DECEMBER 20, 2015

MERRY CHRISTMAS!! He that hath ears to hear, let him hear!  For He Lives!  For the Son of Man is come to save that which was lost!  He was born, let us rejoice in that fact!

We all know how the story begins, how the "world" was taxed and as the shepherds on this particular evening, abided in the field, and keeping watch over their flocks by the moonlight.  As an angel appeared to them and the glory of the Lord shone round about them and they feared.  And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good
tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people, a joy that no other could have brought  to these men.  The angel continues, "For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger."

Guided by the star they found The Gift, the ultimate gift, he Son of the Living God. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. (John 3:16-17)

On the streets of Kyoto, as the people pass by, I want them to know about this Gift and the hope that is Jesus Christ.  Hope that one day we will overcome death, one day we will live with those whom we have lost, and one day return to our heavenly home.  We give to others in remembrance of the Father’s Gift to us. Christ gave up himself for us, and it is only through Christ that our wounds can heal, our mistakes mended, and show us the way so His light can shine through our own cracks.

A few days ago we were talking with some Vietnamese soccer players at the park.  It was casual conversation and then an Elder I was with asked at one point what this woman's views were on religion (in a way subtle way.  I actually can't remember how because I sometimes can't understand Japanese.  He asked something along the lines of wouldn't it be nice if there was one right way, if there was a faith that didn't have so much confusion.  If there were a religion like that,  would you want to know more about it?  I watched as this woman thought for a moment and then said, "Yeah, I'd want to know more about it.  But where can I?  How can I?"  I smiled at this opportunity   I talked to her about when we could meet to tell her more.  This special experience was simple, it may seem typical to you, but to me I could see her as a child of our Heavenly Father.  She wanted to know the truth and I could give it to her! I get to tell her of the Gift, the love, the light.

Sometimes it feels impossible to see the light.  We have all felt broken, lost, unwanted, unloved, scared, helpless,  or hopeless.   We have all feared, we have all doubted.  It seems that while in this time we choose to wander further in darkness...One friend of mine on the mission described it like this:

On the path to the tree of life you hold on to the rod.  They tell you to hold on tight to never let go, but we are human of course we'll let go.  Things pull and tug at us, our eyes are deceived and our hearts are weak.  So then we wander in darkness, in a haze of unseen obstacles, tripping and falling and crawling to find a way out.  Illuminating the path, beneath the iron rod are small lights. Like the lights on a tarmac for airplanes these lights act as guides.  Even if we step off for a few moments, move away a few feet we can see the lights guiding us.  The journey is not one we take alone.  Those who cling to the rod carry with them their own light, the light that Christ fills them with.  We can't let ourselves sit in the darkness.  We have to move forward towards the light.  With just the smallest amount of light , the darkness is divided.

President Uchtdorf said, “Spiritual light rarely comes to those who merely sit in darkness waiting for someone to flip a switch.  It takes an act of faith to open our eyes to the Light of Christ.  Spiritual light cannot be discerned by carnal eyes.  Jesus Christ Himself taught,  I am the light which shineth in darkness, and the darkness comprehendeth it not.  For the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God:  for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. (The Hope of God’s Light) April 2013.

He is the light!  He is the way!  As I have read though the gospels this December I have come to see that the light is Christ.   He is the answer. Time and time again he calls to those and in their faith,  they come(Mark 10:47-52).

My beloved family, my wonderful friends, I have to tell you all that I love being a missionary. It has been the most rewarding, fulfilling, absolutely fantastic experience I have ever had the pleasure to take part of.  I am grateful to know that we can one day return to him.  I’m so grateful that he was born.  I know with all of my soul that he lives, that he is intelligent, that he knows you and me.  His light is real!  It is available to all!  It gives life to all things.  It has the power to soften the sting of the deepest wound.  In the words of a hymn, "Oh, sweet the joy this sentence gives, 'I know that my Redeemer lives!'"

