6-months...

Well, Randy did not get transferred so by the end of this transfer he will have been in the same area for 6 months. He does love the area and loves his companion. I figure only 6 more fast Sunday's and he will be heading home (wait, I'm not allowed to get trunky for him). He does have to remind me to not remind him how much closer he is to coming home than staying out


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

Yes, if you haven`t guessed it, another beautiful week has flown by.
There is truly nothing greater than being a missionary! The Spirit is
strong, the love of the Lord is present, and my spirits are bright.

Sooooooooooooooooo...... Sunday to Sunday I have spent everyday in
contact with my investigator, Saito who is just amazing. Last week
Sunday, after we taught her, she called me and we talked for 45 min.
and she was wondering everything that she needed to do. Monday Night I
called her again and talked to her for another 45 min. than 30 on
Tuesday, visited her for a little bit on wednesday and thursday,
called her Friday, she called me on Saturday to tell me she was going
to church, then she came to church on Sunday, attended all the
meetings, went home and called me later that night wanting to have a
lesson and we were able to scramble together a Priesthood holder to
come and help us teach. All in all, in a single week I have seen a
woman grow from dark, shaded, and unhappy eyes, to bright, smiling and
happy. She is a miracle, from the moment we found her she has been
seeking to know the truth, and she feels as if she is very close to
finding it. Because she is!

I can truly say that the greatest reward for me as a missionary is
not the experience I gain, or the language I learn, but it is in fact
the light I see in the eyes of the people as they grow and become
happy. Sunday, after church and after my fast I came home, my heart
full of the Spirit. I felt as if I had tasted of the waters of Life, I
did not thirst, I did not hunger. My physical exhaustion was swallowed
up in the joy of the Spirit. I fell on my knees and didn`t want to get
back up, when I was done, I sat for only a moment before I did it
again. I love this work.

We met President Zinke on Friday, he is awesome and he`s going to
take this mission above and beyond what President McIntyre did. He is
amazing with a great vision and great faith. I`m honored and excited
to work with him.

Other than that, I don`t have too many highlights. We got transfer
calls this morning, and I`m staying in Kawachinagano again with Elder
Cloward. It`ll be my Fourth transfer here and it`ll leave me here for
a total of almost half a year. I got here in the beginning of March
and will leave in the middle of Augest probably.

O, and HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY!!!


Elder Tateishi`s Gospel Message of the Week.

I`m going to pull out a single scripture this week, one that Sister
Zinke used when she spoke this Friday.

Matthew 9:14 "Come, follow me, and I will make you fishers of men."

Well I have read this scriptures countless times, and I have heard it
quoted countless of tiems, but when Sister Zinke read it to us, it
finally clicked as I realized what the scripture meant.

I`ve always known that this was the call Christ gave to his apostles,
and, in an off sense, to me as a missionary. But I finally came
realize the deeper meaning of the scripture, one so plain and easy to
understand I felt dumb for not realizing it early.

All that Christ has ever asked me to do is to Follow him. That was
the same call to the Apostles that is the same call to me. He has
simply asked me to follow him. Then he added, " and `I` will make you
fishers of men." Catch that? We do not make ourselves into great
missionaries, we do not do it alone. The LORD is the one that makes us
into great missionaries, and all we have to do in order for that to be
done is to follow him.

You may remember from a while ago when I talked about handing
yourself over to the Lord, handing your lump of coal over the Lord in
order to become a Diamond. Well this is the same thing that I am
talking about. As we follow the Lord with full purpose of Heart he
will turn us into what we need to become. He will make us far greater
than we could ever be alone.

This past Month as I have knelt down on my knees every night, as I
made a finally decision and said "Lord I am in YOUR hands. I will do
all that I can to follow thee, despite the results. I trust you." As I
followed through with that and I went forward I have never before in
my life seen so many blessings or seen myself change so much. I have
grown, I feel free, I feel happy, I feel overcome with Joy. I am
becoming who the Lord wants me to become, I have gained confidence in
myself and my abilities I have gained confidence in the Spirit, I have
come to know and trust the Lord even more than before.

I know that Christ is my Savior, I know that he loves me and that as
I strive everyday to follow him he will be with me at all times, in
the best of times and in the worst of times. I know he lives! I know
his love, I know him! The scriptures cry out to me clear and sure,
they speak his words to me. The feelings of the Spirit show me what it
is I need to do, and tell me what it is I need to say. The strength of
the Lord keeps me going everyday and fills me throughout the night. I
know that this gospel is true and I testify boldly of it in the name
of my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen


With much Love,

Elder Randall KK Tateishi