Hey everyone!
I heard from my mom recently that the fish of the oceans are now okay to eat again which leads to today's food review:
Fish Eyes: So I was at a member's house last night for a FHE and there were all sorts of foods to be tried. I joking told Ai4Lang2, one of our ward missionaries to grab some fish for me. When she asked what part I wanted I gestured to the head and told her I wanted the eyes. In no time at all, all of the sudden, the fish head was right in front of me. I summed up the courage, reminded myself that this was probably going to be quite delicious, plucked out the offensive looking optical monstrosity and plopped it in my mouth. It wasn't bad. Tasted like really salty fish honestly. I give it a 3 fishy photooptics out of 5. (we're just going off of phonetic sounds on that "alliteration")
This week was a great one. It is very likely the last one that I will have Danshui. Today, my companion and I got the things that we needed to put our beds on risers so that they have all this space under them, allowing us to stow all sorts of stuff down there and maximize on space economics. It was really fun and our apartment has so much more room now.
I saw someone with a shirt that said "I am Satan" on it, but didn't have the time to contact him.
This week we finally got Eric confirmed a member of the church. It was kind of a funny story because at eight in the morning he told us that he might have "shi4" that morning and therefore it was uncertain of he could come to church. I prayed about it because I was in the shower for the inital call. I got the feeling that we must do all that we could to get him there. I called, he didn't answer. We went to his house and rang his doorbell, he didn't answer. We said a prayer afterwards and the prompting came to go the guard booth and ask them to call him for us. Turns out they didn't have his number, they had the same doorbell system that I had used just barely. My companion said we would just have to hope, but the feeling came to go back to Eric's downstairs place and use the bell again. I had barely pressed the bell when the door opened and two people walked out. I caught the door and we went up the seven flights of stairs to Eric's house. We rang the doorbell twice. We knocked loudly twice. I touched the doorknob and an alarm started going off in his house. We ran back down the stairs outside and then got a call from Eric that he would be coming down and wanted us to wait for him to go to church with him. Turns out the alarm was actually outside so no problem. However, I know that the chain of events all allowed us to get to Eric's door and to get him confirmed with the gift of the Holy Ghost. It was a huge miracle that the Lord let me see. Follow the propmtings that you have. They will always lead you to the blessings God has waiting.
I love you all,
Elder Siebert
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Monday, July 18, 2011
The Rock of Danshui is Soaked
Hey everyone,
It has been really hot here as long as it isn't raining, and then it's still really hot. The sad thing is that I think I am the same level of soaked no matter whether it rains or doesn't. Pretty nasty I know. My brother has it worse in the fiery depths of Tainan.
It turns out that I am gathering infamy in the Taichung mission right now. Mark keeps telling me things about a Sister Tan that I was friends with in the MTC and how she wants me to write to her. The problem is that I cannot write to her on order from President. I asked, but the answer was no. It turns out in the song that got written for Mark, there is a line in it about how " [he] doesn't need no sister Tan writing him". I think that it's funny that I can be such a big deal in a mission I have never set foot in. I'll keep you posted on further rants.
I had a really great week. We had some amazing chances to get new investigators and I think that at the current point in time, I have found more new investigators in the last transfer than in the rest of my mission put together. We have been that blessed by the Lord. Seriously. He keeps putting these golden people in our paths. Some turn out to be a little less golden later, but I know that it's because of the trust we put in God and how much we pray. I recently started to really get down on my prayers and have really been begging the Lord for His help and direction and I have a firm testimony that that is why I have been seeing so much success.
We instituted Guitar Sundays last night. My companion always loves when I play him songs at night and so when I told him that we could play them on Sunday Night for sure he was elated. It was so funny, he was like, so, can we institute a Guitar Sunday? And I told him sure and he was so excited for it. We played some great music and just sang and did all that. I also discovered the best way to wake myself up in the mornings is to make up crazy songs for my companion. Seriously. I sing to him just about every morning. It's always awful singing that doesn't match the key or tuning of the guitar and it's always really awkward. I make it that way on purpose. It's really funny and we always laugh a ton and then I go and take a shower because it's always after we go exercise.
