Goodbye 名間 (Mingjian)‏ - The Land of Miracles!

Dear Family and Friends, 

Hello everyone!!!  Another crazy week in good ol Taiwan!!  To explain the title of my email I will start off by telling you all that I found out this week that I will be leaving MingJian... :(  My comp found out this last Thursday that he will be training for the last 10 weeks of his mission.  So this next Friday I will head off with either the Zone Leaders or head up to TaiZhong and serve in Dakeng again until next Monday.  I don't know where I am heading yet, so I will find out on Saturday and head out next Monday.  I was kinda bummed when I first heard... I really loved serving in MingJian and really loved the people and the branch

With Brother W and His Daughter

here.  I really wish that I could have spent more time here.  It is okay though... I know that the Lord wants me to serve somewhere else for the next little while and I will trust him and will love the people there as well.  I hope that this next Friday I get to go up and serve in Dakeng again for a few days because next Saturday they are baptizing Brother W.  I was teaching him with Elder Munger and Elder Ju!  That would be so awesome to get to go to his baptism.  

One thing that I have learned here in MingJian is that the Lord is truly over this work.  That us missionaries are young and this work is way above us all.  I have found that he is so willing to help us and guide us if we will just do our very best to move forward this work and look to him in every thought.  MingJian is the land of miracles.  I will be forever grateful for the opportunity that I had to serve here.  

The last two weeks it has really rained... haha.  The people here hate the rain so much.  It is kind of hard to schedule meetings with people because right when it rains all of a sudden staying out of the rain is way more important than their word... hahaha! It has been good though.  Elder Roberts got sick this last week... so that was tough on  him.  He is getting better though...  he just can't talk right now.  His voice is all the way gone.  We will be praying that come Friday when he gets his trainee that he can speak again.  

This week we had a couple really cool experiences.  On Wednesday we traveled to zhushan to meet with This older family... we brought a member with us... because they speak a lot of Taiwanese haha.  We sat down with them and shared what our purpose is.  They are very religious Buddhists... but at the end we invited them and their two daughters to church.  The Dad said that he would.  He said he couldn't this week but next week he would.  I thought that was really awesome!!  I hope that as he comes to church that he can feel the spirit.  

Elder Roberts, Brother L, Elder Redding

On Saturday we went over to sister M's home.  Her son J was there to.  We had dinner with them and it was soooooo goood! haha!  We had planned to share to short movie finding faith in Christ.  We pulled out the usb... and couldn't find it.  We picked this other video... and the spirit was so strong.  ... I kinda got all emotional and pulled a Dad. haha.  It was really neat though.  I hope that you guys can watch the video as well.  It is called Come unto Christ.  It was the 2014 theme song.  It was filmed at Bountiful High actually!  haha.  

Sunday was great... I got called on to give my testimony because I was leaving.  I also got called on a lot that day during lessons... hahah because Elder Roberts couldn't speak.  It was a great experience.  The branch was so kind to me.  I really will miss them.  I love them and will pray for them.  I talked to the Branch President and he is going to play ball with us thursday morning with Brother Lin.  (Bro Lin played in college) haha.  It should be really fun.  That is the day before I leave. 

This week we had to go to this Train the trainers meeting in GaoXiong.  It took all day, and on the way home we met these Aborigines.  The Aborigines in Taiwan for the most part are all Christian. It was super funny.  They came and found us on the train, and so we started talking to them.  The Aborigines are always so happy.  They have very simple lives but are always so happy.  I think that it is because of their belief in the savior.  Everytime we meet one they see our name tags and ask all excited like, "Are you guys christian?" haha we tell them yes and they get really happy.  It is super cool.  

I love you all so much and am so grateful for your wonderful examples to me!! I love and pray for you all!!  Keep the faith my friends.  

Love ,

Elder Redding  

The Love of God is Most Precious

Dear Family and Friends, 

With Brother Xu Taking Us Back to Our Area

Halou from 名間!! (mingjian) Another week come and gone!!!  Too fast!!!  This week was miracle week. haha.  The branch president was right when he said that there are just miracles that happen here. haha... they just come out of no where.  Sometimes I really don't feel deserving of them haha, but we are trying to work as hard as we can to help these people and the Lord is really backing us up! 

Here is how a normal day goes.  We set a plan for the next day, try to fill the day with what we feel the Lord would have us do... and then nothing goes according to plan! hahaha... its almost like he is just up there like... nope... that isnt who I want you to see now... Go here! haha so we start tracting or calling and then miracles happen. haha! 

Another day we went to 水里(shuili) and had a bunch of lessons set up.... well it rained.. and the

people hate rain... hahah so they no showed.  So we went and visited a member L, and then we went to go eat dinner with him when out of no where he said.  Lets go here.  I want you guys to meet someone.  It turned out to be a former who was really cool.  We sat down with her and talked then out of nowhere this lady and her kids showed up.  They were talking about her husband in the hospital and stuff and somehow it came up that we were the new missionaries here.  Then she told us that yesterday for the first time she had learned a little about Christianity, with another church.  Out of nowhere she decided to come to this lady's house and ran into us.  She told us that she really feeling like Christianity is right, and that it was God who set it up that we could be there together.  We had only been talking for about 10 min and started talking about prayer, and somehow baptism came up.  So I just felt like it was right and we invited her to be baptized the following month.  She said yes. It was a miracle.  We got her contact info and stuff and are meeting with her this week.  It was amazing.

