Hualien, Taiwan

So I love being a missionary!! Yay. That's a good thing wouldn't you agree? Things have been going good down here in Hualien. I really believe this is one of the most prepared places in all of Taiwan. You have no Idea.

Fun things that went down this week:

We have 4 investigators preparing to be baptized next month! This is seriously so cool. It has been frustrating though because one has been trying for weeks but she had to get a second interview, and then she drank tea on saturday and is super busy on the weekends and has to be keeping all the commandments for at least a week. BUT that is not to diminish the progress she has made. She cut smoking cold turkey last week and has not gone back. She is awesome. I just love these people! Agh, I can't stop smiling :)

Another Investigator that is doing really well is Iris. She is so cool and seriously a huge miracle. She met the zone leaders at a night market and they invited her to come to English Class. She came to it that night and agreed to set up with us to learn about the Gospel. As time went on we realized that she is Golden as far as investigators go. I say this because the first baptismal date we set for her was June 6th. When we proposed that she looked at us funny and said "那麼久?" or in English "That long?"  So the next time we met with her we bumped it up to a time we thought was still reasonable and she was like is "Is anyone else getting baptized then?" We told her the baptism closest to her new date was on the 17th, a whole week sooner and she was like "lets do it then, so I can be baptized with someone else". So my mind is blown that I keep meeting all these awesome people. So many blessings.

As far as life goes I feel really bad for Elder Marchant, he is feeling the trunkiness for sure although he is working really hard to fight it. I want to know the best thing I can do to help a dying missionary if you have any suggestions in that regard but the thing is, I think he is a great companion. He wants to work hard and he is a hard worker! And I really admire how in tune with the spirit he is. Because of that one of the most amazing things I have seen in the field happened here. We were just visiting an RC when My companion had this super strong prompting that we should go to the Zhou families house. When we got there, we saw these white people in there meeting with him and we were super worried they were like another churches missionaries or something but when we got in it just so happened to be a returned missionary that Elder Marchant said was assistant way back before I got on the Island. His parents were the owners of DoTerra Oils! How crazy is that? AND they are from Smithfield originally. Sky View Alumni. Small world. Anyways, We ended up sitting down and they introduced us to the dad of the Zhou family who was not yet baptized. It was my first time meeting him and because of the situation and the spirit that was in that room when we met him Zhou Dx finally agreed to meet with the missionaries! It was a super cool experience.

I seriously feel like Heavenly Father has literally opened the windows of heaven and poured out enough blessings that I don't have room to receive any more. The people we meet are just coming to us, Hualien is so prepared it is ridiculous! We have 4 baptisms scheduled for next month. FOUR!!! I saw 1 in 6 months in my last area. I am learning and growing so much here. I love the people in Taiwan SO much. I love them I love them I love them. I am the happiest that I have ever been serving a mission and the more I have learned to lose myself and serving others the more that happiness has increased. I can scarcely stop smiling :)

I love hearing from you all!

 Take care and talk to you next week!

Love, Elder Heaps :)

We  GOT FOOD! Super awesome meal. Members bought us all this wonderful SEAFOOD!!! Sushi, Shark, Shark Fin, Jelly Fish, Mambo Fish, Wasabi, and then in addition to that there was Pigs Foot, Jumbo Shrimp, Guava Juice, and Mochi Balls! I was the only Elder there that liked seafood. Also the only missionary that liked the sushi, I ate a lot. That sushi platter was eaten 80 percent by me. Good Food...