Dear Mother, Father, Sisters, Brothers, Family, and Friends
Welll...... It`s the end. This is my last email from Japan. I only have 2 more days left here in Fushimi before I go to the mission home and then I begin my journey Home.
"Home," That`s an interesting word to me now. I`m leaving home here pretty soon, and everytime I think about it tears well up in my eyes. I have to leave my home. No longer am I only Japanese by blood, but by heart also. For two years I have served my brothers and sisters in Japan. For two years I have labored through sweat and tears to help these people to find happiness. On hot summer days, in cold winter nights. I have shed tears upon my pillow at night and I have cried unto the Lord by day as I have sought to bring these wonderful people unto God. Now it`s done. The time has come to leave it all behind and take a step forward into a new chapter of my life. Oh the things that I shall never forget! Oh the Life that I have lived, the people that I have loved! To leave this all behind hurts me. It tears me apart. There are many memories that I will cherish forevermore and there are people that I will never forget. This has become my home.
I`m not sure what I should write for this last email. I`ll see everyone soon enough and be able to talk, to relate and express my experiences then. It just feels so surreal right now that I`m going home! My mind is just incapable of wrapping around that idea. My bags are packed and sent off, and it just feels like I`m going to a new area. Yet ahead lies a long plane ride, across an ocean to a different continent thousands of miles away. I leave from Japan at 3:30 PM Friday 3rd, and arrive at 4:30 PM Friday 3rd in St. George. I know that that is going to be the longest hour of my life, and in more ways than just one. I`ll be crying the whole plane ride home.
I guess right now the only thing I`m trying to do is express my feelings as I end my mission. But That`s something that can`t be fully expressed, as I don`t even know what I`m feeling. I have a turmoil of emotions welling up inside of me. Excitement, Sorrow, Grief, Anticipation, Nervousness, Anxiety. There is so much that lies ahead that I`m not sure what I`m even supposed to be thinking or feeling right now. Sometimes my heart leaps with joy at the thought of going home, some times it shrinks away in sorrow. Part of me wants to leave, most of me wants to stay. The other day as I was making lunch I just felt like crying for no reason at all! I`m turning into an emotional wreck.
I guess I`ll just testify right now. It`s all that I have left to do.
What is the worth of Two Years? It is something priceless and immeasurable. It is something that one could never explain with words. It is an entire life in and of itself. It has been a time of growth, a time of pain, a time of stretching, a time humbling, a time of faith, a time of love, a time of joy. These two years I would never trade for anything in this world. They have changed me in an inexplicable way. I set out not really knowing what was lying ahead. I set out not even coming close to comprehending what I was doing. I had stepped foot into a new world. I remember the day I entered into the MTC. Early, like usual, stepping out of the car and walking into the front desk, waving goodbye to Mom and Dad as they headed off. One deep breath and then I submerged myself and gave myself to God. I placed myself in his hands and sought to follow him to the best of my abilities. From then on everything was different. At times it was hard, it was difficult and I wanted to give up. At times I complained to God and asked "Why this!?" or "What have I done to deserve this!?" But quickly the gentle reminder would come that God knew what he was doing, or even if was not quickly I eventually learned it. Every step was a step of faith, sometimes it was misplaced but even then I was picked back up again. But those hard times I cannot remember nearly so clearly as I can the joyful times. The first baptism, the lessons, the Spirit, the Guidance, the Love. All of those swallow up any of the pain I ever felt and to God I owe all the credit. He taught me my lessons, he gave me the spirit, he guided me to where he wanted me to go, and he taught me what love truly meant. Never can words really explain all that there is.
From start to finish God has guided my growth as a missionary. I can say as the apostle Paul once said: "By the grace of God I am who I am!" God has made me who I am today. He has helped me to be myself and find out who I really am. He has loved me and nourished me into who I am now. For that I am eternally grateful and will forever praise my God. Hallelujah! O how great is his Mercy, how Endless is his Love! O how wonderful is my God that has lead me to the end! My God is my Strength, and My God is my stay! Far from away in a world that I have never known, across the foreign streets I walk. Yet in my heart his love resides and in his strength do I rely. Nothing can take this from me, no mortal hand nor hellish storm, no nothing. This burning in my heart is undeniable, I have done all that the Lord has asked me to do. My time has come to go home.
I know that God lives, and I know of his Love. I know that Christ is my Redeemer and my Saviour. I know that this is God`s church, and I bear this final witness as a missionary in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
With much Love,
Elder Randall KK Tateishi
Monday, January 30, 2012
Thursday, January 26, 2012
2nd to last.....
Dear Mother, Father, Brothers, Sisters, Family, and Friends
Not even sure what to write this week. It`s been a pretty good week, but it`s filled with it`s ups and downs.
Last week Monday we went to Byodoin, one of the most famous places in Japan, and also on the Japanese 10 Yen coin. It was way fun and filled with a lot of interesting things. I really enjoyed the trip, even though it took us about an hour by bike to get there and then another hour to the Joyo (The other area in my district) Apartment. We had Companion Exchanges that same night.
Let`s see, I haven`t been sleeping too well at all lately, my back is killing me as I try to sleep, so I keep rolling around. I think mainly it`s just a lot of stress that`s built up lately.
Throughout the week we`ve been blessed with some really Spirit filled lessons, that have really been adjusted and worked towards the needs of those that we teach. I Don`t know why God has blessed us with such amazing investigators but it is a great honor to be teaching them. Doesn`t really matter to me if they get baptized while I`m here or not, just so long as they start walking the path that leads them to their happiness and joy. I know they`ll get baptized when the time is right, and I`m just glad that I have been able to apart of that process.
Yesterday we actually taught one of my Investigators that I had found my first time around in Fushimi. We were waiting to teach another lesson, but he was there and wanted to have a small lesson. We talked a lot and really listened to what he had to say, and sought to help him and teach him. I could really feel the Spirit during that lesson and I could see it working in him a little bit. He agreed to pray sincerely and actually seek after God, which has been his problem the entire time. It was really cool.
Elder Tateishi`s Gospel Message of the Week
Tribulations bring us Pain. Pain is swallowed up in Joy. Joy comes from Love. Love brings us unto God.
As a missionary there have been many tribulations and trials for me. Time and time again I felt sorrow, grief and difficulty. I have been frustrated with myself and those around me, I have made countless mistakes that have caused me much worrying and anxiety. Yet always I have been able to turn to God and find Joy and Love as I work. I have been able to turn frustration into faith, Sorrow, into Joy, Grief into Happiness, and difficulty into hope. By the end of each trial, each tribulation I find myself closer to God. I find that I have changed a little bit of myself and taken another step towards God and learned another priceless lesson. I have learned to Love those around me, I have learned to listen to others, I have learned patience with myself and patience with others. I have learned to laugh, to sing, to cry, to smile.
As Job said "Even though he slay me, yet will I trust God!" The tribulations and trials we face everyday are placed before us for a reason. They are hurdles to leap, mountains to climb, and rivers to cross. All to help us learn how to run, how to climb, how to swim, or to win us the Gold medal, to See the grand scheme of things, or to find ourselves in greener pastures. God loves us, he knows what`s best for us. He knows all things, and so the only thing we must do is trust whether or not he has our Eternal Welfare in mind as he works is works.
I know God desires the best for me. I know he works to bring about my Eternal Life and my Eternal Salvation. Of this I testify in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
Love,
Elder Randall KK Tateishi
Not even sure what to write this week. It`s been a pretty good week, but it`s filled with it`s ups and downs.
Last week Monday we went to Byodoin, one of the most famous places in Japan, and also on the Japanese 10 Yen coin. It was way fun and filled with a lot of interesting things. I really enjoyed the trip, even though it took us about an hour by bike to get there and then another hour to the Joyo (The other area in my district) Apartment. We had Companion Exchanges that same night.
Let`s see, I haven`t been sleeping too well at all lately, my back is killing me as I try to sleep, so I keep rolling around. I think mainly it`s just a lot of stress that`s built up lately.
Throughout the week we`ve been blessed with some really Spirit filled lessons, that have really been adjusted and worked towards the needs of those that we teach. I Don`t know why God has blessed us with such amazing investigators but it is a great honor to be teaching them. Doesn`t really matter to me if they get baptized while I`m here or not, just so long as they start walking the path that leads them to their happiness and joy. I know they`ll get baptized when the time is right, and I`m just glad that I have been able to apart of that process.
Yesterday we actually taught one of my Investigators that I had found my first time around in Fushimi. We were waiting to teach another lesson, but he was there and wanted to have a small lesson. We talked a lot and really listened to what he had to say, and sought to help him and teach him. I could really feel the Spirit during that lesson and I could see it working in him a little bit. He agreed to pray sincerely and actually seek after God, which has been his problem the entire time. It was really cool.
Elder Tateishi`s Gospel Message of the Week
Tribulations bring us Pain. Pain is swallowed up in Joy. Joy comes from Love. Love brings us unto God.
As a missionary there have been many tribulations and trials for me. Time and time again I felt sorrow, grief and difficulty. I have been frustrated with myself and those around me, I have made countless mistakes that have caused me much worrying and anxiety. Yet always I have been able to turn to God and find Joy and Love as I work. I have been able to turn frustration into faith, Sorrow, into Joy, Grief into Happiness, and difficulty into hope. By the end of each trial, each tribulation I find myself closer to God. I find that I have changed a little bit of myself and taken another step towards God and learned another priceless lesson. I have learned to Love those around me, I have learned to listen to others, I have learned patience with myself and patience with others. I have learned to laugh, to sing, to cry, to smile.
As Job said "Even though he slay me, yet will I trust God!" The tribulations and trials we face everyday are placed before us for a reason. They are hurdles to leap, mountains to climb, and rivers to cross. All to help us learn how to run, how to climb, how to swim, or to win us the Gold medal, to See the grand scheme of things, or to find ourselves in greener pastures. God loves us, he knows what`s best for us. He knows all things, and so the only thing we must do is trust whether or not he has our Eternal Welfare in mind as he works is works.
I know God desires the best for me. I know he works to bring about my Eternal Life and my Eternal Salvation. Of this I testify in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
Love,
Elder Randall KK Tateishi
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
April Fools.....
Dear Mother, Father, Brothers, Sisters, Family, and Friends
I`m going to make this one really short, You`ll all be seeing me here in the next couple weeks so I`ll leave a lot of my story telling or experiences until then. Besides I don`t want to take up too much time emailing today.
This week, has been another good week. We had interviews with President Zinke and that was fun and went really well. Didn`t have much to talk about, other than just don`t go trunky and keep on working till the end.
We also managed to set a Baptismal date for our investigator Nomura Akisa. We set it for April 1st. I`ll be long gone but It`s really good to know that I was able to get someone moving along in the last few months of my mission.
Sunday we had a great time at church, I love this ward. We had our new years party and we talked with a lot of the members and just had a great time, along with our investigators. The ward is very supportive and way fun and helpful filled with lots of young people.
Elder Tateishi`s Gospel Message of the Week
Why are we so Blessed?
One member we visited last night had some very excellent insights and thoughts as we talked to him about the plan of salvation and God. He is actually studying Bhuddism and was at one point a Bhuddist Priest, but has long since joined the Church and is a very strong member with a great testimony. We talked about being blessed with so many things, with our families, food, shelter, clothing, the Gospel, and many other things. We also talked about why are blessed so much, and how maybe it`s because God wants us to share those blessings with others.
As a member of the Church, I hold the greatest gift God has given to Man. I know that the Gospel is true and I have a hope of obtaining eternal life and exaltation. I have peace in my life and the capability of overcoming challenges that come my way. This is a great gift, and a wonderful blessing that I have been given so that I might share it with those around me. God wants all of his children to be happy, and he finds joy and happiness in serving his children and their happiness. So we too can share in the Joy that God has by sharing the blessings that we have. As we give of ourselves we can find great joy and peace, we can lose ourselves and forget about the things that are wrong in our life as God will take care of the rest. Of this I testify in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen
With Much Love,
Elder Randall KK Tateishi
I`m going to make this one really short, You`ll all be seeing me here in the next couple weeks so I`ll leave a lot of my story telling or experiences until then. Besides I don`t want to take up too much time emailing today.
This week, has been another good week. We had interviews with President Zinke and that was fun and went really well. Didn`t have much to talk about, other than just don`t go trunky and keep on working till the end.
We also managed to set a Baptismal date for our investigator Nomura Akisa. We set it for April 1st. I`ll be long gone but It`s really good to know that I was able to get someone moving along in the last few months of my mission.
Sunday we had a great time at church, I love this ward. We had our new years party and we talked with a lot of the members and just had a great time, along with our investigators. The ward is very supportive and way fun and helpful filled with lots of young people.
Elder Tateishi`s Gospel Message of the Week
Why are we so Blessed?
One member we visited last night had some very excellent insights and thoughts as we talked to him about the plan of salvation and God. He is actually studying Bhuddism and was at one point a Bhuddist Priest, but has long since joined the Church and is a very strong member with a great testimony. We talked about being blessed with so many things, with our families, food, shelter, clothing, the Gospel, and many other things. We also talked about why are blessed so much, and how maybe it`s because God wants us to share those blessings with others.
As a member of the Church, I hold the greatest gift God has given to Man. I know that the Gospel is true and I have a hope of obtaining eternal life and exaltation. I have peace in my life and the capability of overcoming challenges that come my way. This is a great gift, and a wonderful blessing that I have been given so that I might share it with those around me. God wants all of his children to be happy, and he finds joy and happiness in serving his children and their happiness. So we too can share in the Joy that God has by sharing the blessings that we have. As we give of ourselves we can find great joy and peace, we can lose ourselves and forget about the things that are wrong in our life as God will take care of the rest. Of this I testify in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen
With Much Love,
Elder Randall KK Tateishi
April Fools.....
Dear Mother, Father, Brothers, Sisters, Family, and Friends
I`m going to make this one really short, You`ll all be seeing me here in the next couple weeks so I`ll leave a lot of my story telling or experiences until then. Besides I don`t want to take up too much time emailing today.
This week, has been another good week. We had interviews with President Zinke and that was fun and went really well. Didn`t have much to talk about, other than just don`t go trunky and keep on working till the end.
We also managed to set a Baptismal date for our investigator Nomura Akisa. We set it for April 1st. I`ll be long gone but It`s really good to know that I was able to get someone moving along in the last few months of my mission.
Sunday we had a great time at church, I love this ward. We had our new years party and we talked with a lot of the members and just had a great time, along with our investigators. The ward is very supportive and way fun and helpful filled with lots of young people.
