I'm losing ideas for these titles... (Season 13 Episode 2) - 12/30/19

Greetings and salutations!

Christmas! Wednesday was great. We started early and called families and then Elder Seamons gave me a gift before we left the house. He gave me BYU stance socks and it was so cool, I am so grateful! We then headed to the temple and the temple was so great. I felt the Spirit super strong and really enjoyed my time in the House of the Lord. We finished up and grabbed lunch as a District and then made our way back home. A chill rest of the day led up to English group and then Elder Seamons and I had a talk for the rest of our day. Christmas was amazing. It felt like a normal day but when every day is spent serving the Lord and remembering Christ, Christmas is a bit more normal. It was still special and I'm glad the temple was included in it.

Thursday was a pretty good day. We had lots of finding time and we tried our best to make the most of it. We ended up with 24 conversations and got some potentials and phone numbers so we will earnestly try to make something from it! I also picked up a parcel from 7/11 and now my watch is fixed! So happy about that and so glad for the work we did Thursday. It was hard, tiring, but rewarding.

Friday was fun. We had a busy day and had some good goals to go with it. We had 2 member visits and even though we had our big weekly planning session we still managed to get 20 conversations and lots of people's contact info! One cool experience though was when we were outside the train station and we saw a kid on a skateboard and I immediately went to go talk to him. We chatted a little and I asked if I could try his skateboard (like I do every time), and he said yeah so I nailed my classic pop shuvit and then we shared a great scripture from the Book of Mormon and got his info! So cool how we are just normal people who leave home to be missionaries. We all have our pasts and interests and I can use mine to share the gospel. Such a cool thing!

Another day gone by. Saturday was pretty cool, we had a pass off lesson for the other Elders and then another lesson of our own! After that, we had a last-minute set up with a kid we talked to yesterday and he brought his friend and we played basketball and then shared the first lesson with them. They seemed way down to set up but they have tests and stuff till next month so that's a bummer. Aside from that, we were finding and eating meals. Not much else you can do when you don't have that many people to teach :)

Sunday was a crazy day. We had church in the morning and then right after we got picked up by a member who drove us out to 桃園 for Elder Seamons to perform the baptism of a girl he met when he was in middle school! That was a cool experience and riding there and back in a car was a lot nicer than a train. When we got back it was a late lunch and then studies. Some finding and planning for English group and then dinner at the end of the day. Super busy and fun day though. Despite not a lot of finding time we got 2 setups and lots of conversations and contact info.

Elder Heber Chase Ciminski

謝希伯長老

聖誕節快樂!! (Season 13 Episode 1) - 12/25/19

Greetings and salutations!

Monday was an interesting preparation day. It started off rather early and we took a train to 台北 for mandatory choir practice in preparation for the big Christmas Concert this weekend! It took a lot of time but was fun. I saw some good friends and had a chance to say goodbye to the Sister from my MTC generation who goes home this week. Pretty wild how that time goes by, but sure enough it does. I got to see old members of my District and it brought me joy to see them. We definitely grew a bond during our time together. When practice concluded we grabbed lunch with our current District members and then got back to our area with enough time to buy the necessary items for the week and then get to the chapel for our lesson! That was mostly the night because we did some contacting afterwards. Pretty busy, but good day I would say.

Tuesday was a pretty good day. We had a quick paced morning getting a study and lunch in with the District before having a lesson and District Council! Once District Council was over we had our second study and some English group prep and survey creating. That was pretty much the happenings of the day since we spent most of the night either practicing piano or out on the street. Not too bad. I was sad to say goodbye to the members of our District moving tomorrow. Change is inevitable so I just gotta roll with it.

Another day. Wednesday was cool because it was Transfer Day. Even though my companion didn't change the other two companionships in our District did get new missionaries so we got to meet them and they both seem way cool so it should make for a fun transfer. We also went to a further out town in our area and did our work for the day before coming back to the city for our District dinner and English group! It was a good day and pretty lowkey. We are just doing the things we need to and it's a simple life to live. Find, teach, convert, repeat.

Thursday was pretty cool. We didn't have much on the plan but we did have a lesson which went pretty well! He is slowly but surely progressing so that is good. Other than that we had some meals and did some studies and made a survey and then took a train and talked to lots of people! It was more of a grind day but it was fun. Just a normal part of the life. Our train getting home was 69 minutes delayed though so that was actually a little stinky, but we made it home eventually.

Friday was pretty quick. We had our studies as well as our weekly planning session. When that finished up we left the house and headed to the chapel to call some people because we had a dinner with our Bishop and some Filipino members shortly after. It was such a good dinner and we had a good time with the members also. The rest of the night we were with the other Elders and practiced a musical number and then did some daily contacting. Pretty sweet day and now begins the weekend of fun activities.

Saturday was a super cool day. We had a quick morning with studies and whatnot before having an awesome lesson with a new investigator! He is such a cool guy and is YSA so when we had our Christmas activity tonight with the Stake he actually came and our YSA did such a great job of befriending him. So that was our night too. A big Stake Christmas event and it was actually so awesome. We dressed up like people from Jesus' time because the theme was "A Night in Bethlehem". There was a cool performance and it was just such a Spirit-filled night and afterwards we practiced some Christmas songs as a District we will be performing soon. So it was a Spirit-filled day and a great preparation for the big weekend.

Sunday was a crazy day for sure. We had a cool combined church meeting with all three of the wards in 竹北 and had a nice Sacrament Meeting and lots of Christmas things thrown in the mix! Afterwards there was some mingling around and then we went to the train station with our District and took our train to 台北 for our Christmas Concert! The Christmas Concert was so great. The music was great and I played the ukulele with a bunch of other missionaries for a song and it was so much fun. Felt like a rock concert or something because the whole crowd was moving and way into it! I loved it! The Spirit was abundant there and I was able to see old friends from my previous areas and make some great memories. I also received some cool personal revelation during the concert about some things that I have been pondering lately and so it was cool that even though the two weren't directly related I still received an answer! Once the concert finished up we went back to an apartment in 台北 to stay the night with some other missionaries.

Monday was pretty fun. We had Zone Conference in 台北! It was three Zones combined so that was pretty fun to see lots of faces. We had some good talks and it had a nice Christmas undertone. Lunch was also super good and overall it was a great event! We took care of some to-do list items in the office and then made our way back to the area with the other missionaries. Then we had District dinner and a night of contacting and trying to find new people. Throw in some Ministering to our friends and that was the whole day.

Another fun day leading up to Christmas! Today was pretty cool. We had 3 lessons today and it was super sweet because they were awesome, effective lessons that really helped them in their progression. One of them set a baptismal goal and another is very close to setting one. Aside from that we just had finding time and caroling with the District! The caroling was kind of last minute but we had a violin and faith and we spread the Christmas cheer for all to hear! It's wild how on the mission the holidays feel so normal. I'm still wearing short sleeve shirts and still doing the same stuff. I am so grateful for the ultimate gift, Jesus Christ!

Elder Heber Chase Ciminski

謝希伯長老

相得一彰 (Season 12 Episode 5) - 12/16/19

Greetings and salutations!

Monday was a good day. We had frisbee in the morning, but switched it up by running to the game and back! On paper, it was a great idea but when I got back I had a really bad pain in my hip and that pain carried on throughout the day. So that was a big bummer but we didn't do too much. Just eating barbecue and writing emails. That night we biked out to a members house for dinner and then she just started chatting our ear off and before you know it we had to fight our way out and fly home in time to make curfew. It was good and we made it home in time. That was the day.

