Jan 27, 2014 

Happy Chinese New Year! 

     We're going to be on the East Coast most of this week. Can't wait to report on our adventures. 

     This week was incredible! Sister Chu and I saw an outpouring of miracles even though we didn't have much time in our area. We are so grateful! Last week, an Elder gave us a referral for a 18 year old sister he had taught over a year ago. Her name is Zoe. He spotted her while making phone calls here in Taipei. As we met with her, we found her full of faith and wanting to come closer to God. As we extended a baptismal invitation, she readily accepted and set up times to meet with us over the next few weeks. Marvelous!  We also got a referral from a temple tour miracle. A woman attending English Class at the JinHua chapel came up to the missionaries and asked if she could learn more about the church. As she listened to a temple tour and learned about priesthood authority, she told the sisters "I understand now... I understand now". This woman has been visiting the JinHua chapel for a long time and never been interested in the discussions, but as we met with her this week, we watched her tearfully respond "Yes, I want to be baptized". Sincerity truly can strike at any moment. 

     A third miracle occurred Sunday night. We were finishing dinner at our apartment when we received a call that someone was at the chapel and wanted to hear about the church. We ran over to find a kind woman who told us she had decided to walk into our church to learn more about our religion. She said that she was Buddhist but that she was looking for a new religion. As we gave her a tour and sat in the chapel, we talked about the blessings of the gospel and extended a baptismal invite. She gave us a huge smile as she responded "Absolutely." As Sister Chu and I walked home that night, stunned and very thankful, we felt unbelievably blessed we have the opportunity to meet these amazing people. We are the missionaries, but we are being taught by the Lord every week. 

     This week, I read through an old Conference talk about 'Teaching by the Spirit'. In this address, Matthew O Richardson discusses how to teach after the "manner" of the spirit. Knowledge that the Holy Ghost is the real teacher helps us try to understand how to more easily recognize and trust his direction. This is a life-time pursuit. I was particularly struck by many of Richardson's thoughts. He mentioned that many of us fall into three traps when trying to teach after the manner of the spirit. 1. We try to take over for the Holy Ghost and do everything ourselves. 2. We politely invite the Spirit, but only in a supporting role. 3. We believe we are turning all the teaching over to the spirit... but we are actually 'winging it'. I know I've been guilty of these mistakes before. 

     Richardson talks about "emulating" the way the Holy Ghost teaches... so He is unrestrained. Elder Bednar also talks about teachers who mirror how the Spirit teaches. Elder Bednar comments that these teachers. 1. pause to listen, 2. carefully observe, and 3. discern what to do next.  I want to make a great effort this week to try to "emulate' the manner of the spirit instead of asking Him to testify of what I dictate. I hope I can be humble enough and bold enough to listen well and act in faith. 

Love you all so much! Wish me luck with the mountains of food they're going to push at me this week!

Sister Barden

Jan. 20, 2014

Dear Family! 

     This week, I saw many small and significant miracles. Here is one example. On Sunday, we had the opportunity to serve a woman who came to English class this past week. She is moving to America in the next few weeks and needed some help moving things in her apartment. After helping her, we asked if we could share a message about Jesus Christ. As we spoke, she told us she was Christian and shared many of the challenges her family members were currently facing. As we taught about the power of prayer, she began to cry. The spirit was so strong as we testified that her prayers in behalf of her family would be heard and answered. As she said her own prayer, in a quiet and desperate voice, it was so apparent that she truly felt she was talking to God and sharing everything in her heart. I will never forget the feeling in her apartment as she prayed. 

