This week was great and full of Tender Mercies! A member brought a friend to church for the first time and her friend decided that she wants to take the missionary lessons! Wahoo! We`re meeting with her later this week. Member Missionary power! :D Also our new investigator, Yamaguchi-san came to church for the 2nd time. At the potluck after church, he said that he stopped smoking just the day before! We haven`t even gotten close to teaching the Word of Wisdom yet. We had just barely taught him half of the restoration that morning. I guess a member told him about the word of wisdom and he`s already committed himself to stop. Mind blow. Last week we also visited a less active named Sueishi Shimai. I`ve never met her and Taufaga Shimai hasn`t seen her in a while. The visit started out awkward.... as we talked and tried to get to know her, she just kept on scanning us up and down like she was judging us. After 5 minutes, our conversation ran dry and I thought,`Welp. This is going to be a short visit.` After I said a prayer asking for the Lord to really help us get to know her and to become friends with her. Not moments later she starts opening up to us and telling us all about her problems and what she`s going through. She asked for advice and we talked about prayer. It was so amazing to see the visit literally go from night to day. Power of Prayer friends. Power of Prayer ;) In our lesson with our recent convert Kinjo-san, he shared something pretty sad. He said that growing up, the only time he heard the name of Jesus Christ was in movies when people swore. So all throughout his life he that Jesus Christ`s name was a swear word! When he started taking the lessons and he heard someone pray for the first time, he thought that when they said,`In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen` He thought they were swearing! I just felt so sad that the world has literally warped the name of our Savior into a swear word, when really, it should be the most hollowed and respected name in this world and worlds beyond. That just shows you the power of Satan, and how much he loathes the name of Jesus Christ. I`m so grateful that I get to wear that name on a black little badge over my heart everyday. :) In other news... MY LITTLE SIS IS GOING INTO THE MTC THIS WEEK!!!!! Goodness gracious I can`t believe it`s here! I know she`ll be great. I`m so excited for her. Missions really are the best. I love my mission! I love Japan, I love being out here! It`s my personal opinion that the decision to go on a mission is the 2nd greatest decisions I`ve ever made. The 1st being to choose the Savior in the Premortal life and to come to earth. I know this gospel is true. I chose the Savior then and I still choose him know. And I know any who choose him with feel the joy that only God and give them. Love you all!!! Have a good week! |
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Sorry this is short :)
This week was packed full of crazy miracles!!! Not like the seeing angel kind, but more like the people are telling us they want to get baptized crazy! We were teaching our investigator Hata-san the 3rd lesson, but me and Taufaga Shimai both felt like perhaps she`s not ready for a baptismal invite just yet. The lesson went well, we taught faith and repentance and by the end of the lesson, she brought up baptism herself and asked to be baptized! Well yes, perhaps that can be arranged.;D We plan on making a date next time. Also while we were street contacting a man came up to us and contacted us. He believes in Christ, we gave him a Book of Mormon and he came to church yesterday! He called us up and told us that he wants to become a Mormon! The lord is just preparing the hearts of the people here in Kurume,I love it! We also had a missionary conference in Fukuoka again and I got to see Doi Shimai! I love that girl. It`s always good to see mission friends again. Our speaker was a member of the 70 Elder Whiting. He was truly amazing. The spirit was just so thick in the room. He talked about how we can change into the people we want to be literally in a day. We can go from weak to strong within that short of time through the atonement. We can all change. That is the Savior`s invitation to each of us. When the scriptures say `repent!repent!` I see the invitation `You can change!` Because of the Atonement, we can change into the people we want to be. It`s as easy as getting on your knees, praying to Heavenly Father, and committing to act. I love this gospel and know its true! So once upon a time me and Taufaga Shimai got invited to a bible study by a bunch of J-dubs (Jehovah`s Witnesses). We knocked on the door of a Philipino couple right when they were about to head off to a Bible study with some J-dubs. They were super nice! They said there were about to go out but the couple said that we can come back next week. Then the J-dubs invited us to their bible study. The whole week me and Taufaga Shimai didn`t know what we should do. Should we go? Will it end up badly? After a week of praying about it we decided to go, if they get confrontational we can just leave them with a testimony. We thought that in the least we can leave the people there with a better image of what Mormons are. We go there and the old Philipino couple let us in. We hit off our relationship from the start. Talking and laughing. We talked about their religions. She is catholic and he is born again Christian. They told us that they are studying with the Jehovah`s Witnesses but they don`t like what they believe. They think they changed the bible. We talked about what we believe and so many of our beliefs matched there`s and they were so pleased and happy! We taught them half of the Restoration and they asked for our number and told us to come back every Saturday night to teach them about the gospel! They are the sweetest old couple and they told us, `We have our religion, but we’re open to anything. We love learning. We`re searching. `Well look no further friend you have found the fullness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, restored to the earth by a modern day prophet Joseph Smith!!! It was such a miracle. I`m so blessed that I got to witness that miracle.! P.S Yup! its snowing here too! Last P-day Taufaga shimai and I went to a bird zoo!!! Haha so fun!!! T
hey had monkeys and cute little kid games and some carnival rides! Miracles were just left and right this week! Tuesday while we were housing we knocked on the door of this christian girl. We talked about our views and about God. After talking for a bit, I asked her if she`s ever heard about Joseph Smith (Which I almost never ask. Nobody knows who that is.) but to my surprise she said she did know and that she`s researched the church before! We made another appointment and are so excited to teach the restoration! I met one of our investigators Hata-san for the first time. Taufaga shimai has only met her one other time, but we had a lesson in the hospital with her and it went super good! She believes in God and loves Christ and is already in 2 Nephi in the Book of Mormon!!! She was so receptive to our message of the restoration, listening and asking questions. Honestly I'm just use to people turning us away before we get any word in. But then after we committed her to read a Book of Mormon Chapter, she asked if she could come to church with us. Ummm.....YES! Yes you can. I think we can allow that. ;D She came to church for the first time and had a good time. She was even writing down notes in our Gospel Principals class about God is our Heavenly Father. It was such a miracle seeing that! Haha so I have a story. So one day I was just feeling down. It was freezing cold outside. We just came back from 2 no show appointments and 4 hours of housing with no results. I was just tired a little down. This work is hard.
