Hello!
So my new companion is Elder Slawson. He is a second transfer missionary and his chinese is already amazing. Its pretty cool how awesome his chinese is. He is from Seattle andUtah. He lived in beijing for a couple of years and yep! He's a good one. Likes to microwave sponges to santize them... Lots of energy to go out and do the work. Today we have temple day so we will go to the temple pretty soon here. Lately it feels like we have been mostly been just being busy! Always going not quite sure, hopefully we can start getting the flow a bit smoother and see lots of miracles together! The Lord has prepared people. Just have to see past all the ones who are not quite yet. The thing I've to find is that here in xinzhu that I run into people from all over, phillipines, singapore, germany, america, paraguay, and many more. Its always interesting to try and speak one common language with them. The thing that keeps coming up over and over again is that this message is the same for every one. Its doesn't matter what type of person we are, we all can feel the spirit.
I really enjoyed church this last week at church it was really something I needed, it was too crazy and the sacrament allowed for the needed refreshment of the spirit and talks were even better. I had the opportunity to translate again this week for a member from Pennsylvania (I forgot how spell that state). It was really good they focused on how we need to be agents and go and do. One of the bishopric shared how Nephi was an agent. He didn't wait around for the Lord to give him an answer. For example, When he went to get the plates. He made a plan, tried, failed, tried, failed and kept trying! All he knew was that he was supposed to keep trying. If the Lord told him right off the back you were going to fail the first couple of times, what experience would he have learned? None. We don't need some giant spiritual feeling in order to do something. All we need is to make a plan, ask the Lord to consecrate it, go and do. If the plan is in the wrong the Lord will tell us, he won't allow us to go astray. That's what I am finding out missionary work is. We plan, ask for consecration, contact everyone, teach, and if we are doing something wrong the Lord will let me know. I also have noticed from my personal experience and scripture study is that teaching by the spirit is listening, observing, discerning and acting. Elder Bednar has shared this with us and I found it to be so true. As I have been teaching on the street, I found the more I do this the stronger the experience is. For example, this week I was talking to this man, he was a bit closed off, but as the more I listen, observe, discerned and finally acted the more opened up he became. It completely changed his attitude. That is the spirit at work. It was a giant feeling that overwhelmed us. It was an instruction kit from heaven. It was simply doing what the Lord has taught is his way and pattern of teaching and the results will bring him closer unto Christ. We just need to remove those distractions from our lives and we don't have to worry, because if something does come up, well the Lord will let us know.
Finally I have almost been out for 10 monthes now. Can you believe you haven't seen me face to face that long? It feels like two days ago I got on the island. (Two days because the first day was a shock, the second was the adjustment, and now today is being taiwanese) Well if you want to help out in anyway just pray for all the missionaries in the world, that they might have the spirit as they go and do, and the people they teach, that those people can have their hearts be soften, open and receptive to this glorious message from a loving and merciful Heavenly Father who made it all possible through his Only Begotten.
Lots of love,
Elder Townsend
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