Elder Tateishi`s Gospel Message of the Week
Why are we so Blessed?
One member we visited last night had some very excellent insights and thoughts as we talked to him about the plan of salvation and God. He is actually studying Bhuddism and was at one point a Bhuddist Priest, but has long since joined the Church and is a very strong member with a great testimony. We talked about being blessed with so many things, with our families, food, shelter, clothing, the Gospel, and many other things. We also talked about why are blessed so much, and how maybe it`s because God wants us to share those blessings with others.
As a member of the Church, I hold the greatest gift God has given to Man. I know that the Gospel is true and I have a hope of obtaining eternal life and exaltation. I have peace in my life and the capability of overcoming challenges that come my way. This is a great gift, and a wonderful blessing that I have been given so that I might share it with those around me. God wants all of his children to be happy, and he finds joy and happiness in serving his children and their happiness. So we too can share in the Joy that God has by sharing the blessings that we have. As we give of ourselves we can find great joy and peace, we can lose ourselves and forget about the things that are wrong in our life as God will take care of the rest. Of this I testify in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen
With Much Love,
Elder Randall KK Tateishi
I`m going to make this one really short, You`ll all be seeing me here in the next couple weeks so I`ll leave a lot of my story telling or experiences until then. Besides I don`t want to take up too much time emailing today.
This week, has been another good week. We had interviews with President Zinke and that was fun and went really well. Didn`t have much to talk about, other than just don`t go trunky and keep on working till the end.
We also managed to set a Baptismal date for our investigator Nomura Akisa. We set it for April 1st. I`ll be long gone but It`s really good to know that I was able to get someone moving along in the last few months of my mission.
Sunday we had a great time at church, I love this ward. We had our new years party and we talked with a lot of the members and just had a great time, along with our investigators. The ward is very supportive and way fun and helpful filled with lots of young people.
Elder Tateishi`s Gospel Message of the Week
Why are we so Blessed?
One member we visited last night had some very excellent insights and thoughts as we talked to him about the plan of salvation and God. He is actually studying Bhuddism and was at one point a Bhuddist Priest, but has long since joined the Church and is a very strong member with a great testimony. We talked about being blessed with so many things, with our families, food, shelter, clothing, the Gospel, and many other things. We also talked about why are blessed so much, and how maybe it`s because God wants us to share those blessings with others.
As a member of the Church, I hold the greatest gift God has given to Man. I know that the Gospel is true and I have a hope of obtaining eternal life and exaltation. I have peace in my life and the capability of overcoming challenges that come my way. This is a great gift, and a wonderful blessing that I have been given so that I might share it with those around me. God wants all of his children to be happy, and he finds joy and happiness in serving his children and their happiness. So we too can share in the Joy that God has by sharing the blessings that we have. As we give of ourselves we can find great joy and peace, we can lose ourselves and forget about the things that are wrong in our life as God will take care of the rest. Of this I testify in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen
With Much Love,
Elder Randall KK Tateishi
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
I'm an Old man and I'm going home soon.....
Dear Mother, Father, Sisters, Brothers, Family, and Friends
Another week is gone, and the first week of a new year at that.
Well, again I will just focus on the highlights of my week.
On Wednesday we had our New Years/Christmas conference with all the other missionaries. It was way fun and we played lots of Dodgeball, sang songs, and generally just had lots of fun and lots of good food. Except for the point when I had to stand up in front of everyone and give my "I`m old and am going home soon" talk to everyone else. That was a real shocker on the system. I really hadn`t been expecting that, mainly because they didn`t tell me until right before.
Sunday was another great day. Having not been able to sleep for the past week I was understanbly completely exhausted as I went to church on Fast Sunday. But there we participated in a baby blessing, (I love Baby Blessings) and were able to have quite a few of our investigators come to church as well. The Spirit was strong and even though I fell asleep during priesthood meeting while sitting next to the stake president it was way fun. After church was when everything else just started to go crazy. We had planned to teach one of our investigators after church and as we were leaving priesthood meeting the first counselor in the bishopric ran up the stairs and grabbed us saying "QUICK! YOU NEED TO TEACH A LESSON!" Of course we already knew this and were wondering why he was freaking out about it. (Then again he is kind of an eccentric person) He then explained that Risa (Our investigator) was crying and wanted to be taught a lesson. We hurried down the stairs and saw her standing in front of the door to the room we usually teach in, she was obviously in tears. We opened the door and she walked in setting up chairs while gloomily looking at the floor, and we told the first counselor to grab the young woman`s president and another sister to come help us as we are not allowed to be alone in a room with a girl. With that we found out that she had been having fights with her parents lately and that they didn`t want her to come to church. They are getting progressively more antagonistic to her coming to church. Yet all she wants is for her family to be happy like the families at church. It was really heart breaking to listen to her and it was really great to have the sisters there helping, giving her hugs and trying to comfort her. In the end we were able to get her to calm down and helped her to have some more hope that things would work out. We pray for her and hope that things will get better.
After that lesson another of our investigators randomly popped up asking to be taught, and me and Elder Niven did so without any complaints. She even brought up being baptized, and was basically like "So, I think March will be good, that`s when my schedule will open up and you can finish up all the lessons more easily." I replied "But we only have about 2 more lessons." She replied "Oh? Realy?" With that we hope we can get her baptized before I leave, if not at least in Febuary not long after I leave.
I`m never ceased to be amazed as long as I am a missionary here. In my last 3 months in Fushimi I have been surprised again and again by the investigators that we have here. They are touched by the spirit, and have a personal desire to learn and to change. They want to live the gospel and they love church. I do nothing except help them understand what the gospel is and what they need to do to live it. I am always just struck dumb by all that happens here.
Elder Tateishi`s Gospel Message of the week
The Sacrament
The Sacrament is my favorite time of any week. I love partaking of the sacrament and being able to again renew my covenants with God. Every week at church I sit in my chair and listen to the prayers and remember that what I am doing is essentially being baptized again. As I partake of the bread and water in rememberance of the sacrifice that the Lord Jesus Christ made for me I am always filled with a sense of peace and calm, an assurance that the path I am walking is the right path and that although I have made and will make mistakes I can be forgiven and become clean. Every moment of the sacrament is precious to me and even though there might be little children running around, with parents chasing them, or someone`s cellphone going off in the background, it just feels great to partake of the sacred ordinance of the Sacrament.
As we partake of the Sacrament we must always remember what it is for, what it does for us and why we have it. With a spirit of reverence in our own hearts, as we respectfully partake of the Bread and Water of Life we can be filled with Joy and Happiness. Personally I believe an attitude of prayer is the best way to partake of the sacrament. Seeking forgiveness and offering up thanks unto God helps me to partake of the sacrament with a proper spirit.
I know that as we honestly and truly partake of this wonderful ordinance it will bless our lives in a variety of ways. It will help us be filled with more joy and love, it will comfort us in our times of trials and it will keep us continually upon the right path. I testify of this in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
Love,
Elder Randall KK Tateishi
Another week is gone, and the first week of a new year at that.
Well, again I will just focus on the highlights of my week.
On Wednesday we had our New Years/Christmas conference with all the other missionaries. It was way fun and we played lots of Dodgeball, sang songs, and generally just had lots of fun and lots of good food. Except for the point when I had to stand up in front of everyone and give my "I`m old and am going home soon" talk to everyone else. That was a real shocker on the system. I really hadn`t been expecting that, mainly because they didn`t tell me until right before.
Sunday was another great day. Having not been able to sleep for the past week I was understanbly completely exhausted as I went to church on Fast Sunday. But there we participated in a baby blessing, (I love Baby Blessings) and were able to have quite a few of our investigators come to church as well. The Spirit was strong and even though I fell asleep during priesthood meeting while sitting next to the stake president it was way fun. After church was when everything else just started to go crazy. We had planned to teach one of our investigators after church and as we were leaving priesthood meeting the first counselor in the bishopric ran up the stairs and grabbed us saying "QUICK! YOU NEED TO TEACH A LESSON!" Of course we already knew this and were wondering why he was freaking out about it. (Then again he is kind of an eccentric person) He then explained that Risa (Our investigator) was crying and wanted to be taught a lesson. We hurried down the stairs and saw her standing in front of the door to the room we usually teach in, she was obviously in tears. We opened the door and she walked in setting up chairs while gloomily looking at the floor, and we told the first counselor to grab the young woman`s president and another sister to come help us as we are not allowed to be alone in a room with a girl. With that we found out that she had been having fights with her parents lately and that they didn`t want her to come to church. They are getting progressively more antagonistic to her coming to church. Yet all she wants is for her family to be happy like the families at church. It was really heart breaking to listen to her and it was really great to have the sisters there helping, giving her hugs and trying to comfort her. In the end we were able to get her to calm down and helped her to have some more hope that things would work out. We pray for her and hope that things will get better.
After that lesson another of our investigators randomly popped up asking to be taught, and me and Elder Niven did so without any complaints. She even brought up being baptized, and was basically like "So, I think March will be good, that`s when my schedule will open up and you can finish up all the lessons more easily." I replied "But we only have about 2 more lessons." She replied "Oh? Realy?" With that we hope we can get her baptized before I leave, if not at least in Febuary not long after I leave.
I`m never ceased to be amazed as long as I am a missionary here. In my last 3 months in Fushimi I have been surprised again and again by the investigators that we have here. They are touched by the spirit, and have a personal desire to learn and to change. They want to live the gospel and they love church. I do nothing except help them understand what the gospel is and what they need to do to live it. I am always just struck dumb by all that happens here.
Elder Tateishi`s Gospel Message of the week
The Sacrament
The Sacrament is my favorite time of any week. I love partaking of the sacrament and being able to again renew my covenants with God. Every week at church I sit in my chair and listen to the prayers and remember that what I am doing is essentially being baptized again. As I partake of the bread and water in rememberance of the sacrifice that the Lord Jesus Christ made for me I am always filled with a sense of peace and calm, an assurance that the path I am walking is the right path and that although I have made and will make mistakes I can be forgiven and become clean. Every moment of the sacrament is precious to me and even though there might be little children running around, with parents chasing them, or someone`s cellphone going off in the background, it just feels great to partake of the sacred ordinance of the Sacrament.
As we partake of the Sacrament we must always remember what it is for, what it does for us and why we have it. With a spirit of reverence in our own hearts, as we respectfully partake of the Bread and Water of Life we can be filled with Joy and Happiness. Personally I believe an attitude of prayer is the best way to partake of the sacrament. Seeking forgiveness and offering up thanks unto God helps me to partake of the sacrament with a proper spirit.
I know that as we honestly and truly partake of this wonderful ordinance it will bless our lives in a variety of ways. It will help us be filled with more joy and love, it will comfort us in our times of trials and it will keep us continually upon the right path. I testify of this in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
Love,
Elder Randall KK Tateishi
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
The Home Stretch....
As letters go this is a great one, but I can read between the lines at how sad he is to be leaving Japan. He has grown so much over the past 2 years and has truly come to learn to love others....for that I am forever grateful.
Dear Mother, Father, Sisters, Brothers, Family, and Friends
明けましておめでとうございます！！
Akemashite Omedetou Gozaimasu!
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!
2011 is over and 2012 begins. My time here in Japan begins to wind to an end and soon, quicker than I like, I will be on a plane home to America. Lots of things have happened here in Japan that will forever leave a mark upon me. Countless blessings have been poured out upon me and even more countless blessings have been poured out upon my family. These two years have truly been the best two years of my life. I can say that I would`nt have traded them for anything. I have found great joy in the service of my God and I have found great Joy in seeing the lives of others blessed and helping them to find true happiness. It has been hard at times, yes, but it has been worth every tear, every drop of sweat, every sleepless night and all that I have experienced. Blazing hot summers, to freezing cold winters. Crashing bikes, to climbing mountains. The laughing, the crying, the smiling, the joy. These are all burned into my heart forever more.
I`m not really sure what I`m going to write at all today, because it won`t be long at all before I`m home. Maybe I should just stop emailing and leave everyone in suspense until I`m home, but then again I know my Mom will get infuriated.
Well, to say the least, it`s been a bit of a difficult week this week. We`ve felt a lot of pressure pushed on us this week and it was in all honesty pretty hard and really frustrating. Even though we were working as hard as we could we were still being pressured. But that pressure has actually helped me to bond even more with my beloved companion Elder Niven. Many a night we have just sat and talked with each other, uplifting each other, testifying to each other, seeking to support each other in our difficulties. It`s been a very spiritual week with my companion, and although we haven`t been able to teach too many people, or find new investigators we`ve been teaching each other and have helped each other a lot. I can say that Elder Niven is my favorite companion and we`ll be lifelong friends.
Even though our best investigator, Ozaki Risa`s parents are against her coming to, or joining this church there has ever been a light of hope and faith in our hearts. Every time we talk with her, or teach her she surprises us with what she asks, or what she replies. She is truly someone that is seeking to find God and true happiness and stability in her life. This morning as we talked with her she even talked about wanting to serve a mission herself if she ever could. She has great faith, and knows that this church is true and that God lives. I`m pretty sure that she`ll be able to get baptized pretty soon.
Elder Tateishi`s Gospel Message of the week
Selfless Service
"He that loseth his life for my name`s sake shall take it up again." Jesus Christ
Selfless service is a sign of a true disciple of Jesus Christ. A person who loses himself in the cause of another, seeking to uplift, to encourage, to support, to love, and to help those in need is truly a disciple of Jesus Christ. One such great example is my companion Elder Niven, who came out seeking to help his own friend that had lived a very hard and difficult life, thinking that somehow his example, or what he would learn would be able to help her to learn of God and be able to find true joy and happiness.
This past week Elder Niven and I have been seeking to support each other and help each other. Together we have grown and learned a lot about Love, Charity, and service. We have turned away from ourselves and turned to each other and those around us. Both of us, as older missionaries have taken it upon us to help teach and nurture the two younger missionaries in the District and have sought with all our hearts, mights, minds, and strengths to uplift those less-actives, investigators, members, and new members as they have faced challanges and have met great obstacles. Never have I felt more joy or success as a missionary as we have done such. Watching others smile and find peace and joy brings to us a great feeling of Happiness and Joy. When they are happy we are happy. We cry, when they cry, we laugh when they laugh.
Christ has shown us the way to truly be selfless and to give up ones entire life for others. He showed me how to love those around me, and he has helped me to soften my heart and his everlasting atonement has made me into who I am today. I know that he cries when I cry, he hurts when I hurt, and he rejoices when I rejoice. He is your saviour, he is my saviour, he is the reason why I am here.
