THE CHURCH IS TRUE AND THE BOOK IS BLUE

TRANSFER 11 - WEEK 1

"In the middle of the lesson I felt impressed to just stop and sing a song."

These people are from Poland

Elder Willes, Elder Stewart and Elder Greenhalgh (I am taking his spot)

Hello!

Well this week has been quite the roller coaster. I don't know really where to begin. Our schedule is a lot different now and we are in an office a lot. It hasn't been the easiest adjustment and I'm SO tired here but I will just keep pushing on! I woke up with a fever this morning but I should be just fine.

On my birthday Sister Day made for me macaroni and cheese and chicken. It was a great birthday. Thanks to everyone for the birthday wishes :) Means a lot to me! 

The area I am serving in is pretty cool. We have some great investigators. Bob, one of our investigators is having his baptismal interview tonight and should be getting baptized this weekend so that is super exciting! 

We had an interesting experience with Chen2 JM, a less active we are working with. As we met with her she expressed her desire to move to America because she feels like the church structure is better there than here in Taiwan. In the middle of the lesson I felt impressed to just stop and sing a song :) So we sang "Israel, Israel God is Calling" and talked about how Zion is everywhere and how we all need to build up God's kingdom wherever we are - here in Taiwan and that is what the Lord wanted her to do! It was really spiritual! She came to church for all 3 hours. Super exciting. 

Another cool thing that happened this week is we got to go to the airport and pick up the new missionaries. There were 12 of them. I loved welcoming them. I can remember first getting on island. Crazy!

Waiting at the airport for the new missionaries to get in!

Here are the new missionaries.  It is 11:00 p.m. and everyone is eating McDonald's.

This week we have had all sorts of trainings. Trainings for new district leaders, new trainers, trainer and trainee follow up meetings, etc. So we spend a lot of time making all that happen, helping any missionary companionships that need our help, making sure all the trainings and things are ready to go. It's really hard to explain all of the things we do in here. It's really busy but it's a different kind of busy if that makes any sense? 

I should be picking up my driver's license tomorrow so pray for me because I haven't driven a car in almost a year and a half!  It should be interesting.

I am still trying to adapt to life here in the office. Things are all unfamiliar.  Elder Stewart is doing a great job of training me. We are from the same generation and were travel companions on the way to Taiwan so that's super cool. He's from Seattle, Washington. We get along great. 

This week I'm just going to find ways to serve and love all of these missionaries. Mosiah 2:16-17. Sorry I know this email was super all over the place, but all in all I'm doing great :) Loving the work here. We are having zone conferences in a few weeks and for that we will be heading around all of Taiwan. 

The church is true and the book is blue! Elder Bennion and Elder Marchant bore awesome testimonies before they went home. Those are two missionaries I really look up to! 

Elder Bennion at the SLC airport after a long flight home

Elder Marchant

Hope everyone has a great week! Love you all!

Elder Willes

I ATE A HUGE FISH EYEBALL LAST NIGHT

TRANSFER 10 - WEEK 6

"Seeing Xiao1 JM filled with the spirit and seeing her light was indescribable. Talking about the process of her coming unto Christ almost seems too miraculous and sacred and spiritual to put into words but I will say this: I know that God led us to her. He had been preparing her and Jesus Christ has been there with her every step of the way lifting her and strengthening her. Truly has been on her left hand and right hand D&C 84:88 and helped her become a BOSS disciple of Christ."

Wow what a week here in Taiwan. I ate a huge fish eyeball last night. It actually wasn't too bad haha. 

Happy 20th Birthday Elder Willes!

This has been such a cool week.  We went to the temple and like always it was super peaceful! Just can't get enough of that place. We also had interviews this week and in my interview with President Day he told me he wanted me to be his new assistant. So I take over being an AP today. I'm already packed up and will be moving to "the Bu" (headquarters) this afternoon. It was honestly such a spiritual experience for me. President Day said the Holy Ghost had confirmed to him that I was fit for the job. It was overwhelming. I'm super excited, but also nervous.

