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Let me tell you...using Facebook is...well, I guess that it is probably like everything new in our lives, there are BIG UPS and BIG DOWNS. (Shannon here: A few missionaries can get on Facebook now to answer any questions about The Book of Mormon or The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.) It really is so awesome to be able to stay in contact with all the wonderful people that I meet out here and to be able to find and teach! I love amazing technology that we have and how amazingly useful it is! 

So this week was pretty awesome. I think the best part is just how well my companion and I get along! His name is Elder Teerlink! He is SO MUCH LIKE DANE! So it is just like doing missionary work with my little brother! So flippin cool! So obviously I am loving life, maybe even too much!

Not a TON happened this week, except that at the very end of the week one of the best moments of my ENTIRE mission happened (yes things just get better and better out here). So a man that I helped to baptize went up to bear his Testimony and give a small talk and he just went on and on about the miracle or his baptism and how it has changed his life. Now this next part was the kicker for me. He started talking about how he felt like before he didn't have enough faith, he had desire but no faith, but then 葛長老到了(I got there) and started teaching him and he told a story that I told him in a lesson about the small things we do each day to build our faith and how after that story he decided to just go do it and how grateful he was! Now the special thing about this is that at the time I had NO idea about how that story had effected him, I had no idea that anything I had taught him had had influence. I just thought he was totally prepared right from the start and that I had nothing to do with his conversion. And I guess, in reality I didn't have anything to do with it anyways. However, I truly am SO grateful for the Lord and his using me to help these people that I love so much! I know that as long as we keep a strong attitude (obedient and never faltering in our faith) and have the desire to go forward, doing what the Lord asks we will see MIRACLES and bless the lives of so many people!

I am at a total loss for what to write this week...sorry everyone. I will try to take better notes this week for what to write next week! It was pretty much the same, working hard, finding, teaching, baptizing! :)

Oh! But something that is pretty cool this week is that we are going to have a HUGE activity where we are helping people do their family history! I will tell you more about it later! But it should be AWESOME! I am so excited to help Grammie and Mom when I get back with my own family history!

Here is a good invite! Just go out and find out something new about your family! Every family has a story! We can find our own! Just find something new and record it somewhere!

I am sorry this is so short! -

Ge Sheng Long ZhangLao

葛勝龍長老

picture courtesy of The Official Taichung, Taiwan Mission Blog

March 24

I think the worst thing for me is when I am sitting at the computer thinking for a good 10 min. at what is going to be my next witty subject line and absolutely nothing comes to mind....if these is a witty subject line there when I send this email...it will be because I changed it haha...that reminds me of a random memory...one day, I was driving in the car with my wonderful Mother and AWESOME little bro Gage. Well we were in the car and he was young so Mom of COURSE brought Oreo cookies for him! However...me being a big boy did not receive such a gift (I am probably telling this wrong so feel free to interject Mom!!). Anyways, I asked Gage if I could have a cookie. Now that CHARITABLE LOVING BOY said "of course!" I put my hand back and he kindly gave me a cookie. I then proceeded to place it in my mouth. After about 5 seconds I realized that the cookie was already a little wet. I looked at Mom and thinking that the cookies had just been melting a bit maybe said, "Mom the Oreo's feel a bit wet." Then without a pause Gage looks up with a big smile and says, "That's because I licked it!! :)....hahaha yup...I love my family and miss them so much! They are the number one most important thing to me in this world! That is why I am out here, I love my family and I love the idea of a FAMILY and I want to protect it and tell the world about the AMAZING gift that our loving heavenly father has givin' us to have an ETERNAL family. I don't know about you but that sounds like just about the BESTEST THING EVER!

So in this past weeks quest we saw many, many miracles. Despite all the crazy riots and politics out here along with the HUGE all day meeting that we had on Tuesday, we were still able to see a LOT of people progress in the gospel. This Week we say many miracles, the best probably being the amazing investigators we had come to church and their desire! We were able to help 9 people come to church this week! It was amazing, yet it was also a big mess...I really screwed up and just kept inviting the investigators to come sit with me and Elder Smith...I just love them all so much and I want to have a chance to talk to them all and take care of all of them! But that was a mistake...I should have placed them by members and let THOSE relationships develop. That was a selfish mistake on my part. But repent and move forward! Luckily the Ward here is incredible and they got my back! Two amazing families the 高(gao) and the 鄒(zou) (I love them so much! The 鄒 family reminds me a LOT of my own family...they are ALL awesome!) came up and personally invited a lot of our investigators over to eat dinner with them! It was amazing and I loved seeing the smile that they had as they felt that love coming from the members! It is so clear to see that as the world goes down that the desire of people to have direction and to know their place in the world goes up! If you are having any questions like that....take Elder Nelson's advice and talk to the missionaries :)

So yesterday we get a call...it goes a little something like this.

