An Eternal Perspective

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

Another beautiful week passes by in Japan.

Step by step we go
Day by Day we grow
Some Days Shine
While others Die
Some moments so Sublime
Yet others so Malign
Step by Step we go
Day by Day we Grow
Then one moment Comes
In Distant Future`s Time
When Age has come
And years past by
When life`s memories
Flash throughout the mind
Yet all we know
All we hear
And All we see
Are Sweeter Times
Are Sweeter Joys
All pain and sorrow gone
And in their place
Is Peace and Joy


It`s truly been a beautiful week, filled with great prayers, and greater sermons. Even if it felt so uneventful throughout the week, even though during the week it felt normal, now as I look back I realize how great it was.

Monday, I just wrote letters to Adam and Whitney. Then we went and visited a less active. Matt Fugal from American Fork Utah. Tuesday we had Eikaiwa, Which was fun, being able to testify about God and how he loves all of us. Wednesday and Thursday nothing really special happened at all. Friday we went to Akashi and had a Valentine`s dance party with all the YSA in the neighboring areas, and a few from Hiroshima Mission that traveled over 4 HOURS to come. By the way I didn`t dance with any girls. ALthough I did do the Chicken Dance with my companion. That was utterly hilarious. He had no idea what was going on, or what to do.

On Saturday Elder Cook of the Quorom of the Twelve came and visited us for a Mission Conference. I realized how much Love there is within the Quorom of the Twelve, how well they know each other. I also could feel strongly from that experience how much love they have for every member of the church, and especially for missionaries. It was an amazing experience, and I`m so glad I was able to participate. I also LOVE singing hymns, they are one of the greatest ways to bring the Spirit. I remember at the end of Mission Conference as we sang "I know that my Redeemer Lives" in Japanese, how strongly I could feelt he Spirit Testifying to me those same words.

Sunday we had a wonderful day at church. I got to go into primary and testify to a little 6 year old boy about the Savior. A wonderful experience. I`m loving this work, and I can`t think of anywhere else that I would want to be than here.

Elder Tateishi`s Message of the Week

Eternal Families.

Big words in my opinion. Eternal: lasting forever, continuing forever, never ending, without end. Family: A place of love, a place where we can have the greatest joys in the world. As members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, it is our ultimate goal. That Eternal Family, or in my words Eternal Joy.

My greatest goal in life, is to be the perfect Husband and Father. The thing I want the most for my future children is a perfect Father. The thing I want most for my wife is a perfect Husband. Big goals I know, and one that I`m working towards slowly but surely.

Now, what am I talking about? I don`t know.

The world today is filled with filth, with so many things that destroy the family. I hear of so many couples being divorced and so many children wandering astray down forbidden paths. I see families torn down and brought to destruction and ruin. I see how much pain there is in the world because of this, and Japan is no exception to it. It saddens me to see the family destroyed. To see the greatest source of Joy that we can have in this world torn down.

I know that there is one sure way to defend our families. The Gospel, The living prophets, the scriptures, prayer. When, as a family we are sealed in the Temple of God for all Eternity we must recognize that goal! We must remember it always in our heart. We must also remember that we cannot do it on our own. We shoot for an Eternal FAMILY, not an eternal ME. When built upon the firm foundation of Christ, looking forward with an of faith, a family that is bound together will not fall. Husbands and Wives support each other and raise their Children. Children learn from the parents, but also support their parents. Brothers and Sisters watch out for each other and talk to each other.

Yes I know I`m talking about a perfect family. I know that no family is perfect. But we can try, and we can succeed so long as we all look to to God for help. In the Book of Mormon when King Benjamin adressed his people it is written, that all of the people were camped around the temple, each with his own family, the door of their tent pitched towards the temple so they might here the words of the Prophet while they dwelt within their tents. Can we not do that today? Isn`t it MUCH easier today than it was back then. Twice a year we can hear the words of the prophets through TV, Every Month we can read their words in magazines, every week we can study their words at church, and every day we can read from the words of ancient prophets.

Follow the prophets and you will NEVER be lead astray. We can learn what to protect our familes from, we can learn how to make our familes stronger. We can teach our children principles of righteousness and love. There is a way to have that perfect family, but it takes work, and it takes effort.

I`m but a 20 year old boy. I`m no father, nor am I a Husband. But I will be one day, and I look to my own parents to find a basis for what I want my family to be like. I look to my Father in Heaven as the perfect example of a father to us all. One who loves us with all his heart. When I become a father and a husband, I plan to spend many hours on my knees seeking his counsel, I plan on listening and searching for that counsel within the words of Modern and Ancient Prophets. I know I can find what I need there.

I love you all, even those I`ve never met. And I know that our Father in Heaven loves you even more than me, or anyone else upon this earth. I bear witness of this, in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

With Love,

Elder Randall KK Tateishi

The Best is Yet to Come...

