Ichi En

Small and little things have what brought me fully to the gospel. It has made me who I am, listening quietly to my heart and soul. Listening for that still small voice that may give me answers to the smallest piece of a puzzle I may be trying to find and having monumental results. I'm so grateful for the small things in life and in the gospel that keep me going..

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

Another Transfer period is gone and it puts me on number 14 out of
16. Time flies faster than I can count and it leaves me on my 6th
transfer in Kawachingano. That means If I leave here next transfer I
will be here for a total of 8 months. But that`s fine by me.

So, this week has been a blast. It started out pretty good too. I
went to the Sakai area and there had lunch with the Yukimoto Family.
It was a delicious dinner, but even greater than that, Sister Yukimoto
actually knew who my Grandma and Grandpa were. She had served in the
temple a lot at the same time as Grandma and Grandpa and so she knew
both of them. It surprised me because I haven`t met anyone yet that
had anymore than a very remote idea of who they were. But she told me
about how stalwart and kind and humble Grandpa and Grandma were. It
was really cool.

Then that same day I conducted my first interview for a Baptismal
Candidate(Who was baptized on Sunday)

Wednesday was a Typhoon so we had to cancel Eikaiwa, but that was
just fine. We just ended up talking with the Ward Mission Leader
instead. Thursday we planned and then went on a long bike ride
exploring some more of the area. Friday we had District Meeting and
that was way fun with everyone.

Saturday was a way cool day as we did some mountain climbing. We went
to an area WAY out in the middle of nowhere. We had seen that there
was a small neighborhood over there so we decided to go check it out.
It was all up hill getting there and the whole way was just like those
pictures. Lots and lots of trees surrounding the narrow winding road.
It was way beautiful and really great to go up there and get some
fresh air. We got swarmed by lots of little elementary kids because we
were probably the first Americans they had ever seen. Everyone was
pretty friendly up there and it felt more like home than the crowded
streets in town.

Sunday was awesome as well, we went down to the Hashimoto Branch,
just south of our area, for church. The Branch hadn`t had missionaries
for a long time, at least for a year and they were all way excited
that we were visiting them. We also taught an investigator that they
had found down there, Morita, and that was a great lesson. We`ll be
going down there more to teach him and work with him. I`m excited
about that.

This week was way cool and I`m way excited for this week as well.
It`s going to be a busy week and this upcoming transfer is going to be
super busy all the time.

Elder Tateishi`s Gospel Message of the week.

"Ichi En"

One morning this week as I was doing my personal study I found an
"Ichi En" (a Japanese Penny). From the moment I picked it up till the
end of my study I couldn`t really focus on my scriptures or the
writings of the Prophets. Instead I was stuck looking at this little
"Ichi En" and flipping it around in my hand. I thought to myself that
there had to be some sort of meaning to this little coin. I thought
about how much it was worth and it wasn`t very much at all. You can`t
buy anything with an "Ichi En" just the same as you can`t really buy
anything with a penny. Finally as my study drew to an end I stuffed it
in my pocket figuring that I`ll solve the problem later.

That day we went about as usual, biking around, talking with people,
knocking on doors, and riding up lots of hills. Understandably I got
thirsty and a bit hungry so we stopped at a small convient store to
get a little bite to eat. As they charged me for my corn dog and
sports drink I opened my wallet to find out I was an "Ichi En" short
of being right on. At first I was annoyed because that would mean I`d
have to use a bigger bill and fill up my wallet with a whole bunch
more coins, but then I remembered that I had the "Ichi En" in my
pocket. I smiled pulled it out and bought my stuff without a problem.
At first I took no notice of the small exchange.

Later as I thought about that experience and what had happened I
started to make some connections between it and the way that God works
amongst his Children. That by very, very small and seemingly worthless
things God makes great things come about.

That "Ichi En" is that one last coin that makes you capable of buying
what you want. God acts the same way a lot of times. We get so close
and we work so hard, yet we have that one last tiny piece that would
make what we have perfect, then God steps in gives us that little
piece and it all works out just fine. Many might call it
"coin"cidence, but I really am starting to understand that it is not.

As we sometimes look for God to provide huge, overwhelming and
powerful answers to our prayers or our problems we at times miss those
little "Ichi En" pieces that fall into our hands. To us they seem
worthless, pointless and hardly worth our time. But as we gather them
together, and collect them one by one they will add up. They will
become 100 or even more, for as it is written in the scriptures "To
him that recieveth will I give." As we continue to accept even those
smallest gifts from God, as we acknowledge them and offer thanks and
praise for them we will find that we are rich with them. We will also
continue to recieve more and more and when those times of necissity
come we may recieve bigger portions, but it is always according to our
needs at the given time.

Since that first "Ichi En" Day I`ve had plenty of others. It`s helped
me to become a little bit more happy and helped me to learn just a
little bit more about God. This road that I walk is one step at a
time. These stairs that I climb are one step at a time. Sometimes it`s
steep, sometimes it`s tiring, and sometimes it seems like I don`t go
anywhere. But as I stay on that path, and take it just one small step
at a time I always find myself coming closer to a Loving Father in
Heaven.

I share these things in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen

With Love,

Elder Randall KK Tateishi