Xinan # 87

Dearest Family, Happy Chinese New Year!! 恭喜發財，拿紅包來！新年快樂！洋洋得意！ There's your Chinese for the week :) haha At Chinese New Year the people all head back to their birthplaces and spend time with their families. This year the Holiday season in for the space of 6 days and pretty much what happens is they eat, and eat, and go on nice little walks, and then eat and eat some more, and then go back to work at the end of the holiday. We as missionaries are taken care of very well... every single day, and every single meal is scheduled by members to feed us :) So this week has been super crazy because Elder Greenhalgh and I have been helping President Day with interviews, but he wanted us to go to all of our visits with these members.... Taipei is a very big city and we have been doing lots of running to and from those visits back to give training to missionaries, but it's been great!! :) I love serving the Lord. Like I've said before... I can't speak very clearly how I feel, but I know that there is no way that I would be here in Taiwan and serve here and see people change their lives unless the Savior really did Live. Brother Huang and Sister Wu are now married!!! :) He passed his baptismal interview on Tuesday night and will be baptized on Thursday next week! February 26th. We hope to see Sister Wu baptized on mom's birthday... March 14th :) We are meeting with the Lai Family tonight and we are super stoked about them :) We'll get back to you about that later :) Like I said... this last week we have been giving training to missionaries as President Day does interviews this last week and we will also be doing so next week from Monday (thus Elder Greenhalgh and I are having our P-Day today) up until Wednesday night when 19 of our visa waiters come in!!!!! :) Heavenly Father has answered our prayers and we are super excited :) Thanks for your prayers! Next week I'll send you more pictures, but that's it for now. :) I love you all!!!!!!!!!! Have a great Happy Chinese New Year :) Hurrah For Israel!!!!!!! Love, Elder Westover pics! Costco trip with Sister Day! Chinese New Year meals!

Xinan # 86

Dear Family, Happy Valentines Day!!!! :) We are doing well. This last week we didn't get to go on any exchanges and spent alot of time on an assignment from President Gong (Asia Area President) on Monday through Thursday morning, but I learned a ton! :) Elder Greenhalgh got sick on Sunday and it gave me an opportunity to love and serve him. I have been praying for more Charity... and just like He has always done.... He gives me opportunites :) Brother Huang is getting baptized on Saturday at 3 PM. The Lai Family is pogressing!!!! And I'm so excited!!! :) I hope I get to see them get baptized before I go home. It's always been my dream to find a family and help them come unto Christ!!!! They set up for Saturday night at 7:00 :) We are seeing so many blessing from Heaven. We are so imperfect, but the Lord puts the prepared in our path!!! Brother Lai brought his whole family to Church. His wife is called Sarah, and has two daughters... 3, and 2.... They are adorable!!!!!!!!!! He came to a baptism after church and loved it :) I was spending more time writing in my journal and pondering this week and I feel like I have decided to keep my covenants my whole life. hahah..... I am sure you as a mission president am really happy to hear this, but I really hope to see myself drawing near the end of my mission, doing more, and more, relying on the Lord to go beyond my own strength to do the most that I can here. I am so happy and I hope that I can be faithful. I love you. I love you all!! :) Family.... and Friends....... I know that Christ Lives. There is nothing that I am more sure of than that. I know because I see the way that he has changed my life, and how he can and does change the lives of my beloved Taiwanese brothers and sisters. :) HURRAH FOR ISRAEL!!!!!!!!!!!! Love, Elder Westover a couple of pics: the first, dropping of the mission van for President Day at the Grand Hotel. SO they snatched a quick pic. Second, huge service opportunities this week!

