My Journey to the Land of the Rising Sun

Hello my beloved family,

It is so weird that this is my last e-mail to everyone from the mission field. How crazy the time has gone by. Thank you for your love and support that you always gave to me during this last year and a half. Your love and your prayers gave me the support and strength that I needed to get through some of the more difficult challenges that I had. I have the best family in the world.

This last week was another great week in which we were able to see some more miracles. On Thursday we were able to meet with our family, the Stiglichs,  that we are teaching and we were able to start the lessons and teach them lesson one. They are soooo ready. They want this so bad for their family and already have such strong faith in the Gospel. The spirit was so strong as we shared with them Joseph Smith's experience and testified about it. But what I also like is that they asked what happened to him after. Did he have a wife? a family? what happened. We shared with them a brief overview of the early saints and then shared with them about Joseph's death. The spirit was so strong and my testimony was strengthened as I bore testimony of Joseph Smith. I am so grateful to him and for his faith and courage. He is a wonderful example to me and I love him so much and I was able to share that with this family. Guess what!? At the end of the lesson we were able to set a baptism date for them!!! They are being baptized in December!! They are so excited that they have a date now and Sister Stiglich is really excited to tell her husband. about their date. This family is so prepared and I am sooo excited for them. I LOVE THEM!!

This last week we also got another referral from the same member from Yokohama stake. While he was working (killing cockroaches) he started talking to the woman whose house he was at and they started talking about Christ. Isn't that amazing!!!! Great example of being a member missionary. She lived in America and was baptized into the Protestant church. She believes in God and Jesus Christ but is still looking for the truth and wants to know what would bless her life and the life of her daughters. We met with her on Saturday and we were able to share the first lesson with her and then also read the first chapter of the Book of Mormon together and applied it to her. By the end of the lesson she could understand Joseph Smith more and said that she was going to read the Book of Mormon and find out the truth as well as come to church next week. She is ready as well. It is amazing the people we are meeting and the way the Lord has prepared this area. It is so humbling to be apart of and to see. We are really excited for her as well. 

We also visited a less active, Sister Sai, this last week. It was our 2nd time visiting her. She is so cute and just so loving. Because of body ailments she hasn't been able to go to church for a long time. When we visited her she told us that if it cools down some more she would be able to come to church. And yesterday, SHE CAME!! That made my day. She told us thank you so much for visiting her. She has been waiting and waiting for the elders but they never came but from our visits with her she felt that she received power and was able to come to church today and she looked like she loved  meeting her member friends and taking part of the Sacrament. Just thinking of her taking the Sacrament again brought tears to my eyes and I was so grateful that she was able to make it today. I felt the love that our Heavenly Father has for her so strongly and knew that He too was pleased that she was able to make it to church today. I love her so much!!  On Friday we are meeting her again and she is going dress us up in Kimonos and we are going to take pictures together. It will be so much fun!!

I am very grateful that the Lord guided me hear to Yamato and has given me the opportunity to finish strong with a great companion, great members, great investigators and great miracles. I feel that if I ended my mission with what I had in Kohoku in the situation I was in I would have gone home very different I think. How grateful I am for this transfer. This is what I needed and it will be one that I will always remember.

This last 18 months has been the most joyful, trying, interesting months of my life and I am so very grateful for it. The Lord has shaped me into a person that is far better then I could have even imagined. And I am not done. I know that everything that I do and become will be because of the mission that I have served. How grateful I am for this experience and to have served in a country that I have wanted to come to for many years. I love this land so much. I love this people. They are the sweetest and kindest people ever and I want them to embrace the Gospel so much because it is my belief that when they do this people would be the best the world has seen. They are my family, my brothers and sisters and I love them so much. I am so grateful for all of the people that I have met and feel humbled by the fact that I was able to be apart of their lives even if it was just for a moment.