Randy is plugging away...we are T-minus 11 months till he is home and I can't wait...Although, I am not aloud to mention that fact in any emails I send to him...He wants to enjoy and be in the moment where he is. Things are going well and pretty much un-eventful....which is good...

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

To quote Elder Holland: "The best is yet to come!"

And so it is. Everyday brings new adventure and new life. When one strives to follow the right course, Everday is better than the last. and so "the best is yet to come."

It`s been another beautiful week here in Japan. The sun is shining, the weather is warming up and Spring is just around the corner, I can feel it coming.

Monday we went to a nearby Bhuddist temple and looked around, twas pretty cool. I love the architecture here, and I want my house to have a Japanese style exterior, of course the inside will be more American because Japanese houses are TINY! Tuesday was a wonderful day, English class went well. There were 9 people that came last week, when usually there are only 4. It caught me off guard and I wasn`t prepared for so many people! I was interviewing people, finding out how good their English was and what more they wanted to learn. Barely got half of them done. But they all had fun talking to each other.

Wednesday and thursday we didn`t have anything to special, but we still had fun. Friday we went to Himeji and had District Meeting, nothing exciting there, except we went to a Brazilian all you can eat buffet. Just like "Made in Brazil" down in St. George. Wasn`t nearly as good, but it was still good to have some nice tasty meat. Meat is WAY too expensive in Japan. Then Friday night we met with one of our Investigators, Bruce, I ended up dropping him as an investigator because he really only had interest in English. It was kind of sad. I HATE dropping investigators, because I don`t want to give up on them, but I know I have to because we don`t have the time to work with people that aren`t even going to try. I did give him one finally testimony though.

Saturday was nothing special either, except we went to Akashi and played Basketball again. I SUCK! Yea, I`m really horrible at basketball, but it was fun and some good excercise.

Sunday was a beautiful day. I had an amazing fast, filled with the Spirit and filled with Love. I heard some wonderful testimonies given at church and I was able to bear a wonderful testimony as well. It`s amazing how easily things flow from your tongue when guided by the Spirit. We had a wonderful Gospel Principles class taught by the Ward Mission Leader. All in all it was just wonderful, despite the fact that I was sore from basketball, tired from not sleeping well the night before and exhausted from spending the whole day without eating. By the time I got home I almost crashed as soon as I finished eating I was so tired. But the thing was, I was satisfied. Certain that I had done my best.

Elder Tateishi`s Gospel Message of the Week

Belief

Hope

Faith

Ether 12:4 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.

Belief, Hope, Faith. All intertwined but all different. So close, yet still seperate. We must first belief, must believe that God Exists, that he is our father, that he loves us. Then we must hope, hope that the world to come will be better than the world we have now, that the future will present us with something better. Then we must have Faith, have faith in God, and take those steps forward to follow him. Belief and Hope reside in the mind, Faith is action. Belief and Hope build Faith.

Faith points to the future, it always looks forward, it always WORKS forward. Faith is action, is acting upon belief, doing what we believe God wants us to do, Faith is folloing the commands of God and ever seeking to do what is right, just, and good. Faith leads us to progression, Faith is climbing the stairway that leads to Heaven. Through Faith we gain a greater Hope, we see that our Faith is getting us somewhere, that our Faith is leading us to glory and exaltation, and we learn that we can Hope for even better. Then our Belief, turns into Knowledge, for we know that the stairway we climb is one of righteousness, is the one that God has built for us.

Belief, Hope, Faith. Light in the darkest night, Anchor against the mighty storm, A Firm foundation against the greatest of eathquakes.

Helaman 5:12
And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build (Belief, Hope, Faith) your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall.

Got Faith?

In the name of our Redeemer, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Love,

Elder Randall KK Tateishi

What Happened to January?

Well my son has lost a month so it seems....but so have I. Time really flys when you are having fun apparently. I'm glad to see that he is keeping busy enough to not think about time.

Dear Mother, Father, Brothers, Sisters, Family, Friends, and everyone else.

Well. Tomorrow is Febuary. Which makes me wonder where January went. If that makes sense to anyone. It Doesn`t really make sense to me.

This week has been a pretty good week. Nothing special happened at all really. Just the regular out and Dendoing. Tuesday through Sunday. Walking around out in the cold, searching for people to teach, visiting less active members and riding our bikes up and down the streets. Most of my greatest experiences though this week have been in the apartment, studying the scriptures and refocusing on building my faith and strengthing myself.

