"C" was Baptized!

Dear Family and Friends, 

I don't have hardly any time today.  Last week was pretty crazy.  I was told that I would be staying in

Getting My New Comp, Elder Christensen, from the Mission Home

GangShan and also that I would be training!!!  haha luckily I got the best companion ever!! He is awesome! His name is Elder Christensen!  He is from Utah and is a stud!!  He ran track before his mission and came in second place in state for 5A for the 400 with a 49. something!!  He is awesome!!!!!!! I feel like his chinese is already awesome!!!  

This last saturday,....."CH..." got baptized!!!! wahhhhooo!!!  It was Elder Christensen's first day in GangShan and got to go to a baptism!! It was awesome!!  I am so happy for "C".  I know that the things that he learned this summer have changed his eternity.  I was so happy this morning... we went to go to the church to play ping pong at 6... when we got there the early morning seminary was just finishing before the youth went to school... and guess who was there???  "C"!!!  and "P" and his mom!!!!  iT WAS SO GREAT!!!  

On Sunday I was assigned to give a 15 minute talk!  ... I was really nervous... That is a long time to be standing in front of everyone speaking Chinese... hahah but I got up there and before I knew it the bishop was handing me a paper that said we needed to wrap it up.. haha I looked at the clock and it was already 5 min over time - hahaha!!!  

I love this work.  I love you all... !!  

Love, 

Elder Redding

Newly Arriving Missionaries with Their Trainers - A Record Number of New Missionaries Arrived!!!

We worked... and worked... and worked - it paid off!

Dear Family and Friends, 

This week has been a great week.  Man was I tired this week.  We worked... and worked... and worked.  It really paid off though.  We are seeing miracles everyday and it really is a huge blessing to be serving the Lord.  I can't think of a better reason to be tired.  This is how the week went. 

With Elder Kunz at "Welcome Back" Party

We had a DTM on Tuesday and talked about finding new investigators.  It went well and we set some good goals.  Our district has a goal for 6 baptisms in the month of September.  I really have faith that we can hit that.  We are working with a couple families right now and it would really be a blessing to help to enter into the waters of baptism this next month.  They are prepared souls and I believe that is the reason.  On Tuesday night we threw a party for our RC who just got back from merica.  His family hasn't been baptized yet and are getting really close.  A couple weeks ago I kept having the feeling that we should have a welcome home party for him with the ward... I am really grateful that we did.  It started out and we only had a few people there with a few snacks... but in the end it went awesome.  A bunch of Ward Members came, "C" came and we had food and ping pong. The ward loved it, and our RC "D" and his family really really loved it.  I was super happy that it went well. 

English Class with the Children

Tuesday, afternoon we had a meeting in downtown GaoXiong for the DL's in our Zone.  We set our Zone Goal for September also set what we called the Zone Standards.  Great things accomplished that will raise all of us to a greater sense of accountability.  I have really enjoyed working hard to hit these specific goals every day.  At night was English class... I got a pic with my students just in case i moved... haha so I will show you that.  

Our "We Got Stood Up" Chair - Pout for a Second, Then Back at It Smiling!

The highlight of the week is that "C" had his baptismal interview and he passed.  It was so awesome!  He is getting baptized this next saturday.  He asked if I could baptize him, At church we announced his baptism to the ward and everyone was really excited.  hahah our other investigator whose goal is the 12th came up and asked if they could get baptized with "C" as well! haha we still have to teach him some things and we hope that he can get baptized with his mom! This is an amazing work... it is work.  However, it is very joyful and fulfilling.  I am so grateful to be serving here in Taiwan.  I feel so blessed to be here.  I am beyong grateful for all of you and the support you give me.  Thank you.  I mean it when I say that I couldn't be out here without all of your wonderful influences.  

I love you all so much!  This is going to be an amazing week!!  

Love, 

Elder Redding

Parable of the Laborers

Dear Family and Friends, 

This week has been great and once again... has flown by.  I cannot even believe that I have been with

Elder Kunz for a month now.  It has flown by.  In a couple weeks we have 35 new missionaries coming to Taiwan... that should be crazy.  That is the most that President and Sister Blickenstaff have ever had come on at one time.  We have a super young mission right now... hahah so that should really make things interesting.  I would love to stay in GangShan.  I love it here.  I love the ward here and love the people that we are working with.

