June 22nd

Konnichiwa my dear friends! 

Today is the first day of the last week of my last transfer! It's unreal. Today we went with a member to sell my bike at a recycle shop. 400$ bike sold for 70$... And then I spent the money right then on a yukata! It's the summer version of a kimono. They are worn to all the summer festivals. It's black with pink and purple flowers and a giant pink bow. I got the tallest one they had. The lady at the recycle shop was so nice and she taught me how to wear it and let me practice dressing a mannequin! It was fun:) 

I am going to miss Japan SO much. It hurts too much to think that I will never come back, so I will definitely be finding a way. When there's a will, there's a way, right?! In the mean time, just trying to live it up my last week! 

Haruka, Shiori, and Sho :)

So... Update from this week... 

11 For it must needs be, that there is an opposition in all things. If not so, my firstborn in the wilderness, righteousness could not be brought to pass, neither wickedness, neither holiness nor misery, neither good nor bad. Wherefore, all things must needs be a compound in one; wherefore, if it should be one body it must needs remain as dead, having no life neither death, nor corruption nor incorruption, happiness nor misery, neither sense nor insensibility.

2 Nephi 2:11 

This week was seriously way rough! I'll spare all the details, but basically it was a trial. And I guess that's how I know God loves me... He always gives me exactly what I need to grow, to be humbled, to be called to repentance, to try and increase my faith, etc. This week we experienced "growing pains". 

Message for President Wada

So... Working with Yamauchi shimai and preparing her for baptism took A LOT of our time. We were also busy with several meetings and training and responsibilities and there was literally no time to breathe. We had very little time to get out and find and little time to keep up with our other investigators and PIs. Our other investigators didn't have much interest or desire to keep commitments anyway but... 

This week we met with many of our investigators to understand each other's expectations and try to make appointments. Turns out that... We had to drop nearly all our investigators or they dropped us. It was the worst. I seriously feel so humbled and really weak! 

If I come unto God, He shows me my weakness that I may become humble. Don't we have a loving Heavenly Father?! He knows me and loves me. And I know He feels the same about each precious child. He knows what he wants us to be and he knows what we can be and he will help us get there if we will let him. It reminds me of a favorite story... 

"God uses another form of chastening or correction to guide us to a future we do not or cannot now envision but which He knows is the better way for us. President Hugh B. Brown, formerly a member of the Twelve and a counselor in the First Presidency, provided a personal experience. He told of purchasing a rundown farm in Canada many years ago. As he went about cleaning up and repairing his property, he came across a currant bush that had grown over six feet (1.8 m) high and was yielding no berries, so he pruned it back drastically, leaving only small stumps. Then he saw a drop like a tear on the top of each of these little stumps, as if the currant bush were crying, and thought he heard it say:

      “How could you do this to me? I was making such wonderful growth. … And now you have cut me down. Every plant in the garden will look down on me. … How could you do this to me? I thought you were the gardener here.”

      President Brown replied, “Look, little currant bush, I am the gardener here, and I know what I want you to be. I didn’t intend you to be a fruit tree or a shade tree. I want you to be a currant bush, and someday, little currant bush, when you are laden with fruit, you are going to say, ‘Thank you, Mr. Gardener, for loving me enough to cut me down.’”

D. Todd Christofferson 

Hiromi Chan

So basically, we have a lot of work to do!!! And that's exciting and hard, but God is on our side because we wear the name of His son and do our best to represent His name. I am proud to be a Christian, proud to be a Mormon, proud to be a follower of Jesus Christ. There is no other name that leads to salvation, no other path that leads to happiness. My religion and my faith, tie me to Christ. Jesus Christ ties me to God. 

21 And now, behold, my beloved brethren, this is the way; and there is none other way nor name given under heaven whereby man can be saved in the kingdom of God. And now, behold, this is the doctrine of Christ, and the only and true doctrine of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, which is one God, without end. Amen.

2 Nephi 31:21 

In other news: 

I went on exchanges with Sister Tamagusuku in Takao this week. She is Japanese but part Brazilian and is from Okinawa. People from Okinawa are the most friendly in Japan. She is the sweetest! It was amazing to work with her. It rained all day, non stop and was cold! And we were soaked. But we had a great day of proselyting and visit members and inviting others to hear our message. During dinner time, she taught me some Japanese dishes and we made origami together! I have loved working closer with the Takao sisters this transfer. They are great missionaries and so fun! 

Saturday was Sister Wilson's birthday. We got some of our potential investigators together and went to an all you can eat dessert buffet. Do they have those in America? It's genius. Haruka, Shiori, and Sho came and it was super fun! These girls really do have lots of potential to become investigators. Through this event we were able to strengthen/develop relationships with them and understand their interest and invite them to meet with us. It was the best... And seriously gave us so much hope after a long week! 

Saturday was also the day Yamauchi shimai went to the temple!! They went in a car of 5 sisters and it looked so fun! She had a great experience and we are so grateful for her desire and so grateful to the sisters who showed her love and were there to support her in her first time at the temple. Yamauchi shimai is already a missionary.... She has participated in baptisms for the dead, found a less active member and invited him back to church, and said she is looking for friends she can introduce to us. She has a lot of faith that there are other prepared people out there. On Sunday one of the speakers said, "the Book of Mormon changes people." She looked up at me and smiled with a smile that said, "yes, it changed me!" Her testimony is strong. She also met with the family history specialist after church to start preparing her own family names to receive ordinances for her own ancestors. Yay! 

Before heading to the temple: Sister Kitahara, Sister Yamauchi, Sister Kawatani

Next week is my last Sunday in Hachioji! So sad! I've been here for 7 months and really love this Ward. When I tell people I'm leaving, no one believes me... For probably many reasons. 1. I've been here so long, I seem like I'll just always be here. 2. My Japanese isn't that good so I don't seem like I'm "old" enough to go home. 3. They definitely thought I was a new missionary when I came to this Ward... Awkward. 4. I never really talk about going home. 

Well... It's true. And it's sad and happy all at the same time. I am so grateful for my mission. And I am so excited for my future. And I know I will take these experiences and memories with me and I will continue to grow and change because it doesn't stop here. And it doesn't matter how many times I fell or failed, because God accepts my efforts and allows me to try again and again and again. And I know these people I've met here will be in my heart forever and always and if I never meet them again in this life, then... 天国に会いましょう！(Let's meet in Heaven!) These people are my brothers and my sisters. And it's still scary to talk to strangers and being a missionary is still hard, but I love it and I love them. And I love my Heavenly Father. 

Ps.... Happy Father's Day to all those earthly fathers in my life! I love you. 

Love, 

Sister Reeves