Xinan # 85

親愛的家庭！！ 我非常快樂！！！ 這個禮拜我坐飛機到花蓮 ：）真漂。可能我一生當中看到的最漂亮所看過風景。 Last week I got to go down to Hualian on the East coast and we got to fly... :) I know that there has been some news going around... that a plane engine failed and crashed here in Taipei, luckily that was the day after we flew down there, so we are all safe, but please keep the people that lost their family and friends in the crash in your prayers. We finished all of our Specialized Trainings for this transfer and this week we have all of the mission presidents from the Asia Area here for trainings with the Asia Area Presidency. It's a great opportunity to be among some wonderful men and women. There are so many miracles... just like I always say, but there is one thing that I would like to share... This Sunday before Church we had set up to meet with a dad who had brought his daughter to church two weeks ago, and he is super prepared. :) He had some interest in the Church because one of his College School-mates posted some mission pictures on Facebook and she encouraged him to take his two little girls (2 & 3) to come to church. :) We met with him and during the whole course of the visit I just felt the Spirit SOOOO strong. :) We just shared very simply that Heavenly Father had prepared a plan and that it was the Gospel of Jesus Christ. we tied it very well to him and he felt the Spirit strong too. :) He accepted a baptismal commitment for mom's Birthday!!! :) March 14th. He said that we want to be baptized. We are going to meet with mom and the two little girls next week :) Pray for the Lai Family!! Brother Huang and Sister Wu are doing great!! They went and visited their families and it's all up to them to decide :) Hopefully they will be going down to the Government Building this week and get married!!! Then a little later they'll have a wedding. Sister Wu accepted to keep the Sabbath Day, and tithing and the 10 commandments. Pray that she will be good with the Word of Wisdom :) I love you!!!! That is it for this week. Keep up the good work :) I liked a scripture I read this last week. James1:22 Hurrah For Israel!!!!!! Love, Elder Westover Hey ummm..... Happy Valentines Day.... :) Love you all!!! oh yeah.... my parents have been married for 44 years!!!! :) They're awesome!!!

Xinan # 84

Dear Family and Loved-ones, There is so much that I have to say. I am grateful for the pictures that I finally got of the beautiful little niece of mine :) I can't wait to see her :) I will admit one thing.... I am a little baby trunky.... ;) I have to say that I am so very grateful for the gospel and the opportunity that I have to serve the Savior. I think that the thing that all missionaries, or servants of the Lord all realize when doing His work is that we are really so little. There is so much that we are able to do, but only if we do it through His power. If we try to do something by ourselves or by our own power, we have not the promise of God. This week I have seen many miracles, and learned much about the will that the Lord has for me. The Lord gave us so many miracles!!! We had our first Member referral from a member that we met with on Sunday last week and it was awesome!! We actually had asked him to help us teach a lesson with a 16 year old RC, but during the lesson he leaned over to my companion and said..."Hey I want to let you meet my roommate after this lesson, is that ok?" It was the first time that I have had one of those!! The visit was really good and the guy's name is Brother Jerry Yu and he is studying Electrical Engineering :) We are going to visit with him tonight and invite him to baptism :) Super stoked!! We met with Brother Huang and Sister Wu on Friday night after Mission Leadership Council and they are doing so great!! Brother Wu is so on track. He want so to get baptized so bad. Sister Wu is doing good too, and she has grown in faith so much it's crazy!! She is reading and praying daily and we're still working on the Church every week, but We will be meeting with them this Wednesday night and teach the rest of the Commandments. We're praying that her faith will continue to grow and she will be able to have the faith to make the changes necessary. She feels our love and the love of the Ward. The Stake President and his Wife are fellow-shipping them. Recently we have been visiting many members and developing relationships with them, and a couple of weeks ago I was looking at the Home Teaching list and there was a little section on the list that said, "People who need missionary fellow-shipping" and we have visited a Yang Family (baptized back in 2008- dad has almost no eyesight, mom is working alot, and two kids are going to college in other towns and LA) ... long story short. We have been visiting them, and asking them to let us teach lessons at their house and the Lord has been really strengthening them and this last week their LA daughter came to church !!! :) We hope to help them prepare to go to the temple and become eternal!! :) The daughter said that she wanted to have her boyfriend learn and she is going to invite him to our English Class on Wednesday :) Elder Greenhalgh is from Syracuse Utah, and is super awesome!! He is the most obedient missionary I have every been with and I love it!! :) He and I are seeing so many miracles together and planting seeds :) I believe that that is the greatest thing that I have been able to see... I feel like the Lord has given me the opportunity to love the members and work with them. :) I love Taiwan and I love this people. Like I've said before, we are seeing so many blessings from the Lord in working with the ward in unity. We are praying that during the Chinese New Year we can see many miracles with them! Thanks for the Prayers :) I Love you!!! Hurrah for Israel!!! Love, Elder Westover

