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

Tou Fen # 24

I woke up this morning and it was freezing!!! I miss having to wear a sweater :) I have a miracle... last week I lost my planner and I went a week without it, but I found it!!! Losing a planner as a missionary, is a very scary, sad, and frustrating thing. I am so blessed :) This week was good. I think I have had many experiences that have been eye-opening for me and I hope that they are able to improve and progress. Our investigators are doing well and just need to strengthen their faith! We met with the Lin Family this week after a week and a half of not meeting with them and... They said they didn't want to come back to church, but that they would rather just read the Book of Mormon, and have us come over and share with them. We just listened as they talked at us for a while and shared their feelings. I am so sad. It is so sad to see that they don't want to come to church because it's too noisy. It's a lack of faith, but we will be meeting with them tonight and keep on preparing them for baptism by the end of this month. Please pray that their hearts will be softened and be able to listen to the Spirit as they read the scriptures and pray. Tang Bebe is doing so good!! He came to the baptism on Saturday, church on Sunday, and committed to quit smoking!! We are going to get him baptized!! He is already a Christian and he is just eating up everything we give him. Everyone in the branch loves him and though his baptismal date is next month I hope we can get him baptized by the 30th :) I hope you all are doing well, and I hope you know I love you. I have a very high chance of moving this transfer, so pray that the Lord will give me strength to be able to do whatever He has in store :) I am in love with this work and I'm gonna go out, plant knew seeds, and reap the harvest of seeds planted earlier. Thank you so much. Love, Elder Westover

Tou Fen # 23

This week on Exchanges with the Elder Liu (Zone Leader) We had two great miracles! First, we had just finished dinner and were going to the chapel there in Zhunan and I just waved at a guy in a car and it ended up being one of Zhunan's investigators. We had the chance to just follow up with him and his reading, and then said a prayer. He apparently must have been really happy because right after Elder Liu's prayer he just started his own prayer. Oh man it was so heart felt. It was great :) I love being with these people that are just developing their faith and relationship with their Heavenly Father. Second, right before our exchange ended, we went finding right around the train station. Elder Liu just looked around and saw a kid sitting on his motorcycle and eating. This kid had pink and blue hair and surprisingly could really pull it off. He was 18 and going to school for civil services to work with special needs. Turns out he was very willing to listen, and hear the message of Jesus Christ. We shared that Heavenly Father loves it when we serve others and he loves to see us happy. We gave him a Book of Mormon and set up another time to share with him. Such a great miracle. Jiang Dx, our less active brought his wife, who recently moved from Mainland, to church!! Our Gospel principles class was on Family history, and she just ate it up. She has a pretty good understanding of her relationship with God, and is excited to learn more! We gave her a Book of Mormon, and invited her to start reading it. She is super interested in hearing the Plan of Salvation. This week alot of our investigators didn't have time to meet, but other than that, I felt this week was good! We have a whole branch full of specific prayers for us and our investigators on top of all the ones coming from back home and from around the world. I'm praying that the last two weeks will go great for Toufen in the last two weeks of this transfer. I had a great week of studies I think. I had the opportunity to give a training in Zone Conference, and that was a great experience. I loved doing that, and honestly, I feel like it was so beneficial to me. I learned so much. I trained on "Striving to speak with the language of the Spirit" --- Emphasis on exact obedience, and praying for investigators by name. I learned alot and was reminded about the authority and power that we have, and the Lord has given us missionaries more ways to be lifted up by His Spirit to see at a higher plain and be able to do the work that we have been called to do. It all comes down to why we are here. Something else I loved was as I was thinking about what reasons I had for coming out here to serve, I was reminded of the Lehi's Dream. We are all in the mist of darkness. Some of us are looking forward holding fast to the rod, others are being distracted by the bright lights from the Great and Spacious Building and our grip is loosened, and others are completely lost in the darkness because they just went to the closest light that they could find, but in reality, it was just a mirage. As a representative of the Lord Jesus Christ, I have been lifted up to a higher point. I can see a little bit farther and clearer because the Lord has lifted me up in his Spirit. I am able to help His children come back to Him and see a little bit clearer to help them through their mist of darkness. The Savior is the light that can help them go home. To see the big picture, and I am so blessed to have this calling. The Lord trusts me, and I must trust the Lord. I love you all and I hope you have a great week! I am pretty sure I'm going to be transferred in two weeks because I have been here for so long, so I would like to ask you to pray that my companion and I will be able Preach the Gospel by His Spirit and see many miracles :) Love, Elder Westover

Tou Fen # 22

This week was awesome! Huang Dx (Kaider) actually came!! This is an investigator who had ran into missionaries several times before we met him last week late on Saturday night at the park. He was about 40 minutes late, but he came. He wants to change, and quit smoking .We had a great lesson with him and shared with him about the Word of Wisdom. We set a baptismal date for December 14, and we are going to work our hardest to get him prepared to get in the water and start obtaining the blessings that the Lord has in-store for him! Lin Family didn't get to come to church, but we finally got them into a member's home for dinner and a lesson. It was so good!!! The Guo Family and them are a great match. It was great to see them interact and talk. It was really a great thing for them. In my studies I read a part in Alma 44 that really got to me. As the armies of Moroni had taken advantage of the armies of Zerahemnah and had surrounded them Moroni called a halt to the killing and after testifying of the greatness of God, and the strength that was with them for the righteous cause for which they were fighting, he wanted to work out a righteous exchange. If they would give up their weapons and covenant to never come up to battle against the Nephites, then they would let them go in peace, and they would live. Captain Moroni... one of the most righteous men I can think of in the Book of Mormon, in the name and by the authority of God, and his sincere desire to not shed the blood of his brethren, commanded them that they take up this oath. Even then, after all that, Zerahemnah still uses his agency to decline the offer and go on fighting to the death. We are all disciples of Christ and have a duty to invite others to drop theirs weapons of destruction, and enter into a covenant with the Lord. Come unto him and be perfected in him. It's a wonderful invitation, but sometimes, these people, our brethren, use their agency contrary to the will of the Lord. We must not lose faith, hope, charity, and love. Keep moving forward, and invite again, and again, and again. Sometimes, all it needs is time. That time will be a trial of our faith, but it will ultimately lead to happy endings. That is truth. I love you all. I just want to encourage you to all go out and be a friend to everyone. Talk with everyone. Share with everyone the love, and the great happiness that comes through the Savior Jesus Christ. You will see miracles, and you will have the Lord always with you. Love, Elder Westover