Samantha Chen returns from her mission (April 2013 – November 2014)

It was a real privilege to pin on a black name tag and dedicate 18 months to serving the Lord. It was the best experience of my life.

I served in the Taiwan Taichung Mission ranging from north in Taichung to down south in Kaohsiung. It was the first time in my life I’ve ever felt so energized to do something that I knew many others would look down on, and I was happy about it.

It was exhilarating to travel by bicycle every day, trying our best to talk to people we crossed paths with, no matter if they were walking along the sidewalk or riding on their scooters. I began my mission with just that little bit of courage and faith; believing I was in God’s hands. Little did I know; not only was I going to see people around me change because of the gospel in their lives, but also I would see myself grow together with them.

Serving in Taiwan especially helped me to understand the meaning of sacrifice. The most meaningful experience I had was with an investigator in my first area, Shalu. This investigator was a sweet college girl and a referral from our recent convert of a week. We taught her for months after our first meeting. She struggled with the idea of having to be baptized, but never once gave up on gaining a testimony for herself. After 6 months in Shalu, I moved to Jiayi but still kept in contact with her. One day, she emailed me and bore her testimony of the truthfulness of the gospel and broke the news that she was going to be baptized! She had prayed and received confirmation that this church was true. Throughout her journey, she never told her parents that she was investigating the church because she knew her mum would object. I attended her baptism and asked her about her parents. She calmly replied in Mandarin, “I couldn’t wait to get baptized, so I am doing it.” Her testimony of the Savior hit me hard and helped me realize the power of the Atonement and how one is willing to sacrifice so much just to enter into the Lord’s kingdom.

Each of us is a beloved child of God. I understood that fully through feeling God’s love constantly on my mission when times were hard and I felt like I wanted to give up. It was also apparent when I felt the genuine love of the members, my companions, my investigators and my mission leaders.

Now, I am more confident in sharing my beliefs with others because I know who I am, a child of God. I am grateful for the opportunity I had to share my testimony with those in Taiwan. President Henry B. Eyring once said a sentence that impacted my entire mission and I quote,” Almost everything that I’ve been able to accomplish as a [missionary] is because individuals who knew me saw things in me that I couldn’t see.” I am grateful for a loving Heavenly Father, who allowed me to grow and come closer to Him through serving a mission and helped me understand my weaknesses so I can make them my strengths.

Serving a mission was very worth it and why? Because you get VIP tickets to see the awesome miracles and blessings He has in store for you and those around you! I love this gospel and know that it is true!

Samantha Chen