I love that the Lord is on my side. I love that the Lord knows what each of us need and when we need it. OK, Randy is having a little bit of a rough time. Mostly because he is learning more about himself and what the Lord wants him to be and learn. I think that sometimes we have to go through a "refiner's fire" to groom us to be the people we are today. Sometimes it is really hard to listen to what is being told us through the spirit. Sometimes we turn deaf ears and think "I know what to do" only to find out it should be "I know what the Lord wants me to do". I am grateful for the time Randy is spending in the mission field. Grateful for the lessons he is learning. He is going from a boy to a man, the way the Lord wants him. Each of us has a purpose here on earth. Each of us has a plan that has been especially designed for us. Each of us has to learn what our purpose and plan is and the journey is so worth it. Some may have a hard struggle and some may have an easy path, but each of us has to take this journey. Embrace it, love it, endure it and know that the final outcome is Happiness and Joy.
Here is Randy's letter:
Dear Mother, Father, Brothers, Sisters, Family, Friends, Mentors, and the Rest of the World.
I would say that these past few weeks have been bitter sweet. Leaning more towards Bitter. In Summary:
Tuesday of the week before last we went up and watched a Fire Fevistival, it was cool, and I`ll send the pictures. We went up there with one of the members for a couple hours and watched the whole thing, it was awesome and I learned a lot more about the Japanese Culture.
After That things rolled downhill. I kept trying to be patient with my companion, with myself. I kept praying so hard I kept pouring out my heart to the lord, and yet things kept rolling downhill. By Sunday morning I found myself curled up in a ball on my futon nearly at tears and trying not to pull my hair out. This indeed has been the toughest transfer of my mission so far. I will tell you why, the very simple cause of this difficulty: Me.
There is a simple saying: "Pride Cometh before the fall." And so it was. I was prideful, I didn`t listen to my companion, I didn`t try to learn from him, I simply said in my mind that he was wrong in almost everything. I spent many hours digging through my head trying to find out what I was doing wrong. In the process I successfully drove myself crazy. I pulled myself apart in a hundred different directions. I double thought, triple thought, and quadruple thought everything. I could not find out what I was doing wrong. I spent hours asking myself "When does blaming yourself go too far?" I thought I was, I thought I was blaming myself too much. That wasn`t true, I just didn`t find the right answer for a while.
Last week Monday rolled around and I stopped. I yelled at myself, I screamed at myself I scolded myself and said: "Shut up and listen!" And I listened. I listened to what my companion had to say, his ideas of how to do things, his ideas of how to teach. And I learned. I learned from what he said, although I may not have agreed with everything, I still learned. I got ideas, The pressure was relieved. I fully realized then the dangers of Pride. That Pride can be masked in Humility, and when it is it`s lethality doubles. When in your pride you believe you are humble.
I guess this goes to show everyone Missionaries aren`t perfect! We have mental problems too!
Anyway, after that we headed up to Wakayama city for President Interviews. It was another great relief for my stress. I got to speak English, I got to talk to people I LIKED and I got to talk with President about my problems. Although no advice was really given He did Help me. He told me two things. That first, he thought that I had done the right thing, that what I was doing (tearing down my pride) was the right way to go. Second he told me why he sent me to Shinguu and why he put me with my companions. In his words "I Knew you could handle it without getting Messed up." So Here I am, not messed up... or at least not any more messed up and crazy than I`ve always been.
After Interviews we headed back and I thought things would be a breeze till the end of the transfer. How wrong I am!!! Simply knowing what You`re supposed to be doing, and why you are doing doesn`t make doing it any easier. Luckily there is only a week and a half left in this transfer. As much as I hate saying so, I hate counting down, it makes me feel weak. But then again I am Weak.
Elder Tateishi`s Gospel Moment of the Week
Sorry Mother, but I think I`m going to tie this moment into what I`ve been Learning the Past couple weeks.
Enduring Trials and Tribulations.
A while ago I talked about Happiness and how we can find true happiness by obeying the laws and commandments of God. Well Let me be the first to tell you that, even though it is true we will still suffer Trials and Tribulations, we will suffer adversity and pain. Let me tell you one anchor that has secured me throughout this whole ordeal.
"Be Still my Soul, The Lord is on thy Side. With Patience bear thy cross of grief or pain, leave to thy God to order and provide. In every Change he faithful will remain. Be still my Soul, thy best thy heavn`ly friend, Through Thorny ways leads to a Joyful End.
Be Still my Soul, Thy God doth undertake to guide the future as he has the past. Thy Hope, Thy Confidence, let nothing shake, all now mysterious shall be bright at last. Be still my Soul, The waves and winds still know, his voice who ruled them while he dwelt below.