"Hey Elder Gish this is Elder Hanset."

"Hey Elder, what's up" (Yeah...maybe a little bro part of me is still there ;))

"We just got the mini movecall"

"Oh yeah? Anything cool?"

"....yup...Elder Smith is moving."

"Yeah right."

"Really....and you will never guess where!"

"...Where?..."(Curious now to see what lies come out!)

"Ma Gong!" (The small island...not part of the actual Island)

"hahaha, alright Elder, I'll talk to you later"

"No really I promise, he has to get packed ASAP."

".....really?.."

"yup."

So there you have it folks! The Gyphon and the Dragon of Yongkang are splitting up! And on the weird Three week move call mark! So these next three weeks should be interesting! It will be hard without Elder Smith here in some ways, we got along really well as a companionship. However I know that he is needed in 馬公(ma Gong) and will do amazing things out there! I am also SUPER excited to be with Elder Teerlink! He sounds like an amazing Missionary and I can't wait to serve him and to serve with him!

This week I have been taking it a LITTLE slower as well because we recently had a rule change saying that we could work out however we wanted in the mornings which means....BASKETBALL....which means....twisted ankles! haha..it was a little rough. But something that my trainer taught me is that if I am doing my part and doing my best that the Lord won't let me get sick or injured enough to not be able to participate in the work!

I also went on some awesome exchanges with an amazing Elder named Elder Sumsion! He is an amazing young man and will really bless a TON of people!

I love this work so much and it is so true!

Please keep my friends here in your prayers. They are amazing and need our help :).

If anyone has any questions or things feel free to send an email or....write a letter....;) hint hint haha. THANK YOU SISTER WILSON! :)

I also got my Saint Patties Day package!....ERIN GO BRAGH!!

LOVE YOU ALL!

Don't think I forgot about an invite ;) This week I want you to do two things.

1. Go and pray to bring someone closer to Christ each day this week.

2. Pray for your area's missionaries and their investigators!

God listens, he is there, and you can know it! :)

LOVE YOU MOST, SHINE BRIGHT!

P.S. Yes...that is me in a Chinese Liahona Article :)

- 

Ge Sheng Long ZhangLao

葛勝龍長老

HAPPY SAINT PATTIES!!!!!!

YES FINALLY!!! SAINT PATTIES 來了!! Can you say...PARTY!? No?....its pronounced Pai Dui (pie dwei) :)...little Chinese 101.

Alright well, as much as I LOVE Saint Patties, I gotta get on to the Saint of the Latter Day type stuff!#tryingtobewitty...

So i'll say it again...and I will probably say it the rest of my life...OBEDIENCE and FAITH bring MIRACLES!

The coolest thing though is that the obedience and the faith do not come for a KNOWLEDGE that I will get blessings, it is starting to really come for a desire to BECOME something in the Lord's hands. To let him and his work change me and change who I am at the core. Seeing the blessings is of course a GREAT perk, but really the base of my desire has all changed and so my desired outcomes are different as well! I love it, I LOVE this gospel. I bear witness that it is true. I gather all the possible influence I possibly can as a 21 year old young man and shout to the world that I know this is true! Jesus is the Christ, He lives, He loves us and only through him can we get back to live with our Heavenly Father.

Thank you everyone for your prayers! They have sure been felt down here in YongKang. The district has slowly gone from nothing to leading our whole Zone and being one of the top in the mission! It is truly incredible to see how pure powerful testimony can change people, the things we say and the things we do will allow for the Holy Ghost to testify of Christ. No matter who we are or where we have been the Holy Ghost has FOR SURE communicated with you at one point in your life. I want everyone this week to think back to when that moment may have last happened, think about how you felt then...then do what you know that you need to do in order to again obtain that feeling!There is a mid email invite!...Ohhhhhh yeah.

So some sweet miracles from this week! The best things are that we may be having a few baptisms this Saturday! At least one, if not more!!! Please keep Huang Yu Jie, Lai Hong Quan, Lian Guan Zhen, and Xu Sheng Xun in your prayers!! THEY ARE ALL MIRACLES AND NEED OUR HELP!! :) Thank you!

I preformed an interview for an amazing young woman this week named You Zi Xin. She was so prepared and so nervous. It was crazy how nervous she was...but I think it is because she really understood how important this step was! She did amazing and it was just a great experience. 