I also had these two little sauce packets left over from when we went and got potstickers once and I always scream and toss one at my companion at least twice during studies. It's so funny because he jumps everytime and recently he's been doing it back. It's a fun little game we play.
We are finally making some real progress with the Wang Family. The spirit makes me put away Mr. Nice Guy and makes me into Mr. Boldsauce when we go visit them lately. I tell them that they need to start actually praying about the BOM and praying for God to help them get over smoking rather than just trying to kick it themselves. It's been really amazing because the spirit has really been working through me and working them over really good. I love it and it just feels so powerful a lot of the time. I don't ever want to lose that.
I killed a massive banana spider this week. If you can see in the picture, it is clearly just about six inches in leg spread. Very scary. Don't worry though, that's in the church, not my house. So far as I know, we are safe at home.
This week Eric finally got baptized. After almost five months of meeting with him, he finally was ready to be baptized and all is well. We are still waiting for confirmation next week but we are so stoked for the man to be baptized. I love him to death. This week we saw a miracle with him and we prayed so hard and finally saw him filled with the Holy Ghost and stopped worrying about the baptism. It is so wonderful to see the change that this gospel can create in those who are humble enough to allow it. The Atonement is real, it has the power to help us overcome anything in this life.
Love,
Elder Siebert
It has been really hot here as long as it isn't raining, and then it's still really hot. The sad thing is that I think I am the same level of soaked no matter whether it rains or doesn't. Pretty nasty I know. My brother has it worse in the fiery depths of Tainan.
It turns out that I am gathering infamy in the Taichung mission right now. Mark keeps telling me things about a Sister Tan that I was friends with in the MTC and how she wants me to write to her. The problem is that I cannot write to her on order from President. I asked, but the answer was no. It turns out in the song that got written for Mark, there is a line in it about how " [he] doesn't need no sister Tan writing him". I think that it's funny that I can be such a big deal in a mission I have never set foot in. I'll keep you posted on further rants.
I had a really great week. We had some amazing chances to get new investigators and I think that at the current point in time, I have found more new investigators in the last transfer than in the rest of my mission put together. We have been that blessed by the Lord. Seriously. He keeps putting these golden people in our paths. Some turn out to be a little less golden later, but I know that it's because of the trust we put in God and how much we pray. I recently started to really get down on my prayers and have really been begging the Lord for His help and direction and I have a firm testimony that that is why I have been seeing so much success.
We instituted Guitar Sundays last night. My companion always loves when I play him songs at night and so when I told him that we could play them on Sunday Night for sure he was elated. It was so funny, he was like, so, can we institute a Guitar Sunday? And I told him sure and he was so excited for it. We played some great music and just sang and did all that. I also discovered the best way to wake myself up in the mornings is to make up crazy songs for my companion. Seriously. I sing to him just about every morning. It's always awful singing that doesn't match the key or tuning of the guitar and it's always really awkward. I make it that way on purpose. It's really funny and we always laugh a ton and then I go and take a shower because it's always after we go exercise.
I also had these two little sauce packets left over from when we went and got potstickers once and I always scream and toss one at my companion at least twice during studies. It's so funny because he jumps everytime and recently he's been doing it back. It's a fun little game we play.
We are finally making some real progress with the Wang Family. The spirit makes me put away Mr. Nice Guy and makes me into Mr. Boldsauce when we go visit them lately. I tell them that they need to start actually praying about the BOM and praying for God to help them get over smoking rather than just trying to kick it themselves. It's been really amazing because the spirit has really been working through me and working them over really good. I love it and it just feels so powerful a lot of the time. I don't ever want to lose that.
I killed a massive banana spider this week. If you can see in the picture, it is clearly just about six inches in leg spread. Very scary. Don't worry though, that's in the church, not my house. So far as I know, we are safe at home.
This week Eric finally got baptized. After almost five months of meeting with him, he finally was ready to be baptized and all is well. We are still waiting for confirmation next week but we are so stoked for the man to be baptized. I love him to death. This week we saw a miracle with him and we prayed so hard and finally saw him filled with the Holy Ghost and stopped worrying about the baptism. It is so wonderful to see the change that this gospel can create in those who are humble enough to allow it. The Atonement is real, it has the power to help us overcome anything in this life.