Be Still my Soul, the hour is hastening on, when we shall be forever with the lord, When dissappointment, pain, and fear are gone, Sorrow forgot, loves purest joys restored. Be still my Soul, when change and tears are past, all safe and blessed we shall meet at last."
This indeed is my favorite hymn. I cannot count how many times I have song it to soothe my mind, to bear my afflictions, and to calm my soul. Be still my soul. Such a sweet phrase. When I hear the words it always reminds me that I am never alone, when I hear the words it reminds me that the anchor of my Hope is Christ, and how he knows all the things that I have suffered.
Of late I have thought back to the words spoken about Christ. In Summary, Alma 7:11-13 "And he shall go forth and suffer temptations, pains, and afflictions in the flesh, That he might know how to succor his people according to the flesh." I think of what was said about him going and being spit upon and beaten, scourged and crucified and yet he did not udder a word against those that did it. And then I remember what was said to Joseph Smith during his afflictions. "I have suffered so much that it caused Me, Even the Lord thy God, to tremble and to bleed at every pore. Thinkest thou greater than me?" Christ descended into the very deepest pits of pain and torment for everyone of us. Are we greater than he is, if we believe that we shouldn`t bear our own afflictions?
"There bounds are set, and thy days shall not be numbered less." God Knows all, he knows that what we are suffering through will make us better, he knows that what happens now will make us grow. I Prayed so hard this week, I prayed with all my might, yet nothing miraculous happened. No marvelous voice shouted from heaven, no calming words reached my mind. The only answer I recieved was a simple song. "Be Still My Soul, Thy God doth Undertake, to guide the future as he has the past.Thy Hope Thy confidence, let nothing shake, all now mysterious shall be bright at last." It was all I needed. I am to learn and to grow from this. I am to learn for myself how to endure with patience.
"Keep the Faith," are the words my Father has told me repeatedly. Hold on to your faith, and God will guide you. You may not recieve the answer you wanted, things may not turn out the way YOU wanted them to. But in the end all things will be for YOUR good, and your Eternal Salvation. O Remember, Remember that God is on your Side, Remember he Hears your prays, he knows your pains. His hand will guide you, but only if you let him.
With Much Love, Your Son, Brother, Friend,
Elder Randall KK Tateishi
Monday, July 26, 2010
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
No email :(
This is a sad week. Apparently Randy couldn't email this week due to a National Japanese holiday that shut down the Library and internet places. It was Ocean day and since he is by the Ocean, it makes sense. So I thought I would post some more pictures and a few videos that he send of his time in Japan....
The first video is of a downpour just outside the Church in his little branch. It is amazing how much rain can come down. It is also very warm there around 82 degrees so with the humidity...well, I think I would melt to say the least.
The first video is of a downpour just outside the Church in his little branch. It is amazing how much rain can come down. It is also very warm there around 82 degrees so with the humidity...well, I think I would melt to say the least.
Monday, July 12, 2010
Do I cry or laugh.....
Oh my, what a week for Randy. I want to just cry and fix his problems and then I want to laugh at his funny "girls" that chase him down. First let me say "What a man he is", he is growing up so fast and learning so much. I am sad he has a companion that he just hasn't "connected" with. I'm thinking this is just preparation for marriage. Learning about each others quirks. My husband says small things can be "irritating habits or endearing quirks". I like to choose the latter of the two. I'm hoping Randy can just be patient and learn. At least his sense of humor is still intact and has had some, well, just plain fun. He is such a good boy. I kind of love him.
Dear Mother, Father, Sisters, Brothers, Family, Friends, Mentors, and the rest of the world
Sooooooooo I`ve been in Shinguu almost 3 weeks now, already approaching the halfway mark of the transfer. Today is also exactly 6 Months since I was ordained a Missionary. Wow... Can you believe that? I`m already 1/4th of the way through my Mission. X.X AND I STILL CAN`T SPEAK JAPANESE!!!! Lol. I`ll start with the bad stuff first and then move on to the good news.
This week has honestly been one of the most difficult weeks I`ve had. The only reason why it wasn`t the MOST difficult was because I had a 3 day vacation for Mission Conference. Anyway, yes It`s difficult here. It`s not the work, or the area that I am in, It`s not even the language so far as I can`t communicate with my Companion. It`s my relationship with my current Companion. In all honesty is not a bad Missionary, he works hard and does mostly what he`s supposed to. He`s far being "trunky" or lazy. It`s mainly me actually! Everyone always has a type of people that just catch on their nerves, and do the small things that bug you. Well I`ve found that person on my Mission. It`s not that I dislike him, it`s just there are a lot of things that he does that just get on my nerves. I Can`t quite explain to him what it is, because, well I Can`t explain it in Japanese.