      This week, I was reminded of Captain Moroni in the Book of Mormon. I love reading the list of his characteristics because it always inspires me to want to be better. As I read through the verses I have read many times, one particular phrase stood out to me. I had always read over "a man of perfect understanding" many times, mentally assuming I knew exactly what it meant. However, this particular reading made me pause and think about what "perfect understanding" actually was. I jumped to the reference at the bottom of the page that led me to the Topical Guide: Understanding. I read through all the similar definitions and looked up many of the scriptures. I particularly liked a few verses. Proverbs 15:14 says that "the heart of him that hath understanding seeketh knowledge", while Alma 17:2 describes the sons of Mosiah as having a "sound understanding" because they had searched the scriptures diligently. Thus, understanding is linked to our perspective. If we "understand" the value of the scriptures, we will want to search them.... If we understand what God expects of us, we have the perspective necessary to do anything and everything He asks. I love Luke 24:45 where the text describes Christ "(opening) their understanding". I know there are many things I don't understand and I don't always have the right perspective to be the best tool for the Lord. However, I'm grateful for the knowledge that, with prayer and work, we can all better understand the Lord and develop a more "perfect understanding". I love one line from Elder Bednar's most recent talk on the windows of heaven. In talking about spiritual discernment, he states "As we are spiritually attentive and observant, we will be blessed with eyes that see more clearly, ears that hear more consistently, and hearts that understand more fully the significance and subtlety of His ways, His thoughts and His blessings in our lives". I hope Heavenly Father will never stop helping me understand more so I can have the right perspective and be a more effective servant in His work. 

     I - as always - love Sister Chu! One thing I love about Sister Chu is her joy in the gospel. Every week, I think about how Chu JieMei is an example of someone who understands just how happy and joyful the gospel can make every individual. Others see that in her. She is a beautiful example of a happy, diligent, obedient member of God's church... and it is a powerful influence in our lessons and contacts. I also love being in a co-senior companionship. I'm learning a lot of things that I wouldn't learn in a trainee-trainer companionship or a senior-junior companionship. We're working hard and having so much fun! 

     This week will be busy! We're flying to Hualien on Wed. for training - the East Coast is supposed to be stunning. Should be exciting. 

Love you always! 

Sister Barden 

Alisa - I LOVE you! Remember how wonderful you are. Thinking about you too :)

Lauren Barden from Taiwan, Jan 12, 2014 

 

Dearest Family,

 

Sister Chu and I had a fantastic week! We witnessed one beautiful miracle while giving a temple tour. We found the number of a Vietnamese woman who had asked for a Book of Mormon a few years ago. We called her and invited her to come and experience a temple tour. As we gave her the tour, it became very apparent that she was full of faith. She was full of gratitude and stories about ways she felt God had guided her life. As we taught her about the Savior and the Restoration, the spirit seemed to grow stronger and stronger. When we shared the first vision, I felt a burning in my heart that very clearly directed we needed to invite her to be baptized. I glanced at Chu JieMei and her face told me that the spirit was telling her the exact same thing.With a smile on her face, she accepted our invitation and told us she would be willing to read the Book of Mormon and pray about it's truthfulness. 

 

Another special miracle occurred while we taught another progressing investigator. She is a very intelligent and logical person who has very perceptive questions about the gospel. As we discussed Resurrection, her forehead wrinkled and she innocently said "Science cannot explain it. Don't you ever doubt it is true?". We explained that God and science work in harmony with one another, that things we don't understand allow us to build our faith. Her face still showed her skepticism. The spirit then led us to reword our answer. We explained that Joseph Smith understood that "worlds without number" existed far before scientists had begun to understand the incomprehensible vastness of the universe. We also offered our belief that the laws God uses to perform his work exceed the science of man; that if science could not explain a principle of heaven, it was not because the power of God was nonexistent, but rather that science -at present- had not advanced enough to understand the laws of God. After this answer her face began to soften and she looked at us long and hard. "it's interesting to me that you can take questions I have had for so long and help me understand them so clearly" she told us. 

