Ellie's Mission in Japan: Week 65

Hello everyone!

This week was so crazy with Leadership Conference, Zone Conference, and General Conference, but it was all some awesome spiritual goodness!

Some cool things from this week, first of all, my companion is amazing. She is teaching me so much, and its been way fun to work with her!

We had a cool lesson with a member, and we were teaching the Plan of Salvation. She asked us a question, and I understood the words she was saying, but I wasn't getting the meaning of it... (gotta love Japanese). But my amazing companion turned to me and was like, is she asking this? as soon as she said it, I knew that's exactly what the member was wondering! It was so cool. She then shared a scripture that perfectly answered it. It just taught me that it's the spirit that is the most important thing in learning or teaching the gospel. Even with a language barrier, or any barrier really that might be holding us back, through the spirit we can know what to share or say.

We had another lesson this week, with one of our investigators who hasn't been really progressing. She loved meeting with us, but mostly just to hang out and not really learn. On the way there I was just praying with my heart that we would be able to teach her to her needs and we could explain to her in a loving way that we were there to teach her about Jesus Christ because that is what will help her more than anything else. We got in there said a prayer, and I don't even know what happened. But we ended up teaching the whole Restoration, read scriptures together, she had questions, shared experiences, and at the end, she said she would pray about the BOM and would want to eventually be baptized! I seriously was just so happy the entire time. Hopefully, we can make a date for her soon! But what I realized was that I felt like I was showing the most love to her and helping her the most, when I was helping her Come unto Christ. And teaching her things that would bless her life.

Sometimes it's hard to share the gospel with friends and family that we are really close too, but I promise that you will feel the most love for them when you're showing them Christ's love and teaching them to come to know their Savior.

Last thing from this week.

I haven't talked about this on my weekly because it has been really hard for me. But recently one of the people that we were teaching, decided that it wasn't for them anymore. Of course, I respect their agency, but I can honestly say it was one of the most heartbreaking and sad things I have ever experienced. To watch someone be changed through Christ, see them grow and improve their lives, and then to throw it away, was unbelievably hard. The reason I share this is because I was able to feel just a portion of what Jesus Christ and Heavenly Father must feel when we turn away from them. Please know that God loves ALL of his children, and he wants ALL of his children to return to him. Please don't turn away from them, they will never desert you. God loves you, wants to hear from you, guide you, and help you in your life.

I promise that is true with all of my heart. No matter where we are in life or what we have done, God's love and Christ's grace is always there.

Love you, have a good week!