寬恕的奇蹟

Merry Christmas!

It's Christmas, and now that the tears have subsided from talking to my family, let's talk about missionary work! 

This week was awesome, we got to go up to Taipei for our Christmas Zone Conference, and be once again inspired by our awesome Mission President! We talked about the Christmas story, and the symbolism of the parables Christ used to teach! And then we got to listen to a Missionary Christmas Concert, which was super awesome! Ah, Christmas is so awesome!

Also, I got to give a talk in Church for my first time yesterday! Which was.... Yeah. It was not great. I ended up talking a really long time, but everyone said they appreciated it... So, yeah! Score one for Elder Shope! Also! Tian Mama, our investigator, has her baptismal interview tonight! We are so excited for her to accept the amazing ordinance of baptism, and have this new start for her life! I love FengLin!

Well, as the title of my email states, this week I want to share about the "Miracle of Forgiveness". I have seen many videos and pictures this season, and heard several talks and sermons about Christ and His sacrifice, about His life, His service, His teaching. And one thing that has stuck out to me most, is the miracle of forgiveness. We live in a world with a lot of pain, a lot of heart ache, a lot of anger, a lot of loneliness. We suffer trials and tribulations, spiritual, mental, and physical. And as we feel these pressures, the stresses of life, we sometimes make mistakes. We do something we wish we hadn't done, or sometimes worse, someone does something to us that we wish they hadn't done. We feel regret, anger, sorrow, guilt. And life gets a little bit harder. And if we don't forgive, or if we are not forgiven, it just keeps getting harder and harder. And sometimes it gets to the point when we just don't know how to keep going. We feel like there's no way to be happy, to move on from these mistakes or problems in our life. But, I can say with full confidence, there is a way to move on. There is a way to forgive, and to again feel the joy and peace that we had at one time in our life. That way came 2000 years ago, in the form of a Babe, wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. It came in the form of a Son, who taught us the way to live, and showed us the path to walk. It came in the form of a Savior, who loved us so much, He was willing to feel pain we can't imagine, suffer beyond our comprehension, and ultimately die, for the sins of imperfect people like us. Christ, just like our Heavenly Father, is a perfect being. He didn't make mistakes, He didn't give in to anger or sorrow or temptation. But He suffered more than you or I ever have, He drank the bitter cup, the consequences of every sin, so that imperfect people like you and I don't have to. He loved us so much, He gave His life for us. And with His sacrifice, He gave us a way to find peace, to find joy, and a way to be forgiven. Christ gave us the greatest gift that can be given. And more than just the greatest gift, He gave us the most important gift. He gave us a way to overcome guilt, and anger, and loneliness. He gave us the only way to go home to our Heavenly Father, and receive all the blessings He so desperately wants to give us. God loves us so much He gave us His Only Begotten Son, so that we can be forgiven, and find joy. I am so grateful for Christ, and for this special opportunity I have to remember His precious sacrifice. I love Him, and I hope in this season of Christmas, you can feel the love and mercy of our Savior, Jesus Christ. And I hope you have a very Merry Christmas!

Love,

Elder Shope

聖誕節快樂!

Well, ladies and gentlemen! The time has again come for me to softly lull you to sleep with my dull crusades of bike riding and knocking doors! But, in an effort to hold your attention as your browse quickly, looking for any pictures I may have attached, I want to share with you some of the miracles and mistakes and magic and... other applicable m words, that I have experienced this last week!

To kick things off, let's talk about the craziest part of my week: our Ward Christmas Party. I would like to apologize in advance to any and all of you that think your Ward Christmas Party is the best, because I promise the Hualian 2nd Ward has you beat. They reenacted the story of Christ's birth, from Luke 2 (in Chinese), complete with super awesome costumes, a massive stuffed donkey, a star that moved across the room, and a child dressed as an angel in a machine that raised him up almost to the roof. It was spectacular. I will put pictures on my Google Drive! (If you don't have my drive link, or can't get it to open, you can email me and I can send it to you!) If any of you have had a Christmas party to compete with that, I want to know, so I can come to your ward when I get home. 

Also, this week we had a crazy little set of miracles! One of our investigators, named Wilmer, is a man that was born in the Philippines, and works here in Hualian! The first time we met with him, he told us he wants to get baptized, his faith is so strong! His wife is a member, she was baptized in Taiwan in 2005, and she has such a strong testimony of the Book of Mormon! She told us that any time she has a problem or concern in her life, she goes to the Book of Mormon, and always feels better. They are such amazing people, and we love going to visit them and feel the love they have for our Savior. The only problem is that, because of his work, Wilmer is in Hualian from Monday until Friday, and only comes home to our area in FengLin on Saturday and Sunday! So, it's very hard to find a time to meet and share with him. But, last Monday night, we had to take a train up to Hualian for an activity on Tuesday. Our train left at 8:28 pm, and we had some time before we went up, so we decided to go visit Juliana, our investigator's wife, and see how she was doing. We parked our bikes at a convenience store and walked over, and when we got there, she wasn't home, so we went finding in that area for a little bit. But as we were contacting someone near their house, we noticed our investigator, Wilmer, getting off a bus to go home! And his wife's bike was home! So, we made our way back over, and were able to share a lesson with him and his wife! It was so awesome! We finished the lesson at 8:25 pm, requiring us to sprint to grab our bikes, and then get to the train station! We made it onto the train right before the doors closed! It was so amazing, and a confirmation that the Lord truly blesses us when we are doing what's right, and working hard! 

I love Christmas, and not just because it's one of the two times a year we can video chat our families (but I like that part, too). There is so much that changes about life during Christmas, and, if we can look past the Christmas trees and packages, we have the opportunity to see so much more. I sound like every Hallmark movie ever, but it's true! The real meaning of Christmas is to remember our Savior, His birth, His life, and His ultimate sacrifice for us. The ability to improve ourselves, to repent, and to be forgiven of mistakes that we make, is all because of Christ, and His love for us. He gave His life in service, and in sacrifice, for us, because He loves us. And this season gives us an opportunity to show our love for Him, by doing the things that He did. Through serving others, we have an opportunity to show our Father in Heaven and His Son, Jesus Christ, the love that we have for them, and the gratitude we have for all they have given us. I hope that this Christmas, and always, we can find opportunities to mend the broken hearts, to raise the weary heads, and truly help our brothers and sisters on this rough road back to our Heavenly Home.

 I love you all, and I hope to hear how all your Christmases went!

Love,

Elder Shope

So, Star Wars Episode 8 is coming out, it's fine. Whatever...

Well, this week has been crazy! Because of the new chapel in FengLin, our group leader asked us on Thursday to hand out invitation cards to people in the area, and let them know about an open house activity we were hosting. We were totally fine with that, until we realized these cards were addressed to specific people, who happen to live all over our area. And our area is quite large. Quite large indeed. So, we spent 10 hours on Thursday, biking to every part of our area, to hand out these cards to people! We were thankfully able to enlist the help of another set of Elders, and get them all done, but... I'm tired.

But more important than my physical or mental health is THE MIRACLES! We had some really cool experiences this week, especially with Tian Mama, one of our investigators. She has known missionaries for a little while, and is very willing to hear our message. Because she was born into a Aborigine family, her main language is an Aborigine dialect that unfortunately is not offered at the MTC, so we do not speak it. But, her Chinese is good enough that we can share the lessons with her, and we also have members in our area that speak the same dialect as her. Also, she recently had a son pass away, and that was very hard for their family. But she has such a simple and burning testimony of Jesus Christ, and of the Love and Protection He gives us, and she truststhst he will send her son again. We have recently been talking to her more about baptism, and she is working towards getting baptized on January 6th of next year, or earlier! She is such an amazing example to me of trusting in God, and relying on Him to guide us.

