每一個禮拜都是一樣的 (Season 15 Episode 3) - 3/30/20

Greetings and salutations, 大家好!

Monday was a good day. We had a dope frisbee game in the morning and I had two solid runs there and back. So all was well there and other than that we just chilled for the day and did some shopping with the District at Carrefour. That was fun and pretty much the highlight of the day. In the evening we had a meeting with a less active member and it went really well! Hopefully, despite the virus, we can continue meeting with him and help him come back. That was the day, prayers to all those missionaries going home. See y'all on the flipside.

Tuesday was pretty cool. Started off the day with an awesome run! 10 miles at a 7:19 pace with my last mile clocking in at 6:48! I felt way good and was taking it easy after yesterday's run so I just ran by feel and turned out to be 10 miles. Despite that, we still had a normal day with District Council and taking the Sacrament. We also talked a lot about prayer which was super cool. Then we spent the night trying to find some less-actives in our area and we were able to drop off one card which was a definite success for us.

Wednesday was pretty good. It started off with a big game of frisbee and then had a fun day biking around our area and going to 湖口. A funny thing happened on the ride up. As we were climbing the big hill to get there one of our YSA friends rode by on her scooter. She stopped and said hi and before you knew it she was pulling me up the hill and we flew by Elder Ellis and it was hilarious. That was a good time and aside from studies, we spent our time biking around trying to find less active members. It went pretty well and we gained more information we can give back to the ward if we ever get to meet again.

Thursday was a cool day. We had a good morning and then started an exchange with our Zone Leaders and this time I went to their area. We had a good day and made a few visits. It's always fun going to someone else's area because you are the guest and just follow the other person around and do what you are told. Which sometimes is nice, I definitely enjoyed it.

Friday was pretty sweet. Finished off exchanges and Elder Ellis and I had a good day doing weekly planning and having District Dinner and language study as well. Then for the evening we just called people and filtered through our list a bit more. Good stuff happening here but not all of it makes for exciting journal entries. I'm grateful for every day I can be here. I have recently been looking every day for one thing I can be especially grateful for and it helps me realize the reasons I am still here and that we aren't sent home. There is a reason.

Saturday was pretty awesome. We had a great time and it was raining so it made for a mellow time outside. But we still had two appointments and one became a new investigator and the other was with our recent convert. Both went really well and I especially loved meeting with my recent convert. He's doing absolutely amazing and he was sharing his scripture insights with us and telling us about how he was reading the apostles and stuff. It was so awesome. I just was absolutely filled with love and felt so much happiness being with him. That was easily the highlight of my day.

Sunday was a fast day. Everything went smoothly and the best part was meeting with some of the YSA of our ward and our recent convert as well! We read the first part of Joseph Smith History and taught the first lesson along with it. It went super well and I'll probably remember that for the future. Our convert is doing super well and like I said yesterday, I love him so much. In the evening we tried to find less active homes and got juked out by more addresses but the work still goes on. Then we ended the night off at the other Elders' apartment in preparation for p-day. It's gonna be a good time.

Elder Heber Chase Ciminski

謝希伯長老

甭武漢肺炎 (Season 15 Episode 2) - 3/23/20

Greetings and salutations, 大家好!

Monday was so awesome! We had a fun preparation day that started at 4:30 in the morning and Elder Bell and I went for a great 4.5 mile run to get things started off. We got back and got cleaned up then called family and got ready to head out on a hike! It was a great hike, we got a ride to Taipei and we got to see some awesome sights from the highway and then we did the hike and saw even more awesome sights! It was such a beautiful hike and the weather was so great for it also. The sun was out but it wasn't too hot and there was a slight breeze. The hike was fairly quick so we went and got all-you-can-eat hamburgers in my previous area! It was super cool to go back and see 三峽 and grab some burgers. I also went and saw the new chapel that has been created since I left the area and it was so cool. After four transfers of hearing about it, to finally see it was super awesome. Our adventure continued as we got a ride to Costco and did some quick shopping before heading home and finishing out the day writing some stuff. The night wasn't super eventful but we planned our last English Conversation Group because it has now been shut down!

