Another transfer in 板橋!

We got transfer calls this week and it turns out I'll be staying in 板橋 for at least one more transfer! Which means I'll be spending at least a quarter of my mission in this area! This is my first and only area I've served in so far in Taiwan and I've fallen in love with it. When the time does come to changes areas it's not going to be easy and I'll miss this place so much. My companion and I went to an all you can eat barbecue place on Transfer Day because we assumed I would be leaving the area but then I ended up staying...so we stuffed ourselves for nothing haha.

Last P-Day our investigator李志隆 (LiZhiLong) took us to淡水 (DanShui) and it was super fun! We rode bikes around the river and went to a bunch of different sights/museums. It was awesome because this investigator is getting baptized this coming week and is also about 65. I found him on the street while here in 板橋 and have taught him throughout the whole teaching process. I've grown so close to him and he feels like my grandpa. He teases me like his grandson and it's the best thing ever haha.

 

On Tuesday we had two baptismal interviews for 黃義忠 (HuangYiZhong) and 李志隆 (LiZhiLong). They both passed their interviews and they will be getting baptized on the same day! 12/8, this coming Friday! I've been so glad to be able to have a long period of time in this area without moving because I've been able to be here for the entire teaching process of these two individuals. It's so special to see the light change in peoples faces as they develop their faith in Christ. There's nothing else it can be described as rather than...light. It's a physical, literal thing that can be seen as people come unto Christ and change their lives through following his commandments. 

We taught Carmel again this week and the lesson went really well. She has been a Catholic from her youth and was curious what our church believed in. This week was the 2nd time we met with her and she invited us back again for this coming week. She is curious, willing to try reading The Book of Mormon and praying, and asks great questions. If she reads The Book of Mormon and sincerely prays about it I know she will feel it's power and joy it's teachings bring. 

We also met with Li Xiang Rou for the first time this week and we taught on prayer and it's power. She was amazed at how simple it was and the power that it had. She said the prayer at the end of the lesson for us and she said it gave her a warm feeling that she never felt before. 

We got the chance to meet with Leon again (which is tough because he is super busy), and he told us about the experiences he has had with prayer lately. He explained how he feels "inspired", "relieved" and "relaxed" after he prays.

I know that prayer and The Book of Mormon have a special power that we are able to feel as we strive to do them daily. It may seem like something so small but it has more power than we often realize.

New people we met/taught this week: Yang Shi Sheng (a former investigator I called the other day and at the end of the lesson he said he only met with us because he felt bad for us...haha), Ye (a painter), Dorris (a mother we met on the street who was willing to sit down right then for a lesson and set up again for this coming week).

Elder Smith (施德臻長老)