Taiwan post January 13, 2014

Taiwan is amazing. The members are amazing they are so willing to welcome investigators and less active members. It is so cool seeing the ward work together and being able to be a part of it. To be able to help them learn more about missionary work, and how to share the gospel with their friends and family. To hear their testimonies and to testify how this gospel has changed their lives and has brought them so many blessings.

Last p-day we went to Sun Moon Lake. It is a really big lake that lots of tourists go and visit, took a boat around and looked at the shops and visited a temple near the water. The area is old so there are older buildings and shops. Lots of fun and very pretty. We when with our recent convert and some less actives and hung out and talked.

Elder Shelton will be training, he is our district leader right now. So it is very exciting. We get to see his new companion on Sunday!!!

Wishing everyone a happy new year!!! And stay safe and warm through the winter season.

Love Sister Basko

Taiwan post January 6, 2014

Dear Everyone,

This week has been so great. I have focused on looking for miracles that happen every day and for blessings that I see in my life. And every night I write them down so that I can remember them and so that I can thank Heavenly Father for the wonderful opportunities that He gives us. Some miracles I have seen are how our recent converts are changing. When they are reading the Book of Mormon and really studying its teaching. They are applying what they have learned in their lives. Their testimonies kept growing and their faith is strengthened. So that when they are having a hard time they know they can pray and read the scriptures and God will communicate with them and they will feel peace and comfort, and find the answers they are looking for. Miracles are known that God is always a prayer away. That He is so willing to help us, we just have to be willing to pray and ask Him, asking in Faith and trusting that He will helps us. I know this church is true. I have felt so much peace and comfort that I know God knows each of us. I know that Christ came to earth to give us a way to return to live with our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, and to know how to improve our own lives and how to overcome trials with God’s help.

Love Sister Basko

 

 

 

 

 

Taiwan post December 30, 2013

We had a baptism this week!!!  Her name is Yang Jiemei, or Rice. She is so amazing. Our recent convert Cai Jiemei is her classmate, and invited her to church and she came. She saw that our recent convert was much happier and wanted to know why, and now she is reading the Book of Mormon like a champ and loving it. She is so excited to share what she has learned from the Book of Mormon each time we meet. She is so amazing. She really has seen how the Gospel of Jesus Christ has brought blessing into her life and brought greater happiness and it is amazing to see her change and become a happier person.

This week was Christmas, and was really awesome. We met some really amazing people who are interested in learning about God and who He is. We started meeting with them and sharing more about God and they are really interested. This gospel brings great happiness and a desire to be better and more loving and patient with others. It helps us to stop focusing on ourselves to focus on others. Serving the way Christ did and learning how to truly love everyone, the way Christ would, and trying to understand them.

I know that this gospel brings lasting peace and happiness. I know that through the Saviors atonement we are able to change our lives and become better people. God is able to change our nature and become the very best, to become the person that God knows we can become. He knows each of us and wants to help us through our struggles and trails. We just need to be willing to let Him. To have faith that He will help us and trusting in His grace.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!!!!

Love Sister Basko

ps. I loved hearing from everyone!!! Hearing your stories and experiences.

 

recent convert at baptism

Ice cream pizza

Taiwan post December 23, 2013

This week has been so amazing. So many things have happened. And we have been working hard. This week we had exchanges with our sister training leaders in Zhanghua. I left the area, so Hsu Jiemei was leading the area. She’s only been here about a week...so I prayed that she would be ok...it seemed to have gone well. I went on exchanges with Sister Chord. She is so amazing. We went out to a secondary area (which means it’s far away) it was raining and the bike ride was about 45 minutes. But it was really cool. Got to see so many Taiwanese temples and different buildings. It was awesome. Then on the way back, we were going to end up soaking wet, so we rode through really big puddles and had fun on the way home. :) Their investigator is so amazing, her insights on the parts of the Book of Mormon that she reads are really deep. She is so in tune with the spirit.