Let us take these first steps into a new year remembering what Christ has done for us, and let let us seek to do what we can to repay him. Love your Neighbor, your friends, your enemies. Show kindness unto all those around you and seek to uplift those who are saddened or injured. This is true Religion, and this is where we can truly find happiness. Of this I testify in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
With much Love,
Elder Randall KK Tateishi
Dear Mother, Father, Sisters, Brothers, Family, and Friends
明けましておめでとうございます！！
Akemashite Omedetou Gozaimasu!
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!
2011 is over and 2012 begins. My time here in Japan begins to wind to an end and soon, quicker than I like, I will be on a plane home to America. Lots of things have happened here in Japan that will forever leave a mark upon me. Countless blessings have been poured out upon me and even more countless blessings have been poured out upon my family. These two years have truly been the best two years of my life. I can say that I would`nt have traded them for anything. I have found great joy in the service of my God and I have found great Joy in seeing the lives of others blessed and helping them to find true happiness. It has been hard at times, yes, but it has been worth every tear, every drop of sweat, every sleepless night and all that I have experienced. Blazing hot summers, to freezing cold winters. Crashing bikes, to climbing mountains. The laughing, the crying, the smiling, the joy. These are all burned into my heart forever more.
I`m not really sure what I`m going to write at all today, because it won`t be long at all before I`m home. Maybe I should just stop emailing and leave everyone in suspense until I`m home, but then again I know my Mom will get infuriated.
Well, to say the least, it`s been a bit of a difficult week this week. We`ve felt a lot of pressure pushed on us this week and it was in all honesty pretty hard and really frustrating. Even though we were working as hard as we could we were still being pressured. But that pressure has actually helped me to bond even more with my beloved companion Elder Niven. Many a night we have just sat and talked with each other, uplifting each other, testifying to each other, seeking to support each other in our difficulties. It`s been a very spiritual week with my companion, and although we haven`t been able to teach too many people, or find new investigators we`ve been teaching each other and have helped each other a lot. I can say that Elder Niven is my favorite companion and we`ll be lifelong friends.
Even though our best investigator, Ozaki Risa`s parents are against her coming to, or joining this church there has ever been a light of hope and faith in our hearts. Every time we talk with her, or teach her she surprises us with what she asks, or what she replies. She is truly someone that is seeking to find God and true happiness and stability in her life. This morning as we talked with her she even talked about wanting to serve a mission herself if she ever could. She has great faith, and knows that this church is true and that God lives. I`m pretty sure that she`ll be able to get baptized pretty soon.
Elder Tateishi`s Gospel Message of the week
Selfless Service
"He that loseth his life for my name`s sake shall take it up again." Jesus Christ
Selfless service is a sign of a true disciple of Jesus Christ. A person who loses himself in the cause of another, seeking to uplift, to encourage, to support, to love, and to help those in need is truly a disciple of Jesus Christ. One such great example is my companion Elder Niven, who came out seeking to help his own friend that had lived a very hard and difficult life, thinking that somehow his example, or what he would learn would be able to help her to learn of God and be able to find true joy and happiness.
This past week Elder Niven and I have been seeking to support each other and help each other. Together we have grown and learned a lot about Love, Charity, and service. We have turned away from ourselves and turned to each other and those around us. Both of us, as older missionaries have taken it upon us to help teach and nurture the two younger missionaries in the District and have sought with all our hearts, mights, minds, and strengths to uplift those less-actives, investigators, members, and new members as they have faced challanges and have met great obstacles. Never have I felt more joy or success as a missionary as we have done such. Watching others smile and find peace and joy brings to us a great feeling of Happiness and Joy. When they are happy we are happy. We cry, when they cry, we laugh when they laugh.
Christ has shown us the way to truly be selfless and to give up ones entire life for others. He showed me how to love those around me, and he has helped me to soften my heart and his everlasting atonement has made me into who I am today. I know that he cries when I cry, he hurts when I hurt, and he rejoices when I rejoice. He is your saviour, he is my saviour, he is the reason why I am here.
Let us take these first steps into a new year remembering what Christ has done for us, and let let us seek to do what we can to repay him. Love your Neighbor, your friends, your enemies. Show kindness unto all those around you and seek to uplift those who are saddened or injured. This is true Religion, and this is where we can truly find happiness. Of this I testify in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
With much Love,
Elder Randall KK Tateishi
The Home Stretch....
As letters go this is a great one, but I can read between the lines at how sad he is to be leaving Japan. He has grown so much over the past 2 years and has truly come to learn to love others....for that I am forever grateful.
Dear Mother, Father, Sisters, Brothers, Family, and Friends
明けましておめでとうございます！！
Akemashite Omedetou Gozaimasu!
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!
2011 is over and 2012 begins. My time here in Japan begins to wind to an end and soon, quicker than I like, I will be on a plane home to America. Lots of things have happened here in Japan that will forever leave a mark upon me. Countless blessings have been poured out upon me and even more countless blessings have been poured out upon my family. These two years have truly been the best two years of my life. I can say that I would`nt have traded them for anything. I have found great joy in the service of my God and I have found great Joy in seeing the lives of others blessed and helping them to find true happiness. It has been hard at times, yes, but it has been worth every tear, every drop of sweat, every sleepless night and all that I have experienced. Blazing hot summers, to freezing cold winters. Crashing bikes, to climbing mountains. The laughing, the crying, the smiling, the joy. These are all burned into my heart forever more.
I`m not really sure what I`m going to write at all today, because it won`t be long at all before I`m home. Maybe I should just stop emailing and leave everyone in suspense until I`m home, but then again I know my Mom will get infuriated.
Well, to say the least, it`s been a bit of a difficult week this week. We`ve felt a lot of pressure pushed on us this week and it was in all honesty pretty hard and really frustrating. Even though we were working as hard as we could we were still being pressured. But that pressure has actually helped me to bond even more with my beloved companion Elder Niven. Many a night we have just sat and talked with each other, uplifting each other, testifying to each other, seeking to support each other in our difficulties. It`s been a very spiritual week with my companion, and although we haven`t been able to teach too many people, or find new investigators we`ve been teaching each other and have helped each other a lot. I can say that Elder Niven is my favorite companion and we`ll be lifelong friends.
Even though our best investigator, Ozaki Risa`s parents are against her coming to, or joining this church there has ever been a light of hope and faith in our hearts. Every time we talk with her, or teach her she surprises us with what she asks, or what she replies. She is truly someone that is seeking to find God and true happiness and stability in her life. This morning as we talked with her she even talked about wanting to serve a mission herself if she ever could. She has great faith, and knows that this church is true and that God lives. I`m pretty sure that she`ll be able to get baptized pretty soon.
Elder Tateishi`s Gospel Message of the week
Selfless Service
"He that loseth his life for my name`s sake shall take it up again." Jesus Christ
Selfless service is a sign of a true disciple of Jesus Christ. A person who loses himself in the cause of another, seeking to uplift, to encourage, to support, to love, and to help those in need is truly a disciple of Jesus Christ. One such great example is my companion Elder Niven, who came out seeking to help his own friend that had lived a very hard and difficult life, thinking that somehow his example, or what he would learn would be able to help her to learn of God and be able to find true joy and happiness.
This past week Elder Niven and I have been seeking to support each other and help each other. Together we have grown and learned a lot about Love, Charity, and service. We have turned away from ourselves and turned to each other and those around us. Both of us, as older missionaries have taken it upon us to help teach and nurture the two younger missionaries in the District and have sought with all our hearts, mights, minds, and strengths to uplift those less-actives, investigators, members, and new members as they have faced challanges and have met great obstacles. Never have I felt more joy or success as a missionary as we have done such. Watching others smile and find peace and joy brings to us a great feeling of Happiness and Joy. When they are happy we are happy. We cry, when they cry, we laugh when they laugh.
Christ has shown us the way to truly be selfless and to give up ones entire life for others. He showed me how to love those around me, and he has helped me to soften my heart and his everlasting atonement has made me into who I am today. I know that he cries when I cry, he hurts when I hurt, and he rejoices when I rejoice. He is your saviour, he is my saviour, he is the reason why I am here.
Let us take these first steps into a new year remembering what Christ has done for us, and let let us seek to do what we can to repay him. Love your Neighbor, your friends, your enemies. Show kindness unto all those around you and seek to uplift those who are saddened or injured. This is true Religion, and this is where we can truly find happiness. Of this I testify in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
With much Love,
Elder Randall KK Tateishi
Dear Mother, Father, Sisters, Brothers, Family, and Friends
明けましておめでとうございます！！
Akemashite Omedetou Gozaimasu!
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!
2011 is over and 2012 begins. My time here in Japan begins to wind to an end and soon, quicker than I like, I will be on a plane home to America. Lots of things have happened here in Japan that will forever leave a mark upon me. Countless blessings have been poured out upon me and even more countless blessings have been poured out upon my family. These two years have truly been the best two years of my life. I can say that I would`nt have traded them for anything. I have found great joy in the service of my God and I have found great Joy in seeing the lives of others blessed and helping them to find true happiness. It has been hard at times, yes, but it has been worth every tear, every drop of sweat, every sleepless night and all that I have experienced. Blazing hot summers, to freezing cold winters. Crashing bikes, to climbing mountains. The laughing, the crying, the smiling, the joy. These are all burned into my heart forever more.
I`m not really sure what I`m going to write at all today, because it won`t be long at all before I`m home. Maybe I should just stop emailing and leave everyone in suspense until I`m home, but then again I know my Mom will get infuriated.
Well, to say the least, it`s been a bit of a difficult week this week. We`ve felt a lot of pressure pushed on us this week and it was in all honesty pretty hard and really frustrating. Even though we were working as hard as we could we were still being pressured. But that pressure has actually helped me to bond even more with my beloved companion Elder Niven. Many a night we have just sat and talked with each other, uplifting each other, testifying to each other, seeking to support each other in our difficulties. It`s been a very spiritual week with my companion, and although we haven`t been able to teach too many people, or find new investigators we`ve been teaching each other and have helped each other a lot. I can say that Elder Niven is my favorite companion and we`ll be lifelong friends.
Even though our best investigator, Ozaki Risa`s parents are against her coming to, or joining this church there has ever been a light of hope and faith in our hearts. Every time we talk with her, or teach her she surprises us with what she asks, or what she replies. She is truly someone that is seeking to find God and true happiness and stability in her life. This morning as we talked with her she even talked about wanting to serve a mission herself if she ever could. She has great faith, and knows that this church is true and that God lives. I`m pretty sure that she`ll be able to get baptized pretty soon.
Elder Tateishi`s Gospel Message of the week
Selfless Service
"He that loseth his life for my name`s sake shall take it up again." Jesus Christ
Selfless service is a sign of a true disciple of Jesus Christ. A person who loses himself in the cause of another, seeking to uplift, to encourage, to support, to love, and to help those in need is truly a disciple of Jesus Christ. One such great example is my companion Elder Niven, who came out seeking to help his own friend that had lived a very hard and difficult life, thinking that somehow his example, or what he would learn would be able to help her to learn of God and be able to find true joy and happiness.
This past week Elder Niven and I have been seeking to support each other and help each other. Together we have grown and learned a lot about Love, Charity, and service. We have turned away from ourselves and turned to each other and those around us. Both of us, as older missionaries have taken it upon us to help teach and nurture the two younger missionaries in the District and have sought with all our hearts, mights, minds, and strengths to uplift those less-actives, investigators, members, and new members as they have faced challanges and have met great obstacles. Never have I felt more joy or success as a missionary as we have done such. Watching others smile and find peace and joy brings to us a great feeling of Happiness and Joy. When they are happy we are happy. We cry, when they cry, we laugh when they laugh.
Christ has shown us the way to truly be selfless and to give up ones entire life for others. He showed me how to love those around me, and he has helped me to soften my heart and his everlasting atonement has made me into who I am today. I know that he cries when I cry, he hurts when I hurt, and he rejoices when I rejoice. He is your saviour, he is my saviour, he is the reason why I am here.
Let us take these first steps into a new year remembering what Christ has done for us, and let let us seek to do what we can to repay him. Love your Neighbor, your friends, your enemies. Show kindness unto all those around you and seek to uplift those who are saddened or injured. This is true Religion, and this is where we can truly find happiness. Of this I testify in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
With much Love,
Elder Randall KK Tateishi
The Home Stretch....
As letters go this is a great one, but I can read between the lines at how sad he is to be leaving Japan. He has grown so much over the past 2 years and has truly come to learn to love others....for that I am forever grateful.
Dear Mother, Father, Sisters, Brothers, Family, and Friends
明けましておめでとうございます！！
Akemashite Omedetou Gozaimasu!
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!
2011 is over and 2012 begins. My time here in Japan begins to wind to an end and soon, quicker than I like, I will be on a plane home to America. Lots of things have happened here in Japan that will forever leave a mark upon me. Countless blessings have been poured out upon me and even more countless blessings have been poured out upon my family. These two years have truly been the best two years of my life. I can say that I would`nt have traded them for anything. I have found great joy in the service of my God and I have found great Joy in seeing the lives of others blessed and helping them to find true happiness. It has been hard at times, yes, but it has been worth every tear, every drop of sweat, every sleepless night and all that I have experienced. Blazing hot summers, to freezing cold winters. Crashing bikes, to climbing mountains. The laughing, the crying, the smiling, the joy. These are all burned into my heart forever more.
I`m not really sure what I`m going to write at all today, because it won`t be long at all before I`m home. Maybe I should just stop emailing and leave everyone in suspense until I`m home, but then again I know my Mom will get infuriated.
Well, to say the least, it`s been a bit of a difficult week this week. We`ve felt a lot of pressure pushed on us this week and it was in all honesty pretty hard and really frustrating. Even though we were working as hard as we could we were still being pressured. But that pressure has actually helped me to bond even more with my beloved companion Elder Niven. Many a night we have just sat and talked with each other, uplifting each other, testifying to each other, seeking to support each other in our difficulties. It`s been a very spiritual week with my companion, and although we haven`t been able to teach too many people, or find new investigators we`ve been teaching each other and have helped each other a lot. I can say that Elder Niven is my favorite companion and we`ll be lifelong friends.
Even though our best investigator, Ozaki Risa`s parents are against her coming to, or joining this church there has ever been a light of hope and faith in our hearts. Every time we talk with her, or teach her she surprises us with what she asks, or what she replies. She is truly someone that is seeking to find God and true happiness and stability in her life. This morning as we talked with her she even talked about wanting to serve a mission herself if she ever could. She has great faith, and knows that this church is true and that God lives. I`m pretty sure that she`ll be able to get baptized pretty soon.
