Week 24 - December 29, 2013

Hello hello hello! For all those of you really following up with my blog (apparently I have a blog. Thank you, Jordan Liau, for letting me know!), I am now pretty much at my 25% benchmark. Crazy, eh? Time flies, and it's only getting faster. My companion, Elder Scoville from California, says it like this. "There are 2 days in the week. P-day and everything else."

 

That sounds wamp (wanpaku. look it up. It's a good japanese word), but he's right. The time flies on wings of lightning. You cannot call it back. (that's a hymn, for those of you who don't know).  

 

Anyway, miracles! So first off, there's been a scripture sustaining me all through this week: Ether 12:27. This week I have seen so many of my weaknesses, I have almost been overwhelmed. Only the words, "If men come unto me, I will show unto them their weakness" has given me a hope that I am drawing closer to the Savior instead of just failing Him over and over again. Honestly, this week there weren't many obvious miracles. I was disappointed, because we didn't get an amazing Christmas miracle that I wanted, which was a golden investigator all wrapped up and ready for baptism. It was a bit harder too, because the other companionship of Elders DID get such an investigator. Oh well. The church is still true.

 

That being said, I have been trying really hard as a trainer to help my new missionary have the faith to find and do missionary work. But, being very young myself, I am not experienced and I cannot lead him well. Again, the ONLY thing sustaining me is that I feel the Holy Ghost as I make decisions, and I know that the Lord will not fail me.

 

In fact, yesterday was a day themed around President Holland's talk, "I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee." The Lord gently calmed my aching heart and told me He would provide. That day, we found and talked to 4 really solid people. 1 accepted an invitation to come to church and exchanged phone numbers. 1 said he was a christian and would come to church without the number. 1 said he believed what we said, but exercised his agency and chose not to listen. 1 chose not to listen, but took a Book of Mormon and is reading it (I pray). All in all? That took about 45 mintuse. It was amazing how the Lord gave unto us success.

 

Thank you for all your prayers. I hope you all had a good Christmas and have a New Year's resolution that will draw you closer to the savior. My resolution? BAPTISMS. Yeah. Japan'sa gonna be baptized.

 

I love you all!

Sincerely,

Elder Chun

Week 23 - December 22, 2013

Hello! Another week, another percent of my mission done! It's kind of scary, actually... I'm already almost halfway through transfer 3. For those of you praying and fasting for me, I invoke the blessings of heaven upon you all. These last few days and weeks I have felt the support of angels all around me, especially through stress and sadness. For example, this week we had a lesson with a man named Kentarou. Due to miscommunications, different expectations, and my failure to recognize his feelings, he was really hurt and offended by us. He left the lesson, telling us he had no intention of ever learning about Jesus Christ and that he thought the only way we would be his friend is if he learned about the gospel. This broke my heart, because that meant I had failed to do as Jesus would do: Love him unconditionally. Or at least, he didn't understand the connection between me wanting to share the gospel and him being my friend.

 

However, during the said lesson, as I was sorrowed and searching for a way to help him understand with the limited Japanese I had, I testified of Jesus Christ and felt the Holy Ghost powerfully teach with me. Whether or not it made a difference in Kentarou's life, I don't know yet. But, I do know this: Through my faith, my companion's faith, and the faith of my friends and family praying for me all around the world, I taught with the Holy Ghost and when I came before the Lord at the end of the day, I had no regrets. Sorrows? Yes. But no regrets.

 

It is interesting to me that we are to stand ready for the Lord to help us; that we should expect miracles, but not require them; that we should do all things cheerfully that lie within our power, then stand still, with the utmost assurance that God will provide.

 

Those are all scriptural references, by the way. Look them up! They're great. :D

 

Anyway, as interesting as faith and patience are in combination with each other, there will ALWAYS be miracles. For example, this week we had a baptism in Urayasu. For some reason, the lady being baptized picked me to do the ordinance. I was shocked and surprised, since I had met her once before. I felt grateful to HEavenly Father, because as a white washing companionship, we don't really have investigators very close to baptism yet, but the Lord still gave me the opportunity to be closely involved with the conversion of His wonderful daughter name Shouji Etsuko.

 

He is really wonderful.

