my mind is at a loss. It has gone totally blank. So I will try to fetch some good thoughts- but it'll be like fishing- so sorry! It probably wont all make sense.
They tell me I wont be in Japan next Sunday. Dont know who they are kidding but I dont know anything else. I haven't touched my suitcases. Cook shimai tells me I need to pack today but I dont know what she is talking about.
My stomach is full of okanomiyaki. Cabbage pancake and mayonnaise. yum.
I have a premonition that in the near future I will be able to travel back in time.
We got our very own conference addition of the Liahona!!!!!!!!!!!!! OH MY GOODNESS IT WAS THE BEST THANKSGIVING PRESENT EVER!!!!!! I cannot get over how good the talk is about Joseph Smith. I cannot stop. last week I tried so hard to record myself reading Joseph Smith's testimony right? But my camera only had 7 minutes left on it for movie recording time. So I started- and one TINY little paragraph before it ended, I ran out of time. So I deleted it and started again- a bit faster. Just when I thought I had done it- it stopped two sentences before the end. I gave up. Anyone have a voice recorder?
Anywho- it talked about the different ways that you can gain your own testimony of Joseph Smith. And I cannot pin point when I first started believing that he was a prophet called of God- but i do remember that after I went through the temple for the first time- the first time I went to the temple by myself- I just stood there for a second and looked in the mirror in the dressing room- I realized how happy I was. and for some reason I had an overwhelming feeling that it was all true. Everything. And it all started in these latter-days with Joseph Smith. If the Book of Mormon is real-legit-true---then Joseph Smith was called of God- God really does love us enough to establish His perfect Gospel again in these latter-days when there is so much craziness going on. The church really is true. Christ really did come and take upon Himself all of our sins, our weaknesses, our faults, our trials we will endure because of our actions and the actions of others. Christ really is our Savior- which means we really can have His love and guidance every minute of everyday that we desire it. We can really return to live with our Loving Heavenly Father again. Everything will be worth it. The creations of God go on for eternities beyond eternities. Our potential is endless. And it is all because of the fact that there is a God- our loving Heavenly Father- who is in actuality our creator. THE creator of all things.
And to just think that I wouldn't know any of this for myself if it wasn't for a 14 year old boy who was curious enough about his own salvation and the salvation of those he loved to pray to a Heavenly Father he felt in his heart existed.
That's incredible.
Now I need to tell you about Jackie.
It is actually a really hilarious story-
the elders gave us a referral who they said may or may not be there when we show up. We call them to get directions and they don't pick up so we literally found it purely because of the guidance of the spirit. That in and of itself was the first miracle. Anywho- we go to the door and it was a man. Feminine- I will give the elders that- but a man nonetheless. So we teach him, make another appointment and as we are leaving Cook shimai was like "should we tell the elders its a man?" and I'm like "hmm....neeeh." (just so you know in Japan as a general elders are not allowed to teach females and sisters are not allowed to teach men). So we go back to the appointment- but a girl answers this time!
We talk to her- and begin to tell her that there IS a God and that He loves her. We give her a Book of Mormon and just as this sweet girl is accepting it- her mother comes home. Duh duh DUUUUUUUUUNNNN.
This little old lady put up wuite the show to shoo us away and tell us she didn't want none of our witchcraft....so as we are waiting for the elevator- she storms back out holding the Book of Mormon we gave her son (her daughter was 19 by the way and the son was about 30-people live with their parents forever in Japan) so yeah she thrusts this Book of Mormon at us and we don't accept it- tell her is was a gift- it teaches us how to be happy- and she was just SO insanely angry. Never thought such a little old lady could be so angry. Anyways, Cook shimai looks at me and says'I really don't think we should accept that Book of Mormon back'. So- trusting my companion cause she is awesome we don't accept it. she puts it in our arms multiple times and we put it on the bench multiple times. I didn't feel a bit ridiculous but I think what was supposed to happen happened. We ended up leaving on the bench in front of her room and she stormed inside.
When we got outside we decided to say a prayer that we could talk to that sweet girl someday in the future- and that the Book of Mormon would land in the hands of who it needed to. As we were walking home- there was no one out the whole time. When we finally got to a light we saw this woman on her bike with her daughter so we stopped her really quick! (we had about 10 minutes before we needed to be home). So we don't really talk to her about much but we tell her that we teach about Christ and we have an open house on Saturday!
Sorry this story has gotten really long. I will give more details when I see you in person but yeah-
long story short she didn't keep her first appointment but we decided to try and try and finally she made another appointment- and KEPT IT! She is from Peru- and she brought her little daughter. She told us that that night when we stopped her- she was praying to God to help her find a good solid christian church here in Japan. she said she thinks meeting us was a miracle from God showing her that He answers prayers. She made a baptismal date for December 23rd and she wants her whole family to meet us.
No more time- but I just need to say how lucky I am to be serving here, with the people I serve with. I am the luckiest missionary in the whole world, and I am so grateful. I love this mission with all of my heart and soul, I cant seem to comprehend a life not dendoing everyday and living in Japan. I love my Heavenly Father, I know that is there and He answers our prayers! I know that our Savior is Jesus Christ- and that He is ever-patient, ever-loving, and all-knowing. I wish I could bottle up all the happiness that the knowledge of the Gospel gives me and just give everyone a teaspoon or two to help them see the big picture and hear it for themselves. Everyone has their agency, everyone has infinite potential, and everyone has the same Heavenly Father! Truth is Truth, and man alive this is truth!!!
Have a great week! Filled with magic and adventure!!! Gonna travel back in time to see you guys...wwhhhhhaaaat?!
Love to the moon and beyond,
Lane shimai
