September 16, 2013

Same Country Yet Worlds Apart

Hello Family!

This week has been a whirlwind. I don't even know how to put it into words. I will try though.

Last Tuesday night we were able to meet with one of our Recent Converts Sally. We cooked dinner with her. She was telling us she wanted to learn how to cook and I was like we could teach you a dish. She really enjoyed it. While cooking we were really able to get to know her and talk with her about helping others. She has only been a member a couple of months but she has such a desire to help others. I am so grateful for her example.

Later that night we were able to meet with a potential investigator Lin XJ. She went to a wedding reception at our chapel next to the temple. She really liked the feeling there. She told the missionaries there that she was looking for a church. We meet with her and had a great lesson. She really wants her husband to join in the lessons. He was running late so we did not have a chance to get to meet him.  Next time we will though.  They have two little kids ages 3 and 4. I am so grateful that we can teach them.

On Wednesday we had some time for contacting and went over to #4 park. We were really praying that we could have a lesson and one new investigator. We only had about an hour but with faith and prayer we set out.  We talked with lots of people but no one who was really willing to talk with us. We were about to go home but we decided to sit down and say a prayer. After we finished praying a girl came and sat right near us. We struck up a conversation with her. She has been to a Christian church before. We were able to give her a copy of the BOM and have a lesson with her. She was not willing to give us her number but we gave her ours.

Thursday we went to Jin Hua chapel to do Temple tours. There were no lessons planned for that day. We were ready to go contacting that day! We were setting up the display when a couple walks into the chapel. They are from China and just visiting Taiwan for the week.  They saw the temple and were interested. We were able to give them a quick tour. They had to leave before we were able to give them a copy of the BOM but we know that they felt the spirit. I pray one day they will be able to come back and feel that spirit again.

That night we were getting ready to leave and a man is coming through the doors. We go over and ask him if he has been here before. He told us no and that he saw lots of people coming in and out of the chapel and wanted to know what was inside.  We were able to give him a tour about the Restoration. At the end we gave him a copy of the BOM and we got his information and gave it to the elders in Ban Qiao.

Friday we meet with a less active Wu JM. You would never guess who helped baptize her?? Yep! None other than Elder Daniels. I have been asking members if they remember him they all do and think that he is awesome. It is fun to tell them that I know him too. What a small world! She is actually from China. She married a Taiwanese man.  She really opened up to us and we were really able to encourage her.

Saturday night both Shuang 1 and Shuang 2 had activities that overlapped. In Shuang 1 they had a pot luck and then all the boys about to go on missions bore their testimonies. In Shuang 2 a little boy was getting baptized. We were able to go to a little of both. It was really nice to see all the ward members!!

That night we had a lesson with a potential investigator. Sally was able to help us pei ke. She was nervous because that was her first time pei ke. We had a good lesson on the restoration.

Now for the story of the tag line.

Saturday one of the boys received his mission call.  He wanted to wait until Sunday to open it. Sunday after church all the members gathered in the cultural hall awaiting the opening of his call. He is going to the Taiwan Taichung mission!!

Taiwan is not that big right? I sometimes feel that it is. I forget that there is another mission on this small island. People were telling him of the south is good different but good. They were telling the mom look he will not be that far.

For here distance is measured very differently. We they are like it took an 30 minutes to get to work that is a LONG time. In their minds Taichung is like forever away. I have to remember that Taichung is only about 2 hours by car.

I love you all! I know that this church is true. I know that through the Holy Ghost we will be guided to where we need to go. I know that God loves all of us.

Love

Sister Eliza Latimer