Week 10 in Taiwan You don't get another "TODAY"--Make it Count!

 New rain gear

 

Jeffrey Su was a miracle this week. I found him a little over a month ago. He graduated from college in America, speaks English extremely well, and treats us as sons. However, he is crazy busy doing good things and difficult to meet with despite being retired. We stopped by one night this week and he happened to be home...we didn't get to talk long, but in short he is making sacrifices to come unto Christ. He's hosting a Judo tournament Mon.-Sat. this week, but he cancelled Friday to meet with us. As we left, he testified of the power and influence of prayer in his life. He said things have simply been easier these past few weeks as he's called on the Lord in prayer. He's starting to see the positive effects of following the Savior, and so, he is willing to make space for the Lord in his life. I'm excited for him. 

Thank you so much to the Funk family for my first package in Taiwan!!!

Sacrifice and blessings...direct correlation: 

Past:

"No man can understand the joyful sensations created by such a meeting, except one who has been in tribulation for the gospel's sake" (Wilford Woodruff upon reuniting with the prophet, Joseph Smith, post-Liberty Jail)

Alma 26:16-17 Ammon experienced joy to the point of passing out upon seeing his brethren

Luke 24:50-53 the disciples of Christ experienced "great joy" upon reuniting with the Savior again after His resurrection

Happy Halloween!, our ward here even had a little celebration

 

 

Sacrifice and suffering makes the reunion all the sweeter. Thanks to the gospel of Jesus Christ...there will always be a reunion to look forward to. There are no final "goodbyes;" only "till we meet agains." We simply determine what kind of meetings they will be. Returning to friends and family after suffering and struggling will be a joy-filled day. It will be the beginning of many happy reunions to come until...ultimately, we will be reunited with our Father in Heaven. Let us determine to do everything in our power today to make that day the greatest of days. 

I've been reading "Our Heritage" this week and have stood in awe at the sacrifices and sufferings endured by the early saints of this dispensation. As I've pondered their lives, I've thought of others who gave everything for the gospel--for the Lord: Abinadi, John the Baptist, Joseph Smith, etc. Then my thoughts turned to the One, the One who gave all. He suffered all. He overcame all. He did it for you. He did it for me. 

 

Having dumplings with most of the zone and other great food

 

pancakes!

 

Yum!

 

 

This past week has been trying. I've been tried and tested more in these past few months than in all my life prior to leaving on my mission. Yet, I'm grateful. I'm grateful to sacrifice for such a cause as this--the work of the salvation of mankind: the work of God. Within "Our Heritage," there is a quote from a man who survived the trek across the plains. Several church members were criticizing the leaders of the church for ever allowing the saints to make such a journey at such high costs when this man stood and bore powerful witness: "we came through with the absolute knowledge that God lives for we became acquainted with him in our extremities...the price we paid to become acquainted with God was a privilege to pay..." A privilege to pay...it truly is a privilege to pay. I'm grateful that God trusts me to labor in His behalf. I'm grateful for the suffering and sacrifice it entails; I only wish I had more to offer. I'm giving Him all I have...all I am. I'm giving Him my two mites (Mark 12:41-44), and it is a privilege to pay. 

"Where ere thou art, act well thy part." - President David O. McKay

You don't get another TODAY. Make it count. And...as I'm learning...be patient (Ether 12:6). Have faith in the future! 

All is well,

Elder Dickson

Week 9 in Taiwan. 4 months as a missionary

 Singing at a baptism

With Peter Pan!

what Mr. Tilmon would almost die for at the top of those steps--super cool graves

(Mr. Tilmon loves graveyards)

"Don't Give Up. You are Loved" (a line from a song by Josh Groban and a source of strength and comfort this week). This week was difficult and challenging; in reality, my mission thus far has been difficult and challenging. I love the people here so very much and wish more than anything for them to come unto Christ and experience the joys of living the gospel. I love those we teach. I love the ward and want to strengthen them in their efforts. I love the Lord and know He loves me. With all my heart and soul I wish to please Him. I'm giving everything. I know the significance of the work I am doing, and it seems like time is flying by. I want to make every second count. I do not know why we have not had greater visible success, but I take solace in that which I do know: God loves me. He loves you. He loves all of His children. 1 Nephi 11:17 "And I said unto him: I know that he loveth his children; nevertheless, I do not know the meaning of all things."

