Hard to believe another week has passed by. Time absolutely flies.
A little later than usual because we couldn't email this morning, We were still indoors on TYPHOON ALERT!!! We weren't able to go out and do missionary work last night. Was a little bit of a bummer. But as of right now we're allowed outside and can continue to work.
I need to apologize for lack of pictures, my camera cord doesn't work. I've been meaning to go buy a card reader, but still haven't had a chance. Next week I promise.
This week was full of highlights. I don't know where to begin. We had an amazing Zone Conference that absolutely changed my mission for the better. I learned exactly what I needed to learn. Then we also had the General Sunday School President, President Osgethorpe, come and talk to our mission. Between the two meetings I felt like Heavenly Father was talking directly to me.
The real highlight this week though took place on Friday afternoon. Twice a week we go out to visit a diseased member of our ward out in a care home. We help him pray and sing a hymn to him, and then we take him outside so he can sit and walk for about 45 minutes. In the prior weeks we had an investigator we would meet with out in that neighborhood during this time slot. However, due the this investigator's lack of progression we had to make the decision to stop meeting with him. We now had 45 minutes in a neighborhood that doesn't really have any good contacting spots. Through planning by the spirit we had the idea to go knock doors on a street we chose during this time, while talking to anyone we saw walking that street. This combination of tracting and street contacting proved to have success Wednesday and we found a new investigator. We picked the next street over to try Friday, and that Friday afternoon we were headed to that street. When we got to the street and were beginning to turn right I looked up the street and saw a ray of sunlight beaming on an old rundown building up ahead. At that moment I had a feeling/thought that I have no way to explain, but it was like something was telling me there was someone waiting for us in that building. I said a prayer in my heart and asked the Lord to confirm if this feeling was the Holy Ghost, if he really wanted us to go to that building.
At that moment I said, "Elder Chen, follow me." He followed me up the street to this old 4 floor building. We found the entrance. Before entering I asked if we could offer a prayer. I prayed telling the Lord I knew he had someone for us here, and to please give us the words that this person needs to hear. I was a little bit scared. If there was no one here my companion would think I'm crazy. Each floor had 3 doors, 1st floor, no success. 2nd floor, no success. 3rd floor, 2nd door a young man named Cai answered. As he answered he stepped out into the hallway to speak with us. At that moment my companion and I knew, this was him. When I asked him if he believed in God, he said I don't know. But he said he wants to know and just recently he's been expecting an answer. We quietly said, "We're here. This is your answer." We prayed and taught him. He has a friend in our church and he said he's always been curious about our church because his friend seems different than all his other friends--he seems happier. We also found out he'd given missionaries his phone number on the street before, but they never called him. He was waiting for an answer, and in his closing prayer he thanked God for sending us. I was hit by the spirit so hard.
We went to the 4th floor and with tears in our eyes offered a prayer of thanks. We are meeting with Cai DiXiong tomorrow, and I'm incredibly excited.
We also have another great investigator a Taichung member brought to our ward last week. She is doing amazing and I'm looking forward to continuing with her. She attended a baptism this week, attended a Relief society activity that started at 7 and she was still there when we left at 8:40. She attended church for the second time Sunday, and stayed until 2 o'clock, chatting with relief society members.
In Zone Conference my companion was asked to say the opening prayer, he wanted to pray in English and I offered to write his prayer for him. I wrote a very grammatically advanced prayer and he astonished everybody. All the native missionaries were amazed because they didn't understand and all the Foreign missionaries were amazed because it was so fluent. A couple of missionaries that personally know him and me came up to me afterward and thanked me for the opening prayer. They caught on. But for the most part our mission is still in awe of my companion's amazing English. It's really, really funny!
Taiwan is beautiful as ever. A lot of people are saying the typhoon hasn't actually come yet, so we'll see what happens in the next day or two. I'm really glad to hear the family is doing well. Nothing makes me happier than hearing about my friends receiving mission calls. I'm excited for them to see the blessings of serving the Lord. I'm so excited for them to go help others experience the high life of living this restored gospel of Jesus Christ. If any of you are on the fence, pray about it, and then heed to the prophet's council and serve.
I'm blessed to be a part of this work, blessed to be able to do it in Taiwan, blessed to have the opportunity to learn Chinese, blessed to have a wonderful family and friends, blessed to be a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.
I love you all, Do good things.