This work is our Lord and Savior's work. And He needs each of us to do our part. As we do our part and rely on Him we are able to see miracles happen and see the light come into someone's life. I know that my Lord and Savior, even Jesus Christ lives. He LIVES!!! I know it with all my heart and I know that He knows me perfectly and is my closest friend. He has been my strength and my light during the dark times and has been there to share the joys with me as I witnessed His hand in the work. I know that His Atonement is real. Because of His Atonement we are able to have Eternal families and be clean and once again return to His and the Father's presence. How I look forward to that day. To kneel at their feet and express my love and gratitude for them. This church is Christ restored church and I know that He restored it through His prophet Joseph Smith. And I know that through Joseph Smith the Book of Mormon was able to be brought forth. The Book of Mormon really is another Testament of Christ and we can become close to him as we read it, ponder it and apply it to our lives. How grateful I am for this.

My official mission is coming to an end. In a week I will take off this wonderful name tag that shows the world that my name is with Christ's. But I will forever continue being a missionary. Christ's heart is written on my heart forever and I will always strive to follow the spirit so that I can always be the Lord's instrument. I feel like Ammon right now, my feelings are so strong.

"I do not boast in my own strength, nor in my own wisdom; but behold, my joy is full, yea, my heart is brim with joy, and I will rejoice in my God.

Yea, I now that I am nothing; as to my strength I am weak; therefor I will not boast of myself, but I will boast of my God, for in his strength I can do all things; yea, behold, many might miracles we have wrought in this land, for which we will praise his name forever."

In the name of my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen

Sister Mackenzie Marie Dolan

Japan Tokyo Mission and
Japan Tokyo South Mission

Being a tool in the Lord's Hands

Hey Family

This week has been AMAZING!!! We have seen some pretty great miracles and the Lord is really pouring out His blessings in this part of the vineyard. It has been so humbling to see and experience.

First off one of the miracles is just a personal one but He has given me strength to finish strong and has filled our days with appointments to keep us busy which is what I like best. I am so grateful that He has given me strength and has allowed me to meet so many wonderful people.

Now about those wonderful people.

On Tuesday after we had interviews with President Wada (which was my last one before "the" last one) we visited a family that is a part member from the military branch. The husband is a member but his wife and two children - 8 and 13- are not. We were told to call them from the ward mission leader. Brother Stiglich is deployed right now but we were able to call Sister Stiglich and make and appointment to visit them. Sister Stiglich is very nice and so are her kids, Stephen and Brigitte. After we sat down and talked for a bit to get to know them better they asked a question about something they read recently from the children's doctrine and covenants book Sister Stiglich told us that she was ready. She is ready to be baptized and to have an eternal family. She has that feeling and knows that it is her time and that her kids are ready too and know it is true. When we asked Brigitte if she too wants to be baptized she said yes and that she likes church because she can learn about God. They have been so prepared and carry such a special spirit with them. It was my first time meeting them but I felt like I have known them for a long time. I am so proud of them for making this decision and wanting to make this change. It made me so excited as we then talked about baptism and the steps that will need to be taken before then. Since brother Stiglich is currently deployed they want to wait for him and he of course wants to be present for it. Unfortunately he does not get back until Decemeber so they have along time to wait but their faith is strong and we will teach them the lessons and keep their faith strong though I am not worried about them at all. Last Sunday there was a typhoon and they had plans on coming but because of the storm it was dangerous so they weren't able to make it but they just went back to their house and read scriptures and studied them together. How amazing is that!!!! I love this family and I am really excited to start teaching them this week. It will be great!!!

Another miracle we saw was on Thursday. We went to visit a member on one of the bases and as we were waiting outside the gate for her to pick us up we were just talking with each other when this guy, probably in his 30's, stopped and started talking to us. He asked if we were working in this area. We said yes and as we were talking to him we found out that he is member but has been less active for 5 years. Recently however, he has been getting many signs that he needs to come back to church. When he was in Australia he ran into the missionaries twice and he recently saw the church. We he talked to his mom about it she said that he should go back or talk to the missionaries so when he saw us he knew that he needed to talk to us. He recently moved to this area and has been living in Japan for about 5 years. He really wants to come to church and said that he will come this next coming week. We were able to get his number and told him we would give him a call and send the Elders over to visit him. It was such a cool miracle and was a reminder that the Lord places us where He needs us to be and will lead us to people or will lead them to us. It was a great experience.

