day for our stake so we saw soooo many familiar faces! And they did
the session in English for us...
Happy Cinco de Mayo and Happy Kodomo no Hi (children's day). (:
A bit from last week:
Monday: Rie San cancelled because she had to work late, so we went out
housing! We met this really old lady and helped her but not really
helped her put a cover over her bike. She was soooo old and really
looked like she couldn't do it herself but then she ended up redoing
all the parts we did! Haha. Anyway, she grows a vegetable garden and
kept telling us to come back in a few months when the veggies are
grown and fresh! We also met a way cute university student named
Miyuki. She is born and raised here in Hachioji and she is living with
her parents and studying business at a local university. She is
interested in learning about Christ and coming to church. She is busy
with school but says she will be able to come to church next Sunday so
pray for her!
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| Suguwara San |
know it was taught by the Spirit because we felt like we just sat
there and watched as the members and investigators we taught basically
taught themselves. We visited with Hatanaka shimai in the morning and
shared a message about the prodigal son and the lost sheep. She has
less active family members that she has been fellow shipping and
loving. She decided to share her favorite conference talk with them
when she visits them this week!
Our lesson with Shimizu shimai got cancelled, but Yamada shimai called
us and said she needed some help. She just moved into a new apartment
and needed some help rearranging her furniture. It literally took like
15 minutes with the 3 of us. So easy.... But we learned that we really
needed to be there for her. She has been really stressed and lonely
since the move, and she is also a little discouraged being the
spiritual leader in her home. She wants to serve a mission with her
husband and wants to raise her son to be faithful in the gospel, but
she doesn't want to force them either. Reminds me of the talk from
conference: the music of the gospel... The dance steps become so much
more natural when we can hear the music. We shared a message and some
thoughts from conference and just listened and she cried and said we
had been the answer to her prayer. I know God watches over and cares
for each of his dear children.
Then we had another super long lesson with Yamauchi shimai and
Kawatani shimai was there to help. She expressed so much interest in
Yamauchi shimai and shared her own conversion story. We taught the
message of the restoration and she said that she felt like everything
we taught was exactly what she was feeling. She loves and accepts the
message and she is so happy to share with her family and friends that
she meets us. She says she feels her father in law is in heaven and
feeling very proud of her. Please continue to keep her in your
prayers(:
In the evening we met a YSA, Mika, to share a message. We ended up
talking a lot about missions and how we received answers to our
prayers. She is 22 and really wants to serve a mission but still isn't
sure what her answer is. She has been dating a non-member for a few
years but says that she loves the light she can see in young men about
to serve missions and in recently returned missionaries. She has such
a desire to share the gospel! We have a great YSA program and tons of
great youth in our Ward. She is a great example... Always reaching out
to the investigators and making everyone feel welcome. She also
recently started listening to conference talks as she travels to and
from work and school because she learned at institute that the most
important prophet is the current prophet. We learn so much from the
people we teach!
at the Kitaharas with Ooishi Kyoudai's granddaughter
Wednesday:I went on an exchange with Sister Wilde! Douki dendo! Sister Hatanaka
invited us to join her visiting teaching appointment with a less
active sister, Watanabe shimai. She was baptized without telling her
husband and once he found out, he got really angry and she had to stop
coming to church. But she has met with Hatanaka shimai for years. Her
knowledge of the gospel is still pretty small but she has a desire to
know and follow. She wants to continue to meet with the missionaries
and learn more about the plan of salvation. And she wants to slowly
share the things she learns with her husband so he can also receive of
the hope.
We visited lots of people!! And almost no one was home, but we did
meet another less active, Muramoto shimai. She is also old and has a
husband who is opposed to the church and the missionaries. But she
appreciates the visits and the prayers as long as he isn't home. We
went housing in the area and as always, it was really interesting....
One lady who talked to us outside, went back into her home saying,
"wait a minute. I have something rare." She comes out and hands us
each a pair of the wooden shoes you wear to summer festivals with
yukatas. She says the bigger ones are for me because I'm big and then
she waves and goes back into her house without saying anything... I
love being a missionary. Never really a boring moment. I wish I could
record and remember everything that happens!
