Hello Everyone!! This week was spectacular! Mom and Dad Happy Anniversary! Cutest couple out there! Love you guys so much. Also, thank you for praying for Lin2 Di4 Xiong1. I'm happy to report that he was baptized on Valentine's Day as a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
It was such a cool baptism. I want to share with you some things that Lin2 Di4 Xiong1 shared with us. One day this week we knelt down with him to say a prayer and in his prayer he said, "Heavenly Father, I am really grateful you have given us this gospel and through the missionaries my life can be filled with hope. I am also excited to be with you throughout my life. And, when the end comes, I will still walk with you." It was a profound statement and it made me so grateful for the opportunity I've had to teach Lin2 Di4 Xiong1 the past 2 months. I really feel strongly that President Day moved me here for one big reason and that was to meet him and help him overcome his trials and help him prepare to return back to Heavenly Father's presence. He is such a great guy. I am so lucky to know him.
His baptism went very well! Lin2 Di4 Xiong1 showed up to the chapel 1 hour 30 minutes early and it was awesome. He asked me to baptize him and it was a very spiritual opportunity for me. Us missionaries sang, Nearer my God to Thee, before the service and Elder Jensen gave a great talk on baptism. The whole service was just filled with the spirit. I'm not kidding when I say Lin2 Zhi4 Ren2 Di4Xiong1's eyes were glowing with the light of Christ. When he came out of the water I gave him like the biggest hug ever! He had this huge smile on his face and looked out at everyone watching and said, "Finally!! I feel soooo good!." It was such a special moment and one I will treasure forever. 3 months ago he was a homeless man who smoke, drank, and didn't have much direction with his life and now he is a disciple of Christ with the Holy Ghost as his new and constant companion and is on the way back to Heavenly Father. How great is our calling as missionaries? The best two years!
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| Those attending Lin2 Di4 Xiong1's baptism. He is front and center in the blue shirt. |
This week I got to go on exchanges with Elder Grey and Elder Gonzalez and that was a very fun experience. We had such a cool lesson with Tang2 Di4 Xiong1. Last time we met with him we invited him to read the Joseph Smith History section and he told us about how it reminded him about his mission. He had an interview with his mission president and his mission president told him that before his mission he had heart cancer and was unsure how long he would live. The mission president went on about how he knew that God's purpose for him in this life was to be a mission president in Taiwan. Tang2 DX at the time didn't know the significance of that statement. But shortly after, the mission president went home and passed away due to heart cancer. It was then that Tang2 Di4 Xiong1 really knew that the Lord needed him as a mission president at that time and that specific place. Tang2 DX related that experience to how Joseph Smith accomplished all he needed to on the earth. Restored the priesthood keys, translated the BoM, built up the kingdom of God, etc. He did all that before he was killed. He fulfilled all he needed to on the earth. As well as Christ did all he needed to while on the earth when He atoned for our sins. When I heard Tang2 DX apply the scriptures and gospel like that I was mind-blown and could so obviously see the spirit working on him! SUCH a cool experience. He came to the baptism, to church (brought his MOM!!), AND passed the sacrament. Such a cool miracle :) Wow. Just too many miracles.
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| Elder Willes with Elder Gonzalez, the big ZL and a great guy, on exchanges |
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| Elder Willes and Elder Grey (who is being trained right now) on an exchange. |
This week we also had a small earthquake which was cool. We also went to another Christian church and talked to their pastor for like 20 minutes and bore testimony of the restoration of the gospel. Gave him a BoM and he committed to read it. Felt like such a boss! Haha.
We also had a cool service experience where we set up chairs and tables for a service organization that held this HUGE buffet for homeless people. It was so great to participate in that.
Lastly just want you all to know how great my companion Elder Jensen is. He has battled a cold this week, which I am sure I gave to him, but Elder Jensen had such a good attitude and we worked really hard this week and had 22 lessons! We get along so great and have tons of fun together. He's teaching me how to cook :) and I feel like Heavenly Father is blessing us so much! Such a great guy and I love him to death!
Jiang1 Yi3 Hui4 came to church again and we are really trying to help her!! She's so great! Wang2 Jie Mei also came to church and we have a new awesome investigator brother Xu2 who has a baptismal date for March 14th. An 18 year old prepared kid who is a referral. Came to church in the spiffiest suit ever!
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| Elder Jensen and Elder Willes with their investigator Wang2 JM (far left) and the Liu2 family on the far right-a great member family! |
Love this work! I am a disciple of Christ. So grateful I have the privilege of sharing the gospel every day. Hope everyone continues to develop your own personal relationship with the Savior! After all, He truly is our best friend! Love you all!
HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR!
Elder Willes
Wei2 Zhang3 Lao3
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