This week has been a good week as usual! About to run out of time becuase they had us take this survey sorry! haha

but the most important things that happened this week.

First, I was able to interview 2 people this week for baptism!! super great experience, i love interviews 🙂 It has become one of my most favorite parts of my mission to be able to see these people make the decision to be baptized and see the change that the atonement has made in their life!

Second, I personally have come to realize the enabling power of the atonement. if you don’t know what that is study it and it will bless your life!

lastly i love this gospel, the more you study and share about it the more you understand just how all encompassing it is! there is literally nothing it doesn’t effect and it brings happiness, not just any happiness though 🙂 love you all! and have a great week!

This week was a great one! starters we went to the temple! I love the temple so dang much! the peace that you can find there is unreal! i have found that temple times always come right when they are most needed. this week my companion found out some hard news. his niece passed away from pneumonia and that was literally two days before the temple that he found that out. When he found that out it was hard on him as it would be with anyone. when he got off the phone with his family the first thing we did was give him a blessing. you never really appropriate the power of the priesthood until you are called to use it. I can’t describe the feelings and all that happened during and after that blessing but as soon as i started giving that blessing i just had a feeling of piece and comfort. The spirit was so strong there.

There are many events that led up to this and his family situation is doing good, but his example to me and the strength of him and his famliy is just amazing.

Everybody, god lives and he loves us. You can’t always understand his plan for you but you can know that his plan is always the best thing and will always bring later piece even if at that moment you don’t have that. Love you all!

Elder Miner

hey all!

So this week was a good one! I have learned so much about being a missionary and just a member of this church in general! haha we have so many promised blessings and on top of that we have so much that we can do to help the work and spread the blessings!

anyway now to the more important things! so we had an investigator that we haven’t talked to in about a month run into some other missionaries and long story short they helped her overcome some concerns and she came to church this week!!!!! YES! she is just the cutest little mom and just wants to do good and understand but she has a hard time understanding but feels bad asking! so we changed our ways and are really just working with her, shes awesome and her name is zhang jing wen 🙂 Then there is another investigator qiu zi man. she is doing soo good but because of chinese new year her and pretty much every single investigator that we have has not been able to meet! but keep them in your prayers!

Chinese new year is super great and not great at the same time… we get fed sooooooooooooooooo much food it is unreal!! but… we are not able to find anyone willing to meet because they are going places and cooking food and just don’t have time so, thats the one down side! i really do love it though and even though more people are busy we have seen some really great success 🙂 I love the work.

Oh and a lot of you have mentioned the earthquake and honestly i didn’t even know it happened until someone on the street told me! i was sound asleep through it! haha i know such a great story… 🙂 love you all! remember who you are and what you stand for! i Love this Gospel and our savior Jesus Christ!

Elder Miner

don’t have much time to write because i took to long on everyone elses… oops but! i have my companions email which is a million times better than mine this week so with his permission im sending this to you all!

After finding out I was not moving the greatest excitment was that I could continue meeting with Qui zi man. We meet her on friday at the old temple president’s house who lives in our ward and is now retired. There house is so awesome and the perfect place for a lesson. I want to try to have lessons in members houses more, people here really don’t want people to visit them in their house because they are imbaressed at the mess or size of it so we most often have lesson at a McDonalds, and 7-11. But I am making it a goal to go to a members house when ever we can now. It is so much better! anyways, in Qui zi man’s lesson we taught Obedience, Sabbath, Scripture study, and baptism. We invited her to read and pray about the book of mormon last time and everyday since we have together and personal prayed for her to get an answer, we even fasted for her to get an answer last sunday. when we followed up she siad she got and answer and knows it is true! It was so AWESOME! that’s is the first time an investigator has actually told me that got an answer to that spesific question! We then, by reading the last pragraph of the introduction of the Book of Mormon explained what having her answer ment! the rest of the lesson was awesome and because she had her answer it was so smooth, and accepting all the other invites we had prepared for her. Next month she will get ever sunday off so come to church! In her closing prayer she asked to make sure that her baptism on the 20th of Febuary would go smoothly. She is so prepaired!

