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What's goooooooooood!? How's everyone doing!? I got a few letters this week... Nothing could ever be better! Thank you so much Parks, Schyrvers, Adrianna, Sam chooooow! Love you too much! You know it's real when you get letters in a diff country! I don't have anytime this week to write letters but I'll get on it next week. Know I still love you lots and your letter are probably my number one motivator each week I read them often! I felt everyone's support so much this week thank you sooooo much for the kind words and prayers I feel them I really do!
Monday night we had a Skype lesson with Shinji Kyodai! He said he liked the conference talks I told him that I liked the best! Haha he's mah brotha! Last week when we met he told us that he thinks in his head that he believes in Jesus Christ but not in his heart. He told us that when he heard Thomas S. Monson testify of Jesus Christ he felt that it was true! He also has been praying before he wants to smoke and throughout the day! I've only known him for a week and I can see so much improvement! The cool thing about the members here is they want to be sure for themselves that they have a testimony and are following all the commandments. It's such a cool thing to see!
Later in the week Shinji called me and asked for my advice. He said I want to quit smoking. I told him that something I do to bring me comfort and support is keeping a small object in my pocket with me when I'm going through hard times. I told him it can be anything but whenever he wants to smoke or he's feeling sad to hold that something. When he holds it to remember why he wants to stop and how many people are cheering for him. It's really helped me on my mission and when I was an officer whenever I was stressed or sad or wanted to give up id hold something I kept in my officer jacket pocket and it always brought me comfort. Here on my mission I do the same thing with something different and it's honestly saved me several times. When I said that He immediately said Oh! I have something! He said he was going to use a silver coin and he'd hold it every time he wanted to smoke. He called us on Saturday and said he has QUIT SMOKING! He said holding the coin really helped and thanked me so much for my help. Also he said sorry for worrying me so much! Haha he is so great! Sometimes we all just need a reminder of why we are doing something and have it being us strength.
We were planning on going to the eki (train station) to hand out flyers and find people. On the way we decided that we needed to visit a less active member. We knocked on Kaneda kyodais door who is 85 and we asked him if we could share a message with him. He said I might have a few minutes he seemed soooo tired. We got talking and he told us all about how his mother was a housemaid for the mission home in Japan when they opened the mission. There were about 30 missionaries in all of Japan! She was around them a lot and eventually converted! He had a lot of original pictures of the first missionaries and him going on splits with them! It was seriously one of the coolest things ever! We were going a little over on time because we're only supposed to have lessons for 45 minutes and we were there for an hour and 15 minutes. my companion kept being really snappy with his questions and saying we needed to leave. The spirit immediately left. This 85 year old man who gets no visitors was having an amazing time and feeling the spirit for the first time in a long time. After my comp calmed down a bit the spirit was back and it was so amazing. At the end he was telling me how much he wanted me to come back and visit. Caring for people is the most important thing and I know we were led to help him that night. Maybe not keeping it within the allotted time but really caring and helping him out with what he needs.
We had dinner with a college student named Yohei. Immediately we became really good friends. He told me the Book of Mormon was hard to read. I told him I KNOW RIGHT!? I told him that I have a hard time understanding it. The thing that helps me is to share with others and talk to others about their favorite scriptures. I loooooove doing this it helps me apply it more to me and really strengthen my relationship with that person and usually they make sense and when they share it they explain it a bit. I shared with him one of my favorite scriptures and told him a bit about it. I then related the example Jesus Christ is to us and ask him if he has anyone he looks up to as an example. He said his older siblings and parents. I told him if as a small child you received a book all about one of those peoples lives would you love it? I told him as a child you probably wouldn't understand all that's written but little by little you would understand more as you grew up. This is a lot like the Book of Mormon. If you focus on things you do know then little by little as you grow and read more you will understand more. Also we get to learn all about the perfect example we have of Jesus Christ. He really enjoyed that and when he was praying said that It was the first time meeting Adachi choro but I am so grateful for how nice and friendly he has been and how we've become great friends. That made me really happy and excited to talk to him more and see him improve and grow.