This picture came to us from a family in our stake who was visiting Taiwan.  Their older son (a friend of Nate's) will be going to Taiwan, Taipei, on his mission this summer.  A small world.  Thank you Slatter Family!

Elder Nelson, Leon and Elder Willes

My new companion is Elder Stewart and we came to Taiwan at the same time and are super good friends so I'm super excited to work with him. I don't really know much about what I will be doing but I'm so humbled at the cool service opportunity I will be having. I do know that this week we will go to the airport to pick up the new arriving missionaries. Also, we will be the AP's welcoming the new mission president this coming July. That will be super exciting. I gotta get my Taiwanese driver's license in the next few days because we drive the mission van! 

Sister Day gave us all a little sticker to put on the back of our name tags. It's a frog. Fully Rely On God. So that's what I will be doing as I go about this next chapter of my mission. It has been the funnest 12 weeks ever with Elder Tan. He is such a hard worker. 

Elder Tan and Elder Willes

We saw so many miracles together and now we are lifelong buddies! We ended on a bang together because our investigator Xiao1 JM was BAPTIZED on Saturday! 

Xiao1 JM and all the Elders living in William's apartment.  They are all in the same district together.

Xiao1 JM and her friends in the ward

A special ward supporting Xiao1 JM at her baptism

The program from the baptism

It was such a spiritual baptism. Had a great turnout from the ward and it was such a miracle. It was her first time at church when she didn't have a seizure. It was so cool :) Us missionaries sang a musical #. Her favorite song: Amazing Grace. It was so cool! So spiritual. 

The problem at the baptism was that the water stopped filling up because the church had ran out of water! So the font was super low. So when I dunked her I was practically buried in the water as well. But it went smoothly and first time is a charm! She bore a great testimony after. She shared 1 Nephi 16:29 small things can bring about great things :). Such a spiritual day. Seeing Xiao1 JM filled with the spirit and seeing her light was indescribable. Talking about the process of her coming unto Christ almost seems too miraculous and sacred and spiritual to put into words but I will say this: I know that God led us to her. He had been preparing her and Jesus Christ has been there with her every step of the way lifting her and strengthening her. Truly has been on her left hand and right hand D&C 84:88 and helped her become a BOSS disciple of Christ. 

In Sunday School after she received the Holy Ghost she was asked to say the closing prayer. She just told everyone she felt like everyone should say their own personal prayer so the class of 15 just bowed their heads and said personal prayers. It was really cool! 

After Xiao JM's confirmation

The Xin1 Ban3 ward is very special. I love all the people here so so so much. If I didn't believe that God needed me to leave I would be crushed leaving them. The ward asked me to share my testimony and after church they threw a little going away party for me and gave me a cake for my birthday. It was so cool! The work is true. It gives me chills thinking about the other 88,000+ missionaries out there doing the same thing that I am. 

Love you all and have a wonderful week :) Sounds like you all had a great time in California :) Thank you for the update on Grandma and on Grandma Bingham.  I am praying for them.  Tell Grandma I love her.  

Thanks for the birthday wishes! Nothing better than serving Christ on your b-day! 

[Thank you, thank you to the beautiful people of the Xin1 Ban3 Ward for throwing a birthday celebration and a goodbye party for our William. He loves the people of Taiwan and so do we. - Marianne]   

Elder Tan and Willes with Nicole a recent convert

Xu2 DX a recent convert - Stud!!

Xu2 JM is our GOLDEN investigator.  She is going to get baptized the end of June.

At a member's house last night.  I love these people!

The church on a billboard at the train station

Elder Willes

FAITH WITH WORKS

TRANSFER 10 - WEEK 5

"The gospel is true. Brings us the most rewarding peace and happiness in this life. Gives us Hope. Helps us have confidence and trust because the Lord is our light!"

Happy Mother's Day Mom! Skyping was so fun! Love you so much. 

