Taiwan July 29, 2013

Dearest Family,
   I've had a week brimming with miacles and heartbreaks. So many of our dear investigators have great challenges in their lives and I wish I could do more to help them. I don't think I'll ever forget seeing little -11 year old- Lee qian rou's quiet tears as she told us her parents thought she was too young to be baptized. We're praying for all our investigators.
 
  21- years old.  Ah!  So strange. This is the year of the mission and i've been pondering on the thought that 21 sounds very adult and somewhat old. :) I"m humbled by the great transformation God has worked in me these past few years- is still working in me! - and look forward to this year with an open mind and heart to the things God needs to teach me.
  Funny story! One of our recent converts -Nancy- found out it was my birthday and bought me a cake! However- she was bringing it to us when she made a split-second decision to jump off a small stairwell (cake as passenger) on her motorcycle. Let's just say it was a beautiful disaster and we enjoyed eating it anyways!
  One special miracle of this week was the experience of Tsai XiaoJie. I remember when we contacted her last week. We were sharing information about English class when I noticed a young girl coming out of a store. She gave us a thoughtful look and had an open face so I went up to her and started to talk to her about English class. Miao JieMei quickly joined us and we were soon having a wonderful discussion about reliegion. She had decided -a few months before- to become a Christian. She has great faith in the Savior and the Bible. Our next meeting with her was nothing short of remarkable. As we discussed, she started to ask the most profound questions. She asked: what does Christ's resurrection mean? Why did Christ need to suffer for us? Does God love some people more than others? Miao JM and I are having such joy teaching her. She is cruising through the BOM, highlighting her favorite passages that also happen to be scripture masteries. I keep thinking of my dad.....
 
   I've always wished I could have watched the missionaries teach Chris Barden. I picture him alert and eager to haer what is being said. I picture him directly asking the two young elders very deep and well-thought out questions he had pondered in his years of preparation. I picture him cruising through the BOM too quickly for any missionary to not want to jump for joy. I imagine him highlighting many scripture masteries. I visualize his excited and passionate voice while he shares with the elders why their precious truths make such profound and perfect sense! I picture the light in his eyes and the "energy of his soul" growing brighter and stronger... to where it is now :)
 
 Tsai Xiao Jie is the closest experience I have seen to what I picture of my father's early experience with the LDS faith/missionaries. She is extremely prepared and a diligent seeker of truth. I hope- with all my heart - that her fire may never go out. I hope that it will ever grow and intensify as it has with my marvelous convert father.
 
Love you all - I always keep you in my prayers.
 
Debbie Sutton.. praying hard especially for you.
Good luck this week Mckenzie Christensen!
Sister Barden