All of God's Children Are So Important!

Dear Family and Friends, 

This week has been a great week.  It has been full of crazy events and new experiences. This week we had the opportunity to experience the Mid-Autumn festival here.  It was full of BBQ's fruit hats, great food, and fireworks!  It was awesome!!  I really love the ward here.  I feel like everyday I meet people here and I begin to love them more and more.  I know that all of these people are so important in our Heavenly Fathers eyes.  This plan was created for all of us, it wasn't just created for a select few of us that came down to earth.  It was created for all of us.  We all courageously made the decision to participate in God's plan.  We all wanted to live with him again and enjoy all of the blessings that he enjoys.  I believe we knew before hand very well that coming to earth wouldn't not be easy... that we would be tested.  I also believe that we were very excited with the knowledge that we would receive bodies and gain happy joyful experiences that would last forever.  I am so grateful that I chose to participate in this plan and that I have the opportunity to serve here around His children in Taiwan.  Every single soul is precious in our Heavenly Fathers eyes.  This plan is perfect and was designed for our happiness.  It is the plan of HAPPINESS!!! (Moses 1:39) ''This is my work and my glory, to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man."  This is what he glories in... not in himself, but in us.  He glories in our happiness.  He glories in every single ounce of effort we put in to do a little better. He is the Father and he hears and answers every single prayer. 

This week we have been working hard to help these people progress... We had to re-set some goals but that is okay.  It is patience and diligence.  The goals we have right now are really solid!  "P" has a goal for the 17th of October... that will be great for him.  

This week we met with "..."  and he took us out to eat Bing(ice) with him.  It was good, and then he got talking to us about his work and some of the challenges that he has been facing recently.  I invited him to read a chapter every day in 3rd nephi for the next month.  So far he is doing a great job.  I committed to doing that with him.  So I have been doing that as well.  Reading one chapter in 3rd nephi every day is really easy and really is one of the best parts of the day.  I love reading the Book of Mormon!!  

This weekend was crazy with Mid-Autumn festival.  We went to a ward BBQ that was awesome!!  I also saw a family from my old ward in DaKeng! That was super cool! It was super cool to see them.  I really love our ward here in GangShan.  We also got invited to go to a friends house named dark.  He and his mom taught us how to make dumplings!! That was super fun... after we ate them.. That was awesome.  He then took us to dinner at this huge night market! That was awesome!!! 

Last night Willie invited us to his home for another BBQ... the food there was unreal!! hahah there were a bunch of little kids there and I showed them the magic trick that Tay taught me of hitting the cards out of their hands! hahaha they thought that it was the coolest thing ever!! hahah... being there at Willie's home with his family reminded me again of how important all of Gods children are!  I am so grateful for last night's experience.  

I love you all so much!! Sorry this email is kinda crazy... we are going to Monkey Mtn again with a bunch of our ward for PDay!!  It should be super fun!!  

Love, 

Elder Redding 

The Gospel is Love!!!

Dear Family and Friends,

Thank you all so much for the most wonderful birthday ever!!! I can't believe that I got to turn 20 years old in Taiwan.  It was awesome!!  Thank you all so much for the letters, and thank you so much for the awesome package!  Between Elder Christensen and I the treats didn't last long! hahaha!!  Elder Christensen's bday was the 18th... so I talked with Willie and he got in contact with the ward and we had a surprise b day party for him.  It made him so happy!!  That was awesome!! This weekend way nuts!!! hahaha!  It was a whirlwind!!  

This week was crazy with interviews and then we had stake conference.  We spent most of the weekend in downtown gaoxiong for those events.  Interviews were great... I am so grateful for such a wonderful mission president.  I know that this church is true and am so grateful to be here in Taiwan serving these people.  Stake Conference was awesome as well.  

It also has been cool to see the change in "C" the last few months.  This is the gospel.  As members of the church we have such a huge blessing in our lives that everyday we have the opportunity to live the gospel and receive the blessings therefrom.  This is what we do.  

I feel like the longer I am out here the more I am coming to better understand the people's hearts here.  I love the people here.  I love the gospel.  It is hope, it is courage, the gospel is LOVE!!! My heart was full this week.  It has been full of love for all of you, for these great people, for my Savior, and for my God.  I love you all.  Keep the faith and keep looking to the future!!! 

Love, 

The Oldie... Elder 20yrs old Redding!!!! ;)

Love is the Unseen Force that Breaks Barriers

Dear Family and Friends, 

Street Contacting

These last couple weeks have been very good!!  Thank you for all your emails of encouragement and support!!  There are great things happening here in GangShan!  Elder Christensen and I were able to see a lot of miracles this week!  