Friday we got a phone call from a member in another Stake who told us that he had a referral from us. At one of his jobs he started talking to this girl and asked if she wanted to be happy and she said yes and he asked her if she would try listening to the missionaries and to the message that they have and she said that she would. We called her on Saturday and made an appointment for over the phone for last night at about 9 pm. Now even though the lesson was over the phone it was one of the best lessons I have ever done and it was soooo much fun. I was able to ask her about things that she believed and explained to her our purpose as missionaries and how this message can help her. We talked about God being our Heavenly Father and after she said that she wanted time to think about that I taught her about prayer and the steps of it. She said that this week she will try praying and we are meeting with her next week. It was a great lesson and the spirit was so strong. I could feel it testify through me and there is no feeling like comes close to that. I can not even describe it in words. Being a tool for the spirit to use and being able to speak a powerful testimony is the best thing ever. When we said goodbye and hung up the phone I felt like I was floating on cloud 9. I was soo happy. I had so much fun talking to her and I knew that the Lord was pleased with the way that I taught. I have really high hopes for her and feel like she is ready to hear the message. She is willing to listen and to try. From there the spirit will touch her heart and we will see more miracles happen. I am really going to miss this feeling.

This week is what being a missionary is all about and I feel so blessed to have been able to have such a great week!!! to be able to teach some many people and to have great experiences. This is the way I want to end. And I will be forever grateful to my Lord and Savior for giving me these last few weeks. They are the best.

I love you all so much and I know that this work is true.

私はこの福音がしんじつだとしています。イエスキリストは私のあがない主や一番ともだちです。彼は私の伝道ちゅに私に助けました。もし私はイエス様が泣けラバ私の生活がすごいたいへんになります。でも私はイエス様しているなので心の中にいっぱい光を感じえます。この技は主の技です。だから何でもできます！

愛しています！！

Kenize

  

Japan = Home

Hi Family,

I am glad that everyone is doing well and thank you for the e-mails and videos and what not. I liked them. :D

So this week has been one filled with love for the people of Japan. Last Wednesday before we went to Eikaiwa we went back to the apartment to make some quick dinner and for a reason that I didn't even understand I was feeling down and so I did the only thing that I did know how to do. Pray. 

The prayer I uttered I feel really mirrored Enos's prayer. I prayed for forgiveness from so many things asking to feel the Savior's love. I then started telling the Lord about my concerns. Before our plate was really full and I was probably making it bigger then needed but I still felt overwhelmed and stressed about the amount of work we needed to. I was thinking about the members, investigators that we do have and the people we still need to find. I was overwhelmed with the amount of love I had for these people and pleaded with the Lord to bless them. To bless the members to recognize their responsibility as members to share the gospel and to have the courage to share it. To bless the investigators that they would accept the gospel into their lives more and decided to make the decision to be baptized and also for the people in general. The Japanese people are already so kind and wonderful and if they had the gospel in their lives they would be the best people. I love them so much and my heart is slowly starting to break as I am getting ready to say goodbye to them. And what is really funny, my love for them grows even more as I spend time with the members in the military branch. This place and these people have become my home and I want to do so much more for them than I am already doing. My weaknesses and my limitations get in the way and I am only one person. But the Lord has spoken words of comfort to me and I know that He is watching over these people and will bless them. 

This opportunity that I have had to sere in Japan is the best decision in my life and the best moment of my life. I have come so close to the Savior and have learned so much about myself. This has been the greatest blessing in my life thus far and nothing will come close to matching it. I am grateful for the challenges that I have to go through and will still go through during these last few weeks. I know the Lord will be my support and will help in every step of the way. 

Love,

kenze

A Week of Fun

Hi Family,

well another week has gone by and I can't believe it. The time is coming too quickly for me to say goodbye to this life and to the people that I love dearly. It is getting harder as the time passes passes more. But that just makes me enjoy everyday that much more. 

Well on for this last week. Opening up a new area requires patience, especially when you know that you are only going to be here for such a short time. It is basically just trying to help my companion figure things out and train her to be able to take over the area. But It requires a lot of trust and reliance on the spirit and a lot of good planning. 

