LOVE changes everything

Hey everybody,                                                                                              Oct. 28, 2015

Sorry this week has been a little bit nuts. For example emailing on Wednesday. Today is our temple day, I am soooo stoked!!!!! I feel like time on the mission goes so fast! But as for temple day the time in between feels like an eternity. So needless to say I will enjoy my time today.

Sweet Sweet Experience!!!

 Last week was crazy busy with some exchanges. We had a blast as I went with Elder Magness and Elder Andeline, both of whom I love to pieces! I learned so much from the both of them. Then this week, we had interviews with President Jergensen. I love that man so much, he is so called of the Lord. I felt bad  though I went in there with so many questions I probably made him so exhausted. My bad. Then we went on exchanges with the assistants which was pretty fun. I could never be in the office. I only had to stay in there for like 3 hours and I was dying to get out and talk to some people. We met some really awesome people though that I am hoping that will be willing to meet with them.

Back with my friends in MuZha!!

Also last week was so great! I got the privilege of going back to 木柵 again  to baptize 陳姐妹. She was so great! So excited and just radiating light! I was so happy for her and her testimony was soooo touching!

 She just talked about the influence the Church has had on her son and how when she saw how much they loved him even though they were these 18-19 year old foreigners how touching that was. It was they key to her being willing to listen to the missionaries and take the lessons. She was so humble and admitted that there were still parts of the gospel that she didn't completely understand but that she had faith she would be  able to gain a testimony of it all through obedience to the gospel. That's what I'm talking about!

Love you all,

Elder Porter Roe

Being grateful in our circumstance brings happiness

Hello beautifuls!                                                                                   Oct. 19, 2015

My legs feel like Jell-O. First I guess I can start off with the best thing that happened this week 之一. I GOT MY BIKE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Finally! No more riding on strangers bikes :) Seriously whenever I get it after I move it's like my best friend just showed up. Unfortunately he didn't get here without any battle scars. Yup, had a nice big flat. So that was a little depressing, but I got that all fixed and added some good ole' oil and it's as good as new. For the most part. There is still a little bit of knocking in the back that I gotta figure out cause it's driving me nuts. But anyway enough about my bike. 

Porter finding time to enjoy the ride

The real reason that my legs hurt is because I went on Exchanges this week in XinZhuang with one of my favs Elder Liston. We had a blast but oh man, there are some hills over that way. But we had a super duper good time and are loving life. 

As for TuCheng, this week was pretty good. Good and bad news. TJ passed her interview! But she is going on a business trip and will be out of the Country so we have to move it to next week but that is okay! Also C J from my last area is getting baptized so this Saturday I get to back to MuZha again! Super stoked. 

This week was full of learning experiences. I got to talk with lots of missionaries about what it means to be a consecrated missionary. It's still a lot in the thought process. But it is such a important thing. I really hope that I can be the missionary that God wants me to be.

Pretty place with the culture showing through

Also had some of my RC's and members from my first area come and eat dinner with me, we had a blast! I love them all so much! 

Asian architecture is so interesting and beautiful

Yesterday we visited an awesome member! He is 87 but could run faster than me and can do some stretches better than Aggie cheerleaders. He speaks Japanese since he is the older generation and then his next best language is Tiayu and then Mandarin... so communication was interesting but it was amazing what the gift of tongues can do.

A great example of happiness and humility

 

 He lives in such humble circumstances, but was the happiest most grateful person I have met. I think we can all learn from his great example. Well that was about the week, it's a wrap I love you all! 

Elder Roe

The sacred ordinance of Baptism...what does it mean to you?

Happy Monday!                                                                        October 12, 2015

Oh and to my Nephew: 祝你生日快樂你帥哥! Hope it was a great birthday! I am sure it was a busy week, it sure was over here. As for the Asian world is concerned this week we were finally able to watch General Conference! IT WAS SO GOOD!!!!!!!!! At first we had a bit of a scare though, they downloaded it for us but not in English! I mean don't get me wrong I love Chinese and all but when it comes to General Conference you go native language every time. But through some miracles we got the English Version and were able to watch it all. I loved listening to all of the inspired talks and messages. The Church is so true! It was so inspired and full of awesomeness.

This week started off really good with our Zone Conference. I think the best part was a training we did on baptism. Everyone was invited to read 2 Nephi 31 and ponder about baptism. The interesting part was to specifically thing about baptism and what it means to you as a individual. We started with anyone who wanted to share their insight and then watched a video. The video was put together by the 傳道部 where they got pictures of everyone from when they were baptized. For some missionaries that was 8 years old and for others that was 20+. It was so cool to see everyone dressed in white about to enter into a sacred covenant with the Lord. 

