I Want to Fall Down Exhausted Knowing I Gave it All I Had!

Dear Family and Friends, 

Another awesome week in Taiwan!  This week started off really rough... we had an investigator call and tell us that they didn't want to keep meeting with us anymore... that kinda stunk... and a lot of the people we are meeting with just say that they are super busy and can only meet on weekends.  It makes the middle of the week a little tough.  Also... I feel like it is really hard to really help people progress in the gospel only meeting with them once a week.  It is kinda like only reading your scriptures and praying once a week... it is a good thing.. but if only done once a week the six other days of the week you kinda lose that spiritual fire and desire for the gospel.  

It was a battle all week... and going into yesterday we didn't have 1 new investigator for the week.  So Saturday night was a little rough.. haha then we got home and we were locked out of our house... hahah so we had to call this lock guy and he came and picked our lock!  

Sunday was a real miracle... Yesterday we ended up getting 4 new investigators!!  It was awesome!  It was pouring... there was no one out on the road because it was raining so hard.. so we decided to go tracting.  We found this family who we taught prayer.  It was cool.  We are going to meet the son again this week and the family again in a couple weeks.  

The best part was that last week as we left those people's house with the guitar we pulled up to this red light and I pulled next to this guy on a bike.  I got talking to him and he was really cool.  He is busy with work, but we set up for this week for him to come to the church and meet with us.  Well this week when he was supposed to come... he ended up not coming.  We had been "Fanged" (canceled... I can't think of a good english word for that... maybe ditched) so many times this week... it was just kinda normal.  So we called him and he answered... he said that he thought we were meeting with him on Sunday... so we set up with him again!  So yesterday we met with him and he was awesome!  We taught him the restoration and set a baptismal date with him for August 8th!  So awesome!!  He works that night shift from 7 to 7 a.m.  and said that he was willing to come to church next week at 9!  I think that he will hit his goal!  He is a really cool guy.  He is shy .. haha but is sweet!  

Yesterday after church  I read in the Book of Mormon with a Less Active Member yesterday, and we read in 1st Nephi 8.  Lehi talks about 3 different groups of people who take course to get to the tree of life.  The first it never talks about them holding on to the rod.. and they were lost.  The second says that they did... but when they took the fruit they were ashamed.  That to me is kinda like going through the motions... like every once in a while praying and reading scriptures, and once and a while going to church.  At the end if we just go through the motions... we really aren't as grateful for the gospel as we could be... and in the end we will be a little disappointed in our efforts.  The 3rd group however specifically talks about them CLINGING CONTINUALLY to the rod.  Those are the people that live for the gospel... that put it at the center of their lives.  At the end when they partook of the fruit they fell to the ground.  It doesn't say why.. but I like to assume it is because they were so grateful for the gospel and they were so grateful for the Savior and his Atonement.  They were grateful because they had really used it.  We read this together and I tried to explain the difference to him, and I think that he is slowly making that change and using the atonement in his life.  More that anything though.. I read this and it makes me want to do everything I can to center the gospel in my life.  In the end I want to fall down exhausted knowing that I gave it all I had.  

I love Taiwan and love the people here.  One thing that I have really come to learn is that there are just people that are prepared to accept the gospel and are waiting for us.  It took me a long time to understand this.  Everyday literally 99% of the people reject us... and I always took it out on myself for the longest time.  I have come to understand now that those 99% just simply aren't ready at this point and if I can just leave them with a smile then hopefully later down the road they will remember a goofy white guy who was really nice to them and was happy.  Then maybe next time they will be more prepared to accept the gospel.  When we find people out here it is all just miracles..  haha.  People just show up out of no where right when you feel like you can't do it anymore.  It has really motivated me to work as hard as I can all the time just with that hope that at the end of a long day we will run into that family, or that person that is prepared!  

I love you all so much!  Thank you all for your wonderful emails and letters.  You all are such huge examples to me and have such a huge influence in my life.  I know without a doubt if it weren't for all of your wonderful influences I would not be where I am today in Taiwan sharing this wonderful message. 

Love, 

Elder Redding