Rejoice!  For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given: and...His name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

To my two best friends in the whole world:  I love you! You are both amazing!  I miss hanging out with you two and the crazy shinanagins we use to get into.  I seriously can't wait to hug you both but for now we'll just skype!  Emma, your beautiful and smart don't forget to be silly, don't forget to speak up and speak out!  Your voice is also beautiful I miss hearing it!  Liam you are so handsome, use your good looks for good not evil haha, but really your humor always puts a smile on my face and I miss your hugs.  I love you both! I know that Christ lives! I know that he has promised me that he will protect you! I pray for you both everyday!

Mom and dad I love you with all my heart and I can't wait to hear your voices again. I’m so thankful for the two of you.

Until next time!!!

Love,

Sister Oswald

DECEMBER 13, 2015

So this week is transfers! It's exciting because I know but y'all don't, yet. Let's just say I'm sad and happy at the same time....

Monday was great!  We got up, we ran, we cleaned our horrendous apartment, we went down town with our zone! We ate melon pan, we talked with people, tried on hats!  I sent photos last week. Then we had even an awesome day for dendo for a PDay.  We passed out about a hundred eikaiwa fliers.  We met  these two guys, black guy from Africa and Korean guy.  It was kinda hard to communicate because they were speaking French to each other and then Japanese to us and asking if we could teach them English.  It was an interesting conversation.

Tuesday we had Brother Hirota come in for a member lesson and we asked him a question at the beginning of the lesson and he talked for a whole hour on the Atonement and Jesus Christ.  Another time recently an investigator of the Elders called him and when he did a lesson with them Brother Hirota again was a spiritual machine-gun.  I don't think I said anything in that lesson.  Oops, well it was still a good lesson but I really didn't say anything.  Our poor investigator got blasted with doctrine!

Kokan or companion exchange was on Thursday and we used Christmas dendo to find two new investigators for the Fushimi area. Then we went caroling and saw some sick Christmas lights. Shashin ga Aru.

Saturday we did hot cocoa dendo, where we set up a stand and gave outfree hot cocoa to people by the train station (which we found out later is apparently illegal) but we did teach lessons and we had the help of Mana Chan and her brother Sora kun, a 6 and 3 year old hailing from the Ishida family.  We had them take hot cocoa to people and who
can say no to an adorable Asian child handing you a tiny cup of hot cocoa? NOBODY CAN! We got the attention of these four macho college guys and you could see their hearts melting by Mana Chans cute face.  She's the sweetest and the other senkyoshi and I are like,” Okay love her but don't touch she's ours!”   They the Ishidas are so nice to us
and helped us with having a table and hot water for the hot chocolate.  Sister Ishida and I will stand next to each other and she puts her head on my shoulder and I put my head on hers and she always tells my companion that she's my new dōryo.  It's fun!  But one thing that poor Sora kun did was while he was looking at Edwards Shimai he ran smack dab in to a metal pole.  I saw it and I had to contain my laughter.  It was like a cartoon. (These kids are the same kids I sent a video of before).

Let me tell you about Shogo, the Elder’s investigator, who is like hundred plus pages into the Book of Mormon already. He's a pretty cool guy, quiet and actually really funny.  We were playing cards with him last week or so and he did this hand thing where he slapped the table and then raised his hands as to say, “yeah, I just won, what of it?” We love him.  Saturday he was talking to us and he randomly turns to Sam, the mission leader (who is a return missionary going to school here in Japan) and asked in English, "Are you a terrorist?" It was so random and we're like if Sam was he would say no anyway.  And then he turns to Sister Edwards and asked the same question.  We laughed about it and then I asked him if he was a terrorist, and he's like yes, then turns and walks away with a straight face.  He's a funny one, and he brought his girlfriend to ping pong night or rather after ping pong night
because he got stopped by the police because they were riding two to a bike (Japan and its concern for our safety). Anyway, she's super nice. We all went and got Indo curry and it was so much fun laughing eating cheese nan, oh so good.

