Giving Thanks....

We as a family are so blessed. We love each other, we have fun with each other and most of all we honor each other. I am so happy to have a family where respect and love are thriving. I love that Randy is learning everyday and so grateful for the things he has learned. I truly am a blessed mother, with wonderful children and an amazing husband that puts up with all my weirdness and continued craziness. I am blessed with a son who follows and listens to God's plan for him. Who knows who he is and knows the power or our Heavenly Father's love.

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

Too many emails, too little time.

Wasn`t yesterday that I Emailed? I swear weeks seem like days. I really didn`t do anything at all very special this week. Didn`t get yelled at by anyone, didn`t have any strange happenings, it was just another week.

Wednesday Takada, one of my English Students came to class with his LightSabers again. Had some fun there, I won surprisingly enough. Even Kamacho hopped in. Was loads of fun. Then for Eikaiwa we had a small Japanese version of Thanksgiving, rice cakes, sushi, milk, and cookies(Molassas Sugar Cookies), and failed Cheese Cake. That was entertaining.

My actual Thanksgiving feast was an all you can eat Japanese Barbeque, it was delicious but I think My stomach has shrunk because I cannot eat all that much anymore. I also brought cookies for everyone and my District Leader told me I should just be like a factory and keep on making them alllll the time. He ate like half of them because he came over to our apartment for Companion Exchanges. Saturday I made pizza for Nakanishi and ate dinner with him, that was fun.

Sunday was the only real interesting day that I had this week. There was a primary program at Church this week, which was very hilarious, especially since we had investigators there. FYI, Japanese Primary Programs are almost the exact same as American Primary Programs, You have a few Children that sing as loud as they can, regardless of whether or not they are even close to the right note. One Child in particular went rebelious at the podium and would not read his part, he would only stand there and wave at everyone and breath loudly into the microphone or make strange noises. Then when the Primary president tried to get him to say what he was supposed to he rebelled and pushed her away, until finally his mother came up and made him sit down. It was quite funny to watch. After that we met with a few members, who corrected my Kanji, 証, Because I had it backwards. Ate some delicious Okonomiyaki, which I will discover how to make, both the sause and the pancake and make it for everyone back home.

Basically that was my week, nothing special at all, but quite fun. This week is my birthday, making me feel old, and next week Is Transfer week. So I`ll have a little bit more to talk about in the next couple weeks.

Elder Tateishi`s Gospel Moment of the week

I Won`t take too long this week either.

Alma 5:26 And now behold, I say unto you, my brethren, if ye have experienced a change of heart, and if ye have felt to sing the song of redeeming love, I would ask, can ye feel so now?

Recently I have been studying what I call "A change of Heart" or in other words Aligning my Heart with the will of God, repenting and striving to become more faithful, more dilligent and more Christlike.

As I read this scripture I thought to myself: "When did I sing that song of Redeeming Love?" While deep in thought I remembered the prayers that I have said in the past, those that truly came from my heart, and I also remembered a scripture earlier in the same Chapter, "God changeth the hearts of men." I remembered that those times that I really felt the true love of God, so purely in my heart, when I felt the chains and bands of misery and sorrow that held me bound shattered, when I truly knew that what I was doing was right, that those times were always times of sincere pray, for deep thought, Times of a broken heart and a contrite spirit.

I then continued to think about my prayers now. I thought to myself "Do I truly pray to God? Is it just some rote thing that I repeat every night in mind, or do I truly really know that God is Listening to what I say? Do I truly pray as if he were beside me?" Those questions came into my mind and I started to realize I`ve been gettting content lately, and a little lazy. I hadn`t been truly understanding that when I pray, I`m talking with God, I did not truly appreciate that I have the opportunity, the privilege to commune with the one true and Living God. What an honor it is to know that, what a privilege it is to have the confidence to pray to God and know without a doubt in your mind that he will hear your prayer, that he will answer your prayer. I know he hears me, I know he answers me. Countless times has he answered my prayers, he has guided me in learning Japanese, he has guided me to people ready to be taught, he has guided me to people to help, and he has answered my prayers in showing me what I need to do. He has poured out his grace, and his love upon me, and I know, I truly know that he loves me.

I`m not sure how many times I`ve said it before, how many times I`ve repeated this, or ho mwany more times I will repeat this, but if there was one message I could shout to the world it would be this. God Lives and Loves! Every individual he loves the same, from the lowliest person, to the most exalted, from the wretched sin ridden man to the holy prophet of God, he loves everyone with a love that we cannot comprehend. He hears everyones prayers, he listens to what we have to say, he knows our concerns and he stands with open arms.

33 Behold, he sendeth an invitation unto all men, for the arms of mercy are extended towards them, and he saith: Repent, and I will receive you.
34 Yea, he saith: Come unto me and ye shall partake of the fruit of the tree of life; yea, ye shall eat and drink of the bread and the waters of life freely;

He awaits you, everyone of you. He stands with open arms waiting for you to come to him. He beckons, he calls, he begs for you to come to him, like a mother to her wayward child he cries "Come unto me, and ye shall have rest." It is us that has to move, it is us that has to go. He knows what we need, and so we must go to him.

I know Christ lives and Loves, I know he has risen again. He is my Saviour, my Redeemer. 20 years I`ve lived, and the only thing worth report is 1 year in his service. It is an honor to serve him, to follow him, to know him. I have sung that song of redeeming Love, and I try to sing it loud now, for all to hear. I Bear witness of the truthfulness of Christ, and of his Sacrifice, in his Holy name. Amen.


Love, Elder Randall KK Tateishi