September 13, 2015

I spoke in Sacrament Meeting a couple weeks ago.  It was an update on how Mark was doing.  I sent him a letter asking a few questions.  This was his response.

Mom,

I feel like this summer just flew by. Just last week you were telling me it was the last week of school and now your telling me that its starting again. I bet home is going to feel very quiet now that Erin is gone and the boys are back at school. Do you have anything fun planned while you are still out in Utah?

I had another super busy/super awesome week in Taiwan. Like always we had lots of lessons and talking to total strangers. Right now we have five investigators with baptismal goals for next month. We might have to push some of the goals back a little but most of them have a real desire to learn and change, its great. We have one investigator who was part of the mafia, lots of problems with the word of wisdom and lots of other problems to overcome but he has a 4 year old daughter and he decided that he needs to change and become a better father for her. We also had a new guy we met with that asked if we could help him find a girlfriend. It was pretty funny.  

I don't know if i have any great advice for the ward or any great insights that will blow you away but i will happily do my best to answer your questions :) You will probably want to rephrase some of this so that it actually makes sense. My grammar is getting pretty bad so i wouldn't recommend reading it all word for word. And i don't have as much time to answer the questions as i would like so you could elaborate on anything that i say. 

1)How is learning the language going? It has been quite a challenge. Often I still don't understand anything someone says to me. But I have only been learning the language for about six months now so its pretty amazing to think that i am able to go teach and communicate with people at all. Often I will go into a lesson a little worried about what I need to say or how I can effectively express my thoughts and ideas. I still stumble over my words and say things with pretty awful grammar but I have noticed that If i teach what i need to teach and I act upon and promptings I receive to speak, the investigator never has a problem understanding what I am trying to tell them. And like anything else in life I have noticed the harder i work the better i will get. 

2)What is one or two spiritual experiences you've had?
3)What is your favorite part so far? watching how the gospel can change and bless peoples life. As people learn to rely on the lord and and follow his example I have seen that they really do have a happier more successful life. 
4)What advice do you have for the youth? I have two things 1)take advantage of the time you have in seminary, Sunday school and the youth programs. The stuff you learn there actually is applicable to life, especially on missions. 2) do all you can to help others and build strand family relationships. Almost daily i find myself wishing i could have been a better brother, son, teachers quorum adviser, home teacher and friend. I let countless opportunities pass me buy because i would rather take a nap, watch a movie or i was just to worried about looking cool. Put down your phone and go play with your younger brother, go clean the kitchen for your mom, go visit that friend you haven't seen at church for the last few months.

Sorry i wasn't able to answer it all, i ran out of emailing time.