also, The greatest part about missionary work is seeing the gosple change people. this last sunday an LA that we had been working with earlier and actually taught and baptized her younger sister got a calling as the relief society secritary. It was so awesome. She is know fully engaged in the ward. talking to her and her sister I asked, "Have you seen any changes in your life sence meeting with us?" and they both said that before their relationship wasn’t to good, they would hardly talk, but now they are best friends. I would have never guessed because of the way the talk and joke now. And now they both are fully active in the church one with a calling. now we just need to get her younger sister one. I am so greatful for this opportunity to see the gosple make these changes.

After church we wanted to visit that ding family that came to church two weeks ago. they said they couldn’t meet untill after chinhese new year, and have not picked up their phone in a long time, but we felt we should drop by. We went and they were not home. now with two places to find people in mind we tried to see which one the spirit was propting us to go to. one would cause us to take a left and the other a right turn. We both felt to turn right. what first felt like a casual every day missionary choice would soon be made know as a spiritual promting. As we traveled down the road I ran into Brother ding. the father of the family we were trying to visit. He was so happy to see us. we pulled over to the side and talked for a bit. he invited us over to eat during new years. He also asked a question about Adam and Eve, which was our last message that we shared with them. He asked, "why did Adam and eve take the fruit, if not we would all be liveing in paridise right now?" my moring studies in 2 Nephi 2 asnwered his question and I invited him to go home and read it and when we meet again we can talk about it. I was such a cool experience.

Ok, thats all a got this week, sorry its so long! thank you all for all the thoughts and prayers!

This week was awesome! Gina was baptized on Thursday and confirmed yesterday. She has so much faith! It blows me away to see how much she is risking for the gospel. Her parents still do not know and she intends to keep it that way for a while. If you will all keep her in your prayers that her parents my soften their hearts and that her situation will improve. We are now working on getting her to go to the temple with us on the 4th of next month. She loves the Temple!

It has been such a great week we have worked with qiu zi man one of our investigators that its so legit! she has questions about what we teach and is super willing to work through them to actually understand! at the beginning of this week its wasn’t like that but as we taught about prayer and really coming to know Heavenly Father and knowing anything in the gospel is true! I feel a lot of times we think that we find our answers through prayer but a lot of the times prayer is the answer.

Other than that it snowed a bit… first time in a very very long time for taiwan! didn’t stick but it was soooo very cold let me tell you… wow! humidity does a number!! other than that… my companion is just awesome! Love you all!

last invite to give you all, is just to really pray. Really communicate with our Father in Heaven. That will change a ton in your lives i can promise that!

Elder Miner

Hope you are all doing well at home. This week we had interviews with president. that was great! I love that guy. We asked him about Gina’s situation and he told us that it doesn’t matter what her parents think, or other members think, even if they had similar situations. He said if she wants to and if we both feel she is ready then we should do it. so we called her and asked her to bear a simple testimony over the phone. she has a solid testimony on the Book of Mormon and Restoration, Christ, and absolutely Loves the Temple. So this thursday she will be baptized. She will not tell her parents and I’m not sure how long untill she will. but if you could just continue to pray for her that would be awesome. Jenni, our RC, is going to the temple again this week. We comittied her to go ever month. We also started to read the book of mormon with her. so its a chapter a day and we started on the new year so that is going great! This week we have a specal world wide training with the missionary department and I guess some members of the seventy. Transfers are on the 31st. it’s coming up and I hope I don’t leave. I really just want to stay in gui shan my whole mission! haha. so in a few weeks we will celibrate chinese new year. it is a huge thing here. like christmas in the states. so everyone’s work gets more busy as we get closer to the holiday which makes it harder for people to meet and come to church. so the ding family did not come to church because of work. and because of that reason I don’t like holidays anymore. they restrict salvation. haha! But we did have another investigator come to church. her name is qui zi man. She is awesome but before yesterday we didn’t really know her reason for meeting with us but as we shared to doctrine of christ she opened up a bit. afterwards texted us and said thanks for all we did, explained her feeling of peace she had and then shared a consern she had. it was so awesome cause now we have something to teach to and she is opened to try and change. I am so excited to continue to work with her. It has been raining like crazy here the past week. Last night it was pouring and we were out knocking doors. It was so fun! I loved it because when your little thinking about a mission you may invision two happy boys in the pouring rain knocking doors and thats exactly what we were doing! we knocked a door of a family and set up for latter this week! I LOVE TEACHING FAMILIES! I am so excited! well thats about it. thanks for reading and for you prayers. have a great week!

