May 30, 2012

Hey Momma! Sorry i have not emailed you this week yet, we got a call on sunday telling us that we would be having temple day this week! That means that monday becomes a proselyting day and then on wednesday we go to the temple and have preparation day after the temple trip until 6. Which means we got to go to the temple today! It was so great. I was hoping that some miracle would happen and i would see Robby there but not this time. If you are wondering, the session was in english. I was too scared to do one in chinese this time. The blessings of the temple are huge, you are so right! I am so grateful that we got the chance to go to the temple! It only happens every two move calls and only some of the more northern zones get to go. The spirit is so strong there and i learn each time i go. What an amazing blessing it is to have temples, the house of the Lord where we can go to be closer to Him and be more receptive to His spirit.

 

This week was my first opportunity to teach a lesson by myself! We had set up with investigators at 1, 1:30 and 2 at the chapel, When we arrived at the chapel at 12:45 our 2 o clock lesson was already there! We had to split up and each teach one investigator by ourselves. I was a little nervous at first but the lesson went pretty well. I taught the plan of salvation. It was with a new investigator named brother Wang. He is fantastic. In our first lesson with him my companion and I thought he was a former investigator or a member messing with us because when we asked what he knew about the meaning of baptism, prophets, and about Jesus Christ's life he seriosuly used phrases straight out of preach my gospel. We were so confused. Apparantely he has been baptized in another christian church here and knows quite abit about christianity which seems to not be very common in taiwan. The spirit is strong in our lessons and he is progress very well! The Lord is preparing people right now!

 

This week i started reading Jesus the Christ. If you have not read it, read it. If you have already read it, read it again! I love that book. The testimony in it of the divine calling of Jesus Christ as our saviour and reedemer is so very strong and i have learned alot while reading it, though i am only in the second chapter right now. Every time i read it my desire to testify to everyone of our saviour Jesus Christ grows stronger and stronger, just as we have been told, as our knowledge of the gospel grows, our desire to share it grows also.

 

Also, if you have not seen On the Lord's Errand, the movie about the life of Thomas S. Monson, you must watch it! Thomas S. Monson is truly a prohet of God and is guiding our church today according to God's will. I look up to him so much as an amazing example of a Christlike person and am grateful for all that he does in service of the Lord and his fellow men.

 

I forgot to bring my camera this time! I am sorry! Wow Connor does look so much like Dustin! He is getting so much bigger! Tell Stephen Jr. to stop trying so hard to look like dad, especially the white hair! Haha love and miss you bro. Tell Celeste that if she hasn't made that CD yet add some freddie ashby on there like come thou fount. Thanks sister i love you bunches! Hope all is well at home, i will talk to you on monday!   Love- Elder Ripley