I will tell you the funny part about this though! It seems that everytime I get down on my knees and say a prayer for patience and to endure these little problems, well... My companion seems to pull another thing that gets on my nerves out of his hat. So what`s the Moral here? Don`t Pray for Patience! Lol. I won`t list any of the things that get on my nerves, just suffice to say me and my current companion have almost know relationship with each other. It seems far to often that he sits in one room and sleeps and I sit in the other and study. Little is said between us, and only when it is necessary for the work.
The Good news! I had a 3 day vacation up to Kobe, All expenses paid, except for food. We left on Wednesday morning at 10, Met up with the Tanabe Elders, hit Wakayama that night at 6, taught the English class for the Wakayama Elders, Passed out, woke up at 4 AM on Thursday Morning, Got the 6 AM train, hit the Honbu at 9:15 and had Conference at 10. The Conference was AWESOME! I got to meet with my old MTC Companion, and a couple of elders and a sister from my MTC group that had gone to Hiroshima and are now in this Mission. We had lots of fun listening to President McIntyre give us a really powerful rededication of the Kobe Mission and the other instructions he gave us.
After Conference we headed back to Wakayama, got there at 9. Next morning we left at 9 and got back to Shinguu at 6. The problem was, it was pouring down raining here and they had to stop the Train about three stations away from Shinguu. We waited two hours before the train company provided a taxi for us to get back, it was another hour after that and we were home. That was a long day.
Alright, so get this. I am apparently attracting the crazy older ladies here in Shinguu. My first week I met a crazy Phillipino Lady that kept pinching my cheek and calling me cute, Told me she used to be a dancer, well more specifically a "Sexy Dancer." I kept trying to get out of there, and especially after she told me to give her a kiss. X.x The next week we saw her again, and she kept telling me she had an 18 year old daughter. Again I left as quickly as I possibly could, while still being polite. The second crazy lady I met comes to English class..... She`s actually a pretty good student, and speaks very well. But I swear she was flirting with me, We were going over descriptions of people, both physically and personality. When the word Chubby came up, and I explained that I was a little chubby, she said "O but cute chubby!" Then she started calling me Charismatic. Then Today just before we came to email I saw her again, she ran up to me and waved me down and started saying. "God is by your side!" Along with a few other things about me. So I will simply say, Crazy Old women seem to track me down.....
Anyway, I`ll end there. I will forego the Gospel Message this week, because I don`t really have one to share. Instead I will give a very brief quote that I have seen hanging on the wall in the apartment:
"There is no measure to the a good a man can do, so long as he doesn`t worry about who gets the credit for it."
-Author Unknown-
Your Son, Brother, Friend, and Missionary
Elder Randall KK Tateishi
Dear Mother, Father, Sisters, Brothers, Family, Friends, Mentors, and the rest of the world
Sooooooooo I`ve been in Shinguu almost 3 weeks now, already approaching the halfway mark of the transfer. Today is also exactly 6 Months since I was ordained a Missionary. Wow... Can you believe that? I`m already 1/4th of the way through my Mission. X.X AND I STILL CAN`T SPEAK JAPANESE!!!! Lol. I`ll start with the bad stuff first and then move on to the good news.
This week has honestly been one of the most difficult weeks I`ve had. The only reason why it wasn`t the MOST difficult was because I had a 3 day vacation for Mission Conference. Anyway, yes It`s difficult here. It`s not the work, or the area that I am in, It`s not even the language so far as I can`t communicate with my Companion. It`s my relationship with my current Companion. In all honesty is not a bad Missionary, he works hard and does mostly what he`s supposed to. He`s far being "trunky" or lazy. It`s mainly me actually! Everyone always has a type of people that just catch on their nerves, and do the small things that bug you. Well I`ve found that person on my Mission. It`s not that I dislike him, it`s just there are a lot of things that he does that just get on my nerves. I Can`t quite explain to him what it is, because, well I Can`t explain it in Japanese.
I will tell you the funny part about this though! It seems that everytime I get down on my knees and say a prayer for patience and to endure these little problems, well... My companion seems to pull another thing that gets on my nerves out of his hat. So what`s the Moral here? Don`t Pray for Patience! Lol. I won`t list any of the things that get on my nerves, just suffice to say me and my current companion have almost know relationship with each other. It seems far to often that he sits in one room and sleeps and I sit in the other and study. Little is said between us, and only when it is necessary for the work.