P-day at the ocean

Having Quabing-it's kind of like shaved ice but then again not at all

 noodle soup

delicious

dumplings

 cookies!

 clean apartment

It's okay that we don't know or understand everything. What's important is our focus; our focus needs to be our faith in that which we do know. I know God loves His children. He has a plan for us, and as we follow Him, we will one day look back and realize it has all been for our good. I know I will one day look back with gratitude on this time as a time of growth and refinement. I trust God. I'm just grateful that He trusts me enough to serve Him in this, the greatest of all labors, the work of God. Meanwhile...I have witnessed the tender mercies of the Lord time and time again. He has comforted me. He has strengthened me, and I have seen miracles...daily.

after a few months on the island

my skin

my shoes are molding from all the rain

lots of spiders

I'll share about at least one evening (time is short today). Elder Hawkes, Elder Clegg, Elder Balmforth, and I met up for dinner prior to an exchange. I went with Elder Clegg to Meilun (much more city-like than Jian). It was my first exchange outside of my area and full of miracles. At the start of the evening, Elder Clegg told me he was craving some chocolate. I told him we should make it a "side mission," that we would go about the work and find an awesome investigator who would "qing" (give) us chocolate to eat. At the time it seemed more like a joke...off we went. We first went to find an address he previously hadn't been able to locate. In almost no time we were able to track it down though it appeared to be nonexistent (often the case with the ward lists here). We didn't give up though. We continued to search the area until we came across a set of mail boxes (one belonging to the missing address). After a little detective work, we found the building we thought the person lived in. Locked. Nope. Never mind. A neighbor pulled up right then and welcomed us into the apartment complex. We climbed 5 double flights of steep stairs and there we were. Knocked. Knocked again...turned to go. Wait. Might have heard something. Waited...and then gave the door a real good pounding. A kind woman came to the door and we learned that it was the person we had been looking for. As we talked with her in the doorway, her children got home and we were able to talk with all of them. Only the mother is a member, but they said we could return and I believe they attended church this past Sunday.

We were a little stunned from the miracle we had witnessed as we made our way down the mountain of a building only to find a young family walking by at its base. We talked with them for a little while and learned that they were new parents struggling with the difficulties that brings with it, and...that they lived in my area! We got their contact information and are going to follow up with them this week. From there we went to visit someone who had shown interest in the church in the past. Knocked. Not home. Turned to go...when what do you know? He pulled up on his motorbike and welcomed us in. We met with him and shared the Restoration with him in such a way that he finally, after years of meeting with missionaries, truly understood. The Spirit was present and it clicked! At the close of the lesson, he excused himself to the kitchen for a moment from which we heard these words: "Can Mormons eat chocolate?" (only in Chinese). Next thing we knew we were eating chocolate covered raisins from the Costco all the way up in Taipei...chocolate...our little side mission was accomplished. Did we need chocolate? Certainly not, but God wanted to witness His love for us and knowledge of our specific circumstances and wishes. God knows you. He loves you. Trust Him.

The darkest hours of the night come before the dawn. Don't be afraid to let go of what you've always known. The Lord has something better in store.

Thank you for all of the letters I got from friends and family and for wishing dad a happy birthday. I hear it was a blast! Prayers are also always greatly appreciated.

All is well,

Elder Dickson

(that was only one evening. I could share miracles from every day of the week. I'm trying to keep a good journal. We're seeing miracles and doing our very best. Outward success? none really, but I know God has a purpose in all things and I will press forward undaunted)

Week 8 in Taiwan: I'm grateful for Trials!

I'm not sure how much time I have, so I'll try to prioritize. Tuesday was pretty challenging. I tweaked my ankle pretty good at Frisbee that morning (doing much much better now), but we had planned to make the trek down to ZhiXue. I wasn't about to let a minor injury keep us from going forth with the Lord's work. I said a prayer...or two or three...okay, I prayed the whole way down and back again. It wasn't much fun, but it was doable (and done fast). God strengthened me once again in my travels to bring the message of His gospel to His children. I also had a number of other ailments that day including but not limited to an echo in my ear, pains in my mouth, and a very unhappy stomach; yet, through it all I couldn't help but feel grateful and blessed to be able to still go forth and share a message of such hope and joy with those in such great need. Now, that day all our appointments fell through including back-up plans, but I know the Lord will bless us with success as we continue to put forth our very best efforts. Some blessings come now, some late, and some in the next life, but for those who love God, they come, see video Good things to Come,

I got to see my MTC companion Elder Lawrence while in Taipei

 All the stuff for the elders in FengLin which made us late

Some fun P-days

local water park

That evening we taught Wu Rong Chang, a less active recent convert (actually Elder Karlinsey's who just got engaged. Congratulations to him and his fiance!); he's in his 60s or 70s, lives alone and works for just enough to fill his stomach the next day. Yet, this man is more a saint than most any man I've ever known or heard of. He cares so much for us. He INSISTS on feeding us with what little food he has despite all objections and is always concerned for our safety as we leave into the night to make our trek back up to Hualian. He's always smiling and...well he loves us and we love him. He's a true man. This is where it pays off. All the difficulties fade away when I get the chance to make a difference in the lives of people like him. 