We went and talked with a 70 year old man (that looks 50) he works out a ton named Inose San . He owns a pharmacy and is real busy. We met and talked casually for the first time but he was just beaming! He loves missionaries! 30 years ago was the first time he met missionaries and they made him a cake. He said he has never forgotten that day. He has met with tons of missionaries since then, loves the Book of Mormon, has a strong testimony of God and Jesus Christ, and knows just about everything. Here's the thing... He terrified of water! He seriously hates it he doesn't even take baths ever just showers because it's scary to him! He also has a very busy life and his only stress relief is Sundaywhere he goes to a story telling club. So as you can see it can't happen and he told us as soon as we talked about it. I love listening and learning more but 100% I can't be baptized. I then asked this simple question. Do you believe in miracles Inose San? He said yes! I told him that the more we follow Jesus Christ and have faith in God the more miracles we can see. I told him God is so grateful and proud of his desires, improvement, and love. I told him that because of his faith God will bless him with a miracle if he can believe that it can happen. He just looked at me and said wooooow... You could tell a new desire and drive was there. He lit up and I could tell he could feel the spirit. Like I talked about in my farewell those seeds are alive and well! 30 years ago a seed was planted and it has taken years to grow it but it's becoming more beautiful everyday. Many things have watered and given it sunlight over the years and I'm glad to be able to help with that. Even if I'm not the one that sees the baptism I know he will someday and I am grateful for all the people that helped that happen even if they may not know it, they made a difference in this persons life. I'm not here to get baptisms I'm here to help people come closer to Christ and see the blessings from that.
We talked with a "Nani Nani" San (he doesn't give his name away) (Nani Nani means something something) for 30 minutes on street he said at first he HATED God he said too many bad things happen. I asked him if good things happened who those were from. He told us that they were from him working hard. I told him of course but everything is from God. Even I feel sometimes like God why is this happening? But I know it's to strengthen me. We continued to talk we gave him a pamphlet and a Book of Mormon. He was like what!? Really do I have to return it or pay for it. I told him it's priceless! I then told him we can talk to God. He was like beyond surprised. TALK TO HIM?! You can do something like that? And I said of course and he will answer you. He said well... I have aloooooot of stuff to talk to him about! Hahaha he was cool and I think he will start to come around not now but someday :)
We were asked by an American why there is evidence of Joseph Smith being in the secret society of the masons. He said he respects everything else and has a great knowledge of it he talked with many missionaries before but thinks that Joseph smith was not a prophet. My companion answered to that... I have received so many blessings from God and we teach about Jesus Christ and how we can better our lives... I had to cut him off and say.. But that's not what he's saying and told him we don't know the answer. As missionaries we aren't expected to know everything just because we don't know something doesn't mean we have to avoid the question and change the conversation.
Anooooother story well quick thing. We met a dude on the street named Ishmael from GHANA! You already know this story is Ghana be great! So i was like where you from man!? He's like Ghana and I'm like MY GUY! got buddies there doing the same thing I'm doing. We talked a ton and he was like I never know why there are so many churches and I be like ahhhhhhh yeaaaaaah soooooon! We talked for a while and he wasn't in our area so we have to refer him to other elders... ;( but he said YOU GUYS MADE MY DAY! He said it several times he's so sick! Can't wait to see what God has in store for my brotha!
Sorry this email is really long but hopefully you will enjoy something from it. I am doing ok everything is adjusting pretty well and it's been good. I am grateful I don't really have to learn a new language it has benefitted me so much I am BEYOND grateful that my mom taught me Japanese. It's kinda like the army of Helaman. They were taught by there mothers and that was how they were victorious. I know my mother has given me what I need to be victorious and win the war out here. It's been a bit hard to talk to people with the sole intention of sharing a message of the gospel but I'm figuring it out. I know my opportunity to be a ambassador for Utah State has helped me soooo much to be able to do something like this. When I think of Utah state when I recruit it's always to help others be happy and make the best decision ever to go to UTAH STATE! I relate that a lot to my message and how I just want to share it and how much I've been blessed from it and how they can be too!
The hardest thing has been this whole companion thing. My companion is sooooo different from me and it's hard spending 24/7 with someone who is way different from you. It's not really like the MTC where I could still talk to other people it's basically just me and him all day cept for maybe like 30 minutes at the end of the day when the other elders in our apartment are home. Talked to the mission president and I felt a lot better about it. It all has to do with my attitude and it's getting better already! We are going to witness so many miracles!
*Even people out here say I'm so Asian #MisoHot
*I asked my companion if there's anything that makes him mad, doesn't like, scared, or frustrated... He thought for a long time and said nope nothing! #imprettysurehesarobot #heslikealego #everythingisawesome...
*whistling is annoying 99% of the time if it's someone else
*you know how the trainee is always supposed to walk away from conversations and say so.... What was he saying? Yep it's deff the opposite #prayforaJapanesecompanion
*They had a special ¥500 for 5 patty burgers today at lotteria it was freaking sick! #ONEBIGBITE
Challenge Modeeeeee!
LISTEN!
That's it ! Listen to someone! Most of the time in life we only listen to respond. I think we are too afraid of silence of what we need to say that we don't listen. Also when listening listen with your ears as well as your eyes. I read once that like 75%(made up statistic) of communication is verbal. When we truly listen we can truly understand one another and care for one another so LISTEN! Love you !
Everyone GANBATTE (do your best, keep goingish) this week because I feel like this week more than any so far I feel more connected to you all! Much love from the Far East!
Love, rice, and PIKACHU!
Elder Adachi!
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