June 25, 2012

What a great week it has been. The biggest news is probably that move calls came, and I'm leaving TaoYuan. A very bittersweet feeling. I'm looking forward to something new and the next adventure, but I really love the people here, and I will miss them greatly. I am moving to Taipei. My new area is called TuCheng. My new companion is another native Taiwanese missionary. His name is Elder Su and he will be on his last transfer. I've never worked with someone on their last transfer so it could be interesting. I'm really looking forward to working with him. I've heard great things about him. I feel really blessed to be going to my 4th native companion. It seems like on average most missionaries will only have 1 or 2, but Elder Su will be my fourth. 

One thing I'm looking forward to is less exchanges! I'm moving from the biggest zone in the mission, to one of the smallest. I think it will be nice to be in my own bed a little bit more. There's no doubt I'm going to miss TaoYuan, the ward, my companion, and of course my converts, but I know that the Lord has things for me to accomplish in TuCheng.

So last week was Zone Conference and they talked about eating healthy and having a balanced diet. A few days later I was on an exchange with Elder Miller and we were determined to eat the most healthy, balanced, breakfast possible. We wanted to make sure we got our proteins, fruit, vegetable, grain, and dairy. We did it, we got it all, in one convenient pancake. We made the batter from scratch consisting of carrot, oats, milk powder, eggs, banana, and an apple, blended it all up into a pancake batter and cooked to perfection. We're thinking these could be pretty marketable back in the states.

Another great thing Elder Miller and I did this week took place in our English class. We talked about heroes, what makes a good hero and then we just had everyone start naming off their heroes. We ended up with like 50 names on the board and then we voted it down to the top 11. Here's the top 11 heroes, in no specific order. Well Jesus is number one, and then the other ten are in no particular order. Jesus, Liam Neeson, Mr. T, James Franco, Sean Connery, Zoe Deschanel, Johnny Cash, Will Smith, Ichiro (the baseball player for the Mariners), Allen Iverson, and MC Hammer. A lot of great people there. I'm looking forward to MC Hammer accepting the gospel in the Spirit World some day. I will definitely miss teaching English with Elder Miller. Those classes tended to be pretty crazy... in a good way.

So on our last 3 weeks on Island we can call any former members, converts, or investigators in previous areas. There was one missionary in our zone who taught the Zhang family English in ZhuBei for a while after they were baptized. The Zhang family loved him so they kept in touch and he's been able to call them these last couple weeks. He set things up with them so that on our companion exchange this week the Zhang family would come up to TaoYuan and visit us and take us to lunch!! It was the greatest. Zhang MaMa and the oldest daughter both came and we got to spend lunch with them. Their family is so amazing. When I called them the night before they were to come and eat with us, they answered and said "Elder White!!!" excitedly, but then said "Sorry I can't talk right now, I'll call you back in 15 minutes, We're busy with our temple prep class." I couldn't even be upset that I couldn't talk to them because I was too excited they were in temple prep class. Their whole family will be sealed the second week of July. I cannot wait to go see them become an eternal family. I'm so excited for them!!! Getting to see them Saturday only made me more excited for the second week of July. It's so great to see the gospel bless families.

Our mission president officially has 1 week left. It is going to be such an interesting transition. Needless to say I will miss President Grimley. He was an amazing mission president, and taught me so much. I'm really grateful to have been able to work with him. He called me the night of move calls and thanked me for the work I've done in TaoYuan and talked to me briefly about what he hopes I can do in the West Zone. I know President Day will also be great I'm sure.

It was sad to leave TaoYuan and my converts. Probably the hardest is Brother Tsai, the security guard. He was definitely the biggest battle of my mission. When I told him I was moving Saturday night he looked really sad. Then he said he wanted to meet one more time so we met with him last night and had a small testimony meeting. He was my first lesson in TaoYuan, and my last. Very fitting. There was so much fasting, praying, and effort to help him make it to baptism, but last night I realized it was all worth it. He looked me in the eyes and said to me, "Thank you, there were so many times where I wanted to quit, I wanted to give up, I didn't think I could overcome Satan's temptations, and then you called." He said he wouldn't have made it if it weren't for me. I know that none of it is me, it's through the spirit that people are converted and I'm just trying to do what prophets and priesthood leaders tell us to do, but it's such an amazing feeling to know that you've been a tool in the Lord's hands in bringing others unto the gospel and atonement of Jesus Christ. It's such an amazing feeling to be a missionary, I love it. Doctrine and Covenants 18:15-16

15 
And if it so be that you should labor all your days in crying repentance unto this people, and bring, save it be one soul unto me, how great shall be your joy with him in the kingdom of my Father!

 16 
And now, if your joy will be great with one soul that you have brought unto me into the kingdom of my Father, how great will be your joy if you should bring many souls unto me!

I've been very blessed to serve here in TaoYuan, to be a missionary, and to experience the joy of the gospel more fully in my life, as well as see it completely change the lives of others. I'm thankful this is a work of miracles, because I don't think this work could get done without miracles. I'm thankful for the miracles I've been blessed to see here in TaoYuan, and I look forward to miracles yet to happen in TuCheng.

The gospel is true, so is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

Choose the right.

Elder White