, we had to pass Brother Wang off to the 2nd Branch down here in Taidong because we figured out the house that he is living in with his family is actually not in our area. We had been meeting at his Shop and I though he also lived right by, but he doesnt. Its ok though! He is still awesome and I know the missionaries in the 2nd branch will take great care of him.
Last insight:

This week I have been reflecting back on what the mission has done for me and it made me think of something my best friend's dad (Brother Brown) said to me before I left on my mission. He told me that one thing I should do while I am on my mission is to love every single one of my companions that I will have, no matter who they are. That is something that I have strived to take to heart and can say that I feel I have done well. I understand more and more why he told me that. Although we have ups and downs with each companion I have found that loving them and learning how to work with them and interact together has been so beneficial, not only for the work now, but I have really felt that it is preparing me for when I am married and will be with my wife. Its hard to explain in words, but I know that because of the mission and striving to love each companion I am better prepared to be with an eternal companion! So cool!
Well I thought I would share that insight with you, since its been something I have been thinking about lately. The mission really is a training ground for life! And NO, I am not trunky! This is just something I have learned and thought I could share.

This about sums it up for the week!

Love you all,

Elder Bastian

Third Celestial Bridge

Sorry time is a little bit shorter today, so I won't be able to write a lot! We are heading out to a famous tourist spot on the beach that a member is taking us to. It's called the 3rd Celestial Bridge. I hear it's super pretty so I will send pictures next week.

Highlights of the week:

My companion got hit by a scooter this past week and they both crashed! He is OK and only a little scraped up. The people that hit him were two 80+ year old people. I hope they are OK as they are much more frail. I know that the Lord really does send angels to protect us because this accident could have been much worse!

Elder Forbes and my companion met with Brother Wang this past week as I was on exchanges. They say that he seems to be much more on board with everything lately and even in the lesson asked what all the commandments were so he could know how to obtain the blessings that God wants to give him. So cool! I really hope he gets baptized this month.

We also did service for one of Elder Forbes' recent converts, this funny 60 year old sister who lives up on the mountain. We were moving some beds and things for her at her house and we found a spider that was huge! About 4 inches in width! It was funny to see supposed "missionary men" turn into little girls! Ha-Ha. Gladly, we smashed him good after we cornered him! Overall the service was a success.

This is about it for the week!

Hope everyone has a great week at home! Love you all!!!

Elder Bastian