Let`s see.... Tuesday we had Eikaiwa, which went splendidly. Had a new girl show up, speaks pretty good english and we had lots of fun. I gave a Good News message at the end of Eikaiwa(English Class) like usual. It ended up being about how faith gives us hope for a better world (Ether 12:4) and used the old saying "Look for the silver lining." It was an amazing Good news according to everyone else. The funny part was, that the new girl felt the spirit as I spoke, but did not understand what I was saying because I had slipped into English. After class she came up to me and was trying to find out what I had said, but by that time I had forgotton the exact words, or what specifically she wanted me to repeat. She was explaining herself and said that she was really impressed, and felt that what I had been saying was really good. But of course I hit myself on the forehead and was like "DOH! Shouldn`t have spoken in English or so fast."

Other than that, on Sunday we spent almost the whole day at church. Taught a 75 year old lady and all that. Was actually loads of fun, even if she did talk a lot. I got a letter from Nakanishi, he`s the same old same old, nothing much has changed at all. Still love him to death.

Elder Tateishi`s Gospel Message of the week!

"For behold, thus saith the Lord God: I will give unto the children of men line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little; and blessed are those who hearken unto my precepts, and lend an ear unto my counsel, for they shall learn wisdom..." (2 Nephi 28:30)

Our father in heaven has sent us to this earth to learn, to grow and gain expierence. For those Parents out there I give unto you a Parable, you might call it, an example.

Everyone fears the "terrible twos." The time when Toddlers begin to try to be independant. When they are stubborn and want to do things all on their own, they get upset and frustrated when they can`t do it, but they get even madder when you step in and try to help them. Let me also pull out what I call the "terrible teens" when we, yes I am included, are grown up and decide not to listen to our parents for various reasons. Sometimes we just think that our parents are being restrictive, or that we just plain think that we know better because our Parents our ancient and outdated from the time of the dinosaurs (No offense meant to those of older generations, Love you all!).

Well, if all goes well, usually that "know it all" Teenager ends up realizing how much of an idiot he really is and starts listening to his parents, who have experienced a lot more things than we ever have and know a lot more than we know. So where am I going with this. GOD IS THE SAME WAY!! I would have to say that each of us has a little bit of that rebellious teenager in them. Sometimes we do it unconsciously, sometimes consciously, but we always do ignore a little bit of what our Father in Heaven has told us. You see, our Father in Heaven has experienced exactly what we have experienced. He knows what`s good, what`s right, and what will keep us from falling into too many ditches.

All of us are as little children, as teenagers, we do not know exactly where we need to go, and we are far from perfect, many times we just want to go our own way, go solo you might say. But if we do we`ll just keep falling into more and more ditches. But as we listen to our Father in Heaven, he will guide, step by step, and he will teach us line upon line, here a little and there a little. If we are receptive, he`ll teach us more, if we aren`t he`ll let us go, because he knows that we have our agency to choose. He`s not going to stop us from making the wrong choices, but he does warn us of the consequences and gives us stern lectures when we do the wrong things.

So, first I say to you teenagers and young`ns, Me included. Listen to your parents, your leaders, your elders. They are probably a lot smarter and wiser than you! Second, to everyone, including you parents and grandparents, listen to YOUR Father, your God, He is infinitely smarter and wiser than you and knows exactly what`s right for you.

I love you all, and I say unto all of you that God loves you more than I do. I echo the words of God: "Look unto me in every thought, Doubt not, Fear not!" He is my anchor and my guide. I`ll be honest and tell you I am far from the most perfect person on this planet, but I`m taking it step by step up the stairway to heaven. Believe these things, and know that I know these things. In Christ`s name. Amen.

Elder Randall KK Tateishi

Joy, Joy....and more Joy

I am so happy and so is Randy....he is really feeling the joy of being a Missionary and I am feeling the joy of being a mother. Life is so good and I feel so blessed with family and friends. What a great feeling it is to know that God loves you (and me)and God wants us to be happy so.....I am!

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

I don`t know why, but right now I`m just so happy. Nothing really special has happened this week but I`m just happy. I`m happy I am where I am, I`m happy I`m a missionary, I`m happy because of my Family, I`m happy because of my Companion, I`m happy because one of my previous investigators in Sennan (Sora) was baptized last week, I`m happy because I KNOW the Lord loves me. "But by the grace of God, I am what I am!"

Tuesday we got Transfer calls. Elder Hale transfered to Miki, and my new companion is Elder Uehara, the oldest missionary I`ve ever had, he`s on his second to last transfer. Tuesday and Wednesday were spent getting things packed and ready for Elder Hale to Transfer. Thursday me and Elder Uehara came back to the Apartment and cleaned up a little bit, got his stuff unpacked and all ready and then planned for the week and the transfer. Friday and Saturday we went out and Dendoed around by the Eki. I`m learning a lot from Elder Uehara, especially about how to be more bold in talking to people.

Sunday we had Ward Conference. The stake president came and a lot of other people as well. It was almost the exact same, except the Bishop told everyone the Ward goals for the year. Including 8 baptisms by the end of the year. Although the ward mission leader is a little bit more bold and wants 1 baptism every month. Looks like I`m going to have to step it up a bit and getting things rolling. After church we wandered around half of our are trying to find new areas to Dendo, but we had no luck with that.

