week 29

This week we met a really awesome lady that began crying while we were talking because she appreciated what we were doing so much. I've met two of these people that I can remember since I've been here; I'm glad I've had the opportunity to be here and talk to and meet these people. It's wonderful when we meet people who want to talk to us and aren't closed off to hearing our message; they respect what we are doing here even if they don't except our message. Me and my companion also had a really cool talk this week about our weaknesses and the things that we are worried about and the things that we are working on trying to overcome. Up until now, we've talked about these things but this week, we got to build our relationship and have been talking a lot more to each other about things like that. It's really awesome that we are able to even communicate as well as we do! All in all, it's been a good week. We got to see Minoru Kyodai (the recent convert that me and Elder Christensen taught who was baptized) again on Sunday. He showed up to the Saga ward on Sunday and it was an awesome surprise. It was a really great fast and testimony meeting and I bore my testimony on a talk in the most recent general conference about church being like a hospital; we are all sick and need help! People aren't perfect, bet everyone is trying to get better by going to church. Support them. Don't get offended by their imperfections.

This is a section of my email to my parents:

Missions are great and when the time comes for someone to go, it really isn:t their decision. I:ve talked to people in college over email who have said "ya, I never thought I would be going on a mission but my time has come and I submitted my papers." Sound familiar?? I feel like I had nothing to do with it. God knew that it was my time and He made sure that I made it on a mission. This is something that I have thought about. We talk to a lot of people every day. We give them a chance to hear and accept this message. A lot of people don:t listen. Sometimes, we feel like we could have given them a better chance at accepting this gospel by speaking the language better, studying harder that morning, or by not taking that ten minute break. This may be the case sometimes but I feel like if we are doing our best, and people still aren:t accepting the message, it just isn:t their time and their time will come. I feel like I could not have been prepared to serve a mission at 18. Or 19. Or 20. I had to be prepared. My heart had to be in the right place. Sometimes the only influence or help that we can give to people is be the example and be the person that is there for them when they are ready. We cannot force people to accept the gospel. We only invite, and if they are ready, they will accept.

Philosophy according to Elder Tyler Brower.

The last note for the pictures. It was Elder Murphy's birthday this week and we had a BBQ at a members apartment. There is nothing quite like expensive Japanese meat!

We also helped some members move this week. We don't have a lot of service opportunities here but when we do, they are a lot of fun! Just FYI, moving houses is made so much harder by the LAW in Japan that you do not wear shoes in the house... I took my shoes off and put them on about 100 times that day.

That's all folks!

Love you all. Thank you so much!

ブラワー長老