Tuesday was super fun. We had a good morning chilling at a Starbucks doing Language Study and then grabbed lunch before heading to the chapel for District Council. After our District Council, Elder Seamons practiced his piano for a bit then we went to dinner with our District and talked to people along the way. After dinner, we headed to the chapel again for a lesson and then played basketball with an investigator of ours and some members! So quite a busy day but way fun and productive. Nothing very special to write about but I'm happy so that's what matters.

Wednesday was special. It was a pretty normal day but the part that made it special was that I was able to see my trainer again! He and his dad are here for 2 weeks and he was able to come to my area and we had lunch together and talked about old times and shared some fun stories. It was so great to see him again and I can now relate to Alma 17:2 a lot more. He is strong and a great example. Aside from that great experience we had a fun District dinner and English group as well. Elder Seamons and I had a nice talk also. I just feel weighed down with some stuff and Elder Seamons helped me figure things out and get recentered going forward. I just discovered some deep down feelings I needed to share and thankfully my companion is someone I trust to share these things.

Thursday was a fun day. We had a cool lesson in the morning then did a quick language study and started an exchange! So I am with Elder Xia. He is in training and we had a killer day talking to people and also teaching a lesson! We hit our 20 conversations goal and got a few phone numbers of people who might be interested. We also biked a lot and that means I have biked 1000 miles in the last 6 months so I would reckon I have gone over 2000 this year. Fun fact I guess. So it was a pretty good day and nothing crazy happening!

Friday was a spooky Friday the 13th. Just kidding it was a pretty normal day. We finished up our exchange and than Elder Seamons and I got back to work. We just found around town and did studies and then had a lesson with a less active member! We read 2 Nephi 31 and talked about it with him and he said wants to come to church so that was cool. Then we found around at night and had some dinner in between.  Elder Seamons practiced the piano some and we saw one of our investigators playing basketball so we played with him for a little bit. Pretty relaxed day, but we got a lot done!

Saturday was a pretty normal day. We had our studies in the morning and then we also got our weekly planning session done since we didn't get to do it yesterday. That was cut short by a lesson that ended up texting up kinda last minute and rescheduling. So we finished up planning at the chapel and then had dinner with the Elders in our District. We then proceeded with the usually nightly activities of calling people and finding and all that usual stuff.

Sunday was cool. Had the normal church meetings and then had our weekly Coordination Meeting afterwards. Then we talked with some YSA members for a little bit then got home and did our personal study. After that, it was just studies and finding and eating meals. I was very irritable for some reason today. I'm not sure why, but I tried to keep my cool and it pretty much worked. I can't pinpoint a reason so I'll move on from it.

Elder Heber Chase Ciminski

謝希伯長老

歲月如梭 (Season 12 Episode 4) - 12/9/19

Greetings and Salutations!

Monday was awesome! Preparation day was super great. We had our traditional frisbee game and I feel like I played a great game, dropped a few easy passes, but caught some hard ones so it all balances out. I had better defense and passing too so all this frisbee is working out for me. We got ready for the day and then did service for a member whose moving to the Philippines soon. He asked us for an hour and a half but it took around 3 hours. We got everything was done that was needed so that is what was most important. We finished up preparation day with emailing, buying stuff and then dinner. In the night time, we had a lesson with an investigator which went well and then had a lesson with a potential who brought a friend with them so they both got a chapel tour and both loved it! They set up a time for tomorrow to learn more and they seem very interested in the message. It was so great and we ended up finding 3 new investigators in one day. Elder Seamons and I are happy and grateful for these miracles that have been happening lately. We are really hustling and our new motto is a Steve Prefontaine quote. "The best pace is a suicide pace, and today is a good day to die." We are working hard and seeing the fruits of it!

Another good day to write home about. Tuesday was fun and we started it off with a 5 mile run! Elder Seamons is keen to run and so we had a good time, pushed the pace a bit and had a strong run. Then for our day, we had District Council and a couple lessons so we were pretty packed for the day! Having days like that is nice so we are always trying to have days like that. Our lessons went well and one was with an investigator who seems pretty golden right now. I don't wanna jinx anything but I have great faith for his progression. We also had dinner with a member and the sisters were there too so that was a fun time. Being a missionary is fun. I truly enjoy my calling.

Wednesday was so awesome! We played frisbee in the morning and repped my self tie-dyed shirt so that was cool. Then Elder Seamons and I got ready and out the door an hour early because of our scheduling with interviews today. In that one hour, we lit up and got 10 gospel conversations! It felt so great and we had awesome interviews with President Peterson also. We talked about a lot of things. We did touch on how everything we do is an indicator. So that made me think of all the things I do and what that indicates about me. As always, President is a wise man and always gets me thinking. After that, it was just studies and preparing for English class. We did get our 20 conversations in too and had a great English group! It was a great day and it flew by, but still good nonetheless.

Thursday was so crazy. It was raining all day and the wind was brutal and it made for a pretty hard day weather-wise. So sorry Frank Sinatra, weather-wise it's not a lovely day. We had a lesson still and our friend turned into a new investigator so that was a great blessing. We then took a train to another town in our area and spent a good chunk of time there. We tried street finding and boy it was hard. The weather was harsh and the people were very few. We still managed to talk to a few people. We headed back to our area and had dinner with a few YSAs and then headed to the chapel to call people and let Elder Seamons practice the piano. A good day, even though the weather tried to change that.

Friday was pretty sweet. And special as it marked my 18th month of being a missionary! I guess I've completed a sister missionaries mission now. Aside from that fun fact the day was pretty normal. More rain and more wind and colder. We had our studies and also weekly planning as well so once all that was through it was time to go on exchanges! This time I was with my District Leader, Elder Fong. We grabbed some dinner and then basically went finding home for the night. We had a service project planned but it didn't end up working out. So finding it was!

Saturday was super fun. I woke up early and got lots of study time in and then Elder Fong and I got out of the house. We didn't have any appointments or anything so we just had studies and lunch before we exchanged back and all the time in between talking to people. Before we exchanged back to normal he and I had gotten 26 gospel conversations together! A new personal best for me and we got a set up along with some people's contact information as well. So that was pretty successful. Then Elder Seamons and I had a special dinner to commemorate my 18-month mark yesterday and then called people and practiced piano. The rain finally stopped today so now it's just cold and windy, which is better than adding the rain in there. All in all can't complain though, everything is awesome!

Sunday was a long day. We had our regular church meetings and our person we had committed to church didn't end up coming but we were able to get him to come to the afternoon so we actually ended up attending 2 different wards. We also had a person text us out of the blue and ask what time we were meeting, even though we didn't have a time set, so we got him to come to church too! That was sweet, but it made me super tired and it was nice to get home and do studies. After all that we had a dinner appointment that actually had our whole district there. It was a great dinner and they had a great share already prepared so we talked about joy. We went around and shared what made us the most happy and it was cool hearing so many people's different perspectives. Most mentioned family and I definitely did. Some of my most happy moments have been being with Mom, Dad and Noah. I can't wait to be home with them in 6 months.

Elder Heber Chase Ciminski

謝希伯長老

魔高一丈，道高一尺 (Season 12 Episode 3) - 12/2/19

Greetings and Salutations!

Another fun day to write about! Monday was pretty sweet. Another relaxed P-day which included a morning game of frisbee, some family calling, going to Carrefour for some grocery shopping! Once all that stuff got done I also had my hair(s) cut and then we went to the chapel and sent off some emails and got that done. Then ended the preparation day off with a district dinner. During working hours we found for a bit and then had our weekly coordination meeting and that was the day! Super good day, surrounded by good people doing good things. Can't ask for much better than that.