Elder Tateishi`s Gospel Message of the week
Selfless Service
"He that loseth his life for my name`s sake shall take it up again." Jesus Christ
Selfless service is a sign of a true disciple of Jesus Christ. A person who loses himself in the cause of another, seeking to uplift, to encourage, to support, to love, and to help those in need is truly a disciple of Jesus Christ. One such great example is my companion Elder Niven, who came out seeking to help his own friend that had lived a very hard and difficult life, thinking that somehow his example, or what he would learn would be able to help her to learn of God and be able to find true joy and happiness.
This past week Elder Niven and I have been seeking to support each other and help each other. Together we have grown and learned a lot about Love, Charity, and service. We have turned away from ourselves and turned to each other and those around us. Both of us, as older missionaries have taken it upon us to help teach and nurture the two younger missionaries in the District and have sought with all our hearts, mights, minds, and strengths to uplift those less-actives, investigators, members, and new members as they have faced challanges and have met great obstacles. Never have I felt more joy or success as a missionary as we have done such. Watching others smile and find peace and joy brings to us a great feeling of Happiness and Joy. When they are happy we are happy. We cry, when they cry, we laugh when they laugh.
Christ has shown us the way to truly be selfless and to give up ones entire life for others. He showed me how to love those around me, and he has helped me to soften my heart and his everlasting atonement has made me into who I am today. I know that he cries when I cry, he hurts when I hurt, and he rejoices when I rejoice. He is your saviour, he is my saviour, he is the reason why I am here.
Let us take these first steps into a new year remembering what Christ has done for us, and let let us seek to do what we can to repay him. Love your Neighbor, your friends, your enemies. Show kindness unto all those around you and seek to uplift those who are saddened or injured. This is true Religion, and this is where we can truly find happiness. Of this I testify in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
With much Love,
Elder Randall KK Tateishi
Dear Mother, Father, Sisters, Brothers, Family, and Friends
明けましておめでとうございます！！
Akemashite Omedetou Gozaimasu!
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!
2011 is over and 2012 begins. My time here in Japan begins to wind to an end and soon, quicker than I like, I will be on a plane home to America. Lots of things have happened here in Japan that will forever leave a mark upon me. Countless blessings have been poured out upon me and even more countless blessings have been poured out upon my family. These two years have truly been the best two years of my life. I can say that I would`nt have traded them for anything. I have found great joy in the service of my God and I have found great Joy in seeing the lives of others blessed and helping them to find true happiness. It has been hard at times, yes, but it has been worth every tear, every drop of sweat, every sleepless night and all that I have experienced. Blazing hot summers, to freezing cold winters. Crashing bikes, to climbing mountains. The laughing, the crying, the smiling, the joy. These are all burned into my heart forever more.
I`m not really sure what I`m going to write at all today, because it won`t be long at all before I`m home. Maybe I should just stop emailing and leave everyone in suspense until I`m home, but then again I know my Mom will get infuriated.
Well, to say the least, it`s been a bit of a difficult week this week. We`ve felt a lot of pressure pushed on us this week and it was in all honesty pretty hard and really frustrating. Even though we were working as hard as we could we were still being pressured. But that pressure has actually helped me to bond even more with my beloved companion Elder Niven. Many a night we have just sat and talked with each other, uplifting each other, testifying to each other, seeking to support each other in our difficulties. It`s been a very spiritual week with my companion, and although we haven`t been able to teach too many people, or find new investigators we`ve been teaching each other and have helped each other a lot. I can say that Elder Niven is my favorite companion and we`ll be lifelong friends.
Even though our best investigator, Ozaki Risa`s parents are against her coming to, or joining this church there has ever been a light of hope and faith in our hearts. Every time we talk with her, or teach her she surprises us with what she asks, or what she replies. She is truly someone that is seeking to find God and true happiness and stability in her life. This morning as we talked with her she even talked about wanting to serve a mission herself if she ever could. She has great faith, and knows that this church is true and that God lives. I`m pretty sure that she`ll be able to get baptized pretty soon.
Elder Tateishi`s Gospel Message of the week
Selfless Service
"He that loseth his life for my name`s sake shall take it up again." Jesus Christ
Selfless service is a sign of a true disciple of Jesus Christ. A person who loses himself in the cause of another, seeking to uplift, to encourage, to support, to love, and to help those in need is truly a disciple of Jesus Christ. One such great example is my companion Elder Niven, who came out seeking to help his own friend that had lived a very hard and difficult life, thinking that somehow his example, or what he would learn would be able to help her to learn of God and be able to find true joy and happiness.
This past week Elder Niven and I have been seeking to support each other and help each other. Together we have grown and learned a lot about Love, Charity, and service. We have turned away from ourselves and turned to each other and those around us. Both of us, as older missionaries have taken it upon us to help teach and nurture the two younger missionaries in the District and have sought with all our hearts, mights, minds, and strengths to uplift those less-actives, investigators, members, and new members as they have faced challanges and have met great obstacles. Never have I felt more joy or success as a missionary as we have done such. Watching others smile and find peace and joy brings to us a great feeling of Happiness and Joy. When they are happy we are happy. We cry, when they cry, we laugh when they laugh.
Christ has shown us the way to truly be selfless and to give up ones entire life for others. He showed me how to love those around me, and he has helped me to soften my heart and his everlasting atonement has made me into who I am today. I know that he cries when I cry, he hurts when I hurt, and he rejoices when I rejoice. He is your saviour, he is my saviour, he is the reason why I am here.
Let us take these first steps into a new year remembering what Christ has done for us, and let let us seek to do what we can to repay him. Love your Neighbor, your friends, your enemies. Show kindness unto all those around you and seek to uplift those who are saddened or injured. This is true Religion, and this is where we can truly find happiness. Of this I testify in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
With much Love,
Elder Randall KK Tateishi
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
So close...
Dear Mother, Father, Brothers, Sisters, Family, and Friends
Ok! Well, it`s another week. Ummmm.... Where do I start? Monday was hectic, ran around getting a new washer and were barely able to have it delivered in time before we had an appointment to go eat at an all you can eat pizza restuarant with a less active high school kid. So that was a little crazy. Tuesday we had all you can eat at a members house, and wednesday I skipped lunch because I was stuffed and decided that I didn`t need to eat for another month because I was over fed. Thursday me and Elder Perry from Joyo area worked together and lots of fun running around and visiting members. Friday me and Elder Toyosato spent the day planning and had only a little time for Dendo. Saturday I was absolutely destroyed in a game of Table Tennis by a 15 year old girl and then obliterated in a game of Shogi (Japanese chess) by a man in a wheel chair. Sunday I ran around like a chiken with its head cut off trying to work out lessons and Splits in order to teach two teenage girls and get one extremely shy investigator to the christmas devotional. So that was my week in a nut shell. Pretty hectic but really good.
To go into more detail about Sunday we had two of our investigators at church, both of them are teenage girls. One is the daughter of a less-active couple and the other is the girlfriend of one of the YSA that is preparing to leave on a mission next year. Both of them get along really well and act as if they have been members their whole lives and have instantly created great friendships within the ward. When we taught them after church we had to do splits and so I taught the member`s girlfriend which was way fun and way surprising. She told me flat out that as she hears the lessons she doesn`t want her boyfriend to be there. She also had the Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, and the Bible on her Iphone before she had ever come to church. I was sitting in utter amazement and my Member companion was just saying "Kids these days are so different." Then our extremely shy investigator came to the Christmas Devotional and actually talked with the members and was very open and had a good time. It was just a miraculous day yesterday and full of surprises.
Not sure what it is I need to write this week, other than everything is going to get even more hectic this week as my companion prepares to return home to Okinawa. We have to get all of his stuff packed up and sent off before Sunday and then Sunday night we have to head of to the Mission home in order to get him home by Sunday. Things just keep getting busier and busier, which just makes time move faster and faster.
Elder Tateishi`s Gospel Message of the Week
D&C 25:12 "The song of the righteous is a prayer unto me."
Singing hymns or songs of praise is a wonderful way to invite the spirit. The Lord has caused that many hymns should be written and he himself enjoys those beautiful melodies and lyrics that are sung. Songs can bring comfort, peace, love, and Joy both to those that sing and those that hear.
A few years ago as I was travelling about with my High School Choir for Christmas we sung in a Hospital Lobby as worried parents, friends, spouses, children and patience scurried in and out. I always remember one little boy, who was rolled up in a wheel chair and hooked up to an IV bag, he was hairless and his skin was pale and his body frail. He asked us to sing one of his favorite christmas melodies. As we sang through that song again I remember seeing him smile and his parents, standing behind his wheel chair cry, moved with emotion. I felt the joy that comes from sharing the love of Christmas through singing as I saw his family obtain just a small little piece of joy on that day.
With much love,
Elder Randall KK Tateishi
Ok! Well, it`s another week. Ummmm.... Where do I start? Monday was hectic, ran around getting a new washer and were barely able to have it delivered in time before we had an appointment to go eat at an all you can eat pizza restuarant with a less active high school kid. So that was a little crazy. Tuesday we had all you can eat at a members house, and wednesday I skipped lunch because I was stuffed and decided that I didn`t need to eat for another month because I was over fed. Thursday me and Elder Perry from Joyo area worked together and lots of fun running around and visiting members. Friday me and Elder Toyosato spent the day planning and had only a little time for Dendo. Saturday I was absolutely destroyed in a game of Table Tennis by a 15 year old girl and then obliterated in a game of Shogi (Japanese chess) by a man in a wheel chair. Sunday I ran around like a chiken with its head cut off trying to work out lessons and Splits in order to teach two teenage girls and get one extremely shy investigator to the christmas devotional. So that was my week in a nut shell. Pretty hectic but really good.
To go into more detail about Sunday we had two of our investigators at church, both of them are teenage girls. One is the daughter of a less-active couple and the other is the girlfriend of one of the YSA that is preparing to leave on a mission next year. Both of them get along really well and act as if they have been members their whole lives and have instantly created great friendships within the ward. When we taught them after church we had to do splits and so I taught the member`s girlfriend which was way fun and way surprising. She told me flat out that as she hears the lessons she doesn`t want her boyfriend to be there. She also had the Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, and the Bible on her Iphone before she had ever come to church. I was sitting in utter amazement and my Member companion was just saying "Kids these days are so different." Then our extremely shy investigator came to the Christmas Devotional and actually talked with the members and was very open and had a good time. It was just a miraculous day yesterday and full of surprises.
Not sure what it is I need to write this week, other than everything is going to get even more hectic this week as my companion prepares to return home to Okinawa. We have to get all of his stuff packed up and sent off before Sunday and then Sunday night we have to head of to the Mission home in order to get him home by Sunday. Things just keep getting busier and busier, which just makes time move faster and faster.
Elder Tateishi`s Gospel Message of the Week
D&C 25:12 "The song of the righteous is a prayer unto me."
Singing hymns or songs of praise is a wonderful way to invite the spirit. The Lord has caused that many hymns should be written and he himself enjoys those beautiful melodies and lyrics that are sung. Songs can bring comfort, peace, love, and Joy both to those that sing and those that hear.
A few years ago as I was travelling about with my High School Choir for Christmas we sung in a Hospital Lobby as worried parents, friends, spouses, children and patience scurried in and out. I always remember one little boy, who was rolled up in a wheel chair and hooked up to an IV bag, he was hairless and his skin was pale and his body frail. He asked us to sing one of his favorite christmas melodies. As we sang through that song again I remember seeing him smile and his parents, standing behind his wheel chair cry, moved with emotion. I felt the joy that comes from sharing the love of Christmas through singing as I saw his family obtain just a small little piece of joy on that day.
With much love,
Elder Randall KK Tateishi
Sunday, December 11, 2011
Sometimes, the Lord knows exactly what you need....
Dear Mother, Father, Sisters, Brothers, Family, and Friends
Well, this week has been hectic and fun. Just everything not working out the way I thought it would, plus my birthday and a load of surprises along with that.
Monday, was just absolutely crazy. We went the department store to buy a new washing machine, found one and called the mission office to get the money put on our cards so that we could buy it. They said they`d get it to us ASAP, well a few hours later of waiting and calling them again, they told us it would be a couple days before they could get back to us. By that time our P-day was over and so we just had to go out and work without getting anything else done.
Everything was pretty normal up until thursday night when we went to a member`s house for dinner. He fed us to the point where we were about to explode, bought me a very expensive wallet for my birthday and then still had more food for us to eat, but we couldn`t fit anything else into our already overpacked stomachs. But time was up and we had to rush back to our apartment to make it on time for Curfew.
Friday was just another friday but saturday was when everything started to pick up.
Saturday was my birthday and so I`m now 21 years old, and despite all my attempts on Saturday to avoid the Happy Birthday Song and lots of attention being drawn to me, I was foiled time and time again. The biggest of which was a member lunch that we had been invited to. Brother Mercado, an immigrant from Peru made us lunch and it was way delicious. As we finished up lunch and he was putting away the dishes and talking to his little boy when I heard the words "Birthday Cake." Then out of the kitchen he came with a birthday cake and him and his family and my companion sang for me. The biggest surprise was that the way he had found out about my birthday was because Mom looked him up and added him on facebook, and then he looked at my profile and saw that it was my birthday, and thus prepared for me. It was a very wonderful surprise and very welcomed.
The next surprise came that night at the Christmas Music night that we had, well after at least. During the program I was the announcer so I made absolute sure that my Birthday was not announced at all, but afterwards as almost all of the members were sitting around talking and we were talking to a few less actives my companion gathered everyone and they sang happy birthday for me. It was the beautiful Happy Birthday song I have EVER heard, and I`m serious to, they were all in perfect tune. It was almost like listening to a choir. They also bought me pizza from pizza hut.
Those were my birthday surprises, and Sunday was wonderful as well, we had 3 investigators at church and had some awesome lessons. Everything seemed to just work out and we had a great time with the YSA and Youth at the ward Family Home Evening activity, where 2 of our investigators came.
All in all it was a great week with loads of fun.
Elder Tateishi`s Gospel Message of the week
3 Nephi 13:30ish "For your Heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things."
This week has been a very wonderful, but quiet and simple week, as I was really able to feel the truthfullness of this scriptures. God as our loving Heavenly Father knows all the things that we need. He knows what will make us happy, what will comfort us and what will be best for us. I feel as if God celebrated my Birthday along with many other people, that he reached down from heaven as if to say that he knows who I am and to wish me a happy birthday.