Tuesday was pretty cool. Nothing much happened except for our District Council. It was really special because we had the sacrament during it. With the cancelation of Sunday meetings, President Peterson gave us the authorization to have the sacrament during District Councils. It was pretty special, really simple, and really awesome. That was the best part of the day for sure. We also had a fun district dinner and spent the rest of the day doing studies and finding. On a side note, we are definitely not in a shortage of toilet paper. Stores here have plenty to spare. Taiwan: 1, America: 0.

Wednesday was pretty good. It was a rainy day so there weren't that many people to talk to. Also, the virus also has made an impact too, haha. So we just did studies and whatnot until the evening when we had our last English Conversation Group for the foreseeable future, possibly the last of my mission. It was ok though, not that many people showed up so we ended up combining groups and it was good. Overall it was a quick day and nothing too notable to write about. We did start an exchange though so I am with my great friend Elder Stewart and we are gonna have a great time!

Thursday was pretty interesting. Our schedule got super thrown off because we had apartment inspections! We also had a lesson at 9:15 in the morning so that messed with the schedule a bit also. It all ended well and we ended up getting lunch with the senior missionaries in charge of doing inspections! That was nice and we spent most of the time talking about the virus and the effects of it. We heard some of the latest news and it sounds pretty wild out in the world. Prayers to Italy for sure. So we got done with inspections and Elder Stewart and I had an awesome time doing studies and then having dinner and spending the night at the chapel. We had a good time together though and I learned a good bit from him. We ended up the night back at our apartment and the other Elders sleeping over because we are going to 台北 tomorrow for a meeting!

Friday was a crazy day. Elder Bell and I got up at 5 AM and got in a brisk 5k before taking a train to 台北 for our 6 week follow up meeting. It was pretty fun and having time with President Peterson is always a treat. What made the meeting most unique was when President sent a text to the whole mission chat and in that text he said we had a high likelihood of getting sent home because of the virus. It was so crazy and so when we finally got back home we grabbed dinner and then started getting our stuff together. We got pretty much all of our stuff together and now just waiting for the inevitable. I'm so surprised that we are at this point and now we really don't know what each new day will bring.

Saturday was a rollercoaster of a day. We woke up to the news that we wouldn't be heading home after all. This is good news, but we were mentally prepared for the other outcome so it was hard to have it flip back around. Long story short, my emotions were all over but we got out to work and things went ok. Just the usual getting stood up by people and calling lots of people. I did receive an email from Church travel though and so the future still can change. For now I got 12 weeks left in this beautiful land!

Sunday was a good day. Still pretty whack not having Sunday services but I'm sure it'll get back to normal soon. Elder Ellis and I did our weekly planning in the afternoon and it went well. We had a good talk and both agreed it's hard to focus on the work sometimes with knowing that so many other places are being affected heavily by the virus and we are supposed to act like nothing is happening. We set a goal for the transfer and hopefully that will whip us back into focus. We had a member dinner and that was great! Things are going well here in Taiwan. I trust in God and even though I'm still scared at times of what will happen in the future I can't do much except for trust it'll all be ok. I still have 12 weeks left so gotta do what I can with the time left!

Elder Heber Chase Ciminski

謝希伯長老

武漢肺炎那麼誇張!! (Season 15 Episode 1) - 3/16/20

Greetings and Salutations! 大家好!

Monday was a well-earned, relaxing preparation day. Aside from shopping I bought new running shoes and we relaxed at home. So there isn't that much to write about. As for the night's work we planned English Group and then did some daily contacting. Elder Ellis and I got to talking about amusement parks and that took up more time than we realized. Since Elder Ellis is from Southern California he knows all about theme parks and we were talking about Disneyland and our favorite rides and memories and stuff. So that was fun and brought back so many awesome family memories.