Xinan # 83

Elder Greenhalgh and Elder Westover

大家好！ Hello Everyone! 這個禮拜非常棒。真的,看到了許多從天上的祝福! This week has been AWESOME. Really, we saw many blessings from heaven! I would love to write you in all Chinese, but there are two problems with that... all but a very select few of you understand, and I can't type in Chinese very fast, so.... I'll use English. Anyway, I really appreciate the updates from the Marrot Family with all the fun pictures : ) Also, mom I did get your packages. They both got here around the same time. I didn't pay attention but they usually take about 2 and a half weeks to get here on average. Congrats mom on the new calling!! You will do so much for the sisters there in the ward. :) I'm so blessed to have so much love and support from you all back home. Thanks so much for the prayers and blessings, because I know there is no way that our area is staying alive all through our own efforts... It's the strong prayers that you all have and your faith in the Savior. We have been away from our area alot this last week, with doing exchanges with the Zone Leaders and doing Specialized Training Meetings all over the mission. The Lord has really had His hand in our work. The relations we are establishing with our ward is great and I really believe they feel our love. The Sisters in our ward are white-washing, not because the earlier Sisters did a bad job, but rather because of the lack of missionaries, there had to be some changes to where there were two Sisters that completely new nothing about the area brought in. So we have been setting up lots of members for them to meet and allow them to develop relationships ASAP and work together to do the work. I have a really funny story.... last Tuesday, the first Specialized Training with the Xinzhu and Zhunan Zones. Mind you that all the other trainings I have ever done have been in Taipei right across from the Mission Office, and it was the first that I have had to travel to So we got up early so that we could get down to Zhubei by 8:30 and we got everything all in the car for our training and other stuff for Sister Day's...... I thought. But it was after an hour drive down south, right as I exited off the highway getting into Zhubei that I realized... I forgot all of the mics and cords, projector, and translating machines.... I just had that big drop in my stomach, but it all end up ok. I was flippin' out, but we called the Xinzhu Stake President and asked him if there were any of those things that the Stake could let us use for the day, and it just so happened that He was planning to be there that morning to meet with the Zone Leaders and we got everything we needed. The Lord knows what he's doing... even with imperfect missionaries like me. There is another great miracle. Sister Wu came to church for the 3rd time this week!!! Her and Brother Huang are doing great!! They are planning to getting married right before the Chinese New Year, and then getting baptized on the 25th of next month!! Then there was another guy named Mr. Lai. He came to Church this week with his adorable 3 yr. old daughter, and we hope to meet with the family this week on Saturday or Sunday. :) "Finding Families Hastens the Work of Salvation!!!" (President Day) The Lord is so great!! There are many more, but not enough time.... I'll tell you later :) This week and next we also have alot of meetings, cleaning (in preparation of the Asia Area Mission President's Seminar held here in Taipei), a sister in the mission broke her foot, and we are praying for the 3 transfer hold up of missionaries due to visas... So please keep President and Sister Day in your prayers, as there is alot on their plates right now. I'm going to the temple this afternoon, so I will definitely be praying for you, and seeking some direction. Life... Missionary Work.... The most happy thing in the world. I love you!!!!!!!!! Hurrah For Israel!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Love, Elder Westover

