The Japanese people are so sweet and simple. Such a loving and accepting spirits they are. I am grateful that Randy gets to spend some time with them and have experiences that are amazing. What love he has come to have for his mission. Thank you Lord for sending my son to this great and wonderful place. For that I simply say "Thank you"....
Dear Mother, Father, Sisters, Brothers, Family and Friends
Well, doesn`t seem like I have to much to reply to this week. Not very many emails have come my way today. But that is just fine by me, gives me more time to write this letter and have some fun. Plus it means I`ll probably spend less money at this internet cafe.
Anyway, I can`t say too much happened this week. On Monday we had the Summer Festival, which was way fun. There were a thousand little children running around and a whole lot of parents as well. It was a blast. With shaved ice, fried chicken, mochi, and a lot of random games and such. Seemed like all the kids were just having fun. Saito even came with her daughter and they had fun.
Tuesday through Saturday were the same old same old. Just out and about trying to find people to teach. Made the week seem like it was taking forever. But when we visited some random members we got fed delicious dumplings and pineapple. It was way good.
We also visited Nishiguchi Kyodai this week and he was way happy to see us. Gave him a quick message and than we decided together to reteach him the missionary lessons to help build up his faith and get him strong and active again.
Sunday went awesome as well. Had a random person call up wanting to go to church. Then we had an awesome time at church with the members. Nishiguchi Kyodai came to church again and he was participating in class and everything. He looks like he`s doing really well. I`ve been here in Kawachinagano so long though that I`m practically a member. In fact one of them said in jest "Elder Tateishi, which of the young women are you going to marry here? You know you`re never going to leave!" I love the members here. They all make me laugh and are all amazing, they have great faith and love the Lord.
Sorry, my week was kind of uneventful, but I have a single quote to put in from my companion.
"I bet that dog calls everytime we bark!" (The sign of forgetting ones english)
Elder Tateishi`s Gospel Message of the week
"Always on Guard"
Luke 22:31 "And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat."
We`ve all heard about Satan, about how he goes about amongst the children of men and seeks to draw them away from God through temptaion, cunning, guile, and sometimes persecution. He is a devilish being and his tricks seem endless at times. He never gives up and is always persistent as he tries to plant seeds of doubt into our minds or make us take one little step away from God. Sometimes he plays upon our passions and desires, sometimes he pressures us through so called friends and family. Other times he lulls into a false sense of security making us believe that "All is well in Zion." Then he will slide in and try to catch us unawares.
The Devil is a cunning fellow I dare say. He`s been doing this for thousands of years, so I expect him to be quite good at his occupation. He knows the little chinks and weak links that he can work on to wear one down. He knows all the little tricks and all the big tricks, and he won`t give up, not ever. Sometimes he`s a lot more dilligent than we are!
So there is the devil with his little bag of tricks, and here are we, living our lives as we always do. But we must be ever vigilant and always on guard. We must never drop our guard, or let ourselves be drawn into a false sense of security. All are subject to the temptings of Satan, from the weakest to the strongest. The Lord warned even the ancient apostle of Old, Simon Peter, to be careful, for Satan still desires to take them, even more so than others. At times even some of the greatest and most faithful of us are lead away and decieved, such as Judas Iscariot, or a number of Leaders that participated in the Restoration of the Gospel in the Latter days.
The Lord warned even Joseph Smith to "cgird up your loins, and take upon you my whole darmor, that ye may be able to withstand the evil day, having done all, that ye may be able to estand." (D&C 27) The Lord further expounded saying: "Stand, therefore, having your loins agirt about with btruth, having on the cbreastplate of drighteousness, and your feet shod with the preparation of the egospel of fpeace, which I have sent mine gangels to commit unto you; Taking the shield of faith wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the afiery darts of the wicked; And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of my aSpirit, which I will pour out upon you, and my word which I reveal unto you, and be agreed as touching all things whatsoever ye ask of me, and be faithful until I come, and ye shall be bcaught up, that where I am ye shall be calso. Amen."
And herin we find the formula for fighting off the Devil. Simply put, Stand firm in the Faith of our Lord and God and he shall have no power over us. For as it is written: "[Man] shall bruise thy[Satan] head, and thou shalt bruise his heel." Satan only has as much power as we give him. If we follow the Lord he will support us and give us strength to stand and against the adversary. "And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the arock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your bfoundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty cstorm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall." (Helaman 5:12)
Even as a missionary, everyday I have to stay on guard and be ever vigilant. I cannot relent, I cannot relax that guard, for at everyturn there is something there, to draw me away, to tempt me. But as I stand tall, and build upon the firm foundation of Christ I know I cannot fall. As my faith grows stronger my desires to do evil lessen and my desires to do good grow. This is an everyday battle, day in and day out. But never are we alone in this battle, as we constantly fall to our knees in prayer and over our whole heart and soul unto our God he will protect us and give us strength. He will not forsake us nor will he let us fall, for he says:
The soul that on Jesus hath leaned for repose
I will not, I cannot, desert to his foes;
That soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake,
I’ll never, no never, I’ll never, no never,
I’ll never, no never, no never forsake!
(How firm a foundation, hymn 85)
I testify again of these things, I know that Lord God is my Saviour and Redeemer, that he lives and is ever vigilant and is quick to come to my aid. I know that he loves me and watches over me and that he will never forsake me.I testify of these things in his Holy name. Amen.
Love,
Elder Randall KK Tateishi
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