so this week we saw some funny pictures and some great memories! its been raining non stop but its so much fun 🙂 the dragon in someones house… and look like someone doesn’t like dogs pooping on the street 🙂 I love the mission, so legit!

Elder Miner

大家好! (Hello, everyone!)

This week was a super great one! We have been having so much success its unreal!

To start off the week we had a zone Meeting where they told us that they will no longer be having Transfer Meetings! *gasp* That literally blew my mind! They will just be sending missionaries out by themselves with their luggage to go find their new area! so crazy! I love this work 🙂

Next we have been working with some super great people and a few of those have been families! oh i love the gospel 🙂 it has been amazing to see the change that these families and investigators have been making as they learn more about the power that the Atonement has in changing and strengthening the Family! we have seen so many miracles and so many people that are willing to work toward baptism 🙂

oh and next month is chinese new years! so pretty much all of Taiwan it sounds like is out of commission on that week and a half haha! super funny! the Holidays are switched, Christmas is super small here and newyears is HUGE and Chinese new year is even bigger! haha its so much fun to learn about the culture here!

Last thing that I can write about is probably just how big the sacrifice of some members and investigators have to make really is. We are teaching a girl that has unbelievable famliy protest. She has been coming to church and even gone to the salt lake temple! she has such a great desire but becuase of the family issue she won’t be able to for quite some time. Her name is Gina and i would invite you to pray for her! also there is Esther and Jerry with similar situations… but they are so awesome!! 🙂

Last I want to share about what i have learned about repentance this week. As our mission has focused on teaching Repentance i have tried to study it more. Repentance is literally just us getting to know our Heavenly Father more. Its not just when you make huge mistakes or even small ones, its just doing those things that will help your life become more in line with what he teaches and by doing so you come to know him more personally. I Pray that you all are doing those things that will help you come to know our Father in Heaven. All he has given us (which is everything by the way) is becuase he loves us. He sent his son to suffer beyond our comprehention so that each and every one of us has the chance to come to know him better and by doing so return to his precence. I love this gospel and know that we all have such amazing potential!

平安

Elder Miner

This week was absolutly insain! I can’t even explain everything that happened! This week we didn’t do anything special, but because in the past two weeks have been pretty hard getting lessons set up but we were always positive and acting in faith the lord blessed us so much this week! first we had Jun Yi, or jenny, go to the temple with her sister who was baptised four years ago but had never been to the temple. that was such a cool expereince. We also were blessed to find 7 new investigators this week, 2 of which is a mother and father with two kids and they came to church yesturday. I am not sure exactly how they will accpet the message because we have not yet invited to baptims but I have been praying for a family to teach and I hope that this family (the ding family) will accept the invitation. we meet with them tomorrow night, please pray for them that when we meet and invite they will feel the spirit and be propted to accept. Also we have two investigators that are awesome and want to be baptized but their parents disaprove. their names are Gina and Stephinie. please pray for them and they parents that their harts may be softened. also please continue helping Jun Yi (jenny) with your prayers. She is awesome but I feel is not yet converted to the Gosple of Christ, which I know can take a life time but we are continuily work with her to help her strengthen her own testimony in Christ. Me and Elder Wadsworth are more excited about the work now then ever! we are working hard and excited to see the work hasten here in Gui Shan! (turtle mountain) I’m not sure I told you guys that, the direct translation for my area, Gui Shan, is Turtle Mountain. sounds just like mario cart… because the surounding areas are tao yuan (peach Garden), and there is literally a rainbow road in our area! so yeah… thats how awesome our area is!