 

This week, I thought about the miracle of the mission and how every day of service is precious. I've been pondering on the truth that God - in reality - doesn't need missionaries to help those seeking Him find the gospel. God could arrange for a member to move in next to a prepared individual, He could arrange for someone to leave a Book of Mormon in a place where someone who will believe it will find it.... so why does He choose to work through missionaries? To be a missionary is to recognize that all things are possible through the power of God, to see Him working in His majesty and power. The missionary's role is very small in the process of an individual's conversion to the gospel of Jesus Christ. The power of Christ has never been clearer to me than when I have sat in simple living rooms and watched the spirit enter into the heart and eyes of the precious person sitting across from me. It's humbling that God puts such important and tender opportunities into our imperfect care. The Lord's trust and endless love for every one of His children is truly staggering. I'm grateful for the chance to better understand Him. 

 

Sister Chu is as fun and hard-working as ever. We are doing our best and laughing every day. I love her so much! I call her my "elephant" because during language study she tried to learn the word "elegant" and boldly told me. "I am elephant!" Haha. Language study with her is always one of the funniest parts of my day!

 

Love you all - stay warm!

Sister Barden

Jan 6, 2014 

 

Happy New Year!

 

I hope you're all surviving the cold in MN! It sounds frigid. I hope next week is not as cold. 

 

We've seen many wonderful miracles this past week. Sister Chu and I had some remarkable experiences while we were contacting. We had one special lesson while passing by the DongMen metro stop. Sister Chu and I were contacting two friends as they entered the Metro entrance and, as we sent them away with tracts, we saw a man leaning against a railing nearby. We followed the impression that we should go talk to him. We started discussing his life, his hopes and dreams, and his feelings toward God and religion. He was full of questions and was very attentive to everything we told him. Our discussion soon moved into prayer, the purpose of challenges, our divine identity, and the purpose of church in keeping us safe and happy. We shared passages from the Book of Mormon and bore our testimonies as he continued to listen and question. When we finally glanced at our watches and noticed we had been talking for nearly half an hour, we asked him if he was short on time. "It's not a problem. My class started ten minutes ago but I feel I should keep listening to you". We were able to write down his information and pass it along to other missionaries. It strengthened my testimony that there are so many people who are hungry for the gospel, who are seeking for something to fill the spiritual void in their lives. We saw another miracle in one of our young investigators. She is 13 years old and hoping that her parents will agree to allow her to join the church. This week, we taught her about fasting and how it brings blessings. We then invited her to fast with us on Sunday and attend church with us. She seemed skeptical at first and wary of the idea of going hungry for such a long time. However, this Sunday she came to church and fasted with us. I am amazed by her. It's hard for a 13 year old to fast, especially when it is something he/she has never done before! … So impressed with her faith! 

 

This week, I've been studying about "plainess" - or in connection to missionary work- teaching simply and clearly. I tend to have a lot of thoughts and enjoy using many metaphors when I teach.  I think I could become a better and more powerful teacher if I taught more simply and clearly. I love the verse in 2 Nephi 28 that discusses how God shares truth with us... He shares it "line upon line, precept upon precept". We cannot learn heaven all at once. Our investigators also cannot learn the gospel all at once - as much as we wish they could! I love a quote in PMG from the Teaching Skills chapter. President John Taylor states " It is true intelligence for a man to take a subject that is mysterious and great in itself, and to unfold and simplify it so that a child can understand it". I hope to teach so that a child could understand the fundamentals of every one of the lessons, to teach clearly and simply so the spirit can allow the investigator to know that the doctrine is true. 

 

One of the most beautiful things about serving at the temple is that I feel I have a new way of being accountable in my missionary work. God always expects us to do our best, but he also gives us tools to help us achieve good goals. This is the purpose of accountability and reporting numbers. There are days where Chu JieMei and I are very busy and working very hard, but there are no numbers to account for all we have done. The real measure of our day to day efforts is between us and the Lord, individually and as a companionship. I feel that's really special. 

 

I love my companion Sister Chu! She is very sharp and unbelievably funny. Every day is busy, fun, and full of miracles. She's doing a fantastic job of teaching me about all the responsibilities of being here in JinHua and we're working hard and doing our best. She has a very strong testimony that is so apparent as she teaches and contacts. I know that she is going to help me learn so much while we serve together! 

 

Love you all so much, Hope you have a great week starting up school again! 

Sister Barden