Monday, November 28, 2016

November 28, 2016: Yay another holiday i totally forgot about!!


To be honest, I didn't remember that in America this week was Thanksgiving until I got an email from mom.  However, happy belated Thanksgiving!!  Hope everyone ate a lot, watched a football game and had a good time.
 
This week was awesome!  I think I will start off with what is on everyone's mind.  On Tuesday we had an earthquake at about 6 am.  It was off the shores of Fukushima which is in the mission boundaries.  It was around 6.8 or 7 on the Richter scale.  There is a Japan wide alarm system for earthquakes and natural disasters that sends an alarm to every mobile phone in the affected area.  I woke up to that alarm and felt all that shaking which lasted about 15-20 seconds.  At that moment I realized that I had forgotten all about earthquake safety.  During the shaking I stayed in my bed  and just waited it out.  Ha-ha (sorry mom you are going to read this and cringe lol) Lucky there was no damage to our apartment and nothing much in the area.  However, I do remember thinking at that time that all would be ok and there was no need to run or take cover because the spirit was whispering to me that all would be ok.  I want to talk a little more about the spirit and impressions we receive later.

A couple funny things this week.

-While housing I was talking to this guy though the interphone and I asked him a question and he says "sorry there is nobody home" even though I had a conversation with him for about 30 seconds.

-IT IS COLD, been about 0 degrees all week all day.  Thanks for mom coming up clutch and sending me this jacket that could be worn in -25 weather. My upper body has been nice and warm but my legs have been suffering a little bit.

Going back to the spirit.  Since this week the Sendai mission had another big earthquake, the wife of one of the councilors in the mission told this story yesterday at a fireside.  This takes place on March 11, 2011.  She was coming home after the earthquake hit the Sendai area because she wanted to see how badly her house was damaged.  On the way home the spirit told her to turn around immediately and go the other direction.  She looked to her right and saw the tsunami coming in to shore.  She described it as "a huge, pitch black wall of water" and "bigger than most buildings".  She escaped as well as her family but they lost their home.

I don't know why things like earthquakes or natural disasters happen.  I don't know the meaning of all things, but what I do know is that God lives and loves his children.  I love the Japanese people, they have been so kind and accepting of me.  Our Heavenly Father and his son, Jesus Christ live.   I testify that the whisperings of the spirit are real.  Don't give up keep trying!

Love you all have a good week!!

1 Nephi 11: 16-17

 
Elder Halverson

ハルバソン長老~日本仙台伝道部

















 

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