Dear Family,
Well how is everyone doing back at home? I
hope good! Sorry I'm emailing so late today, it was temple Pday today. However
we didn't go to the temple, Hiro is getting really close to his baptismal date
and we want it to be possible for him to make it so when he asked us for a
lesson today we agreed and instead of going to the temple met with him. Turned
out to be a really good decision, I'll tell you more about his progress later.
But anyways this week was pretty good. We got out and did some dendo, housed,
streeted, Kubari'd we got the whole 9 yards this week, including teaching! It
was pretty good.
So first, last week for Pday we built the
puzzle I sent you a picture of, and it was lots of fun, way tough but way fun
and it's got Japanese on it! So it was a win overall. Anyways now I'll jump to
what you've all been waiting for, Hiro! Well we're not sure if he's going to be
able to make his baptismal date yet. He is learning pretty slow. Picking up
speed, but still potentially too slow to make the date. We met with him 5 times
last week total and today as well. Unfortunately he couldn't come to church,
but last night he was thinking and basically through his thinking about random
things from his life he figured out the role of the savior, how to repent, and
why prayer is so important. As well as gaining more desire to learn. It was
incredible, he started the thinking yesterday by wondering if God was there and
bam he made it a lot farther than just that. So that was a huge miracle that if
we didn't meet today would have potentially gone under the radar because he
forgets fast. So it was a huge miracle and we definitely felt guided in the
whole thing. Also since he is moving to Kyoto (way out of our mission) right
after his date, we called the missionaries down there this week and they skyped
in, Elder Monson and Elder Hill, to meet him for a few minutes then had to
peace out so that's a cool thing too.
We also met Takeuchi Kyoudai this week and he is an awesome example. He just received his first calling: Ward Missionary! Who would have thought that the Takeuchi who got baptized 2 months ago would have the confidence and opportunity to be a ward missionary! He is super excited to do it, and has already been learning about how to be a missionary, in the past his biggest concern was if he would have to take over for us when the missionaries aren't in Odawara. And now it's true! Haha it was really good meeting with him this week though, he's getting stronger and stronger in the gospel.
Oh also this week I got to
give teaching in English a go! I'm not really sure how those English speaking
missionaries around the world do it... It's hard to teach in English. We were
housing the other day in a pretty random far away place, when we saw a bunch of
sheet metal shacks and felt impressed to give them a go. So first we started
with the 2 floor apartments next to the metal shacks. Second one we tried had
way rusted out stairs, literally almost fell through one of them, but we got up
to the second floor and Elder Okada started telling the lady inside who we were
and she kind of just said, my husband isn't home, I'm working, I don't speak
Japanese and things like that (in all Japanese). She was Filipino so she was
pretty confused as to what was happening, then Elder Okada busted out some
English and then she looked out and saw a gaijin, so then it was go time with
the English. So I reintroduced who we were, she didn't understand Elder Okada's
fancy door knocking Japanese at all so, then she started asking some questions,
if we were Mormon, why we're here, and then I gave probably the simplest
summary of the restoration that I could in English and invited her to learn
more from the sisters and she accepted, and also got super excited when I said
they would bring her a Tagalog Book of Mormon. So cool miracles, really proved
that it really doesn't matter if you can speak the language as long as you try.
And the other awesome thing we had this week
was a conference with President Whiting. President of the Asia north area. He
came here on Thursday and we had a big half mission meeting with him. First
thing he did was a question and answer session that he based the rest of his
talks off of. The first question that came it was awesome, it was how do we
learn to recognize revelation. So he taught us for probably an hour how to better
receive and recognize revelation, and just about everyone there benefited like
crazy from that. Sometimes the zone leaders send out miracle reports, and the
revelation miracles have been coming in more and more. Basically he told us
that when you think or feel something, first follow it. Then if it is not from
God he won't let you go far, and then slowly as you recognize the spirit more
and more, it will be much easier to know when God is speaking to you. He also
told us that especially in meetings to find a way too easily and quickly write
down revelation so that when you're flipping through your notes you can know
what's revelation and what is important words. For example he flips his
notebook on a 45 degree angle and writes revelation crooked. Later on he gave a
really great example, he brought 3 missionaries to the front. Spaced them out
evenly and likened them to investigators. The right side was golden, and left
side has no interest and he asked, where do you want your investigators, then
taught us more about the atonement and how it can swing people to the golden
side. Then he supposed us all and did it again, but this time not likening it
to investigators. He likened it to missionaries, the right being a good
missionary has the desire to receive revelation and has faith, and the left
where they want to go home. So he had us think of where we are and then taught
us how the atonement can help us go to the right side. It was an awesome
conference overall. I would love to listen to him speak again. If you ever get
a chance, I would listen to him!
Anyways this week has been good, we've been
finding, teaching, and having fun. Elder Okada is a great companion and we're enjoying
it. So rest easy, I'm doing well over here. Sorry you got sick dad!! Get
feeling better! That sounds like it's a struggle. I hope all continues to be
well with you too mom and dad, don't go getting to sick on us! Thanks for the
videos as well, Ollie is awesome, and tube water polo looks like a lot of fun!
Also no I haven't mailed them home but we plan to before Elder Okada leaves. I
already talked to him about that one. We might go someday this week. Also glad
the Broncos won! I prefer them to the panthers. Also thanks so much for writing
my scholarship things! You're the best! And last, it's Meagan’s birthday! I
already sent an email to her but HAPPY BIRTHDAY MEAGAN! Thanks for keeping me
updated on everything, I love you all and I know that your prayers are helping
me out, I haven't gotten sick this winter even! It's starting to feel like I
have no time left out here, but I'll make the most of it while I can. Thanks
everybody! Love you!
Elder Gailey
No comments:
Post a Comment