 

Anyway, I pray you all have a wonderul Christmas! Thanks to all the ward that wrote me during the Christmas party! There's so much I wish to say to everyone, but just a few little shout-outs I have to do.

 

Brother Bishop? There's no snow here in Japan, but I still remember our camp-outs. Thanks for all you did for us!

 

Brother Stowell? You're right about the Japanese people. I love them very much.

 

Brother Sampson? Thank you for all you did to get that sent to me. I'm very happy the ward remembers me!

 

Thank you all!

 

Signing off for the penultimate week in 2013.

Week 22 - December 15, 2013

Hello! How is life? Mine is good. And hard. And good.

This week has been a pile up of insanity and miracles. And insane miracles.

So!

Last week, I guess I forgot to say that I will be working this transfer in Urayasu! My companion's name is Elder Scoville. He is kinda stupid. That's one of the things I'll learn about him.

...

Just kidding!

He is waaay awesome. He has a faith that I feel rivals the faith of the 2000 stripling warriors. Through his faith, we have seen so many miracles already.

For example, we both were getting ready to head out and proselyte for a bit. He turned to me and told me he was feeling the Holy Ghost way strong, that we'd find a new investigator.

so.

1st person we run into: lives in our building, studies Christianity, has a christian friend, and is ready to meet us tomorrow.

o.0 whoa. That was fast. I almost asked out loud, "What happened to the trial of our faith?" haha

Not that I'm complaining...

Anyway, please pray for hiraido-san. He is going to receive the gospel. I know it.

So! Love you all. Go forth and serve!

Elder Chun.

Week 21 - December 10, 2013

Hello everyone! Sorry this week is late. But! It is worth is.

1: Thank you for all your prayers! My friend Umemura Takuto got baptized this weekend and I was privileged enough to perform the baptism! The Holy Ghost was incredibly powerful and I am humbled to be an instrument in the Lord's hands. 

2: This week, I have come to learn even more that I can turn to Heavenly Father in ANY need. Two quick experiences. 1st off, I got transfer calls this week. Turns out I am transferring to a new area, and I will be white washing (both companions are new). It's scary, true, but I found that as I prayed and put my faith first, doubting my doubts as well, I always have a feeling of confidence and I know I am watched over by Him. 2nd, we were helping a sister missionary take apart her bike for transfers, and the bike was being stupid. It wouldn't cooperate and be taken apart, and time was running low. I realized that if we didn't have time to do this and pack, I wouldn't be able to email today. So, I offered up a prayer. I said,

"Heavenly Father. In order to make it to the rest of this day and to do the things I want to do, I need to be able to take apart this bike. Please give me the strength to take this bolt off of the wheel." I closed my prayer as appropriate, and sure enough, I got it off.

Small? I guess this might be easy to overlook. But to me, this is a huge miracle. It told me that not only will God give me the miracles that come from serving others, but that He loves ME and listens to ALL of my prayers, no matter how seemingly insignificant they are.

God loves each of us as individuals. He knows us all. I testify of this.

Thank you for your wonderful examples to me.

Elder Chun

Week 20 - December 2, 2013

Hey! Good news this week!!!

TAKUMI GOT BAPTiZED!!!!!!!!!!!!

So yeah. I'm way excited this week! Also, one of our investigators quit tobacco this week and is getting baptized this Saturday! His name is Umemura Takuto. Please pray for him. His friend, Mizoe Toyoyuki, is coming to the baptism too. His baptismal date is December 21st. Pray for him too, please.

So yeah. In case you didn't notice, miracles are happening in Japan. I don't even know what else to write.

Amen?

haha yeah.

Amen.

p.s. I was doing a sweets fast until our investigator gets baptized, so I get to eat sweets for the first time in 1.5 months this saturday! WHOOOT!

Week 19 - November 24, 2013

Sorry this is late and short. I have not a lot of time. Next week, I will try to be better, but it's temple P-day, so who knows?

Anyway, this week has been full of miracles, one of which was that I was talking to a friend from high school (musashi miyazawa) who is in the Tokyo south mission (2 mission conference). He told me he used his german in the field. I told him I had not yet, but wanted to. 10 minutes later, I met a German guy.

God is listening.

Love you all.

Elder Chun