The Good news! I had a 3 day vacation up to Kobe, All expenses paid, except for food. We left on Wednesday morning at 10, Met up with the Tanabe Elders, hit Wakayama that night at 6, taught the English class for the Wakayama Elders, Passed out, woke up at 4 AM on Thursday Morning, Got the 6 AM train, hit the Honbu at 9:15 and had Conference at 10. The Conference was AWESOME! I got to meet with my old MTC Companion, and a couple of elders and a sister from my MTC group that had gone to Hiroshima and are now in this Mission. We had lots of fun listening to President McIntyre give us a really powerful rededication of the Kobe Mission and the other instructions he gave us.
After Conference we headed back to Wakayama, got there at 9. Next morning we left at 9 and got back to Shinguu at 6. The problem was, it was pouring down raining here and they had to stop the Train about three stations away from Shinguu. We waited two hours before the train company provided a taxi for us to get back, it was another hour after that and we were home. That was a long day.
Alright, so get this. I am apparently attracting the crazy older ladies here in Shinguu. My first week I met a crazy Phillipino Lady that kept pinching my cheek and calling me cute, Told me she used to be a dancer, well more specifically a "Sexy Dancer." I kept trying to get out of there, and especially after she told me to give her a kiss. X.x The next week we saw her again, and she kept telling me she had an 18 year old daughter. Again I left as quickly as I possibly could, while still being polite. The second crazy lady I met comes to English class..... She`s actually a pretty good student, and speaks very well. But I swear she was flirting with me, We were going over descriptions of people, both physically and personality. When the word Chubby came up, and I explained that I was a little chubby, she said "O but cute chubby!" Then she started calling me Charismatic. Then Today just before we came to email I saw her again, she ran up to me and waved me down and started saying. "God is by your side!" Along with a few other things about me. So I will simply say, Crazy Old women seem to track me down.....
Anyway, I`ll end there. I will forego the Gospel Message this week, because I don`t really have one to share. Instead I will give a very brief quote that I have seen hanging on the wall in the apartment:
"There is no measure to the a good a man can do, so long as he doesn`t worry about who gets the credit for it."
-Author Unknown-
Your Son, Brother, Friend, and Missionary
Elder Randall KK Tateishi
Monday, July 5, 2010
Happy 4th of July
Dear Mother, Father, Brothers, Sisters, Family, Friends, Mentors, and the rest of the World.
Well... Let`s see how did my week go here in the middle of no where.
Well... We went for a nice bike ride along the beach, knocked on lots of doors and met with the Branch Members a lot. But if I were to sum up my week in Shingu it would be simply one word.... if you could call it a word. Huh!? Yea I understood a whopping 50% of all that was spoken in my time here. and 25% of that 50% that I did understand was most likely me talking to myself, or me teaching Eikaiwa.....
Anyway.. Basically that`s all I did We went on a nice ride out to Katsuura, about an hour away by bike, road along the beach, knocked on a few doors took a few pictures, that was about it. Thursday and Saturday I have Eikaiwa, which is teaching Japanese people how to speak English. Picture this, a 19 year american that can barely speak Japanese, teaching 50+ year old Japanese people how to speak English. YOU TRY EXPLAINING THE WORD "THE" IN JAPANESE!!! (Note the Japanese don`t have anything remotely like "the")
Answers to the Questions:
Do you like eating Dolphin/Whale/squid/octopus?
What's it like to talk to someone who has never heard of Christ?
Are you enjoying your time on your mission?
Yes, fun fun fun. Sadly I have yet to eat Dolphin or Whale yet. But Hopefully my time will come! My tastes in food have changed drastically since I`ve been here. About 3 months ago you would have had to tie me to a chair, pry my mouth open and force feed me tomatoes or anything of the like. Now I eat Tomatoes about everyday, I also have learned to love the Dreaded Mugi Cha. YES, the water that has been mixed with unsalted saltine crackers. :( My typical breakfast involves two pieces of toast and a cup of Mugi Cha. Yes, wheat bread and wheat tea... I think I`m getting enough fiber mother.
Actually almost everyone in Japan has heard of Christ. They`ve heard his name, and generally speaking they know that he Died on a Cross. Other than that they know nothing. As for the rest of the answer to that question, I just tell people what Christ did for us in simple terms. "He atoned for our sins, and taught us to Love each other." If they don`t understand, or if they have questions I refer them to the fluent speaking Companion that usually sits to my right. Yes I Don`t understand what they are asking....
Is this a Joke question?
Elder Tateishi`s Gospel Message of The Week
Ok. It was 4th of July, and contrary to my extremely faulty memory I actually did remember 4th of July. I also know that If I didn`t at least mention it within my email I would hastily recieve a rebuke from Micheal!
