GO GET TO WORK WHEREVER YOU ARE!

"I know the Lord has sent me to Taiwan for a reason. Every day that I am here I see more and more 

reasons and blessings. As members of His Church we are all called of God wherever we are. 

So go get to work wherever you are!"

Well this week was super hectic and super busy but we made it through and I'm still alive! I am being blessed to be able to keep this pace. I am super excited to be with my new companion Elder Huntsman. He's from Salt Lake City and graduated from Highland High School in 2014. He is such a great guy. He is the grandson of John Huntsman. He came on Island last October (left on his mission in July of 2014). He came out with my first trainee Elder Jensen. Elder Huntsman and I both have been working really hard and have a huge desire to improve and be better. Right now we are working on a temple pamphlet to help all recent converts get to the temple within a month after they are baptized. We are also including in the  pamphlet, family history information and how to do it so our recent converts can take family names to the temple! We are excited about that. 

This week we had planned to hold a transfer meeting but we postponed this because the big group of missionaries coming from the states again have visa delays. We hope these missionaries will make it to Taiwan next week and then we will have our mission transfers. We did get 3 new missionaries this week so that was exciting. Elder (Thomas) Jensen is training again, so I now have 2 grandsons! One of my "grandsons" is a native from Taiwan so that's pretty cool. 

Elder Jensen, Elder Dong (from southern Taiwan), and Elder Willes
3 generations of missionaries

On Monday I got to go on exchanges with the other Elder (Caden) Jensen who I served with in Ban3Qiao2. That was really cool. It was fun to be back. We had some great lessons together and we were able to sing all the songs we wrote together. One big blessing that the Lord continues to bless me with on my mission is the lasting friendships with members, investigators, recent converts, companions, other missionaries, and your mission president(s). It's incredible how close you can get to the people here when your main focus is on them. I love the Taiwanese people. I love all the people I've served with. I am really grateful that I've learned so much from each and every one of my companions. 

Elder Huntsman and I had a really awesome lesson with our less active Guo1 DX who we have been meeting with. He is changing. The light of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is coming back into his life. 2-3 months ago he was so bitter and unhappy. He is so much happier now. His burdens are literally being lightened. He has been sick and asked us to give him a priesthood blessing. I was able to give him a blessing. So neat to see how much God cares about every person. He is coming to church on Sunday and we are really excited about him! He's changing his life. 

Our recent convert Chen2 JM is incredible! She keeps referring her friends to us, who we meet with and teach a lesson to, and then promptly refer them to the missionaries where they live. One of these friends is getting baptized today. Elder Tan is baptizing her so that is really cool! 

Our investigator pool is picking up. Whenever we have even a minute of free time we are trying our best to talk to everyone and are trying to find more people to teach. Our investigator Sister Zheng4 is doing great and is progressing! She should be coming to church again this Sunday so that's pretty cool. We are just hoping our other new investigators will stick and not slip through the cracks. 

There were 2 scriptures that stuck out to me this week. The first is in 1 Nephi 6:4 

 4 For the fulness of mine intent is that I may persuade men to come unto the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, and be saved.

Nephi's whole intent and motivation was to bring people to Jesus Christ. I love that. That is my purpose as a missionary too. 

The other scripture that really caught my attention this week is D&C 100:4. 

 4 Therefore, I, the Lord, have suffered you to come unto this place; for thus it was expedient in me for the salvation of souls.

I know the Lord has sent me to Taiwan for a reason. Every day I am here I see more and more reasons and blessings. As members of His Church we are all called of God wherever we are. So go get to work wherever you are! Love that one too. 

I know I say this every week, but I am so grateful for the opportunity I have to serve a mission and become more like Jesus Christ. These last few years have blessed my life so much. It's hard to put it all in words! I love this work and know it is true. 

Love you all! Good luck to Sarah! I know you will be a great missionary! Nicaragua is lucky to have you.

Have a great week. 

Elder Willes

Mid-Autumn Festival is this week. Lots and lots of food and moon cakes will be eaten. (Moon cakes are small pastries filled with things like beans, duck eggs, or seeds).

A mom note...Another very large typhoon, Typhoon Dujan, hit Taiwan today.  All missionaries are accounted for and safe.