Hello again Family,
Has it already been a week?? I can't believe it. The weeks are going by quicker and quicker. And it is wierd to think that in 2 weeks I will be done with my training and will be getting a new companion. I can't believe it has almost been 12 weeks since I have been in Japan. Say what!!?? Sounds like you enjoyed yourselves Mom and Dad, having the house all to yourself. It will be wierd when I get back to be the only child left at home. so wierd. Tell Eric congratulations from me and tell Ann Marie thank you for the invitation of theirs. They looked really cute in their picture and I am happy for them. Also to quickly update you on the condition of Gabe. Last Friday he had surgery on his arm and he would be staying in the hospital for 5 days after that. They say he is doing well and staying postive and that he just really wants to get back out and work. So if he would be in your prayers as well that would be appreciated. Needless to say that no arm wrestling has become a new mission rule.
Ok so on to the week. It has officially cooled down and I love it. It has rained like none other this week which makes riding in a bike super fun. Yesterday, Sunday, was the most rain. It rained all day long and it was cool rain. Usually it is hot and humid rain but this rain I liked. It is supposed to get cooler as we head into October which makes me excited because I love fall and the cool weather. :) Which reminds me, Mom I hope you are keeping your eye out for a good winter coat. I will keep my eye out over here as well and will let you know if I buy one. Next week I will be buying some boots because of the rain. I have come to the decision that I need them.
On Wednesday we had another lesson with Priti and we taught him the Plan of Salvation. The Elder joined us as well as Adachi Shimai. Having everyone there was really good. We were able to get through the whole lessoon and answer Priti's questions because he was confused on how God could be just if 1. He let his beloved son die the way he did and 2. if he wouldn't send people who did really bad things to hell. He was confused a little bit on the Kingdoms. But with everyone pitching in we were able to help answer his questions. I was even able to tell him the debtor story. Priti has a strong desire to learn more about christianity and gain more knowledge but sometimes I worry that is all that he wants. He doesn't really want to follow Christ. This morning we got an e-mail from him. Sister Lundy e-mails him every other day or so about some sort of topic to help him progress. Yesterdays e-mail was about committments and why we ask him to read the BoM and pray. In his e-mail this morning to us he said that he believes the book of Mormon is a dream and that prophets are the same. That is how christianity was established. Based off of dreams. They were never real, the things in the book of Mormon never happened. And that to him there is no difference between christianity and islam. They believe in the same things. He did says that he admires our faith that we have in Jesus Christ even without knowing his life history (what he did as a teenager, where he lived, ect) because it passes his understanding. To him he wants to know EVERYTHING about the person he is supposed to follow. He has some more questions for us and so we will be meeting with him tonight and we will be talking more about the Book of Mormon. It is difficult. I really want him to accept the gospel but yet he is being very stubborn and hard and I don't think he is praying or truly reading the book of Mormon with the right intentions. So it is hard becuase I don't know how far to go. At what point do you get to when you say "ok I have taught you everything that I know. If you won't accept then we will have to stop meeting." I don't like doing that because they are still children of God but they do have their agency. It is dificult. I pray that the lesson tonight will go well and that his heart will be softened and will feel the spirit.
Thursday was a wonderful day!! Elder Aoyagi of the seventy and second counselor to the area presidency and his wife came and trained us so we had a 3 zone conference. It was wonderful! Everything that they talked about, including President and Sister Budges was exactly what I needed to hear. It was what I wanted to know so that I could become a better missionary. President Budge talked about faith, desire and belief. And how when we have all three and we do all that we can we will see miracles happen. And how desire comes through the wonderful gift of repentance. So we must repent everyday. Sister Budge talked about Patriarchal blessings and the importance of studying them. of pondering them. She talked about how every missionary should have theirs memorized by the end of their mission. That isn't a problem for me because I have read mine so many times since I got I basically do already have it memorized. Sister Aoyagi talked about how to study for our investigators and stressed the importance of practicing, doing role plays. Finally Elder Aoyagi told us of his conversion story and talked to us about relying on God more. We need to come to realize that He is walking besides us and will help us if we do all we can. If we have desire and faith. If we act on what the Lord tells us. He expressed the importance of repentance and the atonement. He asked us to really rely on the Lord, have faith and love the people and the prophecy about Japan will come true. This is the time of the great reaping. Ahh, such a good conference. The spirit was so strong and it was what my heart and spirit needed to hear. I am so grateful that I was able to hear from this great man. He and his wife were trully inspired with the things they needed to say. Isn't the spirit great!!?!
