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| This is Kokun that I wrote about last week. |
Wow to even describe this week...we did everything and also nothing all at the same time!
As you know Monday we had a zone Pday. We played soccer and basketball and it was so nice to act like normal group of young adults together, but seriously everyone was so tired afterwards, also sore, very, very sore. We ride bikes all day but we don't move the way we normally would for a sport. The whole zone was hurting-haha.
That night we stayed at the STLs apartment and had zone conference the next day with Welch Kaicho and the assistants. We received training from them and a new Book of Mormon challenge. We have been asked to search for faith and repentance in our book of Mormons. I just barely started but man the whole Book of Mormon is all about that too! I'm so excited to learn moe! We also had a mogi! Also known as a role play lesson. The APs asked the two members to come demonstrate and one of them act as a member and the other investigator and the APs taught them about coming to church. It was really good mogi, just sitting there watching them teach about church and its importance but that wasn't the coolest part. Elder Griffiths extended the commitment to come to church this next Sunday and normally mogi's go down like, "Well of course, I'll come and I'll just get baptized while I'm at it," but no she instead said, "No, I'm okay," we all were like wait what? That actually was a really good lesson, used some good scriptures, examples, a doseki (member present) and you said no? Believe it or not this is sometimes how it works out but that's when they asked her,"What would be preventing you from coming to church?" She gave her reasons and that's when our doseki stepped in. She began to testify of God and Jesus Christ, the importance of church, how she cared for her friend and wants her to feel the same peace that she has. That testimony was so powerful the whole room shouted for joy when the faux investigator, said yes! All clapped their hands and were like man that was good. It was good because that member was like a missionary and had near the same spirit too. And it was a really good mogi, kinda silly when you hear a bunch of young men and woman getting happy over that but the spirit was there.
The most striking part about this story is when I turned to the sister next to me, Miller Shimai had tears in her eyes, "She is not a member," she said quietly and a smile on her face, "Her parents are against the church so she can't get baptized but she wants to serve a mission!" As soon as the words left her mouth tears on my own face fell, this girl was completely converted and desires more than anything to be obedient to her Father in heaven. She is wonderful and amazing! Someday when she is able to
be baptized, the Angels of heaven will sing! I will sing! Ahh so good! I gave her the biggest hug later and told her, "Someday!"
At the end of the day we took the train with a bunch of other missionaries and then realized that our train wasn't going to make it in time to go buy our tickets to the bus, the last and only bus to our area. I turned to Laxton Shimai and said, "You need to run like a bomb is about to go off and your about to save the world in four minutes, got it?" As soon as the train doors open I was out! There were people everywhere and I got ahead. I looked behind me and saw Laxton Shimai trailing behind. I ran as fast as I could, put my ticket through the gate and just booked it. Everyone was staring! It felt like a movie and a few people even cheered us on! Finally got to the booth for the bus tickets and I said something and the lady somehow understood me and I payed for both Laxton Shimai and I. By the time I was done Laxton Shimai showed up and I was pounding on the bus door. We made it on the dot. It was crazy!
Wednesday I got sick. Giant head cold. And I was out for the count. For like two days. It was miserable. I slept for most of those two days except when we woke up and had a lesson with a new investigator and signed him up for a baptismal date which he accepted and then the next day another guy asked us for the Book of Mormon. So that was cool.
Then Friday off again to Okayama, another five hours on a bus (that's over all two bus rides, there and back) for a companion exchange. I switched with Miller Shimai, she is a fire cracker! I love her! We did some awesome dendo and visited an investigator of theirs that is an x sumo wrestler but seriously is the kindest man alive! He is a giant (quite literally) teddy bear that is very, very interested in the gospel.
Before we ended the kokan I got to meet my trainer (and first companion in the field)!!!! UCHIDA SHIMAI! She has long since gone home, and finished her mission, but she came back to visit Okayama and I got to see her! We had such a happy, tender reunion! She told me I got better in Japanese and I actually can talk to her now!!! Oh my lanta such a happy day! But the sad thing is now my comp is sick. Nooooo! The struggles continue. But that doesn't mean we didn't have a bad week! We learned more about the atonement and faith and repentance and man it is amazing! I love you all!
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| My Trainer and 1st Companion in Japan, Uchida Shimai |
Romans 13:11-14
11 And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out
of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.
12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast
off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.
13 Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and
drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and
envying.
14 But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the
flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.
This is by far my new favorite scripture about repentance!
Love Oswald Shimai
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