Week 101

WELCOME BACK TO SHALU!
This was definitely one of the most interesting weeks of my mission. It felt really weird. When you move to a different area you usually have a few things to deal with. One of them is a new companion. You have to learn who your new companion is and what they are like. Another thing you have to do is learn the way around your area. You have to learn what your area is like, what kind of proselyting would be most appropriate and where to proselyte. You then also have to learn about the ward members and which ward members are the best to work with. However, as I moved this time, I didn't have any of these normal issues. As I rode down the street in Shalu, it felt like I had been serving here just yesterday! I was amazed at how easily I was able to bike around and find places.  I was even able to find old investigators or members we had only visited once of twice when I was here before in Shalu! It was really fun to be back. I have also been able to contact a lot of people I had met here before. I have already met with some of the recent converts that I taught while I was here and some less-actives too.

But probably one of the biggest miracles was Praystone (Ke Jun Hong). I don't know if you remember him. When I first got to Shalu last year, we had an investigator named Praystone. He was a christian that was very interested in our church. Elder Fox and I began meeting with him regularly. However, he seemed to be very slow to progress. We gave him baptismal goal after baptismal goal, but by the time I left he still wasn't ready for baptism. However when I got back here last week, Elder Weatherford informed me of the current investigators and, believe it or not, one of them was Praystone! He has still been struggling to accept a baptismal goal. But on Sunday he came up to me after sacrament meeting and told me that it was time. He said he felt he was finally ready to get baptized and he wants to get baptized soon! I never imagined I would be able to attend his baptismal service... It is such a miracle!

We also found a miracle family this week. I arrived in Shalu and I realized we didn't have too many investigators, so we spent a lot of the last week finding. As a missionary, you talk to a lot of people. A LOT of people. However, the people who become new investigators are few. So, we worked really hard last week and talked to a lot of nice people. Among them was a family, the Chi family. We contacted them really close to the church. Apparently they had recently moved in to the area and they had seen our church. Since they live right across the street from the church, they were really willing to come and check it out. They came over on Sunday (the mom, dad, and their two small children) and they were a really awesome family! They seemed really interested! It was such a miracle. We have found a family to begin teaching!

Another great thing that happened this last week included Charles. Do you remember Charles? He is an investigator I taught who got baptized my last week in Shalu when I was here last time. He was the one who came to church the first week I went to church in Shalu and after that began investigating with us. Well, now he has been a member for quite some time and he gave a talk on Sunday. It was a tender mercy the Lord gave me, the chance to listen to his talk. He talked about how he was so grateful for Elder Fox and I and he was glad I got to be back in the area. I really do know that the Lord gives us what we need.

Last miracle to share with you... So yesterday while at church, Praystone wasn't the only one who came up to us and told us that he wanted to get baptized. We also had the primary president come up to us and tell us that there has been a young kid who has been coming to church lately. Apparently his cousin is a member, so this kid has been coming to church the last few months. Well, we didn't really know this, so she told us she felt it was time for him to get baptized. We talked to the kid and he told us we could go visit him and begin teaching him the lessons. His name is Chen Xin Hong. It was such a miraculous day yesterday! I am so grateful to be back here!

Love,
Elder Quist

Week 100

BACK TO THE BEGINNING!

This has been quite the crazy week, I don't know where to start!  I guess I can start by telling you that (yes, you guessed it) I moved my last transfer! But, you'll never guess where I moved.... to Shalu, the first area where I started my mission!  And you'll never guess who my new companion is.... Elder Weatherford! Do you remember him? He was my companion over in Fengyuan, my second area. Yes, I was pretty shocked when I heard about all the changes. The best part about it is that I am not a zone leader or a district leader anymore so now I can completely focus on my area and get the work done! I am so excited!

This last week we also had a huge typhoon! We were up in Taizhong the day before (because we went on exchanges with the assistants) and when we got up the next morning it wasn't even cloudy. So, we thought it wouldn't be that bad. Then we went back down to Tainan and as soon as we got down there, President told us that we were to stay inside until further notice. It didn't look that bad, but we went back home as we were told. When we got back to our apartment the winds started to pick up. Before we knew it, we were in the worst typhoon I have ever seen in Taiwan! Things were blowing everywhere!  At one point, we watched as our neighbor's roof lifted from their house and flew away! It was pretty crazy!