Tuesday was a day. My day started around 2:15 AM when my companion was up and asked if I was awake. I was half asleep but said I was and asked what was up and all he said was that he wanted a blessing. He said he had been up for a bit throwing up and was just feeling pretty sick. I woke myself up quickly and I administered that blessing to him. It was a great experience and truly put meaning to the phrase at all times, all things, and all places. I got a little bit more sleep and then we were up at our alarms to get ready to go to 台北 for Zone Conference. To get there we took the High-Speed Rail train and it was amazing! So fast and so cool. Worth the money and everything for the experience. Our whole district was there so it was even better. Zone Conference was good too. Saw lots of old friends and my old zone too! I was in and out of the meeting because I was taking care of my companion for a bit. Then, Sister Peterson had him go to the office and lay down and get rest. Turns out that Elder Seamons was up about every hour throwing up and so he was running on pretty much no sleep. I did learn things from our meeting though and we talked a lot about the new handbook and how we are going to apply the principles found inside it. So that was exciting and got me inspired to be a better missionary. That's usually the byproduct of these meetings so now I gotta keep that feeling around and get stuff done! We finally made our way back and spent the rest of the day (only about an hour), at home letting Elder Seamons rest. My heart goes out to him. I know what he feels like and I know how unpleasant it is. We will get him better though.

Wednesday was a fun day! We had a normal day. Elder Seamons was feeling pretty much back to normal so we did the normal things. Had studies and stuff then we went to the chapel to get ready for a special Thanksgiving English group with our district. We grabbed some dinner then had our super cool Thanksgiving activity! It was a great activity. Once that finished we just biked out and met up with the Zone Leaders to start an exchange! Should be a good time.

Thursday was an Exchange Day and it was so good. We started off the day by getting stood up for a lesson but then we pressed forward and succeeded in meeting with someone else then had a great Costco lunch. After lunch, we had 2 member visits with a study in between them. Then came dinner, since it was Thanksgiving an American family in the other Elder's ward invited us over for dinner. It was my third Thanksgiving dinner this week but so very good. I was so grateful that they invited us over and that we could have that experience. It felt just like being at home and it was awesome. Then to end off the night we got stood up again and evaluated our exchange. Overall it was a good exchange, I learned a lot and Elder Dalton helped me see how far I've come since we met a year ago. He's a great guy and I learned a lot about myself from him and by being around him so that was nice. I'm grateful for everything I have and know it's all from our loving Father in Heaven.

Another great Friday! It started off with a great frisbee game. Then we had the normal events including our weekly planning session. We had a pretty sweet day finding too. We hit our 20 conversations goal and got a few contacts for people today. We are setting goals and doing more to center our work on the goals. We are getting more organized and figuring out the best and most efficient way of doing things. I'm still working on a lot of things in my personal improvement and feel like I have a long way go to. There are so many things I want to learn and do and times only getting shorter. The pressure is on so I gotta make a surge and hold that pace till the finish.

Saturday was pretty great! We had a few lessons and had some member visits also. We met with one of our investigators and it turns out he has already been baptized and is a less active member! It was a total shock to us and now we are working to bring him back. Totally wild but that meant that we had 2 member visits and we also hit 20 gospel conversations (for those of you counting at home that's an ideal day!) It was also a cool day because we got to attend a baptism for the Sisters in the district. Some good district time together never hurt anyone. It was an awesome day. We are finding more people interested and getting contact information for them. So things are going good!

December has arrived! Sunday was a great fasting day. Church was nice and I got a real good stretching experience. Due to the big numbers of foreign members in our ward we have translating machines for them. But today we didn't have enough for all the members (I can think of worse problems to have), but that meant that I got that feeling in my stomach that I needed to step up and try to help out. So I did and man, was it hard. It was good practice I guess but I felt pretty rotten after. I tried my best and the members thanked me for the effort but I wished I could've done better. I'd hate to be the reason for someone not getting the most out of church. We moved on and I'll keep on practicing for a potential next time. We met with some members and had dinner with a Filipino member and his family. Such good food and we had such a great talk about missionary work. We got some names for less active members we are going to try and work with! The best part was when I was introducing myself the father of the family said that he had watched my youtube videos before (#famous)! That was cool to hear and add on the 22 gospel conversations we had and it made for a cool day!

Elder Heber Chase Ciminski

謝希伯長老

一夫當關，萬夫莫開(Season 12 Episode 2) - 11/25/19

Greetings and Salutations!

Monday was super good! We started off our preparation day by playing a nice game of frisbee and that was loads of fun. Afterwards we came back and got cleaned up then called home and got some little things out of the way before heading out to let my companion get his hair cut and go to the chapel to use the computers and stuff. We finished off our preparation day by going to a hot pot dinner with our district! They had lots of good food so it was definitely worth it. Once we got back to work we just talked to people and found for the night. We ran into this man who was from Iran and then lived in India, where he met a Taiwanese lady and got married then moved here and he's now a farmer! I can only imagine the life stories he has. He was super kind and maybe we will see him again. It's fun to meet people with cool stories like that!

Tuesday was pretty sweet! We had the normal stuff and also had some good finding time too. The wind was crazy big and on the bike, it felt like I was biking sideways sometimes! Seriously so wild. The day went well. We also biked out to another town in our area and it was actually super fun. Elder Seamons and I saw some crazy things happen. We were talking to a guy on the street and this street vendor owner walked up to us and gave us free sweets! Before that, we went into a bakery for a little snack and we walked out with free bread and 10 NTD off my purchase. It was crazy and we also saw great success in contacting. We got 4 or 5 people's lines and will hopefully set them up for a later time! The miracles are flowing in right now and we are seeing so many fun little things happening. It's a great time!

Wednesday was remarkably busy. We had a very full day and it flew by so quickly. We started out with our studies and had a lunch appointment with a member then straight on to another member visit and then filming a movie with our district. When that was all over we grabbed a quick dinner, also with the district, then had a lesson before our English Group and after English Group also had another lesson! Having a packed day like this is pretty great. Our lessons were great too. One of them became a new investigator and the other will be soon I am sure. It's a busy time, but that's the best!

Thursday was a cool day! We had our first District Council of the transfer and it was pretty sweet not being in charge of it. I could just sit back and participate! We discussed goals for the transfer and with this transfer being short a week we really are going to have to work hard to hit our goals, but I know we can! When we finished that meeting we finished up studies and then biked to dinner and right as we were about to walk into the joint a member called us and said he would buy us a hot pot dinner! So we did that and it was great. Then before our lesson to end the day we had a crazy experience with some guys at a Family Mart. These guys were drunk and crazy and they started talking to us and we tried to get away but it was hard. When we finally got away one of them grabbed my arm and said a really creepy goodnight to me and boy I flew out of that store. So crazy! Elder Seamons has encountered them before and now we really gotta avoid them.

Another day on the books. Friday was pretty good. We had a lesson in the morning and then had studies and weekly planning! Nothing super exciting but Elder Seamons and I had a good chat during weekly planning about the work and stuff so that was fun! Then when all that was done we went out for the night and found for a bit, called some people and then found some more! Overall a pretty relaxed day.

Saturday was a good day! We got the good work done. We had some activities with the ward too and that was great! In the evening we had a Thanksgiving activity where the ward came together and just ate food together. It was fun! Before that, we went out to a further part of the area and dropped off notes we wrote at member's homes. We only had one address that didn't exist so that was a plus. Other than that, we were just doing studies and finding too. We have had to basically start fresh with our teaching pool because nobody seems to want to meet with us after I moved in. So we are always trying to find more new people.