But it does help that so many members are really excited to have sister missionaries in the area. We visited one member this last week who has officially one the title as #1 member. She didn't give us good or gifts all though all of those things are really nice. She prayed before we came over to know who she could refer to us. Who would be ready to hear our message? She gave us 3 names!!! 3!!! That is the most I have ever received during my mission. She is awesome. We even went to one of her friends house right then and met her and now she is trying to set up another appointment for the this week. Again AMAZING!!! This is what missionaries want and what really makes missionaries happy. Just so you know. So always be thinking and praying about people you can refer to the missionaries. Do it!! haha

Another fun time though that we had this last week was on Saturday we went and had sushi with some older members in the Japanese ward and then ended up buying us both a new pair of shoes and taking us to their house and giving us a ton of Japanese items for free. My companion got a kimono and we both got a lot of obi pieces and I was offered a Japanese harp but I of course turned that down. I was really surprised. We are living the dream in this area really. We get food, souvenirs and referrals. What more could a missionary ask for? :D

Yesterday in the English branch I spoke in Sacrament about Missionary work. That was so weird to give a talk in English but I was able to give it really well. Spending 18 months teaching has helped make me into a good speaker I think. haha It was really fun to speak and I felt the spirit strongly as I spoke. That is all that I wanted to do. Is teach and speak through the Holy Ghost always. 

Well I love you everyone. Sorry this e-mail isn't really descriptive but if you have questions you can ask me. I am getting to the point of just liking to read e-mails more than write them haha and of course chatting. :D

Love you all,

Kenzie

  

Yamato

Hey everyone, 

I am happy to here that Megs got off safe and sound for this week. I can't believe she is gone and off on her very own adventure. I am very proud of her. 

So Sister Ellingson and I are doing wonderful!!! We moved into our apartment last Thursday and it is soooo nice. It is nice and big and filled with light. It has been hard because we haven't had any blankets, sheets, pillows and some other things but we are getting by and it really is a pretty apartment and it was just 5 min from the church. It is very close which is very convenient. 

I love this area already. It is a great area and I can already tell that this area was meant to be my last. It has been great!!!

We got a lot of referrals from the Elders when we first came in and one of those referrals was a family with 3 children. The dad is a member but has been less active for years and his children are 12, 11 and 8. The Elders set up an appointment for us when we came in for this last Saturday and so we were able to meet with them for the first time and teach a lesson. The lesson was ok not the best though it was fun meeting the kids. It is my first time teaching kids and one of the kids is autistic so it was hard, strange enough. We need to keep the lesson a lot more simple so hopefully we will be able to do that the next time but we were able to make baptism dates for them and that will be in 2 weeks so we are hoping we can get them to those dates. We may have to push it back but we will see. The kids are really shy but nice and they are a cute family. 

Saturday night I went to one of the american bases for a meal appointment and I had a little bit of shock going back into America.haha It was so weird. From that experience I feel like this area is going to be a great blessing because the Lord is slowly integrating me back in American culture. haha On base we met with a few families and went to a park and had a bbq with hot dogs and hamburgers and there were some other families near by meeting and it was a lot like an american summer night. It has been so long since I have seen that. It was weird but really nice. The families that were with us are really nice and fed us some great food. Like I said, I like this area. :D haha And the Lord is just continuing giving us miracles and it was a GREAT time to be a missionary.  

Sunday was soooo much fun!!!! We went to both of the wards and it was fast Sunday and since we are both new we were able to give our testimonies and hear others. The Zama branch's (english) testimony was fabulous just filled with so many testimonies about missionary work and about members sharing the gospel. The spirit was sooo strong and I felt it for the rest of the day in both wards. In my heart I felt so grateful for so many things. It is amazing how much the Lord has given me and how much he has helped me recently. I have just felt so much of His love in my life recently and have felt Him so near. I can not even describe the feeling. Last night I was thinking about how much time I have left and was getting sad. Even though I am excited to see you all and for some other things I am also a little scarred to come home. Just very unknown and wondering if I will be able to stay the person that I have become and remember the things that I have learned. But last night after having a long conversation with Him I felt Him draw near unto me and could feel His peace, love and assurance that He will be with me when i get home and everything will be ok. He will continue to guide me and I will be able to continue to follow Him. I really love balcony time. :D

