Sunday, May 5, 2013

獨樂樂不如眾樂樂

Contacting day in and day out

Dear Family and Friends, 
It's here...It's really here...I never really thought this day would actually come.  The day that I would sit at this computer unsure of what to say, the last time to share my feelings, my gratitude, and my testimony.  Hopefully I'll be able to express all these bittersweet feelings I have with you all today.  To start off I'd like to share with you all a proverb/idiom (one of those things).  When I was first being trained in FengJia, my trainer shared it with me and it goes like this: 獨樂樂不如眾樂樂.  The best way to explain it is that the one and only kind of happiness is not like all the other kinds of happiness.  Throughout these two years of serving I have been able to experience a lot of different things.  Living in amoung a different people, within a different society where the culture and traditions are somewhat different has helped me see and experience things in a whole new way.  After contacting thousands of people, talking with them about their lives, and sharing the gospel with them, my eyes have been opened and my testimony on the "one and only" source of true happiness has been strengthened.  That "one and only" true happiness comes through our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and through His Gospel.  "And now, behold, my beloved brethren, this is the way; and there is none other way nor name given under heaven whereby man can be saved in the kingdom of God."  
I am so grateful for these past two years to be able to selflessly serve in order to bring this "one and only" happiness to my brothers and sisters here in Taiwan, to give them a fair chance to receive eternal life in the presence of their Heavenly Father.  I am grateful for a loving Heavenly Father who allowed each of us to come down to this earth to learn and grow.  I know that He loves each and everyone of us and has restored His gospel to bring us peace and happiness in this life of mortality.  During these past two years I have experienced many trials, challenges, and setbacks, but that's what this life is for.  Facing each of these with faith and hope has helped me learn and grow, and can help us all overcome these challenges.  I'm grateful for our Savior, Jesus Christ, and for the life He lived.  I'm grateful that He has shown us the way to live a happy, meaningful life.  Through following His example, and helping others to do so as well, my faith has grown.  I know that He lived and died for us all so that we might through His gospel experience this "one and only happiness" in this life, as well as in the life to come.  
I have learned on my mission that with faith in Jesus Christ, anything truly is possible.  This past week my companion and I had a wonderful experience.  We have an investigator that has progressed smoothly in the gospel.  All was well until it came to living the Sabbath Day Holy.  He is a chef and because business on the weekends is more demanding and busy, there was an obstacle that dropped in his path of progression to his baptism.  However, this didn't stop him or us.  We all had faith that the Lord would provide a way for him to come to church.  He had read and prayed for courage to confront his boss.  After talking with his boss, he was able to come to church until 10:30 am, but would mean that he would miss the sacrament portion.  We meet again with him to share the commandment of fasting, and we all agreed to fast and pray that he would be able to live this commandment.  Well, last Saturday he gave us a call and said that his boss will let him get mornings off for every Sunday so that he could come to church.  Brother Li will be getting baptized next Monday night, along with two other really amazing investigators who are this Sunday!
I have been so blessed these two years and I would just like to thank my wonderful parents.  Mom, Dad, thank you so much!  Thank you so much for your examples throughout my life.  Thank you for taking me to church every week to learn about the gospel.  Words cannot express my love for the both of you.  I am so so so grateful that you two raised me in the church.  I'm grateful for my siblings, Anthony, Spencer, Julia, and Landon, and I love you all.  I'm grateful for my wonderful church leaders throughout the years and for their service and teaching me the gospel.  I am so very grateful for these past two years to serve my God, My King.  I know that God lives, and that He loves us.  I know that Christ is my Savior and Redeemer.  I know that Joseph Smith saw God the Father and His Son, and brought back the fulness of the everlasting gospel.  I know that the Book of Mormon is true.  I know that through living the the principles in the Book of Mormon we can draw closer to God, we can understand our purpose in life, and we can find peace in this life and eternal life in the life to come.  I know that Thomas S. Monson is our prophet today.  I know that he does receive revelation and guidance for our day.  I know that as we hearken to the words of the prophets, and follow our Christ, we can experience lasting happiness.  
獨樂樂不如眾樂樂!  I love you all!