We also prepared a Training for Zone Training Meeting. It was really amazing and fun...pretty much just talking about not wasting our time as missionaries! Every second is so precious and we need to be using all of our time!!

Obedience brings peace! Rumors sometimes start flying around the mission field...sometimes they are just ridiculous and can really frustrate us. But when we are truly obedient we don't have to worry about that kind of stuff because we know that no matter what rumors fly around that we are pure and good and that in God's eyes we are what he wants us to be. It really does bring such peace.

Tony Came down last week and proselyted with us for a bit! I hope that kid can go on a mission! He was an AWESOME help!

Last but for sure not least...the Atonement. What a miracle. The Lord Jesus Christ and his love for us was so great that he Atoned for everything we would ever face. I have felt that in my life as I have to sometimes go through the refining fire...The Lord and his sacrifice bring the cooling and satisfying feelings that can only come through him. I know it is all true. I hope all those I come in contact with can feel of that and come to know it as well. Sometimes we have to sacrifice and give up things that are hard....but it is so worth it...who reading this wouldn't be willing to give up a quarter to receive a mountain of Gold. That is exactly what it is like when we give up our sins or our bad habits. Worth it? You know it.

This week we went to go visit an Older Man who had ZERO respect for us. He was a man of great faith but just had a few doctrines confused and was not willing to listen to us and did nothing but yell and bash what we believed...I am so grateful for that man. He really helped me to realize how strongly I know that this gospel is true, it gave me a perspective of how firmly rooted I am in my belief and faith in Jesus Christ the Son of God and in Our Heavenly Father, as well as their messenger the Holy Ghost. The best part of the lesson was that despite my preparation to use his own bible to prove my point and to belittle him...I didn't use any of it. I simply listened and when the time was right...asked him if he had ever prayed to know that what he says is true and testified that that is the only way we can know spiritual truths...that is how I got my answer. He said no but would not accept the invite to do so and kept on rambling. I kept my cool and continued to invite and testify until finally we got kicked out of the house. It was a WONDERFUL experience! I know that this church is true! PLEASE, be humble enough to at least try. If nothing else take the invite of the Savior to become humble like a child and go try the word of God! I know that it will change your life as it has mine.

That is my week this week....quite wonderful eh? :)

Shout out to my Brothers GAGE AND CHASE! MISS YOU AND LOVE YOU BOYS! :) Keep working on those Super Saiyan powers!! KIA KAHA! (Is that right Chase? haha)

Love you all!

Shine Bright! Deal Justly, Judge Righteously, Do Good Continually!

P.S. Pics are of the place we ate last week! SO GOOD! Also...is it weird that I now have a LABEL in my email marked "Dear Johns"? haha....take the hint boys ;)

LOVE YOU!

-

Ge Sheng Long ZhangLao

葛勝龍長老

MUUURCLES!!!

Well this week was filled with miracle after miracle after miracle after miracle! It really is just crazy. And it is SO CLEAR that this is the Lord's work, that he lives, he loves us and that he wants to always help us! I really know this church is true.

This week I was really impressed with a line I read in the book True to the Faith. It talked about Fating and how it was PREPARING us for the blessings that God already wanted to give us! How cool is that! That when we fast it is just getting us spiritually ready to receive the blessings that God already wants to give us! It was super cool because this week I wanted to give more of myself to the Lord and start fasting more just like the Sons of Mosiah (If you don't know who they are....go read the Book of Mormon! ;) ) But I decided to start fasting more often and MAN do the blessings come pouring in! Blessings like members calling us on their own and asking if we need help that day or families walking into the church off the street and asking if they can come to Church on Sunday ect! It was absolutely MIRACULOUS!! 

Well I am really not 100% sure what to talk about today...I have been so extremely tired recently! It is crazy...but I love it! It is just a sign that I am doing what i am supposed to be! So it is good to get back to the house at night and just pass out haha. LOVE IT! 

So as for who we are working with...we have an AMAZING new family named the Yu family. They are so cool! They have a cute young lady named Annie who likes to draw pictures of me and Jesus in my Planner....SO CUTE haha. She is about 11. Then their son is named Edward and he likes to play Rock Paper Scissors with me, he is so good...I really stink at that game...haha. He is about 6. So keep them in your prayers! As well as the young men Eason and Jobshn and Hong-quan. They are all so amazing and I love the fact that I get to work with such awesome people daily!

I am just super exhuasted and am not sure what else to write...sorry...and if you wrote a letter THANK YOU SO MUCH! YOU ARE ALL SO AWESOME!!!

