Elder in the East: Week 6 in Beitou: Being a Good Samaritan

Weekly Update:

It was a crazy week with many a miracle. Unfortunately, I didn't bring my journal entries with me today, so I will be relying on my memory and whatever I have written in my daily planner. I think I will focus my thoughts on just this past weekend.

At the ward picnic:

Saturday was the day of our ward picnic that has apparently been in the works for as long as any of the current missionaries in Beitou have been around. It went well. We ended up having 10 or so investigators in attendance. It did happen to be on a mountain and over 100 degrees out. It was pretty pleasant once we reached the top, but the ascent was another story. That evening I ended up feeling pretty sick. Right around dinner time I felt like I might pass out. We had been out all day in the heat, but I had been drinking water in ridiculous amounts and knew I couldn't be dehydrated. As I considered the possibility of calling it a day and getting some rest, I suddenly had a thought/feeling that if we could tough it out we would be blessed for whatever effort we could muster even if that meant moving a little slower than normal.

With this thought in mind, off we went...we ran into Brother Fang on the street and learned that his surgery had went well. In addition, most everyone we talked to on the street was interested and set up. We like to try to set people up for tomorrow or the next day if at all possible, but we got to the point where we didn't have any time to meet with people during those times (we ended up getting 13 new investigators on the week--a huge blessing from God).

We were biking home when we passed an MRT station where I noticed two people in some sort of a physical struggle on the ground. The one was a young women in about her 20s, and the other was a younger man roughly 30. He had the girl in a grip, and she was desperately working to get away. The people on the street saw them in alarm, but not knowing what to do...they just kept walking with a bit more purpose than before. It reminded me a little too much of a story we all know from the Bible: The Good Samaritan, and the good Samaritan was no where to be found. He was late. I then realized the irony of the situation and took action.

I waved my companion back and approached the two. I didn't know what to do, so I just got myself involved by simply parking right next to them. The girl managed to get away, but she was in shock and couldn't speak. Her muscles were also locked up in gnarled positions, her eyes maintaining a dead, glazed stare into space. Her breathing was rapid and uneven. I quickly picked up on the smell of alcohol. The man was drunk. I started trying to spark up a conversation with him in hopes of distracting him from his victim. I repeatedly asked him what his name was until he answered me. "Wayne," he muttered. At this point he started appealing to me as if he was the victim in the situation. He kept jumping back between expressing "love" for the girl and threatening her. I attempted communication with the girl in hopes of learning something, anything about her situation and how we might help her. She could only barely nod or shake her head.

Eventually, Wayne convinced her to allow him to take her home. It was the one thing she nodded her head to, so we watched torn as he escorted her into the MRT station. We were trying to figure out what else we might do to help when Elder Alexander concluded that, of course! We needed to say a prayer. He offered it, and spoke with great power as the Spirit attended us. He called on God to direct us to know what else we might do to aid this, His daughter in danger. After the prayer, I felt we should follow the two. We entered the MRT station to find her backed up into the corner with Wayne trying to coerce her to go with him. She was trying to resist, but she was having difficulty doing so. We once again put ourselves into play. We walked up and offered our help. We were able to slowly work our way between her and Wayne as we tried to figure out a solution. Wayne, not all the way there, eventually got frustrated. He put aside all pretended sanity and good will. He ran off emitting the most terrifying screams I've ever heard (ya know, the blood chilling ones) after smacking the cement wall with all his force.

We stayed with the girl and attempted to help her calm down enough so that she might be able to communicate to us how we might help her. Not long after he left, he returned. Only this time his boiling anger was directed at my companion and I. He ran up to us hurling his threats and telling us to get lost, that we had no part in this. My companion and I said nothing. We simply positioned ourselves in front of the girl and refused to move. The threats and screaming continued, but we said nothing. We stood our ground. The Spirit was powerful at this point. Despite this man being built, amazingly angry, and entirely irrational...I did not fear him. I felt at peace. I felt protected and that I was on the Lord's errand.

After what felt like forever, the man left in a rage. We got in contact with the police, and they took her into their custody. I'm grateful. I'm grateful that my companion and I are obedient and worthy of having the Spirit as our companion, because I certainly didn't know what to do. I'm grateful that we work out every day as were are told to so that we actually present something of a force to be reckoned with. I'm grateful for all the prayers that are said on our behalf. They were certainly answered that evening. We were kept safe. I'm grateful that God trusted us to aid His daughter in need and helped us do so. Church was also something of a miracle. A family that Elder Alexander has been trying to get to church for 3 months finally came, and we believe they had a really good experience. I was also talking to Elder Raley the other night. The work continues to move forward in Miaoli, and he informed me that one of the investigators we had found and taught together was recently baptized and is doing great.

Baptism in MiaoLi

In short, it was a blessed week. It's hard to believe, but it's time for transfers again. We'll know in a couple of days what will happen. I watched a video the other day that I really enjoyed about the scriptures and their importance in our lives. Here is a link to it: Studying the scriptures. I would invite you to watch it. It gave me a renewed and increased desire to improve my study of the scriptures.

Food in Taiwan