Never Fear, The Lord is Near! First you cry, then you fly!..

Hello Mom and Dad :) Thanks for your advice. It really does help. This week actually may have been worse than last week haha, but there`s a lot of hope for the future. There`s always an endless amount of hope :)

 

I`ve let a lot of unimportant thoughts get to my mind lately and I haven`t been the best in solving problems in the companionship. All in all I`ve just let the desire to learn and work hard get in the way of understanding and loving others. I may have been a little too gung-ho and expected too much of others. That`s how I`ve felt at least. But the beautiful thing about the gospel is it`s centered on the Atonement which means that we can repent and change. Actually the Kanji for Repentence in Japanese is pretty special I think. It`s Kuiaratame. The first Kanji means to feel bad, and the second Kanji means to change. We can`t change the past, but we can for sure change how we act now, one action at a time. It`s been quite the learning experience. But I know this is for my blessing. This is one of the crown points of the Atonement. The ability to be relieved of zaiyakukan (guilt) and change to conform to Gods will. The better I understand that, the better I can help others :) I don`t know if there is a greater blessing I could have than this opportunity. The chance to really experience the powers of the Atonement so I know how to help others better :) It`s amazing the things we go through that help us grow ;)

 

I have a purple paper that the MTC gave me that might be of some importance to the stitches dealio. As for the Power of Attorney, I`ll do whatever President and the AP`s need me to do. I haven`t been informed yet, but it`s not really a bother. It`s just a small thing :) It`s so interesting to think about all the stresses and worries we face in life and then think about how small they`re going to seem in the eternities.

 

Thanks for the historical stuff! We haven`t gotten to do any sight seeing yet because we`re really busy on P-days but this is the last busy P-day (I`ll explain more a little later). Next P-day we`re going to Jujigai and Hakodate Yama (mountain) though! I`m so excited!

 

 I understand how you feel though. Fear and doubt can occasionally find their way into our lives, but we can`t let that stick. I`m in the middle of unsticking some things that have built up recently, but one thing that always helps me is taking 5 minutes before something, going somewhere quiet, praying and then getting everything straight in your mind. That`s always brought a lot more confidence and invited the Spirit to take over everything. Trust the Lord always :)

 

As for the questions:

 

The members here are so incredibly wonderful. They do everything for us! We`ve only been fed a couple times, but we have something called fruits basket where the ward members bring food on sunday and we take it home to our apartment. But they`re the best ward in Hokkaido! Everyone says so and I see why! They`ve all become really good friends and work hard to do their part.

 

We have a great ward council with a mission leader that`s hilarious and really great.

 

We`ve been preparing a concert for the past couple P-days that a missionary and a recent convert are putting on (the missionary returns home after one more transfer). I`m in the finale singing a missionary blues style song that I still need to make up :P haha. We sing this saturday so next P-day is free though and we`re going to go sight seeing as a district! Yay!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

I haven`t been implementing too much from the letters I get, but I love hearing the stories. There`s already too much I need to implement :P haha. I might be but I may not notice it. Doing things in your own language is a very big blessing I`m noticing. You can immediately apply things in your own language. Implication in a different language takes a little more messing up and finding out how to do it well haha.

 

 Ah! The shimai are invading so I`ll finish this a little later! See you for now! I love you! Never Fear, The Lord is Near! First you cry, then you fly!...I can`t think of any more rhymes, but I`ll see you after I have some...good times! :P Love you :) Bye Bye!