We also got news recently that Elder Cook of the Twelve will be coming at the beginning of next month and we`ll be having a mission wide conference. I`m excited for that one.

So my new companion. Elder Uehara, he is from Hokkaido, the southern part of the big island of Northern Japan. He`s 26 years old and will be 27 soon after he gets off his mission. He is a convert, baptized when he was 22 and a Graduate from College, oddly enough his major is Computer Science, although he hates programming. He`s fun and I love working with him, he`s an excellent worker and basically just amazing. We get along just fine.

Elder Tateishi`s Message of the Week

I remember towards the beginning of my mission I sent an email to someone about miracles. About what the greatest miracle is. I hold to that same idea today. That the greatest miracle is: "Life."

As I said at the beginning I`m happy right now. I`m happy because of my Life. Of the experiences I`ve had, of what I`ve learned of where I am. What a miracle my life has been, from the very outset to now. To have been born to two loving parent`s who raised me in the Gospel, to have been able to overcome difficulties and challenges throughout my life. What a miracle it is that I am what I am today. I repeat again, "By the Grace of God, I am what I am!"

I am a human being, filled with weaknesses. I am frail, a lump of coal. I want to call to mind a famous short video clip within the Church, "Jonny Lingo." Simply the story takes place in Hawaii, were a very ugly girl named Mohana lives. She can`t get married, because no one wants her, and as the weddings went in that time she could have been bought for 1 very sick cow. But along came a rich man, Jonny Lingo, a merchant, who loved Mohana very much, so he bought her for 10 cows, an outragoues price, for most wives were bought only for 4 or 5 at most. Yet he bought her for 10 cows! And when he did, over time she became even more beautiful than anyone thought possible, her father was even angry at Jonny Lingo, saying she was worth at least 12 cows!

Now where am I going with this? It`s a funny movie for any who have seen it, but I`m going to compare it to the Grace of God. Each and everyone of us is a Mohana. In comparison to the glory of God we are just downright ugly. We have no worth, we are filthy. We are weak, we are human. God is like Jonny Lingo, and he sees each and everyone of us, he loves each of us despite our weaknesses, our frailities, our imperfections. So he bought us, and the price he paid was his beloved son, Jesus Christ. Our freedom has been bought, and through that price we too can obtain beauty and worth, obtain perfection.

I repeat again, "By the Grace of God, I am what I am!" I repeat again, "I knoweth that God Loveth his Children, Nevertheless I do not know the meaning of all things." This is the greatest miracle, Life, Eternal Life. A gift given unto us by God, or father in heaven who loves us so dearly that he was willing to pay the greatest sacrifce.

I love you all, and I pray for you all. Take care, and remember, remember the Love of God. Wherever, whenever, whoever. God Loves you. Of this I bear witness in the name of Christ, Amen.

Your Son, Brother, Friend

Elder Randall KK Tateishi

Bloody Nose and all.....

Oh Randy, you crack me up. You are my sunshine and I love it! We are now officially on the downhill portion of the mission. Less than 1 year and he will be home getting ready to start his new life as a return missionary (hopefully at BYU). I so enjoy his letters and all the experiences he has had. It has made him truly a better person.

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

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOT!!!!

We had a Baptism this week! Osawa, Junji, was Baptized on January 12, 2011, and confirmed on January 16, 2011. I was so excited to see that man baptized and confirmed. He is a wonderful man, with a beautiful spirit. Although I didn`t do much of the teaching or finding with him I was happy to participate in his Baptism. He truly was ready to be baptized, and the ward welcomed him with open hearts and open arms. You see, he quit his job to take care of his dying mother, and spends most of his days by her side taking care of her and helping her. He has one of the biggest hearts I know, always wanting to make sure that we are ok and loves to talk with the Missionaries.

That was basically my week. Tuesday we just did some regular Dendo, Wednesday we had the baptism. Thursday I went over to Himeji with Elder Burhoe for a companionship exchange. I actually ended up breaking Elder Akina`s bike. His chain guide was bent badly and when I down shifted because we were going up a hill the whole chain guide hit the spokes and snapped off. It was an hour and a half walk back to the apartment, and that ended the night. X.x. Luckily Elder Akina is going into his last transfer, so he`s just borrowing a bike from the Honbu for the next month and a half and so he wasn`t mad at me.

Friday we had district meeting in Kakogawa, got together and had a great time. Went to an Curry restuarant with endless `Nan` which is this nice soft bread that you eat with your Curry. It was delicious and I ate a LOT. Saturday me and Elder Hale went to Akashi for a YSA activity, ended up playing Monopoly and then went and played Basketball. Yes, I played basketball and I had fun doing it to. Reason number A) People weren`t all that competitive, B) I didn`t completely suck, and C) The reason WHY I didn`t suck was because everyone was the same height, if not smaller than me. xD.

