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