Xinzhu #37

Hey ya'll!! Happy Birthday to Callyssa and Joshua, and I'm super stoked to see that little new baby boy next week, or as Jacob said, "he's going to come when he's good and ready. And not a second sooner...! :)" This week was wonderful! I am so stoked to get to work with Elder Zeng. He is a wonderful missionary and is doing a great job. We saw many miracles the past few days and were very blessed to have the experiences we did. "If we recognize the miracles, no matter how small or big they are, the Lord will work more in our lives"- President Day. I need to make more time in my reports and in my life as a missionary to recognize those miracles and thank Father in Heaven for those blessings often! In our area, we gave the Sisters two of our investigators because those investigators did not make their baptismal dates, and dropped some about five other investigators that have not been answering their phones, and so we kinda back at ground zero, but that's okay. We are going to see some new miracles, as our members get together with us and find, fellowship, teach, and testify! :) My companion is very inspiring, and makes me super happy and pumped to go and get these members pumped up to go work with us!! We also have a baptism this week!!! Zhou Dx!! It's been forever to get him to this point, but it will be great. My companion, Elder Tseng is also waiting for his Visa, and is from Taipei. His English is so good, and we are going to have a lot of success together, I know it! I know that we are going to work together with the Spirit to find those that will receive us and help them receive the Savior. I really love him.We have fun together and we see miracles. :) One thing that I learned in the scriptures this week, and I didn't realize till right now that I had strengthened my testimony of them, is that the scriptures give us strength. I was reading in 3 Nephi 28 and it was just incredible to ponder on the things that the Savior promised the 12 that He had chosen. The scriptures are like an energy drink, that will feed and continue to keep the Gift of the Spirit string and bright to guide us and to inspire us. Though it might not help us right at that moment, it will help us in the future when we really need it! I just want to share with you one miracle: When we were out tracting and got fanged by our investigator, we had knocked just for about 30 minutes, and there was a lady (Chen JM) riding her bike past us. She had already gone past us quite aways, but I just felt like I should ask her to stop. So, I said, "qing wen yixia", and of course she stopped. We shared that we were missionaries, and she said that she thought we were cops so when I called out to her she definitely stopped, but she ended up really wanting to hear the message of baptism! She said that she wanted to, but she would get back to us and come to church after she had some time to read the Book of Mormon. :) She is a wonderful daughter of God, and although she did not set a baptismal date or give us a number or come to church this week, I know that because she is important, that I am accomplishing the work that I have been sent to do. Although I am not the perfect teacher, but the Spirit is, and by listening to the Spirit and calling out to her I was able to give her an opportunity to receive the Plan of Happiness that Heavenly Father has for us. I am so happy. That's all I have to say. I love this work and I am so happy to wear the name tag that I get to wear every day. To represent Him. I love you. Praying for you and thank you so much for your love. Love, Elder Westover

Xinzhu # 36

Oh boy :) I can't tell you how happy I am. I have a little nephew coming this week, I am training this transfer, I'm so pumped for the district I'm serving in, and I am so grateful for this Gospel. My new companion (Elder Chen) is wonderful. He is going to the Indiana Indianapolis Mission, reporting to the Provo MTC on March 11. He , and we had a wonderful week last week. Unfortunately he is leaving. He is leaving and I'm getting a brand new one from the States!!! :) I am so excited! I still don't know who he is but I will be going up to Taibei this week on Wednesday to proselyte up there while I wait for the new missionaries to finish their training, and then we'll come back here for some real missionary work! I'm super scared... I've never been expecting my own child, but I imagine it's kinda like that! :P (I know I'll get an ear full from my sisters about that ;P) I'm super stoked for him to get here and to start learning with him. A new wonderful experience that will be full of learning. Christlike Attributes Chapter 6 of PMG will get me through it :) This week was awesome! We had a wonderful Mission Leadership Conference on Thursday and Friday, of which I got to be temporary companions with the Assistants. I learned so much, and I am so amazed by the spirit of prophesy and revelation in those two days. I actually had the opportunity to do a training within those two days on the importance of the member present at a lesson with an investigator. I was thinking of the covenants that we make in the Gospel of Jesus Christ as I read this scripture. Including the temple. In Alma 37:6-7 it speaks of the strength of "small and simple things are great things brought to pass; and small means in many instances doth confound the wise. And the Lord God doth work by means to bring about his great and eternal purposes; and by very small means the Lord doth confound the wise and bringeth about the salvation of many souls." The Salvation of many souls that is spoken of is the Salvation of the missionary, the member and the investigator. We are all working out our own Salvation. Just know that through the small and simple things of helping the missionaries, and your ward mission leaders how you can help in the Work of Salvation, will help you in your effort to have an eternal happy life :) I love you all. Have a wonderful week this week and make sure to do the Small and Simple things :) "Hurrah for Israel!!" Love, Elder Westover

