Powerful Week!

Dear Family and Friends, 

This week was so amazing!!  It was a crazy week filled with biking, buses, trains, an apostle, baptisms, and miracles!!!  It was pretty amazing. haha

So my new area is really big... and I love it!!  It is beautiful!  It is in a place that at night I can actually see the stars.  It is beautiful!  They are nothing like the stars that we can see from our house in Bountiful... but they really are neat.  Because we are on the outskirts of JiaYi, we have to travel back to downtown JiaYi for District meeting and stuff. We are about a 40 min bus ride from Downtown.  We have a lot of secondary areas... and this week was just cool seeing a lot of them.  

The area hasn't had a baptism in the last 6 months... and at the start of this week we didn't have anyone with a goal or anything.  So Elder Larsen and I just went to work this week and trusted in the Lord.  We ended up finding some awesome people... one of which was at a 7 eleven near a college.  Her name is "J" and we met her and her friend and shared about Christ and having faith in him.  We invited them to come to English the next night.  That night we had more people than had ever come... including "J" and her friend.  At the end of English we did a spiritual share on Christmas and had a prayer.  I invited one of the new students to say the prayer.  They were willing... hahah it was a long prayer... haha but when it finished I looked up and there were just tears coming down "J"s face.  She felt the spirit!  It was amazing.  We set up to teach her on Saturday morning.  We taught her the first lesson and we set a baptismal date with her for the 26th of December.  :)  It was awesome.  

This week we traveled back to TaiZhong as you know and had the privilege of hearing from an Apostle of the Lord.  It was so amazing.  He talked about a lot of different things.  As he spoke all I could feel was love.  I had the opportunity to shake his hand.  I know that he is a chosen servant of the Lord.  It is just something that I know without a doubt in my mind.  He was so humble and kind.  I was one of the first to shake his hand and then went and sat in the chapel and had the opportunity of watching him shake everyone's hand.  As I watched him shake everyone's hand I got a little choked up... Just watching him I could feel the love of the Savior.  I imagined at that moment what it would have been like to have been on the earth when Christ was and to be able to watch him serve.  I know that we all will have a chance to meet Christ and we all will know that He is our Savior.  I know that he is and know that he loves us.  Then to close we all sang the mission song... haha i think that every time I sing it I cry... hahaha!!  It was neat.  Elder Stevenson gave us all one of the most special blessings at the end.  It was so powerful.  I cannot describe that feeling.  

This Saturday I was not able to attend the "G..." family baptism... :(  I called President and he was just afraid that it was too far away.  I was okay with his response - I understood.  The most important thing is that they were able to take another step closer towards their Savior.  That truly warms my heart.  They truly are my family in Taiwan.  I love them.  I would do anything for them.  I feel so blessed to have learned from them.  Ahhh... just awesome!!!  

Sunday we biked... and biked... and biked... hahahah!!!  We had to go to JiaYi city for a bigger meeting.  Elder Stevenson was also there... hahah so I was really lucky... I got to hear him twice.  He talked of Faith!!  It was powerful!  Sunday was also met another new Investigator and set a baptismal goal with him.  The Lord is really blessing us!!  

I love you all so much!!!  Keep up the great work!!  

Love, 

Elder Redding

Goodbye GangShan

Dear Family and Friends, 

Good-bye GangShan

Well this week was very special and very hard as well.  It was hard because I was called to leave GangShan.  I have really grown to love that place.  I have spent a half a year there... and it has been
such a great blessing.  It was special because of the true love I felt for the people here.  I have come to love these people so much.  They will forever be in my heart.  At this time of thanks giving I am grateful for the gospel which allows us through the Savior and his love to take these relationships and make them eternal. I am so grateful for that.  I can't imagine leaving these people without that knowledge.  This week was very hard to leave all of the people but especially the "G..." Family.  They are like my family in Taiwan.  I love them so much.  I am so grateful that they have decided to follow Jesus Christ's example and be baptized.  I hope that I can make it to their baptism... but if not I understand.  I am just grateful that they have made this choice and know that Heavenly Father will bless them so much.  

I have been called to serve in TaiBao! There are 30 members. It is in the JiaYi district!!!  I am really excited about the opportunities that lay in store. My new companion is Elder Larsen!  He is from Utah and he is a stud.  I am really looking forward to serving with him.  It will be a great adventure.  I am really grateful for this opportunity the Lord has given my to come to serve in JiaYi. I hope that I can work hard to help those who dwell in TaiBao.   

This week as I left GangShan my heart was full of love for the eternal friendships that were made there.  I will miss all of those people.  I believe I will see them again someday.  I pray that I will.  I love this gospel and know that it is true.  

