A Change...A Mighty Change...I am Moving to Jin Xing!

Hey Family What is UP!!! Sounds like you guys are doing great and things are all going well, also sounds like the business is going good, but fill me in on more about the business I love knowing that kind of stuff. But I’m glad grandmother is also doing well, she is always been such a trooper. I’m so glad for her example, I can still remember her taking me bowling, mini golfing, and all the other things we used to do, I loved those times in my life. Grandma and Grandpa are also doing well which is good. They are all in my prayers and I know that the Lord is protecting them.

This week was an enlightening, changing, spectacular week!!

On Wed we had zone conference. Elder Pratt of the 70 and his Wife came and talked to us. Man we got beat up, we have to improve. I thought it was great because I was able to see all the aspects of missionary work that I could improve, included aspects of regular life. It was a great experience. I’ve made a resolve and I’ve been waking up at 5 every morning. I’ve been getting a lot done. I’m memorizing scripture passages in Chinese which has helped teaching and quoting scriptures on the street more powerful. I’m also memorizing quotes from PMG. It's been a great change, and I’ve changed forever because of it. For some reason my hours of praying and studying to develop Charity the true love of Christ has paid off. I will continue to study and develop it, but the Lord has blessed me or filled me I guess I could say with Charity. The Lord has changed my mission experience. My contacting has completely changed, my love for the people has completely changed, just my love for everything has been magnified as charity would magnify it. Coupled with the Holy Ghost and Charity contacting has taken a whole new level. A lot more people are accepting, and are allowing me to teach them on the street. The first example... We helped Guan Chen move a white board to his mom's work. At her work we were about to head out when I saw a older guy with a small little girl sitting in a home. So I went in and talked to him. This was the coolest experience of my mission. I talked with him, I mean truly talked with him as if we were brothers, then I listened, just listened and was filled with the Love of Christ as the Lord put words in my mouth. But the guy at the first said He didn't want to listen and by the end he had said the closing prayer, committed to read and prayer, and we are going back next week. The spirit was so strong, I am so grateful for the change the Lord has brought upon me. It was a powerful unforgettable experience. I’ve found the promise to be true, obedient and having the spirit the Lord will put words in your mouth! So I’ve been just asking questions and listening, and as Elder Holland says in PMG "Something they always say with highlight a truth of the gospel." So, I just listen and when the spirit tells me to say it I will.

Then we had a lesson with a Xu Dx the next morning. My companion asked him to prayer about these things and his response was I already did I know there true. It was the coolest thing ever, then he also committed to living the WoW, his prayer at the end was amazing. It was a powerful prayer from an investigator; he's one of the most prepared people I’ve ever seen. It's amazing to see the atonement change people's lives. But after that we were going to teach Guan Chen English. But he said to us, I have a different idea I want to go out contacting. So we said OK, and because of his willingness to listen to the spirit we saw two miracles during that time we went out and contacted. First I ran in a Guan Li which is a guy that watches over buildings. I was talking to him, and at first he went from saying no, to the end he was willing to read and set up another time to meet. The same thing, I just asked questions and listened. It's a wonderful thing to have words put into your mouth, because you know you are a servant of the Lord. Then we ate lunch, we were in a park, a lady came and sat on the bench around us and was smoking. I finished my food, went and sat next to her. I started to talk with her and found out that she had no desires in life, no goals, and the only reason she is doing this job is because her parents forced her too, then how all she wants to do in life is sleep (she sounded, looked, and acted depressed). But, the cool thing is nothing the atonement can't fix. So I was able to listen so intently that once again my mouth was filled with the words that she needed to hear that day. We will be meeting her again to teach her. Man this work is a wonderful thing, I’m so happy I don't even know how to describe it.

