Christmas Skyping

We sure missed everyone who wasn't on the call! :) He is looking and sounding sooo good. He loves the work!

Xinzhu # 30

It was great being able to get Skype the family at Bear Lake Utah, and I can't believe how fast that time went!! Hahah I look forward to next time on Mothers Day 2014, but that's the last time you'll hear me say that till next Mothers Day. All that I am is the Lords'. He is my Master. This week has been great. Our greatest week as a district thus far. Just like the weeks before, we've just gotten out and worked hard! We've all made goals to follow and use the training that we have received. Our Ward now has a Ward Mission Plan and it will just go to the Bishop to have some fictionalizations :) I have a great feeling that the work here is going to explode!! We can do it!! The Lord wants a new Stake here as fast as He can get it. He helped us and answered our prayers with giving us missionaries a Ward Mission Plan for both of the wards in our district. We look forward to really helping the Less-Actives come back and inviting all to come unto Christ. My companion and I had a wonderful week as we celebrated the Birth of the Savior doing the best thing. Proclaiming His Word. Although we didn't have too many people that wanted to listen to the message that we had. This Christmas has been the greatest one I have ever had. I have come to know Him more now than ever. I'm sorry this week is very short, but I just love you all. You are all so great, and I just want to make it known.... I'm living the life!!!! ;) Love, Elder Westover P.S.- I just want you all to know that I KNOW my parents love me. They sent me a box of brownie mix in my package :):) hahah (Hint.... if you want to tell me that you love me... just send me some brownie mix! It's that easy!! :P) P.P.S.- Love you all!!

Xinzhu # 29

Hello all! I'm not going to have a ton of time today, but I just want to share with you that I love you all, and I am so excited to be with you for eternity :) I know that there is a plan of happiness that our Father has for us, and His Son is at the center of it. The Missionary Christmas is the best. I have noticed that there really has not been much of a change in the season, because as a missionary... our purpose is to always strive to live, love, invite, and give as Him. Haha. I think the best thing I have loved this year is that I have been thinking about what I can give to Him. We as the Children of God have been invited to follow Him and keep his commandments. Because I have not much time I just want to leave you with an invitation. Read Matt. 1-2 thinking about the wonderful gift our Father in Heaven has given us. Then, I want to invite you to read 3 Nephi 27 13-22, and as you read this I would like to invite you to ask yourself... 1.) What gift has Christ given to us, and 2.) This next year, what gift are you going to give to Him. I know that as you will do this, you will feel of the love that our Father has for you. He wants you to return to back to His presence, and I know that as you whole heartedly and sincerely seek this, you will be inspired by the Spirit and He will help you know what you can do. XinZhu is an awesome place, and I love it here. We are working with 3 baptismal date investigators, and my zone leader and I found a family that really needs the gospel last week on exchanges :) So Good :) The work moves along :) Merry Chrismas!! He Lives!!! Love, Elder Westover

in addition...

This Saturday we had the opportunity to hear from Quorum of the Seventy, Elder Allen F. Packer as he shared with us of the Spirit of Elijah and Missionary Work. I learned that the Spirit of Elijah is not another spirit, but it is a manifestation of the Holy Ghost, and as that manifestation takes place, the hearts of men are softened, and opened to accept the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The Spirit was so strong in that meeting, as we took some time to talk about our ancestors, and share a story. It has never occurred to me that it's as simple as sharing a story to feel that Spirit. We are striving to help those that we serve receive the manifestations of that Spirit, and I would love it to hear some of your stories of your loved ones. Just remember that Family History is not about trees and charts, it's about the hearts!! :) At this training we got to do a roleplay, and I shared Grandpa Adams' Wilber Story. I would really love to hear some stories from you all! Please take some time to share your stories of our ancestors with me. If you could send them to me on email or in the mail I would love it! :) I want to be able to share stories with the people here, but I didn't take the opportunity to do so when I was home. :) I love you all!! Unfortunately, this Christmas, unless you are going to be with Mom and Dad, I will not be able to Skype with you all. I am trying to be as obedient as I can to obtain the blessings of the Lord, so just know that I love you. You're all amazing, and I hope you have a very Merry Christmas. Remember Him.