It was kind of a sad week, as I had to say goodbye to all the people that I met while in Tainan. One of the hardest people to say goodbye to was Pin yi. It was a sad goodbye. There was also Bo Ru, the one who got baptized when I first got to Tainan. It was, all in all, pretty difficult. But it's okay, because it really is a blessing that I get to go back and serve in Shalu again. I get to visit the people I used to meet with there and I finally get to meet with some of my RCs again. I am so happy that I get this chance! 

I can't believe this is my last transfer!  It is going to be the best! I am going to really live it up and savor it!

Love you guys,

Elder Quist

Week 99

This was a great week! After emailing last Monday, it started to rain really hard. It rained and rained and rained some more. On Tuesday it continued to rain. Then it got really serious. It began storming with rain and lightening. It was pretty insane. I remember a time before my mission when we went up to the high Unitas and the lightening seemed to be right outside our tent. The storm here reminded me of that experience.  Crazy!

We taught Chun Hao (our deaf investigator) some more lessons. He is doing really well. He is currently reading the Book of Mormon. We are teaching his entire family. Last week we went to visit him one night, but he was sleeping when we went over. His mom let us in and we were able to teach his mom and his older brother more about the Book of Mormon. This is a really special family! There is not one member of the family who isn't willing to come and talk with us. We just want to get them to come to church.  Pray that they will be willing to come to church this next week! 

We were also able to help Gwen. She is definitely going to get baptized. She has some small concerns, but for the most part she is willing. She has been coming to church consistently for about a month now, but she still refuses to accept a baptism goal. She is going out of the country for the next few weeks, so we hope that we can help her even when she is gone.

Also, we have a new investigator who is really cool. He was a member referral from a member in a different ward. He is a really smart guy that is willing to come and learn more. His name is Yang Guang Yuan. He came to church yesterday for three hours and then he set a baptism goal for the 15th of October (my two year mark!). 

We also met with Sister Qiu this last week. She is an investigator that has the same last name as me. She loves the church and loves to read and pray and come to church, but her husband doesn't really like it, so she usually can't spend too much time with us. However, we had a great lesson with her this last week and we were able to give her a baptismal goal for the 15th of October. Pray that she will allow us to go visit her home. We feel it is key to helping the rest of her family accept this message. 

This next week is transfers, so this may be the last week I spend in this area. This next transfer is the last transfer of my mission, which is really crazy to me! I feel like I just started. I love the mission... it is such a great place. I love the peace and happiness I have been able to feel while serving others. I hope you will all have a chance to go on a mission!

Love you guys!

Elder Quist

Week 98

THE POWER OF CONVERSION

We saw a lot of great things happen last week! 

We were able to visit our deaf investigator again yesterday. As we visited in his home we saw a huge miracle. Instead of meeting with just him, we were able to meet with him, his older brother, his mom and his dad. They all sat down with us! It was a good lesson. Even though we haven't committed them to baptism yet, it was definitely a good start. 

We are focusing a lot on going to visit people in their homes lately. As a mission, we have been used to meeting with people at the church, because the culture of Taiwan is usually not to go visit people you don't really know or let them in your house. However, we have been trying to find new people around their houses, so we know where they live and can find them if needed.  We have seen a lot of miracles because of it.

You remember Pin Yi, the investigator who got baptized last month. This last week he got called as the young single adult co-representative for the ward I am serving in right now! I remember meeting with him about a month and a half ago for the first time. As we sat down and talked in the first lesson, I could never have imagined that I was looking at the future young single adult representative of our ward. I did not see the potential of this son of God. However, our Heavenly Father saw his potential. This experience has given me faith that there are those who are prepared. They are there and they are ready.

We also had another conference this last week. It was basically the same as the conference we had up in Taichung with Elder Evans, but this conference was just with our zone and the president was the only one there with us (no Elder Evans). Since I had already been in a similar conference, I ( and a few other people) was asked to do some of translating for the conference. We translated for all of the Taiwanese people who maybe didn't speak english as well. It was crazy to think that I have gotten to the part of my mission that I am translating for other people. I can't believe I am one of the older missionaries out here. Time really does go by so fast! I can't believe I am coming up to my last transfer as a missionary. I have been getting a lot of emails from my friends who are now home from their missions and I am amazed at how fast this time has gone.

The mission is the greatest place to be!  I am so grateful for the chance that I have had to come here on my mission and I am so glad that I still have one transfer left. 

Love you guys!

Elder Quist