I`m far away from home, many thousands of miles away and speaking a language that is compeletely foreign and strange. To be honest it does at time feel lonely and sad. Yet this far away from home I can still feel the radiant Love of God and his many blessings. It was a miracle that Brother Mercado knew about my birthday, as I do not know how my Mother would have known that he was in my ward at all. That small gift, that sweet and tender moment wwas very powerful for me.
Also, in this work as a missionary, times have been tough and when things seemed to not be going so well I came across this scripture. Almost immediately I felt that everything would be all right and everything would turn out good. Then on Sunday we had huge success with our investigators coming to church and we have been recieving many referrals of late. God knows what we need to do his work, he knows what we need to achieve what he wants us to do.
I testify that God loves each and every one of us. That he knows us by name and by face, by voice and by action. He knows what we need, he knows what will bring us the greatest joy and he strives to use all of his infinite power to bring to pass our Eternal Salvation and Happiness. Of this I testify in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
With much Love,
Elder Randall KK Tateishi
Well, this week has been hectic and fun. Just everything not working out the way I thought it would, plus my birthday and a load of surprises along with that.
Monday, was just absolutely crazy. We went the department store to buy a new washing machine, found one and called the mission office to get the money put on our cards so that we could buy it. They said they`d get it to us ASAP, well a few hours later of waiting and calling them again, they told us it would be a couple days before they could get back to us. By that time our P-day was over and so we just had to go out and work without getting anything else done.
Everything was pretty normal up until thursday night when we went to a member`s house for dinner. He fed us to the point where we were about to explode, bought me a very expensive wallet for my birthday and then still had more food for us to eat, but we couldn`t fit anything else into our already overpacked stomachs. But time was up and we had to rush back to our apartment to make it on time for Curfew.
Friday was just another friday but saturday was when everything started to pick up.
Saturday was my birthday and so I`m now 21 years old, and despite all my attempts on Saturday to avoid the Happy Birthday Song and lots of attention being drawn to me, I was foiled time and time again. The biggest of which was a member lunch that we had been invited to. Brother Mercado, an immigrant from Peru made us lunch and it was way delicious. As we finished up lunch and he was putting away the dishes and talking to his little boy when I heard the words "Birthday Cake." Then out of the kitchen he came with a birthday cake and him and his family and my companion sang for me. The biggest surprise was that the way he had found out about my birthday was because Mom looked him up and added him on facebook, and then he looked at my profile and saw that it was my birthday, and thus prepared for me. It was a very wonderful surprise and very welcomed.
The next surprise came that night at the Christmas Music night that we had, well after at least. During the program I was the announcer so I made absolute sure that my Birthday was not announced at all, but afterwards as almost all of the members were sitting around talking and we were talking to a few less actives my companion gathered everyone and they sang happy birthday for me. It was the beautiful Happy Birthday song I have EVER heard, and I`m serious to, they were all in perfect tune. It was almost like listening to a choir. They also bought me pizza from pizza hut.
Those were my birthday surprises, and Sunday was wonderful as well, we had 3 investigators at church and had some awesome lessons. Everything seemed to just work out and we had a great time with the YSA and Youth at the ward Family Home Evening activity, where 2 of our investigators came.
All in all it was a great week with loads of fun.
Elder Tateishi`s Gospel Message of the week
3 Nephi 13:30ish "For your Heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things."
This week has been a very wonderful, but quiet and simple week, as I was really able to feel the truthfullness of this scriptures. God as our loving Heavenly Father knows all the things that we need. He knows what will make us happy, what will comfort us and what will be best for us. I feel as if God celebrated my Birthday along with many other people, that he reached down from heaven as if to say that he knows who I am and to wish me a happy birthday.
I`m far away from home, many thousands of miles away and speaking a language that is compeletely foreign and strange. To be honest it does at time feel lonely and sad. Yet this far away from home I can still feel the radiant Love of God and his many blessings. It was a miracle that Brother Mercado knew about my birthday, as I do not know how my Mother would have known that he was in my ward at all. That small gift, that sweet and tender moment wwas very powerful for me.
Also, in this work as a missionary, times have been tough and when things seemed to not be going so well I came across this scripture. Almost immediately I felt that everything would be all right and everything would turn out good. Then on Sunday we had huge success with our investigators coming to church and we have been recieving many referrals of late. God knows what we need to do his work, he knows what we need to achieve what he wants us to do.
I testify that God loves each and every one of us. That he knows us by name and by face, by voice and by action. He knows what we need, he knows what will bring us the greatest joy and he strives to use all of his infinite power to bring to pass our Eternal Salvation and Happiness. Of this I testify in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
With much Love,
Elder Randall KK Tateishi
Monday, November 28, 2011
It's almost the end....but a future to look towards...
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
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
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Quick note....
Dear Mother, Father, Sisters, Brothers, Family, and Friends
Well, I`m back in my first area, Fushimi. Everything is also going haywire. Lol, I love my life, full of excitement and adventure.
Let`s just say that I love Fushimi, 2 of my old investigators that I had when I was here over a year and a half ago are still around. 1 has been going to church constantly since I left, even sang at the stake conference on Sunday with the YSA. Everyone seems pretty excited to see me back and way surprised that I can actually speak Japanese now. It`s been loads of fun seeing everyone again and I`m excited to be working here again.
My companion is currently sick and we have spent all of Preperation Day in the apartment. He looks like he`s about to die still, but we came out just to let everyone know that we are still alive. His name is Elder Toyosato from Okinawa. He`s on his last stretch as a missionary and goes home on the 18th of December. He`s sick, so I spent my whole day watching some church videos at the apartment. Including the Joseph Smith Movie. Yea, our washer is also broken so we haven`t been able to wash clothes. Life is fun, full of adventure!
Elder Tateishi`s Gospel Message of the Week
D&C101:16 "Be still and know that I am God."
Being still? Yep.....
Know that God is? Yep!
"Be still my soul, thy God doth undertake to guide the future as he has the past. Thy Hope, thy Confidence, let nothing shake. All now mysterious shall be bright at last. Be still my soul, the winds and waves still know his voice who ruled them while he dwelt below." (Hymn 124; "Be still my Soul.")
Amen.
Well, I`m back in my first area, Fushimi. Everything is also going haywire. Lol, I love my life, full of excitement and adventure.
Let`s just say that I love Fushimi, 2 of my old investigators that I had when I was here over a year and a half ago are still around. 1 has been going to church constantly since I left, even sang at the stake conference on Sunday with the YSA. Everyone seems pretty excited to see me back and way surprised that I can actually speak Japanese now. It`s been loads of fun seeing everyone again and I`m excited to be working here again.
My companion is currently sick and we have spent all of Preperation Day in the apartment. He looks like he`s about to die still, but we came out just to let everyone know that we are still alive. His name is Elder Toyosato from Okinawa. He`s on his last stretch as a missionary and goes home on the 18th of December. He`s sick, so I spent my whole day watching some church videos at the apartment. Including the Joseph Smith Movie. Yea, our washer is also broken so we haven`t been able to wash clothes. Life is fun, full of adventure!
Elder Tateishi`s Gospel Message of the Week
D&C101:16 "Be still and know that I am God."
Being still? Yep.....
Know that God is? Yep!
"Be still my soul, thy God doth undertake to guide the future as he has the past. Thy Hope, thy Confidence, let nothing shake. All now mysterious shall be bright at last. Be still my soul, the winds and waves still know his voice who ruled them while he dwelt below." (Hymn 124; "Be still my Soul.")
Amen.
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Sigh.....change....
I feel for Randy and his last change in his mission. I know in his heart he wanted to stay in the same ward he had been in for the past 8 months. Difficult as it may be for him to move on, at least he will be with old friends in his first area he served in Japan. We are now getting so much closer to Randy coming home and lots of feelings are happening in my heart. I'm so excited to be able to see and talk with him again, yet I know that the growth he has experienced has amazed myself and I'm sure himself. It is a hard thing, change...yes it is. But we all know that it is for our own good that things happen and the willingness he has to go where the Lord would have him go is a blessing...
Dear Mother, Father, Brothers, Sisters, Family, and Friends
Well! I got transfer calls today, and to my surprise and great mix of sorrow and joy I am being transfered. I can say that this will be the hardest move I`ve ever made on my mission, but also the easiest. Yea I know I`m talking in paradoxes but the reason why is that I am leave an area that I have lived in for 8 months, that I Love with all my heart and I love the people. I don`t want to leave this all behind, and I don`t want to have to say goodbye. On the bright side, I am going back to my first area. Back to Fushimi, which is a place that I had wanted to return to for a long time and I`m excited to go see those people again, and actually be able to talk with them.
Ummmm..... Let`s seeeeee... I`ll just give you the one highlight from my extremely busy week and that highlight was Sunday.
One of our less actives had committed to come to church. So as sacrament meeting started I sat in the back waiting, praying, and hoping that she would come. But she didn`t, I was devestated and extremely disappointed. I was actually really sad. As I took the sacrament I was praying really hard. I was hoping that something would happen, and then to my surprise, an old man walked in that I recognized. Someone I had met 3 months ago at church. Sugita, a referal from a ward member, had decided to come to church completely unanounced. He didn`t even let the member know that he was coming. When I saw him I almost leaped for joy. I was so excited for him as he came and as we sat and talked. He had many questions and many thoughts. He was still looking for peace of mind and heart, and he even said that he was going to try and do his best to take work off on Sunday`s so that he can come to church. It was a miracle!
Yea, I know that this email is short. I love you all and all I want to say is that I Love the Lord! These 8 months that I have spent in Kawachinagano have been the most grueling, the most difficult, the most painful, the most sorrowful, the most joyful, the most exciting, the must fun, the rewarding, the most growth, and the best 8 months of my mission. I love this place, I love these people. There is no other place in the world that I would rather be right now than where I am right now. This is where the Lord has called me to be, this is where he`s asked me to go. As I have loved him, and trusted him he has taught me so much. He has given me more than I could ever even hope to repay. "The Lord is my Light! Than why should I fear?" The Lord is my all, he is my Saviour, he is my Redeemer, and my heart is drawn out to sing endless praises unto his name. Words cannot describe what it is that I feel inside. No melody can match the glorious tune of my heart. May the Spirit of God testify to your hearts even just a hundredth portion of what is is mine. I love you all and I testify of these things in the name of Jesus Christ Amen.
With Much Love,
Elder Randall KK Tateishi
Dear Mother, Father, Brothers, Sisters, Family, and Friends
Well! I got transfer calls today, and to my surprise and great mix of sorrow and joy I am being transfered. I can say that this will be the hardest move I`ve ever made on my mission, but also the easiest. Yea I know I`m talking in paradoxes but the reason why is that I am leave an area that I have lived in for 8 months, that I Love with all my heart and I love the people. I don`t want to leave this all behind, and I don`t want to have to say goodbye. On the bright side, I am going back to my first area. Back to Fushimi, which is a place that I had wanted to return to for a long time and I`m excited to go see those people again, and actually be able to talk with them.
Ummmm..... Let`s seeeeee... I`ll just give you the one highlight from my extremely busy week and that highlight was Sunday.
One of our less actives had committed to come to church. So as sacrament meeting started I sat in the back waiting, praying, and hoping that she would come. But she didn`t, I was devestated and extremely disappointed. I was actually really sad. As I took the sacrament I was praying really hard. I was hoping that something would happen, and then to my surprise, an old man walked in that I recognized. Someone I had met 3 months ago at church. Sugita, a referal from a ward member, had decided to come to church completely unanounced. He didn`t even let the member know that he was coming. When I saw him I almost leaped for joy. I was so excited for him as he came and as we sat and talked. He had many questions and many thoughts. He was still looking for peace of mind and heart, and he even said that he was going to try and do his best to take work off on Sunday`s so that he can come to church. It was a miracle!
Yea, I know that this email is short. I love you all and all I want to say is that I Love the Lord! These 8 months that I have spent in Kawachinagano have been the most grueling, the most difficult, the most painful, the most sorrowful, the most joyful, the most exciting, the must fun, the rewarding, the most growth, and the best 8 months of my mission. I love this place, I love these people. There is no other place in the world that I would rather be right now than where I am right now. This is where the Lord has called me to be, this is where he`s asked me to go. As I have loved him, and trusted him he has taught me so much. He has given me more than I could ever even hope to repay. "The Lord is my Light! Than why should I fear?" The Lord is my all, he is my Saviour, he is my Redeemer, and my heart is drawn out to sing endless praises unto his name. Words cannot describe what it is that I feel inside. No melody can match the glorious tune of my heart. May the Spirit of God testify to your hearts even just a hundredth portion of what is is mine. I love you all and I testify of these things in the name of Jesus Christ Amen.
With Much Love,
Elder Randall KK Tateishi
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
12 weeks and a Halloween....
Dear Mother, Father, Brothers, Sisters, Family, and Friends
Wellllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I had an AWESOME week. And I`m way happy and as we say over here in Japan I`m Genki!
We had a way busy week running around from place to place, visiting members and less active members, finding people to teach and teaching. It`s been just way fun. Let me just give a few highlights of what we did this week.
So I`ll start with the fun things. We had Halloween on Saturday. There were hundreds of little kids running through the church, most dressed up like witches or pumpkins. There was a ninja and some Arabian, an Angel, and a Groom. But the Japanese people are not very creative when it comes to getting costumes for the kids. I personally dressed up like Harry Potter, because everyone always tells me I look like him. Elder Wilkes dressed up as a cook and we had a blast. Some of the YSA were dressed up as Jack Sparrow and Angelica from Pirates, there was a cat, a dog, and a Fox, as well as some Japanese Cartoon character that I can`t remember the name of. But needless to say Hideo Kyodai, a returned missionary who served in California, had too much fun talking in english and me casting spells on him. He even came up next to me and asked "So Harry, how did you survive the killing spell?" I turned and replied "WHOA! A Talking Dog!"
Thursday Night a young man walked into the church during institute in tears and was talking with the members about how he wanted to find peace and relief from the heavy burden that he felt. They gave him a Book of Mormon and tried to set up a meeting with the Missionaries. The following Saturday as we showed up an hour early for the Halloween party he was there again talking to the bishop and then we managed to get in and talk with him. His name is Fujishima, he`s 24 years old and he`s a very shy guy. We decided then to begin teaching him and as everyone was scrambling to get ready for the halloween party we found an empty room and sat down, his eyes looked up at a picture of Christ in Gethsemane with a look of curiousity in his eyes. Immediately I felt the Spirit fill the room and prompt me to talk about the picture and the atonement with him. As we talked together and explained the atonement he found peace and felt much better, he opened up to us and told us his dilemna. We showed him that there is a way to remove the burdens that were upon his shoulders and now he is reading the Book of Mormon. We did nothing, the Spirit of God did Everything.