This week has had its ups and downs, but by far THE GREATEST part of this week, and every week, is sharing about my Savior, and His love for me. In October of 2016, one of the speaker's in General Conference shared a talk entitled "God Shall Wipe Away All Tears". In the talk, he spoke of the apostle Paul, and his trials. Paul was beaten, he was stoned, he was shipwrecked, and he was betrayed and abandoned, but still he declared, with full faith and confidence, that his afflictions were light. This apostle of the Lord suffered his whole life for what he believed and what he knew, being imprisoned and ultimately killed, but he endured his persecution, knowing the eternal reward was worth the momentary pain. In our lives, we are forced to deal with pain, with loneliness, with sorrow, and burdens we feel others cannot understand. And sometimes we feel we can't keep going, that one more step is just too many. We want to give up, give in, or go home. But I know, with all my heart, that God does not give us trials we can not handle. He will try us, and test us, because He wants us to grow. But He will NEVER leave us alone. We may not seem Him, and sometimes it might even be hard to feel Him there, but the times we feel weakest, the times we feel the most on our own, are the times He is giving us the most help. He gives it through His Son, our perfect Brother. I know personally that I have a Savior, that loved me enough to give the entirety of His life to teaching, testifying, pleading, serving, sacrificing, suffering, and ultimately dying, so that I didn't have to wander through this life alone. So that there could be someone who understands my pains, my sorrows, my heartache, who could truly empathize with me, and who could show me the way to face my trials, with peace, and with hope. I testify that He was born, He died, and He lives again. And because He lives, we don't have be alone. I wish that I could show him even a portion of the love that He shows me every day, but my attempts are inadequate. I am so grateful for the opportunity I have to bear testimony of Him, and share the message of His love with the people of Taiwan, and with you. I love you!

Love,

Elder Shope

UPDATED Updated Email Time

Hello, everyone!

So, because of this amazing new technology called "smart phones", the missionaries in FengLin will now be able to email on Mondays again! Time is a little short this week, because we are still getting it all figured out, but I just wanted to let you all know for those that have a filter that blocks my incoming emails on Wednesday nights, you can now reset that filter to Sunday nights! 

I know Christ lives, that He loves us, and He is always there for us. He will guide us through the darkness, and lift us up when we have fallen down. We are not alone, we have a friend, a brother, a Savior. I love Him, and I love you all!

Love,

Elder Shope

#光照世人

Well, yesterday was crazy.

We had some crazy experiences yesterday, and some real miracles! To start, on Wednesday we were told by a member in our area that a member that one of our investigators that we thought had moved back to the Philippines was actually still in Taiwan! And still wants to get baptized! So, yesterday we went down to go visit them, and on the way, we ran into ANOTHER family of investigators, who have been hard to visit lately. We talked to them, and set up a time to meet with them again! Then, we went and visited the other investigator, and his wife, who is a member from the Philippines, kept apologizing to us for not staying in touch! We were just happy they were still around! A little later, we were doing language study, and we found a man sitting on the ground. His face was covered in blood, and he looked like he had been hit by a car. We called an ambulance, and stayed with him until they showed up. Come to find out, he was drunk, and might have just fallen off his bike onto his face, but we wanted to make sure he was OK before we left. Then, while we were having dinner, we met a family with two little boys who said they had been to our church before, and wanted to start coming again! Yesterday was so amazing, and I am so tired!

Lately, in my personal study, I have been reading the Old Testament, about Moses and the Children of Israel. In the book of Numbers, chapters 13 and 14, God commands Moses to send 12 scouts to explore the land of Canaan, and to report on the status of their people. When the scouts return, 10 of them report that the land is beautiful, and blessed, but that the people are strong, their cities are defended, and there is no way that the Children of Israel can overtake them. They murmur to Moses, and start to complain, saying they wish they were still in Egypt, in bondage. But one scout, Caleb, from the tribe of Judah, tells the people, "Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it." He knew these men were giants, that their cities are walled, but He also knew that God was with His people, and that the promises of God would most surely come to pass. However, the faith of those around him was not as strong, they did not believe they could overcome their challenges, and they complained, wishing that they could go back to the pains of before. They knew that God had promised them multiple times to deliver them to a Promised Land, that He had ALREADY delivered them before, but they doubted. And because they doubted, the Lord required that the Children of Israel wander in the wilderness for 40 years, until those that murmured and doubted had passed away. But Caleb, because of his faith, was promised he would be supported in his trials, and that he would see the Promised Land. God has promised us, as His children, that He will always deliver us, that our trials and afflictions will be "consecrated for our good". (2 Nephi 2:2) But sometimes we still doubt. We doubt God's power, or we doubt ourselves. And so we lose the blessings that God has promised us. God wanted to bless the Israelites, and He wants to bless us. But we have to be willing to endure our trials, to trust our Father in Heaven, trust in the healing power of His Son Jesus Christ, and keep going. And if we can endure, and do all that the Lord has asked us to do, trusting that He, as an all-knowing being, knows what He's doing, He will bless us. I know that God loves us, that we are His children, and that if we follow His commandments, and live His gospel, we will find a peace in our life, and a joy that cannot be found anywhere else.

This month we have a very special opportunity to live the gospel, and to remember the birth and life of the Savior. Christ, the Light of the World, gave his entire life so that we could find joy, find peace, and receive all the blessings our Father in Heaven wants to give us. He healed the sick, He raised the dead, and ultimately, He gave His all, for us through His Atoning sacrifice. His ultimate expression of love was His sacrifice for us, and we can honor his sacrifice, show our gratitude and our love for Him, through our personal sacrifice and service. So, how will you remember Christ this Christmas, how will you show Him you love Him, and are grateful for His sacrifice? Mosiah 2:17 says "Inasmuch as you have done it unto the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me". One of the best ways we can show our love for Christ, and for God, is through helping those around us, finding those in need, ad lifting them up. And the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints has put together a list of 25 ways, in 25 days, we can show our love for the Savior, and for our brothers and sisters. 

I love you all, and I know that God loved us so much, He gave His Only Begotten Son to save us, and give us a way to return home to Him (John 3:16-17). May we always remember His sacrifice, follow His example, and Light the World.

Love,

Elder Shope

#光照世人

Here is the link to the #LighttheWorld campaign kick-off video: https://www.mormon.org. Every day will also have a specific video on what specific things you can do to Light the World. There is also a calendar you can download for every day!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Hello!

It's so crazy to think that this 6 week transfer is almost over! It feels like just yesterday I stepped off the train into FengLin, and then was never heard from again! I have loved being in FengLin, I have learned so much, and seen so many miracles! I am so grateful to be able to serve here, and to be a missionary for my Father in Heaven, sharing the joy of the gospel! 

This week has been busy, especially with new phones! We have been assigned as missionaries to move all of our records over to the new phones, which has been tedious work. But I know it's for the best, so we have been doing our best to get it done as quickly as we can! Also, we finally had the opportunity to start our English class in FengLin, because we now have a chapel! We were jam-packed with about 2 students, but it was a super cool opportunity to be able to again share the Gospel through service! 

This week has been crazy, we've had a lot of ups and downs, especially learning how to use these new phones to help us be more effective missionaries! I almost feel like I don't know what I'm doing anymore! (Not that I ever knew what I was doing.) So this week I've had a lot of opportunities to learn! One of the things I have learned again this week is how important scripture is. When we pray, it's our opportunity to talk to God, to share the feelings of our hearts, and ask Him for help. And God wants to help us, He wants to direct us in all the we do, to strengthen and guide us, and so He gives us scriptures! Through scriptures, we can learn of God's love for us, His plan for us, and what we need to do so we can receive all the blessings the He wants to give us. He answers questions, gives revelation, and provides comfort to those in need. The scriptures are full of stories of God showing His love for His children, and are an example of the love He still has for us. I know that God answers prayers, that He loves us, and that the Scriptures are His words to us. I have received answers to my questions in the Scriptures, and felt the Spirit testify to me of their truth! I know that anyone that takes the time to study the words of the Lord, ponder them, and pray about their truthfulness will find comfort, and personal answers!