The next day we had plans to go to 集集...(jiji) and sure enough we got there, it was raining of course! haha and we got fanged! haha  (canceled on)... haha.  We ended up talking to these two neighbors one old guy who is so nice to us.  After that we went tracting because all our plans fell through... we went to this one little part of town and started.  hahah and were just getting rejected... until we came to this one house and before we even said who we were he invited us in!  hahah it turns out he doesn't believe in God, but we got him to commit to pray and ask if god exists.  That was a big miracle.   

After that we called M and she said that her oldest son was home so we could come over to their house instead.  So we did.  We got there and met her son and just sat for like 45 min ate and talked.  Then we decided to share the Joseph Smith video and right when we wanted to start her husband who is against her getting baptized walked in.  So we introduced ourselves and the video and watched it.  The spirit was there and i think it touched his heart.  We invited them to church after and they all said they would come. 

So we went to church and it was raining and the husband didn't show up... but M and her son did.  After church we sat with them and had a small lesson, we invited him to be batpized on the same day as his mother!  He said yes... hahah he then said that he was already ready!!! hahaha!! It was awesome!! It was just a great week!!!  

Today I read in 1st Nephi 8 about the tree of life.  It talks about Lehi looking far off and seeing his family and calling to them with a LOUD VOICE.  This to me is the voice of warning.  Everyday we come across friends and family we wish would come and partake of the love of God.  I think it is very important to remember that the LOUD VOICE can be manifest not only in our words but our actions.  The fruit of the tree of life is the love of God and it is most precious.  We can't afford not to share it with those we come across and love.  

I love you all so much!!  Have a great week!!! 

Love, 

Elder Redding 洪長老 

The Lord's Hand Was in Our Week! (Plus Pictures)

Dear Family and Friends, 

Hello everyone!! It was the greatest thing ever getting to see all of you last week on skype for Mother's Day!!  It actually worked a lot better than I thought it would, considering our luck with 

Back to Dakeng for Baptism! Awesome Day!

Special Baptism Day

technology. hahaha!  You guys all looked great!! I felt right at home like I was right there with you guys again.  It was a huge blessing.  I was able to think that P Day about our skype and really am so grateful for the knowledge we have of The Plan of Salvation.  I know it is true and I know that families are forever.  As I looked into your eyes from thousands of miles away I couldn't help but feel the spirit testify to me that the Plan of Salvation is true.  How grateful I am for that knowledge.  There are times our here when we teach the plan of salvation and the people have never thought about what comes after death.  We tell them the glorious message of our Heavenly Father's plan and the opportunity we have to live forever with God and those we love most.  They look at us, and tell us that we cannot know these things.  They tell us that there is no such thing after death.  We look them in the eyes and with all the confidence in the world tell them.  I know that this is true.  I have felt it, and I cannot nor will not deny it.  They have there choice to accept it.  I can't think of a greater gift than to live with all of you, our HeavenlyFather, and our Brother Jesus Christ forever.  Its a pretty sweet deal.

This week was crazy.  MingJian is a biking area... and oh do we bike!  It actually isn't too bad.  I like biking here.  Its beautiful.... but boy is it hot!  We are never not wet.  We walk outside and we are drenched in sweat. This week was the same story.  It was full of miracles though.  

On Tuesday after a long day of tracting, we bike to JiJi and ended up getting cancelled on.  So we did some more tracting and ended up tracting into this home.  It was an older man who we went and sat with on a bench and started talking to.  We got talking and then he invited us inside.  He was incredibly nice to us.  We talked with him and finally found an opportunity to share more of the gospel with him.  As we shared he didn't quite have the same beliefs that families could live forever.  He had never thought about it and wasn't too willing to start believing.  We told him that we knew it was true.  We asked if we could come back some other time and visit the rest of his family, He said that we could.  As we left, he said: "make sure if you are around here you come visit."  That was neat. ... he also gave us a bunch of bananas haha.  The bananas here are amazing. haha

Zone Conference Lunch

Wednesday was an early day, we got up super early in order to get to Zone Conference in JiaYi! We rode the train there.  Zone Conference was awesome.  We discussed a lot about ways we can best help our investigators make it to church.  It came down to really setting that expectation in the first place and everyday doing good follow ups with them.  When they understand the importance of church and are prepared it really isn't a problem at all.  It was nice to see everyone.  I saw Elder Jenkins again.  He gave his mission reflection and it was great!  

Thursday we went tracting and found these awesome Grandma and Grandpa who let us is.  I am pretty sure she is some Buhdist leader... hahah they were so nice and we shared the first lesson with them.  We set up to go back.  Then they gave us a whole watermelon hahaha!!! 

