6 more weeks....

No transfer for Randy this one. This will be the first time since he has been out that he has stayed the longest at. He is happy and is just working along singing and loving as he goes. This is a great letter with a great message....

Dear Mother, Father, Sisters, Brothers, Family, and Friends

Drum roll please..... *Drum Roll*

Ok so I`m still in Sennan, with Elder Camacho. Nothing`s changed this transfer and so we get to jump into a new month, a new adventure together. We`ve got 6 weeks to count down, and work hard to get some miracles rolling here in Sennan. Daily our prayers cry to the Lord for help, and daily we go out in search of those that are ready to hear the Gospel. As the great hymn says: "Put your shoulder to the wheel, push along. Do your duty with a heart full of song. We all have work, let no one shirk, put your shoulder to the wheel."

So a singing I will go! With the Lord as my Light, and the spirit to guide me along great things will happen here!

Anyway. This week has been a fairly long week actually. But only because we didn`t transfer. It`s odd because it doesn`t feel like I`m on transfer 6, I still feel like a green bean sometimes, lol. Except I can`t use the excuse "I Don`t understand" anymore, or at least not as much anymore. O well, even the last transfer missionary still has things to learn, I just have more than most!

Well, Most of our days were filled with Proselyting all over the place, riding all across town trying to find people, trying to meet with people and just plain riding! Actually on Friday we rode alllll the way up past Kaizuka City, while it was pooring down rain. The ride up there was almost an Hour and a Half, excluding the ride back. Before I became a Missionary that would have been my yearly excercise I believe.

Wednesday before Eikaiwa(English Class) One of the students brought a couple of toy lightsabers, and so we started playing around with them. I`ll send some pictures. They ended up double teaming me! One of them did Kendo in school and the other(the one who brought the lightsabers) actively studies and practices Sword Play. Needless to say I got one of them before they got me. Lol. Mother: I can now say that all the pain I went through while battling "Big Mike" with wooden Katana`s has come in use.

Anyway, I`ve been having loads of fun. Talking with different people, teaching a variety of people and getting to know people. Laughing and Loving all the way! It`s cold here (I`ve lived in St. George too long and Had too hot and too long of a summer here in Japan) but as I Told one of our investigators when everyone said that a Typhoon was coming: "Rain or No Rain I`m still coming over!" Which it ended up being no rain, and I was sad, because everyone lied to me about the Typhoon. It actually ended up being pretty sunny out with a light wind. "Some Typhoon."

Elder Tateishi`s Gospel Message of the Week

If you have not read D&C 6, I would suggest you do so. Well at least to catch a little bit more of a glimpse about what I am about to teach.

This Chapter is a lot about Missionary work, and When I read it, it was as if it was written to me, just different names.

"Now as you have asked, behold, I say unto you, keep my commandments, and seek to bring forth and establish the cause of Zion; Seek not for riches, but for wisdom, and behold, the mysteries of God shall be unfolded unto you, and then shall you be made rich. Behold, he that hath Eternal life is rich. Verily, verily, I say unto you, even as you desire of me so it shall be unto you; and if you desire, you shall be the means of doing much good in this generation. Say nothing but repentance unto this generation: keep my commandments, and assist to bring forth my work, according to my commandments, and you shall be blessed. Behold Thou hast a gift, and blessed art thoug because of thy gift. Remember it is sacred and cometh from above. And if thou wilt inquire, thou shalt know mysteries which are great and marvelous; therefore thou hsalt exercise thy gift, that thou mayest find out mysteries, that thou mayest bring many to the knowledge of the truth, yea, convince them of the error of their ways." (D&C 6:6-11)

Lol, I wish I could write the whole of the chapter here, but that would take far too long. So simply I will expound upon this part that I have written.

As members of this Church, here are two things that we have been commanded, "Keep the Commandments, and Seek to bring forth and establish the cause of Zion." We all know we need to keep the Commandments and we have all heard it said "Every Member a Missionary." But where else can we "Seek to bring forth and establish the cause of Zion"? Amidst our own Homes is one answer. Amongst our Children, amongst our relatives, amongst our friends. As we seek to build up and strengthen the testimonies of those around us, as we fulfill and magnify our callings in the church we "Seek to bring forth and establish the cause of Zion."

As we seek after Knowledge, searching the scriptures daily, and seek the guidance of the Holy Ghost to fulfill our callings, our responsibilities we can obtain that. Remember, "Keep [the] commandments, and assit to bring forth [God`s] work." We can obtain the greatest of all treasures, a treasure that can not be bought with money, nor bartered, nor stolen, but must be earned, must be worked for and we must be worthy to inherit. The greatest of all prizes: Eternal Life. For as the Lord said: "Behold, he that hath eternal life is rich."

In our journey through life we will obtain gifts, everyone their own individual gift, one that they can use best, one that will help them to fulfill their personal responsibilities. Everyone has a gift, a talent, an ability. Sometimes they are just so small that it takes much effort to notice them, others are plain and obvious such as Singing, or Sports, or Genius. In my journey as a missionary I have seen my talents and abilities, my gifts flourish and come forth, becoming more and more noticible to me and much easier to develop and use. One I can say is writing, I love to write, and I find that through writing I can bless those back home. I can do my best to share my heart with them through this written words. Other gifts I have found include Love, Knowledge, Patience, Perserverance, Dilligence, Obedience, and Laughter. All Gifts of God. Bestowed upon me by a loving God. As we seek those gifts, we must seek for them not because we want them, but because we want to use them to bring forth the work of God.

We must use our gifts to bless the lives of others, to shine forth as a light to those around us. As we shine brighter those around us will also begin to shine brighter.

For once, I think I`m actually going to quote Micheal Jackson. "If you want to make the world a better place, then where should you start? The man in the Mirror." (Forgive me for butchering the quote, I never listened to much of his music.) So we start with ourselves, we keep the commandments. We develop the Attributes of Christ and follow the blueprints that he laid for us within the scriptures. Then we shine brightly, we become the Salt of the earth, we savour the world and make it just that much better, one person at a time. We seek to bless those around us, seek to help them find happiness for themselves. And then in the end "If thou wilt do good, yea, and hold out faithful to the end, thou shalt be saved in the kingdom of God, which is the greatest of ALL the gifts of God; For there is no gift greater than the gift of Salvation." "And if it so be that you should labor all your days in crying repentance unto this people, and bring, save it be one soul unto me, how great shall be your joy with him in the kingdom of my Father." So let us lift our heads and rejoice, let us seek to bring our friends, our families along with us, let us obtain that gift together, not alone, but together. Seek for Zion, where the pure in heart dwell, where peace abounds, and love flows!

I share this in the name of my Savior and Redeemer, Jesus Christ, Amen.

With much Love,

Elder Randall KK Tateishi