Hey Everyone!!!! How've you been? Did you have a good Easter? Mine was grand. Honestly it kind of just felt like a normal day, but this season, it has been so much fun to testify, and tell everyone about Jesus Christ, the Resurrection, and his Atonement. Don't get to do that too often, and now this has been my last. It's still hard for me to realize sometimes just how fast my mission is coming to an end. I guess that just means I have to work a little harder right?
Anyway, so something that has been really cool this week. I've been spending a lot of time on the phone, trying to get in contact with people who's phone numbers we have, trying to talk to them, and find new investigators. Well we have some records that have phone numbers, that work, and they say that the people are Golden, but people haven't been able to contact them. They never pick up, or stuff like that. I had about 5 times this week, where I called someone who hadn't picked up in forever, and the first time I called them they picked up, and or called back. I'll tell you about one.
Her name is Jessica. Yes it's not Japanese. We have a record in the Kitami Branch for a member named Jessica, but she doesn't live at the address written. So I decided to give her a call, but was told by my companion, and the members, that she never picks up. So I gave her a call, and she called me back less than 5 minutes later. Come to find out, she is from Peru, and she has lived in Japan for 8 years. She converted back when she lived in Kitami, but then when she left, she never told anyone, and then went down to a prefecture called Aichi. She was so happy to get my call, because she has been wanting to go to church, and wanting to meet Mormons again, but hasn't been able to find them forever. She lost her book of Mormon in the move, and such, but she has continually been praying. We are in the process of letting the people down where she lives know where she's at. The strangest part is, she doesn't speak English. She is a native Spanish speaker, is fluent in Portuguese, and can do Japanese pretty well. It was interesting to talk to her, having to translate some words into Spanish, and do my best to read them (while butchering the pronunciation I'm sure) But she was way chill, and we are in the process of referring her now.
I feel so blessed to be able to contact people like her. It confirms to me that President Nakatsuka does receive revelation, on where we should go, who we should be with, and what we should be doing. All these people that have never been able to be contacted. I feel as though they were being held for me. For some reason, I had to be the one to talk to them. God had prepared them for me. It feels so good to have Heavenly Father use you like that. Even if I am rejected, It's moments like that, when I know that as a missionary I'm being successful. I'm doing my job. I may not have seen a baptism, because everyone has their agency, and sometimes it's not the right time, but as long as I am trying to work hard, and be obedient, I am not a failure. I was looking through some old notes from the MTC and found a quote from Elder Scott "God, and Thomas S. Monson, did not call you to go to Japan (whichever mission) just to fail". I know that is true. God isn't trying to make this a rough "I wish I'd never gone" experience for anyone. Sure there's hard times, but you need hard in order to have good. It's when I am tasting the good fruit that I realize just how grateful I am for the bad fruit.
Anyway, I guess this is getting a little long, so I'll wrap it up. I know that this gospel, is Jesus Christ's church restored on the earth today. I know that he lives, and loves each and everyone of us so so so much. I know that God is our loving Heavenly Father, and knows each and everyone of us. He is so big, and yet so personal. There is not a hair that falls off of your head that he doesn't notice. He loves you so much, and he wants to help you. Ask him sometime. He told me.
Well I guess that's where I'll be done. Have a great week. Tell someone you love them.
愛しているよ
(I Love You)
Elder Eliot
