Patience....

So this letter is for me...the mother....how does he know I lack in patience. One of my great weakness is patience. I wish I had more (although, I know we shouldn't ask for more as the Lord will certainly see fit to give me plenty of opportunity to learn it). I am so extremly proud and happy for my son. The young boy I sent away over a year ago is now becoming a man and it is awesome! Soon he will come home and start his life of schooling and work and then comes marriage and family. I'm so excited that I will be able to see him even blossom even more. Thank you to my son for the blessing he brings to us as a family. To his friends he is an example and to the rest of us....well, he is just plain Randy Panda Bear! I love him!!!!

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

Another week just flies by, faster than I can blink. On Monday and Tuesday, we went down to Wakayama and worked with the Zone Leaders in their area. I worked with Elder Lystrup, who`s from Las Vegas and was in the MTC with me. It was loads of fun and the two of us found 3 new investigators while Elder Hart and Elder Burhoefound 3 new Investigators as well. After that me and Elder Hart cameback to Kawachinagano and we found another investigator as well in the short time we had. It was awesome.

Wednesday we had District Meeting and then Eikaiwa, didn`t have time for much else. Thursday me and Elder Hart did lots of planning and then some Dendo. Friday we had another Companion Exchange, I was still in Kawachinagano though with Elder Bailey. We just had lots of fun,talking to people on the street, including one guy that wanted to start his own religion because everyone else was doing it. I think he was just mocking us. But I did get to throw him for a loop. We started in English, and he thought we couldn`t speak Japanese. After a good three or four minutes I switched to Japanese and he was way surprised. Gave me a good laugh.

Saturday, we ended the Exchange and then visited Brother Takenaka. Yea.... That was a very interesting meeting this time. Was hilarious,and I was laughing way too hard. He`s a tatoo artist, and he was telling us stories about tatooing. He`s a cool guy, really chill. Then we rushed to the Ping Pong tournament we had at the church. I was totally destroyed during it. I suck at Ping Pong Sunday was regular Church and lots of dendo. I was exhausted afterall that and came home and crashed. Then got up at 5:30 this morningto go to Seminary again. WOOT!! I`m still tired. I love life as aMissionary!

Elder Tateishi`s Gospel Message of the Week

Today, I`m going to talk about patience. Not being patient with others around you, but being patient with yourself.

I have had to learn this lesson many many times as a missionary. As I have many times pushed myself harder and harder trying to be better and better, yet to me it seems as if nothing is ever happening. Then I get discouraged and disappointed and I wonder what I did wrong, or what did I not do enough.

The solution is Patience. Is trusting in God, and having faith that oneday, someday, your efforts will bear fruit. It is Patience while dilligently pursuing to achieve your goals, despite what goes on around you, what happens or what doesn`t happen. That is a Godly Attribute.

I remember a parable told to me by President McIntyre. God commandeda man to push on a huge stone rock. So the man, obedient to God`s commandments did so. He pushed on the rock, and struggled to get it to move, and he kept on pushing, but he wasn`t able to move it at all. So he gave up, thinking to himself, it`s impossible. God returned and saw the man leaning against the rock, discouraged, and asked: "Why aren`t you pushing?" The man replied: "Because I can`t get it to move." In response God said: "I never told you to move the rock, I only told you to push. When the time comes "I`LL" move the rock."

I feel like that man a lot. As I push, and I push and I push with all my might and all that I know how to do and it seems that nothing ever happens. I ask myself every day what is it that I`m doing wrong, and sometimes I`m just so tired that I want to just give up. But then come those moments when the Lord reaches down and shows me, that although I didn`t move the rock even in the slightest, I have built some muscle!

The Lord will judge us according to our Desires as well as our works. We are all human, and all of us are imperfect, as it says in Psalms:"All have come short of the Glory of God." He knows that just as well as we do. Yet, he knows what we need, he knows how we can get there. As I think about it, I wonder in amazement at how patient God is with me. At how persistent he is at trying to mold me, and refine me into the man he wants me to become. Sometimes I feel like I`m a lump of steel in his hand, stubborn, and unshapeable. Yet still he works patiently and persistently with me.

I cannot comprehend how much God Loves me. I never will be able to in this life. But I do know that he loves me far more than anyone ever has or ever will love me. He is patient with me and he trusts me enough to call me as his servant. So I must proceed with faith and trust in God. Trust what God sees in me, trust his timing and his love. Alas, as he has said: "Be Still and know that I am God." "Look unto me in Every thought, Doubt not, Fear Not." Trust in the Lord thy God. He is the Light that shineth in Darkness. He is the one that has shown us the way. I Testify to you that God Lives, as well as his son Jesus Christ. That even now, they stand in heaven and watch over each and every one of us. They call unto us day after day, and work that we might have never-ending happiness and eternal Joy.

In the Holy name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

With Much Love, Elder Randall KK Tateishi