ITS MY LAST WEEK!!!!!!! So first things first, I have my travel information so here it is!
I leave the MTC on January 22nd…to Seattle, WA. We leave THERE to Tokyo Narita, Japan on January 23rd... We then leave to Taibei, Taiwan. From there we will take a bus to Taizhong and probably arrive around Midnight!!! YEAH!
This week has been hard because EVERYONE is getting ready to leave and EVERYONE just can't wait to get out! I totally agree though...as fun as the MTC is, 12 weeks is too long, we are ready to go. We got ANOTHER new generation and they both will be leaving in only 9 weeks! Lucky! It really is amazing to talk with them and to see how we came in just like them...to see the blessing of the Lord with giving us the Gift of Tongues! It is sooo amazing to see the hand of the Lord in our studying! One of the things that really helped me to realize this is that our teacher challenged us in 1 hour to memorize all three baptismal challenges in Chinese. We were all thinking...holy cow....no way. But our teacher asked us to say a prayer and in faith ask for the gift of tongues...the ENTIRE district memorized them in the hour allotted, some of us even went beyond and memorized a scripture with it. IT WAS INCREDIBLE! Now we are all constantly praying for that gift of tongues! The Lord WILL take care of us!
So this is a kind of off topic but funny story! Mom...Grammy...skip this part :) Its more for Dad and the boys :) haha. So there is this Elder in our Zone. He is a Marine and is a pretty rough, tough guy. Anways I was talking with some other Elders at night and telling them about how I wrestled for a little and I had done some other martial art type stuff, but never for very long. Well [this Elder] started talking about his training and how Marines don't lose and how he could beat up anyone of the Elders...yes even the 300lbs Tongan haha. But I kept quite and he said randomly I wouldn't be able to last even 5 sec....well....I told him I was willing to wrestle with him if he really wanted. He wasn't going to just say no because he wanted to maintain his status as "tough guy" haha. So he pulled me in and we started to wrestle. And he was wrong...it didn't last 5 sec, it lasted about 30 sec, and he tapped out :) hahaha. I KNOW I KNOW, I need to repent, that was not very missionary like...but it was really fun! And pretty funny! We have actually become really good friends since then :) So everything ended up working out perfectly!
So anyways, OH since I am going to be in Taiwan in a week, now would be the time to start sending letters to Taiwan! I am not 100% sure about how long it takes, I am guessing about a month max. I have heard though that two weeks is a possibility. But either way, Elders live for snail mail :). And Dear Elder I heard can still get to us either same day or next day. So that is also a very good method for sending mail! Thank you so much for everyone that has been writing me! I really, really appreciate all the support, it really does give us all a little burst of energy to see our names on the package slips and on the letters! You all are the best! Thank you soooo much!
So as District leader I have taken in two new missionaries...my power is growing! First this zone, then Taiwan....THEN THE WORLD! Just kidding! But they are two amazing missionaries! They are both AMAZING at Chinese and are both going to Taizhong! Elder Ng (pronounced ing) and Sister Tung (pronounced dung). They have added so much to our district and are amazing amazing servants of the Lord! I am so blessed to have such a wonderful district! My companion is also SUPER amazing! He is just so humble and can say so much in so little. He is an amazing guy!
I am so grateful for my wonderful family, I have been able to bear so many testimonies and share so many stories because of how AMAZING my family has been! THANK YOU SO MUCH! You have blessed the lives of so many people that you may never know. I am so grateful.
Oh and just so you know this will be the last email and last letters I send for awhile. Next week I leave so I won't be able to email or really write letters. And then I will be in TAIWAN! So letters will take a while and I am not sure when my Preparation day will be in Taiwan. And I am sure that from this email forward the emails will have way more info and will be much more interesting...by week 10 in the MTC...everything is usually the same haha.
One thing that WAS really cool this week is that my district and I were all sitting at lunch and then out of no where President Brown comes over and sits next to us! THE MTC PRESIDENT! It was so great, he just got to know us and it was super amazing! He is such a nice man!
I love this work! I love Jesus Christ! I have been hit over and over again this week with the importance of my purpose, the importance of all of our purpose, our responsibility as children of God to share this gospel. I have also been so struck with the importance and power of the Atonement. In and through it we can do ALL things. I love my Savior and I am so grateful for Him. He has saved me. I am grateful for every day, every breath. I know that without Him I am nothing. I also know that WITH Him, I can be exactly who I need to be! I put my trust in Him, I lean on Him and depend on Him for everything. He IS OUR Savior! I want to invite everyone to say a prayer tonight and just thank Heavenly Father for Jesus Christ, ask Him to help you have more faith and a greater knowledge of Jesus Christ. Then go forward and act, READ THE SCRIPTURES! THEY ARE GOD'S WORDS! What better information can we have then that that is straight from God? We can all always improve, but we need Christ in order to do that.
I love you all and I hope you have an amazing year! (PS This will be my only full year on a mission! I am going to give it...well...actually...nvm....I am going to give the rest of my life over to the Lord :)....I am just grateful for this full year to be set apart :))
Ju ni hao yun!
Elder Gish