Sunday was a killer day!! We had an awesome day that started with our church meetings. This ward is very diverse! We have a lot of Filipino members, 1 Korean member and 1 American (in addition to us). So it was super cool and it was very cool to hear the sacrament prayer spoken in English! I haven't heard it in English for a very long time. For our second hour, we watched the Face 2 Face with Elder Gong and others and it was so awesome. I wish I could go back and be a youth to be able to use this new program!! Such an inspired program. After church, we did our studies and then went out to work! Today was a historic day for me, the reason being that today we got 20 gospel conversations and visited 2 members! I have gotten 20 before but never got the 2 member visits also. That is the full vision of President Peterson. So to be able to actually achieve the full vision was stellar. It was a truly great day.

Elder Heber Chase Ciminski

謝希伯長老

into the windy city (Season 12 Episode 1) - 11/18/19

Greetings and salutations!

Monday was great. We had a great morning at the 金華 chapel practicing for our Christmas program. I will miss those practices! I am a performer after all ;) but after practice, we met up with the Sisters in our District and another companionship of Elders plus one of my Taiwanese friends and we all grabbed lunch together before heading to our chapel to do tie-dye! I had really been looking forward to this so I am happy we got to do it. We left it to settle and dry so we will get it tomorrow at District Council and bring it back. I hope it all turns out good. Once preparation day ended we had a lesson and then dinner with our Bishop. That was pretty much the night because we got talking with our Bishop a lot about future plans for this area and what we want to accomplish. There is a lot of potential for this area. I can't wait to see the future growth of it. I am so excited to go to 竹北. My new companion is a stud and seems like a lot of fun. And our District is awesome so it's going to be great for sure.

Tuesday was a great day. Had the normal schedule including our last District Council of the transfer! I'm really gonna miss the Sisters and our District. It was a great time being here but all good things must come to an end at some point. It was also a special day because one of the sisters asked me for a priesthood blessing last night and I was able to give it. It was a great spiritual experience for me. I spent a lot of time pondering and thinking about what she needed and then I let the Spirit take the lead and I feel like I did the best I could. I hope all is well going forward. I was also able to check on my tie-dye projects and they turned out awesome!! I can't wait to wear them soon. Especially the socks. They turned out way good. A member fed us a barbecue dinner and that was basically the day! Pretty busy and fun too.

Wednesday was a pretty good day. I spent the whole day getting ready to leave and get all my stuff packed. I accumulated too many things in this area so I had to declutter a bit and make it all fit and it all worked out! Aside from that I also went to the dermatologist because Sister Peterson told me I should go get my legs checked out so I did and they said I have Eczema. I got some medicine and cream for that and hopefully, that works and it goes away. That was a fun time I guess and the best thing from the day was our English group!! My students are so cool they brought me some gifts! One brought me big oreo brownie and 4 others all got me a cool ceramic mug with an awesome design on it! I'm so glad for my students and the progress they have made and what they will continue to do! I will miss them a lot. It was a sentimental day. Lots of memories and things in this area. It's bittersweet to leave. I'm excited about my new adventure.

Thursday was such a tiring day, transfer days always are. Started out by getting all my luggage out of the house and downstairs so a member could help take me to the train station! I had a little bit of a wait before I took my train to my new area, but when I got on the train 2 people helped me with my bags, which was a big answer to a prayer I had said only 30 seconds prior. What a turnaround answer. The train ride was smooth and when I got to 新竹 a lady helped me with my bags getting off too. Taiwanese people are so nice! I felt so blessed and lucky to be surrounded by such amazing people. When I arrived I met up with my new companion, Elder Seamons, and he is a total legend! I love him a lot and he's such a fun Elder. We made our way back to our area and got my stuff dropped off and a little unpacked before we headed out for a lesson and then a District Dinner. This area is so great we are always doing things as a District, which I really enjoy. At night we were just out finding and whatnot. We talk to a lot of people here! A great change from how we did things in 三峽. Longer entry but it was a big day, I'm excited to serve here and can't wait for the new adventures!

Friday was great. A pretty normal day. We had a great morning exercise playing frisbee with a bunch of missionaries! It felt good to get out and run again. I definitely have missed doing that. Today we just had our studies and our weekly planning with finding to fill the gaps. I'm still finding my groove in this new place, but I really do enjoy it here! It's not as big as 台北 but it's not as remote as 鳳林. It's a perfect balance and has everything I need. Elder Seamons is a great guy also. We will get along great. We still talk to a lot of people and even though we don't see much fruit right now the harvest is coming soon. There are always prepared people ready.

Saturday was a good day. We had a good day doing some studies and talking with people on the streets. We did see a cool experience when we started talking to a guy sitting on a public bench and then when we asked if he had time to meet with us he said he had time right then so we taught him lesson 1 on the street! Super cool and he didn't really have an interest in learning more but it was a cool experience for us to have. We also had Stake Conference tonight! It was just the adult session but it was pretty sweet. President and Sister Peterson were there and so that was cool too. We have been walking around these past few days because my exchange bike broke really bad. So we have to wait until my bike gets here and then the real work can get started. This area is awesome and I'm loving it more every day!

Sunday was super good! It was Stake Conference round 2 and it was the general session so all the other missionaries were there too so it was nice to see other missionaries around and also hear some good messages! After church, we met with an investigator that came and the lesson wasn't the best in my opinion. It just seemed a little scattered and he asked some complicated questions too. It was all good and after all that we did some studies and then made our way back to the chapel to get stood up by a guy. Then we had some miracles! We had an hour to walk home and we promised God we would talk with every man we saw and in return we asked for at least 6 gospel conversations and 2 setups. Then we went to work and ended up getting 8 conversations and 2 setups! Such a great experience and Elder Seamons even went all preacher mode and talked to 17 kids at once about English group! So legendary. Then I was able to pick up my bike and we biked around a bit. Super good day in a super good area!

Elder Heber Chase Ciminski

謝希伯長老

I got a fever, and the only prescription is more cowbell! (Season 11 Episode 6) - 11/11/19

Greetings and salutations!

Monday was very relaxing. We didn't go anywhere for preparation day. I was glad for the change of pace. I got a lot of stuff done and even set some new Rubik's cube personal bests (under 2 minute 1-handed solve ). I also got my belongings organized and got everything sorted through. I've realized on my mission how ritualistic I am about things. I love doing things in patterns and having everything sorted and tidy. I guess that's a good pattern for life, to have all my ducks in a row and take care of my things. After preparation day ended we had dinner with a member family and they had this spicy sauce from the province in China famous for their spice! It was awesome until it got in my eye. The pain was excruciating and I honestly thought for a minute I was going to go blind. It hurt the rest of the night but it should all be ok. Lesson learned there for sure. We also had a lesson that went well! A pretty well rounded day in my opinion.

Tuesday was awesome! We had District Council and that was a good time. Moving to a new district is going to be hard. I love all these missionaries so much! After our Council, we did some english class planning and then had dinner with a member! She's so awesome and since I'm leaving she gave me a little gift! It's a musical instrument but I don't even know the name of it! I'm gonna start working on it and add it to my long list of random skills. The time leading up to a move is busy but I like it. It should always be this busy! I have a real good feeling about these last 7 months of my mission. I am very excited.

Wow. Wednesday was another busy day and also another month mark for me. 17 months down and only 7 left. That's the craziest thing ever! We had a good day. We got a late start to the day because we had an office couple stop by and give us more stuff to make our apartment suitable for 4 missionaries. They are so awesome and they even made us some Texas sheet cake! It was the best thing ever and I even went to a convenience store and bought ice cream to go with it. Such a delicious treat. Aside from that we did our studies and also had a lesson with a former that I found when I was with Elder Yang! He's a super good kid and it turns out he still has interest so we are going to start teaching him again! We had English conversation group as well but my member companion showed up too late so we ended up just jumping in the advanced class. It was good practice for my students. 