Tuesday was a pretty chill day. We had some rain in the morning so that made street contacting numbers low but we were able to call lots of people and I learned that some less-active members can be very savage. No worries, life moves on. We also had District Council and it was the last one before the transfer so that was a bummer because we are saying goodbye to one of the sisters. Other than that, we had the other Elders at our apartment for dinner and that was fun because Elder Bell and I had some great talks about running and talking about what we wanna do in the future. It will be so fun to be with him at BYU in the future and keep up our friendship. The rain subsided towards the middle of the day so that made the weather very nice.

Wednesday was a good day. We had a pretty busy day and the reason being that a member took the whole District out to a barbecue place! It was very tasty and it was actually the same place that we went to on Elder Seamons' birthday so it was cool to eat there again. After lunch, we just did studies and had dinner before English group. This morning I also took my new running shoes out for a spin and they are super great, they feel awesome and will definitely take me places. So it was a good day all in all and tomorrow marks the start of my second to last transfer. What a surreal feeling. However cool that is I also got hit with the realization that our teaching pool is down to two people. This means that we really gotta step up the finding grind, which is hard but also the time where miracles happen.

Thursday was a good day. We had a normal day, but because of the weather, street contacting was pretty hard. We had two lessons set up that both didn't end up happening and they got bumped to tomorrow. One was scheduled with our friend who is getting baptized on Saturday, but he still needs to meet with us one more time so if he doesn't come tomorrow then we will have to reschedule the baptism. I was pretty stressed after he rescheduled because it is so last minute but as I was pondering and half-mentally praying for comfort I just had a thought that no matter what happens, nothing is because of what we did. We are doing our best and the rest is out of our control. Aside from that nothing crazy happened. Just another day of work and the start of a new transfer. My second to last!

Friday was pretty awesome. We had a good morning and I did my third run of the week and that was pretty sweet. Still feeling good! As for the missionary work, we had two amazing lessons as well as starting an exchange with the Traveling Assistants. Our two lessons were so awesome though. One was with our progressing friend and it was so powerful. He told us a little more about his past and I am completely amazed at the faith he has and the desire he has to turn his life around. He is totally gonna get baptized but until sacrament meetings can happen again I'm not sure how he can progress. No matter, I know God cares for us and we have a prophet who is guiding us. Things will work out how they need to. Our other lesson was with our friend who is getting baptized tomorrow! He's so awesome and we had a great review with him and he is totally ready to go. It was kinda a bummer because now we have to organize everything kinda last second. Once again I have faith it will all work out. I trust Heavenly Father's hand to be in this event.

Saturday was amazing. We had a great morning on exchanges and talked to some awesome people and then we had a lesson as well which ended up in us getting a new friend! He's a way awesome 17-year old and he seems way sincere about this stuff so it'll be fun to continue working with him. We did some studies and had dinner before the fun night ensued which included a baptism! Heavenly Father is so great and He helped this process go so smoothly. The baptismal service for our friend was amazing and even though it was a smaller service, I am so glad it could happen. If it hadn't had happened then we would have had to wait who knows how long until things regarding the virus get better. God's hand is in everything. No doubt about it. The Spirit was present and now our friend is a member of the church. Such a beautiful day.

Sunday was pretty weird. It did not feel like a Sunday at all. I guess that's what happens when you don't have any church meetings or anything like that. It just felt like a normal day. We still did the normal things including our weekly planning to make up for not doing it Friday. It is pretty interesting with these new guidelines and whatnot because it makes our work very hard. Because so much of our work revolves around having people attend church, so with no church it halts our progression a bit. Now we will just have to get creative and make it work with the new changes. It will be interesting to see how the next little bit goes and if anything else will happen. Only God knows so I am just waiting for His will to be made manifest and I will follow accordingly.

Elder Heber Chase Ciminski

謝希伯長老

雙數的矮人 (Season 14 Episode 6) - 3/9/20

Greetings and salutations, 大家好!

Monday was loads of fun. We woke up in the morning and ran to frisbee and back. It ended up being a 10K all in all. And my 5K split back home was faster then my split heading out so that was some good improvement. We then proceeded to call familia and then headed out to Costco! It was especially fun because we had YSA come with us and then the 新竹 missionaries came too so it was a big party. We had a good time and got the necessities. Then we came back to the apartment and chilled before getting myself a hair cut and then planning english group. It was a chill day and pretty relaxed.

