Most wonderful family,
KONNICHIWA!!!!!
*In addition to authority, you are also to exercise power in your work. The authority
that you have received can lead to power. Indeed, spiritual power is one evidence that
your authority is real. Spiritual power is a gift that makes it possible for you to do your
work more effectively.* Preach My Gospel
The power and authority given to missionaries is real. That was made clear to me over and over this last week.
Monday: We taught Ayako chan. Ayako chan has received all the lessons, so now we are meeting her to help strengthen her faith and do things so she can get permission from her parents for baptism. Because the doctrine has been drilled in her mind over and over, we sat down with her on Monday just to talk. We asked about her life and about the church, and questions and words started coming out of our mouth. I am not sure what happened, but the Spirit was in that room more than ever before with Ayako chan. She felt it and we felt it and it was great!
Tuesday: We met with a former investigator named Miki. Miki has a LOT of problems in her life. She is 22, but her life is 100% different than mine. We sat down to talk with her and she opened her heart and told us SO MUCH. To be honest, I did not know much how to help because I could not relate to her situation at all, but as I testified, words came to my mouth. Then a scripture came to my mind, then we were able to pray, then she agreed to meet with us again (even though she is known for never making return appointments). That was all the Spirit.
We also met with an Eikaiwa student. I am so excited to tell you about her. Her name is Pat. She has been coming to Eikaiwa for decades. We did not have Eikaiwa last week because of a conference in Okayama the next day, so we called Pat to tell her, and then we asked if she would meet with us on another day. She talked for about 5 minutes about how busy she is, told us it is IMPOSSIBLE for her to talk about religion, and then scheduled an appointment to meet. When we sat down with her, she also began to open her heart to us. She told us all about her experience with the missionaries in the past, her concerns about life right now, her beliefs and her desires. We had a very spiritual oasis lesson about Gods love and ended up talking about religion for an hour! That was the Spirit.
Wednesday: We went to Yonago station, got off our bikes, about 30 seconds later began talking to somebody, and about a minute after that, she also opened her heart to us. She told us that her husband died and she was miserable and she just wanted hope and answers to where he is now. We testified of the Plan of Salvation and she was so touched. That was all the Spirit.
We hopped on a train that night to visit a less active member who lives super far away, and our previous investigators, the Utagawa family, were on the same train! They were so excited to see us and begged us to come back and visit them! That was the Spirit.
Thursday: At 6:36 am, after praying, I texted Utagawa family and asked if we could visit that day. We did, and the lesson was AMAZING. One reason the family was dropped before (among many reasons) is because the lesson was always full of contention and we could never feel the Spirit. But on the Thursday, something changed and the Spirit was powerful. Even Utagawa san felt it. She was rubbing her arms saying *whoa is that the Spirit?* Yes. It was the Spirit.
Friday: We were in Okayama for Zone Conference. It was the first one with the new mission president, and I loved it! As we talked together as missionaries, I could feel the power in the room and the power behind the scriptures we were reading and the power behind testimonies that were shared. This is the Lords work. And I felt the Spirit.
Saturday: We met with less active members who we have been running into so many times but were never able to set up an appointment with. We set up an appointment with them! Yay! Guided by the Spirit.
Sunday: We had church! Yay! It felt like it had been a long time. 2 weeks could seem like years as a missionary. Last night we were visiting less active members. A lot of them were home, which was great, and we met some people with potential. However, we were in one area and we thought of a less active member who we wanted to visit who lived in a completely different area. We had never met her, but we decided to go try. She was home! Yay! She was not interested in talking to missionaries and has no desire to come back to church. However, before we left, I told her that as missionaries, the only thing we want to do is remind her that she is loved. When I said that, she began crying. She continued to cry. She stood there and cried. Then she bawled. The Spirit prompted those words to come out of my mouth.
Speaking of those words, love is something I have been thinking a lot about this last week. Our investigators all seemed to be telling us so much about their lives last week, and they have HARD lives. Sometimes I sat in the lesson with tears in my eyes because I could not believe how hard their lives are. As I thought about how to help the investigators here, I felt that Christs love is what will heal and strengthen them. Christs love is infinite and matchless. Christs love is what allows suffering to become rejoicing. Christs love is what I pray for every day and what I want to share with the people here!
I hope you all know that you are loved. You are loved way more than you know! Also, you are loved by somebody way over here in Japan, way more than you know!! Thank you for being the best family in the world!!
Love,
KRIS
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