Thursday was cool. We had lots of finding time so we went knocking and also called lots of formers! We got one phone number so hopefully that turns into something. For how many times I have been rejected on my mission it doesn't effect me at all. Sometimes it's kinda humorous, for example, a man opened his door when we knocked and without even hesitating just closed it right back in our face. Always a good time out knocking. We also tried to find a less active members house and ended up climbing a big hill and even though we didn't find the house we did get a thrill flying back down! I topped out at 30 MPH, so much fun.

Another Friday in the books. It was pretty nice too we had a member out of the blue take us out to lunch and then buy us waffles too. It was so cool! We also did our weekly planning session and it went pretty quick since the work hasn't really picked up that much. That gave me some time to get more to-do list items knocked off so that felt good. Our night was pretty busy too, we gave a blessing and had a lesson as well. They both were pretty good and all in all it was just another day doing the good work!

Saturday was really good. It felt different from other days but in a good way. I've been trying to be better about some things that have held me back and I think today was Heavenly Father telling me that the things I have been working on fixing are good. So I'll keep it up! We didn't have much on the plan for the day but we went out to a few returning members homes that were outside of our area. So we got to explore a bit and even though the addresses weren't right and the phone numbers weren't good either we can take that information and give it to the ward. Still a success! We also had two member appointments and one was with our ward mission leader and his family. I seriously love that family so much. They hold a special place in my heart and I told them when their two year old son goes into the MTC someday I will be there to see him off. So only 16 more years till I can fulfill that. Then to end off the night we ate dinner with two members. Such a good time! I had a cool experience today where I was doing a share about faith and I was talking about our ward and faith and all that but the words just flowed out of me. I didn't miss a beat and it all just came out so nice. The Gift of Tongues is beautiful and I was able to see that again today!

What a great sabbath day. Sunday was very nice. We had one of our investigators bike with us to church! He's such a stud and he enjoyed church. After the normal 2 hours of meetings we had an extra 3.5 hours of stuff today afterwards. Including an 8-year-old baptism! Once we finally made our way home we just studied until it was time to go to a dinner appointment! The same investigator who came to church also came to this appointment and there were 3 other members there too and it was a great time. We also had a cool spiritual share at the end where everyone shared their favorite scripture and also shared why. It was so cool seeing how one scripture can hold so much meaning for one person and how different people see the scriptures differently. Truly a testimony of the uniqueness of the scriptures and how they were written for us. It was a great day.

Elder Heber Chase Ciminski

謝希伯長老

The beginning of the end (Season 11 Episode 5) - 11/4/19

Greetings and salutations!

Monday was a good preparation day! We had a fun time just chilling at the Stake Center most of the day. We did have a tasty curry lunch and I loved that. We also played some basketball and I made three full-court shots so that was cool. I also shot a lot of free throws. Believe it or not it's pretty relaxing. Towards the end of the day we had a friend come back to 三峽 with us and we ate a great hamburger dinner and had a great time. I love Mondays.

Pretty good day Tuesday. We had District Council and that was a great time. We talked about finding and hopefully we can take what the Spirit taught us and go apply it and find more people! Aside from District Council, we just had studies, meals, and finding. Lots of finding. We called over 20 formers today and spent some time on the streets too. Just trying to get more people in our teaching pool. It's an ongoing effort. With only about 2 weeks left in the transfer I wanna try and leave 三峽 on a good note.

Wednesday was a fast day. We had interviews with President Peterson and he said lots of good things to me. He really knows how to lift someone up. He told me he's a big fan of me and I think that's pretty cool! He also told me that I would be moving this transfer and a little bit about where I'll be moving to and my next companion. He said it's still subject to change, obviously, but I'm pretty sure it'll happen. I am very excited. President has a lot of faith in me and what I can do. He also knows my strengths and puts me in situations I can capitalize on those. He truly knows everything! So the end of my 三峽 chapter is in sight. Only 2 weeks left. Aside from all that we had English class and that was the next most exciting thing!

Thursday was a pretty empty day. Elder Settles took a language test and then we did our studies as well as weekly planning. So that was a lot of sitting around but we had a dinner appointment today so that was fun. It was with the family of our recent convert! After we finished eating we all went and picked her up from Cram School and when she saw us she was so stoked and jumping around. What a great kid. That was a bright part! I also did lots of rubiks cubes today. I recently got some new ones so that has really been occupying my boredom and free time. Could be worse.

Friday was super good. We started our only exchange of the transfer! I was with my Zone Leader Elder Nader and he is going home this transfer so I am fortunate enough to be his last exchange of his mission! We had a good day doing some finding and then going to a popular tourist spot out of our area to eat dinner with a friend of Elder Nader's. It was the same barbecue place I had my first installment of the epic battle vs. squatter toilet at. It ended a lot better this time so I was happy about that. We also got one set up for tomorrow so that was awesome! It was a good day and I'm always grateful for exchanges.

Saturday was another good day. We finished up our exchange and hung around the 土城 area because the Sisters had a baptism today so we went and watched that. It was a good experience and we also had a good lesson with the man we set up yesterday and he was super cool. Super nice too. So we are gonna try to continue meeting with him. It was a more chill day. Lots of time on the bike so I enjoyed that a good bit.

Sunday was great. We had a pleasant fast Sunday and also had the recent convert fireside as well. Both were very nice experiences. At the fireside I saw a man from the 淡水 ward that Elder Pope and I had tried to work with, and now he's baptized so that's great! He is doing well and even remembered me (pretty surprising). Not much to write about regarding the day, but it was good.

Elder Heber Chase Ciminski

謝希伯長老

TWO PDAYS IN ONE WEEK (Season 11 Episode 4) - 10/28/19

Greetings and salutations!

Monday was loads of fun! We had Christmas choir practice again and afterward hung out at the chapel for a bit and talked with people. Then, we went with our District and some other missionaries to go hiking! It was a fun, easier hike so we had a good time and got lots of cool pictures. Afterward, we walked to the 101 building and saw some sights around there. That is where a big miracle occurred. Because of my current financial situation, I didn't have money for lunch and I hadn't eaten breakfast because of my eating schedule. So I was planning on not eating until dinner but when we were walking around we ran into some members from another ward and they bought me a whole meal. I was so moved. I couldn't believe it and it has just been another tender mercy from the Lord. Then that night, we had a member buy us subway and then give us a 7/11 gift card of sorts that allows my companion and I (after splitting it), to each spend 448 NTD there. And for us, that's a lot of money. I can't believe how much the Lord is blessing me and providing for me at this time. He truly does watch out for his missionaries and even though not everything may be perfect, I have had these great experiences seeing the hand of God in my life and having inspiration come to me that reminds me of skills and things that make me unique and make me feel a lot better about myself. I'm so grateful.

Tuesday was a good day. We had our Zone Conference! It was fun to get three zones together and learn from the President and some other missionaries. Aside from that, we had a lesson with a super solid friend who is making great strides. He's super willing to do stuff and he committed for church! We are definitely excited for him. Then we had a visit with a less active and are trying to figure out the best course of action to help her come back to church. We think we have a good idea so we will have to put it into action soon. Overall a good day!

Wednesday went by really fast. We didn't have much going on so we had some good finding time. We talked to a lot of college students and we got one of their contact information. So maybe that will turn into something. We had a pretty normal day and had English Class at night which went well also! In class we learned that a man that comes sometimes is a member of the church who was baptized 20 years ago but hasn't come since. So now we have a new friend to work with! He has a great family and hopefully, we can teach them and help them come back!

Thursday was another quick day (or so it felt). We did a lot of the same stuff. Just out finding and we were able to have a lesson with our most progressing friend right now! He's such a rockstar and we invited him to set a baptismal goal with us and he set a goal 2 weeks ahead of what we were thinking of. Talk about impressed by the Spirit! We are working on finding right now since we don't have a lot of investigators (3 to be exact). So hopefully things start picking up for this area again.