We headed back to the church for kids eikaiwa but there were no adult
women there, just dads.... So we had to leave a set of elders there on
their own to teach! It was so funny and sad! They were so nervous and
immediately said they respect us so much more now for what we do! Good
thing we had planned a good lesson for them! Haha
So.. We set up for all the evening classes and then got pizza for
dinner. SO expensive. One large pizza, which is really like a small
one in America is $30! But.. It was buy one get one free. Haha.
Thursday: We met Furui shimai and Tsukada shimai for messages. We
taught about small acts of service and how they open the door for
missionary opportunities. We showed them the Mormon message, flecks of
gold and invited them to look for a simple way to serve everyday for
the month of May. Then.. We went out to serve. We visited Mineko San,
and helped her in the kitchen and helped one of her students with his
English. She was grateful for our help and she really trusts us with
her concerns. She has been really worried about her relationship with
her son. She says she has a hard time controlling her temper and she
is worried that her son might hate her. She asked if she needed to
rely on Heavenly Father. Answer? Absolutely YES! He is the only
perfect parent. (:
Friday: We went out to lunch with Hayase shimai and Yuki chan. I think
japanese people either think Americans eat a TON or they think we are
starving, because they ordered tons for us. So full. Haha. We shared a
message with them from general conference and encouraged them to study
the talk together for their next family home evening.
Then we had a lesson at the church with Yamauchi shimai. We taught
about the commandments to pray often, study the scriptures, and keep
the sabbath day holy. She committed to follow and continues to love
the message and feel the Spirit strongly. She loves the BOM. She says
it speaks to her and teaches her simply. I know the Spirit is teaching
her. I am so grateful. She is a little nervous looking forward to her
baptism. Please pray that her faith will continue to grow strong and
she will be truly converted to the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Saturday: After district meeting, we shared a message with Ichikawa
shimai about Ammon and his example of missionary work and service and
his efforts to gather the King's scattered sheep. She talked about the
scattered sheep in her family and we looked at the scriptures to see
how we can follow Ammon's example to love and nurture our friends who
have left or cannot find the fold. I'm grateful to the Good Shepherd
who knows us and loves us. In his fold we truly can experience safety
and peace. After the lesson, she came with us to visit Goto San and we
taught a lesson together. We taught about the gospel of Jesus Christ
and focused on the doctrine of baptism and invited her boldly to be
baptized when she felt that the message was true. Ichikawa shimai was
the best! She taught simply and testified powerfully and showed
genuine interest and love for Goto San. Goto San said she wanted to
think about it. And we explained that our purpose was to invite and
help her but the decision would definitely be hers! She ended up
calling us a few days later and explained that she had thought it out
and talked with her mom and decided that she doesn't want to continue
to learn with us. We are sad but not disappointed in ourselves because
we know we did what God sent us to do: teach simply and with the
Spirit, and offer a clear choice.
Sunday:
Yamauchi shimai came to church and really enjoyed it! She had prepared
for church by reading from 3 Nephi about when Jesus instituted the
sacrament. She learned a lot and loved it!
After church we attended Ward council and then Tsukada shimai came
with us to meet an investigator at the station. Turns out Kurokawa
san's back started hurting so she headed home and couldn't meet, but it
was a great opportunity to work side by side with a member! We went
and visited a potential investigator and then housed a nearby
apartment complex. Then we had dinner at the Kitaharas. Ooishi
kyoudai's family came and they felt so much love and friendship and
they are gaining a very positive view of the church and the Ward
family. We hope they will continue to join us at church and then we
will invite them to hear the message as well(: and the whole Ward is
on board to help out and fellowship!
Monday: our friend, Noriko, invited us to her bbq out by the river. It
was a hot but gorgeous day. We ate way too much and then played soccer
and badminton and made lots of new friends. And maybe got a tan. In
the evening we visited a woman we met a few weeks earlier while
housing who had been to the church before but didn't express tons of
interest. But we felt like we needed to go back, so we did! And she
was so grateful that we would stop by again. We invited her to some
upcoming activities at the church and were able to talk with her a
little longer. I'm grateful for all the opportunities God has given me
here in Japan to meet his precious sons and daughters. He always puts
exactly those we need to meet right in our path!
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| Golden week bbq with Noriko and friends |
Love,
Kinz
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