Let Your Light So Shine

 Sister DeVictoria writing:

Last Saturday the Relief Society President asked if I could teach Relief Society the next day.  They just called a new teacher but her child was sick.  The Relief Society president had spent most of the week in the hospital with a sister who had surgery for breast cancer.  So I was happy to help out.  The lesson was based on the talk "Be Still and Know that I am God" from last General conference.  We attend the English ward, so I didn't have to teach in Chinese

On Monday I had to go to Immigration but couldn't go until the afternoon because I was waiting for a passport photo to be printed so that I could use it for the application.  I got there at about 1:30 and was given the queue number 258.  I looked at the board and saw that they were only on #160.  I had to wait three hours just to get to a service window.  But the two applications couldn't wait any longer because they were time sensitive, so I just read a digital book and dinked around on my phone for 3 hours.  With travel, the whole trip took 4 hours.  It was kind of exhausting.  I took this picture but noticed that my eyes were closed.  But actually, this is probably more true to how I was feeling.

I'm borrowing a photo from the Whiteleys because I love it so much.  This is a photo they took at Shilin Night Market. The three sister missionaries in this photo had just arrived in Taiwan about 2 hours before this was taken. Look closely, the three of them are on the right facing away from the camera. Culture Shock!

I also ran across this old photo of the mission home from when I was a young missionary.  This building was where the Taipei Temple now is located.  Not long after I arrived, the church purchased the office building we are now in.

On Tuesday I had to go back to Immigration again.  I had planned to do the one application the day before, but the missionary was a day late arriving in Taiwan, so I couldn't do it the same day as the other two.  But this time I got smart and went first thing in the morning.  I was in and out in about 1/2 an hour!  Such bliss!!  

Last night the office Elders asked if we would be willing to attend a virtual discussion with one of their investigators.  We have attended his discussions live before.  We were happy to help.  It always makes us feel more like real missionaries.  :)  This young man has been going through some trials and needs all the spiritual support he can get.  He is from Indonesia. 

I wanted to mention that awhile back one of the Elders was talking to a non-member about the gospel.  When he was talking, he was literally glowing with the Spirit.  I remember teachers in church telling me that people can see a light about members of the church, but I never really believed it.  But as I have matured spiritually, I have come to see that light for myself.  It kind of always takes me by surprise.  It is a testament to the goodness of these missionaries.

On Wednesday I made a trip to reserve a certain restaurant for the missionaries who are going home in September.  We actually have two separate appointments because the groups aren't leaving on the same day.  I also went ahead and scheduled for October.  This is an all-you-can-eat restaurant that the missionaries love.  While I was walking to the restaurant it starting raining like crazy!  The wind was blowing so strong and the rain was pouring down.  All the people I saw were waiting under awnings or roofs til it blew over.  I waited under a roof too because I didn't want my umbrella to get broken in the wind.  I took a small 20-seconds video that I will try to insert.

 

 

While I was walking in the Subway I ran across an art exhibit.  I saw this drawing and snapped a picture.  I was confused because the clothing looked like the clothing only an Emperor would wear, but I could tell the person was a woman.  I asked one of our senior missionaries.  She said this woman is a Chinese opera star.  In Chinese opera many women play the part of men, and this woman is one of the most famous. It was behind glass, and there is a little glare from a sign behind me (sorry) but I enjoyed seeing it and all the other drawings on display.  

Elder DeVictoria writing:

 

I too was in the subway station and saw this public notice on the wall, I thought it was interesting.  Taiwanese are pretty polite and sensitive to the needs of others, for the most part.  There's pretty strong social pressure here to behave within certain bounds.

We had a couple more earthquakes this week.  Each one is startling and emphasizes the point that we are powerless over the elements and the behavior of the earth and for that matter, political and social upheavals too, like war or economic disasters, etc.  All we can do is be personally prepared, especially spiritually and morally.  I don't want the building falling down on top of me while I'm unclean.  That's why I'm trying to repent constantly.  I often think to myself, "am I prepared to die at this time?"  I don't have a death wish, I would really like to witness and make it through all the events of the return of Jesus Christ to the earth...  I don't want to die, but I do want to be prepared for it.

 

 “As evil increases in the world, there is a compensatory spiritual power for the righteous. As the world slides from its spiritual moorings, the Lord prepares the way for those who seek Him, offering them greater assurance, greater confirmation, and greater confidence in the spiritual direction they are traveling. The gift of the Holy Ghost becomes a brighter light in the emerging twilight.” Elder Neil L. Anderson