Friday was pretty laid back. We had a lesson with a dude we met on the street yesterday and he said we could come back to his normal hang out stop and keep on sharing stuff with him so that counts as a new investigator. Not bad at all. We had our weekly planning session so that was a hefty chunk of time and then we ended off the day with a member visit. Pretty good day, no complaints here.

Saturday was awesome. It was basically a preparation day warm-up because we had two big Stake activities in the morning and at night. In the morning we had a Stake Sports Activity! It was loads of fun and we played lots of games and had fun. One really fun one involved hula hooping, spinning around a stick, and then standing on one leg. I was one of the participants and after spinning the 10 times around a stick I fell over 3 times haha. It felt like I was tied to a rope and someone was pulling me down!! It was so funny and I finally made it through everything after falling a good bit. So much fun though! Then that night, we had a Stake Halloween party and I got to dress up as a Jedi complete with a dope lightsaber!! The kids and adults all loved it and wanted pictures with us! Our whole zone was there and all having a good time and dressing up as different people. It was an amazing day. And the icing on the cake was biking a total of 32 miles :)

Sunday was a nice day. We had the normal church meetings and also a few after church. We did have a few hiccups though. When we left the house to bike to church, my companion's bike tire was popped. Then when we went to go grab his metro card he couldn't find his wallet so I had to lend him one of my extras. We barely made it to church on time but on our way back we went and brought the extra missionary bike back to our apartment so it'll get all fixed. That was the exciting parts of the day. We did have a cool street contact with a man and ended up getting his Line so that was cool as well.

Elder Heber Chase Ciminski

謝希伯長老

receiving blessings and giving blessings (Season 11 Episode 3) - 10/21/19

Greetings and salutations!

Monday was loads of fun. We spent all of our preparation day at the stake center with loads of missionaries and we played a bunch of games, ate lots of food, and just had a good time socializing and it was fun to be able to meet newer missionaries and make new friends! I love P-days because everyone can let loose and have some fun. At night we had a lesson turned member visit turned gospel conversation. It was pretty interesting, but fun too.

Tuesday was a good day. We had our first District Council of the transfer and it went good. We had a good chat about all that we liked from Conference! It was so fun hearing what everyone liked and seeing how the same messages inspired different people. After District Council, we did studies, had English class planning as well as going to the hospital to visit some members of a neighboring ward. We went and were asked to give priesthood blessings which we happily obliged to. Giving blessings is always a spirit-filled experience, humbling as well.

Wednesday was pretty fun. We had a good morning and stuff doing studies then we went out knocking and ran into an old friend and she invited us over and gave us loads of food so that was pretty sweet. Then we came back and had a real dinner and taught English class! All of my students are females (except for my member partner) so that's fun. They are mostly older and love learning English so we have a fun time talking and practicing. Teaching English will always be one of my favorite things to do.

Thursday was pretty fun. We didn't have much going on so we went knocking and contacting at the college campus as well. It was pretty fun and we found lots of people... that weren't interested in the Gospel. It was all good though and still fun because we made our way to the top of a building at the college. It was at sunset too so it was literally the best thing ever. Beautiful scenery and stuff like that. Super awesome. Then to end the night I did a baptismal interview for the Sisters in my District and it was so nice! So many prepared people here. On another fun note we got chased by dogs on our bikes (I named them all Eddy) and at Starbucks I saw a lady knitting and she reminded me so much of Mom I couldn't help but smile every time I looked at her. Memories!

Friday was a day of answered prayers. So this last week we had to get our air conditioning unit fixed and I had to pay the money for it. So while I'm waiting for my reimbursement I have barely any money left for the month. I've been using what food I have and really being smart and have been praying for divine help to make it to the end of the month. Well today was great because I found 50 NTD on the ground (which is a great amount when you are as broke as I am right now), and then we had a member dinner where she gave us a bunch of food to take home! Such a big help and an answer to prayers. With other activities and such, I should make it to the end of the month and have lots of money saved up! We were also blessed to be able to go and give our District's Sister's investigator a blessing in the hospital. They called us and thankfully we had time so we dropped what we were doing and went to help them out. I may never have superpowers but being able to bless people with the priesthood of God is the next best thing. I love being on Heavenly Father's errand and serving his children.

Saturday was super nice. In the morning we helped a member do service and just moved a bunch of stuff from the third floor of the house to the first. A pretty good workout and we got treated to lunch afterward! Then we also had a ward family home evening in the evening as well. Heavenly Father is really looking out for me and helping me be financially stable until November! Seriously such big blessings lately and I'm super grateful for it all.

Sunday was a laid back day. We had church and subsequent meetings that took us all the way up to dinner when we factored in biking home so that was a big chunk of the day. At church, a member who just got back from America gave me and my companion 2 boxes of macaroni and cheese each! Such a big blessing I'm very grateful! At night I called a lot of formers and got some forms ready to hopefully get better member work going in our ward!

Elder Heber Chase Ciminski

謝希伯長老

I am the Draft King (Season 11 Episode 2) - 10/14/19

Greetings and salutations,

Monday was really fun. For preparation day we went back to my first area again and saw the sights with a bunch of other missionaries! We also had an all you can eat pizza lunch and that was pretty good. It was fun to see 淡水 again and share it with other missionaries too! Then at night we had a surprise lesson with one of our friends who is actually going to be in the hospital for a few days. Prayers go out to him.

Tuesday was pretty good. We got a lot of stuff we needed to do out of the way and also had an awesome lesson which turned into a new investigator! He is a super cool guy and he seems super interested in the church and he said he was excited for our next appointment and excited to read more of the Book of Mormon! He's a stud. We were also able to go give the friend of a member a blessing. Another member that was with us, who is preparing for a mission himself, gave the blessing and I think it was a really good opportunity for him. He seemed very touched by it and it was a nice experience. The priesthood is such a miraculous and powerful gift. I'm so grateful for it. On a fun side today I drafted a bus and got to 25 MPH and it may not have been a semi-truc going 60 MPH but I'm sure the feeling was close enough. 

Wednesday was good. We had 2 lessons which was awesome. One was with our friend who is in the hospital. So today we went to the hospital, just not for us (that's a first). We had a good lesson and our friend accepted a baptismal goal! So that is exciting and we also had a lesson with an eternal investigator who we are dropping once again. His time will come someday, but it is not now. On top of that, we had English class too and it was great!! I love my new class and they are all so great. I'm thankful for the chance to provide that service.

Pretty good day. We had our Zone Council Thursday and President recently changed the format of it so it is a lot more District focused and Zone supported. So that means I gotta do a little more than I have been used to but I think it's a good format. It's fun to be in our District and so to work with them more is a great opportunity. After the Council, we came back and had dinner with one of my companion's friends and then afterward Elder Settles and I had pretty gnarly stomach issues so we headed in a little early for the day.

Friday was pretty easy. We had our studies and also had weekly planning. We were able to get out at night and we went around trying to visit members and contacted people. Pretty standard day but it was good nonetheless. I helped Elder Settles get some stuff done on his bike, service is good! That was the day though. Pretty busy but good.

Saturday was awesome because we got to watch Conference! I actually enjoy being a week behind everyone else because I hear all the big news first and can focus on the words and messages being shared. I really enjoyed the sessions and am excited for tomorrow! Conference goes by so fast now but I'm grateful for prophets and the revelation they receive. After we watched Conference we had a dinner appointment and that was pretty much the night.

