Dear Mother, Father, Brothers, Sisters, Family, and Friends
Well, another crazy week flies by like lightning. Not sure what to write. Things just never work out as planned anymore. Makes planning seem almost pointless to me now since we never manage to get even half of the plan done ever. Quite entertaining but at the same time quite a nuisance.
Let`s see... What I remember the most from this week is being absolutely exhausted every single day. Not sure why but I`m constantly tired. We did have a few good lessons though. On Tuesday we met with Okuda Yuta, the investigator that I had found over a year and a half ago, and talked to him and asked him a lot of questions trying to find out what he`s thinking. It was way fun and way cool to get him to open up and tell us that why he didn`t want to get baptized was simply because he didn`t even believe in God yet, and he didn`t want to get baptized if he isn`t going to stay in the church or have a firm testimony. So now we know how to work with him.
Other than that we had a lesson with another investigator a few times that just liked to talk a lot. Kind of gets frustrating when people don`t focus or don`t let you continue on with what your trying to say. Guess it just means I`m supposed to learn a lot of patience.
We also had Zone Conference, which was way fun, got to see a few good friends and learn really cool things from President Zinke. Also was taught about how to stay healthy and told not to mentally criticize myself by the Asia North Area Missionary Health Advisor Missionaries peoples.
After that I beat my companion, Elder Toyosato in a game of Shogi (Japanese Chess) and his rear bike wheel is falling apart. He`s way funny and way chill about what`s going on, but we`re both wondering why that at the very end of his mission when he wants to work hard his bike breaks, his health gets worse, and other things just get in the way of him working. Poor guy, I love him to death, but long hours waiting in front of the bathroom also make me very tired.
Not sure what else to type. I want to go out site seeing but, between my companions broken bike, and our broken washing machine we don`t have all that much time. Hopefully next week we`ll be able to start seeing some cool stuff.
Elder Tateishi`s Gospel Message of the Week
As we visited a family last night I asked them a question "What has been the greatest blessing that hs come from knowing the Gospel?" As I thought about that question for myself, and how I would answer it myself I came up with a very simple answer: "My Future"
Being raised in the Gospel has always been a great blessing to me. The Gospel has always blessed my life and my family as I learned righteous morals and ideals. It has given me many strong and valiant friends and shown me many great examples of righteous people. The scriptures opened my mind to the truth, and the Holy Ghost has testified to me of it all. I have been comforted by the Comforter, I have been forgiven of my sins, and I have seen many miracles performed before me. Those blessings are all wonderful and amazing to me, but still not the greatest blessing to me.
My Future has been the greatest blessing to me. As I look back to where I was 2 years ago, before I truly knew the Gospel was true and before I truly learned to repent and rely upon God and upon my Savior, I can see exactly where my life would have led. I can see that I would have little hope for the future if any at all. I would have lived and then I would have died, with no success no true happiness, nor joy. Yet Now I can look forward and see what lies ahead. I can see that in my future there is of course trials and tribulations but far more than that there is Happiness and Joy indescribable. I can picture easily in my minds eye my future family filled with the joy of the gospel. I have that hope that I can live together forever with my family. I can look forward, past the here and now, past the current trial or the current tribulation and understand that the "Best is yet to Come" (Elder Holland).
"Wherefore, whoso believeth in God might with surety hope for a better world, yea, even a place at the right hand of God, which hope cometh of faith, maketh an anchor to the souls of men, which would make them sure and steadfast, always abounding in good works, being led to glorify God." (Ether 12:4)
Of this I testify in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen
With Much Love,
Elder Randall KK Tateishi
No comments:
Post a Comment