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.
