week #21 Monday, July 29, 2013

Hello!

 

Yet another week has flown by, it's crazy how fast time flies by when your having fun, anywho.

 

So, yes I am officially done training, but the move call has not finished, they set it up so that you finish like a week before move call, so now Elder Jensen and I are regular full time missionaries, get out the door at 10:30 instead of 11:30/12:30 (depends on if we would eat inside or outside). But it is great fun (well we haven't really started yet, that starts tomorrow). 

So lets see this week was kinda crazy, let's see what I can remember. So Tuesday, we got a chance to visit one of the young men who is in the hospital, our ward mission leader used to be the young men's president, so he is really good w/ all of them. Good experience, Wednesday, we had another great English Class, and the President Blickenstaff came to interview our baptismal candidate.

 

The next day we had a mini zone conference, it was cool to see my MTC's younger generation, all of the Elders got put in the south so they were all at the meeting. It was great, we talked about goals, and vision, working w/ the ward. I'm excited to work w/ President Blickenstaff. Saturday we had a really cool activity where members from the ward came and were missionaries for a day, we split off w/ them. I got lucky and got put w/ the American in our ward, he is here for business. So I wasn't as lost as I thought I would be. We visited some of our investigator's, did some finding. Then it came time for the baptism. The baptism was really good. His nephew and aunt came to the service. 

Then yesterday, we had another one of our investigator's have a baptismal interview. 

 

So I think that's everything. Good to hear Bryson and Dad made it back, Bryson should have seen the drinking a soy sauce bottle as a bad thing, hope you end up surviving, but if you like soy sauce that much, we've got plenty here in Taiwan;). I love you all. I know God is working miracles through us here in Gangshan. I know he cares about the work I'm doing, He helps me everyday.

Love, 

 

Elder Brandon Bean

week #20 Monday, July 22, 2013

Hey everyone,

So this week went by way too fast, I'm officially on my last week training, supposedly I should be "ready" to train another missionary after this "12 weeks". I'm not too sure how I am on that requirement, but it is weird to feel this far. 

This week we had a zone leader exchange, and I had to lead Gangshan, so I took my zone leader around set up the lessons, decided where we were gonna go, it was pretty crazy. But I guess I know Gangshan well enough b/c we didn't really get lost ever. I'm glad I got the opportunity to do so before the next move call, I don't know whether I'll stay here in Gangshan or not, but if I do, at least I know I can get around the area. so ya...

 

So our English class is apparently too successful, I have too many students, so now Elder Erekson (our District Leader) and I co-teach the beginning English, class which works out pretty well. I was well pleased w/ the opportunity to have someone else to help me take up time.  

We've also been trying to work w/ members more, it is something the Mission President Seminar was mainly focused on, and President Blichenstaff is wanting us to work harder w/ the members, which will be great, I'm hoping we can set up Taiwan to have a lot more success, especially retaining the recent converts. Been meeting w/ a ton of new people, trying to find new investigators, it's been crazy fun. I think we found a lot of great people, hopefully we can continue meeting w/ them. 

 

I hope that's everything, I hope everything is going well, I'm doing great, I miss you all. I'm loving the work out here, everyday is a miracle, I know that God is our loving Heavenly Father, He has created a plan so that we can live w/ our families for eternity, He wants us to return to him but there is a price for that, we have to follow the pathway Jesus Christ made, I know that this is true in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Yours Truly,

Elder Bean

 

week #19 Monday, July 15, 2013

So today I'm on computer w/ a bad keyboard so please excuse all my typos.

 

Hey everyone,

 

It's been another great week in Gangshan. We had a lot happen in the last week. So on Monday, the Elders got a duanchuan to be w/ them (Elder Xue). He was way awesome, although he didn't speak much English, so I had to practice a lot of my Chinese. Also on the subject of Chinese I finished phase one, I passed it off, I am done w/ that giant text book, now I'm on a different textbook called phase 2. It doesn't have a pass off, but It is just a ton of vocab, but it actually helps a lot, I've been able to understand a bit more. 

So this week has been filled w/ a lot of travel and meetings. Tuesday we had a meeting in Fengshan, and we had to take the train to and from. So that killed our Tuesday, then on Thursday we had to go to Fengshan again in the evening. But that meeting was to meet our Mission President. He is really awesome, he was born in Blanding, UT, currently works in CA. has 6 children....maybe, all are married except the younger 2 one is in med school, the other is there daughter who just went on a mission to South Korea, They had another daughter who died in a car crash when she was 3 years old. We had interviews w/ both of them, she asked about a tender mercy I've seen on my mission, he just asked me about my companion and I, my family, he said I sounded like I had an accent (Swedish) that was weird, but whatever.

