Week 10 in Taoyuan

I am not enough. I've learned this lesson, and I've learned it well. We've recently kept pretty busy between caring for the zone, the ward, and our area (not to mention our attempts to take care of ourselves along the way). I realized a little bit ago that while understanding that we need to rely on the Lord to accomplish that which He would have us do and have success in life, I haven't always taken this understanding and lived accordingly. I've recently been relying a lot less on my on strengths and abilities, and in many ways I'm still learning how to truly rely on the Lord. It's been a learning experience for sure. I put forth my all and a little more each day, and yet, nothing ever really gets done to the point of completion or to the satisfaction of those parties concerned. We just do a little bit of everything and end up feeling like we haven't really done anything as well as we should like. It's been hard for one who has always been something of a perfectionist. I'm learning a lot about priorities, patience, and sincere prayer. 

Benjamin's Baptism in Beitou

With Benjamin and Kenneth :D

It was a joy to attend Benjamin's baptism up in Beitou this past week and see so many old friends in the process: Kenneth, Joyce, Nikki, Henry, 張家琪姐妹, and so many others. Our getting there was a miracle in and of itself. We were supposed to meet up with some other missionaries to go on a split so that all 4 of us wouldn't need to leave our area, but the other companionship still hadn't shown up at the bus station by 6:20 with the baptism starting at 7:00. What's more? Their phone was off. The next bus we needed wouldn't leave until 7:40, and that wasn't going to work, so out of desperation we jumped on the first bus bound for Taipei.

After some thought and talking with the driver, we realized Taipei is actually a really big place and if we stayed on that bus we wouldn't be in Beitou until 9:00. We got off of that one real quick and I started feeling and thinking that we just wouldn't make it. I had been promising Benjamin since I left Beitou that I would return for his baptismal service, and I got to feeling pretty down. However, Elder Smith decided it was time to take action and waved down a taxi. Off we were. Despite hitting some bad traffic, we got to the chapel in Beitou in roughly 30 minutes time (At that time it was already 7:20).

We walked in just as they were preparing to go to the font. Benjamin was so glad I made it, and I was too. He's much like a brother to me and a very dear friend. It was really cool, because Kenneth, who was baptized not long after I moved to Beitou, was the one who baptized him. All in all, it was a miracle, and I didn't need to stress so much. I'm still working on the whole trust thing...

We are all a work in progress

I appreciated a thought expressed by Elder Smith a while back. He said the mission is like an extended vacation...only you get to talk to people about the gospel along the way. In many ways this is true. We don't have to worry about grades, getting fired, or the drama of dating and what not. At the same time, we get to exercise, study the scriptures, and see the beauty of Taiwan each and every day.

We don't really need to worry too much about what we will eat or wear, and we have the support of many including a companion, friends, family, and most importantly, God. It's quite the life when you really get to thinking about it. Greatest of all, you get to make a difference in the lives of God's children, your brothers and sisters. Though the mission (and life for that matter) can sometimes be stressful...I love my mission! 

I'm super excited to see General Conference this next weekend. We get to watch it a week late here. If you didn't get the chance to see it, it's not too late! Go to this link:  General Conference

All is well,

Elder Dickson