At Zone Conference

Zone Conference

This week we had Zone Conference and were able to see President and Sister Blickenstaff.  That was super fun.  It is a lot more rare to see them since we are in GaoXiong.  So that was really great and uplifting.  At the end of the Zone Conference President invited 3 people to come up and share their testimonies.  You can probably guess what happened next... hahah yeah. I actually am really grateful.  It is such a blessing to share our testimonies.  They truly are a gift from our Heavenly Father.  They come from hard work and faith.  So when we don't share them... it is like practicing a fast break dunk for years and then finally getting the opportunity and doing a layup instead.... haha!  We can use these testimonies that we have worked hard for and that Heavenly Father has been so gracious to let us have to help lift and inspire others.  So I was very grateful to be able to share.

This week we ran into a great miracle.  We met with a family (a mom and a son) They are so great... and they have been coming to church.  This week we were able to meet with them and were able to set a baptismal date for the 12th of sept!  It was so awesome.  I really have faith that they will hit it!!  "C"... we moved him back to the 29th and fasted with him this sunday.  I think that he will hit that.  I sure hope that he does.  That would be so neat. He is such a great person.  I feel so blessed that Heavenly Father has allowed us to come in contact with these people and share this message.  

This week I read the parable of the laborers.  I used Jesus the Christ as a study companion... and I highly recommend doing this.  I feel like I got so much more out of it while using both.  I would invite you all to do the same.  I know that by prayerfully doing so you all will come to appreciate and love the way the Master Teacher taught(our Savior Jesus Christ). 

What really stood out to me was there was a difference in the first hired and in the last. It was the mindset. The first agreed on their pay and as they labored, thought towards what they would gain. The last were told that their pay would be fair...and labored in the Lords vineyard not with a thought for what they would gain but they labored in gratitude for the work they were given. To m humility really is realizing that it isn't all about ourselves. We really are all in debt to God... so it is kinda silly to be out here expecting some fixed wage. Any pay or blessing that we get from God while we are in His service is a free gift. The first shall be last and the last shall be first... The first MAY be last and the last MAY be first. It doesn't matter at what time we are called to labor. Those that labor in humility work with faith and develop a knowledge and trust that God will give unto them "whatever is right." I hope that I can become more humble as I serve and think less about myself. I hope that I can develop a greater mindset of gratitude for the opportunity that has been given me to serve the Lord.

I love you all so much!!!

Love

Elder Redding

With Two of Our English Class Kids!

Typhoon Soudelor!!!

Dear Family and Friends, 

The Storm of the Century was legendary. haha.  It was pretty cool.  I learned something here in Taiwan that I never knew before.  I learned that a typhoon is the same thing as a hurricane... haha I

Damage in Our Area from Typhoon Soudelor

can't believe that I never knew that before.  They just call them typhoons over here.  It was pretty cool though.  We knew it was coming because people were all talking about it and refusing to set up with us on the weekend because of the typhoon.  haha... and on Friday we got a message from president that basically we just needed to be smart.. so my companion and I decided to go outside! haha.  I have found some of the most success on my mission tracting in the pouring rain... so I thought it would be a great opportunity.  So we wake up Saturday morning and it was starting to ramp up... we didn't go outside for work out because it would have been too hard to bike there.... haha.  When it came time to go outside there was no one out on the road and biking was crazy! The wind would sometimes make it so that you couldn't even pedal... hahah and other times it would hit you in the back and make you go super fast.  We just biked to an area and decided to tract.  The people all thought that we were crazy... haha.  I really didn't think it was that bad or that dangerous.

