Wow, this week was pretty nuts! Meaning that I am just so tired. We had all kinds of activities and meetings that it made me dizzy! But I'm doing great! It's kind of fun. I'm still loving Jiayi, and the work here is still going strong!
Well, this last week, we had a special meeting with Elder David F. Evans of the Seventy up in Taichung. All of the Taichung Zones, and the ZhongXing Zone got to attend, as well as all of the Zone Leaders and Sister Training Leaders. We talked mostly about focusing on the Doctrinal Purpose of Missionary Work. We talked about using time wisely and really putting the most important things first. Throughout the world, missionaries are putting the focus on "Teaching Repentance, and Baptizing Converts." And Elder Evans really brought that into a new light for us. It was such an incredible meeting. Here is our email from President Teh this week that I feel really sums up everything we talked about:
"Dear Elders and Sisters,
This past week we have been blessed by a brief visit of Elder David F. Evans of the Seventy and a member of the Asia Area Presidency. He reminded us of Elder Dallin H. Oaks' encouragement to all missionaries in the January 2016 broadcast to all missionaries:
“Now that we are past the extraordinary expenditures of time necessary to accommodate large variations in the numbers of missionaries we have experienced over the last two years, including the increased numbers of sister missionaries, we are now able to improve our focus on teaching repentance and baptizing converts. That is the doctrinal purpose of missionary work: teaching repentance and baptizing converts to the gospel of Jesus Christ. We, of course, continue to recognize the importance of helping every missionary become more fully converted unto the Lord and of assisting priesthood and auxiliary leaders in the work of rescuing less active members. We are not reducing our emphasis on these vital aspects of the work of salvation, but these worthwhile endeavors MUST NOT DIVERT US from the fundamental duty we have to teach repentance and baptize converts.” Elder Dallin H. Oaks – January 5, 2016
「過去這兩年，我們因應傳教士人數的大幅變化，包括傳教士姊妹人數的增加，而投注了可觀的時間，現在，我們能進一步將重點放在教導悔改和為歸信者施洗。傳道事工在教義上的目的在於教導悔改，為歸信耶穌基督福音的人施洗。當然，我們會繼續重視：幫助每位傳教士更歸信主，並協助聖職及輔助組織領袖援助較不活躍成員。我們不會減少對救恩事工這些重要層面的強調，但切不可因為這些值得去做的事，而偏離我們的基本職責，即教導悔改和為歸信者施洗。」達林‧鄔克司長老—2016年1月5日
Elder Evans invited each of us to review all the activities we engage in as individuals, companionship, district, zone, and as a mission. Identify which ones are vital and which ones are not. We have been invited to reduce or eliminate activities that may be good, but distract us from performing our fundamental duty to Teach Repentance and Baptize Converts. I echo that invitation.
During the coming months we will be talking more about this invitation. I believe that if we begin now to prayerfully consider the things that we do or the activities that we engage in, God will inspire and bless us.
We love you all very much,
President and Sister Teh"
This past week we have been blessed by a brief visit of Elder David F. Evans of the Seventy and a member of the Asia Area Presidency. He reminded us of Elder Dallin H. Oaks' encouragement to all missionaries in the January 2016 broadcast to all missionaries:
“Now that we are past the extraordinary expenditures of time necessary to accommodate large variations in the numbers of missionaries we have experienced over the last two years, including the increased numbers of sister missionaries, we are now able to improve our focus on teaching repentance and baptizing converts. That is the doctrinal purpose of missionary work: teaching repentance and baptizing converts to the gospel of Jesus Christ. We, of course, continue to recognize the importance of helping every missionary become more fully converted unto the Lord and of assisting priesthood and auxiliary leaders in the work of rescuing less active members. We are not reducing our emphasis on these vital aspects of the work of salvation, but these worthwhile endeavors MUST NOT DIVERT US from the fundamental duty we have to teach repentance and baptize converts.” Elder Dallin H. Oaks – January 5, 2016
「過去這兩年，我們因應傳教士人數的大幅變化，包括傳教士姊妹人數的增加，而投注了可觀的時間，現在，我們能進一步將重點放在教導悔改和為歸信者施洗。傳道事工在教義上的目的在於教導悔改，為歸信耶穌基督福音的人施洗。當然，我們會繼續重視：幫助每位傳教士更歸信主，並協助聖職及輔助組織領袖援助較不活躍成員。我們不會減少對救恩事工這些重要層面的強調，但切不可因為這些值得去做的事，而偏離我們的基本職責，即教導悔改和為歸信者施洗。」達林‧鄔克司長老—2016年1月5日
Elder Evans invited each of us to review all the activities we engage in as individuals, companionship, district, zone, and as a mission. Identify which ones are vital and which ones are not. We have been invited to reduce or eliminate activities that may be good, but distract us from performing our fundamental duty to Teach Repentance and Baptize Converts. I echo that invitation.
