This week was a grinder, no doubt about that.
After p-day ended and by then it is time for the sun and
all the lights to go out, so it makes it very hard to do anything here in
Odate. We trying to visit some old Q'S
and less actives. And of course they are
either dead, the building doesn't exist, or not home. So we just went around and posted all that we
could. By the way it was the coldest day
by far.
Tuesday was a busy day.
We went streeting around a local school and as we are walking kids are
talking to us for the first time in forever.
They are saying that they have a Book of Mormon and sometimes two of
them. Apparently past missionaries have
given all these kids a book.
Literally by running up and down the street giving them
out like candy. We ask if they read it and they said a little because it is so
difficult to read in Japanese. Nobody
gets the concept of the Book of Mormon, let alone God. But we got 5 follow ups in 5 minutes. Then we found another kid walking around, we
stopped him and talked for quite some time and gave him a book. He said that he has seen the missionaries
before but didn't talk to them cause they were on bikes. But we talked with the kid for a long while
and found out that he knows more about Christianity and God than most people we
talk to. Also we got a new Q through the
free family English program, 30 minutes English and 30 minutes gospel. Oh and he is as tall as me and he plays
basketball so hopefully we can apply the gospel to ball.
I wanted to share the story from ZTM on Friday. The sister training leaders compared the
experience of receiving mission calls here on earth to us receiving our calls
in heaven. They said that just like on
earth, there is a mission call season in heaven that we all went through. In heaven as we received our calls to the
earth and serve our missions for Heaven Father, all of our friends gathered
round us to know where we are going.
Just like on earth, we were very grateful for the opportunity. Everyone is on the edge of there seats
wondering where they will go. I pull out
my paper and read that I am going to Bountiful Utah to a family that knows
Christ and is happy in the gospel.
Everyone rejoices to the fact that I will have a knowledge and love of
the gospel when I am on the earth. Time
passes by and lots of other friends are receiving their calls and they are
going to places like New York, Japan, Mexico, etc. All to places that are filled with the
gospel. Everyone rejoices. But we all know that not everyone was sent to
these same conditions. Our heaven
friends opened their calls with everyone gathered around and our friend read
"Sendai Japan" to a family who didn't know the gospel. Everyone became silent and very sorrowful for
our beloved friend that wouldn't know the gospel. But then everyone gathered around our sad
friend and said that, "There is no worry, I will find you my
friend". I will be honest I wanted
to cry, I know without a doubt that we are trying everyday to find our eternal
friends. Not only that, but the people
we work with are also eternal friends like ward members, branch members,
investigators, and comps. When I left
Izumi I was very sad at the fact that I might not see those wonderful people
again but it's been soothing to know that if I never have the chance to go back
to Izumi that I will see all of them in heaven one day.
It also helped me recommit to opening my mouth and
finding those people that are eternal friends that haven't been rescued
yet. This doesn't only apply to
missionaries, but to all of us.
Take advantage of the daily missionary work that you can
do! Remember the saying, "Every
member a missionary". We are on
the eternal timetable so keep trying,
always searching and always improving.
I love you all and hope you all have a good week!
頑張って
Elder Halverson
ハルバソン長老~日本仙台伝道部
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