Taught English again, for spiritual share I shared "Ask the Missionaries" by Elder Nelson. Something I found funny is they also liked the line "Ask the Missionaries" by the end they were kinda chuckling at the line. Guess somethings work through all cultures. Also this week Sister Burr (our area's current English leader) told me that my class has too many people and I need a second teacher to help me teach so Elder Erekson will be helping me teach (which will be awesome). 

So also this week Taiwan had a typhoon, that's right I survived a typhoon (in mandarin it's called taifeng). Okay in all honesty it was just a lot of rain in Gangshan, didn't get a lot of wind, It affected up north and the east side a lot more than it affected our area. I think some areas in our mission got some bad winds, but as for here I just ended up, being wet most of Sunday, and a lot of people not wanting to set a date to meet with us during the weekend, and it killed our sacrament attendance, so basically I'm going to pray typhoons don't happen as often, unless it will help us find service opportunities (since it wasn't big enough no was willing to accept our help). 

So that's really everything, I'm excited to play the piano today we'll see how that goes. I hope I touched on everything. I'm praying for you all (especially Dad and Bryson being on the East Coast).

I know the Church is true, I know God has prepared these people in Gangshan to hear the message of the restored church. I look forward to everyday, waiting to find new people.

 

 Love you all,

Elder Bean

week #18 Monday, July 8, 2013

Dear Family,

 

So like I always say time is going by to fast, I noticed I don't have long before I'm done training. Kinda scary. But I'm kinda loving everything still, so here's the update. So First off, I have been working on contacting, for some reason the past while has been really, really hard, I struggle, a little bit is the language for sure, but I feel like this is just a sign I need to perfect my contacting skills for the mission, so that's how I'm going about it.
 

So this last week we went and visited an less active whom self contacted us (which was a really good thing because otherwise we wouldn't have gone to his house because his name on our list says "don't visit") which usually means family fandui(protest) but since he asked us to come over we did. He is so cool, he goes scuba diving, and harpoon fishing. He also has taught himself how to play the 2 stringed violin and play hymns. He had me teach him how to know what key a song is in based on the sharps and flats (in chinese it was crazy, but I did it) And what's great is he came to church for the first time in years this last Sunday. It's so great to see people decide on their own that they can change. 

 

This week I also passed off lesson 4 for phase one, and tomorrow I will finish phase one training, I'm so glad and excited to be done with that. Then I can play piano on p-days so ya that'll be great. Taught english again this week, I guess I'm doing something right because I have students returning;). Yah I did a lot better this week, my spiritual share was about the Holy Ghost, and Elder Erekson, the door man,  got a lot of good comments about it so ya... 

 

That's really the week, good to here from all of you, Hope that was enough info for everyone.  I know that Jesus Christ suffered for all of God's children whether daoist, budhist, christian, whether they baibai, or say "amen". And he did so, because of God's love for his children. I've felt that love he has for the people of Taiwan, and I know he really does love all his children. I know this is why he's called me to help bring his children into his fold. 

Love you All,

Elder Brandon Bean

week #17 Monday, July 1st, 2013

Hey Family,

So first off, mom asked about the new missionaries, they send out an email w/ the entire move call. So yes, they come in on the move call, and people move around a lot. Usually, except those of us that are training. So 3/4 of the companionship in our district didn't see a change. Only the other Elders in Gangshan saw changes.
 

So exciting news. I'm now an English Teacher. Basically people call me professor, I give giant lectures, pretty amazing, just kidding. It is weird teaching people English though, I'm the newest missionary and they have me teaching beginners. Which is kind of hard. I usually have no idea what people are asking but luckily we have like 5 people who attend my class who's english is advanced enough that they could be in a higher class, they just choose to be in my class. I have like an hour and a half to teach english and stuff. Pretty hard for me to fill that time. It reminds me of when I was a primary teacher and I always ended early. Yep. 

 

So also we've had to do a lot of splits b/c we have to many people to teach at the same time. I usually find a member who speaks at least adequate english, and Elder Jensen finds someone else and we teach as many people as we can at that time. It's pretty crazy but kinda cool as well. We've gotten a lot of lessons in that way.
 

So this Sunday was a missionary focused day, so 2 of the talks were given by the missionaries, us missionaries went up and sang a 4 part version of Come thou font, and I had to play for us while we practiced, so that was fun, good thing I can sight read alright. 

 

And that's the week, glad I got a chance to write all of you. I know this church is true, I know that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is the true church of Jesus Christ. I know that through the atonement we can do anything, and I know that God loves each of His children individually and he wants success for each and everyone of them. I miss you all, hope this week is good for each of you. Your in my prayers.

 

Love ya,

Elder Bean