As part of this thanksgiving I also want all of you to know that I am grateful for you.  You are my family and friends.  I am so grateful that you are in my life.   

This week Elder Stevenson is visiting our mission!!!  WE ARE SO EXCITED!!! The whole mission is going to TaiZhong to hear him speak!  Afterward I believe he is coming to JiaYi for a District Conference that we will be attending!  

Love, 

Elder Redding

The "G..." Family is Getting Baptized!

Dear Family and Friends, 

It has been such a wonderful week here on the beautiful island of Taiwan.  It really has been such a miracle filled week.  I am grateful for the prayers that you all have sent our way.  We couldn't be more grateful.  This email will be a little bit shorter... but will have the most important things that happened this week.  

The biggest miracle that happened this week was that the "G" Family did their baptismal interview and all passed!!!  They will all be baptized on the 28th!!  It has been a real ride with them and I am so grateful for them making this decision in their life.  It is the most important decision that they will ever make.  I know that they feel it.  You can tell in their eyes.  I thought that you guys might like to know "G"Baba's favorite scripture:  it is 3rd Nephi 13:31-33.  

3rdNephi 13:

32 For your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.

I love this family so much.  They truly are a little bit like my family in Taiwan.  They have been there for me and I hope that during this process they have felt like we have been there for them.  More than anything I know that they have felt the Lord by their side during this process.  

This week as I was looking in the phone I came across a name that I wasn't familiar with... His name was "O...".  I decided to call and see if he was interested in meeting with us or not.  To my surprise he was very very willing.  We met up at the McDonalds and ate together and then went to the church and had a lesson.  He was super cool.  He is in the military... so his time is never really sure.  He had the rest of the weekend off.. so we set up with him before he went back.  We met with him again and shared of the importance of the Book of Mormon.  We promised him that as he read he would also be able to have a special experience with it.  We invited him to be baptized and he accepted.  He has a goal for the 26th of December... WE will be praying for a WHITE CHRISTMAS!! ;) haha.  The coolest part of the lesson was the prayer that he said at the end.  He prayed so sincerely.  He prayed to know if it was true.  He prayed that the Book of Mormon could help him become a better person.  It was really special. 

The other miracle of the week was so cool.  We got home on Thursday night and were planning and there wasn't a whole lot set up for Friday.  I had a thought that we should go to one of our secondary areas... specifically that we should go and visit this LA.  We had visited him about 4-5 months before... twice and both times he was really cold to us.  He owns a scooter shop and both times we went there was no one in there and he said he had no time for us.  I had the thought to visit him... but had no idea what we would say.  We were praying very hard that night and that day that we would at least have a chance to talk to him this time.  We got there and once again there was no one in his shop.  This time we saw him and he was completely a different person.  He looked happier..this time he invited us in.  We spent the next 45 min just getting to know him and talking.  In the end I felt like we should share about the tree of life.  We shared about that (1st Nephi 8) At the end we were able to testify to him how important is is that we stay by the tree.  I expressed how important it is to him that we stay by the tree.  That when trials come we can simply reach up and eat the fruit and feel of Gods love.  As we leave the tree however it gets really hard to feel that love in the middle of our trials.  He really appreciated the share.  I know that he felt it.  This was so important because we asked if we could come back again some other time... he told us yes.  I know that he will make it back by the "tree".  It was such a miracle.   

I love you all so much and am so grateful for your safety.  I know that Heavenly Father loves all of his children.  I love you all so much!  

Love, 

Elder Redding 

A Whirlwind Week!!!

Dear Family and Friends,

Mission Training Meeting with Elder Wong

It has been another whirlwind of a week. It has been awesome though.  This week was our mission

tour.  So Elder Wang of the 70 came and visited our mission.  It was great.  So we all went to the ShiZhong Chapel to have our mission tour.  It was really interesting the way we started this time... all of the District and ZoneLeaders all went into a room about 30 min before it started with President and with Elder Wang and Elder Wang gets up and tells us that we can ask him any question.  Based on the questions that we asked he answered them and then did the whole mission tour.  hahah it was crazy and all just by the spirit! haha The Assistants and I were talking and they told me that every single time that he did it... it was different.  haha.  So that was cool.  One thing that we focused on was teaching to the needs of our investigators rather than just telling them everything that we know.  It was cool because right after we had a chance to do this.

