This week is transfer week again, and my companion and I have been together for two transfers already, so one of us is almost surely moving to a new area. We will likely get a transfer call within the next few days, but until then we will be praying and maybe packing a little, too. Today, though, we are going to try and make the most of our (possibly) last P-day in the area. We are going to a nearby city to see Okayama castle and a famous park/botanical garden type-place. Because of that, time is going to be pretty short today, but I just want to let you all know that I love you and that you are all the best!
This past week we had companion exchanges, and I was with Elder Abarca. I learned so much from him, from Japanese (he has an amazing vocabulary) to deep doctrine about the gospel, and just how to show love to people in everything we do as missionaries. We were able to talk to some cool people, but one of my favorites was a young guy we met unexpectedly in the streets. We talked about prayer, and asked him what he would want to know if he could talk to God about anything. He
said that he doesn't think God should tell us everything, and used a really cool example to explain why he felt that way. He said that if he asks someone for directions on how to get somewhere, there are two responses he might get. One, the person might tell him exactly how to get there, turning here and there, following such-and-such street, and just giving really specific instructions. In that case, it would be really easy to forget the instructions and end up lost again. The second response would be to give him a map and teach him how to use it. Then, even if he gets lost again, he will have the tools and knowledge to find his way again. I thought this example was way cool, because that is exactly what God does for us. He doesn't tell us exactly how we should live our lives, what job to get, or what things we should like to do, but rather He provides us with the map, that when we follow His teachings, we can find our way to happiness. I know that the "map" to happiness is contained in the scriptures, the Bible and the Book of Mormon, and that when we study them, we will never
have to wonder where we should go to find joy in life.
said that he doesn't think God should tell us everything, and used a really cool example to explain why he felt that way. He said that if he asks someone for directions on how to get somewhere, there are two responses he might get. One, the person might tell him exactly how to get there, turning here and there, following such-and-such street, and just giving really specific instructions. In that case, it would be really easy to forget the instructions and end up lost again. The second response would be to give him a map and teach him how to use it. Then, even if he gets lost again, he will have the tools and knowledge to find his way again. I thought this example was way cool, because that is exactly what God does for us. He doesn't tell us exactly how we should live our lives, what job to get, or what things we should like to do, but rather He provides us with the map, that when we follow His teachings, we can find our way to happiness. I know that the "map" to happiness is contained in the scriptures, the Bible and the Book of Mormon, and that when we study them, we will never
have to wonder where we should go to find joy in life.
Later in the week we were also able to go to our zone training meeting, which was also a great experience. I learned so much, but this meeting had a kind of a new twist to it. Normally these meetings are in English since there are so many American missionaries, but in our zone there are a pretty good amount of Japanese missionaries, at least compared to other zones in the mission. Because of this, the zone leaders decided to hold the meeting almost entirely in Japanese. It helped us be a little more unified, because everyone was trying harder to make their comments in Japanese, even if they didn't know exactly how to say everything. I think that it really helped the Japanese missionaries, who usually have to rely on translation, and it showed me how a little effort on our part to show love to others can make a big difference.
I can't wait to hear from you all, and also to let you know where I end up next week. Hope you have a great week, and that you are able to feel the love from those around you, and especially the love of your Father in Heaven.
Winegar長老より
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