Week 27 - January 19, 2014

Hello, everybody! Another week is done. This week marks beginning of transfer 4! And you guessed right.... I'm transferring again!!!

I officially have more areas, zones, and companions than my previous 12th transfer companion. I'm either incredibly wanpaku (rebellious) or... Yeah. Just a wanp missionary haha

Anyway! Miracles, miracles, miracles! This week, I was given a beautiful opportunity to remember my Savior. Last week, on P-Day, I got some distressing news from a friend of mine. When I first read this news, I didn't feel anything at all. I went completely numb. Then, I took a nap. Afterwards, I woke up to a most peculiar sensation. I could feel my heart shattering piece by piece as it regained its ability to feel. So, I went to go read the "word of God, which healeth the wounded soul". But after a while, it got so painful for me that I couldn't concentrate. So I decided to pray. As I got on my knees to pray for strength, my heart simply couldn't produce the energy to combat my sorrow and pray. And so I sang my favorite hymn: Where Can I Turn for Peace. After singing the 1st verse, I was washed with peace and comfort. I then prayed with sincerity and was able to use the Atonement and be healed.

The Lord listens to our prayers, and He really does heal us.

From this experience, my desire to share about Jesus Christ has grown. Not only do I want to serve Him, but I also want others to learn of Him. If they did, I know that through any trials people have, they can receive love, comfort, guidance, and support from the Fount of Every Blessing. Why do I know this? Personal experience.

Experiences are powerful. Always write your spiritual experiences down for your children (2 Nephi 4:15-16). They will make a huge difference.

Therefore, I wish to give a shout out to my parents for sharing their spiritual experience with me. Papa? Mama? Thank you. Without your guidance, love, and example, I would not be where I am today. Which is in Japan. As a missionary of God.

Yeah. You're all jealous of me. b(^ ^)b  <=== thumbs up guy.

Anyway, more miracles! Last week, I wrote a bit about the guy who just walked into church. His name is Kouhaku. And he has a baptismal date for February 9th.

Boom. The Lord is hastening His work.

I love you all! I have a firm, unwavering hope that any of you who ask the Lord for help with anything WILL receive an answer. Please rely on Him! He's waiting for you. Don't think that your problems are too insignificant to pray for. They aren't. Turn to Him, and let Him heal you (3 Nephi 9:13).

Good luck! Pray hard! Press forward!

愛している、よ。

頑張る日本。

Week 26 - January 13, 2014

Hello! We're down another week and another percent of my mission!

Seriously though. Time is flying so fast, I think I'm going to cry.

Anyway, miracles miracles miracels galore! So 1st. My companion got sick. WAY sick. Actually, everyone in my apartment got way sick. One of the elders actually lost 7 kilos this last week, and he only weighed 70 kilos to begin with.

Scary.

So miracle 1, I didn't get sick! Thank you for your faithful prayers.

Miracle 2: In spite of being sick, the Lord granted us success! We had 1 investigator named Babu come to church this week. He is a muslim and said he'd try to come next week, with his family. yeah. EXCITING! Also, during sunday school, someone just walked in, told us he saw the church building to and from work each morning, went to LDS church before, and decided he should just come.

WHAT. Yeah. Straight up golden investigator status. And what's more, he said he'd try to bring his friends to church and the baptismal meeting we have next week (a ward member is getting baptized! YEAH!!!).

So all in all, missionary work is absolutely the greatest thing on the face of the earth. It's also the hardest thing I've ever done. All those of you prepping for missions, get used to doing hard things. Aaaand then imagine the Holy Ghost helping you do those things each day. BEST. FEELING. EVER.

I love you all! Thank you for all you do! May the Lord bless you with His love. It really is the best.

--Elder Chun

Week 25 - January 05, 2014

Hello! Here I am again, sending another one of these emails. Time is going by faster and faster. It's actually quite terrifying. It really hit me hard this week. 3x longer than I've entered the MTC and I'm waking up in America.

....

Yeah. I love you all, but I'm not ready for that thought yet.

Anyway, thank you all for your love and prayers! I don't know how many of you know, but in December, we had 32 of our 40 areas have a baptism in 1 month! Tokyo is on FAI-YAH!!! I know this is due to the prayers and fasts of everyone on behalf of the missionaries. Thank you all! You truly are fantastic friends and family. I hope that as you go forward this new years, you will be able to find the peace and joy that comes from loving the Savior!

That actually brings me to what I want to write about today: I relearned something very important this week. Drawing close to the Savior doesn't mean you will stop having trials. In fact, you will see more of your weaknesses than you ever have before. Like stepping on a stage of a broadway show, as you perform with the amazing actors, you begin to see how much less you are than them.

Does this keep us from drawing to the Savior?

Sometimes. Sometimes seeing our own weaknesses scares us. We don't like feeling weak. I certainly don't. Anyone out there that glories in their weakness like Paul in the New Testament, I salute you and pray I may become like you someday. But as of right now, I don't like my weaknesses. But, as I draw closer to the Savior Jesus Christ, I see more and more of them.

So why do I draw closer to Him?

It's simple. I love Him. I love Him with all of my heart and soul. I want to do everything I can for Him. That's why I'm on a mission. I am here for Jesus Christ. To be honest, I don't have a lot of charity. I don't have the capacity to love anyone I meet because they are a child of God yet. I pray for that every day. But right now, I love Jesus Christ and am drawing ever closer to Him. Right now, I know that I wake up in the morning and go to bed at night for Him. Everything in between? All the pains, heartaches, successess, incomprehensible joy? Those are good experiences indeed. But at the end of the day, it's all for Him. And at the beginning of the day, it's all for Him.

Someday, everyone will die. You, me, the old man you pass on the street. Every single one of us will be taken up to meet our Savior. What will we say when we see Him? I know what I will want to say.

"Jesus, I'm here. I made it. I came home. And look! I brought as many people with me as I could."

But the bigger question is this: what will He say to us? And what will we want to hear from Him?

I'm kind of just rambling right now. I'm on a mix of spiritual inspiration and exhaustion that won't filter what I'm saying. But think about that. What do you want your brother and best friend to say to you when you meet Him?

When you find the answer, I encourage and invite you all to work for it.

Thank you for all you do. Thank you for your examples. I'm sorry if this email feels like I am calling you to repentance. If you feel that way, you might want to consider repenting hahaaha :D

If you don't feel that way, good! I didn't mean it like that. I simply wanted to express how I feel.

Thank you for the 1200 people that have (apparently) visited my blog (which I apparently have!). Thank you for the 3 people who wrote me emails! (ok, ok. I'm exaggerating. It was 2.) Thank you, Kelsey Dominguez, for the New Years letter! I love you all and pray you have an amazing 2014!

1 year left, and I'm coming home.

Scary.