Found a lost sheep

Happy New Years in the Chinese realm! This week was full of celebration but more full of food. Holy cats I don't think I could eat anymore! If you would like to know how Chinese New Year is celebrated it mostly consists of two things. 1. Food 2. Fireworks/Firecrackers. We can talk about food first :)

So this week we had a qingke for ever lunch and dinner! Our members were so good to us and we got to eat such a great variety of food. I was gonna list it but there is no way I could remember it all. Last night when we did reports pretty much our whole zone is sick and all for the same reason. Too much food haha.

What great food these people fed us!!! So nice.

 We also met lot's of people who have potential but just aren't quite prepared yet. But that's okay 慢慢來. So a little bit about the New year. So Wednesday before our dinner appointment we had about 45 minutes to kill with finding. So Chinese tradition is the on New Year's Eve everyone heads back to their 老人家 So that means that there is NO ONE ON THE STREET!!!! Seriously XiangShan turned into a Ghost town. ALL restaurants and businesses are closed and there are no lights on or anything. So we just rode down the street trying to find any life other than all the stray dogs. When we finally found a person they where like, "why are you talking to me? I'm going home to eat." So yeah that was a little bit awkward.

Some of my friends

 Anyway, then on actually Chinese New Year day, SO MANY CARS!!! I thought that everyone would just stay inside but oh man was I wrong. Everyone loads up into the car and goes to the 廟 to 拜拜 (worship) It just so happens that really really close to our apartment we have a huge 廟! I took the road home from our lunch appointment and we drove by the 廟 and everyone was just like what does that missionary think he is doing. Yeah,  you wanna try and stay away from them on New Years and where they worship but it's a little hard when there is a 廟 every single 10 feet! Anyway, 基本上, I am really happy that we had weekly planning that day because if we were out finding I don't think the Taiwanese would be very happy with us. haha.

I love this beautiful place

 And then the fireworks. Holy cow, you gotta be careful. For me I like fireworks, so that wasn't much of a problem I think it was kind of fun actually. They set them off ever single night, but it made for a great memory. To just stop and think that I am a missionary, in Taiwan, during Chinese New Year, with the fireworks above my head lighting up my beautiful XiangShan... wow I feel so blessed. The stupid firecrackers on the other hand I have a problem with! I think that the Taiwanese try to hit us on purpose. Your just driving down the street and then you see something weird thrown out on the road in front of you and then... POW POW POW POW!!!!! And they aren't just these little baby things they are hot and go flying everywhere within a 5 foot radius. So if your in the wrong place at the wrong time Xinku.

Taiwan

On the miracle side of things. That man I talked about a couple of weeks ago that we met outside of the library remember him? Well I called him on Saturday and invited him to come to Church. He was super excited to come and he was there for the whole 3 hours! Then we met with him last night and we actually discovered that he was baptized and confirmed 10 years ago. But then about a month after he had family fandui. So he wasn't able to come to Church. But he wants to come back now and his ready to do everything in his power to be a fully active member!!! :) It was a crazy awesome miracle. We found a sheep who had been lost for 10 years, it's true God numbers his sheep and knows where they are. I am so happy we are able to help him to find his way back to his Shepard. 

This week K is going to be baptized! Keep him in your prayers! I know that if he can just make it to baptism the Holy Ghost will be such a huge gift in his life! We are doing everything we can to help him get there!

I love you all so much! Miss you tons and hope that you guys all have a great week that is full of adventure!!!!! :) Keep up the good work! 加油!

