Dear Kazoku!
This week, I went on the most beautiful bike ride of my life, smelled the most fresh spring-time aromas, and felt the most deep love for those who are around me and for my Savior. What a wonderful time to be a missionary!!
Yamaguchi shimai is such a precious daughter of God. On Tuesday we met with her, and we had a chapter from the Book of Mormon planned to read with her, but she had so many of her own favorite scriptures to share with us, that we hardly got to the chapter we planned. She taught me so much as she shared her thoughts/questions about what she was reading. She had favorite scriptures from all throughout the Book of Mormon too! What impressed me probably the most was that all of her favorite scriptures had something to do with loving others, or charity, or service. She is so Christ-like. We decided that we might as well get her baptismal interview out of the way, so we just texted our district leader and he came over to the church and she passed her interview that night! On Saturday night, we were surprised with a text yet again saying she could come to church! We watched General conference at our stake center, which is about an hour long 5 dollar bus/train ride away, but she gladly came. And she was completely blown away. In a place where religion is not well known, and especially where the church building is an old sushi building and about 30 members come each week, for her to see the conference center and the choir and all the people...she was amazed. And she loved it! Of course, having Yamaguchi shimai at General Conference made it definitely the most wonderful General Conference of my life. With every single talk, I was thinking about how much Yamaguchi shimai must be loving it, and it made me love it that much more!
One theme I loved from conference was that of discipleship. Obviously, there was a huge theme of obedience, but in addition to that, there was much talk about loving others as the Savior would. The Japan Kobe mission theme is *true disciples, one and all* and that is the focus of all that we do. This conference gave me a lot of added insight into what that truly means. Each day I pass thousands of people who have no idea that they are children of God, or that God loves them, or even that there is a God at all. As I felt the Spirit and heard the messages during conference, my love for each one of these people grew, and my desire to love and serve them better grew as well.
I am grateful to have been blessed with the gift of love for the wonderful Morii family. This is the family we were led to who has a strong interest in religion and English. Lately, we have been teaching the mom Chiaki san and the daughter Chisa chan. I sit in their home and just feel the warmest love in my heart for them. Oh the blessings of being a missionary! I am impressed with how well they can recognize the Spirit. Chisa chan, who is 10, has mentioned to her mother on multiple occasions that she feels so calm when we are in their home. And Chiaki san said she has noticed that she treats her family members more kindly and thinks more positively since meeting with us. That is incredible to me because we honestly have not taught very much about the gospel at all. They just began to pray last week and this change is already happening in their home! This gospel is wonderful!
Just wondering, have you learned anything new from studying Preach my Gospel lately? I would encourage you to read the last section of chapter 10. It describes much of what I focus on. It is a wonderful privilege to be working among people who do not have a background in religion, because the change and light that comes into their lives as the Spirit testifies to them is a sight to behold, and I feel blessed every day to be here!
I love you bunches!
Love,
Crofts shimai
p.s. the church is true!!
No comments:
Post a Comment