February 23rd

Hello, what's up?!

We got transfer announcements yesterday. Why do they come so fast?!
Anyway... Of course... I have another new companion! I'm sort of kind
of transferring. I'm not leaving Hachioji ward but I am switching to
the other sisters' companionship so it will be a completely different
teaching pool. I'm kind of sad because I absolutely love the people we
have been working with. Anyway, Sister Hotu will be my new companion.

District Pic at Ishikawa Kyoudai's Baptism
Elder Turley, Elder Hansen, Elder McCarty, Brother Ishikawa, Elder Larkin, Elder Rockwood,
Sister Blake, Sister Hotu, Sister Yamaguchi, Sister Reeves 

Here's what happened this week:

On Tuesday I went on exchanges with Blake Shimai! She is awesome and
basically fluent in Japanese and fearless when it comes to talking to
people. And she's also really good at getting people to respond and
smile back. That's what I learned from her, is that we can go out
there with enthusiasm and share smiles with TONS of people. We had
lots of really meaningful conversations and invited tons of people to
church, shared testimony, taught principles of the gospel, found
potential investigators, and visited members and investigators. Busy
day, but a happy one. Maybe Hotu Shimai and I will be able to teach
the new friends we found that day!

Wednesday was fun! We did a role play lesson with a member, visited a
potential investigator and taught eikaiwa in the afternoon/evening. A
new student came to english class in the evening. Her name is Nao and
she is currently in college studying theology. She is really good at
English and did a study abroad in Australia. She loves learning about
religion and she had a really good experience at eikaiwa. We are
excited to continue building a friendship with her!

On Thursday, Kitahara Shimai came with us to teach Ishizuka San's
lesson. She only had a little time so we weren't able to share the
lesson we had planned but it was still a miracle. Ishizuka San doesn't
understand her relationship with Christ. One way she can understand
that relationship is by praying to the Father in His name. Up until
now, she has been praying but not in Christ's name. We spent time
talking about the Spirit and how she has received answers to her
prayers and we read from the Book of Mormon together. She closed the
lesson by praying in Christ's name and said she would continue to pray
in the way we taught. She is progressing slowly but surely. She is
happy so she doesn't feel like she needs religion or needs to change
so we are praying that the Holy Ghost can touch her heart and help her
understand God's power and the power of Christ's atonement. Keep her
in your prayers if you can(:

Friday we had zone meeting and I had the opportunity to give a
training on focusing on the Holy Ghost to help others make and keep
commitments. I learned a ton from my preparation!
I based my training on the following quote by President Packer:
"When conversion takes place, it is through the power of the Spirit.
In order to succeed in missionary work, these three things must occur:
We must understand what an investigator must feel in order to
receive conversion.

AI chan 

We must understand how a missionary must feel in order to teach
with the converting power of the Spirit.
And then we must understand how a member must feel to succeed
in participating in the conversion experience(mission presidents
conference, 3 Apr. 1985).
We read from the scriptures together and talked about how each of us
must feel in order to experience a change of heart. Because we have
felt the converting power of the Holy Ghost, we desire others to feel
it too! As we strengthen our own testimony and build up the ward where
we serve, members and missionaries can work together to help others
come unto Christ. I love this scripture from Luke: "when thou art
converted, strengthen thy brethren."
Luke 22:32

We saw another miracle on Friday when a former investigator, Ai chan
was able to come to President Wada's questions of the soul fireside.
He showed clips from Indiana Jones and led a discussion on faith. Ai
was fellowshipped and welcomed by members who had remembered her from
before. She said she wanted to come to church again and take lessons.
She was able to come to church on Sunday and eat lunch with us
afterwards and have a lesson. Her heart is really open to the message
and she feels God's love and has so much gratitude for him. We are
excited/grateful for this opportunity to share the gospel and study
with her(:

On Saturday we attended Ishikawa Kyoudai's baptism. He has read the
entire standard works probably and knows like way more about the
church than I do. His testimony is so strong and he already wants to
share the gospel with everyone! He received the Holy Ghost and the
Aaronic Priesthood this week and will be passing the sacrament next
week. He is amazing! He bore powerful testimony at his baptism and
shared the miracles he has seen that led him to the church and talked
for so long that the ward mission leader had to encourage him to wrap
it up!

I had an opportunity to attend a stake leadership training meeting on
Saturday afternoon with the other sister training leaders and zone
leaders in the stake. It was a perfect opportunity to build trust with
the leaders, something I had been feeling like I wasn't very good at.
We ended up in the same train car as one of the counselors in the
stake presidency on the way to the meeting. He saw us as we talked
with and invited passengers in the train and then later at the meeting
asked me to come up and share my testimony and experience of how my
leaders helped me in my youth. I was so nervous but was so grateful
for the opportunity to share my experience. It really helped the stake
leaders and leaders in the ward to know that we are working hard and
we have a testimony of this gospel. We learned so much together and
were able to discuss how to strengthen the youth in our units and had
a great lesson on the atonement.

Dinner with the Hayase girls (Sister Hayase, Yuki, Ema, Sister Yamaguchi, Me) 

On Sunday we stopped by to visit Suzuki San and she was home and
invited us in! Miracle! She is really uncertain about her faith but is
grateful for our visits. She almost gave the Book of Mormon back to us
but decided she would hold on to it after talking with us. She has a
happy family but is definitely missing something in her life. I know
the answers are found in the gospel of Jesus Christ. I love her and He
loves her. Please pray for Suzuki San!

Yesterday we went to the North mission for a 2 mission conference with
Elder Ballard, Elder Rasband, Bishop Stevonson, Elder Whiting, and
Elder Aoyagi. It was AMAZING! I learned so many simple things that I
can apply to the work I do here in Japan. Our message is simple and
our message is unique! We must study daily and practice teaching
daily. Teach members, investigators, everyone.. And know the doctrine
and live the doctrine so we can be ready to share it with those who
will receive us. And they must kneel and Ask God if we are his
messengers and if the words we share are true. Then they will know.
I'm grateful for prophets and apostles called by a loving Heavenly
Father. He really does love us. And that is why I'm here, sharing this
message with anyone who will listen. I know this church is true and I
know Christ is our Redeemer.

Even if you have already asked a million times. Will you kneel tonight
and pray and ask God if the Book of Mormon is true, if Joseph Smith
was His prophet? He will answer you again and your faith and
confidence will grow.

I love you! Have a joyful week!

Sister Reeves

Ema, Sister Yamaguchi, and Yuki