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! :)

Xinan #80

Dear Family, Thanks for all the family photos from Christmas and it snowed back in the old Cornville!!!! :) Oh boy... dad please make a snowball and keep it in the freezer from me until I get back :) if there is any room in the freezer that is ;) Please give my regards to the Rongo family... I really have a special relationship with Natasha. She was at every single football game and she just had the biggest smile on her face!! She was so happy and full of love. I made sure to say hi to her before the games because she just had that effect on me. Tell them I love them and I'm praying for their family. This last week has been so amazing. I really feel so blessed. I really miss being out in a normal area. I have to be completely honest. But, I know that the Lord has called me here to be here to testify of Him and do it in another way. I feel like I am still so prideful. I have a lot of things that I need to fix, to be able to be a more powerful leader and witness of Him. Daily I feel His Spirit telling me more and more the things that I need to do. Elder Huang is moving soon and I don't know what is going to happen!!! I'm gonna miss him. He is going back to Zhu nan.... to be ZL. I have so much to improve. But I felt like this last weeks Mission Leadership Council training was a lot different than any other training before... I felt more natural. More prepared and more calm. One of my greatest challenges on my mission has been just allowing allowing my natural man to leave!!! to get out of the Spirit's way. I am pretty excited for the next few months. It's gonna be crazy busy, and stretching, but I am on for it. I've never done any specialized training or anything like that, so just make sure I'm on the ball... This last week I feel like I have obtained alot of revelation as to how we can improve in our area. Recently in our area we have had a problem with finding new investigators. So I hope that we can get to know the members alot more, and establish some trust and love with the leadership of the ward and ask them, just like you have given us as an invite, what we can do to help them do the work that they would like to accomplish in Missionary Work for 2015. I hope to go and visit the Stake President and our Bishop and let them know that we are here to help them!! We hope that our efforts will be backed by the Spirit and the will of the Lord will help us do more finding, teaching, baptizing, retaining, and reactivating with the members. :) Last week when we were out finding on Monday night we found a Chen Ama... she was not really willing to accept the message because she was really touched as we shared with her about the family of God and about the Savior that God has prepared for us... she said that she could not accept, but she would like her son to learn about the Gospel. :) The Lord leads us to the prepared and gives all of His children a chance. There was also a random Brother from Tucheng Ward that came up and testified and invited her to meet with us :) So incredible. Hurrah For ISRAEL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Love, Elder Westover ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Xinan # 79

Dear Family, It was super awesome to hear from you on the phone this week :) I love you all... even though I may not have been able to talk to you all... I want you to know that I love your guts. You are amazing!!! Really. This week we had two massive Zone Conferences here in Taipei. One on Wednesday for the Non-Taipei Zones (110 missionaries) and Thursday the Taipei City Zones (104 missionaries). Full of fun and great stuff :) Elder Clyde and I, as well as the Temple Sisters here in our District did a fun crazy Kong Fu act... Yes... I'm now a master ;) it was fun and I hope to show you some day :) But there was also a wonderful performance on both days by our Mission Christmas Choir. Super Spiritual and a wonderful way for us to remember the Savior and His birth. Invite to you all... Think about what Christ means to you in your life. (Read and ponder Alma 5) I'm prayin' for you. I love you all!! Happy New Years!! Love, Elder Westover ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- pictures! The first is Sister Wu... pray for her! Next 3, 1.) This is the elders in the office :) (Elders Chow, Huang, Sanford, Lin, and me) 2.)President and Sister Day gave us all matching ties... and they are all orange :) We took a Fabulous 5 picture ;P 3.)Our Office District :) (Middle: Sisters Su and Perkins)