June 16th

Hey y'all! 

Today is temple p day! Last one... But I'm looking forward to going to the Tokyo Temple with my family and with my recent convert friends next month! It is always wonderful to be in the temple.  The temple is a symbol of our Father's love. Without the temple and the ordinances and covenants of the temple, we cannot return to our heavenly home. But because our Father loves us, there are temples all around the world. I feel so blessed to live near one of these holy places. :) 

Speaking of the temple, this last week we met with Yamauchi Shimai to learn about temples and family history together! We read D&C 128:15 together.... 

15 And now, my dearly beloved brethren and sisters, let me assure you that these are principles in relation to the dead and the living that cannot be lightly passed over, as pertaining to our salvation. For their salvation is necessary and essential to our salvation, as Paul says concerning the fathers--that they without us cannot be made perfect--neither can we without our dead be made perfect.

She loved this verse and after she read it she said she was really glad we shared it because if we hadn't she wouldn't have understood why the temple is important. The temple is a house of God, the temple connects us to Him. Through ordinances in holy temples we and all of God's family can be made perfect in Christ. She is so excited to prepare for the temple and help her family in the Spirit World to be able to receive the gospel. On Sunday, our lesson in Sunday school was about the role temples play in God's plan for our salvation! She was so amazed that the lesson was exactly what she had been studying! After class she said, I really don't have to be scared, do I? After church she met with the bishop and she is a current temple recommend holder!! She will be going to do baptisms and confirmations for the dead this Saturday with the relief society president and a couple other members! It's fun to watch her to grow in excitement about participating in God's work of salvation. 

On her baptism day!

This Saturday is Sister Wilson's birthday. When we became companions, she talked about how she wanted to see a baptism for her birthday. And we had faith and we got out to work. We have 0 progressing investigators and 0 baptismal dates, but our recent convert friend, Yamauchi shimai will be receiving baptism for and in behalf of many souls who are waiting for the gospel! We can't go with her, but it will be a happy day! 

This last tuesday was Suzuki Shimai's birthday! We went shopping and ate all-you-can-eat Korean style bbq on P Day to celebrate. Never been more full in my life. I'm not kidding. It was hilarious... We went to buy groceries right after. Usually we are starving at the grocery store and we buy tons of food. But this time I was so full I couldn't stand up straight so I spent 600￥ on 2 Chapsticks and 3 carrots. On Wednesday night after English class we had a surprise party with all the students for her birthday. The elders bought a giant chocolate cake from Costco and decorated the room! She was SO happy she nearly cried. It really meant so much to her! 

Happy Birthday, Baby Girl! 

Yakiniku for Suzuki's birthday!

Thank you for the Senior Missionary Couple in the Mission Home

Cookies from Sister Suzuki's Mom 

On thursday we participated in zone conference! I love zone conferences... It's always such a spiritual boost! I got to be a part of a musical number with all the other missionaries in my zone who are returning at the end of this transfer. We sang a song about missionaries from New Zealand and then sang a song about finding our friends from the pre existence in Japanese. Maybe I can get the video from someone who took it! Also... Because it was my last zone conference I had the privilege of bearing my testimony. I chose to hear my testimony on becoming humble through our weaknesses and gaining a witness of the power of God. I think mistakes have become a theme for my mission. And I have not gone a day without experiencing God's power. His power always makes up for my human weaknesses and for all the ways I lack. 

During the conference, we learned a lot about our purpose as missionaries and how to focus on our central purpose to baptize those of other faiths, as well as how to begin teaching and set appropriate expectations with those we meet. We learned tons from the conference and have begun applying it in our work... And it's turning out to help us be more effective with our time... Meaning that we are experiencing heart breaks as we reset expectations and dropped our investigators who don't have interest or aren't progressing... Which is like all of them...

SPM- Stake leaders and Zone Leaders and Sister Training Leaders

This week we visited Ai chan hoping to meet her mother... We ended up meeting both her mom and dad!! They received us really well and it was a miracle! We were able to talk about lots of her thoughts regarding religion and we set up an appointment for she and her mom to come to dinner at the home of a member with whom she has a really good relationship. The appointment got cancelled so we went out with her to eat and talk. We invited her to take lessons again and she has made the decision to not take lessons because she found that there are both good people and bad people in the church and was particular;y offended by one member who's personally did not meet well with hers. We are really sad that she won't continue to learn about the gospel, but we know that her time will come to return to church. We love her! 

 

On Friday night we went out to do missionary work with a cute crazy member of our Ward. Mori shimai was a Kichijoji Ward member who recently moved to Hachioji. She is full of love and desire to serve and share the gospel. I'm grateful for the many opportunities I've had to work with her. She's been there in the beginning and the end of my journey and it's been fun. Many of her family members have gone less active so she feels the need to participate in God's work with all the energy she has... For them. Because she has faith. She talks to and makes friends with literally everyone. And she always gives tons of referrals. She sees the potential in everyone. We went out and our path was completely inspired.... We got lost and changed plans a couple different times but we were able to invite many friends, run into a Nepalese woman we had met before who may have interest in attending church, and place a Book of Mormon with the cutest mother and daughter. We may not have met these people if we hadn't gone out to work with Mori shimai. There is power in working with the members! 

Eikaiwa Birthday Party

Sunday was Ward conference! A couple miracles: two recent converts who hadn't been to church in months and months came!!!!!! So amazing! The sister who spoke in relief society really taught me a lot. Her lesson was based on the teachings of president Benson about flooding the earth with the Book of Mormon! Yamauchi shimai shared that as she read the Book of Mormon, her desire to drink coffee disappeared and water became more delicious to her. The sister who taught shared an amazing experience about being in a really small branch in Japan. The numbers were small but they had priesthood holders, the priesthood, and the Book of Mormon. As time went on some of the members became less active, but she kept attending church and accepting nearly all the callings! But there was hope because they had priesthood holders, the priesthood, and the Book of Mormon. Eventually even the branch president went inactive and the branch was left with 2 sisters. The two sisters didn't hold all the callings and couldn't even really hold church, but they met and watched church videos and partook of the sacrament brought by priesthood leaders in a neighboring branch, and read the Book of Mormon. There were no priesthood holders in her branch, but they had the Book of Mormon and that book became every source of hope for her at that time. The Book of Mormon is true. It's the key stone of our religion and contains the fullness of the everlasting gospel and a man can get nearer to God by abiding by its precepts than by any other book. I love the Book of Mormon. I know it's the word of God. It has the power to carry us through everything. 

At Eikaiwa with Masa San

We have been able to start meeting with Kawatani kyoudai again! He is the cutest. Really humble and really sincere and really smart. His health has improved tons and we were so happy to see him at church this Sunday! Since he is doing better, we will start meeting with him again and the sisters will be heading up his after baptism lessons. We had FHE with their family last night and each of us introduced our families with pictures and taught about the importance of family prayer and scripture study. There are few families around the world who prioritize quality time together but I have a testimony of the power of prayer and scripture study as families. I know that our family wouldn't be the same without it. I want to build my future family on the foundation of the gospel of Jesus Christ. I want to read the scriptures and pray with my family every day, not because it's fun or easy or cool or because everyone's doing it, but because it's right and it's truth and it's commandment and it's worth the sacrifice and it brings families together and it invites many blessings which the Lord desires to give us. 

Anyway, that's all for now! We gotta get out there and open out mouths and teach and testify of the restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ, our unique message to the world. I know this message is true. It has changed my life. I know that my Redeemer lives. 

Love, 

Sister Reeves