We are off to the temple today. Love it! Sorry this email will probably be short. This last week and a half have all been a blur. We have worked really hard! 

Last week we did a little district tsunami! We have 2 companionships in our district that don't have a lot of investigators to work with so all 4 of our companionships went into their area to find and contact people for a few hours. It was tons of fun. We found some good potentials for them and it was an experience that bonded our district.

Good news! Xiao1 JM will be getting baptized this Saturday. She is incredible. She has such a great testimony and one thing I've learned from teaching her is that when we do our part to teach by the spirit, and if people have real intent to find out if these things are true, they will ALWAYS get their answer. 

A few weeks ago mom emailed me and told me I should again share with Xioa1 JM Alma 32 and I felt impressed to share the same chapter. When I shared Alma 32 with Xiao1 she told me that she had come across that chapter just the day before and really liked it! The Lord's hand is directly in this work.

The conversion process is like this: 

                                                                                                 GOD

                      

                                                                           Missionary                       Investigator

Missionaries are just the tool. We just need to help the investigator see the connection they individually have with God. We are God's servants and messengers that are encouraging and inviting God's children to come unto Christ. So cool! Super excited for the baptism.Thanks to everyone for the prayers on her behalf! Truly a miracle! 

I went on exchanges with Elder Brinton (another trainee) in our district and we went finding and found some really cool people! Elder Dexter and I also went finding yesterday and the first kid we talked to we had a really cool lesson with. I was teaching him about prayer and we were feeling pretty bold. He expressed doubts of how he didn't know if God could answer his prayer. I told him he needed to CHOOSE to believe and then God will answer your prayer. He said, "OK I will believe." We prayed for him on that crowded and loud street and the spirit was so strong. He felt it and after the prayer he said, "I want to learn more! I want to come to church!" But after talking to him for a little while he said that he didn't actually need it anymore. So he didn't give us his phone number. It was really sad but I learned another valuable lesson: If we aren't willing to ACT on the spiritual impressions and feelings God gives us, we have no way to improve our relationship with God and find the true joy and happiness that the gospel brings. The key in Alma 32 and Moroni 10 is action. 

It is just like rowing a boat. If only one side is rowing (believing) but the other side isn't (works) our boat will just go in a circle and won't progress. FAITH with WORKS is how we become fluent in the language of the spirit and more like our Savior :)

Also, we felt prompted to go visit a LA family last night, they were home and we had a great lesson with them! The Ye4 family. Keep them in your prayers. Hopefully they can get to church. Also, Tang2 DX got called as Young Men's President on Sunday! Such a great guy. Super cool turnaround he's made. 

Right now I'm studying charity so if anyone has any cool insights, quotes, scriptures, or experiences about charity please shoot them my way. Thanks!

The gospel is true. Brings us the most rewarding peace and happiness in this life. Gives us Hope. Helps us have confidence and trust because the Lord is our light! Love you all. Have a great week!

Sorry forgot the camera today. 

Elder Willes

9 INVESTIGATORS AT CHURCH - MIRACLES ARE EVERYWHERE

TRANSFER 10 - WEEK 4

"The Lord is blessing our area tremendously right now. We are working with so many investigators it's honestly hard to keep track of them all. I feel so grateful. I love the people here and feel like we are right on the edge of amazing stuff."

Our small little English class

Tang2 DX with Elders Tan and Willes

On exchanges with Elder Aiono

Wang2 DX and Elder Willes

Odin, who is from Zhong1 Li4, came and visited me.  So great to see him.

BACK TO BACK!! We had 9 investigators at sacrament meeting this week! Things are on fire right now! Holy cow so many cool miracles this week. 

Our investigator Xiao1 JM is doing great. Her faith has grown so much. She gave me a puzzle this week and thanked me for helping her come to know Jesus Christ. It was just the sweetest thing ever. The puzzle is one Xiao1 JM put together and had framed and shows verses from the Bible in 1 Corinthians 13 about charity. Super cool. I had to give her a hug. She has probably been the biggest miracle on my mission and is such an incredible lady.  We really are so alike. Her baptismal interview is this coming Wednesday. She is having fears again. Please everyone keep her in your prayers. Xiao1 Dong1 Ling3 JM.  She is awesome!