I love you all, and wish you a Happy Thanksgiving!

Love,

Elder Shope

Missionaries in the Woods

Good (insert applicable time of day here) everyone!

Before we begin the regularly scheduled service, I'd like to first make you all aware of a little activity that you should absolutely, 100%, do everything in your power as a sentient being to completely  avoid if at all possible: and that is to bike at night, through dark woods, with no lights, in the most isolated area in your mission area. I do not recommend it, I do not condone it, I do not even like to think about it. But last Saturday night, we had to go visit our Group Leader to do a coordination meeting, and he lives in this place called "ShanXing". It is about a 25 minute bike ride through this forest-y area, and you cross a bridge right before you get there. During the day, the ride is beautiful, and the scenery is really nice. But BEWARE, if you choose to make this fateful voyage at night, you may just, for a moment, enter.... the Twilight Zone.... It's spooky. But we go some cool pictures! 

But anyway, we return now to our regularly scheduled broadcast. This week was amazing, FengLin just keeps finding more ways to be super awesome, and we see miracles every day! This last Saturday, we were able to have a baptism, and I was actually able to baptize him! It was an amazing experience, and he gave an awesome testimony about repentance after he was baptized! The Spirit of God was felt! Also, the chapel in FengLin is finished, so we will start having church there this Sunday! I will add pictures of it to the drive next week! It is going to be so great to have a place for us to meet with investigators, and to hold church every week! It will definitely help the work here, and help us feel more established! ALSO, we met with a less active recent convert this week, and he said he is willing to start coming to church and preparing for the Melchizedek priesthood! The Lord is hastening the work in FengLin!

This week we have had a lot of opportunities to talk to people about restored truths! Restored truths are truths and principles that the People of God knew before, that God revealed to and through prophets of old, and then eventually were restored to our knowledge again, by God's prophets on the Earth in these days. One of these restored truths is the Plan of Salvation, God's Plan of Happiness and Salvation for His children. It answers questions like: "Why are we here?", "Where did we come from?", "Where are we going?". But it also answers the questions of "Who are we?", "Why are we important?", "What is God's purpose?". The Plan of Salvation is truly a comfort, and a blessing that gives our lives meaning and purpose. I know that we have a Father in Heaven, that we lived with Him before this life, and because we are His children, because He loves us, He created this plan, that allowed us to become like Him. I know that in this life, we have the opportunity to learn, to grow, and to find joy. But because we are imperfect, because we are still learning, we will make mistakes, and fall short of our potential. But because of God's love for us, He provided us a Savior, someone who could suffer the punishment and penalty of our sins, and give us a way to overcome them. And through our repentance, through following Jesus Christ, we can truly find joy, and we can become like our Perfect Father in Heaven!

I love you all, and I know this church is true! I know that God has restored these truths for the benefit and growth of His children! Until we meet again, in 1 week's time.

Love,

Elder Shope

Running out of Email Titles

Hello again!

Well, another crazy week in FengLin down, and I think I might be finally starting to adjust to biking 20 minutes to every teaching appointment! It gives me a lot of time to think, which I'm not a huge fan of... But it also allows me to re-focus on my purpose as a missionary, and always be helping others come unto Christ.

This week we have a baptism, which is in and of itself a miracle! The man getting baptized is named Brother Zhong, and he is super awesome! He was preparing for baptism when I got to FengLin, and now his time has finally arrived! He is super excited, and he loves to learn about Christ and loves to serve others! We're so excited for him! Also, last week, as we were biking around our area, we ran into a woman from the Phillipines! She was baptized in 2005, and said that when she moved to our area, she lost contact with the missionaries and her ward. She had been praying for an opportunity to introduce the Gospel to her husband, and then on the street one day, we biked past her! She said she hadn't seen missionaries since 2013, and she was so grateful to run into us! It was amazing! God truly answers prayers!

These last few weeks have been full of miracles, and I am truly so humbled and grateful to see the Lord blessing the work here in FengLin. Elder Qiu and I have been praying fervently and unceasingly to be guided by the Lord to those who are prepared, and the first two weeks we were able to find many people, and share this happy message! But this week, things have been a little bit harder, and  we have not found as many people to teach. At first, I was panicking, because I was worried that our miracles had "run out". That for some reason, we were not worthy of being blessed anymore. But as the week progressed, and I was continually humbled in different ways, I began to realize that the problem was not that I wasn't working hard enough, or running fast enough. The problem was that I had started to take a different path. I had started to rely on my own thoughts and feelings, and not looking to the Lord for counsel in everything. The Lord knows what's best for us, and knows what path we should walk. When we start to stray from the path that the Lord has set for us, He can't bless us, and so we feel left alone. We feel that God has left us, when in reality, we are the ones walking away from Him. Sometimes it takes Him withholding His blessings for a time, for us to realize our error, and readjust. Our goal should not be to get God to help us achieve OUR goals, it should be to constantly seek HIS guidance and direction, because He knows what path is best for us. I know that God answers prays, that He wants to bless us, because we are His children, and that as we seek to follow the path HE wants for us, He will carry us and support us through the trials of life.

I love you all, and I am so grateful for everyone that takes the 4 hours out of their day required to read these emails! I'm sorry they are so long!

Love,

Elder Shope

施長老

Smart Phones....

Oh no.

I am not ready for this. Our mission is getting smart phones! What is happening?? AHHH! I'm excited, and I'm sure it'll be super helpful for our missionary work, I just hope missionaries don't get distracted! Especially me!

This week was crazy fun, though! We had Zone Conference, and we talked about what visions we as missionaries have for our missions, and what things we hope to accomplish, hope to become, be a part of. We also talked about visions for our area, and how we can improve our areas. Elder Qiu and I decided we want to help FengLin have enough members to be a self-sustaining unit, not one that needs missionary help. So, we want to help people get baptized, build member relationships, and strengthen the ties between the members here. I'm pumped out of my mind right now.

Also, last week, we had the opportunity help the other missionaries in HuaLian host a Halloween activity. We weren't sure if it was going to be very successful, but it turned out awesome! There were so many people there, including non-members! It was super fun! Pictures will probably be on the drive soon, I am experiencing some camera difficulties.

This last week, we also had the opportunity to share the Plan of Salvation with an investigator, and the Spirit was so strong. As we shared the video "Because of Him", from lds.org, and bore our personal testimonies of the Savior and His Atonement, I could feel the truth of what we said. I know the Jesus is our Savior, that because He loves us, and wanted us to be able to overcome our personal imperfections, He was willing to endure the pains and agony of that night in Gethsemane, and then die for us on the Cross. But I know that through His sacrifice, with His blood, we can be healed. We can all overcome the pains of life, and find peace in the arms of our Savior. And although we will all die, because of Christ, we will live again! I love Jesus Christ, and over my mission He has truly become my best friend.

I love you all! 

Love,

Elder Shope

What the Freak

Hello All!

Sorry for the weird, random email in the middle of the week, but Friday is my new email day! I have finally been transferred out of WanDa, to a place called Fenglin, which is as different as you can possibly get from Central Taibei, and the rest of the mission. The city, if you want to call it that, has a total of 8,000 people, and it is completely isolated from other missionaries. It's on the East Coast, it's absolutely beautiful, and it's SO QUIET! Completely different from the hustle and bustle of Taibei. We also are the only area in the mission that keeps the 6:30-10:30 schedule, as opposed to the rest of the mission that does 7-11. Fenglin is such a special place, I'm so excited to be here!

Also, my new companion is a native, who speaks absolutely no English! So I am going to be the only English Speaker in a 50 mile radius. This place is full of stories, and is definitely one of a kind! This has Best Transfer Ever written all over it! I'm so pumped!

I will maybe check emails on Monday, but Friday will be my new email day! I hope to hear from you all! Keep on keeping on!

