Emails 9/26/16

Ok, well this was a pretty intense week. We are whitewashing, which means we are both new to the area and we don't have any investigators or anything like that to work with. I think that's kind of cool that I'm starting and ending whitewash training. :) A fitting end, I feel like. :) We have spent pretty much all day every day so far out on the streets contacting. It's been a good experience, but definitely a building and trying experience, especially since we weren't able to get any lessons this week. :o There were some miracles Saturday and Sunday and we have some pretty cool potential people set up for next week! Just pray they come and they don't just not show up like the people from last week. 

It's been really stressful and difficult, but at the same time, it's hopefully helping me become better and there are things that I still need to learn. 

Monday was Pday. We bought stuff, and then I cleaned the apartment a little while my companion happily napped. :) I remember just starting my mission and being exhausted all the time... Oh wait, I still am exhausted all the time, I'm just more used to it. ;) 

Tuesday we contacted on the streets all day. 

Wednesday was the same. We have English class on Wednesday nights and we are now in charge of teaching the kid's class, so that was fun. :) It went well and there are some pretty funny kids in that class. Hopefully we will be able to keep them under control through out the transfer. :) 

Thursday we contacted all day. 

Friday we did weekly planning, and then contacted the rest of the day. 

Saturday was good. We had a zone conference, where we learned from President Teh for a while. That was great! We talked about some amazing things and it's really exciting to see where he's taking the work! The work here is going to grow exponentially with him here and afterwards! I wish I could be around for it!! :D 

Sunday, we had church. Then at night we contacted and set up a couple people to meet with us. That was pretty cool! Hopefully we'll start meeting with some people and getting some things to stick here now. :) 

That's about it. Hope you all had a great week! 

Here is an excerpt from my letter to President this week: 

I feel I have learned a lot this week. Before this transfer, I prayed asking Heavenly Father to help me to learn the last lessons I would need to learn here on the mission. I feel I have found some of those lessons that I still need to learn. One of them is the importance of apologizing to others. Apologizing is incredibly powerful. I have not been very good at that in my life. I always feel awkward about bringing things I've done wrong up with others, so I often try to brush it off. I have also realized that now I need to make sure I am doing EVERYTHING I can and be as obedient, diligent, faithful, humble to qualify for the Lord's help, because it is His work and I need to keep up with it.

-- 

Elder Fleming

Sorry. I think these are the only 2 pictures I took this week...I need to do better at taking more pictures :/ I'll try to take more this week. Those pictures are of a dish I really like here. It's noodles, an egg and steak on top. 

Emails 9/19/16

So, I'm in JiaYi now! :) It's pretty cool. I'm training Elder Chen, who's from Taipei on my last two transfers :o I didn't know if you knew that or not, but I figured I should probably let you know. 

Sorry not much time left. :/ Here's my email to President and a picture. :) 

Dear President,
What an eventful week! There were so many surprises this week, I don't know where to begin. I appreciated your emails to the mission this week. I felt some of it was specifically for me. There was a lot of stress this week when you called me and told me I would be training. More stress as I realized I would be "whitewash" training, both of us would be new to the area and wouldn't have any investigators to work with. I haven't done that since I was trained myself at the beginning of my mission. I remember it was pretty xin ku (difficult). Despite the stress, and a little bit because of the stress, it was a pretty good week! I'll miss Elder Musgrave and GaoXiong, but I'm excited to work here in JiaYi with Elder Chen. So far, he's been doing really well, despite getting up early every day. 

This week I learned a lot in the Book of Mormon. I focus every time I see the word "Remember" in a verse and I try to think about it. It is important to remember our experiences, especially our spiritual experiences. I also liked in 2 Nephi, I think it was chapter 10, Nephi states that "all the Lord's promises are fulfilled." I have also been making a list of verses with covenants and promises the Lord makes with us and with His people in the Book of Mormon, and looking back through it, I discovered that every one of His promises was fulfilled. 
This week, we were able to spend plenty of time practicing contacting. I think the biggest miracles I saw were Elder Chen's attitude and willingness to work, and his diligence in talking with others. I've learned a lot from him already and I am excited to continue to learn from him and learn with him.

Oh yeah, also Elder Anderson's training!! :D I have two trainees and my trainee now has a trainee!! :D Super cool!! 

-- 

Elder Fleming

Emails 9/12/16

Ok, not much time, so this one will probably be short. 

We finished week 5 of the transfer just now, so we are on our last week of the transfer. :o It went by sooo fast!! :o We'll see what happens next week if I stay here or leave. I'm guessing I'll leave, but I've been wrong about this stuff before... I'd be ok either way. It's a great area, but if the Lord needs me somewhere else, I'm willing to leave. 

Monday we rested, played some board games--Elder Musgrave has Settlers of Catan!! :D So we played that a bunch! :) Afterwards, we contacted, then visited an active member family. I love visiting with the members here, it's one of my favorite things to do! :) 

Tuesday was ztm! :D That was pretty fun! It's always a great boost to learn with and from the zone there! Afterwards, we went on exchanges with the Elders from Qi Shan, which went pretty well. They seem like they're doing great! 