Today was also a great day filled with the spirit because guess what?! It was my LAST Temple pday!!! My last time at the Tokyo Temple as a missionary. I felt so much of the spirit and all I could think of was my mission and how great of a blessing it was. I thought about all the trails I have gone through, all the wonderful people I have met and the growth that I have gone through and was just filled with so much gratitude!! I have been so blessed this last year and a half and have learned and grown so much. I know now that i had to come on a mission to become the person I am now so that I could receive blessings for my future. I am starting to see how the blessings in my patriarchal blessing will come to pass and it is all because I have served a mission and I will forever be grateful for that. How great is the Lord in providing this opportunity for me!!!

Family I love you sooo much and I look forward to seeing you. In some moments i can not believe that I have been away from you for 18 months and other times it feels like an eternity. How strange time is. 

I love you with all my heart, until next week. 

Kenzie

Light of Christ

Hello my wonderful family,

I want to first off say THANK YOU!!!!! Thank you sooo much for the prayers and fasts that so many did. I really felt it this week and I am soo very thankful for them. You will never know how much they helped. I will try to expalin how they did in todays e-mail.

Well first off, Tuesday President Wada came and picked me up in Kouhoku and took me to the area Fujisawa to meet my new companion and to say goodbye to my last one. I didn't know how hard it would be to do that but I felt the strength of the Lord with me and He gave me a very clear, specific way to say goodbye. She acted like I thought she would but I was able to get through it. But I will say though that Tuesday and Wednesday were the hardest days I have ever experienced on my mission and even my life. I felt very alone and still had a hard time feeling the spirit. I knew that God was there and still cared about me but I wasn't hearing anything from Him. I didn't understand why. I really was in the pit of misery. I could feel the adversary's spirits surround me and trying their best to pull me down. I can't even describe the dark state I was in. I didn't feel like myself at all. The mist of darkness is very real and was very strong. I couldn't find my way out at all. I tried to shine a light but it was barel a glimmer. I was lost and just when I was about to give up the fight I found the true source of light. I was able to find my Savior and His light shone so much that the darkness dispersed entirely. His light filled my soul as I really took upon myself the atonement and gave it all to the Lord. Ever since I have been the happiest that I have ever been, since even before my previous companion. I am enjoying life and the mission. I am enjoying my companion and teaching by the spirit. I am goofy and fun. I can see it in my eyes how different I look. Now looking back I can see that before a week ago when I would look at myself in the mirror it was very sad. There was so light in my eyes and my smile didn't reach deep down. Everytime I looked in the mirror I thought I looked ugly and I couldn't understand it. But now when I look at myself I can't help smiling from ear to ear. I can see the light of Christ in myself. I can see the Daughter of God that I am. I am beautiful, even with no make up my hair a crazy mess. I look at myself and just smile. How amazing is that light of Chirst? How Amazing is the Atonement? Through it I was able to get out of the deepest darkest pit of despair that I have ever been in. I know that my Savior lives and I know that through Him we can recongnize who we really are and be filled with joy that can not be described. HOW WONDERFUL IS MY SAVIOR!!!!?

Ok now on to my wonderful companion and area. Well I am actually still in Fujisawa. Our apartment won't be finalized until this Wednesday and so we will be moving in on Thursday. But my companion and I were able to go to a ward party on Saturday and meet some of the memebers. And I am SOOOOOOOO excited to be working with them. They too are really excited to getting sister missionaries. All of the members were so sweet and kind. I really feel like this next transfer we will be able to see many miracles and do wonderful things. I have a feeling that this next and last transfer will be my best one. Oh and the church is HUGE. It is like a temple. I will send a picture so you can see it but it is so nice. AHHHH so excited. Now about my angel of a companion. Her name is Sister Ellingson and I absolutely LOVE HER. She is so much fun and we have been having a blast together and we are both really really excited to get to Yamato and work and see miracles. We are like little kids just waiting for Christmas. We just want to get started!! She is from Alaska and is on her 3^rd transfer. Her and her family besides her dad converted when she was 11 or so. She has a great testimony and she is already one of my best friends. We are going to have a really fun 6 weeks together. Tonight we are having a movie night and eating popcorn and cookie dough. It is going to be a party. We are super excited for it. hahaha

