Transfers...

Dear Everyone,

 Well it's transfers again and I was really wondering what would happen to me this time. And the verdict is..that I will be staying in Ping Dong! I really wanted to train for my last two transfers like I had always wanted, but it's okay. I enjoy serving as a Zone Leader down in Ping Dong. I really love being able to call all the missionaries in my zone and talk to them about how they are. We started a thing in our zone where whenever anyone sets a baptismal goal with an investigator that they should call us and talk to us about it and then we have a giant white board where we right all of their names so we can pray for them. All the missionaries are super excited when they can call in and talk about their awesome investigators. I really love all the missionaries in the zone. Unfortunately, many of them are moving out today. Elder Ludwig from Fengshan and Elder Flemming from KenDing are both leaving to serve as Zone Leaders somewhere else. So at least I will be able to see them when we go up to Taichung for Mission Leadership Council in 2 weeks. 

  This week I went on exchanges with Elder Giles, another new missionary that just came to Taiwan. One of Elder Giles teachers in the MTC was actually my trainer Brendan Smith! I was super excited when I found that out. He said that whenever Brendan would pretend to be an investigator that they had to teach he would always go by the name Andrew. Very interesting haha. Elder Giles is a great missionary and we had a fun time together. I was really hoping that we would be able to see some great experiences during our time together so it could strengthen Elder Giles drive to serve and we definitely had a great time. Right when they met us at the church, a less active member named L... pulled in (I'd never met him before) and we sat down and talked with him. He said he has been very bad for the past few years but wants to come back now. He said he wants us to meet with him and to especially teach him the commandments so he can know how to obey God! I have never ever had a person come up and tell me they wanted to learn the commandments that badly! 

   This week we also met with S... our good friend who owns a fishing company. The last time we met with him we gave him a Book of Mormon and encouraged him to read it. We didn't explain anything about it because we didn't have time. But when we met up this week he sat us down quickly and in a super excited voice started telling us everything he had learned from reading! He had read every single page started from the introduction all the way until 1 Nephi chapter 11. He really liked Joseph Smith's testimony and said he also thinks that Lehi and Nephi's stories were awesome. He is excited to keep reading more and he says every time he reads the scriptures, he feels super good. He said it was strange that every time he reads the Book of Mormon he would feel super energetic and he didn't know why. We told him that it was the Holy Ghost! S... wants to be baptized on July 9th. In order to do that though he needs to work hard. He has been a heavy drinker for the past 30 to 40 years and it's going to be hard to overcome it. He really needs to though because his body is starting to fail. 

　Well I have to go now. I'm excited to keep working here a little longer with Elder Steele. We are having a good time and finding many people to teach. I hope we can continue to find success. I love you all lots!!

 Love

Elder Stevens