So Sunday was a great day. We had an investigator, Inoue San, come unexpectedly with her friend Karahashi Shimai, who is less active (sort of). They are these two old women who talk to dogs and both of them were asleep during church.  But they are both so cheeky. They had us over for dinner, which was sooo delicious, by the way, and we had a great lesson with her. We talked about the temple and baptism. The lesson was going great! Until Inoue sans dog came up to her and sat in her lap and stuck his tongue out at her until she leaned down and did a bad cheesy grin and let the dog lick the inside of her mouth!!!!  This was right when Edwards Shimai was asking if she think she might want to be baptized.  It was soooo NASTY!  She's old and she can do whatever she wants, like burp and direct traffic. That's what the old peeps do here.

We also sang in sacrament meeting Angels We Have Heard on High.  It was good but also a struggle to actually get on the program, but it was way good.  Later in Relief Society there was a woman from Taipei that didn't know Japanese but she listened to Sister Edwards and I talk about the gospel. She said in her pretty decent English,  “Life is hard. But we have armor!  We go to church and go to the temple...YOU JUST DO IT (she actually shouted this in the middle of relief society to us and it was funny to see the shock on the quiet Japanese women faces.   She was telling us that by living the gospel and doing all that you can is the way you become strong enough to fight the adversary.  A constant thing I actually have been saying to my comp recently is Satan is literally trying to kill me, or Satan just hates us ‘cause we're too cool, or something along those lines.  But he is always fight ting against us.  He is smart, he is cunning and convincing.  He’ll do anything, but I can beat him, fight him, because he has no power over me when I cling to the side of righteousness!

Also Nonnie I need some mission stories from you! I'm realizing now I don't think I have heard any of them!!!

Speaking of being preparedness, have y'all been getting a be prepared vibe from the church recently or is that just us here in Japan?

Okay love y'all Oh yes the results! I am not transferring yay! But my comp is becoming an STL! Yay and noo! I don't want her to leave!  But she will be awesome and she will be in the same zone so well get to companion exchange together again!  Now I have to know where everything is herein the city.....ahhhh! Little nervous cause I also have to speak Japanese!  My new comp is a fourth or fifth transfer so she's pretty new too.

Well until next time!  Also,I'll be sending lots of pictures.

Lights!  So pretty!

Madsen and I on companion exchange

All you can eat pizza!

Tin tan man

The trees are beautiful here

Shimogamo ginja

Eikaiwa - English Class

DECEMBER 6, 2015 - 2ND LETTER OF 2

Wow two letters in one week so exciting! Thank you to Elders Nilsson and Cusworth!  Also thank you to the Phillips, the Graces and Grandma and Grandpa for the package.  The package smelled like the Graces laundry detergent and I felt like I was home for a moment 😆

Also I sent out my Christmas package last Monday so don't open it yet till I give further instructions.  

Wednesday:  I had I very interesting experience on my bike. We just had lunch with the elders and a member down town and we were riding back to go meet out new convert, Tomoko!  The road we had to take has a section of no side walk on one side and it takes too much time to cross to the other side. We come to an intersection where for the crosswalk it's green but for people who are turning, their right it is also green.  We didn't go through the cross walk bit and just kept riding straight, shaving of minutes wherever we can. Well, as we cross this one car was turning.  I could have sworn she saw us but I guess she didn't.  My companion was biking in front of me and so we both saw that we had to pick up speed or we (mainly me) would have been crunched or other wise cannon balled across the road.  For a split second I thought the car was going to hit Sister Edwards and it barely missed her.  There was a short sigh of relief until I realized that, because I was right behind her, I was toast.  I'm not sure what happened but the car didn't touch me.  As we kept going my heart was going warp speed and I couldn’t  even comprehend what had really just happened.  I reviewed the incident in my head afterwards and  I can now remember the feeling of not being able to really see why I hadn't been hit.  I was right I front of the car and I should have been hit.  With physics and how fast this woman was driving, there was no question, this may sound crazy but I feel like there was an actual  shield or wall that separated me from the car. There was something in between me and the bumper and it's like I couldn't see the car because something was blocking or blurring my vision like a shield or someone or force, I swear that there was an angel protecting me, and or pushing me farther forward to move me out of the way (because really with my short legs and lack of leg power).  Edwards Shimai said it was Satan trying to kill me because we got Tomoko baptized. But seriously I must have really pissed him off if he kept trying to kill me. It's kind of a scary thought that he comes after us with all that he has, mind games and cars!  But what settles this terrific thought is the fact that I am protected, I carry with me the Holy Ghost and it is a gift that has been given to me to teach, testify, comfort and protection.  God needs me and that is a very cool and fantastic thought. I right now I am just a simple second transfer but he needs me.  And what is even better is that he needs you.  He is real.  He lives.  He has a body of flesh and bone.  He is almighty and glorious and he gave to all of us his son, who also lives, has a body and he is called wonderful!!! Thank you GOD!!! 

