I'm Freezing My Fanny Off!!

Hey My Family!!! How are you guys doing? Sounds like things are moving along just great.

First thing I have to say.................I’m freezing my fanny off!! Man it is so cold, trying to write people’s names down in my planner is a struggle it’s pretty funny. The other day I had a funny realization, I was biking through rain and freezing weather suddenly a thought came into my mind. My family is sitting in a warm house right now, and their son and brother is half a world away freezing his tail off. I just starting laughing and thinking it was so funny, and amazing. The work of the Lord just continues to move forward regardless of what force tries to stop it. Just to describe the level of cold I’ll describe a night out this past week. What is the purpose of gloves? Yeah you guessed right......that’s what I thought too until the gloves had no effect against the nail biting winds that blow right through your clothes, right through your skin into your bones....literally it's as if you aren't wearing any clothes. It's miserable. By the end of the night you have no ears because they are frozen off and your feet don't feel like feet anymore. It's quite the experience. But it's all great because we are still going outside with all our heart, might, mind, and strength to bring all the souls we can unto Jesus Christ. It is the best thing I've ever done, I've never been happier.

I've never contacted so much in my entire mission, but I love it. We are outside all day every day, just looking for investigators looking for those prepared souls that want to accept the blessings of the gospel of Jesus Christ. It's been a blast, sometimes the days are long, and you think they're never going to end, but at that point I just slow down say a prayer and get to work. Nothing is better than work, it is the only way for happiness in the mission and I imagine after the mission also. It's been fun though we've been running into many many prepared people, but we've been also running into the not prepared also. I’m getting fed up with the Christians of the world. They think they are Christians but they don't even know what Christ did for them. They just followed their friends and got baptized without knowing a thing. Then when you tell them about Christianity they just say, I’m already a member, and they are just not willing to open up their hearts. It’s really sad, it's exactly what the scriptures say, blinded by the craftiness of men. Lately when I run into a Christian I just ask him right off the bat, what does Jesus Christ being your Savior and Redeemer mean to you? I haven't had one person be able to give me an answer, they always answer by changing the question and trying to get around it. Then I always ask them have you ever prayed about your church being true, the Bible being true, or God being real? They said a questioned yes, and then I look at them and say really? Everyone says well no but I still believe, why I say. I have to go, and then they walk off. It's really sad.....religious life is decaying around the world, and people are becoming more and more evil...things of the world are being more and more accepted, and the ideals of family are being destroyed. Missionaries are needed, everyone needs to serve a mission, we need to spread this truth and the saving power of this gospel to every soul because everyone needs it. This is the work of the Lord and we have the opportunity to be a part of it. It is the happiest and saddest thing I've ever done. So So So many people reject and don't even know why, they are completely blinded by their foolish traditions. But we will continue to move forward, finding the prepared ones that want to come unto Jesus Christ.

This last week we went on a lot of exchanges with some of the missionaries in the zone. There are some that aren't working as they should be. They are being trunky and not getting to work. So this week we trained on receiving faith in the Savior Jesus Christ through being perfectly obedient. We have been working on being more and more sanctified to be examples for our zone and first develop our faith in Jesus Christ, then we can truly testify of the importance of it. But we went on exchanges to work with each couple missionaries to help their mission become better, help them make better choices and do the things that they have signed up and committed to do. We felt good about it, I think that the training really helped the missionaries and left them with a renewed energy, fire, and understanding of their duty to God. I also learned a lot from preparing for these exchanges, how I can become a better servant and messenger of this truth. It was a great week though. Elder Workman my trainee and his companion are rocking it..They are finding and teaching and committing to be baptized. It is great, It's cool to see someone improve and become what they can become knowing that you helped them become what they are becoming. I can only imagine the happiness Heavenly Father has when he sees us His children succeed. Succeed I don't mean by winning money, medals, or tournaments but succeeding in beating Satan in the battle of self confidence. I can see Heavenly Father so happy when we choose Him over Satan, when we choose Him over the world, and when we have pure thoughts about our self and others. When we are not affected by the things of the world, but knowing whatever we are, who ever we are, wherever we live we are all children of God and have the same potential, which is to become like Him. This is a comforting truth, that we can all become like God, regardless if we had 10 girlfriends or none, regardless if we are buff or skinny, we are all precious in the eyes of God. I know that’s true, because I’m nothing special but because I know I’m a child of God I know I have great potential, and I’ll do whatever I can to reach that potential.