Lunch Time on Exchanges with Elder Hamula

There were a bunch of trees that were ripped out and some of them took out the cement they were planted in.... that was pretty crazy.  Lunch time rolled around so we went to the only place that was open... Mickey D's!! hahah not many people can say they ate Mickey D's in the middle of a Hurricane!! That was super fun..  Then we went and made calls... and then we went tracting again... we found a little success and ran into this lady who we taught how to pray... We went back again the other day to find out that she had prayed.  That was really neat.  When dinner rolled around... we were pretty hungry... and guess where we went... MICKEY D'S HAHAA!! At that time our phone was not working...  so after we ate we had to go home to connect with the ZLs... to make sure that we were still supposed to be outside.. we got home and found out that president just told us all to stay in the rest of the night! hahah. So we got home... showered and made calls the rest of the night watching the district on our little DVD thing.  (the district is a missionary video).

We had a huge miracle this week... last night actually.  We had just finished contacting and decided that it was time to start heading home because we have to get numbers in early on Sunday.   While we were heading back we saw this guy on the side of the road... we pulled over and said hello and asked how he was... he said that he was horrible and not happy.  I asked him why and he just said that is faith was low... he then asked if we had something that could help him.  We told him about our church and prayer.  We committed to coming to church next week and was really serious about it.  We then said a prayer with him to help his faith.  It was a huge miracle.  He gave us his number and we showed him where our church was.  

Earlier this week we also had a sweet miracle.  We were out tracting and this guy was outside.  We went to go and talk to him to find out he was part of a different christian church.  He didn't want to talk a lot and told us his wife was inside and wouldn't be happy... we talked a little longer and then all of a sudden his door closed behind him... hahah it locked him out and he didn't have keys. hahah Idon't know if his wife was actually home.  So we ended up talking to him for like 30 min about the church.  We got his number and are hopeful for the future.  He told us not to get to hopeful for him... haha but its okay.  Regardless of the outcome we were able to share restored truths with him.  It was awesome. Thanks to that door.. :) 

This week I read about the light of Christ in PMG... I loved as I was reading I felt how much Heavenly Father loves all of his children.  He wants to give them the very best.  He has given us the light of Christ that no matter what situations we are born into we can still discern good from evil.  That is something I think is really cool.  When people are prepared and hear the message of the restored truth it really does feel like home to them.  It makes sense them.  I know that there are people out there who are ready to hear and receive this gospel.  Everyone was foreordained to receive all that the Father has.  That doesn't exclude anyone.  

This week as I was reading the Book of Mormon I came to realize even more what a special this opportunity is to be in Taiwan serving the Lord.  I read Mosiah 5:13 For how knoweth a man the master whom he has not served, and who is a stranger unto him, and is far from the thoughts and intents of his heart.   We cannot truly come to know the Master without serving him.  It is key to finding  joy and peace in this life and in the life to come.  I know that when we are in the service of our fellow beings we are only in the service of our God.  There is so much joy in this work.  It is also called work for a reason.  It is not easy... in fact most of the times it is very hard.  However, I know that the hardest things in life always bring the most joy and blessings.  Salvation was not free,  It took every ounce of energy and strength that our Savior had to pay that price for us. I know that as we serve him we truly come to know and understand him. Understanding him brings the peace and joy that our hearts deeply yearn for. ''Learn of me, and listen to my words; walk in the meekness of my Spirit, and you shall have peace in me.''

I love you all so much!! 

Love, Elder Redding

Pday Overlooking the Ocean

PDay on a Clear Day to Hit Golf Balls

Family Home Evening

Great Miracles!!!

Dear Family and Friends, 

With Elder Kunz - Cow Pasture Outside of the City

This week has been a great week.  I love my new companion Elder Kunz.  He is in this thing to win it.  I love that about him.  He is a hard worker and loves the people.  It is so fun to learn from him.  He is from West Jordan.  He loves soccer and running, and is a beast at throwing the frisbee... hahaha as for me... I just kinda stick to catching it!  haha I am still working on the throwing part!  We had an awesome first week together.  We were able to see a lot of miracles.  I have to say though... this week was the fastest week of my entire mission... TIME HAS GOT TO SLOW DOWN!!!! 

