Weekly Update 13 May 2013

Ni- Hao!

It's really weird, to be so close to the end of the mission, it felt at the beginning that it would never end. But now it's come to almost being finished.

Yesterday, we had the privilege of giving the priesthood to our Chinese recent convert and tonight we are teaching his Dad and perhaps someday he will be able to Baptize them soon too! This week has been quite wet and rainy but also very much sunny and boiling, it is funny to see all the different weather conditions on this one little island. All in the same day, the weather here is really... unique.

Something that I found out this time around was the during the period when the Isle of Man was part of the Ireland Mission, it had a nickname "the rock" the Isle of Man is actually closer to Ireland than England, it is the rock in the middle of the sea. Especially known for it's unique weather conditions between torrential rain and tropical sun almost rotating perhaps 5-10 times a day on a particularly intensive day. It has for me become a good type and symbol for Jesus Christ.

"And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall."

This verse in Helaman, being quite vivid and descriptive definitely paints a picture of why such a "rock" is important. Being dependent on such a rock is integral for any work especially of the missionary kind.

The promise is real. He is the "foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall" I so testify.

With Love,

Elder Sapaden

Weekly Update 7 May 2013

Hey!

Let me just tell you how tired I am! Extremely so, yesterday we hiked the biggest mountain on the Isle of Man (2036 feet) now you may say that's not much, but try doing it in a suit. It has been fun here on the Isle of Man, I've taken a million photos since I've been back and they'll be on my blog soon.

I'm loving life right now, in fact it's been so tropical here, we jumped out of bed at 6:30 to go Jump rope on the beach outside, you can understand why I am so tired. However, it is a good tired, it is a good work, the Devil makes use of idle fools who heed to his temptations, it is good to be busy and it is good to be a missionary right now.

Let me clarify, if I haven't already the "six weeks to sexy" is a fitness program to help me repent for
how idle I've been in morning exercise up to recent weeks. I pray that it works. Like I said the tiredness is a very good protection mechanism, but I am running myself ragged, it's a good way to be.

This week we are driving around in a Honda Jazz, instead of the usual Vauxhall Meriva, it's a courtesy car because the missionaries before me got into a car accident so while it's being repaired we have unlimited mileage! It's great, we are utilizing it to help the work here in the Isle of Man to get out to areas that have been untouched because of the mileage system. It's got "flappy paddled" gearbox transmission on the steering wheel, so it's like driving a mini Ferrari which makes so much noise but only goes about 40-60mph (60mph is asking a lot from the car)

I've come back and a person that I found and taught has been baptized since I left the Isle of Man. It's the only baptism this ward has had in about 18 months. He is receiving the priesthood next Sunday and it is such a good feeling to know he is receiving the same power and authority that he was baptized and taught with. Perhaps I'll even get to bless the sacrament with him sometime, he is good great, he is proper Chinese (I learned enough to teach him the lessons) but he is a wonderful young man who really understands the gospel, he knows the Word of Wisdom as "health law" tithing as "money law" and Chastity as "marriage law" Isn't that wonderful?

With Love,

Elder Sapaden

Weekly Update 3 May 2013

Hey Everyone,

Life has been hectic since the hour I've arrived back on the Isle of Man, it's a great area, but we are just too busy. (If you couldn't already tell, it is so busy I'm pushed to write an  e-mail with it being 10 pm already, something that is very much unheard of in the mission field) life has been good to us so far and we have seen countless blessings. I'm back doing morning exercise on the Beach.

By the way, as I'm writing this I'm not outside, so not to worry, we live with a member here on the Isle of Man, we are so pushed for time we are using her computer.

I'll be e-mailing again on Monday, so be sure to drop an e-mail before then. It has been really weird, the days left on my mission are numbered, the hours seem to turn into seconds and before you know it the moment I wake up turns into the moment when I hit the pillow, yet again.

A miracle I've seen this week is people who I found when I was on the Isle of Man last time have since become baptized  it is a great feeling to find them changed and truly transformed.

I really hope you all understand how busy I am and why this e-mail is so short, it is a struggle to even stay awake to write it. So Good night and God Bless!

Love,

Elder Sapaden