Thursday Night me and Elder Wilkes ran out of people to try to visit, we didn`t really know where to go and so we said a Prayer. Elder Wilkes felt as if we should go further North, into a part of our area that we don`t go very often because it`s so far away and not very many people are out there. So we went to go try and visit a Less active family and on the way I saw a cyclist on pull of to the side of the rode and start checking out his bike. I stopped and pulled out my handy dandy flashlight to investigate his bike and help try to find out what the source of a strange noise was. To my surprise it was simply a small plastic sticker that had gotten stuck perfectly on his chain guide and was simply hitting the chain. We talked with Morisaki for a while and he wanted to learn more about what we have to teach, and about God. So we`ll meet again and teach him more what we have to offer. We did nothing, God did Everything.
Anyway, those are the highlights from my week. I love Life, I love the Lord, and I love this work.
Elder Tateishi`s Gospel Message of the Week
Paul once exclaimed "O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?" (1 Corinthians 15:55)
I wish to write about the Deat and the resurrection quickly, a topic that I don`t necessarily talk too much about. I`m still young and so it is something that I don`t think too much about either, but it is something that is inevitable, something that will come whoever we are. Whether we are great and exalted among men, or whether we are poor and lowly. No man can escape, no man can avoid it. But peace be unto you all for Death is no enemy.
We all look at the life of Christ and many of us think of the Cross, of the death of Christ and his suffering for us in the garden Gethsemane. We think of how Christ Atoned for our sins and has set us free from those awful chains of hell that bind us down unto destruction. But just as great and just as beautiful as the Docrtine of the Atonement is the Docrine of the Resurrection. Three days after Christ was slain upon the Cross for the Sins of the world he rose again! The grave was opened and he lived again! He Still lives, he still holds a body of flesh and bone and in that very hour that he arose again he loosed the bands of Death and set free all those that lay asleep within the graves. Because of his resurrection he has made it possible for all mankind to rise again and obtain a greater glory than what we have here on this earth.
"Yea, this bringeth about the restoration of those things of which has been spoken by the mouths of the prophets. The asoul shall be brestored to the cbody, and the body to the soul; yea, and every limb and joint shall be restored to its body; yea, even a dhair of the head shall not be lost; but all things shall be restored to their proper and eperfect frame." (Alma 40:22-23) We have been promised a perfect body, one that will no longer be subject to the elements, nor will it be subject to pain nor death nor sickness nor disease. Those that have lost limbs shall have them again, those that never had a fully functioning body shall gain one. This Resurrection shall pass upon us all, the wicked as well as the righteous and it is a free gift unto all mankind. But if we live righteously, if we have chosen to follow the Lord our God than we will be raised to even greater glory and be able to live again with those that we love, we will be sealed together with them for all eternity and lifted up at the last days to dwell in eternal glory and happiness with those that we love. O what great joy we should feel! O how great is the hope that we hold!
I exclaim as Paul "O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?.... Death is Swallowed up in Victory!.... But thanks be unto God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!" Fear comes because of doubt, but if we shall not doubt that fear shall have no place within our hearts. The Faithful may face death without fear, for they can see the Hope that lies beyond! Trust in the Lord God and know that all is well, for in days to come shall we be reunited with those whom we have lost and once again will we be able to take up our bodies in glory and live again. Of this I testify in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
With much Love,
Elder Randall KK Tateishi
Monday, October 24, 2011
Sometimes things just happen....
Dear Mother, Father, Brothers, Sisters, Family, and Friends
You know, I`m starting to wonder if I should really bother emailing so much anymore. It`s not all that long before I go home and I`m just running out of things to write. It might just be "Old Missionary" Syndrum, and just focusing on working or just everything feels the same. Not sure, because I do know that everything does seem to blur together a lot.
This week was pretty good though, although it was filled with quite a bit of frustration. With not being able to find people to teach for the past couple weeks it`s been very frustrating on me and on Elder Wilkes, who is still new and wants to see many big miracles. Patience has been a key role in all of this, and it was running very thin through a lot of the week. But we`ve gotten over that and with a new investigator found a lot of that pent up frustration has been relieved along with a great laugh.
We also had two companion exchanges this week. I got to work with Elder Dantas, a Brazalian missionary and that was pretty fun. He can really talk my ear off though. Then I worked with Elder Bailey again, and he`s been in the area right next door to mine for just as long as I`ve been here. So it was good to get together and almost like old friends. We had a good time and talked a lot of people and just generally had fun.
Now for the experience of the week:
"Shinpo Kyodai"
So, we have this 80 year old man in our ward that just recently got out of the hospital. His back had given out because he`s old and so now he`s confined to his apartment and has to use a wheel chair to get around, which is horrible for Japanese people because their apartments are so small and there is absolutely no room to manuever in there. We decided to visit him to cheer him up and share a quick message, but instead it turned into one of my most hilarious experiences in my mission. Let us just say that we sat down together on the floor like must Japanese people do and I asked him how he was doing. That was my first mistake, because I spent the next 45 min. trying to say something to let him know that we needed to go. He talked at full speed and I swear he didn`t take a single breath at all as he spoke. I could understand quite a bit of what he was saying but there was no time for me to jump in and reply or say anything. He just spent 45 min. complaining about his life. With only a few intervals that made this experience all the more hilarious.
After a few minutes he asked me to grab something, and I didn`t understand the word for what he wanted me to grab. (I don`t even know what to call it in english) I got up and started looking for this mystery object as he described to me what it was and where it was. "It`s that plastic container thingy under the chair!" He was very urgent and so I reached under the chair and lo and behold to my surprise it was a "pee bottle!" I quickly handed it to him and he started unsipping his pants and turning away from us, so me and my companion stood up and left the room for a moment to let him have some privacy, before he called us back in. The rest of the time we were just trying to get out of the there to no success.
But it gets even better. As we finally manage to let him know we need to leave Elder Wilkes asked if we could say a prayer and Shinpo Kyodai said it was just fine. Well, Elder Wilkes start saying the prayer and I start hearing Shinpo Kyodai shuffling around. I open my eyes and Lo and Behold! I see him unsipping his pants and turning around again to go pee. The rest of the prayer me and my companion were trying are very hardest not to laugh as Elder Wilkes was praying and I was literally biting my lips trying to stiffle my laughter. As we ended the prayer and apologized to him for interrupting he thanked us for the visit and we left the apartment. As soon as we were out the door and in the elevator we were laughing so hard.
We felt so bad afterwards for laughing, but we just couldn`t help it.
That was the highlight of my week. and other than that we had an awesome time going about teaching people and also finding people to teach.
Elder Tateishi`s Gospel Message of the Week
"Be still and know that I am God!" (Doctrine and Covenants 101:16)
When God brought the Israelites out of Egypt they were chased by pharoh and his chariots. When the Israelites saw the Egyptians they cried out in fear and desperation to Moses "Because there were not enough graves in Egypt, didst thou bring us out here to perish in the Wilderness!?" They were afraid that the Egyptians would come and slay them and many of them were angry for what Moses had done for they said it would have been better for them to be slaves in Egypt than to perish. But Moses Boldly turned to the Israelites and said "Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever. The Lord shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace." (Exodus 14:13-14) With that God commanded Moses to split the Red Sea and we all know the story from there. The Israelites crossed the Red Sea on try land and performed one of the most famous miracles in Biblical History.
The simple key was Faith! Moses trusted in the Lord that all thing swould be will. He stood still, calm despite the pressures around him and he rose his staff and caused the Red Sea to split hither and thither. When our lives are hectic, when we are seemingly overwhelmed with a list of things that just have to be done, do we remember the Lord our God? Will we pause and remember the words of the Lord "Be still and know that I am God?" Those are powerful words to me. Even moreso with the way Moses phrased them; "The Lord shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace." Or in other words "I`m God, I`ll do it, you be quiet and watch."
So let us not be like the Israelites who quickly forgot about the plagues that God placed upon the Egyptians, or like Laman and Lemuel who quickly forgot that they had seen angels and heard the voice of the Lord. Let us be like unto Moses who stood fearlessly before the waters of the Red Sea, or as Nephi who stood to go and get the plates and against Laban; "For [God] is mightier than all the earth, then why not mightier than Laban and his fifty, yea, or even than his tens of thousands?"
God Lives! In the name of Jesus Christ Amen.
With much Love,
Elder Randall KK Tateishi
You know, I`m starting to wonder if I should really bother emailing so much anymore. It`s not all that long before I go home and I`m just running out of things to write. It might just be "Old Missionary" Syndrum, and just focusing on working or just everything feels the same. Not sure, because I do know that everything does seem to blur together a lot.
This week was pretty good though, although it was filled with quite a bit of frustration. With not being able to find people to teach for the past couple weeks it`s been very frustrating on me and on Elder Wilkes, who is still new and wants to see many big miracles. Patience has been a key role in all of this, and it was running very thin through a lot of the week. But we`ve gotten over that and with a new investigator found a lot of that pent up frustration has been relieved along with a great laugh.
We also had two companion exchanges this week. I got to work with Elder Dantas, a Brazalian missionary and that was pretty fun. He can really talk my ear off though. Then I worked with Elder Bailey again, and he`s been in the area right next door to mine for just as long as I`ve been here. So it was good to get together and almost like old friends. We had a good time and talked a lot of people and just generally had fun.
Now for the experience of the week:
"Shinpo Kyodai"
So, we have this 80 year old man in our ward that just recently got out of the hospital. His back had given out because he`s old and so now he`s confined to his apartment and has to use a wheel chair to get around, which is horrible for Japanese people because their apartments are so small and there is absolutely no room to manuever in there. We decided to visit him to cheer him up and share a quick message, but instead it turned into one of my most hilarious experiences in my mission. Let us just say that we sat down together on the floor like must Japanese people do and I asked him how he was doing. That was my first mistake, because I spent the next 45 min. trying to say something to let him know that we needed to go. He talked at full speed and I swear he didn`t take a single breath at all as he spoke. I could understand quite a bit of what he was saying but there was no time for me to jump in and reply or say anything. He just spent 45 min. complaining about his life. With only a few intervals that made this experience all the more hilarious.
After a few minutes he asked me to grab something, and I didn`t understand the word for what he wanted me to grab. (I don`t even know what to call it in english) I got up and started looking for this mystery object as he described to me what it was and where it was. "It`s that plastic container thingy under the chair!" He was very urgent and so I reached under the chair and lo and behold to my surprise it was a "pee bottle!" I quickly handed it to him and he started unsipping his pants and turning away from us, so me and my companion stood up and left the room for a moment to let him have some privacy, before he called us back in. The rest of the time we were just trying to get out of the there to no success.
But it gets even better. As we finally manage to let him know we need to leave Elder Wilkes asked if we could say a prayer and Shinpo Kyodai said it was just fine. Well, Elder Wilkes start saying the prayer and I start hearing Shinpo Kyodai shuffling around. I open my eyes and Lo and Behold! I see him unsipping his pants and turning around again to go pee. The rest of the prayer me and my companion were trying are very hardest not to laugh as Elder Wilkes was praying and I was literally biting my lips trying to stiffle my laughter. As we ended the prayer and apologized to him for interrupting he thanked us for the visit and we left the apartment. As soon as we were out the door and in the elevator we were laughing so hard.
We felt so bad afterwards for laughing, but we just couldn`t help it.
That was the highlight of my week. and other than that we had an awesome time going about teaching people and also finding people to teach.
Elder Tateishi`s Gospel Message of the Week
"Be still and know that I am God!" (Doctrine and Covenants 101:16)
When God brought the Israelites out of Egypt they were chased by pharoh and his chariots. When the Israelites saw the Egyptians they cried out in fear and desperation to Moses "Because there were not enough graves in Egypt, didst thou bring us out here to perish in the Wilderness!?" They were afraid that the Egyptians would come and slay them and many of them were angry for what Moses had done for they said it would have been better for them to be slaves in Egypt than to perish. But Moses Boldly turned to the Israelites and said "Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever. The Lord shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace." (Exodus 14:13-14) With that God commanded Moses to split the Red Sea and we all know the story from there. The Israelites crossed the Red Sea on try land and performed one of the most famous miracles in Biblical History.
The simple key was Faith! Moses trusted in the Lord that all thing swould be will. He stood still, calm despite the pressures around him and he rose his staff and caused the Red Sea to split hither and thither. When our lives are hectic, when we are seemingly overwhelmed with a list of things that just have to be done, do we remember the Lord our God? Will we pause and remember the words of the Lord "Be still and know that I am God?" Those are powerful words to me. Even moreso with the way Moses phrased them; "The Lord shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace." Or in other words "I`m God, I`ll do it, you be quiet and watch."
So let us not be like the Israelites who quickly forgot about the plagues that God placed upon the Egyptians, or like Laman and Lemuel who quickly forgot that they had seen angels and heard the voice of the Lord. Let us be like unto Moses who stood fearlessly before the waters of the Red Sea, or as Nephi who stood to go and get the plates and against Laban; "For [God] is mightier than all the earth, then why not mightier than Laban and his fifty, yea, or even than his tens of thousands?"
God Lives! In the name of Jesus Christ Amen.
With much Love,
Elder Randall KK Tateishi
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
And the winning day of return is.....
Dear Mother, Father, Brothers, Sisters, Family, and Friends
Wellllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll, It`s been an awesome, adventure filled week. I`ll start with Monday, about an hour or so after I emailed everyone.
So we were about 30 seconds away from our apartment when I saw a member of the ward and waved and said "Hi!" While pulling to a stop to go talk to him. Well, Elder Wilkes wasn`t paying attention to me stopping and ran into me. I didn`t think much of it, because It`s happened much before, but when I checked my bike, the back wheel was all warped and unusuable. xD So that started my adventure for the next couple days.
That night we had to walk around the whole time as I didn`t have a bike, and needless to say it was very uneventful. Then Tuesday morning we started a Companion exchange and had to spend the whole day walking around. Needless to say, every appointment that we had fell through, so almost all of our walking was pointless and unneccesary. So I ended that day exhausted, and really tired with little to show for it.
Wednesday I got the dreaded phone call from the Mission Office about making flight plans to go home.... =( Which just makes me feel that much older. Then we had Interviews with the Mission President which were fun like usually. After that we just went home, studied and then taught Eikaiwa.