Xinzhu # 35- CHINESE NEW YEAR

Oh boy did I eat well!!!! Hahah we had a lunch and dinner appointment with members for 6 days straight, and they stuffed us full every time :) It was a great week, I actually got a new companion :) He is an Aborigine and he is so much fun :) I'll tell you more about him next week. Happy Birthday Tate and Tallie!! Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad :) ( 43 Years) This week there is so little time today because we had the temple today, but I just love you. I know that this Church is true and that there is so much that we have to learn. We are nothing without our Father and His Son. Love, Elder Westover

Xinzhu # 34

So I got a phone call from the Financial Assistant this week and he told me that he had to go to the customs office and look at a package that was sent on December 16, 2013. Haha, he continued saying that they opened the package right there in-front of him and they pulled out the bag of Beef Jerky... Apparently because of the Mad Cow Disease a while back, the Taiwanese Government doesn't import beef from America. So That Christmas package, just hasn't gotten back to me :) haha I love you!!! I really am so happy that you love me enough to send me Beef Jerky, but just to notify everyone. DON'T SEND BEEF TO TAIWAN!!! :) I will still accept the Pork Jerky that dad buys :) That stuff is to die for!!!! Ok, I want to say I love you all. Kiah, Happy Birthday on the 6th of January. Jacob and Rebekah, Happy Anniversary on the 8th!! (I hope that little boy is growing healthy and strong) This is one of the miracle from this week :) On Thursday we went to do service and we got fanged, so we fell back on the best back-up plan... The Prayer of Faith. It was just less than an hour before we had to start our Weekly Planning Session, and we went knocking doors in that area. We just rod until we came to a street that we felt good about, and started knocking. it was the third house. There were just some kids out front with their Ama (Grandma) and we just talked to them for a while. Let them look at a picture of Jesus Christ and started to share... Then a man rode up on his scooter. The Ama started repeating over and over, "He's one of you! He's one of you!" We got to know him and started to share what differences we had with other Christians. As I shared with him Joseph Smith's experience of seeing God the Father, and Jesus Christ, he just looked at me. After I finished sharing and testifying, he kept on looking at me. Finally, he said, "Do you want to come in??" Hahah!! So crazy!! We still haven't set a baptismal date with him, but he has felt the Spirit and is in the process of finding out the truth for himself. :) I love you all and am so blessed to be out here serving my Lord and Savior. I want to invite you all this week to think about the restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and how it has blessed your lives, then go share that with a friend :) (show them Mormon.org, give them a Book of Mormon, have a conversation about God, Testify!!) I know the Savior lives. I know that Joseph Smith is a true prophet of God, and that this work will move forward, no matter what. Just make the decision. Are you going to be a part of it?? :) Love, Elder Westover

Xinzhu # 33

I got a ton of letters this week :) Thank you so much for all of your Christmas Cards and all of your love :) I can't even start to explain how thankful I am for this week. There are not words able to express the gratitude that I have for the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The time that I have available to write to you is not enough, but I just want to tell you that the Lord is so wonderful. We have had a wonderful week proclaiming the Gospel of the Jesus Christ, and inviting all to come unto Christ through baptism. We had our Zone Training Meeting on Tuesday morning where we received some incredible and inspiring training from our Zone Leaders, my companion and I went out to find those that would receive the message of truth. In our training we were reminded of the healing power of the Atonement by this statement in Preach My Gospel, "We all make mistakes in life, and these mistakes create feelings of guilt and shame. These feelings cannot be relieved without repentance and forgiveness. They can be fully healed through the Atonement of Christ" (Preach My Gospel, pg. 183). We were invited to go out and invite everyone to be baptized and receive a remission of their sins on the very first contact. We saw so many miracles. We found three New Investigators and set baptismal dates with them that day. Wu Dx, Luo Dx, and Chen Dx. They were all so incredible. The first two were right in a row, and then the last one was a little before we had to go home, right after we got "fang"-ed (stood-up by Luo Dx). I'll tell you about Chen Dx. We were in front of the Family Mart (convenience store) that we said we would meet Luo Dx, and our Ward Mission Leader, our peike (member present at the lesson), had already come. I saw this guy go in and I had said hi to him and all, and then I saw him come out again and go over to his scooter. I had an overwhelming feeling to talk to him. I left my companion and WML to talk about a backup plan, and I just started talking to him. I introduced myself as a representative of Jesus Christ, pointing to my name tag, and shared that we had a message of happiness that would bless his life. At first he was really not that interested then, all I remember is he said he was "Fu jiaotu" Buddist, and then I just remember me speaking some words and asking him some questions, and listening, and telling him, that there was a loving Heavenly Father that wanted to share a wonderful message with him. Next I invited my companion, and our WML to come over and then we shared with him how to pray, and communicate with Heavenly Father. It was so wonderful. I know that he felt the Spirit. His prayer was so heartfelt, and full of his humble desires that his Heavenly Father would help him overcome. So great. We invited him to baptism and to continue to develop his relationship with Heavenly Father through prayer and prayerfully studying the scriptures. So awesome. I have had the blessings of the Lord to do His work and His Glory, and to have patience, love, charity, and faith. He is Almighty, and Great. Have a wonderful week you all!! I love you :) I'm praying for you all, whether you be at home, or in the field working... "Thrust in you sickle with all of your might"!! Invite others to come unto Christ. Love, Elder Westover

