Konnichiwa!
Well another week has gone by and I am on the final countdown. I have two weeks left before I am shipped out to Tokyo! Crazy! It's very weird to think about and is so excited adn freakin scary at the same time! But I am ready. I have felt like my mission is ending after the MTC but now that we are drawing closer reality is setting in more and more and it's a little nerve raking. But hey, get me out there, get me struggling and get me really learning that language. We came from teh temple today and in there was a missionary who is from Fukuoka serving in Provo so he was talking to us a little and he said, "Japanese people hate and love gijins (foreigners) all at the same time." I just hope that they can love me and that they can trust me. Because Elder Eyring once made a prophecy that when the members adn the missionaries start to really work together, that is when Japan will become like South America in baptisms. They say that Japan is on the verge of baptismal explosion but it's just a few things that are holding it back. I hope that I can help move the work forward and that this white gijin can do some good. I pray. This week was once again really hard but amazingly good as well. I finally figured out the MTC. Yes it took me 8 weeks to do it but I got it. Yes, the MTC is about trying to learn a language but really they only teach you the bare minimium but even then I still cannot introduce myself properly. What I found is that the MTC, espcially for those of us who are here for so long, is to convert your self. They always so that you should come home with at least one convert...yourself. And i figured out that that was the purpose of the MTC. We have only an hour to study Japanese and a lot more to study the gosepl adn I always thought that it should be backwards but then I realized that the MTC was for me. TO get my testimony strong, to really be converted to the gosepl and be converted to the work I am about to go and do. And this week, I truly became convert. I am in it for the long run. There is no turning back. I have learned things that will help me battle anythign that will come my way. I have learned where I can go in times of hardness adn I have learned that it is only through our Savior Jesus Christ that we can gain exaltation. He knows me better than anyone and he knows what I can do and handle and where I am best needed. He can see above the clouds. So why not anchor myself in Him when He is truly the only smart way to go. I am ready to be the best person I can be. I am ready to be everythign I can adn everythign the Lord wants me to be. I had a thought this past week about the future and this came to me: How I serve my mission will greatly affect what responsibililties and opportunities I will have in the future." If that doesn't give me the motivation to serve the best mission ever, I don't know what will. I want to be a help to the Lrod so I am going to do everythign I can. It's funny how life works because after that day of feeling these thoughts and knowing that I converted I had a really hard day. Japanese wasn't coming and I just felt down. Should have known that Satan would be right on my tail wanting me to get discouraged again. After that I decided taht I would never have a bad day again. Everyday would be a good one. Although that doesn't excluded hard days. There will be many many hard days to coem but that doesn't mean they have to be bad ones. Wish me luck as I start this new way of thinking.
One final thing: Last night our Nihongin (Japanese) missionaries came. They come adn stay for three weeks and then fly out with us. There's one sister whose going to Japan so i'll make friends with her. But they have a testimony meeting with them where they tell why they are here. They spoke in all Japanese and I could pick up pieces here and there but the Spirit I felt was unbelieveable! These people are so dedicated to the gospel adn they love their Savior so much. I am already falling in love with these people adn I can't wait to get over there adn really be with them. I wish I could better describe it but it doesn't matter what language you speak because the Spirit speaks every language. I felt it so strongly adn I love it!
Mom asked a bunch of questions so I'll answer then now so everyone can read them: What can I do in Japanes right now...Well I can teach the first two lessons of Preach My Gospel which include The Restoration and the Plan of Salvation. Granted I can barely understand when people respond so a lot of the time I am guess at what they are saying but if you let me just talk I could teach the whole simple lesson, including inserts of the Word of Wisdom adn Tithing. I struggle with carrying on a normal conversation though. That's tough. I can pray adn I can bear my testimony which is the most important thing. Me and another Elder have started to read the Book of Mormon. Granted we really cannot understand it, it more to just become better at reading. My companion is going to Fukuoka. In our district there are 4 elders going to Tokyo plus me and then 4 going to Fukuoka plus my companion so it will be bitter sweet when we say goodbye. Flight plans come on Tuesday...scary! The last group half od them flew to Seattle with a 6 hour lay over adn then other half flew straight to Tokyo. So we all go to Tokyoa dn then separate our different ways. Pray that I get exactly who my trainer needs to be! Apparently rumor has it that some of the missions have ipads adn iphones as planners adn area books. I'm assuming that might be Tokyo mission because it's Tokyo but I will keep you posted. could you imagine. Missionary work going techy.
I feel great about the world today and everyday I don't feel so good about the world, I say to myself, what are you doing wrong adn how can you make this better because everyday I have to be a missionary is a blessing from God. It's the greatest gift I have been given. I love being a missionary. And hate to break it to ya but I'm picking up asian habits....like bowing!
Love you all!
ShimaiRiley's Letter
ninthly, so two way good experiences that happened this week. One happnened last saturday teaching at the trc. me and elder de la mare were teaching the plan of salvation in japanese to this japanese guy Aso San. The lesson went really well. He is way funny, really active and interested. for some reason i got the feeling that he wasnt a member of the church. but in the middle of the lesson i just felt the spirit so strongly bearing witness of gods love to all people. specifically the japanese people and more specificailly our investigator Aso San. It was the best,warmest feeling of love i have ever felt. towards the end of our lesson as we were wraping up i told him: "Kamisama wa Aso San o ai shite iru da to shitemasu". Which means in english, i know that god loves you. when i told him that i felt the spirit way strong and it was cool becasue i wasnt planning on saying that i didint really think about it when i said, it just came out. afterwards, my comp said how much he felt the spirit when i told him that, so it was a really cool experiecne. my testimony is strengthened in gods love. i know he loves me and you and everyone. i cant wait to go to japan and tell the people there that. everyone needs to know that. it is so comforting. the second experience and realization came after we had watched elder hollands talk to the mtc like four years ago. defintiely the best talk i havbe heard. its called a mission is forever. anyways he said how hard a mission was and i was thinking well does that mean i have to be ssad while its hard? the answer came to me and it was: no you can and should be happy everyday even when it is the hardest thing you will ever do. its like how an athelete is never 100% healthy. they play through pain all the time and they play well theough the pain. so i realized that as a missionary the sooner i can learn to play through the pain and the trials and challenges, the happier, more comfortable and better missiionry i will be. i have to be comfrotable liveing through and with trials becasue they will ccome. anyways,t hat hwelped me out a lot this week. you just gotta play thorugh the pain and be comfortable with it.
my time is about up. travel plansd come next week. life is good. god loves us. the mtc is the best. love you all.
elder stevenson
No comments:
Post a Comment