Luckily for him, more so for me, I actually choose to center some of my topic around this celebration.
On July 4th 1776 a group of American Rebels gathered together and signed a document that would forever go down in History. That Document was the Decleration of Independance. It declared the seperation of the U.S.A. from Britain, but more importantly within the Decleration of Independance and later within the Constitution the founders of America listed 3 inalienable rights. 3 rights that all mankind are freely given and should never be obstructed or removed by any other man. Thus they are listed: "Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness."
1. Life: Everyone has been born a living breathing human being, Each of us has been formed in the image of our divine creator, God. It is not right to take away somebodies life and that everyone deserves to live.
2. Liberty: God has given everyone the freedom to choose, has given everyone agency. If God never has, or ever will force anyone to do something against their will who are we as mere humans to try to force something upon someone else?
3. The Pursuit of Happiness: This is what I wanted to talk about. The Pursuit of Happiness. A Wonderful Ideal is it not? That everyone has the freedom to live their life as they choose and to pursue something to make the Happy and content. But they listed just that, the PURSUIT of Happiness. Not Happiness itself, for they were wise in knowing that not everyone will obtain Happiness. They knew that some people would never find Happiness that they will search and seek and try but it will remain beyond their grasps. So then What is Happiness? Where can we find Happiness? How can we obtain it for ourselves?
Let me answer each of these questions.
What is Happiness?
In the dictionary Happiness is defined as "something that makes us feel good". Well I`d say that`s a fairly correct definition of Happiness, if it is just a bit vague. But it is true, we say we are happy when we feel "good." So according to that line of description I can answer the last two questions quite simply.
Where can we find Happiness?
If Happiness is simply anything that makes us feel "good" than we can find happiness anywhere right? It`s true in fact. According to that definition. The Drunkard is happy for he has succeeded in dulling the pain of the world around him, The Adulterer is happy for he enjoys the heat of the moment in the night, The Murderer is happy for he has succeeded in erasing the life of a person who has invoked in him feelings of hatred and anger. So there is Happiness right!? The Adulterer, the Drunkard, the Murderer, the Thief they all of Happiness.
But they have a different Happiness. Their Happiness will never last. The Drunkard must awake to his living nightmare, made only worse by his neglect. The Adulterer must return with the knowledge that he has shattered the trust and vows of his spouse, The murderer must face the consequences of his deed by the imprisonment and the guilt that will always weigh upon his conscience. That`s where their Happiness leads, it turns from a heated, instant pleasure into burning misery and pain.
Now let me describe to you what TRUE Happiness is, and so I return to the first question yet again. But I must answer both questions together, bear with me for jumping around.
What is TRUE Happiness and Where can we find it?
Let me tell you this, Happiness is a Gift from God, and he has promised it to everyone on one condition.
Mosiah 2:22
"And behold all that he[God] requires of you is to keep his commandments."
So Happiness is given to us if we keep the commands and
"Morever I would desire that ye should consider on the blessed and happy state of those that keep the commandments of God. For Behold they are blessed in all things both Temporal and Spiritual; and if they hold faithful to the end they are recieved into heaven that therby they may dwell in Never-Ending Happiness." Mosiah 2:41
There you have it, if you obey Gods Commandments and endure to the end you can have NEVER-ENDING happiness. That`s a good reward I would say. But doesn`t that mean we can`t be happy now. I mean, we have to follow God`s commandments and give some of our agency in following him don`t we?
Well well well... That`s a good question isn`t it. But let me refer back to the first time I answered the question of what Happiness is. Adultery, murder, Thievery, Drunkery, Pride, Hate, Envy, Jealousy. Those things which the Lord God has told us to abstain from, what do they all eventually lead to? Don`t they lead us to misery, and pain and suffering? I`ll leave that here for a moment and go back just a little bit and define once again what Happiness is.
Happiness is something that makes you feel "good". Well we`ve decided we don`t want a temporary Happiness that quickly leads to misery or pain, so what kind of happiness do we want. Well Let`s think for a moment, What is something that "Never Faileth?" The answer is Charity, Charity Never Faileth, and Charity is Love. So therefore can I define Happiness as Love. Well that`s easy, didn`t God Command us to Love? He said that his greatest commandment was to Love the Lord Thy God, and the second is like unto it, to Love thy neighbor like thyself. So let`s do a little Math, for you people that Hate Math I`ll let you know it`s easier than Addition Math.
Happiness = Love
The Lord Commands us to Love. If therefore the Lord has commanded us to Love, and Love=Happiness, is he not commanding us to be Happy?
