Week 30 in Xizhi

It's been a full day, a full week, and a full two years. I still can't believe it's all coming to a close. I gave my farewell talk yesterday. It went well. I feel the Spirit gave me what to say and I felt and know the Lord is pleased with my service. I'm more nervous about speaking in my home ward in English. I'm a bit rusty, but I'm sure it will be alright.

On top of the Taipei 101

Taiwan

I know God lives. He's been with me all the time, and I know that won't change even though all else will.

Thank you for your time, prayers, and love! See you soon!

All is well!

Love,
Elder Dickson

If you want to get a hold of me my Facebook is Reed Dickson and my email is redatcm@gmail.com.

Week 29 in Xizhi: this will be the last full week of my mission! I fly home next Wednesday.

With Landon Lawrence, my First Companion at the MTC

With the departing missionaries next week, including the mission president and his wife

Last full week. People ask me how I feel about going home, but I honestly still can't comprehend the reality of it all. I think I'll have to be off the mission for a few weeks before the weight of it all actually hits me. I admit I have been missing Taiwan for a little bit now. It's worst when I think of those I've come to love here and that I won't be seeing them again for I don't know how long. I've honestly got a lot more close friends in Taiwan than I do in the States. I should just be grateful we live in a time when I can still keep in touch with them :)

As I reflect on these two years I'm lost in a mixture of memories and emotions: the joys, the pains, the lessons learned, the experiences had, the people I've loved, the places I've been, the fears I've faced, the sicknesses I've endured, the adventures I've enjoyed, the friends I've made, the person I've become, the tears I've shed, on and on and on. Amidst it all, the overarching feeling is that of gratitude. I'm grateful for it all. The good and the bad. The best of times and the worst. All of it has made me who I am today, and, more importantly, it's brought me to Him.

"And now it came to pass that all this was done in [Taiwan,] yea, by the waters of [Taiwan,] in the forest that was near the waters of [Taiwan;] yea the place of [Taiwan,] the waters of [Taiwan,] the forest of [Taiwan,] how beautiful are they to the eyes of them who there came to the knowledge of their Redeemer; yea, and how blessed are they, for they shall sing to his praise forever."
Mosiah 18:30

With Elder Raymond and Lawrence

Other news:
Our investigator in the nursing home read the Book of Mormon AGAIN. That's right. AGAIN. I may also have accidently stood President up for my departing missionary interview. I've never felt so bad, but he was very forgiving. He's been the perfect mission president for me. I love and respect the man a great deal. I loved our lesson with a mom and her two young boys last week. The boys were going crazy (like all kids do and I once did)  and the mom had no hope of focusing, so I played with the kids while my companions taught her. The lesson was powerful and the Spirit was most definitely present. My favorite part was her response after we invited her to baptism. "Can I?" Things are good.

All is well!

Love,
Elder Dickson

Week 28 in Xizhi

Buddha Palace

With Kenneth in Beitou

It's been a full day. We did personal study and jumped on a train for planning. We had breakfast with Kenneth in Beitou followed by some intense 3 team Ultimate. Don't ask. We kind of made it up as we went. After that, we made our way south to Ximending to pick up my suit and then jumped on the MRT bound for Songshan where we had all you can eat pizza with the zone leaders. We're on the train back to Xizhi and upon arrival we're meeting up with a member for ping pong and an early dinner. Pdays...certainly not a day of rest. 

Pizza and Bing

With the Li Family

Last night we went to a member home for dinner. On the way, I talked with a 22 year old guy at a stoplight. I complimented his Captain America helmet and upon asking what he liked about Captain America he told me it was his pure goodness, justice, or righteousness. I asked him to pull over and he was happy to. He asked me where our church was and proceeded to tell me he always wanted to go to church but that no one had ever invited him. He felt it would be odd to go alone. I was more than happy to extend the invitation. We'll meet with him tomorrow. He graduated from college the day before and said he was looking for direction in life. The dinner was delicious and the FHE after was a good time. Afterwards, we went out into the rainy night to knock doors on some streets in a small village-like community in the middle of nowhere. We were led directly to a home where a man offered us watermelon and water on the doorstep. We'll be going back to see the man tomorrow. Despite feeling prompted to go there, we did first knock the entire street before going where we initially felt to go. Miracles! 

Good eats

Art for an investigator

Made it myself

Book of Mormon reading is going crazy well! Derek finished the Book this week. Anna too. Our friend at the nursing home finished it a second time. 