Sunday was a great day. We finished up watching Conference and that was very nice. The time always goes by so fast but I'm glad to have been able to watch it. After conference was all over we had a ward lunch and then a baptismal service for 2 kids in the ward! One of them was a girl that I taught and so I am super grateful to have been able to get another recent convert and help another soul along the path! We got back late and had dinner and then had our weekly correlation meeting, and with only 3 investigators in our pool it didn't last super long. This area has a lot of potential and I wish I could tap into it.

Elder Heber Chase Ciminski

謝希伯長老

In my element (Season 11 Episode 1) - 10/7/19

Greetings and Salutations!

Monday was super fun. We were originally going to go to the stake center and play basketball but it was closed so we ended up getting with 6 other missionaries and we all had lunch together and then went to different places in 台北! It was so much fun and felt good to let loose and have fun and laugh. Really good day. At night we stayed inside because of the typhoon rolling through. It wasn't super serious but with the strong winds I didn't wanna risk anything (guess some things never change 😉)

Tuesday was very nice. We had district council and we basically just bore testimony of the Book of Mormon, Joseph Smith, and President Nelson. I asked them all how they know these things are true and we just shared experiences and bore testimony. It was a very spiritual experience and really good! After district council we did the normal things and our lesson canceled on us so we had to reschedule that. Kind of a bummer but nothing is perfect.

Wednesday was a fun day. We had the usual stuff and were supposed to have a lesson but we actually bumped into our friend at the hospital and we tried to meet with him but it didn't end up working out (his appointment took longer than expected). It was fine. We biked around and saw a cool part of our area I had never seen. It was very pretty and a nice escape from the hustle and bustle of the city. At night we had English class and that was very nice. I enjoy teaching that class and now that I'm the intermediate and beginner teacher it's a lot more fun! Also, with the mission's new materials it makes everything even easier.

Thursday was crazy and not in a good way. We spent 3 hours waiting at the hospital so Elder Settles could look at the results of an allergy test he took a few weeks back and it turns out he's allergic to 4 things. 3 of those things he already knew so we spent all that time to get information we already had. I was a little disappointed, but life goes on. We had 2 lessons both cancel on us too. One of them rescheduled though so it was ok. It is also the start of a new transfer, my 11th so that is cool too. I set some good goals and am ready to accomplish them as these 6 weeks go on.

Friday was wild. Biked almost 30 miles total because first thing we had to bike 9 miles away to get me fitted for a costume that I'll be wearing at the stake Halloween party. I'm going to be a Jedi so it's going to be a great time. I can finally fulfill my duty of being a Star Wars day baby. Afterwards, we biked back and did studies then at night we had a lesson with our friend. He loves the idea of a prophet prophesying and it's so nice that General Conference is next week so we can hear the prophet himself! He's a great guy and seems genuine in his quest for truth.

Saturday was fun. We had weekly planning today so our morning and afternoon were filled with studies, but at night we had a dinner with a member and her non-member friend so that was nice! Afterwards we walked by a basketball court and a bunch of neighborhood kids were playing ball and so we played basketball with them! I may not be the best but boy do I have a fun time playing. So we did that and one of them had a skateboard so I landed a one-footed kickflip on the first try! It was so close to a full I'll count it as a 3/4 make. We also visited a less active and he said he wants to come back to church! Such a cool guy and we can't wait to see him at church tomorrow. It was a fun day. I have learned recently to not sweat the small stuff and just having fun and doing the good work is all I need. Hang loose and work hard.

Sunday marks 16 months on the mission. Crazy how time is passing by like that. It was a great day and the highlight was going to the recent convert fireside. It is so great seeing old friends, making new friends, and being filled with the spirit!!! I love situations like those. Lots of people in one place and I can just go and meet and talk with so many people! That's why being a missionary is awesome.

Elder Heber Chase Ciminski

謝希伯長老

#BLESSED 🙏🙏 (Season 10 Episode 6) - 9/30/19

Greetings and salutations!

Pretty chill Monday. Our big preparation day activity was going to the hospital for another test on Elder Settles. We will get those results on Friday. Other than that, I cleaned my bike and then we had someone buy us dinner and that was pretty nice. Another laid back day, just like always.

Tuesday we had a normal day. We got out early because we had interviews with President Peterson! I had a good interview and I really enjoy talking with President and gleaning his wisdom. After our interviews we grabbed some food with our Zone Leaders and then headed back to our area. We got cleared so that we can go outside and so we had a normal day doing studies and then visiting members and trying to find people! It feels good to get back to some normalcy again. Living a sedentary life is not as fun as it sounds.

Wednesday was a fun day. We had a great time finding since we didn't have anything else going on until English class. When we were knocking we had a man let us in and we talked for a few minutes and he set up for tomorrow! So we will see how that goes, but it was cool seeing that blessing today. On top of that, we had English class and it was good. We are back in 三峽 now and so we had the old faces come back. After English class, we met with our friend who dropped us recently and had a good conversation with him. I was able to share personal experience and bear testimony to him and we are going to work on getting him back on track to continue learning the gospel.

Thursday was crazy! We were all over the place but got great work done all the same. We had another Zone Council meeting and it was pretty fun. I got to translate after not doing it for a while so that was good language practice as well. After that meeting, we went to a lesson with the man we set up yesterday and it went super well. We shared about the Book of Mormon and he liked it and said he would come to church on Sunday and afterward we are going to share about prophets! We also revived our friend who didn't think he could follow the Word of Wisdom! He said he doesn't have any desire to drink and we are so happy for him. Such a big miracle day!

Friday was very laid back. We got out the door mega early and went back to the hospital to get the results back on the test we did Monday. Thankfully the tests all looked good and the doctor said that the problems Elder Settles has been having with headaches are related to his posture and if he fixes that, the problems should be solved too. Lesson learned, always have good posture. After that, we went to the Mission Office to pick up stuff once again (the Office Elders gave us the wrong flash drive so we needed to go and switch it) and that went a lot longer than expected because we had to wait for them to come back. When we finally got home we did our weekly planning for the rest of the night. We hadn't done that in 2 weeks since nothing with our investigators had changed, but we got it done and are ready to keep working and helping this area grow.

Saturday was so fun. We had a big ward activity and we went to this super cool place with waterfalls and stuff and had a big barbecue! It was so fun having the ward together and all having a good time. There were also some less active members and non-members there also so it was great in all aspects! The only downside is that the smoke really hit me hard and I had a bad headache most of the day. When we got back we switched clothes and did studies. Then we went and helped administer a blessing to a less-active member. That was a cool experience. The night was filled with contacting and preparing for our coordination meeting tomorrow.

Sunday was a good day. Church was nice as always and it was a good time. Afterwards we had a laid back afternoon doing our studies and eating then at night we went around town and called people and watched a cool lightning storm! The weather's been picking up lately because of another typhoon set to hit tomorrow but we will have to see how the cookie crumbles.

Elder Heber Chase Ciminski

謝希伯長老

Conquering fears (Season 10 Episode 5) - 9/23/19

Greetings and salutations!!

Monday was the most chill preparation day ever. We just did the same things we have been doing for the last 4 days. We stayed inside and enjoyed the comfort of the air conditioning and called family. Pretty easy and pretty chill.

Tuesday was a little more of a normal day. We had our exchanges with the Zone Leaders so I got to get out and work with my good friend Elder Hughes! We were in the MTC together so it was a good time. We enjoyed a little of everything today. Knocking, contacting, and teaching a mega lesson. We taught a little girl all 5 lessons and did her baptismal interview too. It was a long process but it all ended good and she will still be baptized despite some slight hesitations. So it was a full day and a nice break from the time inside we have been having.

