Tuesday, October 2, 2012

We can trust in the Lord because we know He loves us, wants us to be happy, and only gives us things that will help us grow.

Can I start by telling you that it`s great being a servant of the Lord :) Yesterday was very interesting for me. Everyone we talked to was pretty rude and the only people that wanted to talk were older men who wanted to tell us that we`re honorable young men and that everyone can believe what they want. And yet through all of that, I felt an odd sense of peace yesterday. I just really understood that no matter how much I improve my skills, this is all in the Lord`s hands. It`s not about how well we can prove the gospel is right, it`s about who we find and teach through the Spirit of God. He really is preparing people, and our job is to improve every day and diligently work to find them. 
These last two transfers have been a very big growing experience for me. I`ve been very challenged and tried and struggled a lot, but I can see all the growth that has come through it. The Lord gives us adversity because he know it will help us to become what he wants us to become. Yesterday I felt like I understood that better, and now I`m doing my best to keep acting as Christ would. It`s hard to get out of the bad habits of selfishness that we have, but it can be done. One choice at a time :) What a blessing it is to be out here.

It was fun hearing about your mission again dad. I know how you feel about the streeting thing haha. I was very blessed to be in a place with nothing but streeting when I first got to Japan and a trainer who was a hard core talk to everyone kind of missionary. Through that we saw miracles and has helped me to continue even when I don`t want to sometimes. 

Questions!


We do cook. It`s usually a bowl of rice with curry or hayashi on top. We cut up vegetables and meat and put it in. That and Yakisoba and Udon. I can`t really make anything still :P Slowly learning! We cook on a stove top and we have a toaster and microwave. The microwave apparently as an oven too, but I haven`t done that yet.

So now for some commentary.
So, looking at all the pictures that Collette sent me was sooooooooooo weird! Who are all those little girls walking around in the pictures? They`re not the cute little babies that I remember! They`re little girls!!!!!!!!!! very weird. Being a missionary is very weird. You literally feel like nothing else in the world is changing but you. Everything goes by so fast too. It`s kinda freaky honestly. I don`t feel like I`ve changed too much in looks or anything either, but everyone when they see my drivers license or other pictures are like `wow, you look so young`...and I`m just confused. Crazy stuff, time.
I think one of the best ways we can help the Lord`s work progress along is taking bigger and bigger steps with friends. Inviting them to hear the missionary`s message or to an activity or dinner or a family home evening. I pray that  I`ll still have as strong a desire to share the gospel with my friends when I get home as I do now. I think of all the simple things I could have done to let them know that God is there and loves them and that we can receive the fullness of his blessing through his true church and the Doctrine of Christ (most important of course). I take comfort in the quote of Joseph Smith though...
"no unhallowed hand can stop the work from progressing...persecutions may rage, mobs may assemble, calumny may defame, but the truth of God will go forth Boldly, Nobly, and Independent, till it has penetrated every continent, swept every country, and sounded in every ear till the purposes of God shall be accomplished and the Great Jehovah shall say `the work is done`"
As long as we`re doing what we`re supposed to (reading the scriptures daily, praying always, going to church, seeking the spirit, going to the temple) things will happen how they`re supposed to.

Dear Father, I love your rambling...:D
Also, I admire you so much for your willingness and desire to follow God. It has been such a good example to me in my life. Had it not been for you and mom`s diligence in following the Lord, I may have come home from my mission by now. It`s not easy out here and if there is not a strong testimony to support a person out here, they will have a really tough time, but I have been provided with everything I could ever want and more to succeed in anything through this life. Thank you so much for the example you`ve shown unto me.
I was reading the adversity section in True to the Faith this morning and it made me think of that. We can trust in the Lord because we know He loves us, wants us to be happy, and only gives us things that will help us grow. We choose of course how much we grow, but the Lord gives us the chance. We must be willing to follow Him and give up what we want sometimes though. Coming on a mission has just introduced this to me haha. Thank you so much for being that example that I can look to when I don`t want to talk to anymore people or I`m tired and don`t want to work. It`s held me through a lot of hard times already and will never cease to be an unmovable foundation in my life. 
I`m sure it`s an unneeded exhortation, but I would exhort you to continue trusting in the Lord for he will bless those who trust Him (Alma 36:6). Things are constantly changing. The hard times that we have now are not what they will be in the future. Things will change, and those spiritual good moments that we have are merely a glimpse of the ultimate joy that awaits us :) I look forward to that day with great hope :) Thank you for providing experiences for me to feel that hope throughout my life. 
Lastly...I love you soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo so so so so so so much...much :D

Thank you so much!

I`ll try my best to learn the baseball stuff, but I can`t promise anything. There is a lot of stuff I`m aware that I need to learn, so we`ll see how I end up prioritizing. I`m wondering if I should start seriously studying Kanji right now. Just get the basic 2000 or something. Prioritizing is hard haha. Thank you though! I love it all :) 

Well, I`m off to do some sight seeing and maybe go in the Goryokaku tower! Talk to you next week! Love you! Have a great week! tell the family Hello! 

BBBBBBBYYYYYYYEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!! :D

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