Xinan # 82

Dear Family!! I have a new companion!!! Elder Greenhalgh.... He's from Syracuse, UT and has a twin serving in Taizhong :) Super cool :) I'm not sure that I said anything in past weeks, but I just want to say thanks to everyone for all the pictures, letters, and packages during the holiday season... some of you even looking forward to the next season... Valentines day ;) I love you all. Thanks for your love, and your prayers. I'm gonna give you a little update on our investigators, because I feel the Lord is blessing us a lot. Update is as follows: Sister Chen and her two sons: She is very sensitive to the Spirit and the Lord is really working little small miracles in her life, a step at a time. We met with her and she shared the with us the role that prayer has had in her life. It really gives her more peace and patience to love her to two sons. She wants to obtain the Gift of the Holy Ghost and have Heavenly Father's guidance, but she also just doesn't want to be constrained by the commandments (WOW) But she is willing to try. The past two weeks she hasn't been able to come to church because of her son's piano class, but she committed to talk to the teacher and change the class to another time for the winter break. She is bringing forth "good fruits" (Alma 26:22), just slowly. She has not quite accepted the invitation to baptism yet, but she has a great desire. I know that as she starts using the principles of the Gospel in her home with her sons, she will start seeing the hand of the Lord in her life, and know that the message that we are sharing is true. The Spirit Converts. Brother Huang and Sister Wu (Boyfriend and Girlfriend/ FUTURE Husband and Wife): They are doing so good!! This last week they fed us an all you can eat pizza lunch right before Elder Huang moved, and we had a good opportunity to followup with Sister Wu... They are making the steps to get married at Chinese New Year in February. Keep praying for them and pray that She can find a different job that will allow her to keep the Sabbath Day Holy. :) I'm super grateful to Heavenly Father. There is so much that He can do through such imperfect things... like me. I am just so grateful that I have the opportunity to be able to see so much conversion happen in people's lives while I am doing so much in the office, and doing other things. This is the Lord's work and there is nothing that can stop it from going forward. "And thus we see the great call of diligence of men to labor in the vineyards of the Lord; and thus we see the great reason of sorrow, and also of rejoicing - sorrow because of death and destruction among men, and joy because of the light of Christ unto life." (Alma 28:14) I am sad that I am in the office, for instance I feel "sorrow" because I have left the life of a normal missionary, but I have found reason of rejoicing also... because, I am able to help more souls come unto Christ. To come to know that He is the Savior of the World, and to be and "labor" diligently "in the vineyards of the Lord." This week we have our first two Specialized Training of the Month and I pray that the Spirit will be able to work through me and my companion to work on all aspects of the work that He has called us to do. :) I love you... Keep it up. Remember your covenants... remember Him. Hurrah For Israel!!! Love, Elder Westover ------------------------------------------------------------------ Thursday morning right after our last Office Staff Meeting of the transfer. My companion, Elder Huang (Third one in on the right) was transferred to be Zone Leader in Zhunan. I'll miss him!!!

Xinan # 81

Dear President Day, Another wonderful week! This week we saw so many miracles especially with the Mission Vision aspect of things. Last week (January 4) we went to Church and had a very confident attitude that we were going to set up all the members we wanted to and visit their families... and guess what.... We set up 5 members!!! Then, this week we set up 4 members to visit this week! I am super excited, because we are meeting with President Liang and and the Central Zone Leaders tomorrow morning and we are going to see how we can help him in his vision for the Central Stake. We are also working with the New and Returning Member Form and I feel like it's really helping us in our visits to help them really progress... even after their done with their lessons. We had two LA sisters move into our ward! We hope that they can meet more sisters in the ward. This last week I would like to share one miracle at least. We were on Roosevelt Rd. and Elder Huang and I were being rejected like crazy... like everyone that we were talking to were just really quickly rejecting us, and we just kept on going... because of a red light we were stopped temporarily, and Elder Huang was in front of me on the other side of the road because the light turned red before, I could go, so I talked to a guy that was working at a motorcycle shop. He was just like the others before, but as the light went green I went over with Elder Huang. He was talking with a mom and his two little boys. The little boys are completely opposite....the youngest , LULU (7) is normal but just a little more quiet, but the oldest ZEZE (9) has a little autism in his own special way, but he can play the piano incredibly.... So amazing. Anyway, the mom is super prepared and we are super excited for her as she starts learning the gospel because we shared with her about the plan of Salvation and how HF has prepared our families to be together forever, she was super excited. Her husband passed away a while ago in a car accident and is very sensitive to the Spirit and the things she learns here. The Lord knows us all individually. Next week I will have a new companion. Elder Huang has been here in the office for 6 months and his girlfriend comes home (Taipei) from her mission in Tai Zhong in 3 weeks, so he'll be going a little farther away to Zhunan... But I'll have a new comp. Elder Greenhalgh. I'll show you him next week. :) I love you all. Thanks for being so amazing, and setting such a great example for me in my life. I am so grateful for the Savior and His sacrifice, His ability to do the will of His Father. I know that He lives. Hurrah for Israel!!! Love, Elder Westover pics: This is his home and kithchen. He made Hot Chocolate and it spilt everywhere! :)