32 times......

HAHAHAHA....my son is a dork!!!! I guess after a year and a half he still gets a little nervous speaking in sacrament and he still can fall down for no reason at all. But....I still kind of like the kid.....



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

HOT! HOT HOT!!

Phew, it`s been an interesting week with it`s ups and downs. Monday
we had a District Lunch and Basketball game, that completely wore me
out, then it rained hard and as I was riding fast down a hill, dirt
kicked up and got my white shirt all dirty and spotted with oil and
dirt. That`s what you get for not following the Scout motto of "Be
Prepared."

Tuesday went pretty well, we taught Saito, but then wednesday and
thursday slipped down and went horribly because Saito stopped hearing
the lessons. It was devestating for me and Elder Cloward. It was
unexpected, because we had such high hopes for her and were certain
that she would progress. But many things happened, and it all changed
very suddenly. It`s a long story about what happened, but suffice to
say, she figured that she could make it on her own, and that she
didn`t really need church to make her life better.

Friday and Saturday were just finding days. We went all over the
place on our bicycles. It was hot and we were both drinking water like
crazy. We talked to many people and came back to the apartment ready
to collapse. Saturday night the second counselor in the Bishopric gave
me a call and asked me to give a ten minute talk about missionary work
in Sacrament meeting the next day.

Sunday, we went to church early to practice the song me and Elder
Cloward were going to perform during Sacrament, and then we were
supposed to have coordination meeting but none of the Ward
Missionaries or leaders showed up in time. The great thing though, was
a less-active we have been working with over the past 5 months came to
church. We were excited to see him. I gave my talk and Elder Cloward
and the less-active counted up how many times I touched the mic in the
ten minutes I was talking. Something like 32 times apparently. All I
can see from the podium are the two of them laughing as they are
looking at a piece of paper.

After church we went out some more and did more finding, all over the
place. We ran into Takehiko, a 17 year old kid who is not a member,
but the grandson of a very active woman in the ward. He was really
cool and we talked to him for a bit, during which I fell over while
just standing there, just like a drunk who can`t stay standing and
sways a lot. Yea, I toppled over backwards ontop of my bike and Elder
Cloward just laughed at me for a second before he helped me back up.
It was way too hot out.

Elder Tateishi`s Gospel Message of the week:

I`m not sure at all what I should write, but that`s how it goes most
of the time. Sometimes I just start typing and things just slip into
my mind, of what I need to write and what somebody just might need to
read.

The Lord works in mysterious ways, but always by small and simple
means. With our investigator Saito, as she worked and listened to what
we taught and really desired to change she kept asking "How is God
going to answer my prayers?" As I watched her grow and change I saw
her prayers being answered, and I even told her so. I tried to help
her recognize what was happening. But she didn`t see it. She kept
expecting me to be able to answer every question she had, she kept
expecting me to be able to fix her problems. She didn`t rely enough
upon the God, and too much upon me. So when the time came and she
asked a question, no, not even a question, when she had a problem that
I couldn`t come up with an answer for immediately she lost faith in me
and turned away. That was devastating to me and I was absolutely
crushed.

She had been given an answer to her prayers, she had recieved it, but
she was unable to recognize it. It was small and simple, something
that seemed to occur naturally to her. But to us we saw the change in
her eyes happening quickly.

It is up to us many times to recognize the small and simple things
that the Lord does for us, or the way in which he teaches us. As I
taught Saito and as I testified to her and did all I could for her, I
felt as if I had done my part. As if I had done what the Lord wanted
me to do for her. But then she was lost and it hit me hard. To be
honest it shattered me. At first I wanted to be angry, at another
missionary because he had unintentionally caused the problem, but I
knew I couldn`t do that, then I thought I had done something wrong,
but I hadn`t. All I was left to do was ask "Why?" It didn`t make sense
to me, I was doing all that I was supposed to do and now I was back to
nothing again.

But I resolved in myself to throw those questions and just go back to
work. There was, is nothing else I can do. She made her choice, and I
cannot force her to do otherwise. As the days went by, I felt as if
nothing was happening at all, and as I think about it now I am
thinking that this is another trial of my faith. I grew last transfer,
and I worked hard. Now it is the time to temper that faith and seal it
so that it becomes firm and immovable. Just like pottery, it is molded
into the desired shape and then fired in the furnace in order to keep
its shape.

We must not lose faith in our times of difficulty. We must stand up
and face the challanges that roll our way with hope and faith. And as
we go, along the way we`ll begin to piece the puzzle together and
understand what the Lord`s purposes our. What he wants to teach us,
what he wants us to learn. But in the end, it will come down to
trusting in the Lord and following him upon the stormy seas. I`m not
sure what`s going to happen this transfer, but all I can do is keep on
going. There is no more time for me to stop, no more time for me to
look back. My time as a missionary runs short, and I still have much
that needs to be done.

Again I say that I know that Christ lives. Again I testify of his
divinity as our saviour and our Redeemer. I know of his love and his
goodness. I trust in him and strive to do all I can to follow him. I
know this is where I am needed now, that this is what the Lord wants
me to do. I bear witness of these things, in the name of Jesus Christ.
Amen.

With Love,

Elder Randall KK Tateishi