Tuesday was loads of fun. We had District Council and watched the new broadcast from Elder Uchtdorf and it was pretty cool. We also ate dinner with the District at a hotpot restaurant and we went to a different one than usual but it wasn't as good. I guess that's why if it ain't broke, don't fix it. At night we updated our member wall and then had some good times finding. The crazy experience of the day happened in a Family Mart. I was sitting at a table and Elder Ellis was at another one talking to a guy. All the sudden a lady sits down across from me and long story short she was kinda crazy, hit on me and made me feel super uneasy so we left super fast. Very whack and glad we got out of there quick.

Wednesday was pretty cool. It was a pretty chill day because our schedule was full. We had 2 lessons set up for the day and one of them ended up happening and he became a new friend so I am very grateful to be able to share the gospel with another precious child of God. To think that 24 hours prior to that lesson he still hadn't even known about the missionaries (I street contacted him last night). It is so wild to think about how fast someone's life can be changed. Our other lesson didn't end up happening because he had to work overtime, but we got another time set up and so it all ended well. Aside from that, we had English Conversation Group and that went well also. Nothing way crazy happened but I did get an email from the Mission Secretary with my official church travel documents. Still got 101 days left and I got some big lofty goals to hit within that time. So I have no time to waste!

Good day Thursday. It was an exchange day and I was with Elder Stewart in my area. It was a good day and we went out to 湖口 and spent the whole afternoon out in that part of the area. It was pretty fun we explored the college in the process of doing our studies. It was enjoyable and I liked the time with Elder Stewart. We also had a lesson with our friend who is getting baptized soon! We reviewed the baptismal interview questions with him and he seems ready to go. The real interview is this Saturday and we are very excited for him. He seems like an honest and standup man and it's been so awesome to see him progress along the path. When we biked back to 竹北 and had dinner with the District at McDonalds then finished up the night doing daily contacting. Overall a great day. I'm grateful for everyday I have to be alive and help make this earth a better place.

Friday was a great day. It also marks another month on the mission. We are up to 21 months complete and only three left. It was a good day for sure. We didn't end up getting out of the house until almost 4 in the afternoon because Elder Ellis took his language test and passed it! Then we had lunch and our weekly planning session. So we finally got out and did some language study before having dinner. In the evening we had to run to the dermatologist (this time for Elder Ellis) and then we got stood up for our only lesson of the day. Then we headed home and did some daily contacting as well. It was also a frisbee day which meant I got two good runs in. The run out there I did no GPS or anything. On the way home I clocked a 6:07 and 5:48 miles respectively. Midway through I had a near miss with a red-light runner and that got me a mix of adrenaline and frustration that propelled me that last mile. My body is feeling good and my running is feeling better every time.

Saturday was a great day. We hit every one of our goals and it felt super good. We talked with 20 people, called 15 formers, shared 10 Book of Mormon scriptures on the streets, and visited three member homes as well as adding one new baptismal date to our teaching pool! So it was a very productive day and the best part was the lesson we had with our friend. We picked him up this week and he is honestly so ready. He shared with us some of his reasons for wanting to meet with us and it was pretty deep. Then we invited him to be baptized and he had such a great desire for it. He told us some things that have happened previously in his life and he told us he wants to become a better man. I am so grateful we can work with him and help him receive the power of Jesus Christ in his life.

Sunday was awesome. Another day where we hit our goals! We set some high goals and worked to get it done. Church was also pretty awesome. After church our friend for interviewed for baptism. It turns out that he still needs to deepen his understanding on some things so we need to keep on working with him for a little bit longer. His heart is in the right place though so we just need to step up our teaching in order to best help him. All good things will come with time. Aside from that we had a member dinner with a super amazing family and it was a nice time! We ate curry and brownies and that's such a great combination to be honest. It was way tasty and we were so grateful they invited us over!

Elder Heber Chase Ciminski

謝希伯長老

哇塞這個禮拜過得很快 (Season 14 Episode 5) - 3/2/20

Greetings and salutations. 大家好!

