Week 14

Perfect Timing

This last week has been especially nice. Last Tuesday we were able to pick up a new companion, his name is Elder Kim and he is from South Korea, so Nate you will probably appreciate that. He has been out for "awhile" (which means he's leaving within a couple transfers) and he is a really great missionary. He started his mission out in the Seattle mission, and he was in the Korean branch. So when we contact on Lea Hill (an Asian area in our area) we can almost talk with everybody on the streets! All we need now is for Elder Nelson to learn Japanese, and we would be covered. 

I met with Yao and Wenting again this week. It was kind of disappointing, because they said they don't really want to be Christian. They said most people from China were either Christian or Buddhists, and they believe that both God and Buddha exist, but they don't really want a religion. However, they said I could keep coming back in order to practice my Chinese, and when they have time they would read the Book of Mormon, so what else do I need!

I didn't meet with too many other Chinese people last week. I really need to though, because I need to practice listening. When I am in my lessons with Yao and Wenting, I will talk and they will understand everything I say, but then they talk... And I have to try so hard to understand them. I try to contact Chinese people on the streets using Mandarin, so I can practice my Mandarin street contacting (it's actually pretty funny, we will go up to someone who speaks Mandarin, and they will say they aren't very interested, and then I will just speak Mandarin to them, and they are like "Wha, you speak Mandarin?!), but every time I speak to someone in Chinese, they will just speak English back to me. But I actually think my Mandarin may be improving, even though I haven't practiced very much in the last few weeks. 

On the English side of my mission, we found three new investigators last week. One with Tasha, Terry, and Kim. We met both Tasha and Terry while contacting, both were really interested. Terry told us she already believes our message is true, but she just has to pray a little more to found out for sure, then she will get baptized! And Tasha agreed to work towards a baptismal date! So that's awesome. Then Kim was an even cooler experience. We were walking to a potential investigator, when we were passing Kim's house. We had met her before, but when we tried to go back a few weeks ago she was never home, but I had a feeling we should stop to see. She answered and said we could teach a lesson on the front porch. She was really nice but basically started the conversation with, "I used to be a strict Jehovah's Witness, I still believe, and I will never become Mormon", but we taught her anyway. The lesson actually went really well, and to say something she was in tears by the time we were done! She invited us back and we are planning to teach the Plan of Salvation (something she really needs) tomorrow! So I will let you know how that goes!

That's awesome about the mission fast! Thanks to all of you who fasted with my Taiwan mission for us visa waiters! I think there are still 3 groups of missionaries that need to go to Taiwan. I believe they changed the missionary application system, so we will all be going about the same time.. But I am not sure. I imagine they need more missionaries, because they are losing a lot without getting any in return. I hope we are able to get to Taiwan this month, but the days are counting down till the 31st. 

And lastly,I was able to go to the Seattle temple today! It was really nice to get to go to the temple before I leave to Taiwan, because Taichung's annual temple trip has already happened! So I was afraid I wouldn't get to go to the temple till next year. It was a really nice experience, I took a lot of pictures, but I just don't have time right now to import them. 

So overall, it was a really great week! The weather was so nice and the sun was out a lot. I don't know when I will go to Taiwan, but I think it's soon! 

Love you all,

Elder Quist