Eldon and Porter the day Porter was baptized

 

Eldon and Porter the day Porter entered the MTC

Then we had the companionship break off into groups and share with their companionship the feelings they had, had and any memories that they had of their baptism. That was the best part. It was so awesome to look around the room and be able to see all of the missionaries tenderly share about what baptism has meant to them. Especially when we ask ourselves the question, where would I be without baptism? It really changes your perspective. Especially as missionaries I think that sometimes we forget the sacredness and great blessing baptism is, because we aren't careful and forget what it has meant to us. I shared with our Zone some of my thoughts. Which were that of all those that have lived on earth and on the earth today, think of how great of a blessing it is to be able to have grown up with the restored gospel and have the opportunity to be one of the Lord's missionaries. I am sure that in our pre-earth life we did not care much for how much money we would have, what our job would be, or where we would live. All that we cared about was the gospel of Jesus Christ. Because without out it, we are unable to attain the highest degree of Glory that our merciful Heavenly Father has in store for us.

 

I love these people!! My Mission Leader Zone Conference

 

 I am sure that if there was any envy that was going on in heaven it was to be blessed enough to be in the situation that we are all in at this exact moment. In regard to that thought, what do we do with this great blessing? How do we show God our thanks? Do we wake up at 6:30 willingly with a attitude of thanksgiving? Do we go out to contact people in the heat and the typhoons with smiles on our face and the spirit in our hearts? Do we study the scriptures out of pure desire to learn more of Christ and draw closer to him? Or do not? Are we a waste? I know that all of us have all been guilty of the things listed above, but regardless we can change. I think of those I have been able to meet and whose lives have changed because of the gospel and I can't help but think where I would be without out them.

 

 I hope that at the start of a new month after General conference we can see the areas we can all improve in and then act. As for myself, I don't want to be a waste or a disappointment to my Heavenly Father, who has put very much faith and trust in me. He has in all of us. We can't really afford to fall short. But when we do, aren't we grateful there is repentance, something I have to do a lot of daily. haha

I hope that ya'll have a incredible week. The church is true! I love you all and am praying for you always!

Elder Roe 

This is at the MLC, everybody in this pic is in my generation I love them so much!

How great will be your JOY!!

Hello world,                                                                                         OCT. 5, 2015

This week was so busy! So much fun though. It was seriously just not stop all day, everyday. Every single day we had a different activity or meeting so that made it go really fast. But yeah. I will try and give you the whole thing really basically.

So somethings that happened this week, started off with a crazy typhoon, so we had to stay inside a lot so that was a little annoying haha.

HOW GREAT MY JOY!!! THANK YOU HEAVENLY FATHER!!!

Then we had our Mission Leadership Conference which was a blast! So great to see so many friends especially since the majority is from my generation. We had some really great trainings that really had a strong impact. Especially on baptism. I think we are definitely re- motivated to do better. I loved it all! There was a lot of change too! So much in the mission will be different after this week when we go to Zone Conference and announce all the changes so I am really looking forward to that. 

This little family IS going to be stellar members of our church!!!

The best part of the week was by far on Saturday. I was able to go back to 木柵 and baptize 王 and 吳. It was by far the best experience of my mission so far 之一. To see the whole ward again was so much fun! It was like a family reunion. Everything went to smooth and the service was so great! The speakers were great and sincere, the primary kids sang, sort of. And they were both baptized the first time which makes it even better.

 

Sweetest experience of my mission thus far!

 

 I feel like it is such a huge privilege to be here, to serve here, and to meet so many great people. The only downer was that Elder Alder had moved two days before so I didn't get to see him so I was bummed about that. But he moved to the promised land so I'm pretty jealous haha. 

The night after the baptism I got to see them at the big fireside for RC's.(Recent Converts) Luckily Jewel spoke. And she blew everyone out of the water. It was so cool! I was just like "yeah I taught them." So fun! 

 Then we met with our Investigator TJ we met with her to finish up the commandments and we were sharing the ones that are usually the hardest ones to accept: Tithing, Fasting/fast offerings. But she being her super great self accepted them whole heartedly! So that was a relief and big blessing!

So overall it was a pretty great week! Life is great! Hope everyone is doing well! 

Elder Roe