Sunday, April 8, 2012

Week 42

Wow! None of us are moving! Except for an Elder Darley in Yu4Li3. But in Taidong county all 6 of us are the same. It'll be greater to further establish unity as a district.I'm so excited to stay another transfer at Taidong! This week has gone by fantabulously! I thoroughly enjoyed conference. One overlying theme that I noticed was the prompt that we "Do not delay". That is definitely true in our daily lives, especially missionary work. We all need to evaluate every part of our lives, because each part of our lives could become closer to the Savior. And then we should work now to be able to become a happier, more effective servant of the Lord. And then, as Preach My Gospel shares, set the appropriate goals. Recently I feel I've been a little slacking at Phase 2. Okay, more than feel. I have been slacking at Phase 2. But last week I made a goal to finish two boxes in 1 week (about 240 words/phrases). I spent an unusual amount of time studying it. Any free time I pulled it out. I studied while exercising, eating, and any other down time. And I was able to hit my goal and get two boxes. I'm grateful that I've gained a testimony to "do not delay." I have felt that I become proactive toward a worthy goal, the rest of my life gets better and becomes more enjoyable. This week we've been learning "How to begin teaching" from Preach My Gospel. I especially learned a lot from Elder Lusubudan during exchanges. He really does use the HTBT points in a very smooth and natural way. I think the teaching skill I need to work on most is asking effective questions. Effective questions will help me let those on the street know the "why" of the gospel, as President Uchtdorf taught us in Priesthood. It definitely is one of the harder skills to develop, but I know the Lord will help me find a way to do what I need to. Elder Bowler is doing great. Sometimes he takes a little too long with people with no interest. He loves to liao2tian1. But I'm probably guilty of the same thing. I hope I can set an example to be able to change this block in our effectiveness as missionaries. I need to work on my patience and charity. Many recent events and people have made me a little short tempered. I don't think it's made my actions too bad. Just definitely not Christlike. We've had a lot of....special people recently. They all have super different circumstances, which I guess is normal. We have a Liu2 a-zhong dx. He's a devout Daoist but he was willing to come meet with us anyway. He says he feels a great power in prayer and in the Book of Mormon. He learns super slow, and sometimes doesn't pay much attention. But he's been praying and making some progress. He wears a full white Xiaolin outfit to our visits. Benjamin Lin has continued to have some girlfriend problems. They finally broke up, but for some reason she still calls him. It's having a really bad effect on him. He called me and said he doesn't want to live anymore. I did my best to bear my testimony and help him with his trials. He'll be just fine, but he hasn't learned how to fully rely on the Lord yet. Baptism might be in 2-3 weeks or so. Hopefully he'll be able to make the progression necessary. I think we're establishing a better relationship with our branch. Hopefully this week we can do a lot better at asking for referrals. It's been great to see the obvious change of a family's view towards the missionaries when you have just one visit with them. They are more willing to give you referrals, and they feel a lot more involved in the work. Happy Easter, everyone! He is Risen! Hope you all have an awesome week. Love, -Elder Liu

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