Sunday we had the confirmation of Osawa, which went well. He was so excited and was telling us after church that he could really feel the Spirit. We also taught a lesson to a Less-active and her non-member daughter, an Italian woman named Rosario. She mainly speaks Spainish. Yea, very strange story. But as I was saying the closing prayer I got a bloody nose, pretty bad, and I ran into the Men`s bathroom to get some paper towels and stuff. The next thing I know, Rosario is right there behind me, yanking my head back and telling me to do all these different things. Than she starts massaging the back of my head. The whole time my companion is laughing his head off. Luckily, it was over quickly and I didn`t get blood on my clothes, just my nametag. Somehow it missed the suit and just got the nametag.

So that was my week. Another exciting week, filled with adventure, this week will be just as adventuresome. Since we have transfer calls tomorrow and then transfers are on thursday. So I might be in a new area before next week, and I`m pretty sure I`ll at least have a new companion next week to.

Elder Tateishi`s Message of the Week

So This message will be a quick one this week. Nothing special at all, or big at all. I will simply quote 1 Cor. 15:8-11

"And last of all he[Christ] was seen of me[Paul] also, as of one born out of due time. For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me. Therefore whether it were I or they, so we preach, and so ye believed."

We can all obtain a witness of Christ, even though we did not see his ministry or ressurrection with our own eyes. Many of us are the least of all people, weak and imperfect. We have all sinned against God, have made mistakes in our imperfect state. But for those of us who seek forgiveness, it is by the grace of God that we are who we are today. It is up to us to make sure that it was given in vain or useless, and so we labor, more dilligently, understanding that through the Grace of God that we have obtained our forgiveness. So we preach, and we teach, and it matters not in the end who is the one that actually gathers the most, it is all simply how hard we worked to do it.

I am indeed the least of Missionaries, far from perfect, not having been the best person before I left. But I work hard now to do my best, I strive to preach, I strive to teach, and in the end it doesn`t matter wether I am the one that baptizes or sees success, so long as success comes from my efforts, so long as I push the work even just a little bit further.

Take care one and all. Live well, and do your best. That is all anyone can ever ask for.

Love,

Elder Randall KK Tateishi

A day in the life of a Missionary.....

So, I won't comment too much this week. I was away in Seattle when Randy emailed and he got some great news from his older brother Bobby and his wife Amy...they are expecting their first child and Randy is very excited and so is the rest of the family. We are reaching, or have reached the half way mark of Randy's mission. He reported to the MTC on January 13, 2010 and today is January 12, 2010....Wow does time fly....before we know it he will be home and ready to start his college life possibly at BYU....

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

O How beautiful is the World! How Wonderful is my God! How great are the blessings that I have recieved! What rapture fills my heart, what Joy encompasses my soul!

My week has been fantastic, despite the fact that nothing really interesting happened to me. What really has me jumping for joy are all the emails I recieved today from home. Lol, It raises my spirits so much to see my family blessed at home, and my dearest friends. Cheryl, if you read this, I love you!

This week, wasn`t anything all that special actually, Tuesday was filled with knocking on doors with little results, Wednesday we went to Kobe and had interviews with the Mission President. That was very nice, and I felt so great after interviews and District Meeting. We then ate at a Buffet, called "The World Buffet" which had pizza, pasta, and then just a lot of Chinese and Japanese Foods. Not quite a "World" Buffet, but it was delicious. Japanese Pizza`s are wierd, they put corn and mayonaise and other random toppings on them.

Thursday was Thursday. Friday we tried goign to a different place to Dendo, and had a little bit of fun out there. Saturday we had quite a few lessons, met with some less actives and taught our good friend Bruce(Aoki). And we also went to the beach to check out and see if anyone was there. No one was, but it was a beautiful Sunset. By the way, I LOVE the new camera, takes awesome pictures. I forgot to bring my SD cardreader today, but I`ll send pictures next week.

Thanks Mom for the Wallet and the tie, Love it!

Sunday we had church, which was pretty good. I had to give a talk in Sacrament meeting. By the way, if you think it`s scary giving a talk in English, try doing it in Japanese! Trying to find the right words and all that, and trying to read the scriptures while on the stand. If there is one thing I`ve learned on my mission, one of the major ones is what it`s like to be illiterate and stumble over words while reading. Man it`s hard.

This morning we did some deep cleaning in the apartment, man this place is dirty X.x. I cleaned out the closet and threw away a whole bunch of junk that other missionaries had left behind. Cleaned all the grime off the stove and cleaned the Kitchen sink again. I haven`t started getting to work on the bathroom and shower stuff yet. That`ll probably be next week.