I went on exchanges back to Song Shan this last week. Wu Momma fed us a great meal, oh man was it good. Every time I see her I just love her more and more. She is a trooper. Battling cancer, taking care of the ward and missionaries, and being a single mom. She has been prepared from the beginning of her life to be a tool in the hands of the Lord. I don't know if you guys know but at age 8 she was dropped off in the middle of no-where with her little brothers and sisters left by her mom and dad. To this day doesn't know anything about her parents. She was forced to take care of her whole family from an early age. She has worked her whole life to provide for her brothers and sisters. She is an amazing woman. I love her so much!! I really want to save up money when I get back and bring her and Guan Chen to stay in our house for a week or so – they deserve it. They just don't have a lot of money, so I’ll start saving when I get back. But Guan Chen is going to be a short-time missionary for 3 weeks. He loves missionary work, and he plans on going to the army for a year after this year (because it's required of all males in Taiwan). Then he will put his papers in for his mission. I love them so much, they will eternally forever live with me in the celestial kingdom, along with all you guys of course :D

We came up with a quote or a little saying that we want to use about the Book of Mormon. After all it is the most correct book on the face of the planet. Also, if it is true, everything that we share is also true. So, it is the most important tool along with the spirit in conversion. So we came up with a saying to help us understand the importance of it!!

We.......
Teach by it!
Invite by it!
Answer by it!
Promise blessing by it! and.....
Baptize by its precepts!

This has helped me a ton in teaching. Because I never really got into personal scripture study before my mission (which I think is why I ran into some problems) But my understanding of the scriptures isn't great. So I’ve committed to doing each of these. If an investigator asks a question then tell them to think about it and use the BOM to answer it, not our own words. It has made our teaching a lot more powerful, it has allowed us to teach according to the word of God! It has been a lot more productive and people can't question what we are saying because it's coming at them direct from the word of God...It has been great to teach in this way, which is the right way. I've noticed my scripture knowledge has been improving also because I've been relying on the Lord to answer questions and use the scriptures. What a great blessing it is to have the BOM. What a wonderful perfect book, we can read and feast on every day. I love it!

We did a family night at the bishop's last week, they have 4 kids, which is unheard of in Taiwan, but so sweet. Their house was so noisy with kids playing, it was awesome, reminded me of home. You could feel the atmosphere of love there. But he asked me what dad did for work. It's been along time since I've explained neurofeedback to someone, so my Chinese has improved. So I explained it and they were so excited, they were freaking out about it. He said everyone in Taiwan needs it, He told me it would explode if I brought it here. Then he asked me when I go home, I told him August 3rd, he said ok I’ll wait for your return. Haha, it was funny, but I just told them the affects it has had on lives and what it can do for anyone, regardless if it's add adhd or anyone else. They just couldn't stop talking about it. The wife was way excited too, it was like a kid in a candy batch. It was funny. But I've thought my whole mission, it would explode over here, there are a ton of people that need it, but this just confirmed that thought!! It was cool....They are a beautiful family! The oldest is 13 and the youngest is 6 or 7.
Well family things are going well, we are just pushing forward in the work of the Lord. I love you all so very much, and am so grateful for the support and love that you show me. I keep you in my prayers every single night, I hope you can feel those prayers. My love will always be for you guys, it is perfect love that I can't even start to explain. I just love each and every one of you so much. Thank you so much for being an amazing family!!

I know this gospel is true, it is true not because mom and dad told me but because God himself has made it known unto me by the power of the Holy Ghost, these things are true. There is no way they can't be true. They are perfect, and I know it. God lives, and loves each and every one of us...

Thank you family
-Elder Rasmussen