Wow, this week.
So first off, transfers, your girl has officially left Osaka! I got the call Tuesday saying I'm headed to Kakogawa, Kobe, moving to an elders apartment, and fresh starting an area! To say I was a little scared, would be an understatement, but I was still excited for this change and to see what the Lord needed me to do here!
So we had a lesson with one of our new friends, she invited us over for dinner, so we went to her house. We were helping her make dinner when her mom came in and said she wanted to meet us. She told us that her daughter wasn't interested in religion and that we couldn't teach her about what we believe. She was very nice but pretty straight forward. I told her we understood, and my heart kinda broke a little bit. But we ended up having dinner together and she started asking us questions of what we are doing here. Once we started telling her what we do as missionaries, and how we left our families,and actually chose to be here, she seemed to be more interested. After a while, she just said, "But all you and your church want is to get people to be baptized and get more numbers." I told her that we do help people prepare for baptism but we aren't just trying to increase our numbers, but she didn't seem to understand. I then used an example that my beloved trainer taught me (shutout to Isom 姉妹). We were eating pizza and so I asked her if you had tried some pizza and it was the best pizza you had ever tried what would you do? Not only would you want to eat it often, but wouldn't you want your friends and family to know about it too? Obviously, you're not going to force them to eat it, or tell them they have to take it, but if they did eat it and loved it, wouldn't you be happy? She agreed with me. I told her how our message is the same, we have found something that we love, and we simply want others to be able to have it too. Obviously, we won't force people to be baptized or to listen to us, but when they choose to do so, we are so happy because we know their lives will be blessed too. I testified to her that our message is better than any amazing pizza or whatever it might be. That it has changed my life and those who I have taught. She sat there for a second, and said," wow that's a really a good example". haha Long story short, she asked us to share a message with her and said we could continue meeting with her daughter. It was seriously such a miracle and I was grateful for the spirit that touched her heart!
On Wednesday, I said goodbye to all my beloved friends in Kawachinagano, I love them so much and I'm so grateful I was able to serve them. I can't wait to see them all again. And I'm so grateful I was able to work Johnson 姉妹, she is amazing!
Thursday I headed out to my new Area, and it has been great! My new companion is Leilua 姉妹, she is from California, can speak Samoan, sign language, and is the coolest person ever! We have seen so many miracles already together. (One of them being that the apartment we moved into was SO clean, thank you elders)
This week I was reading in Alma 57 about Helaman's Army and it said,
(25 & 26) "According to the goodness of God.... there was not one soul of them who did perish; yea, and neither was there one soul among them who had not received many wounds...And we do justly ascribe it to the miraculous power of God " We all know the miracle of this story, that all of them were saved in battle. Yet they all received many wounds. But what I love is that Helaman continues to focus on the goodness of God in preserving them and doesn't complain or question why his men received so many wounds if God was protecting them? We all know in this life we will receive many wounds, and sometimes it's hard not to ask God why he doesn't shelter us from whatever we might be going through. But I promise that he is watching over you, and is protecting you during our "battles", we just need to continue to trust in him. "because of their exceeding faith in that which they had been taught to believe—that there was a just God, and whosoever did not doubt, should be preserved by his marvelous power." I know that because of Christ's Atonement we will one day be healed from our wounds. Until that day comes continue to trust in his plan and focus on his miraculous power, and love that he has for you.
(25 & 26) "According to the goodness of God.... there was not one soul of them who did perish; yea, and neither was there one soul among them who had not received many wounds...And we do justly ascribe it to the miraculous power of God " We all know the miracle of this story, that all of them were saved in battle. Yet they all received many wounds. But what I love is that Helaman continues to focus on the goodness of God in preserving them and doesn't complain or question why his men received so many wounds if God was protecting them? We all know in this life we will receive many wounds, and sometimes it's hard not to ask God why he doesn't shelter us from whatever we might be going through. But I promise that he is watching over you, and is protecting you during our "battles", we just need to continue to trust in him. "because of their exceeding faith in that which they had been taught to believe—that there was a just God, and whosoever did not doubt, should be preserved by his marvelous power." I know that because of Christ's Atonement we will one day be healed from our wounds. Until that day comes continue to trust in his plan and focus on his miraculous power, and love that he has for you.
Sorry for the super long email, but love you all!
-Christensen 姉妹
Our Succulents
Yoshikawa 姉妹
Sayuri Kyoutani 姉妹
Visiting Abeno
Hirata 姉妹
Harukas
Mizuki ちゃん
Minamimoto Couple
Birthday Cereals
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