Thursday this week we went as a whole mission to Sun Moon Lake!!!!! It is a really pretty lake and a huge tourist spot. There is a really big temple there and we all got a picture together. I got lots of pictures with other missionaries and with my trainer. It was really cool seeing missionaries that I have never met. Since my companion is Taiwanese, I got to meet more of the Taiwanese missionaries. It was so much fun. The temple is huge and lots of people come. Then there is an area to buy food, and trinkets. The shops are old styled shops. I bought mochi (mashed rice...sesame seed, peanut, cherry, melon, mango, walnut, taro, chocolate, red bean) so many different kinds. It was so delicious. Then we bought fried taro. It was interesting, pretty good, and very unique. Then we went to a huge restaurant and ate Japanese styled food, meats, and noodle dishes, rice dishes, sushi, ice cream, and fried food. It was really good. Then we went to the Dongqu chapel (the church building I go to every week for church) and had a devotional. It was really inspiring. President Blickstaff had really interesting insights on 2 Nephi, the Isaiah chapters, the Isaiah chapters in the bible were not changed because they were not understood.

This Saturday our investigator had a baptismal interview. She is going to be baptized on Dec 28. So exciting. She is so ready. We review the questions before she had the interview. And she felt ready!!!! She is our recent convert’s friend. She is so amazing, she is reading the Book of Mormon like crazy, and she is already half way through Alma. Then that night we had an activity at the mission office, the chapel next to it. There was a Christmas celebration, we invited everyone to come, and welcomed them to learn more about Christ. There was a choir that sang Christmas songs, and then little children sang some Christmas songs. It was really cool, you could feel the spirit. We had people walk in off the street to see was what going on. We invited them to learn more about Christ.

Christmas is a really special time to focus on the Savior and His life of service and His sacrifice. We are more focused on finding ways to serve others and to help them feel His love in their lives. I love this time of year where I can refocus and learn more about Him and learn what ways I can change to be more Christ-like. To be more humble and willing to change. Merry Christmas!!!!!

"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men" Luke 2:14

Love Sister Basko

Sorry for the late posting. It was so awesome to talk to Rachel on the 24th (for us) the 25th (for her). She looks so good and she is so excited about being out serving the Lord and bringing them unto Christ.  Here is a link to the missions blog and the video the took of the missionaries singing Christmas hymns. Rachel is on the front row in the red coat. Merry Christmas. Mom

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hn--NC24fHs&feature=youtu.be

Taiwan post December 16, 2013

Last week...We had our English Christmas party at the church. We went caroling and taught our English students some English Christmas songs. We split up and went to businesses that are nearby and sang Christmas songs them. Came back and got pictures with Santa and had snacks and hot chocolate. It was a really good activity, it was great everyone got involved and was doing something uplifting to share the spirit of Christ. Another day we had two people scheduled for the same time. So Sister Adams and I went on splits with members, I went with our Relief Society president to visit a less active. And Sister Adams went with a ward member to visit an investigator. It was a really good experience to go teach with the Relief Society president and to work with her to get to know our less active member. Saturday night Sister Adams found out she is moving to Gaoxiong, Xiao Gong. And I am staying here and my new companion will be Hsu Jiemei.

This week....Got Sister Adams completely packed up and headed to the train station, got to know some sister's I have never met before. It was really good. My companion wasn’t due to arrive until 3:30, so we had a while to wait, Yoyo and Li Jiemei were there with me. We went and ate, came back and talked and walked around. At about 4:30 we finally met Hsu Jiemei. We got Hsu Jiemei settled into our apartment, email our families from the Church and headed to FHE (Family home evening). We now have two Taiwanese missionaries in our area. The Elder Page and Elder Lin (Taiwanese companion) are over Wufeng. Then Hsu Jiemei and I are over Wufeng and Dali, and then the Dali elders (both Americans), Elder Buhler and Elder Shelton. This Saturday we had a family history class for anyone to come to. Elder Packer (one of the Twelve Apostles) came and spoke about family history, I could understand what he was saying because he was speaking English, and they had a Chinese translator for non-English speakers.

This week has been great. I have learned what true patience is, which is to be able to say the same thing over and over again so that my companion can understand what I am saying. And for her also to repeat things over again so that I can understand what she is saying. And to be willing to compromise and learn to work together. It has been an interesting experience. I have really felt God helping me to be able to understand her, and to really help her to get to know our investigators.