Preparation day! Monday was way relaxed. We only went out for our Costco trip with the Elders. While we were there though we ran into a member! Fun coincidence and we enjoyed the rest of the shopping trip as well. Since it is the end of the month I splurged and got some chips and salsa! It will be such an amazing snack this whole week! On our way back home we stopped by the other Elders flat and dropped of their stuff before heading back to our place and spending the rest of the day there. We busted out some emails and enjoyed the rest time. We had our Coordination Meeting at night and called people the rest of the day.

Tuesday was a fun day. We had a busy day because we had District Council and studies and a member dinner at night. The member dinner was super far out so we hauled out there and had a good dinner. Then we ended up at the college that's in a far corner of our area and it was super cool! We did daily contacting there and then headed back to 竹北 for the night. We were able to see some stars at night and it was so mesmerizing. Astronomy has always intrigued me and tonight was incredible. We biked back and had a great view of the cities of 竹北 and 新竹 and it was so beautiful. I am so grateful to be here in Taiwan and am filled with an indescribable love for this country. The last highlight of the day was my morning run. 6 miles at a 6:56 pace with my fastest mile being my last one in 6:25! Running is also amazing. 

Wednesday was pretty nice. We had 2 lessons and they both went well. For one we just read the Book of Mormon with him and the other one was with our friend that is close to baptism! We finished up the commandments and he is down to live them. After our lesson we learned he still smokes and so we need to go back and make sure he understands the Word of Wisdom. I still have faith in him. He is going to make it! Aside from those events it was studies and planning and then English group! So just more of the usual routine.

Thursday was a good day! We spent the morning and afternoon doing studies and then we biked all the way to 新竹 to meet up with the Zone Leaders to start an exchange. It was kinda fun because they didn't expect us to go to their chapel but we figured since they were having District Council why not. So we went and just walked in the back and sat down and when they ended we acted like nothing happened. Pretty funny and everyone got a kick out of my bike lock (which is just a chain and padlock). After we started our exchange we came back to 竹北 and dropped some stuff off at home before heading to dinner. We had dinner with the district at our favorite hot pot place and it was loads of fun. At night we just did some daily contacting and then called lots of people. So nothing super wild but we did talk to some cool people so even if they weren't interested in the gospel it was cool to meet new people.

Friday was pretty cool! We had a good morning and that included some frisbee. I didn't play but did run there and back and on my run back I clocked a 19:52 5K which was so awesome. My form and strength is definitely coming back so I am optimistic to hit my running goals this year! Anyways as for the work we finished up exchanges with some studies and an evaluation. Then we swapped back and grabbed lunch, did weekly planning, ate dinner and had a night of trying to find members houses and daily contacting. So it was pretty fun and we found a cool park in our area! Being on foot always leads to some good exploring.

Saturday was an amazing day. We had an amazing biking adventure that included us going into Taoyuan and going to the most remote part of the area and trying to find one person's address. Turns out the address was a dud but the adventure wasn't. We ended up on a mountain road that sat on a ridge between two valleys. The road had such a sweet flow that we were just able to cruise the whole thing and it was so exhilarating. Then we biked a pretty long way back into town which was actually pretty sweet. We saw some beautiful Taiwan scenery and I walked away being filled with so much more love towards this beautiful island. When we finally made it back into town we attended a baptismal service for other elders and we had an investigator be able to attend and it was great because we met with him afterwards and we finished sharing the lessons with him. Now we have to address some other concerns that came up during the lesson and help him feel prepared for his baptism which, if all goes well, will be in 2 weeks from now. Then we ended the day with dinner with the Elders at McDonalds.

Sunday was so fun. We had a good church meeting and after church it was just studies and stuff before having dinner and getting a surprise invitation to a YSA get together! They had good food and our most progressing friend attended so he was able to meet lots of other people. That took up the night and when we left we got our stuff ready to go and headed over to the other elder's apartment to spend the night. Such a fun day and some great progress for our friend.

Elder Heber Chase Ciminski

謝希伯長老