But as I was taking of my shoes, I noticed something at the bottom. I looked and there were two sheer cut, deep holes in the bottom of my boots! What the heck? I had never noticed them before. I down know where they came from. That part of my shoe doesn`t even touch the ground. And my bike pedal couldn't of done that. I looked at them and almost started to cry. But through this little unexpected experience I could feel my Heavenly Fathers love for me. I know who he wants me to be. Right now, Sister Stevenson is a pretty decent person. But decent is not what our Father has in store for any of us. He wants us to become like his son. Like the Savior. It wasn`t easy for him to become who he is so it`s not going to be easy for us either. I`m so grateful to have had my Heavenly Father and Savior throughout this time here in Japan. I love it. And I know this church is true. I know Ive said that my whole life, but after being out here, I have my own experiences and adventures to back up that statement. It is true. Love you all!
And since Kurume is apart of Fukuoka stake I got to see all my Chikushino members from my 1st Area!!! It was so good! Goodness gracious I love the Chikushino ward! It was so good to see them all again. They were surprised to see me and how much better my Japanese has gotten. Wahoo! I am learning this language, I guess!!!
It really has been amazing to reflect on just how different I was back then and now. God really has molded me into such a better missionary then I was. I still have so much to learn, but it`s such a blessing to see the effects even now. I love this church. This church is all about changing and becoming better. That`s what the Savior`s invitation to us is. We don`t have to stay the way we are. We can always start new and change for the better. Love you all! Till Next week!
(Left picture) This is my favorite Indian curry shop. Me and the shop owners are tight. This is us saying goodbye! (Right picture) Last time at our kids English class. I love them!!!
Wow this weeks miracle taught me a lesson. So with Oshogatsu(New Years), finding anyone has been kind of off-beat. In Japan, New Years is a huge deal! It's bigger that Christmas. It's a party from Dec.29 to Jan.3. It's super special here.
Me and Cullison Shimai went out to go streeting on Jan. 1st, and no one was out. Literally, Miyazaki was a ghost city. You'd almost think that they're was a zombie apocalypse that you didn't know about. We'd see the occasional tipsy guy on the sidewalk corner, but that was about it. I was just thinking, "ah there's no way we're going to meet people tonight. We're just out here just to be out here." But then we figured some people would be by the train station and the first person we contacted made a return appointment at the church! That was just a lesson to me that God's work still continues, even on the biggest holiday in Japan.;D Here's us at Nishida Shimai's house. Love her! Miracles! We had such and amazing week! We decided to do our 12 days of Christamas to Izumi Shimai, who has been less active for 10 years. She has a plethora of problems and doesn't believe in God and has pretty much lost her faith. She was baptized in another place, but has never been to the Miyazaki church building. As we did the 12 days of Christmas, dropping off various Christmas and Christ-related gifts, making cookies with her, and sharing messages, our friendship grew. Our ideal plan was to get her to the Christmas party. We called her the day of the party and she frankly said no and made excuses like that she doesn't like going to places where she does know people. Me and Cullison Shimai knew that she needed to come to this. Me and Cullison Shimai kneeled down and prayed that she would have the courage to leave her apartment and to just take a leap of faith. Hours later as we were waiting for people to arrive at the party, and who should walk into the Miyazaki church for the first time but Izumi Shimai. It was a Christmas miracle! Me and Cullison Shimai got straight down to work, talking to every member we could about her. Izumi Shimai met so many members and was laughing and having a good time. It was a miracle! Love you Kaicho. I had am amazing Christmas. We opened presents, talked to family, and had the whole day off! We just had fun shopping and hanging out with the Elders. At night we went our to eat and saw some pretty Christmas lights! Love it!
Hey guys!
It is freezing in Miyazaki! Believe it or not, Japan get`s cold! I`m not just being a wimp. I`m from Utah. I know what cold is and it get`s cold here :P Haha but Miyazaki isn`t nearly as bad as the rest of the mission so we`re good :D Some fun things we did this week, we all went to the science museum! Haha it was a way fun place! It had a giant bubble maker and an electronic Eisenstein robot speaking in Japanese. You don`t see those every day. This week we also helped a member make candy Christmas leis for their kindergarten Christmas party. It took two days, but we finally got it all done :D So the whole mission is putting on the 12 Days of Christmas, where each companionship picks an investigator and does something for them all the 12 days leading up to Christmas. We were thinking about doing it for this one investigator, but then we were able to meet a less active this week. We havent met her in a long time. After visiting with her and hearing all her worries and problems, we knew we had to do it for her. She was talking about how her family is far away and her friends are all superficial and how she usually spends Christmas alone by herself. We are SO excited to change that!!! This Christmas is going to be the best! :D I love my Savior and am so grateful that I know the true meaning of Christmas. To a lot of people in Japan, Christmas is just a lover`s holiday. The most memorable thing most people do on Christmas is just to eat Christmas cake or give presents. I`m so grateful that I know why we celebrate this amazing holiday. It`s all about the Savior. It`s all about where it started. This was the beginning of his earthly story. And it`s honestly the beginning of our, all of our, salvation. I love my Savior and am glad that I get to share his message with the amazing people I`ve grown to love in this corner of the world. Love you all! Merry Christmas! |