Prayer

Hello Family and Friends!

I just want to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and tell you to go out enjoy the snow, temple square and the lights. I realized I wish I had taken more time to go do that.

On the flip side, the weather here got rediculously cold. A day or two of warmth then bam! cold. But it is starting to get better now. I wear a long shirt, a sweater, my suit coat, and my outer jacket. I think today I might go invest in a pair of gloves... Who would of thought that being on an island somewhat near the equator would be so cold? But I have to say, there isn't such thing as bad weather here in Taiwan. Lots of interesting, but no bad weather.

People!

Daniel huang. Crunch time. His baptismal service is scheduled next weekend, his interview is this weekend, and we need to sit down with him. He went to Church this last Sunday to Taizhong with his girlfriend. She has been a good motivation. I was talking to daniel on the phone and he was telling me about how his prayers have been answered, receiving blessings and miracles. We talked about how those are answers and oh it was so exciting. Its trully marvelous and spectacular (actually no words can describe the feeling) when someone is receiving the Lord's help, is being drawn to Christ, and is being prepared to be baptized. He said he was going to do everything he could to prepare for Dec 24 baptismal date. He is another testimony that the conversion is between the Lord and them with the Holy Ghost doing the work. We are just guides and it is up to them to accept or reject and we hope to give them an opportunity to be able to decide. We missionaries have a very small part in this whole conversion process. We teach, bear testimony, invite, promise blessings. Daniel has proved to me that it is such. The whole process has been his experience.

Xiao ren jie. I love the kid. We shared about the atonement this week and trying to make it more personal to him. We were talking and doing our final recap of the lesson we asked what he learned and why Jesus performed the atonement and He said because he Loves me. Said it better than I would. Also he wanted to know all the commandments so we gave him all the commandment pamphlets to take home to study and read so next time we can invite them to live them.

Ricky Zhuang. He is answer to prayers. We meet him for the first time this last week and we asked what expectations he had for us and he said, he wants to join our church and change. Hello World! ha He is amazing, he absorbs everything. He doesn't believe God but by the end of this week he says that he believes he exists because everytime he prays, he feels peace and it gets stronger and stronger everytime. He will obviously have some trials along the way but the Lord will help him.

Other.

Well this week my testimony of prayer was strengthened incredibly. At the beginning of my mission I never realized how weak my testimony of prayer was. I knew it worked and that it was true, but never to the extent it is now. I know God listens to prayers and more importantly he answers. As I have mentioned we will just have lessons on the streets because we can pray anywhere and anytime. There were two particular experiences I had. I just share one of them. I was talking to this man (Filo) named alex. Alex life isn't easy. Raised catholic but never went and doesn't really remember when he read the bible last. We were talking and invited him to baptism. He was a bit unsure of it and everything so I asked if I could pray with him. we prayed together, asked God about baptism, and sat listening. After the prayer I look at him and he has a complete new expression upon his face. He said he felt God's existence and his love for him. He said God had answered that prayer. He was willing to be baptized. Unfortunately because of work and things it was a little hard to set up a next time. But I testify that God will answer. He asks us to prayer with all our soul and heart. If we realize how dear our connection is with him and how much he truly loves us and we love him. We will know of his existence in prayer.

Well running out of time. Lots of love, take care, and until next time America (or where ever else)

Elder Townsend