Wednesday we had English class, and between the rain and school starting, we had 3 people show up (we usually have between 14 and 20). :o We didn't know what to do at first! But we survived it, thankfully. :)

Thursday we had to go to zuo ying for a baptismal interview. That went well and he passed! He should be ready for baptism! :D Then, we contacted a lot that day. It was a little difficult for some reason these past couple weeks to contact people (mostly because of the rain) because there was a lot of rejection. It's all good, it's part of the work, we just invite. 

Friday went well, weekly planning then a couple of potential investigators ditched out on the lessons. Bummer. 

Saturday was contacting the whole day. It actually went pretty well!! :D We saw some cool miracles--the rain stopped, for one, thankfully! So that was good to see some things happening! 

Then yesterday was great! Church was really good, and I felt like I recieved a lot of revelation there, which was awesome, and not something I feel like usually happens at church for me, especially in a foreign language, so that was great! 

That's about it. Love you guys!! 

Email to President:

Dear President,

Another great week has gone by in San Min. It has been great to learn from and with Elder Musgrave. He has a very willing attitude about everything, which is something I really appreciate. On Saturday, we didn't have any lessons set up, and decided we would be out contacting on the streets all day. As we were making the plan, I was cringing on the inside a little bit because it was a lot of time where we would just be out on the roads in the heat talking to people. But Elder Musgrave seemed completely calm about it. I was very impressed. I want to learn from that trait and be better and have more faith when I look at opportunities like that. It helped me to think more about the benefits to contacting all day on the streets.

This last week, I started the Book of Mormon over again. I am looking for all the times it mentions "remembrance" and I am trying to keep track of all the covenants the Lord makes with us and with the people in the Book of Mormon. In 1 Nephi 13: 23, it states that the Book of Mormon is full of covenants the Lord makes and has made with us. I have been thinking about the covenants we have already made and the covenants we have yet to make and pondering their importance. I realized that both at baptism and in the temple we covenant with the Lord to stand as witnesses of Christ and to share the Gospel with others. It really hit me as I read 1 Nephi 13:37 the importance of the covenants we make with Christ and what it means to me. I need to make sure I am doing all in my power to be constantly inviting others to come unto Christ.

--

Elder Fleming

Playing Catan

Cheese fried rice!! 8) So good!

Elder Musgrave and I at the cheesy fried rice place :)

Emails 9/5/16

Hello all! I hope everyone had a great week! 

This week was pretty good.

Monday, we went to a buffet, and it started pouring rain about 7 minutes before we got there, so when we got there we were drenched! :o It was fun though, and we ate good food. :) My poor wallet took a hit, though... :) 

Afterwards, we met with a potential investigator, who didn't have any interest in the Gospel, which was a bummer. 

Tuesday, we went to Zuo Ying, about a 25 minute bike ride away to go to district meeting. It was good. I realized I needed to be working a lot harder than I was and to keep stretching myself. I am worried I am in "the comfort zone" and am not actively pushing myself to improve. I need to work on my motivation to push myself and to do better. We went on exchanges with other missionaries on Tuesday which was pretty fun! We had a couple lessons with investigators and then went home for the night. 

Wednesday, we exchanged back, so I was with Elder Musgrave again, and contacted people for a while. Wednesday night was English class. That was pretty fun. I like English class.

Thursday we planned for the next week because we had a meeting on Friday. We also had a bunch of lessons fall through. Well, it's happened a lot this week in general... :/ 

Friday was our meeting. That was pretty cool. It was a good Spiritual boost. Also, it poured rain this last week! :o Holy cow! 

Saturday, we contacted all day. It was alright, but lots of rejection. At least it didn't rain on Saturday, too! :) 

Sunday was pretty good. Church is always great! 

Yeah, that's about it, I think. :) I can't believe that there are already only a couple weeks left this transfer! :o 

Here's my letter to President: 

Dear President, 
As another week passed by, I started to think about whether or not I was completely focused on my missionary purpose the entire time. My last companion, Elder Ward, had a phrase, "all in," which means we are giving it our all to the work. I thought back on this previous week, and realized I wasn't "all in" all the time. There were a few moments in the week where I wasn't entirely focused on what I needed to be doing. While I was physically there in the work, my head and heart wasn't there the entire time. I thought of things I need to improve on and do differently this week to be a more effective messenger and advocate of truth. This week I will be "all in." 
This week I studied a lot in Preach My Gospel chapter 9 and chapter 6 in the charity and love section. I have been trying to ask for charity in every prayer. It seems to really make a difference, and when you have charity going into a contact, people react to that sincerity and it is a lot easier to talk with people. 
I am looking forward to this week and to work hard. I am glad it's a new week and Elder Musgrave and I can go out and work hard this week and be all in all the time!

-- 

Elder Fleming