Xinzhu # 28

Hello!! :) Hey I just want to tell you all how much I love you. I am so predictable. I'm sorry, but I just always have to tell you that I love you!! You're all so great!! This week was so great! I met and shared the Restored Gospel with a German, felt the Spirit of Elijah, a lesson with 8 members present and develop a greater love for the people of Taiwan every second :). Hahah, yes, we met a German (Philip- 18) on the road, and taught him in a 7-Eleven. It was a great experience to share with him. He hasn't accepted it yet, but I know that he has felt the Spirit. We invited him to be baptized on the first lesson, just like we missionaries do, and even though he didn't accept it, I know that he felt the Spirit. He has been thinking a lot about it, and we have been encouraging him to pray about it, to pray to his Heavenly Father. This Saturday we had the opportunity to hear from Quorum of the Seventy, Elder Allen F. Packer as he shared with us of the Spirit of Elijah and Missionary Work. I learned that the Spirit of Elijah is not another spirit, but it is a manifestation of the Holy Ghost, and as that manifestation takes place, the hearts of men are softened, and opened to accept the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The Spirit was so strong in that meeting, as we took some time to talk about our ancestors, and share a story. It has never occurred to me that it's as simple as sharing a story to feel that Spirit. We are striving to help those that we serve receive the manifestations of that Spirit, and I would love it to hear some of your stories of your loved ones. Just remember that Family History is not about trees and charts, it's about the hearts!! :) We had two really special lessons this week :) the first one was our investigator, Ye Dx, including the Word of Wisdom, faith, the Holy Ghost, and out Peike invited him to come to church. He said he wouldn't be able to come because his family was in town for a family reunion, but he would come to church next week. Hahah. But right during the opening hymn he walked in and sat down with the brother who helped us peike!!!! :) It was so good to see him come and listen and feel the Spirit. :) This week I learned a lot from the Savior in the Sermon on the Mount chapters... and I feel like the greatest thing is that I feel a greater desire and need to live the gospel more in my life. In my companionship the Lord and my companion have helped me see that this week and helped me see where my pride and lack of humility is. I know that the Savior really can show us where our weaknesses are, and help us make them strengths, but we must humble ourselves and come unto him as a little child. Submissively, meekly and humbly seeking him, asking him... He will change us :) I am so happy to be here, and I am so grateful for the gift of Charity. The True full love of Christ is so incredible. My Savior loves me, and That is why I am here. Love, Elder Westover

Xinzhu # 27

I love it here :) All of the missionaries are doing a great job! Our Sisters had 2 baptisms!!! We as a district are spending a lot of time out finding, and contacting referrals. I feel like that the best part that we are doing as a district is that we are going out with a desire to help these people hear the marvelous message that we have, and we want to work. Trying to look at everyone we meet as our brother or sister who needs the knowledge of the Plan of Salvation. This week I had the opportunity to go to Xiangshan with Elder Niedfelt. It was a great exchange and we both learned a lot. We found a potential family! Great week :) We're going to work on getting all of these people we meet on the street becoming New Investigators. This week has been good! I love being a missionary here in Xinzhu :) The Xinzhu Zone did a special fast for all of the investigators we have, and to get them to come to church. My companion and I made a goal to teach all of our RCLAs and Investigators of the importance of attending church. We did that, and saw a wonderful miracle. Zhou Dx (13), he is preparing to test this week, and he told us that his parents wouldn't let him come to church. We invited him to continue to keep the Sabbath Day and ask his parents if he could just come to Sacrament meeting and show his faithfulness, that the Lord would bless him to test well. He committed to asking his parents. We followed up, and his parents said no, but it was the most incredible thing!! We were calling investigators right before Sacrament Meeting, when I saw this boy walk through the door!! Oh my goodness!!! You have no Idea how wonderful it was!! It was like a movie. Haha I won't kid you. I was calling the very last investigator, and there were none who had showed up. I looked over to the door, and I just see this silhouette of Zhou Dx from the glare of the sun off of the cars, and it was real!! haha. We were blessed to have one other investigator (Liao Dx) to answer the phone earlier (we woke him up) who was really not sure if he would come :) He definitely has potential! I knew at that time what true faith was... No matter the out come everything will work out. Faithfully Hope, and Hopefully Love. That's what praying for the gift of Charity brings. Loving the people and desiring their salvation is the most important thing. I'm so grateful. I have started to read the Four Gospels, studying the way that the Savior teaches. My place of most needed improvement is in teaching with simplicity. I even have a hard time teaching children. I'm praying for the gift to teach simply, and I am going to do a little 5 minute role play to teach whole lessons as simple as I can for different investigators. My Companion(Elder Huang)'s mom, after 20+ years, is taking the missionary lessons :) Her name is: hong zi ying. She has been keeping all the commitments the missionaries give her, and went to church this last week!! Pray that she'll receive the confirmation of the Spirit as she continues :) Thank you so much for your prayers and love. :) Love, Elder Westover P.S.- Talk to mom about the Christmas Call