Thursday we did a lot of running around making visits and trying to get some sort of lessons in. It was lots of fun as I was borrowing a members bike, which was about 5 sizes to small for me, and the seat wouldn`t stay up at the right height so I kept sliding down and then having to stop and readjust it. Lots of fun! Then we went up to Mikunigaoaka and taught Eikaiwa up there as well. We even played "How`s your Neighbor" which was loads of fun.
Friday we did our weekly planning and did even more running around trying to get more lessons in and had a lot of fun. Saturday was the same.
Sunday, was a good day, we had 4 less active members come to church, well techincally 3 since we now consider Nishiguchi Kyoudai as an active member. He`s SO aweomse!! I was so happy because he got a calling on Sunday as the new Elder`s Quorum Presdiency`s first counsellor. He is also going to be attending our weekly Ward Missionary Coordination meeting from now on and helping us with that, so we get to work with him a lot more. It`s so awesome to see how much he`s changed been blessed as he`s strived harder now to live the Gospel. He`s found a job and just looks and feels so much happier.
That was basically my week. I also recieved a letter telling me that my return date is now confirmed as Febuary 3rd 2012. Time is moving far too quickly for me.
Elder Tateishi`s Gospel Message of the week
I`m running out of things to share! As I keep thinking about a message every week all I can think of is "I`ve already shared that one."
Well I guess I`ll revert back to one that I have shared much this week and worked on a lot this week.
God. Who is he? What is he like? What does he do? Why does he exist? What is his relationship with me?
God is that great and eternal being that lives in heaven.
God "knoweth all things, and there is not anything save he knows it." (2 Nephi 9:20) He is all powerful, all mighty, he is perfect, and has perfect body of flesh and bones.
God looks down upon all people and watches over them. He blesses those that keep his commandments and "[His] work and his glory is to bring to pass the immortality and Eternal Life of Man." (Moses 1:39)
God is our Father, we are his children. As God, he knows all things, he can do all things, but we - me and you - are the focus of all his attention and all of his power. He desires our eternal well-being and works with all his might to do so. He loves each and everyone of us and cares for us. We can communicate with him through prayer. He is willing to answer our prayers and listens to every single one of them.
This is who God is. This is who your Heavenly Father is. He is always there, never changing, never forsaking any. The creator of the universe centers all of his power on you.
I know this. I know he`s there. I know he`s here. I know that he is my Father, and that he hears my prayers. I talk with him every night, every morning, every day. I am filled with "the love of God... [which] is the most desirable above all things. Yea, and the most joyous to the soul." (1 Nephi 11:22-23). All can partake, "all men are privileged the one like unto the other, and none are forbidden." (2 Nephi 26:28) God is only ever a prayer away. Of this I testify in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
With much Love,
Elder Randall KK Tateishi
Wellllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll, It`s been an awesome, adventure filled week. I`ll start with Monday, about an hour or so after I emailed everyone.
So we were about 30 seconds away from our apartment when I saw a member of the ward and waved and said "Hi!" While pulling to a stop to go talk to him. Well, Elder Wilkes wasn`t paying attention to me stopping and ran into me. I didn`t think much of it, because It`s happened much before, but when I checked my bike, the back wheel was all warped and unusuable. xD So that started my adventure for the next couple days.
That night we had to walk around the whole time as I didn`t have a bike, and needless to say it was very uneventful. Then Tuesday morning we started a Companion exchange and had to spend the whole day walking around. Needless to say, every appointment that we had fell through, so almost all of our walking was pointless and unneccesary. So I ended that day exhausted, and really tired with little to show for it.
Wednesday I got the dreaded phone call from the Mission Office about making flight plans to go home.... =( Which just makes me feel that much older. Then we had Interviews with the Mission President which were fun like usually. After that we just went home, studied and then taught Eikaiwa.
Thursday we did a lot of running around making visits and trying to get some sort of lessons in. It was lots of fun as I was borrowing a members bike, which was about 5 sizes to small for me, and the seat wouldn`t stay up at the right height so I kept sliding down and then having to stop and readjust it. Lots of fun! Then we went up to Mikunigaoaka and taught Eikaiwa up there as well. We even played "How`s your Neighbor" which was loads of fun.
Friday we did our weekly planning and did even more running around trying to get more lessons in and had a lot of fun. Saturday was the same.
Sunday, was a good day, we had 4 less active members come to church, well techincally 3 since we now consider Nishiguchi Kyoudai as an active member. He`s SO aweomse!! I was so happy because he got a calling on Sunday as the new Elder`s Quorum Presdiency`s first counsellor. He is also going to be attending our weekly Ward Missionary Coordination meeting from now on and helping us with that, so we get to work with him a lot more. It`s so awesome to see how much he`s changed been blessed as he`s strived harder now to live the Gospel. He`s found a job and just looks and feels so much happier.
That was basically my week. I also recieved a letter telling me that my return date is now confirmed as Febuary 3rd 2012. Time is moving far too quickly for me.
Elder Tateishi`s Gospel Message of the week
I`m running out of things to share! As I keep thinking about a message every week all I can think of is "I`ve already shared that one."
Well I guess I`ll revert back to one that I have shared much this week and worked on a lot this week.
God. Who is he? What is he like? What does he do? Why does he exist? What is his relationship with me?
God is that great and eternal being that lives in heaven.
God "knoweth all things, and there is not anything save he knows it." (2 Nephi 9:20) He is all powerful, all mighty, he is perfect, and has perfect body of flesh and bones.
God looks down upon all people and watches over them. He blesses those that keep his commandments and "[His] work and his glory is to bring to pass the immortality and Eternal Life of Man." (Moses 1:39)
God is our Father, we are his children. As God, he knows all things, he can do all things, but we - me and you - are the focus of all his attention and all of his power. He desires our eternal well-being and works with all his might to do so. He loves each and everyone of us and cares for us. We can communicate with him through prayer. He is willing to answer our prayers and listens to every single one of them.
This is who God is. This is who your Heavenly Father is. He is always there, never changing, never forsaking any. The creator of the universe centers all of his power on you.
I know this. I know he`s there. I know he`s here. I know that he is my Father, and that he hears my prayers. I talk with him every night, every morning, every day. I am filled with "the love of God... [which] is the most desirable above all things. Yea, and the most joyous to the soul." (1 Nephi 11:22-23). All can partake, "all men are privileged the one like unto the other, and none are forbidden." (2 Nephi 26:28) God is only ever a prayer away. Of this I testify in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
With much Love,
Elder Randall KK Tateishi
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Less than 100 days.....
I've come to the realization that Randy has less than 100 days left on his mission. 2 more transfers and he will be heading home. Wow! I never thought 2 years could go by so quickly. He will come home a changed person. One who is so much more ready to start living a life with the Gospel a priority. I'm glad that 19 year old young men are sent out on Missions. I think that living life as a missionary is going to the best preparation anyone could ever have for becoming a Father, Husband, Church leader and a good productive citizen. Thank you goes to Randy for doing exactly what his Heavenly Father wants him to do....
Dear Mother, Father, Brothers, Sisters, Family, and Friends
Welllllllllllllllll....... It`s Monday, after General Conference for me. It`s been a fantastic week, but a long week.
Tuesday was just a LOT of Biking all over the place and going far far away into neverland. Riding uphill for at least 20 min straight. Something that I do not ever want to repeat anytime in my life.
Wednesday I got sick! For the first time in almost a year. It sucked and I ended up still planning out for next week, sleeping for 2 hours and then going and teaching English Class.
Thursday was even better, still sick I had to go all the way down to Wakayama, which was over an hour and a half train ride, (plus I didn`t sleep very much) and sit through a 2 hour meeting with the Zone Leaders. Ate dinner then turned around and came back. I wanted to pass out on the train but instead followed the spirit that told me to talk to the guy that was sitting in front of us, ended up teaching him an entire lesson about the atonement and the Gospel of Jesus Christ and he wanted to hear more, got his phone number and even comitted him to be baptized. Said he would once he knew it was true and said he`d meet with us as soon as he could. He`s really busy reorganizing his life nad trying to find a new job and such. He`s called us quite a few times since then letting us know that he still wants to meet and trying to find time to meet.
Friday was District meeting, which went way fun but still tiring. Ate lunch together and then we came back to our area and taught a few lessons to members.
Saturday morning we went to Sakai for General Conference which was WAY awesome. I love General Conference, and I had a lot of fun talking with all the members. Sunday was the same, and afterwards we ate dinner with the YSA in our ward and had a fun time there as well.
You know, I`m never sure what I need to write here. My weeks just blur together way too much and I`m like usual just my boring self.
Elder Tateishi`s Gospel Message of the Week
What a blessing it is to have Prophets and Apostles to guide us in these Modern Times. I loved General Conference and I felt the Spirit speaking powerfully to me as each of the speakers stood up and presented a message to me. I found for myself many answers to personal prayers and problems that I have been facing of late. Ideas to help me to move forward and to become an even better human being and missionary. I still have pages and pages of notes to review, to ponder and to use to help myself apply all that I learned.
I would like to simply testify that I know that each of those men and Women that spoke during General Conference spoke the Words of God. They are his called servants and have been chosen to lead and to guide us in these Latter Days. As we listen to their words and accept them in our Hearts we will be blessed and will find shelter in these troubled waters. I know that President Thomas S. Monson is the living Prophet of God and that God does speak through him. I testify that the priesthood is truly the power of God and that it is here upon this earth today within this church. I bear witness that this is God`s true church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
With much Love,
Elder Randall KK Tateishi
Dear Mother, Father, Brothers, Sisters, Family, and Friends
Welllllllllllllllll....... It`s Monday, after General Conference for me. It`s been a fantastic week, but a long week.
Tuesday was just a LOT of Biking all over the place and going far far away into neverland. Riding uphill for at least 20 min straight. Something that I do not ever want to repeat anytime in my life.
Wednesday I got sick! For the first time in almost a year. It sucked and I ended up still planning out for next week, sleeping for 2 hours and then going and teaching English Class.
Thursday was even better, still sick I had to go all the way down to Wakayama, which was over an hour and a half train ride, (plus I didn`t sleep very much) and sit through a 2 hour meeting with the Zone Leaders. Ate dinner then turned around and came back. I wanted to pass out on the train but instead followed the spirit that told me to talk to the guy that was sitting in front of us, ended up teaching him an entire lesson about the atonement and the Gospel of Jesus Christ and he wanted to hear more, got his phone number and even comitted him to be baptized. Said he would once he knew it was true and said he`d meet with us as soon as he could. He`s really busy reorganizing his life nad trying to find a new job and such. He`s called us quite a few times since then letting us know that he still wants to meet and trying to find time to meet.
Friday was District meeting, which went way fun but still tiring. Ate lunch together and then we came back to our area and taught a few lessons to members.
Saturday morning we went to Sakai for General Conference which was WAY awesome. I love General Conference, and I had a lot of fun talking with all the members. Sunday was the same, and afterwards we ate dinner with the YSA in our ward and had a fun time there as well.
You know, I`m never sure what I need to write here. My weeks just blur together way too much and I`m like usual just my boring self.
Elder Tateishi`s Gospel Message of the Week
What a blessing it is to have Prophets and Apostles to guide us in these Modern Times. I loved General Conference and I felt the Spirit speaking powerfully to me as each of the speakers stood up and presented a message to me. I found for myself many answers to personal prayers and problems that I have been facing of late. Ideas to help me to move forward and to become an even better human being and missionary. I still have pages and pages of notes to review, to ponder and to use to help myself apply all that I learned.
I would like to simply testify that I know that each of those men and Women that spoke during General Conference spoke the Words of God. They are his called servants and have been chosen to lead and to guide us in these Latter Days. As we listen to their words and accept them in our Hearts we will be blessed and will find shelter in these troubled waters. I know that President Thomas S. Monson is the living Prophet of God and that God does speak through him. I testify that the priesthood is truly the power of God and that it is here upon this earth today within this church. I bear witness that this is God`s true church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
With much Love,
Elder Randall KK Tateishi
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
An exhausting week.....
Dear Mother, Father, Brothers, Sisters, Family, and Friends
This week has been a very exhausting week for me. I Haven`t been
sleeping well the past few nights, and so I was wiped all this
weekend.
Well, I`m not sure exactly what to explain for what happened this
week. Tuesday we taught a homeless man, who then disappeared before we
could start trying to find a way to help him out in his situation.
Wednesday was regular English Class night so nothing really exciting
happened there. Thursday we had District Meeting, and Friday we taught
a Chinese man who mistook the appointment and came 4 hours early to
the appointment. Luckily a member was there and called us to let us
know he was there. We also went down to Hashimoto again to teach our
investigator down there. That Lesson went pretty good.
Saturday was a day of dendo, we ate lunch at a Less-actives house and
then just went all over the place, visiting another member and then
another Less-active, Nishiguchi Kyoudai. He`s doing really good
actually, he came to church again and he even bore his testimony
during fast and testimony meeting.
Sunday was awesome. Even though I was utterly wasted and exhausted it
was a spiritually full day. It was fast Sunday and I had a good fast,
and also heard many and was able to bear a good testimony during Fast
and Testimony meeting. I was also able to get out of teaching Gospel
Principles class because no one showed up.
After church we had our usual study time, but it was interupted by
the local "Danjiri" which is basically this elaborately made wagon
that has drums on it and everyone pulls it around town making lots of
noise. I`ll include some pictures and you`ll understand what I mean. I
took a video as well. You might remember it from last year, but to say
the least it past right in front of our apartment twice and stopped
our study. For a moment. We then made Hamburgers for Dinner, which was
delicious.
After that we went back to the church for a Mission Fireside, in
which the ward mission leader had everyone think about what it would
be like if the missionaries were taken out of Kawachinagano for a
little bit. It was really cool to listen to them talk and discuss what
they could do to overcome that difficulty and then hear the Ward
mission Leader Testify about how they can act right now and can do all
of that stuff right now. I felt the Spirit so strongly at that point
that I just stood up in front of everyone and bore sincere Testimony
to them all about how they can do missionary work and should be doing
missionary work. I couldn`t stop myself to be honest.
All in all, the week ended really good. I`m excited about this
upcoming week and this month. It`ll be, way fun. I get an interview
with President Zinke, get to meet with a general authority and have
lots of exchanges, lots of meetings, General Conference and lots of
fun. Even have a Halloween party that I need to figure out what I`ll
be.
