Monday, July 28, 2014

Taiwan post July 28, 2014

This was a week of miracles! We were supposed to have a huge typhoon come on island. But it changed directions and went to Taipei and then headed to China. It was fast moving storm and so we only got rains and some winds. We barely got anything...it was a baby typhoon for us in Gaoxiong. So we are doing well. We got to see some crazy looking storm clouds that zoomed across the sky. But we were luckily inside most of the time when the worst rain happened. We still had a lot of people willing to meet and had so many opportunities to get to know some new people in Gangshan. Our members were also super amazing since they were still willing to peika for us and be at our lessons.

We had so many interesting things happen. We had a less active call us up and ask if we could meet with him and his daughter. So we headed over and luckily we had a member with us and so we talked with this member it was a really good lesson but we were not able to meet his daughter. :( but on Sunday we were outside eating our dinner that we brought with us and we saw this less active again and his daughter was in the car. So we were able to meet his daughter and we got to know us a little bit. So we will follow up with her.

Cai Jiemei went tracting with us a couple of times this week, we were able to help those that we came in contact with see how somebody else’s life changed. Her testimony was really powerful. We are really blessed that she was willing to come with us tracting. On Sunday we went tracting again. Sister Sears and I prayed really hard to know where we needed to go, we felt like we needed to get to Xieren Road. We went there at the first house was a family that let us in and we got to talk to them about the gospel and invited them to church. Their kids are studying English so we got to talk to them for a little bit. It was a huge miracle and as we continued down the road so many people were willing to learn more and so we will follow up with them and have a chance to get to know them better. Really exciting to see God working with the people here in Gangshan.

Love you all!!!
Sister Basko

Typhoon clouds

Sister Sears out looking at the clouds from the typhoon

Rachel out looking at the clouds from the typhoon

Raining so hard the mountain disappears

Sister Cai, preparing to serve her own mission

fruit - dragon eyes
 
I want to share something that Rachel shared with me this week. She talks about how the people don't go out in the rain. Sisters Basko and Sears teach English classes and on the day of the typhoon (since it was a dud) they went out to teach their English class, they had 6 people show up, normally they have 40 people in their class. That is pretty cool that weekly they teach 40 people English. mom

Monday, July 21, 2014

Taiwan post July 21, 2014

As typhoons get closer to Taiwan people really get worried. They do not like the rain and so when it is raining there is no one on the streets. So street contacting is out. We are calling phones and setting up people to visit when it is not raining. It has not rained too much but when it does it is a down pour. We are staying safe and are keeping up dated by our members on the impending typhoon. So we are really excited to see the miracles Heavenly Father has in stored for this week.

This Sunday we ate dinner with our members. Super fun and a long ride but on our way home a member took us to a less active member’s house...who is super solid in the gospel...she just is not coming to church. So we are going to work with her and her family. Sister Sears and I are really excited to meet with her again and see if we can help her daughter prepare for a mission. New challenges and blessings are in store for everyone who seeks to find truth.

This week has been so much fun. We went tracting with some of our members. These are fun and faith testing experiences. Keeping our faith up that the people we talk to would be willing to listen and have interest in learning more. Through this gospel everyone can have an eternal family with those family members who have died or who are estranged from their families. They can have an opportunity to repair relationships and have a happy eternal family.

I love you all. I know this gospel is true. We share about Christ and through him all things are possible. Stay strong. Happiness is right around the corner.

Love Sister Basko

Sunday, July 13, 2014

Taiwan Post July 14, 2014

This week has been amazing. I have a new companion her name is Sister Sears, she is from Utah and she has been in Taiwan for 5 months. And she is just a fireball; she is pushing this work forward!!!! We have seen so many miracles in just one week that it is incredible. We have been practicing like crazy so that we are prepared for those new investigators that we will find. It has really helped. We had so many interesting lessons. We set up to meet with young women who are LA, and our member was not able to come. But we still went and visited this girl, we found out that she had friends over at that time and said that we could still come in. So we shared about God and Jesus Christ and prayer with her and she helped explain it to her friends. It was a really a good lesson and we were also able to see that she really does have a testimony she does not have faith in herself. So we are going to build her faith!!!! It is going to be so awesome!!!! She is super cute just not confident in herself.

We had an investigators set up for Saturday she did not show up, we had a member come to Peika. But since our investigator did not come we were able to get to know our member better. She has a really cool story. She is the only member in her family; she is a long time member of 10+ years. Her husband was fine with her being baptized. I think it was President Hinckley that invited us to read the Book of Mormon in 1 year. And so she did it. She was reading the Book of Mormon everyday...and really late at night. Her husband got really worried and since she refused to stop reading the Book of Mormon her husband tore it up......4 times since she kept buying a new one. Finally he gave up but did not let her come to church. But she kept praying and reading, and little by little she has started coming back to church. And little by little her husband stopped stopping her from coming. I know that if everyone of us reads the Book of Mormon daily and prays sincerely that God will help us come closer to him. That we will truly be converted. Her experience really helped strengthen my testimony, that this church is true. That God will bless us and our families with happiness as we did our best to follow him.

Sister Sears and I set a goal to find 3 new investigators last night. And we practiced like crazy to get ready. Then said a prayer and asked for God to help us and guide us. So we left our apartment and walked a little ways. Turned down a road. Knocked the first 2 house...no answer. the 3rd house was a cute family. The guy came out...but didn't have much interest. We testified that this gospel can help and bless our families with happiness. He let us in and we shared about the plan of salvation with him and his wife. They are super cute and the spirit was so strong. We are super excited to go back and see them next week. I know that God will help us find those that are ready if we personally are prepared...

This work is God's work. We are representative of Christ for the rest of our lives and if we do all we can we will live with God again. We will stand at the judgment bar and know our garments are clean and will have no guilt left on our conscience. I love you all. Stay strong.

Love Sister Basko

Monday, July 7, 2014

Taiwan post July 7, 2014

This move call is one year on my mission. Every day I think about how long I have been serving, and how incredible fast it has been. So many things have changed and I still have so much I want to change. I am now senior companion with an amazing companion. She is on her 4th move call. This means she has been serving in Taiwan for about 4 months. She is super excited, and it is going to be an amazing move call.

Hope this hurricane season is ok, and that the typhoons in Taiwan are not too big. But we will see. The lord is on our side. Love you all stay safe and healthy.

Love Sister Basko

Previous companion

New companion, Sister Sears