AHHHH what!? This week was one of the best! I think I really got back to what it truly means to be a missionary, friend, member, and child of our Heavenly Father this week. God has been pouring out blessings to me and I am so grateful! I am so very blessed! Remember the days blessings... Forget the days troubles! Here's my weeeeeek!
A guy in our ward Masaaki got baptized! I haven't really said anything about him because the other elders have been teaching him but he is so awesome. He met the missionaries like almost a year ago and since then he has been coming to church every week since! He missed one time! He was seriously like the greatest member even before he was a member! He was reading like church books I've never heard of! Anyways there was something holding him back that he couldn't get baptized and last week he just told the elders... I want to get baptized! It was the coolest thing because the ward absolutely loves him! The support and love at the baptism was amazing and you could feel the spirit so strong! When he bore his testimony he held up the eikaiwa flyer he laminated and said this little paper started it all, it means so much to me... SO CUTE! He's gonna be the best member in the world! He already is! Although I never taught him I saw him and talked to him a lot the night of his baptism he texted us and told us all thank you so much for everything! So much cuteness I love him!
I went on exchanges with Elder Day from Kaysville! I knew him before from another zone so it was pre cool! It was amazing how many people talked to us or said hello back to us! Me and my companion are both Japanese and it's very weird here to talk to people you don't know if you are Japanese ! The day of the split was the most miracle filled day of my mission! We saw way too many miracles I did not feel worthy! I'll share a couple but there were definitely more!
When we were heading to an area where there is a big university I started talking to a guy on the train and he was immediately very friendly! We had to go but as I was leaving I asked him if he believed in God and he said yes! I asked him how come! He said well there just has to be! Sooo cool! Also met a dude that's like I know an American! Turns out he met with other elders before!
On the train back we talked to a Indian guy and it really didn't go anywhere because he couldn't really understand us... We were like what church do you go to and he was like... Yes! Hahaha but we got off a station past where we were going and as we were waiting we met a guy and goon the train he was going on to talk to him. He was pretty cool and it turned out the train was a rapid that went way far... So we asked him how to get back he took the train all the way back to make sure we're getting where we needed to go! So nice! After I asked him if he had fun plans for tonight and he was like no. I was like dang.. We're going to karage ramen! You should come! And he was like ok! Hahahaha what!? So we went with him that night and taught him about prayer and God! He lives really far out of our area but it was really good just to introduce him to the church and become good friends!
A few more miracles later we were heading back to do our exchange review and said hi to a guy. We were right outside the church and he was like yeah I've thought about coming to eikaiwa (English class) but then I found out it was free... I figured there was a catch! Haha! We told him the reason we have it is because Jesus Christ was a huge example of service and so we do it because Japanese people love English! Also we love to find people who might be interested in our church. We were like this is kinda sudden but do you want a tour of the church? He agreed and we went in, it happened to be that there were a few members in there and we asked them like what their fav part of church is and stuff! It was super cool!
After our split, although we saw lots of miracles I wasn't that happy... For certain reasons...lets just say our personalities are a bit different... But this is a good thing! I was kind of looking forward to getting away from my companion for a day but I found that I really missed him and his weird ways. This split was perfect because we found looooots of people we can meet with and I gained a loooooooooooot more appreciation for my companion. Things are going so well now... Well there are still those things but I just kind ignore them! I've been asking God to soften my heart and boy did he pull through! I've got some repenting and thanks to give! So things are going pretty well now! :)
We went out to see a less active man we've been seeing. He's not in very good health so sometimes he can't talk to us. We got there and he said it's too cold to talk out here sorry. He gave us some radishes though... A lot of radishes... Probably like 10... We weren't sure what to do with them so my comp was like lets give them to the talbots! So we went over and asked if they wanted them they said yes! They said come in for a minute! We sat for a second and they said if you stay for a few more minutes we have a little kids eikaiwa (English class) we teach if you could help us we'd love it! Anyone who knows me knows that that's pretty much like saying Christmas came early and we have all these presents for you... Ahhhhh it was so much fun! Japanese kids are cute.... But Japanese kids speaking English? Ohhhhhhh myyyyyy Goooooddddnesssss! Too cute! Then after we had ping pong night. There was a little girl there who never comes and was there cuz her mom had to be upstairs doing something for church I came in and she was way excited to see me she wanted to play ping pong with me way bad!! It was too fun then we let someone else have a turn and I showed her how to do kendama and she was like "mi te te! Mi te te!" (Watch watch) every time she'd try and when she got it she'd just look at me wide eyed it was soooo cool! Then she showed me her game thing and she's like mi te te! Ahhhhhh! Yes I'm focused on the work but... That day was probably the most "I want kids soooooo bad!" Day of my whole life!!