So next week the 20th is Transfer day already, and today is my 1 year mark as a Missionary.... O.O, wow, that was fast.

Elder Tateishi`s Gospel Message of the Week

Well, as I just said, I`m a year old missionary. Or at least, a year ago was the day that I got set apart as a Missionary, 3 more days and it`ll be my year mark from when I reported to the MTC. From here on out, it`s all down hill. The days will count down and not up. It is indeed a bitter sweet time. Many times I think of what I`ll do when I get home, where life is going to take me, Where I`ll go and what I`ll do. It`ll be strange going home, going back to the regular world, leaving a life and a world that I have come to love. Leaving behind people that I have loved, that I have taught, that I have helped. That will be a sad day.

What I wish to talk about today, is what I`m doing here. Many of you, those members that read this, probably already know, but there are some that read this that do not know, or only have a vague idea of what it`s like.

I`m a missionary. My day consists of waking at 6:30 am, preparing, studying, and then leaving my apartment by 10:30. From there I spend my day wandering streets, teaching lessons, Talking with people, knocking on doors, and serving those around me. By 9:00 PM I`m back in the apartment, planning and preparing for the next day. By 10:30 I`m in bed, saying my nightly prayers and saying good night to my companion.

Everyday, when I leave the Apartment have a goal set, a simple goal. That goal is to spread the Gospel to as many people as will hear me. And I really want to focus on that one word: "Gospel." In Japanese it is Fukuin, 福音, or "The Blessed Sound." Or as many may know the meaning of Gospel, "The Good News." As a Missionary I have been called to "Raise a voice of good tidings and Great Joy." My duty is to share my heart, to give freely to those who will accept, something that has brought true joy and happiness into my life. To teach of Christ, my savior and my Redeemer, the one who knows me and guides, who is the very reason for all I am.

Simply the Gospel is this: Believe in Christ and Follow him. Christ, as our Saviour, is the one being that has the power to cleanse us from sin, to purify us and make us worthy to return to our Father in Heaven, and live in Never-Ending Happiness. He has provided the way, by which our families can become eternal, where the ones we love in this life will continue with us into the next. He has been given power over death, by which all men may be resurrected unto perfection, by which all men might obtain a perfect body, free from pain and free from suffering and handicap.

These things, the ordinances and authority by which we can obtain these things, eternal families and eternal life, and the truths of the gospel, God`s great plan of Salvation and other truths were once lost. But I go forth and boldy proclaim that they are here again in this Church. That a young boy named Joseph Smith saw God the Father, and Jesus Christ, was commissioned by them to restore the True Church of God, and to bring back the Priesthood. That this day, and this time we have a living prophet, who is called of God to guide this Church.

I teach people how to know for themselves the truthfullness of what I teach. I show them the way to the Living Waters, to the gates of Eternal Life. I teach people who have never prayed in their life how to commune with God, I tell them to ask for themselves whether I speak the truth or not. I give them the Book of Mormon, a book containing many of the truths of God, a book through which we can learn of our Father in Heaven and be able to feel his love. I take them to church, to see one of the most simplest ordinances performed in the church, the Sacrament, I tell them of Baptism, the way by which they can recieve a remission of their sins. I tell them the commandments of God and show them how they can be cleansed from sin and obtain true happiness in this life, and a pure hope of eternal life in the next.

That is what I do as a missionary. I talk to people and tell them the truths that I hold. I share with them the love that I have felt from God and desire for them to have that same peace and happiness. I love my duty, my responsibility. I do wish I were better at it. I wish more people would open their hearts to what I have to say, would listen to the words of God. But I am simply a messenger, trying to tell all the way to God. As the saying goes, you can lead a horse to water, but you can`t make him drink.

With all my heart I invite everyone to try this. Dip your ladle into the Living Waters, and take a sip. Say a prayer to God, and ask him yourselves, open the book of Mormon and read a page, Go to Church and see us worship our God in Heaven. I know it`s true, and I can promise you that if you try these things, and truly seek to know for yourselves, you can.

I love you all, and I wish only for the best for all people. I bear testimony, that this work is true, that This is truly God`s Church. I know that Joseph Smith restored this Church, that Thomas S. Monson is the current Prophet of God. I know Christ is my savior, my redeemer and that he loves me and each and everyone of you. I write these things, in his Name, Jesus Christ. Amen

WIth much Love,

Elder Randall KK Tateishi

Growth...

It is hard to comprehend the amount of growth that Randy has had during his first year of his mission. He really has grown up to be a fine man. (wow, kind of scary calling him a man)....he is and always be my baby....He has agonized and wondered and tried to change and make himself a better person and needless to say it has worked. When he sets his mind on doing something he completes it. Now this is not to say he doesn't have to work on himself anymore, it just means he has the confidence to accept change and to work on things to make a better life for himself. I am so proud of my young son. I'm proud of his growth. I'm proud to be his mother....but most of all I'm proud that he has made decisions that have led him to be the greatest person that he could be.....