Love,

Elder Shope

Last Week of My Third Transfer!

BREAKING NEWS:

Breaking is what they call a missionary's third transfer, after they finished training! So... I was just making a pun... Sorry if you thought I have anything exciting to say. I don't, just more missionary stuff. But HEY! I have finished my third transfer in Taiwan, and my first six months as a missionary! And to end it off right, we have a baptism this weekend for a man named Jerry! He is the son of Brother Liao, who got baptized in June. He had a lot of questions when we met with him, but he progressed very quickly. Later, we found out he felt like he has always believed in God, he just never told anyone. So he is super awesome! we are so excited for him!

Also, this week we had a VERY interesting experience with a man who came into our chapel. We were doing a scripture study class, and a member brought in a man who seemed a little... under the influence of alcohol. He was very upset, and sharing with all those present a few choice words he had learned at some point in his life. He really liked those words. Anyway, after trying to talk to him a few times unsuccessfully, we found out that he has a gun, which is illegal in Taiwan! He also made a few punching and slapping motions towards us missionaries, so one of the members decided the best idea would just be to call the police. A short time later, the man was accompanied out of our chapel, and we discussed the situation with the member that brought him in! It was a very interesting experience!

I have loved this transfer, and all the miracles Elder Day and I have seen! I am truly grateful for my Father in Heaven, and for the sacrifice of His only Begotten Son, Jesus Christ. I know, and can personally testify, that relying on Christ, especially in times of trials and stress, provides peace, and strength. Our Father in Heaven wants to help us, we just have to ask, and have faith He will answer. Because He always will. I love you all, and I love my Father in Heaven. I love my Brother, my Savior, and my Friend, Jesus Christ.

Love,

Elder Shope

 

JUST AS A SIDE NOTE: The man did not have the gun with him, he just told us he did. Please do not worry! I love you all, and am completely safe!

I just started my Sister Mission 0.0

Big House Good!

In 3 days, on the 12th Day of October, I will have been on my mission for 6 months! That is 1/4 of my mission! What the heck?!?! I'm still not good at this stuff at all! But I have loved being in Taiwan, and have had so many experiences that have shaped me and helped me become more like my Savior, and the man I want to be. I love my mission in Taiwan!

We had the opportunity to watch General Conference this week (a little late, because of translating), and I absolutely loved it! Having the opportunity to watch Conference, and hear living prophets and apostles testify of the Savior and the Restored Gospel rekindles the fire of my testimony, and reminds me of the love my Father in Heaven has for me. I especially loved the talk by W. Craig Zwick, about understanding others and looking outside ourselves. I definitely recommend you all take a look into General Conference, you can watch it on lds.org, or read it in the LDS Church's Liahona magazine!

But as I was watching and pondering the messages of our Latter-Day prophets and apostles, one thing that was constantly repeated was the power of the Book of Mormon. One speaker, Tad R. Callister, talked about how many have made attempts to geographically, scientifically, or historically disprove the Book of Mormon. They have made claims that Joseph Smith made the Book up, that he somehow was able to create, in just 65 days, a massive number of people, places, names, dates, and events, and keep them all organized, without any notes, or ever going over what was already written. They tried to disprove things like building with cement, and other small historical details, that seemed impossible. They have made claims that ancient records were written on papyrus, not metal plates. But time and time again, architects, researchers, and geographers have found evidence supporting the authenticity of the Book of Mormon. It can reasonably be scientifically proven that the Book of Mormon is a real record, similar to the Bible. But more important than seeing the evidence that supports the Book of Mormon, the earthly "proof", we have been promised by prophets of God that if we ASK God, the source of all truth, if the Book of Mormon is truly His word to us, we WILL receive an answer. More important than knowing if the Book of Mormon is historically, geographically, or scientifically accurate, we can each personally know if the doctrines and the promises in the Book of Mormon really do come from our loving Father in Heaven. By reading the book, and then asking God, through sincere prayer, if this is His word. I know God lives, that He hears and answers prayers, and that He WANTS us to grow closer to Him. He gave us the Book of Mormon as another testament of His Son, Jesus Christ, to help us learn of Him, and help us learn what we need to do to be with Him again. I know the Book of Mormon is true, because I have read it, and asked God, with a real desire to know if it was true. I invite you to read it, to ponder it, and ask God if it's true. I can give you the same promise that so many others have given, that if you read, and really want to know if it's true, God will witness to you that it is. I know that true happiness, peace, and direction are found only in Jesus Christ, and His teachings.

I love you all, and I know that your Father in Heaven loves you, too.

Love,

Elder Shope

施長老

PS Here is the link to Tad R. Callister's talk from General Conference, about the Book of Mormon: https://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2011-10-4030-elder-tad-r-callister?lang=eng

And the Beat Goes On

That email title was for you, Dad.

Good morning, evening, afternoon, or night, all! It's another great day here in Taiwan, and I'm back to bother you with yet ANOTHER missionary email! This last week has been crazy, and a little rough, but it's already in the past! So I'm excited for a week of miracles and learning even more to rely on my Savior as I continue to fumble along with the language and my teaching abilities!

This week, we didn't have any experiences that were too crazy, but we did meet some interesting people! One day this week, we met a man who says he is the younger brother of Bruce Li. We talked to him for a little bit, and then he pulled out a bunch of fake dollar bills and had us look at them. They all said "Not Legal Tender" in clear English, but he kept swearing to us that they were real, and that he had a bunch of money hidden somewhere that he was going to get and then give to us. So, not to brag, but I might just be set for the rest of my life!... As long as banks in the US take $1,000,000 bills.

We have some weird experiences here on a mission, but we also have some really special ones. I've gotten to meet some people who are truly looking for peace in their lives, for a better lives for themselves and their families, and I have been so blessed to be able to share a message that brings true happiness, and a comfort, in knowing we have a Father in Heaven who cares about us, and gave us this gospel to guide back home. In Taiwan, we teach an English Class, and my companion and I are in charge of teaching the Advanced Class. This Saturday we were talking about poems, and for our spiritual share at the end, we read a poem called "The Touch of the Master's Hand". For anyone who hasn't that poem, I invite you to read. It is my favorite poem, and it speaks so powerfully of our Savior. In the poem, an auctioneer is selling a battered, scarred violin, and he asks if anyone is willing to pay him a dollar for the instrument. Bids are slowly declared, and the value finally gets up to about $3. The auctioneer is about to sell this broken, seemingly worthless violin, when an older man from the back of the room walks forward, and takes the violin. After brushing off the dust, and tuning it up, he brings the violin up to his chin, and plays a beautiful song. The melody is pure and sweet, and the man surprises the audience with his playing. As he finished the song, the auctioneer again raises the violin, and asks the crowd for bids. After a few shouted replies, the auctioneer finally sells the violin, for $3000. But what had changed? This was the same violin, it had the same scrapes and scratches, but was now worth 1,000 times as much. The difference was the touch of the Master's Hand. The man knew this violin, he knew what needed to be done, and he knew what this violin was truly worth. And because of His efforts, the true value of this old, worn violin was seen. Each of us is just like this violin. We've been tried, and challenged, and we bear scars, physical and spiritual. We sometimes feel we aren't worth anything, that we're too battered and beaten to matter at all. But if we allow the Master, the one who truly knows us, who knows our true worth, to take us, and tune us up, then we, too, can once again play the songs of joy, and remember the value we have always had. I know, without any doubt, that our Savior knows us. That He suffered for our sins, our trials, our weakness, so that He could know exactly how to help us, to put us back in tune. He knows our worth, our potential, and He wants us to know it, too. We are truly Children of God, and our Father in Heaven knows we are worth 1,000 times what we think we are worth. If we allow ourselves to feel the touch of the Master's Hand, and seek to tune the strings of our lives, we can be promised the blessings of Heaven, and the sure knowledge of our Divine potential. I am so grateful for my Savior, and that through His sacrifice, I can again be made whole, and feel hope and happiness.