We met a guy two weeks ago... And we'll he took like 30 minutes to write down our email and try to get it on a infrared thing on the phone. But he came to the baptism and to church! He's mad shy but I think he likes the feeling he gets when he meets with us and at church and stuff! He's so great! I sure hope something happens with him! His name is Yasuzawa! We have the same first kanji so thats sick!
This email is already too long so I won't talk a ton about it but we had a meeting with the bishop about our vision and it was so sick! He said something that really hit me. He said I tell my sons that you should make it your goal to not baptize anyone on your mission! I cannot stress enough how much we are not here to baptize people but in this he means that it is the members job to be the person that baptizes. The missionaries come and go but if it is a member they will always be there to support them and just a million other reasons. I think this is so cool! Obviously there are going to be different situations but for now I'm thinking I don't want to baptize anyone! I hope those of you that kind of cringe at that take a step back and look at what missionary work is. A sister shared with us how people are scared to do missionary work because they think they fail because their friend didn't get baptized... Even if they brought them closer to christ they feel discouraged! Let's rejoice in bringing people closer to Christ! Not baptisms! As is says in our purpose we use repentance baptism the gift of the Holy Ghost and enduring to the end to invite others to come unto christ. We use these things to help them get closer to Christ!
Challenge!
Last week was talk to an old person! This week is PLAY WITH A KID! And not just play with them but remember how it was to be a kid and how much you wanted to play with the cool older person! Idk about you but I still remember random older people and how cool they were! Be that older person! Haha Also do it for me because I can't really play with them as a missionary... Unless you're a missionary then just give a kid candy. (I carry a bunch of candy in my bag for the only purpose of giving it to kids) remember what good of a influence you can be and think of how those kids will always remember the cool missionary who always gave them candy all the time!
Tweets of the Week!
Hahahaha we were housing and we started talking to this guy about our church he said sorry but I'm actually sick right now... My comp then says oh! Well you can call us anytime... It's kind of hard to explain but we actually have a special strength that can heal people! Bahahaha you should have seen the look on his face! #toosoon
We met a guy going to Brisbane Australia for 3 months I told him to find people with a name tag. #yoroshiku #brisbanehomiesfindhim!
When the guy on the train said "there just has to be" I thought of Matt when he was sleep talking asking me if I thought Care Bears were real... And he said I mean they just GOOOOTTA be! Hahaha #eldermeese #steve403 #sleepymatt #gatsbyiscoming
S/O to Isaac for emailing me! #bestdayever! #peru #youdo
There is a Pakistani man who comes to our Eikaiwa he literally looks like one of the characters from Fat Alberta when they come out of the a TV! #ballpitfoamcoloredSuit #nicestdudeever #curi!
I imagine sisters apartments just looking like a hobby lobby... #CRAFTSALLDAYSON!
In Japan Dr. Pepper only has 20 different flavors... #iwonderwhatonestheytookout #iwantmy3flavorsback
Our bishop and ward mission leader are the freaking greatest people! #tetueni #hatori
This week has been one of the happiest if not the happiest of my mission so far! Thank you so much for all your support and prayers they mean the world to me! I am so freaking blessed to have so many wonderful people in my life! I love you!
Love, Rice, and MI TE TE!
Elder Kodomo! (Kid)
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