Mission Training Meeting with Elder Wong

Yesterday after church we had a new investigator come to meet with us.  I met him almost 4 months ago... at that time we got his number and he said that he didn't have time until November!! hahaha!! Usually when people say that... it just kinda means that they don't have interest.  haha but for some reason this time I kept his number in a place to and would see it periodically for the last 4 months.  Well this last week rolled around and I saw it once again.. so I called and sure enough he was back and he said that he would come. When we met with him I had in my mind what Elder Wang had taught us... It really helped.  We taught to his needs and helped him feel the spirit!!  He was great.  We meet with him again this next Thursday.  

I am so happy about Kennedy and her team winning it all!! That is so awesome!!  I am very very proud of her and her hard work!!  Super super cool!!  

The other miracle that happened this week was on Saturday.  We went over to the "..." family and they committed this week to doing a baptismal interview... Which is huge!!  We hope that afterward they can be baptized within a week! It would be very very special if I could still be here for that.  I sure do love that family.  They mean a lot to me and I am so grateful for the opportunity that I have had to learn and grow with them!  

The scripture that I really felt come to life this week is found in Revelations 21:3-4.  I had an opportunity to share this scripture this week in a lesson.  It was right after an investigator of ours had just shared some very personal challenges with us and afterwards we were able to use this scripture and testify of our Heavenly Fathers love for us.  As we shared this scripture we could feel the spirit tell her that it was true and could see the hope in her eyes.  It was very special.  

Sure do love you guys!! Keep up all the great work.  I am sure proud of all you guys!! 

Love, 

Elder Redding

Happiness is a Choice!

Dear Family and Friends, 

This week was another crazy barn-burner... haha! The weeks fly by out here.  It honestly feels like just yesterday we were sitting here doing emails.  

This week started off great.  We met with a family.  We met them a week and a half ago.  We were riding our bikes by the husband and he was outside washing his car.  I automatically thought about baptism and washing away our sins... haha. (naturally)  So we pulled up by him and I related baptism and washing our cars to him... hahah he seemed to have interest.  So we set up a time.  Sure enough sunday came around and we met with them.  It went great.  We shared the first and invited them to pray about joseph smith.  We saw them on saturday as well, and we shared the Joseph smith video with them and talked about baptism and the sacrament. It was really special.  The husband seems to be a pretty devout Buddhist... but he said he would be willing to read and pray about the book of mormon with his wife!  

English Class of High School Students

About a month ago as we were biking a lady approached us and told us that she was a teacher at a local high school and heard about our English class.  She wanted to know if we could come to the

school.  I told here that we could... but that we would also need to share the gospel as well.  She was great with that.  She wanted to give us money... haha but we told her that we would like to do it for free.  I think that she was surprised! haha.

So this week we went to their class and taught them.. It was really fun!!  at the end we took about 20 min and taught them about the gospel.  We asked how many had met missionaries before... out of about 30 of them only about 1 or 2 had.  We shared about Heavenly Father and Prayer.  I think that it touched their hearts.  It was so cool.  We will be going back in a couple weeks.  I was really grateful for that opportunity to share the gospel with these students and let them feel of the holy ghost.  I have full confidence that they will have opportunities in the future to learn more about our church and about Jesus Christ.  I believe what we are doing now is preparing them for a future day.  Although we cannot see the immediate fruits of our labors we must have faith that the things we are doing now are not going unnoticed.  No act of goodness no matter how small, is ever wasted. 

Alma 27:

16 And it came to pass that as Ammon was going forth into the land, that he and his brethren met Alma, over in the place of which has been spoken; and behold, this was a joyful meeting.

 17 Now the joy of Ammon was so great even that he was full; yea, he was swallowed up in the joy of his God, evento the exhausting of his strength; and he fell again to the earth.

 18 Now was not this exceeding joy? Behold, this is joy which none receiveth save it be the truly penitent and humble seeker of happiness. 

I love this scripture!  As I read about Ammon in my personal study it inspired me to become a "humble seeker of Happiness. Happiness is a choice and it is up to every single one of us.  We get out of this life what we put into it.  So what ever we are doing in life let us find happiness therein. It is there.  There is happiness in this gospel.  Our Heavenly Father wants us to be happy.  He has given us countless tools to find happiness in this life.  It starts within us... it starts with a decision.  I hope and pray that we can all DECIDE to be happy.  I know that if we come to our Heavenly Father in HUMBLE prayer... he will illuminate our minds through the Holy Ghost.  He will help us know what we must do to receive this happiness.  In the end... no one can force us to be happy.  That is a decision we must make and I know that the creator of our very souls is more than eager to help us find a way that we can receive more happiness in our lives.  It starts by coming to him. 

Love, 

Elder Redding     

PDay