Re: Happy New Year!‏


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

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!! (And happy Birthday Dad!)

The irony of it all. Mum sent me a package almost 3 WEEKS ago and I still haven`t gotten it. Yes it`s ironic because at the Christmas Conference for the mission they had me read a story about a missionary in Austrualia who didn`t get his package from his family for Christmas. Guess since it was getting shipped over Christmas it just got delayed.

Anyway, it`s been 2 weeks since I`ve written an email and this is the first email of the year!!! Exciting isn`t it.

Let`s see what happened in the past few weeks. We`ve been knocking on a lot of doors, all around the place, having fun talking with plenty of different people. I can`t remember much before Christmas though X.x.

Christmas eve rolled around and we all went to Himeji and had a little party there and went carolling. Hung out with my district, opened presents and just had fun in general. Than came back and wrote some letters, which I fail at writing. Got Gypsy`s letter sent off, wrote Whitney, and now on my list is George, Ian, Grandma Sadie and Whitney again. I think I`m forgetting people though.

Then the Sunday after Christmas we had a random investigator show up at church. That was awesome. We had actually planned to meet him after church, but he ended up coming halfway through sacrament meeting to tell us he couldn`t make the appointment. So I just invited him in and he came. It was awesome.

Monday rolled around again, and it was very strange because it wasn`t a P-day. I can`t even remember what we did that day, knocked on many doors. Tuesday was much of the same, and wednesday we visited the Bishop`s house and ate dinner with him. Thursday we met with a guy named Bruce, well his real name is Aoki, but he picked up the name Bruce when he went to Austraulia for a while from his friends. Showed him the Restoration video and asked him if anyone else might be interested in listening to our message. He then referred his wife, which we were planning to ask about specifically afterwards.

Friday we met with a Less active and taught him the plan of Salvation again, that was lots of fun. Then we just planned for the next week for the rest of the day, then at night we wandered around by the Train Station(eki) it was literally like a Ghost Town. There was no one in sight. But that`s Japanese New Year`s, everyone at home partying.

Saturday we had a big Missionary Sports Taikai(can`t think of the english word) I played some volleyball, got smashed in the face by a spike and knocked over (It`s always my face). Then watched the first movie I`ve seen for almost a year, Kung Fu Panda, in Japanese, with English subtitles. Was hilarious. Then played Dodgeball and just generally had fun hanging out with everyone. ALL of my old companions were there, Mclaws, Escalante, Mizuguchi, Shinozaki, Camacho, and Cannon. It was actually pretty good seeing all of them again.

Sunday was fast sunday, we planned for the baptism we`re going to have next week. I recieved an assignment to give a talk next week Sunday on Following the Lord. That`ll probably be next weeks message. You know me, procrastinating and all, probably won`t write it till Sunday morning. xD. JK. Sunday day we did some more housing, not all that bad, didn`t get yelled at at least. Everyone was just busy and had guests over because of the New years. Then at night we visited a members house and had fun with them.

Then this morning we got up at 5 AM, and went with all the youth and some of the other members to go on the yearly hike up a nearby Mountain. I don`t know the name of it. We started the hike at about 6:30, and we were at the top by just after 7. We took the fast route with most of the youth, it was very steep and rocky. But we made it to the top in time to see the sun rise. It was a beautiful sight, looking out over Kakogawa. I could see to Akashi bridge and even beyond that to Sennan. Which was slightly funny because I remember looking out from the porch in our Apartment in Sennan and seeing that Mountain, Never thought I`d actually climb it.

Then we came back and ate breakfast with the Youth before we came home and cleaned the apartment, and now I`m here. writing emails. Surprisingly, I only have 1 email I have to write this week. O well.

Elder Tateishi`s Gospel Message of the Week! 2011, Issue #1

One week from now and I will have been a missionary for an entire year. 10 days from now and It`ll have been 1 year since I last saw Mom and Dad when they kicked me out of the car in front of the MTC almost 4 hours early and ran off to go help Mike and Jessica move into their house in California. Too think, that at this time an entire year ago, I was sitting at home, in St. George, like a sack of potatoes, probably unshaven and unkempt. You`re stereotypical jobless man living in his Parent`s Basement. Lol, funny image.

Now I`m over 5000 miles away from home, in a cold apartment, speaking an entirely different language, reading characters that are so foreign that I can`t use the term "It`s as hard as reading Japanese" anymore. I`m out and about all day everyday, riding bikes, wandering streets, trying not to overstuff myself at members houses, and listening to old men talk in a language that is supposed to be the one that I`m speaking but sounds more like Chinese too me. I`m fit, I can cook, I can speak Japanese, I can preach the gospel, and I can testify of it`s truthfullness. In 1 Year I`ve changed a lot.

