It was a Week of Hardships and Miracles!

Hello, Hello, Hello!!!!! My family!

Although I yet know how your week went, I expect it went very well like usual. Hope things are still moving along and doing well!

This week was a very interesting week. It was a week of miracles and hardships. Well not really hardships but yeah a trial of faith I guess you could call it. We had the plans set up and everything, but it just seemed that this whole week fell apart at our finger tips. We tried so hard, and tried to work smart but it just felt like everything didn't work out the way we wanted it to. Our goals were far out of sight and it was Saturday. We were hoping for 6 new investigators this week and had 0 at the end of Friday. But we continued to have faith and the Lord showed us the rest. We saw so many miracles. Saturday we taught 3 new investigators and they all set baptismal dates. It was amazing. Then On Sunday is when huge miracles started happening. Another elder set up a young man for before church. I totally forgot about it until the morning on Sunday when I was getting ready. So I called the Elder and made sure that we had a set up that morning. He said yes, I asked him to call the man and make sure he was going to come, so we didn't have to leave our home early if he wasn't! The elder called back and said that he is already getting ready to leave. So we left the apartment and me with him before church. It was amazing. He is so so prepared. He's been feeling the spirit his whole life and recognizes it, and believes because of these feeling that God really does live. We just shared with him, and it was so crazy to see him so easily set a baptismal date and to be so willing to do these things. We asked him, why are you so willing. He just told us how he knew it was what he should do. He is a science student, which in of itself is very rare to believe in God, because most of them are in order to believe you have to see. But he is completely different. He is saying, the more that I get into science the more I believe that there is a God. So it was a really cool lesson. He was a prepared soul. Then after church a family just randomly walked in and wanted to know about our church. So my companion and I had the opportunity to take them on a tour and teach them about the gospel. We focused on the family, and how the gospel will bless the family in every which way. It was a really good lesson. They are also a very prepared family. It was amazing. It was a dad, mom, and 2 kids. We just mainly talked about overcoming the temptations of today through living the gospel. Also helping our kids overcome the temptations of the day. It was a powerful spirit filled lesson. I loved it. They also set dates together. Although they don't live in our area they will be a great help to the church here in Taiwan. So we ended the week and were able to reach our new investigator goal and help many souls come unto Jesus Christ!! It was great.

Also Saturday night was great. A young lady by the name of Sister Hong was baptized. My companion had the opportunity to baptize her. She is really amazing. In the same day my companion and I both contacted her and then she finally set up with us. We taught her about the gospel and she was kind of OK about it. Then we gave her to the sister because she was in their area. Now she is baptized. She has completely changed. It was an amazing difference; she is a completely different person!! We saw her in white and it was a beautiful sight. It was amazing. I just love baptism it is a wonderful thing to be a part of. It truly is taking yourself and separating yourself from the world. She was so happy too, also she brought 4 of her non member friends to watch the baptism and the ward did a great job of taking care of them and helping them understand these things. It was a great experience. I can send pictures later.

Also Sister Wei has passed her baptism interview!!! Yeah...I’m so happy for her. She has gone through a huge change this last 2 months. She has completely grown in faith and understanding of the gospel. It has been a great process to be a part of and see! She will be baptized this Saturday. Also Sister Ou Yang. She will also be baptized this Saturday. She too has had miracles in her life. Last week we met with her and were going to review the baptism interview questions. We asked her the first question. She just started crying and said I believe that God lives, but I can't honestly say he is my eternal father in Heaven. I want to say yes so bad, but I just don't know. So we invited her to go home, take a piece of paper and write down, is God my Eternal Father in Heaven. Then to pray about it and wait for an answer. I told her I’d call her the next take and talk about the answer that she was going to get. So the next day I called her. I asked about last night, she said still no answer. I asked her if she did what I asked. She said yes. But then she continued to tell me the story. She said that in the night she didn't get an answer, but in the morning she was talking with her sister and mom about it. While she was talking with them, her mom said, after this work I want to start going to church with you. Sister Ou Yang had an overwhelming feeling of wanting to be baptized. Then she told me, even though I don't fully understand, I just feel willing and wanting to believe. I just was ecstatic, she had received her answer. The next time we met we went through the baptismal interview questions and it was no problem for her. She was ready on every single one. It was an amazing change to see. You could just feel that she was ready and wanted it. We asked Sister Ou Yang, are you ready to be baptized. She said, Yes I am!! Man was it cool or what. So this week we will be having 2 baptisms. The other Sister Wang, will be in the upcoming week or two. So the Lord has really blessed us and helped us be successful tools in His merciful hands!!

Although this week was hard, I grew closer to the Lord and better understood my purpose of my mission. I also understand that if we trust the Lord in all things, everything will work out for our benefit, the ultimate and best is eternal life. I love my mission and know that this gospel is true. I know it and can't deny it. Jesus is the Christ. He is the Son of God and Savior of the world. I love Him, and will serve Him the rest of my life.

Thank you for being so amazing family!!

Love-

Elder Rasmussen