Xinzhu # 26

This week was great!! :) I was so surprised to have a stack of letters when I went to the mission office for my new district leader training. Thanks everyone :) I love you all.... that being said I just want to say again. Due to the lack of our mission office mailing these letters to us weekly, there are too many of these letters to respond to right away... :) For heaven sake, PLEASE KEEP THEM COMING!! but just know that if I don't write you back for like 6 months that I still love you :) This Thanksgiving dinner, I had 2 baozi (steamed buns) and a 50 NT Biandang(Lunchbox)!! I loved it :) two of Taiwan's cheapest foods and it made for a very filling meal! :) This week was great for Xinzhu District! Biggest miracle is that Xiangshan got an updated Ward Mission Plan for the start of next year!! We are still working with the Xinzhu 1st Ward, but we are praying and working hard for it! This last week our focus was on visiting members, and establishing a relationship with them. The week before we had 3 all together as a district, but this week we had 11. The Sisters and us went to visit the Zhu 1st Bishop and his family last night, and I feel like it was very good. I feel like we really established that we would be hard working and that we are here to help them accomplish their purpose as members in missionary work. We are still praying, and working for a Ward Mission Plan, but we know that this is what the Lord wants. Praying for softened hearts and continually for the strength to do the work that is here for us. I just have to say that I am especially excited for Xiangshan, because they are getting to work! We are having exchanges with them tomorrow so I am really excited to go over there and see some miracles. This week has been great! I think the greatest part was that we got to visit with so many members. I actually got to meet with some of the investigators that we have too, and to get to know who I should study for, and what their needs are. our finding has been alright, but I feel like we can do a lot better. Something that we are going to do better is getting lessons in the homes of our investigators, or in the homes of our members. We are having too many lessons at the church and we get "Fanged" (No show). Those are our plans. It's gonna take a lot of work and it's not going to be easy, but we can do it!! It's the way the Lord wants it done, so there will be a way. I would like you all to know that no matter who you are, where you are, or what you have done, the Lord Jesus is Christ. The Savior and Redeemer of the world. Only through Him are we able to lasting happiness. Think of how you can share that happiness with those around you... pray, ask God the Eternal Father how you can do that, and then ACT. I love you. Love, Elder Westover Strength and Honor!!

Tou Fen # 25

Happy Birthday Cossette and Benjamin!! :) I love you two so much and I hope you had and do have a great birthday!! :) Happy Thanksgiving!!! :) This week at our English Class we had a Thanksgiving Party, and Elder Liu helped make a massive paper turkey :) fun time! We spent last Monday making Pumpkin Pie and cookies for the party and it was all a hit!! We played Pin the Gobble on the Turkey and made little Hand paper turkeys with thankful things on the feathers :) Super fun time :) Then on the next morning, we found a great new investigator on our way out to visit a less-active! It'd been 2 1/2 weeks since we had found a new investigator and it was super cool because I just saw him, and I just knew that he would listen. As we started to talk with him he was very cold, but as we just continued to chat with him. Eventually he opened up and we gave him a Book of Mormon, and prayed and he felt great!! He set up for Saturday, but I was already gone... This week was transfers and I got moved to Xinzhu!! haha As I remember correctly, Joseph has served here and I am not sure about Joshua, John, or Treavor, but It's great! I have also been called to serve as the District Leader! Haha, obviously the Lord thinks I need it :) I'm super stoked to serve the people in the Xinzhu 1st Ward, and to serve the other members in my district. I'm praying everyday for the Gift of Charity, and I would love your prayers also for that gift :) That's what I'm expecting the Lord to teach me. Hahah, that as well as humility obviously. He's already started!! Hahah, my companion's name is Elder Huang. He is a native from Tainan. He is a hard worker and I'm excited to work with him :) I haven't had any opportunities to meet too many of our investigators yet, but this week we'll be able to for sure :) I'm thankful for the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. The Plan of Salvation and The Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The Book of Mormon, and the strength of truth that it has to change people into a disciple of Christ. I'm thankful for Taiwan, and Xinzhu!! I am Thankful for all of you and especially my mom and dad :) I am thankful for LOVE :) Hahah I'll send some pictures next week and I want to tell you all... I love you!! Love, Elder Jordan Westover