Temple Day and taking faith to action!

Temple Day

Hello everybody!!!!                                                                               April 29, 2015

Today was a great day! We got to go to the Taipei temple and it was so incredible! It is the most incredible place on Earth. There is no other place on Earth that we can find greater peace and find answers to prayers. I LOVE THE TEMPLE! 

It is actually a little bit ironic that we went to the temple just because that really was a huge focus in our teaching this past week. We were able to talk to so many people about the temple, all with different perceptions and understanding. From those with NO IDEA, to those who were once worthy to be there and have forsaken their covenant, and to those that have a great understanding  that are still in the process of doing what they can to enter one day.

This week we really had a break through with W. The past month that I have been meeting with Him I have really not been able to figure out what we need to help him progress and make the adjustments needed to be able to go with his family to the temple and be sealed for all time and eternity. This week when we were teaching the Plan of Salvation we got to the part where we talked about those that pass away that have not had a opportunity in this life to hear the gospel will in the life to come. Which is why we have temples. He had lots of questions which we tried to answer to the best we good. Then we decided that we would teach the next lesson on the Temple and Eternal Families.

Taipei LDS Temple

 I also had a prompting to have his wife who has been a member for about 30 years do something really special for this lesson. I had her write a letter to him, explaining to him why she has a desire to marry him in the temple, what it would mean to her to have him join her and be married before God and become a family that can prevail through death. I have never been so stressed and scared in my entire life!!!! I was so nervous that this letter would cause him too much stress and that he would feel too pressured, that it would have the negative effect instead of the positive one. I prayed and prayed and then prayed some more. I still felt good about what we were about to do. So we decided that we would to it.

This is the greatest work on the Earth!

 We started out the lesson introducing the temple. I asked him if he had ever seen the inside of the temple where he responded that he could not enter, he knew that. I told him today we would see the inside of the temple. I took him to lds.org where we looked at the pictures of the new beautiful Payson Temple. He was stunned as he saw the beauty of the inside of the Lord's house. This was followed by more questions. We then progressed into the lesson, and then the time came.

 And I pulled out the red envelope. A little nervous I explained to him what I had done. I then invited him to read it, right then and there. I explained that he need not share the content but that he needed to ponder what the letter contained. After an agonizing 3-4 minutes he looked up. Something had changed. No longer was there a mere interest in what we were saying but a true desire to learn more. Later I challenged him to do the things necessary to go to the temple with his wife and children and become a Eternal Family. He was honest and said that he knew this would require a lot of change and wasn't about to give me a immediate answer. But I really believe that he made progress. He told me that he would commit to giving this his whole effort. He really wanted to know and I really hope that his heart will be softened and that he would come to know the truthfulness of the gospel.

Let's go to work!

I would encourage ya'll if you haven't been to the temple recently, GO! It won't to anything other than help, inspire, and uplift. It is never ever too late to make the changes necessary to go. God has his arms wide open to welcome you into a place of peace and happiness. I love you all and I love this gospel. Thanks for the examples you all have given me, the Church is true!

Elder Roe

A Christian in the Ice Place!!!

各位弟兄姐妹午安!!!!!                                                                                April 20, 2015

How are ya'll!? I hope that everyone is just having one of the best days they have ever had. No matter where you are. This week was super duper good and busy and all that great stuff. It is actually a little bit difficult to measure how this week went. Just because there was a lot of good stuff and then some not as good stuff. This week I was really trying to focus on one of the Key Indicators and did everything I could to accomplish it and set stuff up, and instead of the expected result of improvement, I got the worst result I have ever gotten on my mission... so still trying to figure that one out. Oh well at least I am trying right? But on the other hand we saw some great miracles. We met with some awesome people, and met some for the very first time. It's been awesome.

 

Got our bikes back!!!

Best news of the week is: WE FINALLY HAVE BIKES! My companions bike finally got here so we are no longer a walking/bus/MRT missionaries! yeah! For all those in walking missions, 辛苦你們. 

 

A random tender mercy this week. I wanted my companion to try cuabing it's shaved ice. So even though it was raining a little bit we went to get some. I looked in the place and there didn't look like there was a place to sit down so I just told the lady that we could do take-out. But then a man in the back was like "no it's alright we are almost done." So we walked in and walked to the back where he was. He didn't look like he was really that close to being done so I told him no rush we could wait.

Constantly Learning!

Then he asked me in English "Are you from Utah?" I told him I was, to which he responded that he went to school at USU. What!? I was flipping out. Then after that he moved to California and lived there for 32 years! Working as a chemical engineer. He said he came back to Taiwan because when you get old in America there is nothing to do haha. Which if your Taiwanese is really true! Every morning at like 6 am the old Ama's and Agong's are out doing Tai-qi so I see what he was saying. After he left we stayed a little bit to finish eating. When we went to pay the lady told me that I didn't need to pay. The man that was just there already paid for it. He said he was also a Christian and he was just happy he could meet us. HOW AWESOME IS THAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! THAT NEVER HAPPENS IN TAIWAN!!!!!!!!!! Mostly because everyone is Buddhist. But I was really so touched, even though it wasn't much, it was a act of kindness that went beyond 50 kaui.