Elder Roe

Tsunami of Finding

Hey everybody!                                                                                                      Feb 16, 2015

First off it's not a real tsunami so don't panic. We will talk more about that later! :) This week was so nuts! Ahhh! For starters one of the more funny things that happened was last Monday we had a lesson with one of our investigators who has actually completed the missionary lessons, but is still struggling with the commitment of coming to church. We were there waiting for him with the member, then he comes in and sits down and puts his drink on the table. And that drink happened to be a nice ol' cup a joe. I just kept looking down and then up and then back down again. What the heck man! I mean it's one thing to go and drink it on your own time but right in front of me? Come on! haha.Anyway that lesson was just awkward and off the whole time. But we met with him again yesterday, went over the baptismal questions and talked about the Word of Wisdom and cleared up some confusion so that was good! Then he set a date to be baptized in 2 weeks! Super excited and ready to see him get there! :) 

My fav Brazillion family who feeds me GREAT FOOD all the time

This week we did what is called a "tsunami." This is where basically all of the missionaries in your zone go to one area and just find all day long. The goal is to try to help that area find some new investigators. It's really fun we all meet up, make a plan and set goals and then divide and conquer. The area actually really proved to be hard though but made for some really good stories! (We also go on exchanges for learning experiences)

 

The best passion fruit ever...love it!

 

 

 So I was with Elder B and we contacted this kid outside just taking a smoke. He didn't see to be super duper interested but told us that all of his friends in the restaurant would have interest and we should go talk to them. I knew he was obviously not really telling the truth, but Elder Bake being the brave guy he is was like "ok!" So we parked our bikes and walked in. Okay, this was seriously one of the most awkward situations I have ever been in, in my entire life! They were the only ones in there so we walked to their table and it just fell dead silent. Especially since they were the only ones in there, so quiet. I didn't even know what to say. "Um Hi, I'm Elder Luo and I'm a missionary, would you like to be baptized?" Yeah right! But I was very impressed Elder Bake did a good job and told them why we were in Taiwan and what we do here. They didn't want to talk at all so we just gave them English tracts and got outta there! The best part is though that the kid who took us in there just ditched them and walked out when we started talking to them. So that was awkward for everyone. 

Then at the end of the evening we were just wrapping up, so we were on foot just trying to talk to anyone. I told Elder B we should go over to this little bridge that goes over the road and just see if we get anything. We did and then I start walking up the stairs but Elder B calls me to come back. I go back and then he is just in shock! I look down to see what he is staring at. And in the dirt is a Tract and a Book of Mormon! Some guy got contacted but apparently was too bu hao yise to tell us he didn't want it. We were so mad, we got the book and cleaned it all up. When we told the other missionaries about it they were all trying to figure out who it was haha. Oh well, if they don't want it that's okay we are only here to invite right?

Rejection! We cleaned the B of M up and took it with us.

One other miracle is an RC I have met with forever finally came to church! Every week he commits to come but every week he doesn't show. This last week he came and had a pretty good experience! So that was so awesome to see him there! 

This following week is CHINESE NEW YEAR!!!! So everyone Guo Nian Kuaile! Hope that this week is super awesome for ya'll cause it will be for me ;) I love you all and hope that you guys have a great week full of miracles! I'm praying for you always!

Elder Roe

Run with Patience the Race that is set before us

Hi Everyone,                                                                                               Feb. 9, 2015

Wow what a absolutely crazy week. A small overview: Tues Zone Meeting, Wednesday exchanges for our baptismal interview, Thursday exchanges with Elder Marks because the leaders had a meeting in Taipei, Friday in Toufen on exchanges, and then Saturday finally back in our area. A little nuts.

The baptism Day~

 The greatest part this week was on Thursday! J got baptized!!! It was so great! He was so happy and the service went really well I thought. Once again the water was freezing but he also said afterward that he too had that warm feeling. The spirit of God is a great feeling and very powerful.I was worried that we wouldn't get a big turnout because it was on a Thursday but that wasn't the case. We had a great turnout and so many people are there to support him. Also this Sunday W received the holy priesthood and then J got the Gift of the Holy Ghost. So Sunday was of course a spiritual feast.