On the way back from the conference I was able to sit next to this older lady on the train and talk to her. It is really convenient being a foreigner because then when I start talking to people they ask me if I am a student here and I say no and explain why I am in Japan which is a great segway into the church. So that is what happened when I was talking to this lady. I told her that I have a mesage that brings so much happiness to me that I want to share. It is about Jesus Christ and how through him we can find peace and happiness in this life and have eternal families. She asked me some questions but it took me awhile to understand some of the things that she said. Unfortunately the train ride was short and we both had to get off to catch different trains but I was able to give my meshi card. As we said goodbye she took my hand and squeezed it and gave me a smile. So who knows maybe she will investigate the church or something. But it was still so much fun talking to her about the gospel, even if I did struggle with the language.
After the conference we went to Music night. Kaori, one of our investigators came again and she was able to practice for the concert that is coming up next Saturday. She is singing a really pretty song that I was actually pleasently surprised that I know. Kaori is soo sweet. I love her so much and I am so glad to have met her. She is really busy with work so usually doesn't have time to meet with us so we try to teach her lesson at music night. This last week was hard because she needed to practice but the week before I was able to talk to her. Her and I talked about the Book of Mormon and she said that she has been reading some of it. I encouraged her to keep reading it even though it may be hard. It is really worth it. I then bore my testimony about the Book of Mormon. I am praying that we will be able to meet with her more often and teach her the lessons because I just know she would accept it.
On Friday we went over to a potential investigators house to help her write letters in English to people in Australia. Her son(15) recently got back from a home stay there and she wanted to write letters saying thank you and please come and visit at anytime. Sister Lundy wrote from her perspective, her name is Ikeida, and I wrote from her son's. She is the funniest person ever and I fell in love with her from the moment we walked in the door. We were able to meet her son as well and he is very nice and we had so much fun with the both of them. When we called her again a couple days ago she said that she wanted us to come over again and help teach them english and her son wanted to be friends. That made us happy because then when we start going over there we can start teaching them. I am really excited about that!! :) They are such a wonderful family.
Saturday we went over to a members house to do some service for her. We weeded her garden and we actually used a sickle to do it too. It made weeding easier because there were A LOT of weeds. It has been so long since I have weeded. It took me back to those summer days when Mom would have to drag me outside to do it. haha We had fun though and we were also able to meet the rest of her family who are not members of the church so it was good brt (build a relationship of trust).
I can't tell you how much I love the members in the Oyama ward. They are so sweet and I am becoming such good friends with them. There are a few who I am becoming really close to and will be sad when I leave when I won't be able to see them anymore. But I will make sure to give them my meshi card and write down their address so I can write to them. :) The same with some of our investigators.
Guess what!? I am speaking Japanese. I was reading in my journal yesterday about how during my second or so week I had a breakdown because I couldn't talk to people on the phone and understand them. Well now I am always talking to people on the phone and e-mailing them in Japanese. I still can't understand everything that is being said but I am slowly learning. YAY!!!!!! That makes me happy! And I am praying that my next companion will be Japanese that way I can learn even quicker. But it is amazing to stop and realize that I am really starting to speak this language. I can! WAHOO. hahaha
Well that is all for this week. I love you so much guys. You have no idea how much I miss you and love you. I am so happy that everyone is doing well. I pray for you everyday and I am so grateful to have a family like you. :)
Love you,
Kenzie