Anyways... here is how this week went:

Ward BBQ

Last monday we had our usual ward FHE that we have every monday night.  We have been working with this investigator named "C..." he is  17 years old kid and is really quiet.  It is funny because he is so quiet... but when we ask him questions about the gospel he opens up a lot! He is really progressing.  We were just worried about his family... we knew that in order for him to get baptized he would have to get permission.  Well... on monday we showed up to FHE and there he was... and he brought his Dad!!!!!   I was on the spiritual share and the spiritual share went really well. Then we played a game... it was so funny to watch C's dad!! hahaha After FHE I went and talked with his dad and told him that he is always welcome at this church... he looked at me with a smile and told me that we could come to their home anytime!!  It was a miracle!!  

More Rain in Taiwan

2nd Tallest Building in All of Taiwan (Largest is in Tapei)

The rest of the week was awesome as well and we saw a ton of awesome miracles.  There was one day that we were leaving the church and on the way down in the elevator I was talking to Elder Kunz about the miracles we were seeing and when we got outside I saw this kid... so I just invited him to come take a tour of the church... He said yes and we ended up teaching him about prayer and heavenly father.  He is coming back this week.  He lives like and hour away riding a bike. We are very hopeful for him. 

With Jonathan and Reggie - Awesome Guys!

This week as we were making calls at the Family Mart (Does America have Family Mart?) we get a call from a member who said that an guy just walked in with a tract and was looking for us.  haha so we got on our bikes and got to the church.  Came to find out that the other night at a stop light Elder Kunz gave him a tract and invited him to come see and then he saw me a little ahead talking to someone and giving them a tract and they rejected me... (haha that is pretty common) but he just said that he was interested in why we would do this.  We met with him for about 2 hours sharing about restored truth and invited him to be baptized.  He said that he would.  It was a miracle.  He is such a kind guy... when he left I commented on his shirt... I thought it was super cool.  It had monkeys with these cool glasses on haha... he then was about to give it to me right then and there.  haha I told him that I could go and get my own! haha but it just really helped me see the love in him.  It made me want to love the people even more.  

We also met with another guy on Saturday who is in the AirForce.  It went really well and he asked very sincere questions... We invited him to be baptized as well to.  He said that he would.  

"Look Mom, No Hands"

It was just an overall great week.  I am so grateful to be here at this time and just hope that time can slow down a little bit for me.  I hope that I can take everything in and continue to learn and grow and become a more effective messenger of truth.  I love you all so much and very strongly encourage you to read, pray, and go to church.  When you are at church take a second to look around at all our wonderful neighbors and friends and think to yourselves... how can express my love for them my brothers and sisters? I know that as you do so the Holy Ghost will come into your hearts and let you know something you can do to love them more.  I promise that as you do so Church and talking the sacrament will have greater meaning to you.  When we are doing our best to love as the Savior did.. we cannot help but feel of his love.  

I love you all so much. Thank you for your support and encouragement.  You all mean the world to me and I want you to know that I love you and pray for you. 

Love, 

Elder Redding

Staying in Gang Shan!!!

Dear Family and Friends, 

With Elder Davis and Great Family

I am a little short on time today because we spent most of the time in downtown GaoXiong getting move call stuff all worked out and people moved around.  Elder Davis found out last night that he was going to be moving... that was really sad for him.  He loved GangShan.. and Gangshan really loved him.  I feel so blessed to have worked along side of him.  It is really hard to fail when you have so many wonderful people by your side doing this amazing work. 

With Elder Davis on PDay

Also... because Elder Davis left.. that also means that I get a new companion.  Today I went to the GaoXiong Station with a ward member to pick him up!  His name is Elder Kunz!!  He has been in Taiwan about 12 weeks. He is awesome!  I met him when I served in TaiZhong for those 3 days before I came here to GangShan.  He is from Utah, and is just a cool guy.  I am excited to serve with him and learn from his example. 

