Monday, September 28, 2015

Thu, Sep 24, 2015 at 10:51 AM

NO FEAR

I want to tell a little story to start this letter off about the importance of not having fear in your heart.  Fear is one the of the devil's most powerful tools he can use against anyone in this world.  On Monday I was feeling good with the language.  I was feeling I could communicate well with my 求道者 investigators) with just about anything gospel related. With the exception that I had to look up a word every now and then.  So I was feeling pretty good about myself.  Then my 先生(teacher) started to speak in straight Japanese about his classes he was taking and he wanted a life again because school had started for him.  He was talking so fast and about something I had completely no idea about.  I was just thinking if this is how NIhonjin (日本人, Japanese People) talk then I'm in for a rough ride.  After that I was feeling like "How in the world am i going to do this"?  I was trying to study Japanese as hard as I could and I felt as if I couldn't learn anything if my life depended on it.  Then a sister in my district said, "Why don't you try to study something you want to that isn't Japanese related for just a short while then continue with Japanese".

I opened up to D&C 67: 1-3  the chapter heading read the Lord hears the prayers of his elders.  I then just started to pray that my fears and inadequacies would be lifted and I could continue to learn the Japanese without these feelings.  I continued to read on and in verses 1-4 it says"

1 Behold and hearken, O ye elders of my church, who have assembled yourselves together, whose prayers I have heard, and whose hearts I know, and whose desires have come up before me.

 2 Behold and lo, mine eyes are upon you, and the heavens and the earth are in mine hands, and the riches of eternity are mine to give.

3 Ye endeavored to believe that ye should receive the blessing which was offered unto you; but behold, verily I say unto you there were fears in your hearts, and verily this is the reason that ye did not receive.

4 And now I, the Lord, give unto you a testimony of the truth of these commandments which are lying before you.

After I read that I felt like I could get up and run around because I was so happy.  But I didn't because of my foot.  The rest of the day was a good one, I no longer had the "dark cloud" over my head.

I just want to tell you that the Lord does hear your prayers and he will answer them after trials of faith.  Also nothing is impossible with God if you have faith!

 Speaking about faith, which is also a key component in learning Japanese, Ether 12 is a great chapter about faith.  All over in the B.o.M. it talks about trails of faith and through the power of the Holy Ghost they could accomplish many and great things.  But in Ether 12, it gives a list of examples of these great things being done after the incredible trail of faith.

12 For if there be no faith among the children of men God can do no miracle among them; wherefore, he showed not himself until after their faith.

Then it goes on latter to say

13 Behold, it was the faith of Alma and Amulek that caused the prison to tumble to the earth.

 14 Behold, it was the faith of Nephi and Lehi that wrought the change upon the Lamanites, that they were baptized with fire and with the Holy Ghost.

 15 Behold, it was the faith of Ammon and his brethren which wrought so great a miracle among the Lamanites.

16 Yea, and even all they who wrought miracles wrought them by faith, even those who were before Christ and also those who were after.

Really just long story, but continue in faith.  The Lord has a plan for all of us.  When we left His presence in heaven, He showed us the path and said I'll see you at the end of the road but He didn't leave us alone.  He gave us the Holy Ghost to guide us down the path and we need to have faith thru our trials that we will be guided and make it to the end of the path.  CONTINUE IN FAITH, all will be well with the world.  Also, Thank you both, the Dahl's and Halverson's for all the food!

さようなら ハルバソン 長老


Notes from Pam: 
Elder Halverson 

- goes back to the doctor on September 30th and is hoping to be able to put weight on his foot. 
"the foot feels great, I don't feel much pain at all.  I'm so incredibly anxious for the 30th when I can get it off and walk around maybe. The 5th metatarsal at the top is broken."

- sent a list of items he needs taken care of before departing for Sendai.  I take that as a good sign that they are planning on him leaving with his group. 
- can't work out.  At the MTC, the gym is in the basement and they do not have elevators.  

- had been attending choir practice, but stopped because there was no room for his legs, boot and scooter.  "Yea choir is hard to go to because of the foot and also the uncomfortable seats and no leg room.  Every so often I do go choir."

- took the picture at the temple.  "I did take that photo, probably the best photo I've taken in my whole life!" haha

- Syd's hair color.  "What why??????"


- cleaning out his room.  "It depends on what stuff it is haha.  Can't throw it all way until I say so!"

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