Sister Richards takes Taiwan: Week 77: The Best Days are Yet to Come (January 21, 2018)

Dear family and friends,

It was another good one down here in TaiDong! The weather here is TO DIE FOR right now. It's been a week of about 77 degrees every day and sunshine! oh man. I am IN LOVE with it. Plus I LOVE the fresh air here! So refreshing coming from the smoggiest and grossest air in Taibei. Sorry to all my Taibei friends currently dealing with the coldest, rainiest weather. I love the east coast!

Though the weather was definitely a high note of this week, it was more of one of those "trial of our faith" kind of weeks. We got stood up and cancelled on SO many times this week, we were dying! We planned so many great lessons that we just weren't given the opportunity to teach! We were bummed to not be able to help some of our investigators progress as much as we may have wanted this past week, but Heavenly Father definitely made up the difference! We just needed a little of that bitter to really enjoy the sweet when it came around!

I had two particular favorite miracles of the week!

Miracle #1: Amber.

Sister Hurst and I have been really trying to get in a role play everyday, as we are supposed to do. Sometimes there is really just NO time! But we know it is so important and it helps so much! So, in one of our companionship studies this past week (which we did outside in a park enjoying the beautiful sunlight by the way:)))) , we made a great effort to leave ourselves time to do a role play! We decided to role play some different contacts, and practicing really following the spirit to discern the needs of those we encounter. It is sometimes easy to fall into a pattern of saying the same things or doing the same contact all the time. So we wanted to practice and improve our skills! As we were practicing, we both made up a scenario for the other to practice. As we role played, we both were able to really practice asking inspired questions to help us do a powerful gospel conversation with this "random" person. Anyways, good role play. We didn't think much of it and after we finished, we went and got lunch! Now let me tell you about our daily struggle called "trying to figure out what to eat." My dear companion and her trainer ate at the same 3 restaurants their whole time together, most of which are very unhealthy, and so I came in and was not feeling that life. But that means, that everyday we pretty much just have to experiment and look for new places to try! Fun, but also a little tricky to be fast and to know what is even good! After studies, we started looking for somewhere to eat, and after asking many people on the road what in the area was good, we got led to a random little shop down a random little street. Nothing special, but we started parking our bikes, and I just started up a little conversation with this girl getting on her scooter next to me. After talking to her for a sec and starting up a gospel conversation with her, me and Sister Hurst slowly realized that this girl was the EXACT person that we had just made up in our practice contact! Same kind of situation, needs, and comments that we had JUST practiced! We were able to literally use the contact that we had just role played, and she totally loved it! We invited her to come and eat with us, and she did! We ended up eating and talking together and she set up for a time this upcoming week! She seems so so cool too! We were amazed at the incredible miracle that came from trying to be 100% obedient and getting that practice in that we needed! miracles.

Miracle #2: Mandy and Rosanna.

Mandy is an English student that was met here a week before I got here. She came to class, and some elders were able to get her number to share more with her! When we contacted her, she told me she was "VERY interested" to learn more about Jesus Christ! She is 16. So we were like "well that's great! let's meet!" and she set up a time, and we didn't think too much of it! Throughout the week though, she has not answered any of our messages or phone calls, and so when yesterday came and the time we were supposed to meet with her came closer, we were not feeling very hopeful that she would show up. BUT, she surprised us, and came early! And brought a friend! We gave them a little chapel tour and started sharing with them, and they were both SO interested! They were so captivated by everything we were sharing, and expressed this great desire to come to know God and feel his influence in their lives! When asked why they were willing to set up with missionaries, they said "Because we feel that you share a message that can fill a gap that is missing in our lives." 16 YEARS OLD PEOPLE. So yep. SUPER prepared little tongxues (students). BUT WAIT. It gets even better. In trying to set up with them again, we learned that they lived in a place in our area called ChengGong, also known as the FURTHEST part of our area that literally takes an hour to DRIVE to. They had taken a bus for over an hour that day to come meet with us for 30 min!!!!!!!!! ONE HOUR. TO LEARN MORE ABOUT JESUS WITH STRANGERS. WE HAVE MEMBERS WHO WON'T EVEN COME TO CHURCH BECAUSE IT'S RAINING OUTSIDE AND THEY WOULD HAVE TO GET WET GOING TO THEIR CAR.... So essentially, these two will be baptized. I'm sure of it. We are so excited to start working with these amazing people!

Aside from these great new miracle people in our teaching pool, we are happy to help some of friends continue to progress! Zhong DX and his wife went to church again yesterday on vacation and are continuing to develop their faith and progress towards baptism. Our cool tongxue Lu Zi Xuan met with us THREE times last week, and video chatted twice, and came to church for the second time this week! So overall, we are excited about the great things happening here! At the same time as we are helping these people progress, we are also cleaning out some of our investigator pool. Dropping those who aren't quite ready to commit yet, and really leaving ourselves room and time to find those that are prepared to receive our message. Sister Hurst and I are loving it here!

It has been so much fun serving with Sister Hurst! She is a great missionary, with many desires to succeed. We are learning a lot together as she is really learning to stand on her own two feet as a newer missionary, and I am relearning how to serve with, teach, inspire, and help newer missionaries! Bringing me back to my training days! I love it. The Lord is helping me round out those last rough edges before heading home. haha j/k I still have MANY rough parts that need smoothing, but I am learning and growing every day!

One of my highlights from this past week, was getting to watch the new first Presidency's message and press conference to the church! As I listened to our prophet's words, the Spirit confirmed to me that he truly is God's chosen president of this church. I loved his overarching message of this broadcast, that the work is always moving forward! It never stops. The Lord is continually furthering his work through different people. Though it is so sad to lose President Monson, it is just meaning that the Lord is ready now for President Nelson to come in and bring forth other parts of the work that President Monson could not do! Each person has different things to bring to the table and the Lord uses each of us in different ways to accomplish His great purpose. I know that Christ is truly at the head of this church, and He is leading it today through modern prophets. I also know that what President Eyring said is true, "The best days are yet to come." Let us look forward in faith, and face the future with optimism and joy, as our new prophet has so wisely counseled us to do!

I love this church. I love this work. I love you all. I hope you have a wonderful week as you face each day with optimism and positivity that comes from living a gospel centered life! Love you all!

xoxo

Sister Richards

李姐妹

Lǐ Jǐemeì

Sister Micah Richards

Taiwan Taipei Mission

4/F, #24, Lane 183

Jin Hua Street

Taipei, Taiwan 106

1-3: P days on the east coast