I love you all, and I pray that each of you can feel the touch of our Master's Hand in your own lives. I can promise that it is joy greater than anything the world can offer.

Love,

Elder Shope

施長老

不好意思，沒有空

You all good!

So, I know by now you're all sick of my emails every week, missionary life is pretty much the same day in and day out. But I can honestly say you slowly start to love it! And then, when you start to get good at it, they send you home! It's a weird system! But it's OK, I am still far from being good at this, so they're gonna give me another year and a half! I'm PUMPED!

We had a crazy awesome experience this week! We were sitting in sacrament meeting yesterday with an investigator, and during one of the talks, someone brought up the Word of Wisdom, and how we as members of the church don't drink tea or coffee. The investigator leaned over to us, and she asked "You don't drink or coffee?" I told her we don't drink it because it's a commandment from God,.and told her the Word of Wisdom also included no smoking or drinking alcohol, or doing drugs. She told us "Oh, I don't smoke or drink, but I love to drink tea!" and leaned back over. After a second, she leaned toward us again and said "Other churches didn't tell me that was bad, am I in trouble?" I laughed and told her she didn't know, so she was OK, and then she told us right there that she would start living it. We hadn't even taught it yet! It was so awesome! The Spirit was definitely testifying to her!

Also, this week we had Zone Conference, and we talked about repentance,and one of the missionaries compared repentance to a shot at the Doctor. When we sin, it's like getting sick. When we're sick, we feel bad, and we want our pain to go away. We try what we can to ix it, but it just doesn't help sometimes. But if someone came up to you wanting to stick a needle in your arm, telling you it would make your sickness go away, you probably wouldn't believe them. You know that being stabbed by a needle hurts, and you don't want that pain. But when the doctor explains the shot, and tells you that what's inside will get rid of the pain, and how it works, you are willing to take the small pain of a needle, with the assurance you will feel better in the end. Repentance is exactly the same. We all have sins and mistakes, and those mistakes and those sins make us feel bad, and we don't like feeling bad. We want the pain to go away. We try different things to make it go away, and sometimes we can distract ourselves from it, but it's still there in the end. But then if someone came up to you and told you there was a way to get rid of that pain, that it might hurt for a minute, but in the end, you would feel so much better, what would you do? If they explained that because of a perfect Savior, because of the sacrifice of someone who loves you more than you can imagine, you could be healed, and feel whole again, what would you say? I can testify that repentance, like a shot, works. That sometimes it's hard, and it hurts. We have to be willing to confess things, to ourselves and to the Lord, that hurt our pride, hurt our ego. But, if we are wiling to put away our pride, our ego, and completely humble ourselves before the Lord, recognize how imperfect and flawed we truly are, and ask Him sincerely for His help, doing everything we can to make things right, He promises to take that pain, and give us peace. We all have mistakes, every single one of us, and sometimes we think that we just have to suffer for the things we did wrong. Well, I can testify that that is not true. Jesus Christ, through His Atoning sacrifice, already suffered for our sins, and our pains, our mistakes, why would He want us to do it again? He loves us, more than we can comprehend, and so He bore the weight of our sins for us. I am eternally grateful for my Savior, for the perfect, unchanging love He has for me, and the mercy he has shown someone so imperfect, so rebellious and prideful. I am truly humbled by His sacrifice, and I cannot accurately put into words how truly astounding it is. But I love pondering on the words of the Hymn "I Stand All Amazed". That He, the perfect Son, would descend from His throne divine, to rescue a soul, so rebellious and proud as mine. I truly tremble to know that for ME, he was crucified. That for ME, a sinner, He suffered, He bled and died. I love my Savior, and I am so grateful for His sacrifice, and the opportunity I have to repent, and feel peace once more.

I love you all, and I can truly testify that our Father in Heaven loves you, too. I hope you all have a good week, and remember the Savior, and His love for you, always.

Love,

Elder Shope

施長老

我用這些中文標題來混淆你們

Hello everyone!

Sorry for not notifying you all again, our P-Day is again on Wednesday because of a Temple Day! I love going to the temple, and the spirit of peace and love that I can feel there. To anyone and everyone that have the opportunity to attend the temple, I encourage it. It is truly a special place, and the House of the Lord. This week was so awesome, we've seen miracles on miracles in WanDa, and the Lord keeps blessing us. Last night, we called a man who had been referred to us by a member in TaiZhong. We had heard he had a question about the church, and so we asked him what questions he had. In reply, he said, "Oh, I don't really have any questions, I just want to join your church. Do you have any activities I can come to?" After taking a moment to recover, we told him he could come to church, and we'd love to talk about joining the church! It was super awesome!

Crazy Experience of the Week! We got sung to in the park by an older guy who actually speaks pretty OK English! We talked to him a little bit, because he wanted to talk to missionaries. He said he had met missionaries before, and so he wanted to talk to us! It didn't end up really going anywhere, but at the end we asked why he was at the park, and he told us he was here to relax, and to sing. Then he asked us if he wanted to hear him sing, and we were like, "Uh... OK." He stood up, and started singing a traditional Chinese song. It was actually pretty good! We took a picture with him, so I can always remember Peter Liu.

We also had a super awesome lesson last night, with a man named Brother Chen. He had met Elder Kimmel (my old companion), at an activity, and so we set up to meet with him! We gave him a tour of the chapel, and shared about Jesus Christ and His love for us. At one point, he shared that he's been feeling a hole in his heart, and he sometimes felt alone, and depressed. I was so grateful for the opportunity I had to bear personal testimony of Christ, and His Atonement. I know Christ suffered for us, and no matter what problems or pains we have, He can help us overcome them. Through His sacrifice, and through the perfect love and mercy of Christ, we can find joy, even in our pains. We will still have trials, and hard times, but through Christ and His sacrifice, we can find peace, and have hope for a better tomorrow. I know God lives, He loves us, and He hears us. I believe in the power of prayer, of personal communication with a loving Father in Heaven. I know God has heard my prayers, and has answered them. And I know He will answers yours, too.

I love you all, sorry for the long email! I love hearing about fun experiences on the homefront, too! Keep on keeping on!

Love,

Elder Shope

這麼多的祝福!!! - So many blessings !!!

Day 152:

The other missionaries still have not realized I have no idea what I'm doing. I have started to learn their ways, and have learned basic forms of communicating with them. If I keep this up, I might just figure out what I'm doing. Elder Shope out.

If that paragraph doesn't adequately describe how weird I am, I don't know what will. This week has been awesome! We have seen so many blessings, and have had so much fun! Transfers happened last week, and my new companion is Elder Day! He is from Georgia, and he knows a lot about video games and anime! So, I'll know everything about that by the end of this transfer! He is so awesome, and we've already seen so many miracles together! I'm excited for this transfer! Elder Kimmel transferred to DanShui, and he's doing super well!

I've definitely seen the Lord's hand in our work, blessing our efforts here in Taiwan. We had a baptism last Saturday, for a 9-year-old named Jaddy! She is so sweet, and she has such a strong testimony of the Commandments! And her grandpa, who got baptized in June, got to baptize her! It was such a special experience! And then in sacrament the next day, they asked me to confirm her, and give her the gift of the Holy Ghost. So I had to do that in Chinese, which was a little scary. But it turned out pretty well, and I felt the spirit super strongly. I am so grateful for baptism, and for the path that God has given us to return to Him, and find happiness in our life her on Earth.