The Chen family, baptized back in March, is moving to Canada in July. They know where the nearest church building is, but they have yet to find schools for the kids. I was glad to know they've got their priorities straight ;) 

Taiwan Temple

On top of our recent converts home

We were privileged to visit a former investigator of mine in the hospital. He likely doesn't have much time left, and he's in a good deal of pain. We sang primary songs to him and said a prayer for the man. A soft smile crept across his face as the pain he felt was replaced with a feeling of peace only the Spirit can bring. These are the best times to be a missionary.

I'm happy and healthy and loving the work! 

All is Well!

Elder Dickson

Week 27 in Xizhi June 4, 2018

Time is running out, it's the last month of my mission

My final companions in the mission field: Elder Raymond and Elder Brown

Also some of the amazing food they have in Taiwan!

Out and about

It's our preparation day and we're playing tennis now. It's been a while, but it's good to play again.

Our invesitagator in the nursing home finished the remainder of the Book of Mormon. She said she had lots of questions about the end of the book. I was curious what part of Moroni had provoked so many questions. She pulled out the Book to show me only to find she was referring to the guide to the scriptures in the back of the book providing definitions for everything and references. She had not only read the Book, but she read the study helps as well in their entirety. Upon asking what her favorite part was she turned to the page with the definition for the resurrection. Her faith is an example for us all.

English class on Saturday was fun. I taught about taste and had the students wear a blindfold as I gave them different things to eat. They then had to describe the taste, texture, etc. Finally, they were to guess what it was they had eaten. Afterwards, I let them blindfold me once. Bad decision. I was greeted by a most unique flavor soon met by a "special" aftertaste. The students had combined canned milk bean soup, raisin cake, and peanut candy. It was special.

Lesson on Taste

We had an investigator pinkie promise to keep the Word of Wisdom for three weeks. He promised me the first week. He promised Elder Raymond the second week, and he promised Elder Brown the last week. The Tripanionship in action :D

Lyle's still Lyle. He finished the Book of Mormon again this week. God also gave him a new job. His doctor told him he needed to go back to work. The Spirit confirmed this to him that night. The next day an old friend called him to see how he was doing...and to offer him a job.

Elder Raymond had a small accident this week. A girl on her motorcyle hit him; it didn't help that she was watching a movie on her phone. Before he was hit, a voice told Elder Raymond "You're going to get hit" and a feeling of peace came over him. He prepared himself and on impact rolled into a dive coming out uninjured. Don't wait to act on a prompting from the Spirit.

Pterodactyl. If you know the game, please know the Taiwanese get a kick out it. It's quite the sight. We also played basketball with some kids ages 6-14ish. It was up in a poorer community isolated in the mountains. It was a good time and we certainly made their day.

Stake Conference was yesterday. They reorganized the stake presidency, so we had some special guests. They emphasized again and again the importance of seeking and acting on revelation rather than living life and making decisions based solely on our own intellect. If the General Authority hadn't done as much it would have cost him one of his sons. I feel the need to seek more revelation to guide my own life upon returning home. 

All is Well!

Elder Reed Dickson

Week 26 in Xizhi: May 28, 2018

We went to Taoyuan today, another place that feels like Home! It was a blast to see old friends. I'd call them family personally. Lunch with Beck was a treat, and board games (Splendor, Spyfall, Kings Breakfast?) with Terry and his wife, Amanda, felt like playing with my parents back home. 

Visiting Taoyuan

Investigators have been repenting in miraculous ways. One investigator, mother to a recent convert, who said they would never pray and had never prayed despite going to a Catholic school said their first prayer. She felt the Spirit powerfully.

Another investigator in the Nursing Home read 1/2 the Book of Mormon in a week and understands what she's reading. She has one of the strongest testimonies I've seen in an investigator. She knows how to receive personal revelation. 

We've also been blessed lately to find many a family. We don't usually have much time to go out finding, but we use the occasional 30 or so minutes we have and are blessed as we talk with everyone and pray/work to reach a goal.

I'm happy for Harry who got the Priesthood this past week! It was also a good time balling with the man. He's quite the basketball player.

We got the idea to start providing a Chinese class for foreigners, and ever since we can't stop running into them: Brazil, Camaroon, France, Canada, the States. They're good guys and some have started meeting with us.

We also teach English

I've been once again grateful for the Spirit in our teaching. We got to a point in a lesson where we were trying to resolve an investigators concern on a particularly controversial issue. As we started to take the lesson in that direction the Spirit was just gone. It felt like flipping a light switch. On. Off. We immediately backtracked and finished the lesson material at hand with the Spirit leading. With the understanding provided by what we taught their concern wasn't even a concern any more. The investigators understood the answer and the why behind it. The Spirit taught them the truth and testified of it. They provided the answer before we were through and are now working towards a baptismal goal.

