Okay. I know everyone wants to know now what the heck could possibly be so crazy...well...LET ME TELL YOU. And then we will get on to the other stuff.
Now before I start into this story I want to prep it by saying and bearing testimony that I know that the Lord and his spirit is with us and protecting us and I love him and and grateful for him. I am just so glad that I have worked hard and been obedient as I have done this work so that I can have the promise of the protection of God. SO here it is.
Yesterday Elder Smith and I had been rushing around everywhere, finding, teaching, BAPTIZING! Okay well we didn't baptize....but it will happen!
But anyways, we were at the church and taught a late lesson. The lesson ended at around 9:00 and so we started rushing home. We usually try to be in by 9:00 since the Mission President invited us to do so. But on the way home I saw this man and he had the girl by the collar of the shirt and was looking pretty rough...
My first thought was...oh I am in Taiwan and parents (especially drunk ones) can be pretty rough with their kids when they don't do stuff. But as I passed them he started to hit her and she was screaming and there was a mini crowd off to the side just screaming and this man was pushing her into and over bikes and scooters. Of course I was NOT gonna let that fly. So I immediately stopped my bike and got off, dropped my backpack and stuff and ran over yelling at this guy to chill out and stop.
Then I saw it, the guy raised his hand and there was a HUGE knife in it! I don't mean like a steak knife...I mean like a slaughter big fish and stuff type knife! I don't really know what I was thinking but I ran over and grabbed the guy grabbed the knife in his hand and pulled him away and as soon as I grabbed the knife and his arm his hand opened just enough for me to get the knife without much struggle. He looked and me and I pushed him away and told him to get out. The mini group had two of his friends and they started fighting so I walked over and pulled these guys away from the girls and then this guy punched this girl and she was lights out, just fell straight to the road! Elder Smith and I got the aggressors away and they finally left. The girl who was being pushed around and threatened was totally uncontrollable and screaming and hectic. The cops finally got there and got our information and all that and after about 45min sent us away. It was scary and stuff after but really it was good. A couple people saw Elder Smith and I, a LOT of cops and a small crowd gathered and the "mormon missionaries" were the people that saved the women and stopped everything. I just hope that they were influenced for good that night. We did get to talk to a few people about the gospel while waiting and while the cops were interviewing people. So that was nice too #standasawitnessatalltimes
And Mom don't worry we are TOTALLY fine.
I really do believe that the Lord protected us as we stepped in. Elder Smith said that he looked at the guy as he was walking away and he seemed 100% calm...no emotions...super cold-blooded. When Things like that happen it is hard to deny that fact that the Lord is there protecting you and that in the midst of that chaos neither of us got hurt....well actually my hand got a little sting from a flying shoe...
So that was a good way to top of an AMAZING week!! :) Let me tell you about the rest of the week!
This week something happened to me that I have always wondered could or would actually happen to me. That is that I MYSELF finally feel that the mission has and will change me...and I don't just mean what I do...I mean who I am, my core-being and my core-desires. I have learned one very important thing....I am not all that, BUT I have a big desire to be all I can be in the Lord's hands. I think that the Lord has finally seen that I have finally changed and am doing things for pure and righteous reasons and he is willing to give the blessings that he has wanted to give me for so long! The desire is there and that is what is I am working with now!
I had interviews with President (Shannon here: A mission president presides over a geographical mission area and all the missionaries serving within that area.) and they were so eye-opening! I learned things that I have heard so many times! I am not gonna lie...I thought I was pretty hot stuff before..I had done so much on my mission and people kept telling me about how great I was and all this..I guess I was not humble as I thought I was...then President called me on priestcrafts...can you believe that PREISTCRAFT! I thought that was something that voodoo people did....but my eyes were opened to all the things that I did that was preistcraft-like. I was "trying to exercise control or dominion or compulsion upon the souls of the children of men in [quite a large] degree of unrighteousness." I was doing it to look good to leaders, family, friends. So I apologize to all those that received this kind of impression! So anyways, now I am repenting for that ;) haha.
I am just excited to say the kinds of blessings that really purifying myself, sanctifying my efforts and doing things with the Sole purpose of serving my God will bring! Everything I do I want to be for the Glory of God!
This last week I also went on exchanges with an Elder Named Elder Hanset....that kid is SO FUNNY! We did some good work but we also made something called "THE FACE" It is something my trainer did super well! What it is is this smile that you put on to show that you are happy but also let the person know that you know they are lying straight to your face. It is hard to master but...when done right this is what happens.
"Hi, I am a missionary....."
“so do you think we could set aside time to sit with you for like 20 min. another day and tell you more about this message?"
"oh no I am way to busy, I have no time"
**INITIATE THE FACE**
"Really...you don't have TWENTY min?"
"...........okay I guess I have twenty"
haha I know it sounds pretty funny but I am so serious....this works so well!! It is like your eyes just pierce their soul! Lets get these miracles going!
As a last little thought...I ate Pig Retina yesterday...it was actually super good! (Is this the Elder Gish that wouldn't even TOUCH broccoli a year ago?.....yes) haha.
Sorry this email has been a little all over the place..but really I feel like I have been all over the place recently. However I feel like now I can finally settle down and be established with who I want to be! I want to do BECOME this person so that all of this goes beyond my mission. If I just DO it...then it will all go away in about a year...I don't want to let that happen.
I hope everyone can go do the same thing...this week just think about who the Savior is to you and think about what he means to you. He is everything to me and that is why i am out here sharing his Gospel to everyone within my reach! And sometimes out of my reach #climbinguphugetrucks
I love you all! Remember who you are, why you are here on the Earth, what is important and that you are Loved!
Elder Gish
-
Ge Sheng Long ZhangLao
葛勝龍長老
