It's good to hear again from Randy. His letters just crack me up and I'm grateful for them. He has a wonderful companion that keeps him smiling and wonderful ward members that help lift him up. Thank you to Randy for being an awesome missionary.
Dear Mother, Father, Brothers, Sisters, Family, and Friends
KONNICHIWA!!!! From a few thousand miles away on a very rainy day,
with wet socks and shoes. I`m happy, I`m good, I`m fantastic. Life as
a missionary is good, and as the hymn goes "There is sunshine in my
soul!"
So. This week has been metcha metcha(very very) busy. Monday we were
supposed to have a lesson but that fell through and instead the Ward
Mission Leader took us out for dinner, then we just ran around and
talked to a whole bunch of random people.
Tuesday was very busy as well. We had lots of Lessons, including a
lunch appointment with a member, than a Practice Lesson with another
member, than we ended up having a little bit of a bible bash with
someone. Yes, I did, not intentionally. We planned on teaching the
lesson of the restoration and than he turned around and just tried to
prove me wrong the rest of the time. He wasn`t christian though, he
was SGI(Sokka Gakkai International). But at least it wasn`t an
arguement, we left on good terms and I handed off a Book of Mormon and
he gave me an SGI book. Moral of the story: When people want to argue,
if possible Testify, afterwards leave. I`m glad that we were busy and
the whole confrontation only lasted an hour. My head was starting to
hurt from all the difficult Japanese.
After that we went up and met with President and Sister McIntyre for
the last time. Had quick interview and said goodbye.
Wednesday we rode our bikes way far, talked to a Less-active member
for over an hour, after trying to leave 3 times. Then we taught
English class and had fun there.
Thursday we had District Meeting, half of which I had to translate
into Japanese for the Senior Couple that is here, then we taught
English for the Senior Couple`s area, before we started a
Companionship Exchange and I went to Sakai.
Friday during the exchange we rode for about 4 hours straight trying
to contact a referral that we couldn`t find. It was a long ride. Then
at night I came home and me and Elder Cloward ate dinner with a
member. It was quite hilarious because my companion doesn`t speak much
Japanese, and they were trying to talk to him while he was helping
them make mashed potatoes. He was hyper that day to and whenever they
talked to him and asked him a question he would look up at them with a
blank look in his eyes and say "Huh!?" Then look to me and ask for a
translation. I love my companion, he makes me laugh.
Saturday was all planning before we went out with a member to visit a
couple of less actives and then we went to a kind of Farewell talk
given by the McIntryre family for the stake. It was really good, I saw
a lot of old friends from the Sennan ward and sang with our ward
choir. Then we came home and the Travelling Assistants came in our
door and that`s when everything just started blowing up.
Elder Imai and Elder Everett came, with the intent of helping us get
an investigator that Elder Everett had found here last week while he
was here with us. But they had both gotten extremely sick and they
basically just collapsed as soon as they walked in the door. I had the
bishop bring some medicine over to help them, but they were absolutely
horrible. At one point during the night Elder Everett had a fever of
40 degrees Celcius. Yea, not good at all. But on Sunday it was
starting to down and now his fever is gone today. But they are both
passed out in our apartment and we`re playing mother for them.
Sunday at church went great, we had a member bring her friend to
church and we taught him a lesson and then sat with him in the Foyer
and talked with him instead of going to Priesthood because he didn`t
really want to go and was waiting for his friend. It went pretty good.
Than we went home and checked on the Dying Elders in our apartment,
grabbed our study stuff, ate a quick PB&J sandwich and ran back to the
church not wanting to get sick. The bishop then asked us how they were
doing and we told him not so well. The bishop then told us to stop by
his house on our way home and pick up some more medicine and other
things to help them. After we studied we did so and then checked up on
them and by that time Elder Imai was up and about and doing ok. So we
handed off the medicine and ran away again to go do something besides
be in the apartment. Came back, ate dinner, and slept.
This morning we got up and things were better with the Elder Imai and
Elder Everett. But they are now staying here until Tuesday at least.
Elder Everett can hardly even move, he has no energy, and President
and Sister McIntyre told them to move as little as possible until they
recover. So we get to take care of them, and then we have the Zone
Leaders coming over tonight for a Companionship Exchange. It`ll be way
fun having 6 people in our apartment! It`s also a mess... :(
Other things of note: On Monday and Tuesday I successfully ate the
traditional Japanese breakfast of Natto and Rice. Yes, I ate Natto
without puking. It smelled like coffee to me for some reason, and I
really think that praying and asking God to help me eat it, helped the
most. I still do not like it by any means, but I am able to eat it.
It`s just utterly disgusting...... Like soggy peanuts that just have
gone bad and been dipped in some sort of slime. Note: Natto is not
recommended as a food.
Elder Tateishi`s Gospel Message of the Week
Well, as I prayed just now, wondering what I should talk about this
week, I am reminded of an example that another missionary taught me.
It`s also an example that President Uchtdorf would probably use, since
it has to do with airplanes.
So most of us know how airplanes work. The shape of the wing causes
the wind to speed up which in turns alters the air pressure difference
between what is above the wing and below the wing. This all results in
what is called lift and pushing the airplane upwards. That is airplane
physics in a nutshell.
So in order for a plane to obtain lift it needs to have wind, or
forward moment that creates air movement along the wing. Therefore as
a plane moves forward it starts to create lift. But if there is no
lift on the wings than the airplane will stall and begin to fall.
Where this is all leading to is this: If an airplane is moving
forward constantly it will continue to rise or will stay in the air,
but if it stops it will immediately begin to descend and will
eventually crash and burn.
So, what does this have to do with anything. It is the meaning of the
Gospel. Continual progression and advancement.
We must be constantly moving forward. Pushing forward despite
difficulties or obstacles. We must constantly seek to improve
ourselves and to grow, to learn. For there is only up or down. If we
think we have learned enough and stop seeking to learn more we will
begin to digress and lose what we have.
As it is written in the scriptues: "Unto him that recieveth I will
give, but unto him that will not receive I will take even that which
he hath." In things of spirituality we must always be moving forward
and as we do so we will always have the Lord beside us helping us to
go forward.
Last week I spoke a little bit about humility. As we humble
ourselves, and realize that we have so much more to learn in this
life, that no matter where we are there is so much more ahead of us,
then will we avoid stalling, then will we continue to move forward and
rely upon the arm of the Lord.
God loves each and every one of us. He is by our sides and will be
with us everystep of the way. So long as we come unto him, learn of
him and seek his help he will help us. Manytimes, even when we don`t
think we`re worthy of him, even when we don`t think he cares, he is
there. Oh how I have come to realize that. I have learned that the
Almighty one, the creator of the Heavens and the Earth, all knowing,
all powerful, without end and without beginning, that great God has
always been willing to reach out to me, as weak as I am, as
insignificant as I am. He cares far more than we could ever imagine.
Of this I testify in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
Love,
Elder Randall KK Tateishi
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