Oh Randy, you crack me up. You are my sunshine and I love it! We are now officially on the downhill portion of the mission. Less than 1 year and he will be home getting ready to start his new life as a return missionary (hopefully at BYU). I so enjoy his letters and all the experiences he has had. It has made him truly a better person.
Dear Mother, Father, Brothers, Sisters, Friends, and Family
WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOT!!!!
We had a Baptism this week! Osawa, Junji, was Baptized on January 12, 2011, and confirmed on January 16, 2011. I was so excited to see that man baptized and confirmed. He is a wonderful man, with a beautiful spirit. Although I didn`t do much of the teaching or finding with him I was happy to participate in his Baptism. He truly was ready to be baptized, and the ward welcomed him with open hearts and open arms. You see, he quit his job to take care of his dying mother, and spends most of his days by her side taking care of her and helping her. He has one of the biggest hearts I know, always wanting to make sure that we are ok and loves to talk with the Missionaries.
That was basically my week. Tuesday we just did some regular Dendo, Wednesday we had the baptism. Thursday I went over to Himeji with Elder Burhoe for a companionship exchange. I actually ended up breaking Elder Akina`s bike. His chain guide was bent badly and when I down shifted because we were going up a hill the whole chain guide hit the spokes and snapped off. It was an hour and a half walk back to the apartment, and that ended the night. X.x. Luckily Elder Akina is going into his last transfer, so he`s just borrowing a bike from the Honbu for the next month and a half and so he wasn`t mad at me.
Friday we had district meeting in Kakogawa, got together and had a great time. Went to an Curry restuarant with endless `Nan` which is this nice soft bread that you eat with your Curry. It was delicious and I ate a LOT. Saturday me and Elder Hale went to Akashi for a YSA activity, ended up playing Monopoly and then went and played Basketball. Yes, I played basketball and I had fun doing it to. Reason number A) People weren`t all that competitive, B) I didn`t completely suck, and C) The reason WHY I didn`t suck was because everyone was the same height, if not smaller than me. xD.
Sunday we had the confirmation of Osawa, which went well. He was so excited and was telling us after church that he could really feel the Spirit. We also taught a lesson to a Less-active and her non-member daughter, an Italian woman named Rosario. She mainly speaks Spainish. Yea, very strange story. But as I was saying the closing prayer I got a bloody nose, pretty bad, and I ran into the Men`s bathroom to get some paper towels and stuff. The next thing I know, Rosario is right there behind me, yanking my head back and telling me to do all these different things. Than she starts massaging the back of my head. The whole time my companion is laughing his head off. Luckily, it was over quickly and I didn`t get blood on my clothes, just my nametag. Somehow it missed the suit and just got the nametag.
So that was my week. Another exciting week, filled with adventure, this week will be just as adventuresome. Since we have transfer calls tomorrow and then transfers are on thursday. So I might be in a new area before next week, and I`m pretty sure I`ll at least have a new companion next week to.
Elder Tateishi`s Message of the Week
So This message will be a quick one this week. Nothing special at all, or big at all. I will simply quote 1 Cor. 15:8-11
"And last of all he[Christ] was seen of me[Paul] also, as of one born out of due time. For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me. Therefore whether it were I or they, so we preach, and so ye believed."
We can all obtain a witness of Christ, even though we did not see his ministry or ressurrection with our own eyes. Many of us are the least of all people, weak and imperfect. We have all sinned against God, have made mistakes in our imperfect state. But for those of us who seek forgiveness, it is by the grace of God that we are who we are today. It is up to us to make sure that it was given in vain or useless, and so we labor, more dilligently, understanding that through the Grace of God that we have obtained our forgiveness. So we preach, and we teach, and it matters not in the end who is the one that actually gathers the most, it is all simply how hard we worked to do it.
I am indeed the least of Missionaries, far from perfect, not having been the best person before I left. But I work hard now to do my best, I strive to preach, I strive to teach, and in the end it doesn`t matter wether I am the one that baptizes or sees success, so long as success comes from my efforts, so long as I push the work even just a little bit further.
Take care one and all. Live well, and do your best. That is all anyone can ever ask for.
Love,
Elder Randall KK Tateishi
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