We also had the opportunity to teach a family last night about repentance, baptism, and the Atonement, and the mom, Sister Zhen, asked us a very special question: Why was Jesus Christ willing to do something so painful, and so hard, for us? I've thought about that question so much, why Jesus Christ would be willing to suffer so much, for people who still rejected and crucified Him. Why He would be willing to do something like that, for someone as unimportant as me. But I know why: it's because He loves me, more than I can believe. He knew that I would mess up, that I would make mistakes, and wouldn't be able to have the happiness that I wanted. And so, as the Only Perfect Son of God, as the only one able to overcome my sins, He was willing to make a sacrifice that would cause Him indescribable agony, that would be pain beyond our imagination, so that I didn't have to be alone. So that I could have a way to overcome my guilt, and my pain, and find peace, and hope. And through His mercy, and His infinite love, I have a way to go home, and receive all the blessings that my Father in Heaven so desperately wants to give me. And I am so grateful for Him, and His sacrifice. I know it is only through Him that I can find forgiveness, and truly feel peace in my trials. I love Him, and I know that He is my Savior, and my Brother. I know that He is your Brother, your Savior, and He wants to help you, too. No matter how bad things are, Christ suffered worse. And because He has felt your pains, He knows exactly how to help, with perfect love, and perfect understanding. I testify that Heavenly Father, and His Son, Jesus Christ, know each of us, by name. If we are willing to come unto Christ, and lay it all at His feet, He will help us. Because He loves us.

I love you all, and I'm so grateful for your prayers and your love! I hope you can all feel the joy of this gospel, and the peace of forgiveness.

Love,

Elder Shope

No... More... Training...

Guten Tag!

Hey, everyone! Transfer 2 has almost come to an end in the mission field, which means I am almost done with training! I don't know if that's a good thing, or a VERY BAD thing, but in 3 days we'll find out! I don't know if I'll be moving areas or not, so I'll keep you all posted. As far as good news, we have another baptism on Saturday, for a 9 year old named Jaddy! Her grandfather was baptized about 2 weeks before I got to the field, and now his whole family is investigating the church! He is such an amazing man, with such a strong testimony, and he has set such a good example for his family! So Jaddy will be the first one to get baptized after him!

As far as crazy stories this week, on Tuesday, we met with an investigator who loves to feed missionaries, and we sat down with him and ate like 400 dumplings. For reals... It might have only been 80, but after the first 20, you stop counting. We were so stuffed. But after that, we went to a park nearby to do our studies, and an elderly lady came up to us and asked if we were missionaries. We told her yes, and she told us she had met with missionaries before, and wanted to meet with us again! It was amazing! And then, we went and met with Jaddy, and after that, ANOTHER man came up to us and asked us about where our church was and what time it was. It was so many miracles! We were truly so blessed!

This Saturday, we had the opportunity to sit down and share the Restoration with the woman that found us at the park, and I just love the message of the Restoration. To know that I have a Heavenly Father, that He loves me, and that I am His son, gives me so much peace. He has given me a family to help me grow and learn, and to help each other improve. God has given us prophets, so we can know His plan for us, and how can we be happy in this life. I know that God gave His Son, Jesus Christ, to teach us, and to sacrifice so that all of us have the opportunity to overcome guilt and pain. I know that the Gospel was lost, that Christ was crucified, and His apostles killed, but that because God, our Father, truly loves us, when the time was right, he again called a prophet, to lead Jesus Christ's church, and help us in our journey back home to our Father in Heaven. I know that through Joseph Smith, his prophet, Heavenly Father translated the Book of Mormon, and gave us yet another witness of Christ, of His calling as our Savior and Redeemer, and provided us a way to learn His Gospel. I know that we live in a world full of disasters, of heartbreak, and of sadness, and although we may try our best, sometimes we don't know where we can find peace, where we can find true happiness. But the gospel stands as a light, not as an emotional crutch, not as something just to make us feel good, but as truth. The Gospel is full of hope, because it is full of truth. And I know the gospel is true. I know that God knows me, He loves me, more than I can possibly imagine, and He wants me to be happy. He has given me a way to be happy, and a way to overcome the things that make me sad. I know this church is true, that this is God's church on the Earth. I know it because I have asked Him myself, and through study and prayer, and testing my faith, I have received an answer. And I know so many others have done the same thing. I know that whenever we have a question, if we are willing to ask God, with real intent to act on the answer we are given, He will give us an answer, and bring us to the light.

I love you all, and I know that Heavenly Father loves you, too. 

Love,

Elder Shope

各位弟兄姐妹大家早安!

That is how every talk starts in church! I still can't understand anything else, but I've got that part down! It means "Brothers and Sisters, good morning!" But the literal translation is more along the lines of "Everyone, brother, sister, big house good morning!"... Chinese is hard. But this week was awesome! We had my second baptism on Tuesday, and I got to do the baptizing! It was an amazing experience, and I felt the Spirit so powerfully as I got to help someone receive the ordinance of baptism, and start their path back to their Heavenly Father! The person who got baptized, his name is David (that's his English name), and he has such an amazing testimony! He originally met the Sister missionaries at an internet cafe. He said he didn't know why he had chose to go there, he needed to buy some stuf, and so he went to the internet cafe. It just so happens the Sister missionaries were there, emailing their families! Both the Sisters and David said they felt prompted to go talk to one another, and so they did. The Sisters invited him to come to English class, and he said he was super busy with work, but that he would try and come. He was able to come one time, and since then, he's been to busy too come back. But while he was there, we were able to set up a time to meet with him. He said he only wanted to read the Bible with us, because he's a Christian in another church. But as we sat down with him, he asked us why he felt different when he came in to our church. We ended up sharing the first lesson with him, and he wanted to learn more. He said at his baptism, that he knew from the beginning that this church was different, and that it is true. He can feel the Spirit, and God's love for him. David is so amazing!

This week has been busy, but we have seen so many miracles! On Saturday, I got to go on Exchanges with the Assistants to our Mission President, and we taught 8 lessons in one day! It was so crazy! I was super tired, but so awesome!

This week has definitely been full of trials, but a few weeks ago, we had a training that talked about Christ and His Atonement, and our missions. Elder Holland shared about how, as missionaries and as people, if we truly have a desire to be the kind of person Christ is, we have to be willing to endure a small, small portion of the things he had to endure. His entire life, He was persecuted, despised, and eventually killed, and he suffered the pain of every sin and every weakness. If we want to be like Him, we have to be willing to endure some trials, and feel some pain, so that we can become the kind of person He is. I know that my mission is hard, but I am so grateful fo the opportunity I have to become like my Savior, my brother, my ultimate example. He truly is the Savior of mankind, and our only way to lasting peace. In my trials, I remember His sacrifice, and it gives me strength to continue. I love Him, and I know He loves all of you.

I love you all, thank you for your emails and your prayers!

Love,

Elder Shope

白人看不懂

Hello!!!

This week has been crazy! About 3 weeks ago, the sisters that lived in our area both moved, so we had to start teaching all their old investigators! It's been so busy trying to keep up with all these people, and keep trying to find new people to teach! But we've been doing our best, and I know the Lord has been blessing us so much! Speaking of which, tomorrow we have my 2nd Baptism! And he asked that I baptize him! So that's not nerve-wrecking...

This week not too many fun things have happened, we played some SICK board games with some of the other Elders in our area last P-Day, and we got to move to an apartment with more than one room! This one has two floors, and a really nice little kitchen! And I got to help teach English Class on Saturday, we talked about why choices are important, and why we should make good choices in life. It was really cool!

In that English class, we shared a video about two young boys, who saw a pair of old battered shoes, and a man off in the distance working in a field. One of the boys wanted to take the man's shoes, and hide them as a joke. The older boy, who had more experience, noticed that the shoes were old, and worn. Instead of taking the shoes, the boy suggested that they each take the silver dollar they had earned, and put them in each of the man's shoes. I'm sure it must have been hard for the younger boy to give up that money he had earned, especially to someone he didn't know. But he made the harder decision to give his money to the man. They then hid, and waited for the man to come back. When the man returned, and found the money in his shoe, he started to weep. He said a prayer, and thanked the Lord for giving him this money, to help his wife who was very sick. The young boy was amazed to see the effect his choice had made, and how it had changed someone's life. The choices we make in life really do affect people, more than we realize. And I know that as we make good choices, and choose to help others, even when it is hard for us, we will be blessed. I am so grateful for the people who have sacrificed so much for me, so I can be where I am today. I am so grateful for my Savior, the ultimate example of making hard choices, of sacrificing for others. He made the hardest choice imaginable, the biggest sacrifice ever known, so that we could be happy, and return to our Heavenly Father.