Merry Christmas everyone!!!!!!! I love you, and pray that you have a great year!!!!

Love Sister Basko

Taiwan post December 9, 2013

We had a new move call. I am still in Dali/Wufeng. Sister Adams moved to Gaoxiang, Xiaogong. So I am going to teach my senior companion about our area and show her where everything is. She is Taiwanese. She doesn't speak much English, so I will learn tons. Crazy day but we didn't get back until late, so I don't have much time. But this week what really good. It was a little colder this week, but not too cold.

This week we had a Christmas party. It was cool one of the members dressed as Santa, and we went caroling. It was fun. We helped clean up and headed home. We watched the Joseph smith movie with our investigators this Saturday. It was really good. There were only Chinese subtitles, so I could understand what was going on. It was so spiritual. It was great to be able to see the movie and show our investigators that Joseph Smith was a normal guy. God calls normal people to do His work. He qualifies those called.

Love Sister Basko

Taiwan post December 2, 2013

Dear Everyone,

   Last week of the move call. (Move calls are every 6 weeks when missionaries are moved around, or stay in the same area and get a new companion). Last Monday we went up to the Chuandaobu (mission office) to meet Nicole, Sister Adams recent convert. We hung out with her, got to know her, and took some pictures. She wants to serve a mission. It is so amazing, so we talked to her about serving a mission. She is so awesome!!!!

   Wednesday Elder Funk was at the Chuandaobu for the mission tour. (mission tour means that an area Seventy comes to the mission, meets with missionaries and talks to us about how we are doing and how we can always improve), and he talked to us missionaries about our work, and how it is important to always have the spirit, without the spirit it is hard for the investigators to learn, and they can really feel that this gospel is special. Got to know some new sisters that I had never met before. They were really cool. So funny. The meeting ended at 3:00pm, but we didn’t catch the bus till 3:30pm so we didn't get home till 4:00pm. Hurried home and got all the stuff we needed for English. The English class starts at 4:30pm, and we can't be late. Sister Adams and I had 20 minutes to get there. We prayed for a miracle and then gave it everything we had. We got to Chaoyang University in 20 minutes. It normally takes 40ish minutes. I can testify God is aware of our needs and gives us power to do what we need to do. He supports us and loves us, and when we do our best and are obedient, we see miracles.

    Thursday was crazy cold, the sun wasn't out so it was about 14 degrees Celsius (57.2 F), and we don't really have winter clothing. We stopped by an investigators house and she saw we didn't have scarves. So she brought out some scarves and gave them to us. She was so sweet. If you are not wearing the proper clothing, people are not willing to talk to you. Then our last investigator we met with took us out to have dinner. We had seafood noodle soup for dinner. Happy Thanksgiving!!! But we were running short on time, we had a skit practice at the church, but we weren't worried, and she offered to drive us to the church. So we were able to give her a tour of the church. She could really feel the spirit. It was really amazing experience.

  When we are teaching, but just saying it because that is what we know. The Holy Ghost isn't able to testify. We need to share the parts we truly believe, and testify on it. So that the investigator knows that we believe this, and have applied this in our lives. It was really cool, Sister Adams and I had a very spiritual lesson and we surely testified of the Plan of Salvation, and if our investigator didn't understand what we said or the question we asked, our peika (member at a lesson) would explain it. It was a really cool experience, thinking about what the Celestial Kingdom will be like. What it will be like to have a perfect body, to be with my family and have peace and joy, and to truly have no troubles. It will be so amazing.

    Saturday we had our Thanksgiving party at the church. We had a huge turkey, mash potatoes, sweet potato casserole, pumpkin pie and apple pie. Everything turned out so good. The members brought so much food. There were so many kinds of meats, and breads. Rice, soups and tons of fruits for dessert and cakes. It was awesome. We had so many people come. Then the Dali and Wufeng missionaries, my area, did a play on the pilgrims and why we have Thanksgiving then it went into the Joseph Smith story. It was really cool. This week was crazy busy, and so many miracles and blessings. I love you all, stay warm!!!

Love Sister Basko

Zone training

11-2013

 

 

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