During the coming months we will be talking more about this invitation. I believe that if we begin now to prayerfully consider the things that we do or the activities that we engage in, God will inspire and bless us.
We love you all very much,
President and Sister Teh"
What powerful counsel from the Lord's appointed leaders. Anyways, after we had this big meeting, we were invited to stay behind (we, meaning ZL's and STL's) for a special MLC with President Teh and Elder Evans. We discussed a lot of things that we do in the mission, as well as some things that maybe do not directly relate to our purpose of Teaching Repentance and Baptizing Converts. I can't say, but there may be some big changes coming to the mission soon. MLC is kind of an intense environment! Here you have a group of experienced missionaries, counseling together with the Mission President, (who himself is a Seventy) and Elder Evans, another member of the Seventy. I was so spiritually drained after that meeting. But it really is neat to be a part of the decision making process here in the mission. It really does come by divine revelation and you can feel the amount of dedication that is needed to make some of these decisions. It is a rather unique opportunity. Elder Clayson told me that it's not usually as intense as it was this last time, so that makes me feel better! Haha.
Well, nextly, this last week we had the Taiwan Youth Conference in our Zone. All of the youth of Taiwan came to a college in our Zone for 3 days of fun and spiritually uplifting experiences. The Jiayi and Tainan Zones were asked to participate in the event. We were to perform a musical number, the EFY Medly in Chinese for a crowd of about 800 youth, while dressed as the Army of Helaman. It was pretty intense. What we didn't know until later, was that David Archuleta was going to be singing that number with us! Yeah, a lady in our mission is a family friend of the Archuleta's, and she managed to get him over here to Taiwan for a week or two. He got to come and perform for the youth here and that was super awesome. So yeah, I can now say that I've had the opportunity to sing with David Archuleta on stage! That was pretty fun. The youth went nuts when he came out. Anyways, the musical number was so powerful, probably one of the most spiritual experiences on my mission. I was standing there facing the youth of Taiwan, while we all sang "We are as the Army of Helaman. We have been taught in our youth. And we will be the Lord's missionaries, to bring the world His truth," in a foreign tongue. We were almost 1000 voices strong, and I've no doubt that the sound reached as a testimony to Heaven of the determination of these youth to go out and serve the Lord. It was super super neat. I will remember that experience forever.
Well, this last week, I also had a couple of opportunities to try translating! That is really hard. The first was actually at the youth conference. I had a chance to talk with David, who speaks no Chinese, for a couple of minutes with one of our Senior Missionaries, who spoke no English. So, I would translate Elder Chen's Chinese into English for David, while I would translate David's English into Chinese for Elder Chen. Kind of weird going back and forth between the two, but it worked out ok. And it was only for like 3 minutes or so. Just idle chat. But the crazier part was what happened on Sunday. So, we were standing in the hallway waiting for our investigators to show up when President Teh walks into the chapel. He told us he would be attending our meetings that day, and we were like, "Ok, cool." Well, we got to Gospel Principles class and he asked if one of us could translate the class into English for them, since their Chinese isn't that great yet. I agreed to do it, so I spent all of Sunday School sitting in between the Mission President and his Wife trying to translate a lot of very fast Chinese into very basic English! I don't think I've ever been so tired after church in my life!!! But it was fun. And then I also translated for President again during Priesthood meeting, so that also fun. Got to have a little one-on-one bro-down with the Mission President, something that doesn't happen very often. I love President Teh though. He is such a genuine, loving guy and he is just excited to be here. I love talking to him and wish that I had more time left to work with him more. He is a great mission president and will do great things in his time here.
Well, that about sums up the week. Lots of fun stuff. The work is going super duper well. We are working with some really cool people right now. And this week should be even more awesome because we don't have to spend as much time out of the area and in meetings and such. So we are going to go hard this week. And we are expecting miracles!!! Anyways, I love you guys so much and I will talk to you soon!
Sincerely,
Elder Chase Joseph Millett
雷龘鬱長老
Here are some beautiful pictures of the Taipei Taiwan Temple
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| These geckos are everywhere, and they make a really fun sound |
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| Some Missionaries bearing testimony to the youth |
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