Monday, September 8, 2014

Sept 8 Letter from Chris

Hey Dad!
Well that wouldn't be good to jinx my investigators, now would it?! It's all good though. Thanks so much for fasting and praying for Investigator A and Brother L. I suppose I shall update you on the investigators and baptism stuff first. As of right now Investigator A and Brother L will get baptized on Saturday. Yay!!! Super fun!!! Elder Baker (my zone leader) came on exchanges with me in Taiping Friday to Saturday so that he could cover doing both of their baptism interviews (since I am District Leader, need to have the ZL do the baptism interview for our investigators). In Brother L's interview Elder Baker (and the member with him who helped to speak Taiwanese) found out that Brother L had been smoking. It is like this, that he himself doesn't buy cigarettes at all or anything. When he is home he says he has no desire to smoke or anything. But when he goes out neighbors or others offer him a cigarette and so he smokes it. All about being courteous and respectful to others generosity. Which is funny that yeah I have had the same thing of people offering me cigarettes when I bike contact them on their scooter. But yeah Elder Baker told him he could still get baptized if he didn't smoke at all this week. If he does we will have to move his baptism date back. But so yesterday at the end of church when I was sitting with Brother L having him fill a few things out on his baptism record, I asked him how the smoking stuff was going, and he said he hadn't smoked at all. He said that when people had offered it to him he simply told them no. So he is doing super good. Investigator A pretty much passed his interview flawlessly. Elder Baker said he is super good. So Investigator A asked me to baptize him, and we forgot to ask Brother Lin, so we will ask him today when we see him.

Then it gets even better. The sisters have been teaching a mother and daughter from English (actually found in the intermediate class I was teaching) that just passed their baptism interviews yesterday. Which I was the one (since I am DL) that did their interviews. I am not going to lie, I was kind of nervous because I have never done it before I wanted to make sure they were ready. But it went really well.

So this is where it gets even better. We are having 4 people get baptized this Saturday! It is going to be super good! We are all really excited! :D I am just looking to the future now that we need to get some more good solid investigators, because we don't have any other baptismal goals right now on the board. I trust that it will all work out well. Definitely that I really want to kick my butt into gear. REALLY been thinking somewhat over the last day about not wanting to give half-hearted effort, so-so desire towards this calling and work. So I really am going to work my hardest to give it all, not think too much, and see more of the strengths in myself so that I bolster my confidence more.

Elder Williams makes a joke about no matter what you can't burn him (like dis on him or put him down) because he already survived Nebuchadnezzar's fire. Pretty funny! We still have some contradicting personalities. We stick to our guns when it comes to arguing points. So we have had some truce Cokes to settle it and make things better. But we get some good laughs and really I learn so much from him. Really to just get myself to not think too much.

I am glad that your EQP social outing turned out good! :D It sometimes is a pain to get people together all the time. But as long as you be yourself and have fun, you make it fun for others. Something I have found to be very true in English class. Yes I have discovered my personality in Chinese, but my personality really comes out more in the English language. And in English class where you have people who are used to schooling where you sit there quiet, accepting what is taught, and not asking questions, it can be pretty daunting and awkward. But I have found to just kind of be myself, make stupid jokes, laugh about things, be eccentric, and it gets the students to enjoy more of the class.

Man I miss Cody. But also I really don't want to think about that. Because in all honesty, as much as I sometimes hate and loath or think the mission is freaking impossible, it is the best thing ever, that teaches me so much that can't possibly be done in any other aspect of life. It's great, it's wonderful, it's beautiful. I mean yeah I do think of home sometimes and the cool things, the fun things and such that I will have when I am there. But then I was thinking just this morning how that when we come back there will be probably scenario where we are in Taiwan and we are sitting in the Taxi, that I will be up front talking with the driver and going to introduce myself and realizing that I am not 戴長老 anymore but simply 戴先生. It made me sad and think "darn, as much as it is really hard sometimes, I don't want it to end, I don't want to go". I really don't know if I will cry or not when I get home. I mean I have found I cry at odd times. It is really weird. I don't know...

Well things are rolling forward! I am so grateful to everyone who supports me and encourages me in so many ways. I pray and hope that I don't let them down. I just keep trying to do my best, and really tackling head on to be even more confident in myself and not think too much. I love you lots and lots! Hope your week goes well!

Elder Roo

p.s. A victory photo of bowling last week with Elder Williams and member Tony


p.p.s. Super funny on Saturday night it worked out that all 6 of us Elders in our district were at the church as well as an RC Kevin, and that Elder Anderson bent over to pick something up that then just caused a big rip. We noticed that the seam on the inside of his leg just completely broke to be open about a foot or so long. Didn't even start from a small rip, just popped open. This biking is killer on the legs of making them really big. Just about every missionaries' legs get bigger from all our biking. But that day we had played basketball as a finding activity we do, so Elder Anderson put some shorts on instead, which looked really funny because he was still wearing church socks, white shirt, and tie. Something to cherish and remember.