I love you all so much, and I know your Father in Heaven loves you, too.

Love,

Elder Shope

爬ing the 山

Good Morning!

It's been a crazy busy week here in Taiwan! We had Zone Conference this week, and talked a lot about the power of the Book of Mormon. We also have a baptism set for next Tuesday, with an amazing guy named David! He's a 22 year old guy who got baptized into another Christian church last year, and really wants to follow Jesus Christ. When we first met with him, he told us he wanted to know why he felt different when he came into our church. It's so awesome to see how the Lord is truly blessing those who are looking for truth, and for happiness and peace!

This last week for P-Day, we hiked a mountain called "PingXi". It was a pretty short, but super steep hike, that ended with a precariously placed ladder to a narrow peak. It was super scary, but at the top, we looked out and saw over the Taiwan countryside! It was so beautiful to see the massive jungles and little towns! Then we carefully made our way back down the precarious ladder, praying the whole way.

My mission has truly been such an amazing experience, and I've made choices and done things that I would never have done had I not chosen to serve. I've traveled halfway across the world, started learning what I consider to be the hardest language in the world, and shared a message that makes me happier than I've ever been. Before my mission, and I had never even tried to learn a second language, never tried opening my mouth and sharing the Gospel, or done anything that really pushed me at all. These months have been strenuous, I've felt alone, tired, stressed, irritated, and angry, and I've wanted to quit. But I've also felt a sense of accomplishment. I've felt peace, joy, love, and hope, and I'm happier than I've ever been. And for every mistake I've made, the Lord has blessed me for trying, and helped me learn to do better. The Lord doesn't ask us to be perfect, not all at once, but He does ask us to be the best version of ourselves that we can be. And when we fall short, when we mess up, He's given us a way to repent, to move forward, and to be better. God loves us, He wants to forgive us, to help us, to see us be happy. But we have to be willing to do what it takes to be happy. We have to be willing to have hard times, to face challenges; because without them, we wouldn't recognize the good times, and the happiness. I know God loves me, He allows me to have hard times, because He knows I can be better because of them. I'm far from perfect, I make mistakes every day, but I am willing to try, to keep going. Because I know it's true, and it gives me hope.

I know that God lives, that He loves me, and that He wants me to be the best I can be. I love you all so much!

Love,

Elder Shope

Miracle on 西門町 Street

Good Morning!

It's a bright and sunny Taipei morning, and my companion and I are emailing early, because we are going hiking with some Recent Converts for P-Day! Yay...! This last week has been crazy, we have seen so many miracles, and been so busy! We had Trainer-Trainee Follow Up Meeting, to see how we new missionaries are doing after our first 6 weeks on island! It was such a great meeting, and we had some really good training and practices! It made me feel a lot more confident in missionary work!

My Story of the Week without a doubt comes from a miracle we saw Friday Night. On Friday Night, we went to go teach a lesson in DaTong, which is about an hour away from our chapel by bike. So we decided to take a taxi to the lesson, because we were running late. It was a really good lesson, and the Spirit was so strong! But after the lesson, we were walking home, and about half way to our house, we realized we weren't going to get home before 10:00, which is our mission curfew. So, we started looking for a taxi to take us home! Well, because it was almost 10 o'clock at night, in a super busy area, we couldn't find a taxi headed in the right direction. We looked, and kept walking toward home, but weren't able to find one anywhere. Finally, we found a taxi that was turning off a side street, and we hopped in and gave her our address. We quickly started a conversation, asking her how work was going, and if she'd had a lot of customers that day. She said she had, and then she asked us if we had also had a lot of customers. We jokingly said yes, and so she asked us what we did for work. We told her we were missionaries, to which she replied "Oh, you're Mormons!" We said we were, and we talked a little about the church. Then, quite frankly, she asked "What makes your church special? Why are you different from other churches?" My companion immediately started sharing the message of the Restoration with her, including Joseph Smith's 1st Vision. He talked for a long time, and I was worried she wasn't really interested. But after we finished, she thanked him for sharing. I then asked her if she had a specific religion, and she said that she is Christian, but that her and her husband couldn't find the right church, because her work was so busy. She told us about how much she wanted to go to church, and how she truly believed in God, but she didn't know what to do. As we pulled up to the curb of our apartment, we were getting ready to pay her, and she said "Don't worry about it. This was God's will, meeting you two tonight." I quickly gave her a Restoration pamphlet, and bore testimony . She told us "Give me some time to read this, and then call me. I want to learn more."

The circumstances of that meeting were so impossibly coincidental, the chances of us deciding to take a taxi, finding that particular taxi, and deciding to share the message of the Restoration were slim to none. But it happened. It was truly a miracle that we were in the right place, at the right time, that our taxi driver was looking for truth, and that we were prepared to share it. It was such a sign to me of God's love and awareness of His children, and His desire to bring them back to His eternal family. There is no one, besides an all-knowing, all-powerful Creator, that could have orchestrated such a meeting, such a perfect combination of circumstances. I am so grateful that I have followed God's commandments, that I have been living the way He wants to me to live, and He has considered me worthy to be a tool in His hands. I have seen many trials on a mission, and faced some of the most difficult challenges in my life, but I have also seen miracles. I have seen people's hearts changed, and I have seen "coincidences" galore. But I know they are not coincidences. I know God is aware of us, that He is mindful of us, that He knows our struggles, and He knows what will bring us the most happiness. And through the Atonement of His Son, Jesus Christ, we can find that happiness. Through His restored church, our burdens can be made light, and we can know long-lasting peace. I know it.

Thank you for the emails from everyone! I love reading your stories, and hearing about your experiences! I love you, and I know your Father in Heaven loves you, too.

Love,

Elder Shope

First Typhoon!

早安!

First transfer on island has officially come to an end, and with it the stress of being the youngest missionary on island! I'm still a little missionary, but everyday when I look in the mirror, I look a little bit less like a deer in the headlights! So, maybe this humidity is good for loosening up facial muscles, if nothing else.

So, as far as fun things go, we went to the Zoo last P-Day, and it was awesome! I'm not a huge "zoo" guy, but a $2 (60元) entrance fee makes it all right! We saw some awesome animals, and my new favorite animal is probably the Bongo! They're orange, and super sick.

ALSO! We had my first typhoon in Taiwan this weekend, and it was a double whammy, we actually heard there were TWO typhoons! In Taiwan, when a typhoon gets too big, the government issues a warning, and everything shuts down, which makes missionary work... pretty tough. No one is on the streets, and no one will meet with you, because no one wants to go out in the rain and wind! So, if the government issues a "Typhoon Day" alert, most times the mission president will have the missionaries go home, and try to be as effective as they can from our apartment (making calls, updating records, etc.). So, Saturday night, we got a notice to head home, and then we realized if Sunday was going to be a Typhoon Day, we had no food. Because our fridge was broken. And we don't buy food on Sundays. BUT, the fridge had just been fixed, so we decided to run and grab some food real fast, and then settle in for the night. After we got home, we found out they had cancelled church, and Sunday was declared a Typhoon Day.

Well, as it would happen, Sunday morning was beautiful, with blue skies and no typhoon! But because it was declared a Typhoon day, almost all of Taiwan had already cancelled church. So, Elder Kimmel and I just made our Sunday as effective as we could, and got ahead on this week! A second typhoon did come in that evening, but it wasn't even a big deal. We were already typhoon pros at that point.But it was a crazy adventure, for sure!

