Ni hao wo de jiating!
It is P-Day today. :) This week has been crazy yet incredible. I can't believe I've already been here almost a week. I absolutely love being a missionary. I can't describe to you how the Spirit works in my life everday. It provides me with much needed comfort and help as I study Chinese and study the gospel. I definitely lucked out having my first weekend be conference weekend. I don't know if you all heard about everything they taught about missionary work but that is what I got out of it the most. My hand is so tired from taking so many notes! My companion and I made quite a few goals based off of the counsel we were given during conference. President Monson's talk during the priesthood session was amazing.
My companion and I are teaching an investigator. His name is You DiXiong or Brother You. It is amazing how the Spirit is present no matter what language is being spoken. My companion cannot speak Chinese... At all. So during our lesson it is my responsibility to teach and before our lessons he gives a lot of input on what we should be teaching. Needless to say our first lesson was an absolute train wreck. I could understand most of what he was saying but did not have the vocabulary to respond. So frustrating!!! My mind was completely fried afterwards. I couldn't even speak any english because my mind was just so congested with Chinese. But I think that's what the purpose is. Going to our second lesson yesterday, my companion and I did a complete 180. I decided not to use any notes and to just really concentrate on the Spirit. I can't even begin to describe how much I was blessed. Not only was I able to remember and say everything I want to, I was able to answer some questions that were really troubling our investigator. I taught him how to pray and asked him if he would ask God to bestow upon him peace to his soul. He did and even though my companion couldn't understand what was being said he told me after that he was hit with an overwhelming wave of the Spirit and so was I. Our investigator asked us what the feeling he was feeling was and I asked him to describe it first. He said that his mind was clear and that his heart was happy. I then went on to explain that this was the Spirit of the Lord testifying to him that what we were teaching him was true and then committed him to pray and read the book of mormon everyday so he could feel the love of our savior and the companionship of the Spirit all the time. With tears in his eyes he said he would do his best.
That, my friends and family, is what the gospel can do for people. Sweet is the peace that the gospel brings. I feel it everyday while I am studying the scriptures, praying, studying preach my gospel in english or in chinese, and when I strive to think of others before myself. For this is the character of Christ. In Matthew 4, when the Savior was fasting and Satan tempted him to make himself food, the Savior denied him. After Satan left it says that the Savior remembered John was in prison and then angels ministered unto him (typically mistaken for Christ). This is a mistranslation. The Savior sent angels to minister unto John instead of asking the help of the angels for himself. This is the character of Christ. When we are in our lowest moments our thoughts should only be for the people around us. Otherwise we are allowing the natural man to override us.
Mom, you were asking if Kenny Mayhew and my companion were related.. Kenny is my companions dad. :) haha Also Gabe McKay, from the McKay family in Eden is in my zone going to Taibei. I have seen so many people I know here and it is such a blessing. The light that missionaries have is uncomparable to others. That being said, there are so many missionaries who choose to disobey the rules. This honestly blows my mind. I don't see how one could disobey the rules here and be content with themselves and feel the Spirit. My companion and I strive to be 100% obedient and for the most part we have been perfect in this area. There really is no point and no excuse not to be. The Mandarin speaking missionaries are held to a higher standard than any other missionaries. Because we are here for 9 weeks our branch president is a stickler on the rules. I absolutely love this. Not to look down upon anyone but there is any obvious difference between the Mandarin missionaries and the English elders and sisters who are only here for 2 weeks. From what I have observed the gospel and the rules are just not taken as seriously. I was blown away at dinner yesterday night hearing a missionary say some of the things he did and then the people around him laughing and joking around about it. The mission is not the place for this!! I hope at some point all the missionaries serving realize that this work truly is not about them, it is about the Savior and his children.
I know that I am supposed to be a missionary at this time in my life. I've never known anything more true. I wasn't supposed to go two years ago or in a year or whenever I was supposed to be here now. I know that there are people living in Taiwan who are being prepared by the Lord for me to contact and invite to come unto to Christ through the Spirit of the Lord. For it is the Spirit of the Lord that makes it possible for investigators to receive revelation about the truthfulness of this gospel. My job is very small and pretty easy. I just teach how to open up that communication. The Lord does the rest. I love how Alma and Aaron teach Lamoni and his father. It is by simple truths that people are converted. I really strive to emulate this kind of teaching. Simple truths, powerful testimony, sincere prayer, reading in the Book of Mormon. This is how we convert.
I love you all and thank my Heavenly Father everyday for the opportunity to serve a mission that is being provided by you all. I know it is a sacrifice but I also know that this is what I need to be doing. Your brother, friend, and son is supposed to be a missionary.
Wo ai nimen,
Mao Zhanglao or Elder Meeks
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