I was overjoyed to find the recently baptized Chen family to have started family scripture study, prayers, and FHE. I know they will continue to be blessed for their efforts to implement the gospel in their lives.

Another cool miracle was when a member from Taoyuan came to Xizhi and prayed to run across us. What do ya know? We did run into her. She told us she knew we would as she had prayed for as much.

Have the best week! Love you all!

All is well!

Elder Dickson

Week 25 in Xizhi: I'm staying here until the end and I have two new companions!

Transfers...Surprise! I'm still in Xizhi. Bishop spoke with President and it was a done deal. I'll spend the remainder of my mission here in the promised land. It's an amazing place! I'll miss my "son" Elder Fredenberg, but I've got two new companions: Elder Brown and Elder Raymond. They're good missionaries and great men. If someone had to "kill" me, I'm glad it's them. Elder Raymond is a living Fix-it-Felix and Elder Brown is a Hercules of sorts. 

Seeing the "Lamb of God" production and visiting Miaoli

Today was a dream. We got permission to spend the day in Miaoli visiting with recent converts and members. Missions are so short. It feels like I was there only yesterday. I remember and cherish my time there. Miaoli is another home. The people there are my family, and they welcomed me as such. I love them.

I was both moved and impressed by the production we went to see Saturday night--the Lamb of God. It was a musical of sorts about the life of Christ. The Spirit was powerful. I was glad to see many old friends and overjoyed to learn 賴明宏 was baptized a couple weeks ago in Taoyuan.

We continue to see miracles as we put our trust in the Lord and work with all our heart, might, mind, and strength. We set a goal last night to set up a couple of people off the street to hear the gospel. Within 5 minutes we had met our goal. Within the night we had doubled it. It was by no means due to anything on our part. It was a miracle for which we were grateful.

Love y'all! (I'm working on my English)

All is well,

Elder Reed Dickson

Week 24 in Xizhi, transfers are this week and this is my last transfer

Transfer 16. Wow. That last slice of pizza is getting smaller and smaller, but I'm determined to savor every last bite. I'll even eat the crust ;) I heard a good analogy from a missionary I knew in the MTC who finishes his mission in a couple of days. He said it's like driving a car off a of cliff. You don't start to slow down as you near the edge, rather you pedal to the medal and fly off into the next chapter of your life. I don't know how I feel about the analogy as I don't know what awaits on the other end of the cliff. Hopefully there's something to catch me there. I didn't say the analogy was perfect, but you get the point. I'm excited for this last transfer, and I'm fully committed to the end.

With Lyle's family

Amazing food

Special foods

A parade

I can't be sure at this point, but transfers will most likely bring with it a move call. I'll be sad to leave Xizhi after having been here 6 months. It's home. I've given this place my everything, and it's given everything to me. I couldn't be happier with my time here. I love the ward and our investigators as I do my own family. However, the ward sometimes makes the mistake of associating all the miracles we've seen with us as the missionaries. It is my conviction that in large part the success we've been blessed with is a direct result of the ward here being prepared to receive those prepared of Him. Xizhi is Zion. The members are firm in the faith and in their testimonies of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. They follow His teachings and example. They make sacrifices to lift one another and to search out the lost sheep. It's been a blessing to serve the people of Xizhi. I've found it ironic how the success we're having is helping me to develop greater humility. At other times in life or even on my mission I was prone to let the praise of others sink in. I thought I was really something at times. Humility has been a core curriculum in my mission up to date. I've been humbled again and again as those I've invited to come unto Christ have walked (sometimes even ran) the opposite way, but this time we've been blessed to see such great success I can't help but attribute it to God. I know this is His work. There's simply no other explanation. I feel as Ammon to rejoice in the strength of my God:

Alma 26:12
12 Yea, I know that I am nothing; as to my strength I am weak; therefore I will not boast of myself, but I will boast of my God, for in his strength I can do all things; yea,behold, many mighty miracles we have wrought in this land, for which we will praise his name forever.

We're happy for Anna who was baptized this past weekend. The Gospel has given her new life, and I'm just grateful I was there to witness it. I've been impressed with the promptings we receive from hour to hour helping us to know where to go, what to do, and what to say. Without the Spirit, we can accomplish nothing in the service of the Lord. Pay whatever price necessary to be worthy of such a trust. I'm excited for the investigators of Xizhi. I love them, and I'll miss them.

Anna's Baptism

With Derek

Getting to see Terry's family and Kenneth

It was good to see family today by way of Skype. Hyrum and Emilie are getting so old. I'm proud of them and of all my family for their wonderful examples to me and to those in their sphere of influence. 

Skype with family on Mother's day

Sibling communication via modern technology

All is well,
Elder Dickson