The past week has not been too shabby at all!
First full week with Elder Morgan and he's opened up a little, turns out this guy is a dork like me so that's all fine and dandy!
One of the highlights of the week was we took one of our investigators, Brother Chen Bo Han up to Taipei city for a temple tour. He told me he might bring his wife which really surprised me because he's told us before that his wife does not like the church and actually opposed us meeting with him. I told him that that would be awesome if he brought her but I wasn't really expecting her to actually come and suspected maybe it was just wishful thinking on his part. Upon arriving at the temple, we found no one there. Calling him I found out that he was a bit lost and was looking for a place to park his car. I gave him the address and then we waited. About 20 minutes later, him and his wife, sweating and panting, from being outside in the heat and speed walking, come inside and we give them a few minutes to cool down. Surprised to see his wife, I introduce myself and we chat for a few minutes and she seems a little uncomfortable and perhaps was a little hesitant about coming in the first place.
Throughout the tour we walk around the church looking at the various pictures on the wall of Gospel artwork, just as any other tour goes. The first half of the tour she is a bit reserved and simply follows our little group quietly on her husband's side. Chen Bo Han is loving the tour by the way, basically his usual self. Towards the end of the tour however, we go into the chapel and the topic turns to eternal families, because the tour was about the Plan of Salvation and our belief that they are eternal and how the Gospel blesses them. She seems to prick up a bit and starts to listen more intently. We then bear testimony about how the Gospel does bless families and that they can be eternal by going through the temple.
After a few peaceful moments of us all sitting in the chapel quietly together, We ask Brother Chen to say a prayer and at the end of his simple prayer, his wife was wiping away tears from her cheeks. I'm so thankful for the spirit that the temple brings and how it can allow anyone to feel that sweet spirit if they are willing to open up to it. Brother Chen will be getting baptized on the 29th and I have no doubt that his wife will start to meet with us as well, and he, as a member, can help us teach her. This week many things have happened besides that. Another story is a few days ago I was on exchanges with one of my zone leaders and as we were waiting for an investigator, he called us changing it to 30 minutes later. So, having an extra 30 minutes, we left the church and started contacting people outside on the streets by our church.
Walking down the street we both looked around and there weren't too many people out in the middle of the day. As we walked I saw an old man down a sidestreet washing his scooter and usually I wouldn't think much because the older people here in Taiwan are just about all Buddhist and not very open at all to us missionaries. I had an impression to talk to him anyway though so I say to my companion, "Hey there's someone." and he says "You want to talk to him?" And I say, "Yes." So we start talking to him for a few minutes and it turns out he's basically just like any other old man in Taiwan, fun to talk to but as soon as we start talking about church stuff he just starts to say he's Buddhist and isn't interested.
As we both realize it's about time to go back to the church and are about to end it, another man on his scooter pulls right up to us and declares,"Jesus is true God." in heavily accented English. Hardly even moving, because he pulled up so close to us, we start talking to him and he sets up a time to meet with us that same night at the church. Upon meeting him, at this time I'm back with my normal companion, Elder Morgan, we find out he joined another Christian church about 8 years ago and was baptized there. He left that church however, because he felt his ministers there did not practice what they taught and he also felt that there interpretation of the Holy Ghost must be wrong. That of receiving a fire in your heart and then starting to utter unintelligible words. I told him that I agreed and was glad he was here. We taught him about God's relationship with us and how he communicates with us through the Holy Ghost, feelings of peace, comfort and joy. He said he has felt that while reading the bible and praying but never in church, because he said his other church though teaching that we are all brother and sisters, did not treat him so. I told him that God truly is our Heavenly Father, and that perhaps after 8 years of searching for "a church with the truth" he had found it.
After a pause, he said "Well I've been living here on this street most of my life and have always known your church but my other church told me to stay away from yours so I've never come." Again, after a sigh, I told him that I was very glad he had come and that God would answer his prayers because He will, to any honest seeker of truth. Which is just what Brother Lin is. I'm thankful for the Spirit and its subtle promptings to help us find those who are looking for truth. We hope to continue meeting with this man this next week and help him find the truth that he has been searching for. I'm sorry my English has regressed, so this is poorly written. But at least my Chinese has improved! Happy Father's Day to everyone! I love you all.
Love,
Elder Hagedorn
Put some NBA posters up in celebration of the finals! Tight.
Oh ya.
At a BBQ place with one of our RC's Leo and his son Daniel. Soooo goooood