This week I had a thought, that being on a mission is much like a child learning to walk. At the beginning, you fall, a lot. As the parent you have to help them stand and point them in the right direction, but eventually you have to let them go and learn. However even though you let go, you don't leave them, you stay by their side. Each step is a step of faith. Learning to trust yourself that you can do this. As the parent continues to help them, eventually the can walk and then run. I love in Hebrews 12:1 it says: "Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us," I love that, run with patience the race that is set before us. Every time we teach, contact, or open our mouths we are taking that step. If we let Christ lift and guide us, he can help us run this race. He will like a parent lift us above our human weakness. Even if we can't speak the language, teach like a pro, or we aren't a scriptorian. As long as we try our best he makes up the rest. This mission has helped me learn more about myself than anything else. I feel so blessed that I have this opportunity to serve Christ. And run my race.

Confirmed and given the Gift of the Holy Ghost

Port was always Bren's protector!

God has allowed me to see so many great miracles so far and I am so thankful to have all of these experiences which will really be life changing. It surely is the best 2 years and it also comes with a great price. But it is all worth it. I love you all and hope that everyone has a great valentines day.

Hope that everyone gets some chocolate and a kiss, except Brenna. Don't even think about it. I love you all! Have a great week!

Best Day of my Life

Hello Family and Friends,                                                                           Feb, 2, 2015

What a great couple of Days! After I emailed you all this last week, some of us missionaries went for an adventure in Taipei. Most of us had never seen Taipei 101 up close so we decided to go there. THAT THING IS HUGE! Like beyond comprehension huge haha. We walked out of the MRT and out the doors and then we all just looked up. We were all in awe haha. The weather was super poor so we didn't go up to the top because if we did we would be just be up in the clouds.

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Taipei 101....extending into the clouds! WOW!

 We ate in Taipei and it reminded me how happy I don't have to buy my food there. It's so much more expensive haha. So that was a super fun day. Then Thursday I had a miracle! A girl that Elder Illu and I taught by the name of L was incredible. She actually was from Taipei and went to Church in Taizhong due to family things but yeah. Anyway the important part is after her baptismal date we never got to see or talk to her again. So we had no idea how it went or if she even got baptized!

 So on Thursday I called her and she answered! She told me she was baptized, it was a incredible experience and that she was faithfully serving in a ward it Taipei. She also told me that she had been to the Temple just two weeks ago! I was so happy to know that my RC was serving the Lord in the temple doing those sacred ordinances of baptism! Also another crazy miracle. A guy came up and asked me if our Church had an activity he could attend. I gave him so info and then introduced myself as Elder 羅. He was pretty surprised and said that the first missionary that ever talked to him 10 years ago had the same name. Then when I called him so he would have our number his number was already there! Yes 10 years ago he had met and talked to missionaries and the number was in the exact phone I had! Crazy!

W Was baptized on this Saturday!!! It was so great and he was so happy.

One of the very best days of my life

The water was FREEZING! But afterward when he gave his testimony he said he didn't feel cold at all! He just felt really warm inside. Yesterday he was given the gift of the Holy Ghost. It was one of the greatest moments of my life. To see someone come unto God after a year of investigating the church. Wow what a great miracle. We are also preparing to have another baptism this week. A young boy by the name of J. He is 17, and he is incredible. He absolutely loves the gospel and has such a strong testimony. This month was full of great miracles and we are moving into the next month with even more! I love this work!

Yeah, love our little district!!!

I hope that everyone had a great week! I love you all and think of you all the time! I hope that we can all remember the sacred covenants that we made at baptism and do our best to live accordingly! Love you all!

Elder Roe

p.s. Tell Ri he is a stud and I love him to death! He was so kind to say those things about me. I am thrilled with Cam and happy he broke that min mark on his backstroke!!! Tell Adam, Ri and Cam to go kill it at State!!! Thinking of them. And, why is Jacque dressed in street clothes on Sen night photo you sent me??? Glad Brenna is playing so good in volleyball...keep it up Boos. Oh and that stinks that the Seahawks lost that way...I am so sad now!!!