This past week the oldest district here (leaving this week) got their visa reassignment missions. Taiwan is a hard place to get Visas for so almost all of the districts get reassigned until they receive theirs. Many are going to California but some are going to New York as well. There is a chance I will get reassigned too. There isn't anything I can do about it, but if the Lord needs me somewhere else for a time then so be it! Like Nephi said, "And I was led by the Spirit, not knowing beforehand the things which I should do." I am his tool for these two years so I don't care what happens!
So now for the explanation of this week's clickbait. The MTC choir director was telling us the story of Joseph Smith because we were singing Praise to the Man for devotional. He was telling us how Joseph went on a treasure hunt to look for gold with a group that hired him and tried to use his tools in that effort. While on their journey they stayed at the home of Isaac Hale. It was then that Joseph met Emma and soon got married! So Joseph never found the gold he was originally looking for, but he did find treasure in the form of his wife!
As many have heard I am sure but this week is the annual New Mission President Seminar held at the Provo MTC! That means that all the new mission presidents going out this summer and their wives come and learn from the First Presidency and Quorum of the 12! My new mission president is here and I got to meet him! He is a very nice man and he served in the Taichung mission in Taiwan so now he can experience Taipei (Fun fact: The new Taichung president served in Taipei, so they pulled a little switch-a-roo). He talked to us about obedience and how we will be using the white handbook and Preach My Gospel as the standard for our rules. I love that! Others are worried he is going to be super strict, but I didn't go on a mission for me. I went for the people of Taiwan and whatever he says I am sure will be so we can help those beautiful saints in Taiwan! "I will go and do" is how I feel right now in a nutshell. After his brief remarks to us he and his wife went around and shook all the missionaries hands and talked with us for a brief moment. When he shook my hand I said it was nice to meet him and I am Elder Ciminski. He then put his arm on my shoulder and said "You will be a great missionary. I can tell." and smiled then walked off. Talk about pressure! I am going to go and make the days count and serve the people! I think it was Elder Holland that said nobody could say that they worked harder on their mission than him. Well, I am going to try and beat Elder Holland and work harder than him! Let the games begin.
One side note about the mission presidents. One of them is named President Guthrie and he is going to Houston South. What is so significant about him you might ask? Well no big deal but HE PITCHED TWO GAMES OF THE 2014 WORLD SERIES. Yeah, no big deal but he was a pro baseball player. How cool is that! In the World Series, he pitched for the Royals and they played the Giants. Not only do I like the Giants but 2 other Elders in our zone are big fans too! Some got to meet him but I wasn't with them. Bummer.
My last story is from this last Saturday. My companion and I were about to teach our PI (our teacher pretending to be an investigator) and we were saying a prayer in the hallway and during the prayer, we hear a bunch of footsteps coming down the hallway and so I say amen real quick and we both look up and it's Elder Uchtdorf! He walked right by us! He smiled and said hello to me and my companion and we both said hello back. It was crazy. We were both a little distracted during the lesson but we got over it and taught the Jiu'en Jihua (Plan of Salvation) really well!
I think that's it for this week! I love you all!!
Si Zhanglao (Elder Ciminski)
司長老