So there we have it, the Lord does not tell us, "Don`t do this, Don`t do That" at random, he has told us time and time again that it all comes down to one principle "Be happy!" He has told us to not do things that will in the end make us sad, that will bring misery and pain, that`s all ANY of his commandments are I could quote many scriptures where the Lord uses words that are synonyms to Happy or even Happy itself. I can quote countless scriptures that teach about Love.
But How is Love happiness? Isn`t it happiness when we see someone we love succeed? Isn`t it Happiness when we can hold the one we love dearly? Isn`t it Happiness when we see someone rejoice because we have assisted them? Isn`t it happiness when we raise a child with love and watch them grow? Isn`t it Happiness when together we overcome a trial and triumph?
Let give one last Parable:
Let me give you a quote that all women know. "A Diamond is Forever"
And so is True Happiness, it lasts forever. Love is Charity that Never Faileth.
But where did that Diamond come from? It came from a lump of coal. A piece of carbon dirt that has no other use than to be burned for fire or fuel.
Well, we are that lump of coal. We are dirty and for all intents and purposes we are useless. What can we do with this lump of coal, well one of the most obvious ideas is to burn, to expend it. In that way we provide a bright flame in the darkness, but that Flame will never last. It quickly dies out and then we are left with nothing, left in the deepest darkness with no way out.
But there is one other option that we do have. We can give ourselves over to the Lord. Who as the master and greatest artisan, has promised that if we give ourselves over to him he will turn us into a Diamond. Well through that process it takes time, it also takes heat and pressure pressed upon that piece of coal to turn it into a Diamond. So it will with us, as we give ourselves to the Lord, as we hand over to him our sins, or dirtiness our lump of coal he will help us and guide us to become like him, a shining everlasting diamond that will be forever. It will take time though, there will be "pressures, and heat" there will be trials and tribulations, but remember that you are in the Lord`s Hands. "And if you endure it will" you shall be made into a Diamond!
(Alma 7:15)"Yea I say unto you come and fear not, and lay aside every sin that doth easily best you, which doth bind you down to Destruction.." That is what he asks of you.
Let me end by answering the question "Where is Happiness found?"
I can tell you I`ve found it, I`ve found that hope that brings Happiness, that Love that shall Never Fail. I may be far from perfect but I know while I`m in the Lord`s hands I will be protected and in the last days I will be raised up to obtain that Never-Ending Happiness. That is what I have! But I say to those who know not this joy that you can have it also! It`s HERE!! It`s yours!!! TAKE IT!! God has granted unto all men that they might choose happiness. He has laid before our feet the road, he has called time and time again to those that have strayed. They say strait is the way and narrow is the gate that leads to Eternal Life, that is true, Because it IS narrow, and it IS Strait, because it IS Simple! This is my Joy and my Testimony, Love is here! Happiness is here!! The only person that stops you from obtaining it is yourself!
I have gone on too long on this subject, but I end with the same Testimony that I have always given. I Know that God Lives. I know that Christ lives. And I know that they both Love me, that they Love everyone. That is their Joy, that is their Happiness, it has endured the test of time, and has lasted from even before the foundation of the world was ever laid. I know that this Church is where I have found my own Happiness and Love, and I know that this Church is the True Truth. Of this I testify in the name of Jesus Christ, my Saviour, my Redeemer, the Son of God. Amen.
Your Son, Brother, Friend, Mentor, and Missionary
Elder Randall KK Tateishi
Well... Let`s see how did my week go here in the middle of no where.
Well... We went for a nice bike ride along the beach, knocked on lots of doors and met with the Branch Members a lot. But if I were to sum up my week in Shingu it would be simply one word.... if you could call it a word. Huh!? Yea I understood a whopping 50% of all that was spoken in my time here. and 25% of that 50% that I did understand was most likely me talking to myself, or me teaching Eikaiwa.....
Anyway.. Basically that`s all I did We went on a nice ride out to Katsuura, about an hour away by bike, road along the beach, knocked on a few doors took a few pictures, that was about it. Thursday and Saturday I have Eikaiwa, which is teaching Japanese people how to speak English. Picture this, a 19 year american that can barely speak Japanese, teaching 50+ year old Japanese people how to speak English. YOU TRY EXPLAINING THE WORD "THE" IN JAPANESE!!! (Note the Japanese don`t have anything remotely like "the")
Answers to the Questions:
Do you like eating Dolphin/Whale/squid/octopus?
What's it like to talk to someone who has never heard of Christ?
Are you enjoying your time on your mission?
