May 26th

This week was really defining for me and my companion. We had an
incredible companionship inventory. We decided that we want to give
ourselves more completely to the work. We want to stop any
conversations that aren't focused on the people we serve here or on
our purpose as missionaries. We want to be exhausted each day and use
each moment effectively so we can have no regrets! I want to be more
selfless and leave behind my worldly cares to serve The Lord and
follow the guidance of the Spirit. We finished the inventory with
goals that seemed beyond our ability. But that are totally possible
with The Lord! We were ready to hit the streets and find joy in each
moment of the work! As we work to strengthen ourselves spiritually and
shine a light in our countenances we find that we can't stop smiling.
The message we share is one of happiness. Our smiles show others that
we have the truth. As I have decided to be happy and forget myself...
I have found that I enjoy the work more and I find excitement in
thinking about and serving others. I feel like a missionary! I love
it.
On Tuesday, President Wada joined us with Oikawa Shimai for a lesson.
He shared many scriptures, expressed his love and God's love for her,
and really tried to help her understand the atonement of Christ. He
was bold in asking her to work with the missionaries, the angels God
had sent for her, to prepare for baptism and choose a date to work
toward. We were able to set a baptismal date for October. She is
nervous but excited. We will work with her and start from the
beginning and teach all the lessons again and help her to feel peace
surrounding this decision to start on the path toward her own eternal
progression. We are so happy for her!
We had exchanges on Friday and I spent the day with Sister Wells. We
had some great experiences together... During our morning run she got
pooped on by a bird and later in the evening I tried to model walk out
of a bathroom and completely tripped. We wanted to made our finding
activities fun. We spent the morning trying to talk to everyone but no
one would respond or look at us or they would just run away. Later in
the afternoon we had more success having meaningful conversations...
But they were all way awkward too. We have to count our contacts, but
as we counted each one we would say "just 50 more to go!" It really
kept us motivated to talk to and invite everyone and enjoy each moment
even when we were completely rejected. We also had two really good
lessons with members. We found out in our district meeting that two
wards joined together three years ago to become the kichijoji ward and
all the cliques from the old wards stayed the same and essentially
everyone feels like a visitor in their own ward and like they are on
the outside. So... Our goal is definitely to strengthen the ward and
serve the members so the ward can be united and welcoming to our
friends who attend church.
Saturday was the two mission conference. We prepared all through the
week to be ready to hear from an apostle of The Lord. We deep cleaned
our apartment. It looks AMAZING! We seriously can feel the Spirit so
much better here now. Elder Cook didn't end up coming to see our
apartment but we feel so good knowing that we can be ready for The
Lord's representative to stop by! The conference was amazing! There
were 400 + missionaries. God knows us individually. I could feel his
love for me as I received answers to prayers. Elder Cook and Elder
Maynes and the area president Elder Whiting and his wife spoke as
well. One liner summaries:
Sister Whiting: watch our conversations and talk of Christ
Elder Whiting: this is a marvelous work and a wonder. Have eyes and
ears to recognize and find joy in the wonder of the work!
Sister Maynes: obedience, work ethic, and knowledge of the Savior are
the credentials for the work.
Elder Maynes: being connected to our purpose in every moment!
Sister Cook: music testifies as well as teaches. Our smiles show
others we have the truth and they will want to know why we are so
happy.
Elder Cook: we are the message (our worthiness, spirituality,
obedience, etc affects everything we do). We are assigned to our
mission president and to the people of Japan for a reason. Something
in the future may require these experiences for God's purposes. We are
the ward builders... Not the marketing arm of the church. Missionary
work is: baptism, re-activation, example to young people, helping
others prepare for the temple, etc.
he suggested connecting with people we meet through sharing about
families and the plan of salvation. Teach less actives that Joseph
Smith was the foreordained prophet of this dispensation. The atonement
isn't just a miracle... It's essential.
On Sunday night Elder Cook and Elder Maynes returned to give a
devotional. The church was packed! The chapel, the gym, and the
classrooms on all three floors of the building were full and many
people had to stand! 1400 in attendance. A less active sister we are
working with and our investigator, Pinko and her son, were able to
come!
Sister Maynes: don't let the pollution in! It's my choice to feel the
spirit or not feel he spirit in my life.
Elder Maynes: the greatest gifts from God are his son, Jesus Christ
and his Spirit, the gift of the Holy Ghost. We keep the Lord's
commandments because we always remember him and we remember him
because we have taken his name upon ourselves.
Sister Cook: treasure the best things: membership in the church,
scriptures, testimony, knowledge that God loves us, power of prayer,
role as parents and spouses, covenants
Elder Cook: exercise religious observance in our homes. Be an example
to our communities: be a light... Not camouflage.
Don't underestimate the blessings of the temple. Not just attending,
but serving and connecting our families through family history work.
Favorite quote from personal study: "it may seem a little difficult at
first, but when a person begins to catch a vision of the true work,
when he begins to see something of eternity in its true perspective,
the blessings begin to far outweigh the cost of leaving 'the world'
behind." -President Spencer W. Kimball
Love you!