Another is Su Ming Zhong. He's the truest of the true. I love the members here in Taiwan. They've truly sacrificed so much for the gospel. They've had mighty changes of heart and been changed through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. I feel such a sense of brotherhood with them just as I do with my dear friends back home. Su Ming Zhong was once in the Mafia, and now...and now his HOBBY is to go out with the missionaries and share the gospel! He has a hard, tiring job, but he would rather go out with us and share about Jesus Christ than return home and rest, not to mention even eat dinner as if it wasn't enough. He's an example to us all of a devoted disciple and of the Atonement in action. He'll go with us to a lesson. Afterwards we'll thank him and wish him good night, but no, he won't go home until we're done for the night. He loves us and we love him.

With both of these brethren and all people, because of our love for Lord, we cannot help but love each other, see Matthew 22: 36-40 "Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment.And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets."

our own invention for Sunday dinner

 Another day we had zhuabing: it's like a super fancy asian fair food quesadilla...ish...yeah, but super cheap and common

Adding to my photo collection of interesting Taiwanese insects: murderous giant bees!

Anyway, trials. Tuesday was a trial, and I'm grateful for it. Huh? Is this Elder Dickson guy crazy? Must be something in the water or something... ;P No, really. I'm grateful for the trials I face each day because of what they represent and because of what they result in. God wants to give us all He has. We are His children and He loves us. He wants and knows what is BEST for us. When we endure hardships, it is evidence of His loving correction. He is allowing us to change and become better; he is allowing us to access the Atonement of His Son Jesus Christ--the One who suffered all for you and I, the One who rose again with healing in His wings, the One who stands ready, wanting to help us as soon as we allow Him into our lives. Because He has overcome all our weaknesses, sufferings, and shortcomings, He is in a position to help us along the way. We don't have to walk such a long, lonely path because someone already has: the Savior of the world. Call on Him. Trust Him. Thank Him for your trials. Thank him for your blessings. Thank Him for your knowledge and testimony of Him...and then go out and share it with those still looking, thirsting for what we so often take for granted. Share the JOY :D Please see: The Will of God video and As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten .  I thought it was super cool when I learned my name is part of the word for gardener in Chinese this week yuanding...In Proverbs 3:11-12 it says "My son, despise not the chastening of the Lord; neither be weary of his correction: For whom the Lord loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth."  God doesn't wish to afflict us or make our lives more difficult He is more like a teacher or parent who wants what is best for us.  He is much more aware of what we need to become better than we are. 

We had a delicious meal that the Beutlers provided followed by homemade Ice Cream (with peanut butter, cactus, etc.!)

This week on October 10th is Taiwanese Independence Day.  I had the opportunity on P-day to play soccer by the beach, I also absentmindedly bleached my color load...yeah, all on that one Tuesday, who was it that said Monday mornings were the hard ones?? ;).

We heart attacked a few member homes

Thai Food

One day we taught English class on the weather and played an awesome "become the weather man game" that was awfully reminiscent of a Studio C we know an love, see fun weather forecast comedy sketch.

Since I'm running out of time, here's my week in blur:

We attended a Trainer/Trainee follow-up meeting in Taipei.

Temple in Taipei

There was a  the tour guide on the train from Japan that testified of all things denoting there is a God, see Alma 30:44 "The scriptures are laid before thee, yea, and all things denote there is a God; yea, even the earth, and all things that are upon the face of it, yea, and its motion, yea, and also all the planets which move in their regular form do witness that there is a Supreme Creator."

I got to eat some all-you-can-eat Costco pizza :D, some things that are in America are also over here!

My bike was vandalized in minor ways but it still goes :)

They don't have ovens over here so we are not quite sure how to make cookies. One of the elders got a cake mix in a package so we made it using a  rice cooker--it actually worked! 

We've had some seriously beautiful weather.  This is the view from our apartment, you can just barely see the ocean in the background.

At church we taught the Ertong last second ( the Ertong are little little kid like 5 and underish) English class since the sisters were sick so we sang Old MacDonald, we played hangman but drew a turtle instead instead of a person and we talked about Jonah and the whale.

Interesting note: salt forms on the outside of our pants from sweat.  We found an the ankle-loving cat and sometimes we even bike through buildings. After a tough schedule we finally found Peter Pan again!, Fenglin seeing miracles and there are now missionaries who have that as their area.

Some of my "heart attack" notes

I've been thinking about  MWBF (miracles wrought by faith). I now record at least one a day and we have seen MANY.  Just the other day we were double qinged dinner (we ran into a member who insisted on paying for our dinner, but when he went to pay learned it had already been paid for by someone who had walked by on the street unbeknownst to us...wow!  Last, but certainly not least, one of the greatest men on earth (my dad) has a birthday coming up this week on Sunday the 23rd! Please tell him happy birthday for me and make him feel loved!

I love you all! Thank you for your prayers and support!!!

All is Well!  Elder Reed Dickson