Elder Tateishi`s Gospel Message of the Week
I`d like to testify about the Gift of Tongues this week. As lately I
have been really feeling that power. My current companion, Elder
Wilkes, has only been out in Japan for about 2 months, and on his
mission for maybe a total of 4 and a half months. Yet his Japanese is
amazing and it is growing day by day. He can get along in basic
conversations he can testify he can talk and he can understand. It
never ceases to amaze me to see the extremely fast pace at which he is
learning Japanese.
As for me personally, I have found lately that I can testify and
express myself better in Japanese than in English sometimes. Last
night when I stood up in front of the ward, and at many District
Meetings as I`ve stood and testified to everyone I have spoken in very
powerful ways that I do not really even know how to express in
English. I have found my ability to express my emotions, my feelings,
in English has actually gotten worse! I bet my spelling is horrible
to!
I know that all of this does not come from me. That it is a gift from
God. It was only that simple commitment I made at the very beginning
of my mission. "God, I`ll learn the Gospel, you just give me Japanse."
I never really focused on learning Japanese that much. I just KNEW
that it would come. I KNEW that God would give me that gift. I am
grateful for that, and I can testify that the Gift of Tongues is a
true and living Gift. That God will grant it unto those who need it
and those who seek after it. He will give it to us according our
faith, and our circumstances. I testify of this in the name of Jesus
Christ. Amen.
With Love,
Elder Randall KK Tateishi
This week has been a very exhausting week for me. I Haven`t been
sleeping well the past few nights, and so I was wiped all this
weekend.
Well, I`m not sure exactly what to explain for what happened this
week. Tuesday we taught a homeless man, who then disappeared before we
could start trying to find a way to help him out in his situation.
Wednesday was regular English Class night so nothing really exciting
happened there. Thursday we had District Meeting, and Friday we taught
a Chinese man who mistook the appointment and came 4 hours early to
the appointment. Luckily a member was there and called us to let us
know he was there. We also went down to Hashimoto again to teach our
investigator down there. That Lesson went pretty good.
Saturday was a day of dendo, we ate lunch at a Less-actives house and
then just went all over the place, visiting another member and then
another Less-active, Nishiguchi Kyoudai. He`s doing really good
actually, he came to church again and he even bore his testimony
during fast and testimony meeting.
Sunday was awesome. Even though I was utterly wasted and exhausted it
was a spiritually full day. It was fast Sunday and I had a good fast,
and also heard many and was able to bear a good testimony during Fast
and Testimony meeting. I was also able to get out of teaching Gospel
Principles class because no one showed up.
After church we had our usual study time, but it was interupted by
the local "Danjiri" which is basically this elaborately made wagon
that has drums on it and everyone pulls it around town making lots of
noise. I`ll include some pictures and you`ll understand what I mean. I
took a video as well. You might remember it from last year, but to say
the least it past right in front of our apartment twice and stopped
our study. For a moment. We then made Hamburgers for Dinner, which was
delicious.
After that we went back to the church for a Mission Fireside, in
which the ward mission leader had everyone think about what it would
be like if the missionaries were taken out of Kawachinagano for a
little bit. It was really cool to listen to them talk and discuss what
they could do to overcome that difficulty and then hear the Ward
mission Leader Testify about how they can act right now and can do all
of that stuff right now. I felt the Spirit so strongly at that point
that I just stood up in front of everyone and bore sincere Testimony
to them all about how they can do missionary work and should be doing
missionary work. I couldn`t stop myself to be honest.
All in all, the week ended really good. I`m excited about this
upcoming week and this month. It`ll be, way fun. I get an interview
with President Zinke, get to meet with a general authority and have
lots of exchanges, lots of meetings, General Conference and lots of
fun. Even have a Halloween party that I need to figure out what I`ll
be.
Elder Tateishi`s Gospel Message of the Week
I`d like to testify about the Gift of Tongues this week. As lately I
have been really feeling that power. My current companion, Elder
Wilkes, has only been out in Japan for about 2 months, and on his
mission for maybe a total of 4 and a half months. Yet his Japanese is
amazing and it is growing day by day. He can get along in basic
conversations he can testify he can talk and he can understand. It
never ceases to amaze me to see the extremely fast pace at which he is
learning Japanese.
As for me personally, I have found lately that I can testify and
express myself better in Japanese than in English sometimes. Last
night when I stood up in front of the ward, and at many District
Meetings as I`ve stood and testified to everyone I have spoken in very
powerful ways that I do not really even know how to express in
English. I have found my ability to express my emotions, my feelings,
in English has actually gotten worse! I bet my spelling is horrible
to!
I know that all of this does not come from me. That it is a gift from
God. It was only that simple commitment I made at the very beginning
of my mission. "God, I`ll learn the Gospel, you just give me Japanse."
I never really focused on learning Japanese that much. I just KNEW
that it would come. I KNEW that God would give me that gift. I am
grateful for that, and I can testify that the Gift of Tongues is a
true and living Gift. That God will grant it unto those who need it
and those who seek after it. He will give it to us according our
faith, and our circumstances. I testify of this in the name of Jesus
Christ. Amen.
With Love,
Elder Randall KK Tateishi
Monday, September 26, 2011
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
Monday, September 19, 2011
In the beginning....
In the beginning...there was a boy of 19 years of age who left for Kobe Japan on his mission wondering, "what have I got myself into"....In the middle there was a blooming young man in search of himself and in search of ways to please his Heavenly Father....In the end...there stands a Man....grown strong in the Gospel...Strong in his convictions...Strong in his Faith....Strong in his love for God and his family....
Dear Mother, Father, Sisters, Brothers, Family, and Friends
Phew! Life is precious life is great. There is simply beauty all around. Summer is now drawing to a close and autumn is coming. The weather is cooling and I am growing.
I`ve had a great week this week. Monday night we had a companion exchange with the Senboku missionaries. I was with Elder Bailey and the two new missionaries where together over in Senboku. Me Elder Bailey had a great time together, teaching a few good lessons and feeling the spirit as we had many good conversations about faith and about President Zinke`s vision. It was a great day and we had lots of fun together.
Wednesday we had basically no time to do anything, we taught a lesson to a less-active and then had Eikaiwa which went just fine. Thursday we were out with a member all day and then we taught Eikaiwa again up at Mikunigaoka`s area, so nothing really happened then. it wasn`t very exciting at all.
Friday was a great day. We had District Meeting and I had no idea what I was going to teach the District. I had spent the whole week studying for it but nothing was really coming to my mind and jumping out to me as to what I should teach, so I was unsure and finally just decided to teach from my personal study about faith. It was a great experience as I felt the Spirit guide me as to what to say and what to do, helping me to teach the District to grow and become better missionaries.
Saturday was basically just planning and then we visited Nishiguchi Kyodai, who is doing awesome and really working hard at rebuilding his faith. Sunday was beautiful as always. We had 4 less-actives to church and 1 investigator so it was really cool. We had an awesome lunch party after church with lots of delicious foods. Then we hopped into Ward Council to try to work with the ward more. That was really good. We also got a call from the Ward Mission Leader in Hashimoto branch, the Branch just south of us that doesn`t have any missionaries there at the moment. He had apparently found a new investigator that wants to hear the message and so we are going down there for church next Sunday. It sounds like it will be loads of fun.
I`m sorry if my emails are short and uninteresting. It just seems that everything blurs together a lot. I am so busy as I work with calling the District and working with members as well as seeking to find new investigators. It`ll be even more busy if this investigator in Hashimoto works out. But I like it this way. I`m happy when I am busy, moving along and doing the Lord`s work. There is nothing I`d rather be doing now than this.
Elder Tateishi`s Gospel Message of the week.
I wish to take time this week and talk about Faith. We members of the church have long known that "Faith is not to have a perfect knowledge of things; therefore if ye have faith ye hope for things which are not seen, which are true." That is the simplest and best way to explain what faith is. We don`t need to know perfectly about something in order to have faith, we simply need to hope for those things which are true and follow and act upon them.
It has often been said that Faith is an action word. It is not simply an attitude or a belief but it is an ACTIVE belief that drives us to do something based upon those beliefs. We may believe that if we go to work we will get paid, but that belief is useless unless we act upon it and actually do it. When that belief turns into action it is Faith.
Now for the key part. TRUE Faith, is faith in God and in his son Jesus Christ. True Faith is trusting that God`s ways are better than our`s, trusting that God knows more than we do and that he desires the best for us. This TRUE faith comes when we gain a correct knowledge of the attributes of God and gain a personal testimony and witness that it is true. Once we obtain that witness, that knowledge, everything else just comes down to Faith, whether or not God`s ways are better than ours. If we remember that God is God and Man is Man this should be a lot simpler. We can also remain humble and act as God desires us to act, for he knows what`s best for each and every one of us personally. Not collectively, for he doesn`t desire a bunch of clones that are all the exact same, but individually. He knows what each and everyone one of us needs right now in order to become the best person that we can be. IF we have Faith and trust in him, then we can become that person. IF we trust that God`s happiness is greater and better than any happiness that we could ever make on our own, than we can have it. The only thing that stands in our way is ourselves.
With Faith comes power. If we have Faith we will be able to do all things, because we will be doing what God would want us to do, and nothing can stop God. With Faith we can move mountains, split oceans, and cause rain to stop falling. But more useful and more important than that, we can move the sometimes mountainous tasks that lie before us, we can overcome the challenges and difficulties that face our lives. We can know which path to walk and we can know how to help our families. With Faith we can pray unto God for help and recieve it. With Faith our families can become Eternal.
I know that this wonderful Church is God`s Church. I know that he Lives that he watches over me. I know that he loves me, that he is pleased with what I am doing. I can taste the fruits of Faith daily as I go about doing his work. I may not know what lies ahead for me in the next few months or years, but I know that if I continue to follow God all will be will. It is written "For we know that all things will be for the good of those that Love God." (Romans 2:28) I trust in God. I may not be perfect, I may not have a perfect trust but I know that I am trying that I keep moving forward everyday trying to do just a little better. I bear testimony of this in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
With Much Love,
Elder Randall KK Tateishi
Dear Mother, Father, Sisters, Brothers, Family, and Friends
Phew! Life is precious life is great. There is simply beauty all around. Summer is now drawing to a close and autumn is coming. The weather is cooling and I am growing.
I`ve had a great week this week. Monday night we had a companion exchange with the Senboku missionaries. I was with Elder Bailey and the two new missionaries where together over in Senboku. Me Elder Bailey had a great time together, teaching a few good lessons and feeling the spirit as we had many good conversations about faith and about President Zinke`s vision. It was a great day and we had lots of fun together.
Wednesday we had basically no time to do anything, we taught a lesson to a less-active and then had Eikaiwa which went just fine. Thursday we were out with a member all day and then we taught Eikaiwa again up at Mikunigaoka`s area, so nothing really happened then. it wasn`t very exciting at all.
Friday was a great day. We had District Meeting and I had no idea what I was going to teach the District. I had spent the whole week studying for it but nothing was really coming to my mind and jumping out to me as to what I should teach, so I was unsure and finally just decided to teach from my personal study about faith. It was a great experience as I felt the Spirit guide me as to what to say and what to do, helping me to teach the District to grow and become better missionaries.
Saturday was basically just planning and then we visited Nishiguchi Kyodai, who is doing awesome and really working hard at rebuilding his faith. Sunday was beautiful as always. We had 4 less-actives to church and 1 investigator so it was really cool. We had an awesome lunch party after church with lots of delicious foods. Then we hopped into Ward Council to try to work with the ward more. That was really good. We also got a call from the Ward Mission Leader in Hashimoto branch, the Branch just south of us that doesn`t have any missionaries there at the moment. He had apparently found a new investigator that wants to hear the message and so we are going down there for church next Sunday. It sounds like it will be loads of fun.
I`m sorry if my emails are short and uninteresting. It just seems that everything blurs together a lot. I am so busy as I work with calling the District and working with members as well as seeking to find new investigators. It`ll be even more busy if this investigator in Hashimoto works out. But I like it this way. I`m happy when I am busy, moving along and doing the Lord`s work. There is nothing I`d rather be doing now than this.
Elder Tateishi`s Gospel Message of the week.
I wish to take time this week and talk about Faith. We members of the church have long known that "Faith is not to have a perfect knowledge of things; therefore if ye have faith ye hope for things which are not seen, which are true." That is the simplest and best way to explain what faith is. We don`t need to know perfectly about something in order to have faith, we simply need to hope for those things which are true and follow and act upon them.
It has often been said that Faith is an action word. It is not simply an attitude or a belief but it is an ACTIVE belief that drives us to do something based upon those beliefs. We may believe that if we go to work we will get paid, but that belief is useless unless we act upon it and actually do it. When that belief turns into action it is Faith.
Now for the key part. TRUE Faith, is faith in God and in his son Jesus Christ. True Faith is trusting that God`s ways are better than our`s, trusting that God knows more than we do and that he desires the best for us. This TRUE faith comes when we gain a correct knowledge of the attributes of God and gain a personal testimony and witness that it is true. Once we obtain that witness, that knowledge, everything else just comes down to Faith, whether or not God`s ways are better than ours. If we remember that God is God and Man is Man this should be a lot simpler. We can also remain humble and act as God desires us to act, for he knows what`s best for each and every one of us personally. Not collectively, for he doesn`t desire a bunch of clones that are all the exact same, but individually. He knows what each and everyone one of us needs right now in order to become the best person that we can be. IF we have Faith and trust in him, then we can become that person. IF we trust that God`s happiness is greater and better than any happiness that we could ever make on our own, than we can have it. The only thing that stands in our way is ourselves.
With Faith comes power. If we have Faith we will be able to do all things, because we will be doing what God would want us to do, and nothing can stop God. With Faith we can move mountains, split oceans, and cause rain to stop falling. But more useful and more important than that, we can move the sometimes mountainous tasks that lie before us, we can overcome the challenges and difficulties that face our lives. We can know which path to walk and we can know how to help our families. With Faith we can pray unto God for help and recieve it. With Faith our families can become Eternal.
I know that this wonderful Church is God`s Church. I know that he Lives that he watches over me. I know that he loves me, that he is pleased with what I am doing. I can taste the fruits of Faith daily as I go about doing his work. I may not know what lies ahead for me in the next few months or years, but I know that if I continue to follow God all will be will. It is written "For we know that all things will be for the good of those that Love God." (Romans 2:28) I trust in God. I may not be perfect, I may not have a perfect trust but I know that I am trying that I keep moving forward everyday trying to do just a little better. I bear testimony of this in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
With Much Love,
Elder Randall KK Tateishi
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