Well this week has been utterly amazing, and since it is hard to know
where to begin, I'm just going to start at the beginning, the best
place to start, right?
Monday we taught Paula again, and that was a crazy experience. She
pulled out a news article about stuff in America, written in Japanese
English, which is weird by the way, and wanted us to help her
understand what they were saying, which wasn't really possible. The
thought that popped into my head was that I didn't care about politics
right now, but I decided to just treat it with love, and try to help
her understand, that went well. And then we read the Book of Mormon
together, and shared some things to help her see that the bible and
Book of Mormon support eachother, which seemed to make things be a
little smoother.
Tuesday we had a wonderful shortish lesson with Donna, and
strengthened her, and committed her to keep praying, and let the joy
that comes from the gospel shine, so that her husband can see it. Her
husband is extremely opposed, and won't even meet with us from what we
know, which is hard, but I think as he sees the joy it bring her, he
will consent, and that will be amazing! She is so awesome. She also
fed us/ taught us how to make pastels, which is a Brazilian dish, and
they were delicious!
During eikaiwa we taught about greetings, and farewells, and the fun
thing was that mills Shimai and I ended up singing short excerpts from
the sound of music, which was lots of fun. We also played heads up
seven up, which was fun for the students, they thought it was
hilarious!
Wednesday we did a role play with our ward mission leader assistant,
though it was more of a lesson with her, utilizing a resource we
wanted to get better at using. It went really well, she got the
opportunity to think back, and remember some wonderful experiences
that she had had, and went from that meeting extra happy, and
strengthened. It was awesome, I felt like it was just what she needed.
And then we went to the hospital! For the last time! I know, it is
shocking, but I'm don't, my hand is completely healed. I don't even
have to go back for rehab anymore, which is actually bittersweet. I
became good friends with my rehab Doctor, and I wish there was a way
for me to contact him now, so maybe he could become an investigator,
and receive the joy of the gospel, but the only way that will happen
is if he comes to the ward Christmas party, which we invited him to,
really praying for that! It was weird to walk out of the hospital
knowing I won't need to come back ever, but it was also nice, now I
can focus even more on helping people! My hand is still weaker than it
used to be, but it is getting stronger by the day, I think I'll
definitely have at least one scar from this one though, ah well.
Thursday we went to takahashi, and got to see Imai San. On e way to
her house, we ran into Imai kaicho, and he helped us get in, not that
that was necessary, but it did help, and it was awesome to just run
into him like that. He really wants to make things easier for the
missionaries, and is working hard to follow the spirit! He is an
amazing stake president, and he is going to make sure the work takes
off, I can feel it! Imai sans lesson wasn't the best lesson, had a
rocky start, but as we testified of prophets, and used the scriptures
to show her how important she is to her Heavenly Father, which is why
he gives us prophets even now, the spirit filled the room and it was
amazing. She is back home now, but still fairly weak, and struggling
to get her strength back, but she still loves the missionaries, which
is great. We got Imai kaicho to start praying with her as often as he
can, and she loves that too, she just really loves feeling the spirit.
We then did SKK, and that was great.
Friday we had ztm, which was amazing! The key to uniting faith is to
focus on the basics, and then build up. We don't all need to be in the
same place to untie our faith for a loved one, for the work, or for
anything, what is needed is the exercise of our faith in the right
direction. If we are all working our building our faith, making it
stronger, and pushing together to reach a goal, it will happen, no
matter how much space or time separates us. Isn't that amazing? I love
learning at ztm from everyone, and especially hearing the closing
testimonies of the missionaries returning home, despite not having
seen them the entire way through, I can see the changes the mission
has made in their lives, and it is amazing!
Saturday we had a lesson with ofuji, which went really well, probably
because we had help from Ono Shimai, cause she could make it to the
lesson. Ofuji San knows it's true, she knows everything, but she is
having a hard time with acting, especially reading the Book of Mormon
and going to church, at this point she knows it is important because
past missionaries have told her, but she needs that personal
experience, and then miracles will truly happen. We also taught
yoshida Shimai, and it started out as a Christmas message, and then
changed into a repentance message, and was a little bit all over the
board, but sometimes that is what people need, and you just have to go
with the spirit, it works so much better when you do that.
Sunday was amazing! The testimonies were so powerful, both of the old
bishopric, and the new bishopric, and avert one else who had a chance
to bear their testimonies. We have a new bishop! It is Okamoto kyodai,
and he is going to do amazingly. He is one of the younger brothers in
the ward, and I think it is going to take a bit of adjusting for the
ward to start calling him Okamoto bishoppu, instead of yun-Kun like
they are used to. There was a bit of struggle with that for the rest
of the meeting. One of his counsellors is mukaitani kyodai, so now we
need a new dendoshunnin... Funny how that happens. I thought something
like this might happen, and it is so cool! Okamoto kyodai is young,
but he will make a great bishop... I think he is 40, or something like
that, but he looks more like he is 25... Struggle is real knowing
Japanese people's ages. They have found the fountain of youth/ the
secret to it, and aren't sharing! Ah well.
And then for a miracle. Mills Shimai and I set a goal to never be
below ten lessons a week this transfer, and we have been praying
really hard for that to happen. Well, Sunday we were at nine lessons,
and didn't have any planned lessons. So we went out to contact an old
investigator of the elders that our dendoshunnin had pointed us to. It
was a ways out, and since we had been fasting, we weren't sure whether
or not we would have the energy to make it, and debated ending our
fast early. Instead we decided to bring a snack, and break it only if
we had to. We got to the guys house, and he wasn't there, but as we
were leaving, a random guy kind of recognized who we were. He saw our
helmets, and knew we must be like those other foreigners he had seen
around before. We talked for a while, about half an hour, and were
able to teach him a sudden unplanned lesson, which went really well. I
think he liked talking to foreigners more than anything, but we were
able to plant a seed, and that bumped us up to our ten lesson a week
goal. It just goes to show that when we put in the effort, and our
obedient, God always provides a way for us to accomplish his work,
often using something as simple as a helmet, which we wear for
protection. How grateful I am for that little miracle!
Now about Matthew 28:20, this is a pretty awesome scripture. We teach
what the savior taught, simple as that. More importantly, we need to
teach in the way that he taught, in a way that helps people understand
and come unto him. What a joyous opportunity we all have to invite
others to come into Christ. I know that as we do so, the promise he
has given us will be fulfilled, and he will always be with us. No
matter what trial we are going through at this time, or anytime in our
lives, Christ is there for us and has already paid the price. Life is
so much easier, when we chose to walk with him and be by his side. Why
would anyone choose anything else? I loved this scripture, because it
contains a commandment with a promise, just as all of gods
commandments do. As we follow him, and align our lives with his, we
will receive blessings that our poured out upon our head, and our
lives will be filled with joy, even amidst the struggle of our hardest
trials. I know this is true, God loves us, he is there and he paid the
price. Take a moment to ponder the true meaning of Christmas, and the
joy that it brings. God loves you enough to have given his son for
you, you are precious, and all he asks is that you try your best to
come back, so that he can have you back again, and you can receive the
true joy that that brings. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
I love you tons, and miss you tons as well! Hope everything is going
well for everyone, and that you are enjoying the true spirit of
Christmas, and not stressing too much about the buying of gifts!
This week i will be ponderizing John 3:15-17.
Love, Sister Makin
No comments:
Post a Comment