Xinzhu # 32

Hello!! This week was a good week for the district. Just as always, we're all just working hard.The vision of focusing on our Less-Active Melchizedek Priesthood members (LAMPs) is taking the first few steps. Xinzhu 1st Ward has given us a list of all the LAMPs, and we have split those up and given some to the Sisters. This week I learned a lot. I learned that we all have our own pieces of heaven that our Father has given us. He has allowed my companion and I, as imperfect things, to come out here and do this perfect work. I have really recognized that the Lord does His perfect work through imperfect things, because as we see how this perfect work changes imperfect things to be more perfect, it strengthens us, and provides us opportunities to become perfect. Actually, on Saturday I was reminded of the fact none of us are perfect, and this is how the Lord does His work. I'm going to do the very best that I can do to change myself, and take every opportunity that He gives me. I really don't have too much time this week, but I just want to say that I love you all. I know that the Savior Jesus Christ is the Only Begotten of the Father, and I know that ONLY in, and THROUGH HIM ARE WE made NEW. I love the Father. I know of His plan and I am so blessed to be a part of the work that brings these truths to the world. I am a son of God, and I am about His work. Love, Elder Jordan Westover

Xinzhu # 31

I survived with the transfers!!! :P Haha, I'm still here in Xinzhu with pretty much the same district except for one new sister missionary. The Lord has some great plans for this area and it's going to be great!! Included in the Message of the Restoration is the invitation to follow the example of Christ, and once an answer and confirmation by the Spirit of the truthfulness of the message, be baptized. As a result of that, I have set a goal that no matter what, to invite to baptism on the 1st lesson. I have loved it. the miracles and the experiences have been great!! Saw some wonderful miracles. I'll share my favorite one with you: We were out finding on Saturday, and we weren't finding anyone that really wanted to listen for about the 1st hour, but then I had the feeling to ask Elder Huang to lead us. He led us for about 45 minutes and not anyone, but finally we were riding back into town, and there was a man (Gu Dx) riding a bike by the Airforce Base Entrance (oh yeah, I forgot to tel you... Xinzhu has an Airforce Base... :) ), we were going the same direction. I just slowed down to his speed, and started to chat. I just got to ask a little about him, and found out that his parents had passed away. I had the feeling to ask him what made him happy. He just thought, and didn't have an answer. I then shared that family was the thing that made me the most happy, then shared that we had a message about the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and asked if he had some time to listen. He ACCEPTED!!! It was so awesome. We went to a park bench, and shared a short message about families and how the Gospel blesses them, and about prophets w/ the Book of Mormon. We invited him to be baptized and he ACCEPTED!!! I know that God the Father, is a loving Father. He knows us all completely, and knows what our needs are. I am so blessed to have the opportunity to share that message with the people here in Taiwan. Especially here, there are so many that rarely, if ever, hear the word "love" directed toward them, and when they hear that they have a Father in Heaven that loves them... they feel the Spirit. Whether they know it or not, and whether they choose to accept it, is another thing, but as they act on the invitations that we as missionaries give them, they are able to go and understand what kind of a loving God He is, and how He loves them. Actually, yesterday in our Sacrament meeting, we had an old guy from our ward get up and bare testimony of the divinity of the Father. That we are created in His image, and his characteristics. I can't tell you how wonderful it was and how clearly profound that truth spoke to me. Although there are alot of Christians in America, there are few that know what kind of a personage God is, and what characteristics He has. I would like to invite you to study that... and think about how that knowledge effects you in your everyday life. Once you have done that, pray and ask Heavenly Father, who among your friends, classmates, co-workers, or family members you could share your testimony or give them a reminder of that simple truth. Nimen yuanyi ma?! (Are you willing to do that?!) :) I know that there is someone in your life that can be blessed by your testimony. And I want to bare testimony that there is nothing that brings greater joy in our lives than, sharing the truths that we know. I know that The Savior Jesus Christ lives. He loves us, and wants us to return to our Father's presence. Love, Elder Westover