Love,
Elder Siebert
Monday, July 11, 2011
True Red Neck
Hey everyone!
This week we went to a buffet place that me and Elder Carlson went to but this time it was infinitely better. We went with ChuanRen our new member and it was a hoot. My companion cracked an egg on his forehead. It shot egg everywhere. It was all over him. Then he had me crack one on my head with him for the camera. I did, but very gently, so there was no problem at all. It was hilarious. Then we karate chopped eggs open. That was really funny too because I actually failed on my egg, but my companion blew his all over the place. The whole experience was amazing and probably one of the funny P-days that I have had.
Because of time issues, today's email has to be short. Next week we will be having a long time investigator who I've been meeting with since I got here get baptized. He's amazing. We both feel that even though he didn't get to church this week (because his white shirt was dirty and he thought he had to wear it and a suit) he's ready and the Lord confirmed that opinion. I am so excited.
I helped a little girl, Lin2 Yu4 Xing1 get baptized yesterday, but I wasn't the one in the font. Because she is deathly afraid of water, I stood outside and coaxed her to progressively get more and more into the water. The spirit really told me what to say and how to help her, because her parents had tried to get her to be baptized so many times, but she is just deathly afraid of the water and they were frustrated and she was crying and all. I had a feeling to have them say a prayer and then we got everyone to leave and I suggested we give her a blessing of comfort. The parents were still impatient and frustrated and then I started to get her to kneel in the water and then slowly, very slowly start lowering her face into the water and all that. In the end, I had my hand under her head and we practiced immersing and then we finally did the prayer and I still had my hand under her head like we practiced and then helped her under at the end. It was a 2 hour thing, but I was really, really happy. The Lord really knows what He is doing because if she'd been in a different chapel, with a standard baptismal font, she wouldn't have been able to do it. As it was, it was a miracle that we got asked to come to the baptism and that they wanted us to witness. The Lord is setting everything up in the perfect way for each of his children. He will help you with all the things in your life. I know that is true.
Love,
Elder Siebert
This week we went to a buffet place that me and Elder Carlson went to but this time it was infinitely better. We went with ChuanRen our new member and it was a hoot. My companion cracked an egg on his forehead. It shot egg everywhere. It was all over him. Then he had me crack one on my head with him for the camera. I did, but very gently, so there was no problem at all. It was hilarious. Then we karate chopped eggs open. That was really funny too because I actually failed on my egg, but my companion blew his all over the place. The whole experience was amazing and probably one of the funny P-days that I have had.
Because of time issues, today's email has to be short. Next week we will be having a long time investigator who I've been meeting with since I got here get baptized. He's amazing. We both feel that even though he didn't get to church this week (because his white shirt was dirty and he thought he had to wear it and a suit) he's ready and the Lord confirmed that opinion. I am so excited.
I helped a little girl, Lin2 Yu4 Xing1 get baptized yesterday, but I wasn't the one in the font. Because she is deathly afraid of water, I stood outside and coaxed her to progressively get more and more into the water. The spirit really told me what to say and how to help her, because her parents had tried to get her to be baptized so many times, but she is just deathly afraid of the water and they were frustrated and she was crying and all. I had a feeling to have them say a prayer and then we got everyone to leave and I suggested we give her a blessing of comfort. The parents were still impatient and frustrated and then I started to get her to kneel in the water and then slowly, very slowly start lowering her face into the water and all that. In the end, I had my hand under her head and we practiced immersing and then we finally did the prayer and I still had my hand under her head like we practiced and then helped her under at the end. It was a 2 hour thing, but I was really, really happy. The Lord really knows what He is doing because if she'd been in a different chapel, with a standard baptismal font, she wouldn't have been able to do it. As it was, it was a miracle that we got asked to come to the baptism and that they wanted us to witness. The Lord is setting everything up in the perfect way for each of his children. He will help you with all the things in your life. I know that is true.