Wednesday was another good day! We had Zone Conference at the chapel by the temple and it was good. We received some good training from President and a couple sets of Zone Leaders. It was nice to see old friends and with every Zone Council that goes by I always feel a little older and cool because I feel like I actually have a semi-solid grasp at what I'm doing. It is nice though, missions are a great chance to meet people. Plus we got a new senior couple in the office so I got to meet them too. After the conference, we went to a different hospital in 台北 at Sister Peterson's suggestion so that took up the rest of our day. And we have to go back tomorrow too.

Had a little travel day Thursday. We got lunch with one of Elder Settles' friends and then we went on an adventure to the hospital we went to yesterday. They were actually able to get some answers to us and now we know more. We still need to go back and get some more stuff done tomorrow. After that trip, we went to the mission office to drop stuff off and we ended grabbing dinner with one of the office missionaries and a member and our dinner was paid for! Not what I expected to happen, but a very fun time!

Friday was pretty much the same as yesterday. We went to the hospital earlier in the day and grabbed lunch by the mission office since Elder Settles wanted to file his reimbursement stuff again. When we finally got back it was business as usual just staying inside and letting him rest. One perk of all this though is that I have a lot more study time. Gotta make the most of it while I have it.

More of the same stuff Saturday. We did have 2 lessons set up but unfortunately, they both fell through and one of them was when we were already at the organized place. It was okay though because it felt like the weather switched over to fall and it was so nice. There was a slight drizzle and slight chill in the air and it was so great. So even though the lessons didn't work out, we at least had good weather. Other than that we were inside the rest of the day.

Pretty normal Sunday. Had a good church meeting and afterward, we just stuck around at the chapel until it was time to go to the Stake Center for the Face 2 Face broadcast from last week! It was super nice because they had the English playing too and so I got to hear the full message and it was good. I got lots of notes from it. After the fireside, we came back home and continued the resting Elder Settles has been prescribed. Hopefully, we can get off that this week.

Elder Heber Chase Ciminski

謝希伯長老

remember that mythbusters cabin fever episode? (Season 10 Episode 4) - 9/16/19

Greetings and salutations!

Wednesday was great. We enjoyed a nice preparation day that included going to the temple! Every time is so great and I felt so much peace today. Amidst all the things that go on in life, the temple is a great source of peace. I spent more time in the Celestial Room today and just took it all in. Just enjoyed the environment. I also bought a new temple tie. It's all white obviously but it has chinese characters on it and it says "families are forever". What a true statement. We enjoyed a fun lunch with 8 other elders and after the temple we sat in on English class (which we didn't have to teach) so it was nice to be support crew.

Nothing happened Thursday. After receiving instruction from Sister Peterson to allow Elder Settles to rest and not do anything, we spent the whole day inside. It was still as productive as could be. Cleaned up and organized some stuff, did some studies and whatnot also. It was a very strange feeling to not have left the house at all. Only 1 or 2 more days and we should be able to get back out.

Spent all of Friday inside. Got out to buy dinner and go to the roof for a little bit. Other than that just more studies, naps, and letting Elder Settles work on getting better.

We were able to get out a little more Saturday. We had a great member dinner where the member had invited 7 people who weren't members to all come and eat! We were blessed to be able to teach lots of little bits of doctrine and help those present feel of the Spirit! After this glorious occasion, we went to a baptismal service for the Sisters in our District. It was quite nice and I was once again asked to witness the ordinance (at almost every baptismal service I am at I usually get asked to witness). Felt good to be out a little more!

Same old same old Sunday. Got outside to go to church and it was great! We had a few meetings after church so we got all that taken care of and then headed back home for the day. We also learned that a 9+ year old child getting baptized this Saturday needs to meet with us and so I guess I'll be getting another baptism this week!

Elder Heber Chase Ciminski

謝希伯長老

HE DROPPED US!!! (Season 10 Episode 3) - 9/11/19

Greetings and salutations!

Monday was a chill day. We spent the bulk of the day in my companion's first area with the Elders in that area and some members. We played board games and ate some food. It was a nice time even though I'm not the biggest board game fan. I'm just along for the ride. The night was good also. We got some good member visits lined up along with a member dinner at McDonald's. He's not from our ward but he likes going and visiting missionaries so today he wanted to visit us. After that, we just planned some good old English class. This weeks topic is planets!!

Tuesday was a good day. I got out for my first run in a bit and it felt pretty nice. We also had our first District Council of the transfer and we had it here in 三峽. It was pretty nice not having to bike all the way to the Chapel and we had more time to be in our area. At night we had a lesson with our most progressing investigator and he finished the commandments lesson and is excited to get baptized! We shared tithing with him and we honestly thought it might pose a problem but he accepted it!! What a miracle. He still has some other small hurdles to get over but he's definitely going to make it!!

Wednesday was lit. We had an interesting day with nothing super special going down. We did go to a new 7/11 today which was kind of cool. I guess only missionaries would think going to a different convenience store would be cool. It was and we got to call some formers. Aside from that, we had English Class, which was actually fun! We taught them the planets and it was pretty cool. Turns out they don't learn about that stuff as young as we do so we got to teach them the English and the Chinese words for it all. It was a nice, rainy day.

Thursday was a pleasant, drizzly day. The rain was pretty much off and on all day which made biking even more pleasant than it already is. We also had a lesson with our new referral who is set for a baptismal goal! All he needs is to come to church and he should be ready. On top of that, we played basketball with our friend Sam and his brother one last time before Sam leaves for school. He sadly didn't have an interest in continuing to learn the gospel but he's a good kid so I am sure he will have the interest again someday. That was pretty much the day though. Pretty exciting to bike all around and enjoy the weather.

Friday was a hard day. Did studies and weekly planning along with a doctor's visit. Nothing super special, but we did get a text from our most progressing investigator and he is the most awesome older fellow ever and he told us to not prepare for his baptism because he doesn't want to go forward with it anymore. Talk about heartbreak.

Saturday was wild. We had a great day because we were able to go to 台北 and participate in some cool meetings and stuff. The first one was a performance of Lamb of God! It was so well done! I felt the Spirit so strong and it was just such a great performance. There were some other missionaries that performed in it and President Peterson was in it too! It was a great time then we went and got dinner with a member afterward because we had a Stake Conference session tonight. We were originally gonna practice teaching with members and that's why we went but after 2 and a quarter hours of sitting through the meeting, we didn't even get to do anything. It was way disappointing but nothing is ever a waste of time. We were still able to learn some things.

Pretty busy Sunday. We still had to get out the door early because we had to get to the Stake Center early for our weekly Coordination Meeting. After that meeting we had some lunch and then buckled up for round two of Stake Conference, once again going over the 2-hour mark and it was pretty ok. Before all the meetings I got to see Sister Born again and we had a nice conversation and she's way hype. Not much has changed since the good old Gilbert days. At night I conducted a baptismal interview for the Sisters in my District and they are going to be having another baptism this week! Good for them!

Monday was another working day. We had a normal day though, studies and we went out knocking. Knocking was fun and we got to talk to lots of people. At night we had a member visit too and got to share about family history. I am excited to go to the temple and do some of my own family names!

Tuesday was pretty interesting. We had District Council and it was really nice and fun. After Council we went to 板橋 which is a city close to the Chapel and we visited the Elders that serve there at their apartment to grab some stuff and then we went to the hospital. This hospital is a bit bigger and a little better and still told Elder Settles the same stuff. He isn't happy and thinks he's getting fooled but I withhold my opinion. I'm not the one with a medical degree but those doctors have one... anyways after that, we ate a quick dinner and then walked around a big mall in that city. That whole area was Elder Settles' first area so he took great pride in being able to show me around and I just let him do his thing and we had a good time. Then we made our way home from the long day. I am very excited for the temple tomorrow!

Elder Heber Chase Ciminski

謝希伯長老