Yes, fun fun fun. Sadly I have yet to eat Dolphin or Whale yet. But Hopefully my time will come! My tastes in food have changed drastically since I`ve been here. About 3 months ago you would have had to tie me to a chair, pry my mouth open and force feed me tomatoes or anything of the like. Now I eat Tomatoes about everyday, I also have learned to love the Dreaded Mugi Cha. YES, the water that has been mixed with unsalted saltine crackers. :( My typical breakfast involves two pieces of toast and a cup of Mugi Cha. Yes, wheat bread and wheat tea... I think I`m getting enough fiber mother.
Actually almost everyone in Japan has heard of Christ. They`ve heard his name, and generally speaking they know that he Died on a Cross. Other than that they know nothing. As for the rest of the answer to that question, I just tell people what Christ did for us in simple terms. "He atoned for our sins, and taught us to Love each other." If they don`t understand, or if they have questions I refer them to the fluent speaking Companion that usually sits to my right. Yes I Don`t understand what they are asking....
Is this a Joke question?
Elder Tateishi`s Gospel Message of The Week
Ok. It was 4th of July, and contrary to my extremely faulty memory I actually did remember 4th of July. I also know that If I didn`t at least mention it within my email I would hastily recieve a rebuke from Micheal!
Luckily for him, more so for me, I actually choose to center some of my topic around this celebration.
On July 4th 1776 a group of American Rebels gathered together and signed a document that would forever go down in History. That Document was the Decleration of Independance. It declared the seperation of the U.S.A. from Britain, but more importantly within the Decleration of Independance and later within the Constitution the founders of America listed 3 inalienable rights. 3 rights that all mankind are freely given and should never be obstructed or removed by any other man. Thus they are listed: "Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness."
1. Life: Everyone has been born a living breathing human being, Each of us has been formed in the image of our divine creator, God. It is not right to take away somebodies life and that everyone deserves to live.
2. Liberty: God has given everyone the freedom to choose, has given everyone agency. If God never has, or ever will force anyone to do something against their will who are we as mere humans to try to force something upon someone else?
3. The Pursuit of Happiness: This is what I wanted to talk about. The Pursuit of Happiness. A Wonderful Ideal is it not? That everyone has the freedom to live their life as they choose and to pursue something to make the Happy and content. But they listed just that, the PURSUIT of Happiness. Not Happiness itself, for they were wise in knowing that not everyone will obtain Happiness. They knew that some people would never find Happiness that they will search and seek and try but it will remain beyond their grasps. So then What is Happiness? Where can we find Happiness? How can we obtain it for ourselves?
Let me answer each of these questions.
What is Happiness?
In the dictionary Happiness is defined as "something that makes us feel good". Well I`d say that`s a fairly correct definition of Happiness, if it is just a bit vague. But it is true, we say we are happy when we feel "good." So according to that line of description I can answer the last two questions quite simply.
Where can we find Happiness?
If Happiness is simply anything that makes us feel "good" than we can find happiness anywhere right? It`s true in fact. According to that definition. The Drunkard is happy for he has succeeded in dulling the pain of the world around him, The Adulterer is happy for he enjoys the heat of the moment in the night, The Murderer is happy for he has succeeded in erasing the life of a person who has invoked in him feelings of hatred and anger. So there is Happiness right!? The Adulterer, the Drunkard, the Murderer, the Thief they all of Happiness.
But they have a different Happiness. Their Happiness will never last. The Drunkard must awake to his living nightmare, made only worse by his neglect. The Adulterer must return with the knowledge that he has shattered the trust and vows of his spouse, The murderer must face the consequences of his deed by the imprisonment and the guilt that will always weigh upon his conscience. That`s where their Happiness leads, it turns from a heated, instant pleasure into burning misery and pain.
Now let me describe to you what TRUE Happiness is, and so I return to the first question yet again. But I must answer both questions together, bear with me for jumping around.
What is TRUE Happiness and Where can we find it?
Let me tell you this, Happiness is a Gift from God, and he has promised it to everyone on one condition.
Mosiah 2:22
"And behold all that he[God] requires of you is to keep his commandments."
So Happiness is given to us if we keep the commands and
"Morever I would desire that ye should consider on the blessed and happy state of those that keep the commandments of God. For Behold they are blessed in all things both Temporal and Spiritual; and if they hold faithful to the end they are recieved into heaven that therby they may dwell in Never-Ending Happiness." Mosiah 2:41
There you have it, if you obey Gods Commandments and endure to the end you can have NEVER-ENDING happiness. That`s a good reward I would say. But doesn`t that mean we can`t be happy now. I mean, we have to follow God`s commandments and give some of our agency in following him don`t we?
