07/19/2015 | Transfers Again

07/19/2015

Well. It's been a few weeks I guess. I'm sorry about missing last week. I feel really bad about it. So this week, was kind of just normal. We just did dendo (missionary work) like normal, and had a pretty good week. We were able to meet with a fair amount of investigators, it was good. One really fun thing I got to do this week was go on splits with the Zone Leaders, and I got to go with Elder Fa'alafua. He's from Orem Ut. Yeah I know not what you were expecting. He is Samoan, the only missionary in the mission talled than me, and he's AWESOME. We were able to meet with one of his investigators, and set up a baptismal date with him, so that was fun. He is a really kind guy. I tend to call him a Teddy bear, just because he's big and friendly, and huggable, he's just a friendly giant. So we got to talk a lot together. Other than that, we have been focusing lately on trying to get more people coming to English classes. We teach 2 of them, and not a ton of people are coming, so we've been out with handouts quite a bit this week.

Other than that I only have one other thing I want to say. Now just because I am a missionary, I felt like I should touch on this, but it has to do with the Supreme Court decision made a few weeks ago. I've been thinking about how to word this, and my opinions on it, and then just out of the blue last week, my friend down in Sendai (Japan) commented on it as well. I read what she said about it, and thought it would be perfect. I'm not sure how to word it better than this, so I'm going to just literally pull what she said, and use that. 

"I'm not sure in what way, but I heard that the gay marriage laws just

changed in America? I'd been reading Elder Perry's talk on eternal
families at the time, and it made me wonder how to explain our
beliefs. It used to be difficult to put into words, save to say that I
trusted God and the church, so I couldn't vote for it. But I think I'm
starting to understand it now. Question: Is there happiness in gay
marriage? Yes. Of course there is, or it wouldn't be an issue to vote
on. Yet as members of Christ's church, we are not simply seeking
happiness in this life. We are working for eternity, and while we
cannot see what will bring happiness in eternal life, God does. I know
via the Bible, the living prophets, and personally through the Holy
Spirit that God has stated marriage between a man and a woman will
bring happiness in the long term. So when I say I cannot vote for same
gender marriage, it is not because I want to prevent people from being
happy. In actuality, I'm standing for what I trust will be happiness
in the eternities. Now, I know I have friends who are greatly affected
by this legislation. I hope you know I love you dearly. As far as
being friends goes, this is a non-issue to me. When I say I stand for
a traditional family, it is because I have faith that that is the way
for happiness in eternity, which I desperately want for everyone."

Know that I feel this way as well. While I do of course want to remain friends with all of my friends, I as well cannot support the decision that was made. I do not want to offend anybody. That is not my intention at all, but I do know that the family has been ordained of God, and he said 1 man, and 1 women, so that's what I trust. 

I love you all, and just as something of a wrapper upper, this is something that my mom sent to me today, that I really like, so I am going to steal that as well. 

"2 Nephi 9:39 “Remember to be carnally minded is death, and to be spiritually-minded is life eternal.”  Spiritually-Minded Is Life Eternal spells “smile”.  So, remember to “smile” (be spiritually minded)"

To put it into my words, "HEY SMILE!!!!! It makes your day 5,002,974,790 times better!! That's a proven fact" 

Remember to stay happy this week, and yeah something I didn't touch on at all was the subject... So transfer week is this week. We learn about what's happening tomorrow. All I know right now is that I am not an Assistant, and I am not going into Honbu (mission office)! Other then that I don't know anything, but I do have something amusing to tell you.  Literally just one minute ago, 60 seconds, this random guy just walked into Honbu asking if this was a church. He saw the name Jesus Christ on the front of the building, and he walked in and asked us if we believed in God. Then he proceeds to tell us that he is wanting to eat Somen (Japanese noodles) but that he doesn't have Tsuyu (the sauce that you use to eat Somen) and saw that we had a box that originally had Tsuyu in it, so it said Tsuyu on the box. Well currently in the box are a bunch of Liahonas (church magazine) getting ready to go out. We were just using the box. So I told him this, and he thought it was quite funny. Then he told us that he is currently looking for a job, and that he has an interview on Friday, and to please pray for him to get a job. And then he left. Hilarious. Heck I'll pray for him. If you want to add him into your prayers as well, his name was Yamamoto. I don't know. He was probably crazy, and drunk, but heck. He needs help too. Obviously this church is true. It's so true that people just come into the Honbu searching for noodle sauce...

Anyway on that note I will say good bye till next week. Remember who you are, and what you stand for, and don't do anything I wouldn't do.

愛しているよ 

エリちゃん

Kelson

07/05/2015 | Nice day for a baptism

07/05/2015

What a week... Between having a baptism, and other things that happened, we didn't have time for anything this week. But the baptism was really good. We call him Ma Chan. He is a college student studying Oil painting, and he has a really strong testimony. We had President Nakatsuka 会長 姉妹 come to the baptism, and he gave a great talk. It was one of the most powerful things I have ever  witnessed. Sorry I want to say more, but I honestly can't think of what to say. (I'm also very distracted because there are a million missionaries here with cake)

I will leave you with this.

2 Nephi 31:5-13
5 And now, if the Lamb of God, he being holy, should have need to be baptized by water, to fulfil all righteousness, O then, how much more need have we, being unholy, to be baptized, yea, even by water!

6 And now, I would ask of you, my beloved brethren, wherein the Lamb of God did fulfil all righteousness in being baptized by water?

7 Know ye not that he was holy? But notwithstanding he being holy, he showeth unto the children of men that, according to the flesh he humbleth himself before the Father, and witnesseth unto the Father that he would be obedient unto him in keeping his commandments.

8 Wherefore, after he was baptized with water the Holy Ghost descended upon him in the form of a dove.

9 And again, it showeth unto the children of men the straitness of the path, and the narrowness of the gate, by which they should enter, he having set the example before them.

10 And he said unto the children of men: Follow thou me. Wherefore, my beloved brethren, can we follow Jesus save we shall be willing to keep the commandments of the Father?

11 And the Father said: Repent ye, repent ye, and be baptized in the name of my Beloved Son.

12 And also, the voice of the Son came unto me, saying: He that is baptized in my name, to him will the Father give the Holy Ghost, like unto me; wherefore, follow me, and do the things which ye have seen me do.

13 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, I know that if ye shall follow the Son, with full purpose of heart, acting no hypocrisy and no deception before God, but with real intent, repenting of your sins, witnessing unto the Father that ye are willing to take upon you the name of Christ, by baptism--yea, by following your Lord and your Savior down into the water, according to his word, behold, then shall ye receive the Holy Ghost; yea, then cometh the baptism of fire and of the Holy Ghost; and then can ye speak with the tongue of angels, and shout praises unto the Holy One of Israel.

Have a wonderful week :)
愛しているよ
Elder Eliot

PS thanks for all the birthday wishes