Love,
Elder Siebert
Monday, July 4, 2011
Big Stones in Small Font Equals Much Waves
Hey everyone!
This week was another week of miracles. My companion is a great man and we have been working hard to get as many people the gospel as possible. We also had the chance to help ChuanRen come out and work with us. He is going to be a great missionary some day. He went with us and passed out English Tracts and everything to people. He really surprised me by not just staying on the corner, but going and finding people all over the place to give the tracts to. He is going to be amazing. I also got the priviledge to baptize him this weekend and then he got confirmed and got the priesthood the next day. He is the best. I love him.
This week I tried making a new food which sounds awful and horrid, but is really possibly one of the best things that I have had in a while: Fried Snickers: I took a snickers bar and chopped it into large chunks, made batter, dipped it and then deep fried the pieces. It was AMAZING! The snickers gets all melty and hot and is just really rather delicious. I give it 5 crispy chocolates out of 5. We actually thought that because today is the Fourth, we should try to batter and fry as many random food objects as possible, but after eating a couple of the snickers and then a banana, we suddenly lost the love of fried foods for a little while. We'll work on it later.
I got my hair cut today by an Wu2 Mama. She's a great lady who decided because I am half Taiwanese, she'd do a Taiwanese style on my hair, so it was pretty intense. I don't think the picture attached does justice, but needless to say, I didn't recognize myself at all.
We had a really great lesson this week with a guy named Albert. He is a physics Ph.D student a the college nearby. He is into the mathematically physics, so he is always proving things with equations and stuff. Well, we taught him about the restoration and about how God uses the HG to answer our prayers because he wanted to know the voice of God. We prayed about it and then asked him and he told us that he felt weird. We talked about his feelings and he said, "It's good, but it's weird. I feel warm. Happy. Maybe a little faithful. I can't describe it. This phenomenon...there's no equation to prove it or describe it. I don't know what to do." it was really amazing. We are going to have to work on him to help him see that he doesn't have to see to believe, that the Spirit is enough, but I feel like the Lord has already been working with him hard.
I am so grateful for you all and all you have done to support me!
Love,
Elder Siebert
This week was another week of miracles. My companion is a great man and we have been working hard to get as many people the gospel as possible. We also had the chance to help ChuanRen come out and work with us. He is going to be a great missionary some day. He went with us and passed out English Tracts and everything to people. He really surprised me by not just staying on the corner, but going and finding people all over the place to give the tracts to. He is going to be amazing. I also got the priviledge to baptize him this weekend and then he got confirmed and got the priesthood the next day. He is the best. I love him.
This week I tried making a new food which sounds awful and horrid, but is really possibly one of the best things that I have had in a while: Fried Snickers: I took a snickers bar and chopped it into large chunks, made batter, dipped it and then deep fried the pieces. It was AMAZING! The snickers gets all melty and hot and is just really rather delicious. I give it 5 crispy chocolates out of 5. We actually thought that because today is the Fourth, we should try to batter and fry as many random food objects as possible, but after eating a couple of the snickers and then a banana, we suddenly lost the love of fried foods for a little while. We'll work on it later.
I got my hair cut today by an Wu2 Mama. She's a great lady who decided because I am half Taiwanese, she'd do a Taiwanese style on my hair, so it was pretty intense. I don't think the picture attached does justice, but needless to say, I didn't recognize myself at all.
We had a really great lesson this week with a guy named Albert. He is a physics Ph.D student a the college nearby. He is into the mathematically physics, so he is always proving things with equations and stuff. Well, we taught him about the restoration and about how God uses the HG to answer our prayers because he wanted to know the voice of God. We prayed about it and then asked him and he told us that he felt weird. We talked about his feelings and he said, "It's good, but it's weird. I feel warm. Happy. Maybe a little faithful. I can't describe it. This phenomenon...there's no equation to prove it or describe it. I don't know what to do." it was really amazing. We are going to have to work on him to help him see that he doesn't have to see to believe, that the Spirit is enough, but I feel like the Lord has already been working with him hard.
I am so grateful for you all and all you have done to support me!
Love,
Elder Siebert
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)