We have seen so many blessings and being district leader has proved to be a fun new boost for me. I have had such a good time getting to know my district better and trying my best to help them out! so sick!!!!! love the work and the blessings that i have been a part of! 🙂 last thing before i go, Read the book of mormon! you will be surprised how much help it provides! no matter what quality of life you are living and the situation you are facing. just read is all im asking, that book literally saves lives 🙂

Elder Miner

some pictures from the week! love the mission! that was the dinner that members gave us on sunday 🙂

This week was so sick!!

Alright to start off on Tuesday we had our entire mission go up to Taipei up to this super nice hotel to have a ton of food and performances by the missionaries of our mission! Super fun to see everyone and to see the talent. then we had such an awesome nativity played out! then i don’t know how many of you remember but when i first got on island we went to this place where the Island of Taiwan was dedicated to the preaching of the gospel. Then we got to say our own "dedicatory prayer" for our own missions when we first got on island. Well we got the chance to go back on that day and say another prayer and the spirit there was so strong it got me so pumped for the work here in Taiwan and as i move areas for the first time in 6 months it was a good boost!

Then on Wednesday we went back up to Taipei to have a District leader training and that was much needed because i didn’t have much idea of what i was doing but at the same time i have seen it done my entire mission so it wasn’t crazy hard. It was awesome to see though what exactly the mission president sees the mission becoming and how we can help our mission grow with our calling as a missionary and even a District leader. Im super excited for this transfer 🙂 Then Christmas was full of just work, we worked hard and got a lot of contact information, hope to see something from that 🙂

Then we had a baptism! her name is zeng jun yi and she is awesome! i taught her 2 times before her baptism so i didn’t do a ton but im sure glad i can see her make that commitment! love the mission!

then i got the chance to skype home which was soo nice! been a little while sense i have seen everyone and it have me a good boost to get going this week! 🙂

might be the new area but i feel a new energy in my work personally and im excited to see the growth here in gui shan! Love you all!

I would hope you all are doing the simple things. Pray, Read, and church. This things as simple as they are bring such great blessings. maybe i could give a reading assignment 🙂 1 Nephi 8 then 11 they are good! 🙂 love you all!

Elder Miner

Hello everyone!

So this week has been a crazy one! to start off we had a Baptismal interview in Tai Dong for Leo so he is getting baptized on Christmas!! 🙂 so stoked for him! but i am no longer there so i will have to see it in pictures haha then transfers happened! i now moved to an area in Tao Yuan called Gui Shan its crazy stuff the whole other side of the island 🙂 now im breaking (just means he got out of training and im "breaking" habits…its a missionary thing haha!) my new companion Elder Wadsworth from orem Utah! he is such a great guy, so humble in the work and language im blessed to be with him! and to put the cherry on top i am now District leader of a district of 5 companionships! super stoked!

When i first got here i had a baptismal interview the first day and i have another one im doing tonight! the area is booming here it sounds like! also our investigator zeng jun yi passed her baptismal interview on sunday! super sweet! this week has been awesome! 🙂 other than that though this week has been pretty normal… 😉 haha

Love the mission and im excited to skype home on christmas! Have a great christmas everyone and go and watch because he lives, he is the gift and the new christmas video! they are all super short but sooo good! 🙂

love you all!

Elder Miner

oh and i took away a pack of cigerettes from a recent convert yesterday….were helping him out 🙂