Well well well... That`s a good question isn`t it. But let me refer back to the first time I answered the question of what Happiness is. Adultery, murder, Thievery, Drunkery, Pride, Hate, Envy, Jealousy. Those things which the Lord God has told us to abstain from, what do they all eventually lead to? Don`t they lead us to misery, and pain and suffering? I`ll leave that here for a moment and go back just a little bit and define once again what Happiness is.
Happiness is something that makes you feel "good". Well we`ve decided we don`t want a temporary Happiness that quickly leads to misery or pain, so what kind of happiness do we want. Well Let`s think for a moment, What is something that "Never Faileth?" The answer is Charity, Charity Never Faileth, and Charity is Love. So therefore can I define Happiness as Love. Well that`s easy, didn`t God Command us to Love? He said that his greatest commandment was to Love the Lord Thy God, and the second is like unto it, to Love thy neighbor like thyself. So let`s do a little Math, for you people that Hate Math I`ll let you know it`s easier than Addition Math.
Happiness = Love
The Lord Commands us to Love. If therefore the Lord has commanded us to Love, and Love=Happiness, is he not commanding us to be Happy?
So there we have it, the Lord does not tell us, "Don`t do this, Don`t do That" at random, he has told us time and time again that it all comes down to one principle "Be happy!" He has told us to not do things that will in the end make us sad, that will bring misery and pain, that`s all ANY of his commandments are I could quote many scriptures where the Lord uses words that are synonyms to Happy or even Happy itself. I can quote countless scriptures that teach about Love.
But How is Love happiness? Isn`t it happiness when we see someone we love succeed? Isn`t it Happiness when we can hold the one we love dearly? Isn`t it Happiness when we see someone rejoice because we have assisted them? Isn`t it happiness when we raise a child with love and watch them grow? Isn`t it Happiness when together we overcome a trial and triumph?
Let give one last Parable:
Let me give you a quote that all women know. "A Diamond is Forever"
And so is True Happiness, it lasts forever. Love is Charity that Never Faileth.
But where did that Diamond come from? It came from a lump of coal. A piece of carbon dirt that has no other use than to be burned for fire or fuel.
Well, we are that lump of coal. We are dirty and for all intents and purposes we are useless. What can we do with this lump of coal, well one of the most obvious ideas is to burn, to expend it. In that way we provide a bright flame in the darkness, but that Flame will never last. It quickly dies out and then we are left with nothing, left in the deepest darkness with no way out.
But there is one other option that we do have. We can give ourselves over to the Lord. Who as the master and greatest artisan, has promised that if we give ourselves over to him he will turn us into a Diamond. Well through that process it takes time, it also takes heat and pressure pressed upon that piece of coal to turn it into a Diamond. So it will with us, as we give ourselves to the Lord, as we hand over to him our sins, or dirtiness our lump of coal he will help us and guide us to become like him, a shining everlasting diamond that will be forever. It will take time though, there will be "pressures, and heat" there will be trials and tribulations, but remember that you are in the Lord`s Hands. "And if you endure it will" you shall be made into a Diamond!
(Alma 7:15)"Yea I say unto you come and fear not, and lay aside every sin that doth easily best you, which doth bind you down to Destruction.." That is what he asks of you.
Let me end by answering the question "Where is Happiness found?"
I can tell you I`ve found it, I`ve found that hope that brings Happiness, that Love that shall Never Fail. I may be far from perfect but I know while I`m in the Lord`s hands I will be protected and in the last days I will be raised up to obtain that Never-Ending Happiness. That is what I have! But I say to those who know not this joy that you can have it also! It`s HERE!! It`s yours!!! TAKE IT!! God has granted unto all men that they might choose happiness. He has laid before our feet the road, he has called time and time again to those that have strayed. They say strait is the way and narrow is the gate that leads to Eternal Life, that is true, Because it IS narrow, and it IS Strait, because it IS Simple! This is my Joy and my Testimony, Love is here! Happiness is here!! The only person that stops you from obtaining it is yourself!
I have gone on too long on this subject, but I end with the same Testimony that I have always given. I Know that God Lives. I know that Christ lives. And I know that they both Love me, that they Love everyone. That is their Joy, that is their Happiness, it has endured the test of time, and has lasted from even before the foundation of the world was ever laid. I know that this Church is where I have found my own Happiness and Love, and I know that this Church is the True Truth. Of this I testify in the name of Jesus Christ, my Saviour, my Redeemer, the Son of God. Amen.
Your Son, Brother, Friend, Mentor, and Missionary
Elder Randall KK Tateishi
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