This last year has been a growing year for me. One year ago I had one single goal. It was probably the simplest goal I`ve ever made. "Change." I entered into the MTC with a single thought, a single purpose and I believe I overdid it a little bit, But that purpose was to lose myself. To get rid of the old me. I would probably have never admitted it before but I didn`t like who I was before. There were many parts that I saw in myself that just horrified me. So I went to throw it ALL out. Now that wasn`t a perfect goal, because it did end up bringing a load of trouble down the road. I`ve come to decide that the main reason why I had such a horrible time my 3rd and 4th transfer was because I wasn`t being MYSELF.

Most of you will probably remember that. Lol, I certainly do. Those were the hardest times of my mission, when I always felt that I was being abandoned, as if God was just knocking me down everytime I tried to get back up. Of course that wasn`t true at all. It was me that was kicking myself down all the time. I was always thinking that everything I did was wrong, My companions were always right, and then when I felt angry, mad, or annoyed, I just beat myself up even more saying, "I shouldn`t feel this way at all!" I would say I lost myself a bit too much over those two transfers.

Then I got put with Elder Camacho, and he taught me to just be myself again. Something I should have remembered from Elder Escalante. I found out that just as important as serving the Lord, is being YOU while you do it. Each of us, was born a child of God, given attributes, talents and abilities. He`s asked us to use them, to use them for righteousness and bring about good in this world. To some is given the ability to Sing, to play an instrument, to create masterful pieces of Art, to others is given Athletics or Smarts, to some is given a gentle smile, a warm welcome, or just a friendly attitude. Whatever it is, we all have our talents and abilities.

In the New Testament, Christ gives us the parable of the Pounds. Where a Lord gave unto one servant 10 ounds, another 5, and another 1. The Lord then left into a far land and when he returned he asked what his servants had done with their Pounds. Two of them had doubled what they were given, but the third, the servant with only 1 pound had made nothing, had hid it in the ground fearing that he would lose it. When the Lord heard this he took away that single pound and gave it to the one that had 10 pounds saying "That unto every one which hath shall be given; and from him that hath not, even that he hath shall be taken away from him." I would add also to that quote, "That unto every one which hath AND USETH shall be given: and from him that hath not AND DOETH NOT, even that he hath shall be taken away from him."

When we seek to hide what he have, whether it is because we are embarassed, or afraid, we will use it. It`s simple, when you don`t practice playing the piano, you`ll forget it, when you don`t practice throwing a football, you`ll lose it, when you don`t continue to study Math, You`ll forget it. But when you use it, when you strive to improve yourself you`ll grow, you`ll get better, and you`ll get stronger. As we grow and as we strive to improve, if we try to use our talents to serve the Lord he will amplifiy and edify our talents and abilities. I have a talent of learning, God has amplified that talent with me learning Japanese, he has added onto the things that I have strived to gain, he has helped me to learn one of the most difficult languages in the world. I could not have done it without his help. When I really started to grow with my Japanese was when I had to use it, when I tried to take those steps forward despite my fear of messing up.

I have another talent, a gift given from God, the ability to teach the Gospel. One that admitedly I`ve been slacking on. I was always afraid, that I`d mess up, always afraid I`d say the wrong thing, but as I`ve stepped up, taken the lead as a Senior Companion and have been teaching the Gospel to these people I`ve noticed that I CAN do it. I stepped past my fears of making mistakes and found that I`m a lot better than I thought I was.

So what do I say, DON`T BE AFRAID!! Be yourself, and give that self to the Lord. He will take what you give him and mold into something that you could never become on your own. The master artist, the master sculptor will take you and correct the flaws within you. He will guide you to improve your talents, to grow and become stronger. His loving hands will mold you into perfection while still allowing you to be you. Do not be afraid that coming unto him will make you someone you don`t want to be, he will never do that. We are the wood and he is the master carpenter, following the grains of the wood to make a wonderful piece of art. We are the stone and he is the sculptor, we already have shape and he simply brings out what he knows we can become.

I Know that I am who I am today because of God. Because he has guided me to where I am today. He has lovingly and carefully worked me into what he knows I can become, and he still is. I`m stubborn, I know that, which is probably why it`s going to be a very long process. But he is carefully working me into what I need to be. I try to follow him, to do what he asks, to use what he has given me, and step by step I grow and I improve. This year, I have gained confidence, in myself, in the Spirit, in God. My faith has grown, and with it my Testimony. My heart has opened and I have recieved. In giving myself I have only recieved.

I know God lives and guides me. As this new year has just begun I have recommited myself to serving him, I will do even better this year than last year. I love you all, and I do miss all of you. But even though you are all 5000 miles away, I still keep you close in my prayers. I share this message, in the spirit of Love, and in the name of Christ, Amen.

Elder Randall KK Tateishi