This last week went really well!  We ended up having a lot of investigators at church and are really hopeful for a lot of them.  We had a huge miracle this week.  We were out contacting and all of the sudden one of our investigators came up to us out of no where.  We actually hadn't been able to get a hold of him all week.  He showed up and we were about to go to dinner, so we asked if he could come with us.  He said yes, and at dinner we asked if he had found a chance to read the Book of Mormon yet.. he said yes!  and then he went on to tell us that he was only going to read the intro.,.. but then he started really liking it..  so he read 24 pages.  He then went on to tell us how he feels like it really has a lot of the words of life in it!  That was amazing.  I know that those who read to Book of Mormon sincerely and pray about it always come to find out that it is true.  

With Friend that has had a Stroke

Teaching My Friend That Has Had a Stroke

This is the work of the Lord.  It is true and it is the most important thing that could be happening right now.  I read Jacob 5 this week and read in verse 21 and 22?  where the servant asks the Lord why he has planted in this spot of ground.. because it was barren and dead.  The Lord responds that He knew it was barren and dead all along... but he hath nourished it ( blessing of the atonement) and he found that it brought forth much good fruit.  It doesn't matter where we are or were we live.  The blessing of the atonement and his love doesn't have limits and is there to bless ALL of God's children's lives.  

I love you all so much!!  

Love, 

Elder Redding 

Coach Evans - What a Great Example!

Dear Family and Friends, 

This week went by so quickly!  Time is one of the strangest things to me.  You can never catch up with it, and at times it can't seem to catch up to you haha!  I just can't believe that it has already been almost a year out here.  I am so grateful for the lessons that I have been blessed to be learning out here serving the Lord.  I hope that I can take every single second this second half to serve Him. 

This last couple weeks we have found some pretty solid investigators who actually have time to meet with us.  It is such a blessing.  Most of the people we had been finding could only meet on the weekends... and it is really hard to progress when we only get to meet once a week.  

It is interesting because we are meeting with 3 pretty cool investigators right now who we all met riding bikes... haha!  It is really interesting!  Most people ride scooters here.  These people are fairly young... but have a desire to follow the Savior.  Two of them have baptismal goals.  I really think that they can hit them! We met with one of them on Saturday. his name is "T......." - pretty cool name huh?  Well the first time we met with him we taught the first and invited him to read and pray.  Then on Saturday we found that he had read and prayed!  We shared the restoration video, and at the end we asked him if he had any questions about Joseph Smith.  In the movie it shows them taking the sacrament.  He asked us what they were eating and why.  We were able to testify of the Savior and the Atonement, and what the meaning of the sacrament is. He is awesome!  

We also had the opportunity to go to interviews with President this week.  That was so great.  I love President so much.  He is such and amazing man.  That was also a great opportunity to see some of the people that I served around in TaiZhong who also came for interviews.  That was really neat.  

This week we were supposed to have  a Taiphoon.... but... it was pretty lame! haha!  It was just windy... I guess it hit harder up in TaiBei!  haha but no worries... there will be plenty left to witness. ;) I hope! hahah

This next week is movecall... If I had to guess i would think that I am staying here in Gangshan because Elder Davis has been here for over 4 months... So it is a really good chance that he will be leaving.  Who knows though!  It has been really great serving with him!  He is a great example.    

I love you all so much!!  Thank you guys for everything you do for me.  I know that this gospel is true.  I know it and I am so grateful for it.  I hope to do a better job of expressing my thanks.  We really are so lucky to have these restored truths to guide and direct our lives.  This is what it is all about.  Living the gospel is a choice... just as happiness is a choice.  Consequently when we live the gospel we find ourselves happier people.  (its funny how that works)  I would like to invite all of you tonight to ask Heavenly Father how you can live the gospel more fully.  I know that he will give you something that you can do.  He loves us, and wants us to be happy.  I love all of you!!  

 I was so sad to hear of Coach Evans passing...  He was an example to me.  He was a friend to me.  I remember everyday going up to practice and seeing him at the field in his wheelchair as happy as could be.  He then would see me and say "there's my guy'' with a big ol smile on his face.  I cannot tell you what that did for me.  That is what life is about.  He used his agency to be happy and to lift others.  His happiness gave me strength and made me want to be happier.  I love him.  I know that he is up there right now with his wife happier than ever.  I cannot wait to see his big ol smile again.  

Love, 

Elder Redding