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 🙂