Then we met with Ye Dx. He always used to make fun of my Chinese and stuff. I didn't really like him much to be honest. But we walked in and he was sitting there a warm feeling of love rushed through me as I saw him. We started to teach him. He told me that because before he didn't think I was really interested and trying to listen he always made fun of me and didn't open up to me. He could tell things were different and how I’ve changed and he opened up like he never has before. He said one morning he woke up to a light coming into the room. In the light was him dressed in white getting baptized. Then he said It was the Elder Rasmussen that was baptizing me. I couldn't help it, I just started to cry. But he said it was like you are! That kind of confused me, but it was a special feeling to hear that. He is such a good guy. I love him with all my heart. I deeply apologized for not listening before, just testifying to him that the Atonement had changed me and now I had been filled with charity, and begging him to forgive me for my actions before. Then the next day at church he asked me if he could talk to me. He said that I came to church to find a friend but I didn't find any I found something better. He said you are the best person I’ve ran into and I’m always wanting to talk with you. It touched my heart to hear him say this. He said thank you for helping me, then he left. How much I learned my lesson that I was not doing missionary work the right way. The only way is to be filled with the Love of Christ and do it His way. I’ve learned that this week, and my mission is going to take a whole new level now. I’m so excited for the things to come, and know that as I continue to sanctify myself to the Lord He will allow me to bless the lives of his children here in Taiwan. It was then that I knew I had been filled with charity, and my mission has now changed forever, actually my life has now changed forever.

Another cool experience… Guan Chen asked us if we could give his mom a priesthood blessing. She right now has cancer. So we said yes of course. Then he asked her and she said that we can. We went over there; we knelt down in prayer, as Guan Chen offered the prayer his mom started to cry. It was cool to see her cry. Then as we gave the blessing she continued to cry. it was cool to see her opening up so much to us missionaries. She'll get baptized one day, and they'll be able to live in the celestial Kingdom together. I can't wait for that time, so you guys can meet him too. He's changed my life, I’m so grateful I had the chance to meet him. But he bore his testimony in church, it was so good. He was talking about the blessing. It was funny, because I haven't memorized the oil part in Chinese yet, so I told her I’m going to speak English then I bless you in Chinese. And she was like "When you use English are you going to condemn me to death or something" she said it as a joke, it's funnier with the Chinese translation. But it was great. Guan Chen has the strongest testimony, I can't wait till he goes on a mission. That was another experience I’ll never forget. Gosh I don't want to forget any of these experiences.

But yeah I’m moving. I’m going to Jin Xing which is only like 30-40 minutes away. My new companion is sick. My first area's zone leader Elder Carter, he's my new companion. He's a district leader. I love him! We are going to rock it together. He is playing football at BYU after his mission. This gets event better...my new zone leader, yeah, you guessed it, Elder Daniels! We'll be able to go on exchanges. We are so stoked. I can't wait, we saw each other at the fireside last night and we gave a big hug and were like yeah baby we get to be companions again. It's going to be so fun. But last night at the fire side I saw John there. He said his parents were flying in that night and hadn't arrived yet. His wife seems nice. But yeah he trained Elder Daniels. So that is an interesting connection. It was cool to see him. But also something really weird, my trainer Elder Bishop dies on wed. He's going home already; I remember lying in bed talking with him he was like yeah elder I still got 6 months, now he's dying. It's crazy, time flies and I mean literally flies. "You can't stop time, so you have to stop doing things that aren't worth your time, and doing those things that are"-Elder Rasmussen Quote

Family, I’m excited for the new chapter in the mission life. It was really, really hard to leave my ward, they were crying, we have such good relationships. I’m so grateful I had the chance to serve in this ward, and get to know the great wonderful people here. I’m definitely going to come back to this ward someday, hopefully with you guys.

But I know my savior lives. I know because I’ve talked with him. He listens to my prayers, and I listen to Him talking back. It's a real thing, there’s no way I could deny it. I know that Joseph Smith saw God the Father and Jesus Christ, and through their power restored the true church of Jesus Christ to the earth. This isn't any other Christian church; we are The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, which is something to be proud of. Through Jesus Christ's mercy we hold all the keys necessary to return and live with our Eternal God. This work it true and real. We all need to be involved, because we are preparing the world for the Second Coming of the Savior. What a glorious time to see Him coming down from a cloud, with concourses of angels singing and praising His name. I want to be there to worship him, because he's given me a life that I could never have even imagined. I love Him; I will serve him for the rest of eternity. I’m grateful for the Book of Mormon. The power of that book is indescribable. You open that book and feel the spirit every single time, and you receive personal revelation every single time. I’m grateful for a loving family included is grandparents (Grandmother, Granddad, Grandpa, and Grandma), who have given me everything I ever needed to succeed, thank you. I love this gospel, my life, and my family. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

-Love Elder Rasmussen

"Just Have Faith and Go Do"- Elder Rasmussen