Hello!
I'm more busy than I've ever been, and utterly exhausted. Reading my friends' emails from their missions is enlightening. I don't envy them, I admire them. They are amazing missionaries, and exceed me in every way. It's beautiful to see. Elder Byers is especially an example to me. I'm glad to hear from him. I just hope he's not too mad at me for not really writing him directly. (Elder Carter met Elder Byers at BYU last Fall. He is serving in Nevada. There are four others from our ward who have gone out since Elder Carter left...Elder Brimley is in Ukraine, Elder Seamons is in Florida speaking Haitian Creole, Elder Hart just arrived in Tennessee, and Elder Bernards has another week or two in the MTC before he heads to Washington State. There are others as well, and more to come. Truly a mighty army!)
The work is gold here in Dali. I live in Wufeng, and it's a 20+ minute ride to our area of north Dali. I can see towers from my old area, which makes me a little homesick for that area. But I don't see them very often, so I still feel like I'm in a completely different place.
Even though my old area and this area are neighbors, the people are different. To be honest the members here are a lot more involved with the missionary work going on, and so should it be in a country and place where the Church is a tiny minority. But I never remember the members in Utah ever being this missionary active. Obviously, it's a little more difficult when there are so few non-members, and those who aren't members already have a defence put up before even moving into Utah.
I must say also, that white people cultures are very open with their feelings and openly opposed to anything that argues their sacred opinions. Even the most devout Buddhist here will ask me, "why do churches have to fight? Why does there have to be conflict? Don't we all have religious freedom for a reason?" Well, that is a great opener to begin discussions with this man, and shows the truthfulness of the reason for conflict between religions. Satan gets in the way. All Satan wants is to just touch the precious Spirits that encompass the intelligences of God's children and put one or two spots on them in places where they may not notice. With that they cannot enter the Celestial Kingdom, and must spend eternity alone. But his ultimate goal is to get people used to those spots and slowly get them to jump into the mud. But that's not mud. Whatever it is, it destroys body and mind, and eventually Spirit.
This is what we defend against. This is why I'm here. I must go out and at least try to save souls. But even I, unclean, barely worthy, striving to be obedient and diligent (failing all the time ;) missionary, can not do this. I must be a vessel. That's all I can be. It is impossible to do more. How could the Spirit possibly inhabit this broken, weak, impure body and bring others to Christ? That answer is beyond me. We are just promised that if we are trying; if we are striving; if we are repenting every day and taking part in the saving ordinances, He will save us. The funny thing is, we've already been saved. Everyone. Now, it's our turn to accept it.
We CAN be perfect on earth. People don't realize this. NO ONE is worthy. But through everyday repentance, change, progression, and striving to be worthy-- we are counted worthy. We are the weak made strong. And we ARE perfect in Christ. What a beautiful blessing. How can people live without this knowledge? They do it every day. I don't know how. I wasn't blessed with the opportunity to be outside of the church and witness my own Spirit's conversion in that situation, so I don't know. But I am becoming my own convert. I've been told that when you come home from your mission, you should have at least one convert. You. I disagree. If it's just you, that's great, but you didn't serve your mission right. President Holland has said that 30 baptisms should be your goal, no matter where you are in the world. Now numbers don't matter, names do.
It may be easy for me to say all this, when I am in an area full of prepared people, but I thoroughly believe that this truth is evident in every place on earth, the ability to baptize many. I didn't think Elder Byers would get a lot of baptisms in Las Vegas. But, he has a few already. He's only 6 months in and already trainer. I hope to be like him someday. He embodies Christ in my mind, and I thoroughly respect him. I am not the perfect missionary. My mind will wander, and daydream, and keep losing focus during lessons and such, but that's because man is weak. It is up to God. I have given him my life. I am not doing anything wrong out here. I will not live the life of a worldly member. Because that is not who I am. I only hope to match up to the missionaries that my friends are becoming. I'm just grateful to be their friends, because I know they're better than me. And one day, I will love to discuss with them the beauties of the miracles I see every day.
Do not tell me that I have no faith. Because my faith is strong. I do not boast of myself, but of my God. He has given me this faith, allowing me to see the miracles, and the parts our Heavenly Father plays in EVERYONE'S life, in EVERY moment, in EVERY place, in EVERY heart.
This church is true. I can NOT doubt again. As much as I should be focused on my mission, you all should be focused on your personal works. I don't care what they are. I don't know. God knows. Ask Him. Then Act. Prove Him now herewith... Prove your faith, my brothers, my sisters. Be your own missionary. If you are waiting for someone, while waiting, be the missionary you think he/she is being. This church changes and blesses lives faster than the blink of an eye. And it is the ONLY way you can make it through this life with pure happiness. The problem is, no one knows what happiness is anymore... I tell you, I know. Because I have found it. Through the eyes, words, and hearts of the members here in Taiwan. I used to think I knew what love was... and it screwed up my teenage life. I tell you, I have found true love. Here in Taiwan. I finally feel like I'm doing something with my life, because I wasted it before my mission. And I apologize for wasting all those countless hours of guidance, advice, and counsel given to me by many, including many young people of my ward. I love these people, and I love my God.
-Elder Carter
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