I have really felt the Lord in my life and I have felt your prayers and love. Thank you soo very much. I really needed them this last and they helped so much. I love you all sooo very much and look forward to seeing you. Love you with all my heart,

Kenzie

  

Happening

Hey family,

 

Glad everyone is doing well. :D

 

So I probably won't have time to cover the whole week. But their are 2 things I want to cover the most.

 

First, last Wednesday we had a 2 zone conference with President and Sister Wada there and it was amazing. They are truly inspired from God and I really feel their love for us. At this conference I gave my last testimony. It was so hard and so unreal that it was happening I couldn't believe it. It was a great day filled with the spirit.

 

Now let me tell you about the opposite side. Friday night was the scarriest night of my life and which is why I am actually doing another emergency transfer and going to a new area tomorrow with an american companion. So I have actually been sugar coating my relationship with my companion. It has been hard. There has been no love or the Spirit and I have felt like I have been walking on a mine field the last few weeks. Well on Friday I found a mine and it blew up but I didn't even say anything. I will skip over a lot of the details and the before events but basically on Friday night after we all went to bed I heard my companion in the other room crying and then screaming. Not just screaming like a normal person would if they were mad but it almost seemed like a mental outburst. And that is when she came into the room I was sleeping in by throwing open the door and screaming and yelling at me and Sister Hathaway and then falling to the ground and screaming and pounding the floow. I am not exagerating when I say that I seriously thought that she was going to kill us. Sister Hathaway thought so as well. When it was obvious she couldn't be calmed down by us we called the President and told him what was going and he ended up talking to her and then to me. But while he was talking to her I was shaking like I never have before and even started hyperventalating a bit. No words can descibe how scary it was. It was like horror movie. I coundn't sleep at all that night and felt sick to my stomach and it didn't help that after she did calm down and was talking to us normally she told us that she actually had the thought of killing us and thought she would. When the President talked to me that night he asked if I could stay with her for another 2 weeks (transfer days are really next week) and I told him that I could but Saturday morning when I woke up I was still terrified and didn't want to be alone with her. I called the President to tell him about my feelings and he invited me to the mission home to stay for the weekend with another sister who needed rest any way because she isn't feeling well. So I have been staying at the mission home since Saturday and I just got back to my area today to pack and be ready to transfer tomorrow.

 

I knew that I was missing having the spirit and love around but I didn't know how much until I went to the mission home and just got overpowered by it. Words can not describe my love for President and Sister Wada and how grateful I am for their love and concern. They really do feel like parents and how grateful I am for them because being with them made it easier to go through what I did. Yesterday after dinner I had a interview with the President to expalin again what happend and my feelings and that is when he told me I would be split from her but the details would have to wait till the morning which I got today. But last night he did ask again if I would be willing to stay until November. I prayed hard about it and talked to Sister Wada a lot about it and I still felt like I need to go home in October so that is when I will be home. But I am being transfered to another area called Yamato which has a japanese branch but also a military branch. My companion is american and on her 3rd transfer so it will be fun and I am really hoping I can have the spirit and love back for my last few weeks on the mission. I want to end strong. But it was nice staying at home because I was able to get a lot of much needed sleep and rest. I loved it there. It made me excited to come home to you guys and have that feeling again.

 

And I hope my companion can become better and get the help that she needs. She has been through A LOT in her life. Things you wouldn't even believe and even though I am scared and would prefer not to see her again I still want her to let go of those past feelings and really accept the Savior's Atonement. I pray that she will be watched over.

 

Well that was bacially the eventful stuff from this week. and now I have to get ready to transfer. I am excited and nervous but it will be good. I feel that the Lord is watching out for me.

 

I love you all,

Know that I am ok but still stay a prayer for me.

 

Love,

Kenzie