Elder Thomas Jensen: 中國

I had two cool opportunities this week. I realized a dream I had back a while ago. Teach the gospel in China.

I obviously didn't go to China this past week. But I was able to teach two mainlanders this past week. As crazy as it sounds, they literally had no perception of religion. Neither had any idea what the cross that hangs on lots of buildings here meant. They also didn't know much about Buddhism or Daoism which are the main religions here on this half of the world. We started at the very, very basics. I found it interestingly entertaining exposing these people to a new way of thought. China allows people to go there these days, but it is certainly still very closed up. One of the girls was going to join the Communist party when she made it back home. Apparentally there are a lot of benefits that come with it living there.

I also ran into a German man who was very pleased to hear that I loved the German people. He told me that many people in the world still have some biases against the German people unfortunately. That made me sad to hear. But either way, he was a traditional Catholic. Meaning they don't believe in the New Testament and don't believe the Messiah had come yet and still follow the Law of Moses. I said it sounded a whole like Judaism to me.. He told me they were COMPLETELY different. I laughed. I may have semi experienced what its like to be a person on the street meeting us Mormons for the first time telling them we are completely different from other Christian churches..

Religions...

We went on two beautiful hikes this week, one last monday and one during morning exercise. Taipei is unique in the fact that it is one of the world's metropolises and yet it has maintained its natural side as well, except the ridiculously gross and stinky rivers in the middle of the city... Those aside though, and the air, everything else is beautiful here!

I'm looking forward to a good Thanksgiving. Hope everyone knows I love them! Have a good one.