I've been reflecting a lot this week on my first transfer in Taiwan, and the challenges and trials I have faced while being on my mission. I've had to learn a difficult language; I've felt homesick, lonely, and uncomfortable; and I'm constantly tired and overwhelmed. But as I was thinking about it, and about just how much I've had to rely on the Lord these past 6 weeks, I've also realized how much my testimony of my Father in Heaven has grown, and how much I've begun to personally come to know Him. Not as a Deity, not as some all-powerful Being; but as a Father, as a real, living person, who loves me, cares about my well-being, and wants the very best for me. Through prayer and study, I have come to know who He is, and to rely on Him for my strength in the hardships and struggles of my life. I've come to really understand, and renew my testimony of His love for me. He truly loves me, He wants to bless me, and if I am willing to follow the commandments He's given me, He has promised me that He will. I know He loves me, I have no doubt. I know He loves me because He gave me His only Begotten Son. His Perfect Son, His Beloved Son. God, the very being who created me, gave me the thing He finds most precious, because He believes I'm just as precious. He allowed His perfect, unblemished Son to be beaten, ridiculed, tormented, and ultimately killed, for me. So that I could return to be with Him, and have all the blessings that He can bestow. I know that Jesus Christ, my Elder Brother, loves me, because He was willing to be that sacrifice. He was willing to come to Earth, to endure the pains, sicknesses, anguish, trials, and afflictions of an entire world, so that we could have a way to return home. I know that Jesus Christ's Atonement is the only way that we can become clean, become happy, and return to our Heavenly home above. I know that Christ endured everything for me, and because I know that, I am willing to endure everything for Him. Because I love Him, too. I will never have to suffer the pains of an entire people, never have to carry a cross that no one else can bear, because someone better than me has already done that. But I am willing to stand as His witness at all times, in all things, and in all places, and endure whatever trials or afflictions may come my way, because I love Him. He is my Savior, my Redeemer, my Brother. And He is the Son of God. And I will gladly stand fast in whatever my come my way to declare it.

I love you all more than I can possibly convey. I know that God loves you, and I know that His Son, Jesus Christ loves you, too. As a missionary, we make invitations, and my invitation to you today is to come, and feel the love of your Father in Heaven, and of His Son. And love them, too. Show them you love them, do what they want you to do. I promise you, as a representative of Jesus Christ, that you will find a peace, a hope, that cannot be found any other way. You will find strength to endure the trials of life, and you will find joy in the journey.

Love,

Elder Shope

1st Baptism in Taiwan!

Hello all!

This last week was great, we've had a blast this week! For P-Day this last week, we went to a basketball game, Taiwan vs. The Phillipines! The Filipino team won, to the great excitement of our Filipino friend. He was messing with one of our AP's, who is a Taiwan native, for like a week afterwards! It's been so funny!

Also, we had my first baptism this week! And because the Lord did not want me to forget it, He made it the most interesting day on my mission thus far! To start, we had English class in the morning, and we had to bike a half hour from our apartment to the Church where we do class, with a bunch of extra stuff for the baptism and our activities for the day. But on the way, my bike hit a curb wrong and blew out the tire! So, we had to walk the bike to English Class, and ended up being about 15 minutes late! Then, immediately after English Class, we had to bike over to a kickball activity we had planned at the nearby university, but I didn't have a bike! So, we spent about 15 minutes going through the bikes of old missionaries, and finally, one of the other Elders told us we could use a bike he had just had fixed, so that was good. Then we showed up to the activity, no one was there for about the first half hour. Eventually, we had a really good turn out, though, and it was super fun! I got a little sunkissed, so I'm a nice Tomato color now. Then, after the kickball activity, we ran to another set of Elders' apartment, and quickly showered, so we could run back and go to another activity at the church. They were making Vietnamese spring rolls! And then finally, after the activity was over, we began preparing for the baptism. At no point during the day had I eaten at all, including the spring roll activity, because there wasn't enough for us and others. So, hungry, tired, and sunburned, I watched as Pei Jin was baptized, and it made that whole day, my whole mission, worth it. Seeing someone you've worked so hard with, someone you've seen work so hard, accept that first step on the road back to their Heavenly Father, made the whole thing worth it.

After his baptism, the Bishop asked Pei Jin to share his testimony, and each of the missionaries that taught him to share a little bit about Pei Jin and their testimonies. As I shared, I couldn't help but think how grateful I was that I had gotten to be a part of this man's experience of receiving the joy of the Restored Gospel. I'm so grateful for this Gospel, for the opportunity my Father has given me to change, to improve, to leave the past behind, and start fresh. I am so grateful for examples I have seen, of people with so much faith, changing their entire life, because they have come to truly believe in and know for themselves our Father in Heaven's plan for them, and they have felt that happiness it brings. I am grateful for my Father, that He has restored His true and living church to the Earth, that it is truly guided by His hand through a living prophet. I am grateful that He speaks to us through the Bible, through the Book of Mormon, and through His living prophets today. He wants us to know Him, and He gave us a way to learn of Him. And if we are willing to learn of Him, and follow the example of His Son, He has promised us blessings beyond our comprehension.

I love you all, and I am so grateful for the examples of faith you have all been to me. Thank you so much!

Love,

Elder Shope

Week 5 of WanDa!

Hello, everyone! I'm still here! These last 5 days have been pretty good, keeping the work alive! This week, we have my first baptism, for a man named Cai Pei Jin (tsigh pay jeen), which is so awesome to finally see him get baptized! When the missionaries met him three months ago, he smoked 60 cigarettes a day! Now, in just three months, he has completely quit! He has so much faith, and we have seen miracles in his life. It is such a testimony to me of how the gospel helps us become better people, and gives us so much hope! I'm so much better as a person because of my faith is Christ, and in His church.

As far as fun stuff goes, our apartment stinks! The fridge has not been working, and the 3 things we have in there have started to smell. But it's ok, we have a second, smaller fridge, and we don't keep anything in our fridge anyway! So it's not a big deal, we take it as it comes!... It's kinda sad when all you have to talk about is your smelly fridge.

Sorry if these emails are too long, I hope you at least find them semi-entertaining. I love the opportunity I have to share my testimonies with you all, and I'd love to hear some of yours, too! This week I have been thinking a lot about faith, and what faith really is. In the Book of Mormon, Alma Chapter 32, it talks about faith not being a perfect knowledge, but a belief, or a desire to believe in something that we cannot see. In the MTC, I was always scared out of my mind, because I felt like I didn't have a strong enough knowledge of certain things. But as I read that Chapter in Alma, I received so much relief. I have so much faith, because I believe that God lives, I believe that Christ is our Savior. And then, as the Chapter continues, it tells us how to turn our faith into a knowledge. When we want to know if something is true, if we have faith, we need to exercise our faith. Faith is an action word, more than just a hope. We need to experiment our faith, to be willing to act on the faith we have. Through scripture study, personal prayer, and attending church, we learn of God, we learn of Christ, and our faith is strengthened. Through prayer, we have a personal conversation with our Father in Heaven, we ask Him questions and tell him our worries. Through scripture study, we learn of Christ, we learn of God, and Their plan for us. We learn how God talks to us, and how we can receive our own answers. We learn from the experiences of others. And through attending church, we meet with others, and hear their experiences and testimonies. And when we do these things, we can feel, in our hearts, and in our minds, that these things are true. And then our faith is strengthened. I am so grateful to know that I don't have to know. And I am so grateful that God has promised us, He has given us an absolute assurance that if we are willing to try our faith, and show God that we want to know He is there, He will give us a confirmation that He is. I'm so grateful that no matter where we feel our faith is, no matter who we are, even if we are completely unsure of something, if we are willing to make an effort, God has promised us an answer. And He has promised to bless us, to help us in our lives. Even if you smoke 60 cigarettes a day, God will reward honest effort.

 Thank you all so much for sticking around these 3 months, and for all the emails of encouragement! I love you all so much, and I know our Father in Heaven wants you to know Him, because He loves you, too.

Love,

Elder Shope