Elder Christensen and Elder Redding Sporting New Haircuts

So... last week we were meeting with "P" and his mom when his mom said that there would be no way that she could get baptized with Paul because she had been a Buddhist for so long and needed more time.  She didn't know when she would get baptized and said to just go and let "P" get baptized.  I was pretty sad at that time... and we also moved Ps baptism to the 19th.  After the lesson "G" came in and he is facing the same thing right now as well.  His family is all ready, His son has actually been baptized and they all come to church every week... he just says that he needs time.  So after we met with "P" and his mom, "G" came in and expressed to me how he was really struggling with work and stress and he needed us to pray for him.  He also wanted a blessing.  So I gave him a blessing.  I really can see his faith being manifest right now.  Later that week we went to a fireside with "G" and his son.  The speaker was previously in the Quorum of the 70, and he did a wonderful job on speaking on the Plan of Salvation.  He taught so simple and so powerfully.  After the meeting "G" was driving us home and said that the talk that was given that night was exactly what he needed to hear.  It was really great.  

So this week Elder Christensen and I are sitting there doing Personal Study and the phone buzzes.  So I look

Zone Conference

at the phone and it is a text from Ps Mom... I got really worried.  My first thought was that she was going to say that he couldn't be baptized or something.... hahah so I opened the message and read that she had been thinking and had decided that she wanted to get baptized with P and join this Big Family!!  It was such a miracle!!!  It was great!!  We had there baptismal interview this last Saturday and it looks like they will get baptized this next Saturday the 19th.  I am very very hopeful for them.   

This week we had a lot of opportunities to touch people with prayers. On the street we meet people and a lot of times they won't meet with us again and don't have a lot of interest.  Sometimes we try to teach them how to pray and say a prayer with them right on the street.  It is a special experience for them.  This week Elder Christensen and I went to the park to contact people and saw this lady sitting off aways playing on her phone.  We went over and talked to her and asked if we could share for a sec... she said no, so we asked if we could just use 5 min of her time... haha she said yes... but wasn't super thrilled about it.  We taught her about prayer, and she wasn't all that into it.  At the end

My Great Zone!

we asked if we could say a prayer with her... she excepted... but once again wasn't to happy about it.  After we said the prayer we looked up and she was a totally different person than when the prayer started.  She had changed... she felt the spirit.  We invited her to pray on her own that night and got her number to give to the sisters.  I don't know what will come out of it... maybe nothing.  However, Elder Christensen and I know that she felt the spirit and she couldn't deny it.  

Yesterday we went over to the "G" Family for dinner, and shared after.  We asked where they were about baptism.  "G" is still not ready... he says that he needs time.  We just promised blessings and help them see the importance of the sacrament. I feel like it helped.  When we left we said a prayer and after the prayer "G"Mama had tears running down her eyes.  She is ready.  I truly feel like they are so close!!  

With Guys from Indonesia

Playing Music with Guys from Indonesia

Yesterday was also kinda funny.. we had a guy come in our ward from the Marshall Islands.  His name is Andy and he will be here for 4 years studying medicine.  He is a member and is just this big Poly!!  He is great.  He doesn't speak any chinese... so I translated for him.  He was really happy and the ward loves him.  haha also last night we went to the park to contact people and ran into these guys from Indonesia... they were playing these island drums and guitar thing.... We couldn't communicate with them... however I learned a powerful lesson from being with them.  We spent about 15 min with them and it was so joyful and felt like there was no problem communicating.  There are real language barriers, but Love truly is the unseen force that breaks down any barriers.  We sat and laughed and played the guitar with them for 15 min!!  

Happy Birthday!

I just thought of another cool story... haha the other day we were doing language study in the park and this Filipino came up and started talking to us!  He was so nice!!  One of the nicest people i have ever met.  We can talk to them because their second language is english.  anyways... it came out that it was his b day.  So I told him to wait there for 20 min and Elder Christensen and I ran off and bought a cake for him.  I was really happy we did.  It is not easy for them.  They come over here to work in these factories they leave their families and can't speak the language.  We came back and two of his friends were there.  They were just celebrating his b day with a few beers and a bag of cheetos.  They were happy and content and overwhelmed that we would buy them a cake.  We lit the candles and sang and ate cake with them for like 10 before we had to go to an appointment.  I really truly felt pure happiness then.  

The Lord has blessed me in so many ways this last week.  I love Him.  I love you all!! Thank you for all the B day wishes!! You are all the best!! 

Love,

Elder Redding