We had ZTM and interviews with the mission president.  That was fun!  But really our zone is actually quite small and I get to know everybody pretty well. We learned some great things and we have received a new challenge from the Welch Kaicho.  By the end of the month we are to read all four gospels and if we can 3 Nephi. We are to be looking for evidence of the doctrine of Christ.  I've started and I already can see that I want to teach more like Christ did. There is so much that I didn't realize is in here!  Like what?! 

One that really struck me, mainly because of its simplicity is this parable he told.

 It is Matthew 13:45-46 

Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls: Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.

 I thought of this scripture as the merchant man is Christ, and we are the pearl of great price. We are worth so much to him even so that he would lay down his life for us, he would pay the price of our sins. We are worth more to him then we will ever know. 

Also this last week for Zone training meeting we read John 4. Read it. It's so good, also because Jesus is the best! Seriously! 

Also how is Regan smith? And can you see what Ryan Gibbs email is? 

Okay I love y'all !!!!!!! ☄☄🐢🐢☄☄

DECEMBER 6, 2015 - LETTER 1 OF 2

So ever since you sent me that email about the butterfly every once in a while I will see one on clothes like an advertisement.  The day you sent it I saw a real one on my bag! Like it might be coincidence but really they pop up everywhere! It always makes me smile when they do!

Thursday was the blitz!  As a zone we all went down to this one area to go and find and visit less -actives. About 14 of us total went to joyo to help out the elders there. They have been having such a hard time and we all went down (to the river to pray) do the lords work!  We did splits and so it was Price Shimai and I, she's a first transfer. That made me the senpai or senior companion!  A few days before, I wasn’t too thrilled about it but then I repented of my sucky attitude and just decided that it doesn't matter how bad we are at the language, we have to do the work. So it was me and the Brit (she's from England) and we just combined our dendo fire and turned it into a dendo tornado!! We had been given a list of less- actives and we tried to go find them and teach them. So turns out all the less actives we tried to visit didn’t actually answer or they slammed the door in our faces but the houses next to them were all miracles!

Never had I given a Book of Mormon on my own, start the conversation, give the book, and testify, AND they actually accept it!  That rarely happens, let alone twice in one day! First this old man we talked to was saying his mom use to go to church and how nobody respects religion anymore.  I asked him if he knew about Jesus Christ and he said, "kirisuto san?  He's a good guy, I don't know much about him."  I gave him the book and told him he could learn about Christ. He got excited and took the book. He kept asking if it was okay to take our book.  Another woman was kind of the same and she said she was another religion but asked if it was okay if she read it. People, this blitz was full of miracles!  Everyone had great experiences and tender mercies given to them.  In one day we taught 47 lessons, gave out 20 Book of Mormons and got 11 new investigators for the joyo area which before had none. At the end of the day, I can't believe I get to be a missionary.  I seriously love being a missionary and I don't want to leave Japan.  This sounds so cliché and typical missionary but I cannot imagine what I'd be doing or who I would be if I wasn't here right now. This is exactly where I need to be. I am so happy nothing can top my joy!