Friday we got goose egged.... hahaha.... We were just planting! ;) 

Saturday things went awesome.  It started off with a lesson at McD's where we gave this kid a baptismal goal!! It was aweosme!!! We then went to ZhuShan and visited some people including that Grandma and Grandpa.  We started sharing the 2nd.... but they can't read the book of mormon because of their lack of education.  So we are trying to get tapes for them to listen to! After we told them next time they came we would bring a friend.  ... I had the best mangobing (kinda like ice cream). haha it was just a great day.  

Sunday was a miracle.  It has been over 2 movecalls since missionaries have hit standards in MingJian.  haha we had all these lessons set up to hit them.... and everything worked out.  We hit standards!!!! haha but it wasn't really us... the more I look at it the more I realize how prominent the Lord's hand was in our week!  It was a great faith booster.  Elder Roberts and I hope to hit them again this week.  I know that numbers are not the most important thing.... but I do know that "without a vision, the people perish."  Standards are a means to reach our end goal of bring people unto Christ.  We are seeing miracles through planning and faith.  

Sunday night we went to a Ward activity and it was aweosme... then the branch president turned to us and told us to give the lesson.  hahaha... so I grabbed my book of mormon and read 2nd nephi 33:3.  I talked aobut Taylor's influence on me when he served a mission.  I talked aobut the love Taylor developed for the people.  I talked about reading that scripture for the first time and already loving the people of Taiwan even before I knew I was coming here. It was a great experience to share.  Elder Roberts and I also had to teach Gospel Principles right on the spot! hahaha!!!  I love it here!!! 

Love you all and have an awesome week.  Thank you all for your amazing examples!!! 

Love, 

Elder Redding

With Elder Roberts and Friends from Dakeng

First Week in Mingjian!

Dear Family and Friends,

This week has been a super awesome week!!  MingJian is awesome!!  It is one of the most rural places in Taiwan and I love it!!  haha.  It is like camping every day kinda... haha.  Our area is huge as well.  We have like 8 secondary areas that we either bike to or take a bus or train to.  This week Elder Roberts and I were whitewashing the area and we had no idea where we were half of the time.  haha.  It ended up being a great week though with a lot of awesome miracles.  

The first night we got there in MingJian we went and found the church.  The church is so small.  It is just in a little garage with a couple floors. There are only like 20 people who come to church.... it is so small haha!!  After that we went to McDonalds and had dinner with a LA that we eat with every week I guess.  That was nice.  

The next few days we spent some time getting to know that area and visiting members.  We went to Lunch with the Branch President who is awesome and who speaks perfect english.  He is so awesome.  He is a young guy and he just kept telling us at lunch that this is a tough area... haha but he kept saying, the work is progressing and miracles are happening.  I believe him... I believe that miracles are happening.  

We also went to one of our secondary's called JiJi, and we had a lesson with a recent convert who is from India.  She speaks mandarin, but her Taiwanese is better because it is closer to her native language I guess.  hahah Taiwanese sounds crazy... hahah its super hard.  The area we are in has a lot of old people... who only speak Taiwanese... haha WE don't understand anything.  I hope that while I am here I can learn how to say some basic things in Taiwanese to help these people.  The RC we met with is super cool and she has a little boy and she works some of the most crazy hours.  She doesnt' have an easy life.  She has a strong testimony of the truth of the gospel.  We had the second counselor in the Branch Presidency come with us... well he actually drove us because we weren't too familiar with the area.  He is awesome.  He got baptized 1 1/2years ago.  He has the kindest heart.  When we were in lessons with him you could just feel of his love for the gospel.  After that we went over to his house for another lesson.  We had an ivestigator come to his home.  Here name is "M".  She is awesome and loves the bible.  We taught her aobut the book of mormon and how she can read it.  She is awesome.  We also met the Second counselors wife.  She was baptized 2 years ago! She was awesome too.  

When the second counselor drove us home.  He is a super cool guy and was telling us that every other week he has kongfu class so we can't come to his house at that time.  On the way home he told us that the gospel has really blessed his family.  When we were over there you could just feel the love of the gospel in that home.  It reminded me of my home.  I am so grateful to have been raised in a home where the gospel was taught and where I could feel of that love.  I love this gospel.  

On Thursday we went to TaiZhong!! wahhhhooo!!! hahaha.  My comp is our District leader so he had to go to a meeting there.  When we were there I got to go an serve in Dakeng while he was in the meeting!!! It was so awesome!!!  I served with Elder Ju's companion. He is a duan chuan... i can't remember how to say that in english.  He isn't a missionary yet... but he gets to come serve for a week.  He is Taiwanese!  It was so fun.  We got to go visit "W".  We had lunch with them and I was so happy. He told me he would send a pic when he got baptized. It was just awesome being there.  Then on the way home we ran into some miracle contacts who set up.  That was awesome!!  

This week has been so crazy and tiring and awesome!! haha!! I can't wait to tell you more over call/skype on Mother's Day call!!! This place is awesome.  We are still lost half the time but the Lord is guiding us.  I love you all so much!!!

Love ,

Elder Redding