Another cool miracle this week happened when we were all English boarding together. This lady self contacted the other Elders and told them she had just returned from Utah. She went to General Conference, visited the Bountiful Temple, etc. Her sister is a member in Tai2 Zhong1. The Elders then brought her to us because she lives in our area.  She asked me, "How do I join?! I loved Conference and want to join!" Haha it was crazy. We set a baptismal date with her on the spot for 6/7/15 and she came to church on Sunday with her 2 grand kids  She is awesome! Xu2 JM. We also had a lot of people come to church that were busy and not able to meet with us last week but they still came to church. Our investigator Sean and his friend came! His friend set a baptismal date for the end of June. Su1 DX. Also Mr. LIN came again and Lin2 Zhi4 Ren2 sat by him. Lin2 Li3 Jun4 also came. (eternal investigator)  CHURCH WAS JUST INCREDIBLE. I had to get up there and bear my testimony. I shared my knowledge found in Ether 4:12 that Christ can and will be our best friend if we let him. It was pretty cool! Another special day I will remember forever.

The Zhou1 Family is doing great. They were busy and not able to meet during the week but they are progressing well. We should be meeting with them this week! We also have another cool family we are meeting with the Su1 Family. We contacted into them. They are Catholic but not active. We shared the restoration with them. They are awesome! Have a lot of questions and are busy, but have great potential. 

The Lord is blessing our area tremendously right now. We are working with so many investigators it's honestly hard to keep track of them all. I am nervous about the transfer meeting in 3 weeks. Elder Tan is such a boss. I don't want to leave him or this area! I hope we can stay together for another transfer! I love the people here and feel like we are right on the edge of amazing times.

Our investigator Amy

Our investigator Li3 JM (center) who is from Indonesia and the woman on the far right is Ester who is the other Elder's investigator   

Shi1 DX

We had a cool finding experience this week. We were biking out to this huge park complex and on the way I felt we needed to go visit this LA at work at her eye shop and just say hi. So we turned around and went right down this little alley to her work. We talked to her for like 2 minutes and she was busy. In my mind I wondered why I felt we needed to be there.  As we were walking out to our bikes and we saw this college kid sitting on his scooter. We started talking to him and he was the nicest kid ever and so ready for the gospel. I asked him if we could pray for him. I prayed for him and then asked him, "how do you feel man?" He paused and thought for like 2 minutes before he answered and said, "I felt the most warm and peaceful feeling ever. I don't know how to describe it."  It touched me knowing it was maybe the first time in his life feeling the Holy Ghost. We then taught him about the Book of Mormon. When I went to give it to him he said, "For free??? I can just go buy it somewhere. Just tell me where to buy it and I will buy it." We explained to him that God wanted him to have His word so he could improve his family relationships and have a happier life. He doesn't get along with his parents. It was such a tender moment for me! We referred him off to the Ying1 Ge1 sisters because he lives in their area. We see stuff like this daily! 

Chen2 DX

We met an RM on the MRT!  Super cool stuff!

Miracles are everywhere. The spirit is real. 我知道這個教會是真實的! I know this church is true! I know people back home are praying for us. We appreciate it. We can feel your strength. All these miracles that missionaries see are from every one's prayers combined with hard work into this huge spiritual force going out into the world and preaching the Good News- GOSPEL. 

Ether 6:3 Just substitute Stones for missionaries :) 

Love you all! 大家一起加油!

韋長老

Elder Willes

One year ago Zhou1 Chang2 En1 was baptized.  He is such a stud.  I gave him a phone call yesterday and he was so excited to hear my voice.  He is doing great and is going to church every week and loving life.  He is 14 now.  He will be a great missionary!