Lost at Sea....

Dear Mother,

I apologize to say that I have been carried away by heavy Typhoon winds and am now currently lost at sea somewhere between China and Japan. I think tomorrow I might make land somewhere nearby Okinawa. Sorry, would have emailed sooner, but I had to wait until P-day to go to the internet place and email. Still have to follow the rules you know.

Mother, we didn`t have a Typhoon at all. The worst that happened to me was I got rained on while riding my bike. Which by the way, is nothing new for me at all. I`m used to being soaking wet and other than being a little annoying it`s not bad at all. There was no wind at all and the rain was just off and on. I`ve actually been through worse than what hit us this week. I think you`re just a worry wart! Remember that I`m on my MISSION, and that I am in the service of GOD. Folax mother.

Lol, I love you mom, you just worry too much. Take care.

Love,

Your son

Elder Tateishi









Dear Mother Father Brothers Sisters Family and Friends

Well I`m still alive if any of you were worried about that. The Typhoon that supposedly hit us wasn`t more than a little bit of a rain shower for a couple days and did little more than be annoying for us as we went out to try and do some Dendo. It`s all bark and no Bite. Although the worst of it did hit the southern costal parts of our mission from what I heard. Shikoku, the big island, and Shinguu and Tanabe at the southern peninsula of the Mission. But they are all ok as far as I know, nothing too bad, just lots of rain and wind and they just stayed inside.

Well. Another week rolls by far too fast for me. As mother just had to go and mention to me once again I have only 5 months left before I go home. That is not far away at all and time seems to be picking up. I hope though that I will stay here in Kawachinagano until then. Mainly because it will be just like leaving home to go home. I love this ward and I don`t want to leave.

As for what I did this week, well I was just way busy. Tuesday Elder Rice came over here for a companion exchange and then Wednesday we didn`t have all that much time out of our apartment mainly because we had to go to Eikaiwa and had a Member visit as well. Thursday we were not even in our area the whole day. We went to Wakayama and I had a District Leader council then we went to Mikunigaoka and taught Eikaiwa there before we came home for bed. Friday we had District Meeting and then only had a little bit of time out to go and Dendo, then Saturday we did our weekly planning which again left us with only a little bit of Dendo time. Sunday was church and again only a limited amount of Dendo time. I feel like a busy bee right now and am currently trying to reassess myself as to whether I am working effectively or not. O the joys of Missionary work, always reevaluating yourself and trying to see what you can improve on or what you need to stop doing or what you need to change. It`s a bit stressful but a good process to learn.

Yea. So I don`t have too much to talk about this week. I`ve just been getting more and more boring lately I think. Although I am having Loads of fun out here I`m just not sure what I should share with everyone. Life is just life, it rolls on and I simply have to smile as I keep on walking. I enjoy the moments that I have, I laugh with the people I`m with and try to make their day and as they smile I smile more. My joy is their Joy.


Elder Tateishi`s Gospel Message of the week.

"An instrument in the hands of God."

I often say to people that as a missionary I do nothing. I do not convert people, I do not find people, I do not strengthen people`s faith, I do not teach people the Gospel. I am simply an instrument in the hands of God, or at least I try my best to be. Whenever I testify, or speak powerfully to change the hearts of the people around me it is not me that does so it is the Spirit of God. It is not I that touches their heart but it is the Spirit that confirms the truth of those things that I testify about. It is the Spirit that places me in the right spot at the right time to talk to the right person. It is the Spirit that puts the words that I need to speak into my mouth.

This week, one of the Sister missionaries in my district requested a blessing. She was feeling as if her prayers were not being answered, as if she were trying so hard and nothing was working. She felt tired, worn out and exhausted. When I gave her the blessing I felt the Spirit helping me along, forming the difficult Japanese sentences in a way that would bless her and help her. That night when I talked to her during my nightly calls she told me that the words of the blessing that I gave her were an answer to her prayers. I simply replied "Nani mo shite nai." or "I didn`t do anything." Which is the truth, I simply spoke the words of the Spirit.

In the greatest lessons that I have ever had, they have all been directed by the Spirit. Where I seek to ask a certain question, or to simply close the books, or materials that I am using and testify to the person I am speaking to. Those times, when I am simply an instrument in the hands of God, are the times when true miracles happen.

I Testify that this is God`s work, that he is the one that does it. I testify that when we become instruments in the Hands of God we will be able to do far greater good than we could ever do on our own. I testify of these things in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen

With much Love,

Elder Randall KK Tateishi