Happy Day!

 

It also started me thinking, what does it mean to be a "Christian." And how should it effect what we do, how we act and what we say? It means that we should be as a family. We should be looking out for others and we should be willing to help and serve and the drop of a dime. We should always be there and regardless of our background, culture, language, or even which Church we belong to, there should be a common love and comradery (sorry if thats not a word) But this is was it means to be a Christian 對我來說. 

So I hope that we can all try to follow Jesus Christ and try to become more like him every day. I love you all, I miss you and pray for you!

Much love,

Elder Roe

Feeling inspired and motivated!!!

Well howdy,                                                                                                April 13, 2015

 

Good morning West Coast! Hope all is well and that everyone woke up to a sunny day. That always makes it a little bit better for me.

 

Well this week was a little crazy. Mostly because I wasn't in my area for most of the week. Started off on Monday with a awesome P-day. We had to go to NeiHu to buy some stuff at Costco and then we just happened to stumble across a big farris wheel so we took that for a spin, I mean why not?

My new companion and I took a ride on this Farris wheel!

 

 And then that night we had the best dinner ever! A member wanted to feed us up at MaoKong which is in our area. It's a huge mountain top that over looks Taipei. And... It's beautiful!!! We took the Gondolas up the mountain which was super relaxing and incredibly beautiful. The food was super yummy and it was a great night.

My beautiful Taipei at night from the top of MaoKong!

 

 Then Tues-Wed. I was on exchanges in AnKang. Not much to say there other than it was fun. And then Thu/Fri we were at the BU getting trained for our new missionaries! The first night we took them out for a finding activity. I took Elder Lin. For the first time in over a year we had native elder's arrive in our mission! And we got three! They are super incredible! So I got the privilege to take on of the natives out for his first night. He did a great job and will be a great missionary! Then on Friday we got our missionaries! My new companion is names Elder Scovel from Kaysville, UT. He is super duper awesome and really willing to work hard so that makes my job really easy. It is weird to be on the trainer side of things now though. It's super fun the help them adjust and learn about his language and culture. I just feel like I am the one who needs to be trained. 

Love being a missionary.

 

We were also able to teach W D. Who finally set a baptismal date!!!!!! We are so stoked! So hopefully next month he will be getting baptized! So excited! We also got to watch General Conference. Okay, can I just say that is the most inspired meeting ever. I wanted to watch the entire thing over again! It's so good! I LOVED it!!!!!! After that we have just been trying to coordinate with our ward on meeting people and finding new investigators. So yeah probably not the most exciting email ever. But that's all I got for now. I love you guys so much! Thank you for all you do for me and the support you give me! The Church is true!!!!

 

Elder Roe

It's a Baby Boy

HAPPY EASTER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!                                                                           April 6, 2015

 I hope that you all had as good of a Easter as I did because it was amazing! This last transfer in 木柵 has been one of the funnest transfers of my whole mission. I can't believe that I have already been here for six weeks and that Elder Hawkins is going home this Friday. NUTS! We have had a blast and had some really great miracles.

The Happiest Day Ever!!!

For starters, last week went through super smooth! Both baptisms went great! And Elder W also had a baptism so we just combined and had 3 people baptized at the same service. It was incredible. The room was packed with support from our members and the spirit was so strong you could just drink it all up! I have never been more confident in these people getting baptized.

I support my Bishop!!! He is great!

 

 Afterward when they bore their testimonies, they just radiated. I think one of the best parts was X. She got up and just talked about how hard of a decision this was for her to make and how when she decided to do it she felt so good and knew it was right. But the most touching part was how she said she was nervous to talk to her family but because of encouragement from our members she invited them to her baptism and EVERY member of her family showed up in full support of her decision. I wish ya'll could understand how huge that is. Not only is it a different Church but a whole other religion from Buddhism to Christianity. It was so incredible. 

A great new member of our church!!!

 

 

For Easter we got to have our New Member/ Investigator fireside at the BU. Of course, Pres. Day and Sister Day spoke which was great but also our Stake President, 謝會長. He was so awesome! He just told it how it was. He shared stories about if we want the atonement in our lives we 必須要 have a change in our lives. We must let it change our actions, and our behavior. He told of a story when he had a meeting with a young man and how he wouldn't come to church but wanted to serve a mission. He said how can you teach people the sacredness of the sabbath day if you won't keep it. Every single missionary had a grin from ear to ear. The gospel is true, the commandments are just that: commandments they aren't guidelines. And the blessings are out of this world! 

This country is absolutely stunning

In closing I will address the subject line. Last night we got home and finished everything and I put on my stretchy clothes to relax. When I got a phone call... Yeah don't you hate it when that happens. I was then informed that I will be training a new missionary for the next two transfers... WHAT!? Yup, pretty much stoked and scared outta my mind!!!!! So pray for me. I will send Elder Hawkins home and bring home a "baby son." 

Well I hope ya'll have a great week. I love you all and am praying for you! 

Elder Roe