Week 45

Hello everyone! 

This week seriously flew by, we had so many good things this week!  We will just get started with the miracles. 

So one day we were just walking around the park, preaching the good word, when this old man on a bike stops and asks us if we are lost because we said hello to him. Haha, we started talking to him and introduced who we were. He at first was very hesitant to talk to us, he told us how the white man is the scariest race because all we think about is ourselves. And then explained how he doesn't believe in religion, and that there is no such thing as life after death, that after this life that's it. We tried introducing the BOM but he said he couldn't read it because the font is too small (everyone's favorite excuse) but we were persistent and kept talking to him. After talking for a while he started to realize that what we believe is different than what he has heard before. He was very intrigued and asked if we could sit with him and talk. We ended up sitting for 45 minutes, taught the whole Restoration, and plan of salvation. You could tell this man's heart and mind had been opened by the spirit and it was something he needed. He told us he has been suffering from cancer and hasn't felt hope like this for a long time. He later accepted a BOM and thanked us for everything. He asked for our number and told us he would contact us when he isn't in the hospital (he was going in the next day). I'm not sure what the rest of his story will be, but I hope one day we can meet with him again. It was so cool to see his perspective and views of life change just in that conversation, so blessed! Also, he thought I was 30 years old, so that was a new thing for me haha. 

On Saturday we had a great day. We had a baptism held at our church for one of the Elders baptisms serving in another area. It was really special because we were actually the first missionaries the convert had met, and we taught him his first lessons. After learning he lived in another area, we passed him to the Elders, but I was so grateful I got to be a little part of his story, and see him enter the waters of baptism! The spirit was so strong, and I just knew this gospel has blessed and will continue to bless his life!

Afterward, we had a ward Hawaiian party which was the best. We did Hula and crafts and games and had Hawaiian treats, it was awesome. We had a pretty good turn out so we were way happy about that.

Then to top it all off we went to church, and the best thing happened. We were just sitting there singing the sacrament song when some of the young men and bishopric looked pretty stressed, then one of the priests frantically brought a tray from the kitchen to the front. We then realize that they had grabbed the coconut banana bread from the fridge leftover from Hawaiian night and started preparing it for the sacrament! Everyone was seriously shaken and was trying so hard not to laugh. They kept looking at Us like we had planned it or something lol. Anyways turns out they forgot to buy bread, so thank goodness we had some leftover or else no one would've been cleansed this week. So yeah we had some delicious coconut banana bread for the sacrament ordinance Haha I don't think anyone was complaining though, the members told us we should make it for sacrament every week haha. 

Sorry for this super long email but to finish it off, here's the spiritual thought.

This week I was studying in Alma 22 when Aaron was teaching the king. The king had heard many things about the prophets teachings and the things they believed.  However, it frightened him because he didn't understand the reason or meaning of it. 
5 Now the king said unto them: What is this that ye have said concerning the Spirit of the Lord? Behold, this is the thing which doth trouble me.
6 And also, what is this that Ammon said—If ye will repent ye shall be saved, and if ye will not repent, ye shall be cast off at the last day?
7 And Aaron answered him and said unto him: Believest thou that there is a God?
I thought it was interesting how Aaron answered him. Instead of answering what repentance is and what the Spirit of the Lord is, he asked him, "Believest thou that there is a God?". I don't think he was trying to dodge the question or explaining the doctrine. But in order to gain understanding, the King needed faith in God and who he is. Before understanding anything in our church, or Christs Gospel, we need to know who our loving Heavenly Father is and look to that knowledge when we have questions or doubts. If we have built our testimony in the core things of Christ's church, (the Godhead, Book of Mormon, Plan of Salvation, etc.) then understanding will come on other things, whether it's the word of wisdom, tithing, families, sin, or anything. For example, we have the word of wisdom because God gave us our bodies, and in order to be protected, he lovingly gave us that commandment. I hope everyone knows how much God loves them and wants us to be happy, if we focus our faith on that, then we will find so much joy in everything that is taught in Christ Church. 

Love you all, hope you have a great week! 

Love, Christensen 姉妹

Mizuki ちゃんand Luna ちゃん and their friend

Mashiro ちゃん

Akariちゃん

京谷家族 Kyoutani Family

Sayuri 姉妹, Minamimoto兄弟 , Suzuki 兄弟

                                                                            Shino 兄弟

Comp exchange with the one and only 林 (Hayashi) 姉妹

Week 44

Hello everyone! 

Sorry I've been slacking with this whole emailing thing....ごめんね。
But wow this week! We saw a lot of miracles and opposition, but it was great! 

Some highlights from this week, 

First off I won the ping pong tournament, you guys... I feel like I shouldn't be putting it in my group email, not trying to be cocky but I've been waiting for this moment ever since I came to Kawchinagano. But hey I'm getting into the Japanese culture! 

One day we had a companion exchange with the Sakai Sisters, we had a solid 0 appointments or things scheduled that day. So we packed our BOM, pamphlets and headed out, and it was probably one of the best days. We were able to talk to so many people, testify of Jesus Christ, handout 6 Book of Mormons, and find some potential people to teach! We were so blessed to have people put in our path through the day, so blessed! Sometimes talking to people is so scary but once you get going it can be so fun getting to know so many of Gods children and allowing them to feel the spirit even if it's only for a second! So that was awesome.

Little grateful moment: One thing that has been hard for me with this whole language thing is feeling like I can't be myself as much because I can't express myself as well. I still have a long way to go but I'm grateful for all the divine help I've received for speaking Japanese. Little by little I've been able to connect better with the Japanese people and it's been such a blessing. 

As for my spiritual thought for this week I wanted to pull a thought from one of the recent conference talks,  exercising our spiritual muscles. 

 "The spiritual gift of faith is not just a feeling or a mood; it is a principle of action that frequently appears in the scriptures linked to the verb exercise. Just as reading and learning about muscles is not enough to build muscle, reading and learning about faith without adding action is insufficient to build faith.....
 [We need to] Identify those muscles that need more spiritual activity and start to exercise them. This is a long-distance race, a marathon, rather than a sprint, so do not forget those small but constant spiritual activities that will strengthen those important spiritual muscles. If we want to increase our faith, then let’s do things that require faith."

One thing that I've learned a lot over my mission is the importance of action. We can teach someone all the lessons of the gospel, but if they don't apply it or try it for themselves, then it won't have the potential effect of it changing their lives for the better, or increasing their faith. " 

I challenge everyone to think of a concept or teaching where their faith isn't as strong as they would like it to be, and strive to see how to better exercise it to strengthen it! 

Love you all and hope you have a good week!

You get your picture with Olaf when you win the Ping Pong Tournament

Nanba with Kaho, Miyamoto 姉妹 and Tsuda 兄弟

Zone Conference and Pictures

I'm not sure when this Zone Conference was, but Sister Smoot posted these pics on Facebook on 05/15/19.

Susumu さん

Kitou 姉妹 and her AMAZING okonomiyaki

English class, Miyamoto 姉妹, New Student, Ikoma 姉妹, Kaho, Me, Nakata 姉妹

Ping Pong Tournament

 Yamada 兄弟, Maekawa姉妹, Katayama兄弟, Susumuさん, Maekawa姉妹, Me, Tamaiさん, Miyamoto 姉妹

Shino 姉妹 and Tasaka 姉妹

Blood Drive 

Pionita 長老 and Daisuke さん

District, Glather長老, Bradford長老, Fonnesbeck, 長老 Pionita長老, Tuaitanu姉妹, Miyamoto 姉妹, Eyring 姉妹

Talking with the fam