Ready for the most fun invite ever?! Go out and eat a pizza!....what? A pizza? Yes...a Pizza? Elder Gish...why would you invite friends to do that? Well let me tell you...besides the fact that I am DYING for a REAL pizza, the other things is that with a pizza you don't wanna eat it by yourself! Be with the people you love, strengthen them and share with them the happiness that you receive from this wonderful gospel!!

Tony came to find me today! FUN. We are going to Shitou and going to EAT TO EXPLOSION! That is how you say eat till you are full in Chinese...they sure love to eat! So hopefully we get some other cool pictures out there!

LOVE YOU ALL!

SHINE BRIGHT AND JUMP IN!

 

Ge Sheng Long ZhangLao

葛勝龍長老

AHH! MY BROTHER!!

 

Okay I had to start out with that because one out of the 4 most important people in my life...CHASE GISH...Oh....Elder Gish!!!!! HE IS OUT IN THE FIELD WITH ME! EVERYONE PRAY FOR HIM!!!

Okay, now I don't have too much time but I want to still get out a LOT of stuff....so strap in!...(Do I say that every week? haha)

Okay here we go SO!

First off....who would have thought that one day I would look down at my shirt and say "Elder! Look how cool this is! I can fit SEVEN PENS in my Pocket!!...It's cool when you are a missionary!

I got TWO awesome packages this last week! Thank you Staves Family and MY AMAZING FAMILY!!!!!!

STAVES: Thank you for the Beef noodles...much appreciated, it has been a really long 2 hours since my last time eating ramen ;) haha. BUT REALLY THAT SYRUP IS SO GOOD! I Almost cried as that sugar overcame all my senses! SO AMAZING! Thank you so much! Dan is going on to his Masters!? GOOD LUCK I will keep you all in my prayers! Especially Bode! I hope that you are all doing good! LOVE YOU!

MA and POPS! YOU ROCK!!!!!!! That was so good! I really love the socks! COOLEST SOCKS ON THE PLANET! I wear them every morning to work out! I have gotten some cool compliments on them! :) I think it was funny that GAGE described me as Gassy....Gage...you....;) haha

So The Irish night went REALLY WELL! People LOVED hearing about Ireland and I just HAPPEN to LOVE talking about Ireland so that worked out well! :) I was also to show people Lacrosse and they LOVED IT! #LACROSSEWILLTAKEOVER

I Exchanged with Elder Surdu this week!...that man...is HILARIOUS! He kept asking people on the street.."hey do you want to party? I know a really good place" Then he would give them the Church address and say "Just kidding, but it is WAY cooler than any other party" haha.

Elder Smith and I saw REAL MIRACLES THIS WEEK AS WE CALLED FIRE DOWN FROM HEAVEN AND BURNED UP THIS.....no...i'm just kidding...it wasn't THAT BIG..but it was a sweet miracle none the less! :) We were able to see a good friend of ours get baptized! He has been meeting with missionaries for much over 6 months and just couldn't seem to get that last step! But with some SWEET testifying power he decided to do it and after our lesson on Thursday he had an interview on Friday and then got Baptized on Saturday and Confirmed on Sunday! Can you say "THE FIELD IS WHITE!" (I know that everyone just said that outloud!...I know...it is a powerful phrase, you just gotta say it with GUSTO!)

Um....well...I am 21 finally...woooo :) Fun. Tony and Leon and Ryan all came down to see me! THEY are so awesome!!! Leon is so creative and making all this stuff happen! That kid is such a stud! Tony stayed around and helped us to teach a few people! He teaches so well! It was awesome! And Ryan...well that kid is just the BOMB, He is actually down here again to be with us today! SO FUN! LOVIN LIFE IN THE PARADISAICAL LAND OF TAIWAN!

I am still in the same amazing land of YongKang with the same amazing companion and really LOVE THIS WORK! There can be so much joy found in this work!

I am learning a lot of Taiwanese and some Japanese out here too! I learned Chinese in one year so I guess next is one of those two ;)...I may also have printed off a small thing on Gaelic...LANGUAGES ARE SO FUN! Dad, Mom, you should learn some Chinese and when I call for Mothers Day see what you can say :)

CHASE!!! SEND ME SOME STUFF FOR THAT COOL NEW ZEALAND LANGUAGE!!! TELL YOUR TONGAN BROTHERS "OFA' LAHI ATU"

LOVE YOU ALL!

INVITE! Don't think I forgot ;) I want everyone this week to actually help me with something. Pray for my amazing Brothers Dane and Chase!

-

Ge Sheng Long ZhangLao

葛勝龍長老