Friday night was our Thanksgiving with the Brown family.  It was a bunch of us, missionaries, college student members, recent converts and investigators.  We had a great time laughing and eating mashed potatoes and other things (no rice). It was so much fun! We played signs and then we did the spiritual message. We talked about gratitude (obvious) I talked/testified about how grateful we are for everything, family, friends, missionary work, ...baptisms, etc.  We asked a few people to tell what they were thankful for and then Gen, a recent convert, Chinese, and a sweetheart  (he keeps coming to me for girl advice:), told us what he was grateful for.  He pointed to the sky and said "... Him."  He continued to say "Life sometimes doesn't work out and you can ask your friends, you can ask your parents but they can’t help you. Everything seems to be going wrong, and you don't know what to do. But I KNOW, that it is HIM, who can help us. He is my savior. He knows. He knows me." After he said this and other things, the spirit was thick in the room and you could feel his testimony, because he does know! He knows that there is only one who understands.  I love Gen, he's so funny!  He loves frank Sinatra and always wears suteki clothes (looks fly) and super cool hats!

It was the best Thanksgiving I've ever had...TOMOKO IS GETTING BAPTIZED!!! Before there were complications with her going to Hokkaido and not being able to go to church but now she can and when we told her, her face lit up like sunshine!  Her baptism interview was like hour and 10 minutes long because she was so excited and loves to talk!  But Sunday morning came and we were able to get her baptized.  My companion and I sang  “I know my redeemer lives”.  When we sang the last verse it was Edwards in Japanese and me in English till the last part which is, しゅは生けりと知る。or shu wa ikeri to shiru. Which translates,  “I know the Lord lives.”  That line was so powerful!  Afterwards we went to the bathroom to help Tomoko and when we opened the door there was about 3 inches of water on the floor.  It only took a second for us to realize that, the mission leader, who turned on the font, DIDN’T TURN IT OFF! Water everywhere!  Also my boots were soaked because we had towalk in it to grab Tomoko's things.  Yup, so we overflowed the font and flooded the bath room!  But we still got her baptized! Besides standing in a puddle the baptism was the best part!  When she came out of the water, I could hear in my mind, 'she's clean.'  She was grinning ear to ear and she looked brighter, happier, and I know they say this alot in baptisms but really she looked brighter than your average everyday person.  Then we concluded the service and then had sacrament meeting. That's when we did the gift of the Holy Ghost.  I'm so grateful for the priesthood.

All those who were invited to participate came up and placed their hands on her head.  Even now as I type this I can feel the truth from the spirit. I thought of how grateful I am to have this gift and now so does Tomoko.  Afterwards you could tell that there was something different in her.  She seemed to be whole or at least complete. She didn't have that companion before, but now she does and there is a difference!  She told us few days later about how at the baptism, she saw her great aunt (who is passed away) and how she saw her smiling at her. She told us her aunt loved Jesus Christ. That was so amazing!

I love this gift of the Spirit and I cannot imagine what life would be like without it.

I love this gospel and I love Christ and I love my mission! I love being a missionary!  It seriously is the best thing in the whole world (at least up until this point). Matthew 11:15 "He that hath ears to hear, let him hear!"  Let him hear of the joy the Savior brings, the hope that he gives and the life I can have with him and by my side. I love what I do.

Love ya,

Madeline

NOVEMBER 30, 2015 - FIRST BAPTISM!

Sorry this is short. We've had such a hectic day and now I have 6 minutes to type an email. Yay me. Anyway, in short this was one of the best weeks in my mission! Miracles left and right!  Let me just say I love God, I love Jesus and I love my family!  I'm grateful for friends and missionaries and members! I love Kyoto! 
Oh investigator, Tomoko, got baptized!!!  I'll write more next week I'm sorry!!!!  Love ya!!!