It's been a wonderful week!
Tuesday went to an Eikaiwa [English class] goodbye party for the leaving senior sister missionaries, Sister Kakuda and Sister Rollins. We will miss them at the office! Then we came back and had normal study at the apartment. During personal study I read so many good things (I've been studying Chapter 4 of Preach My Gospel which is all about Recognizing the Spirit): I need to recognize and record times I have been led by the Spirit so I can be led by the Spirit again. The Holy Ghost will take all evil from your heart and your whole desire will be to do good (I want that!). There are aspects of missionary work that will require the guidence of the Holy Ghost. And then I read in Acts chapter 9 about Tabitha. That story is so cool! I just think she had to have a talent for making clothes and gave them all the poor--and then that was the memorial her friends showed Peter when he came to raise her from the dead. What a wonderful wonderful memorial to have--your good works! I want to do that! She used her talents to help others and that's what people remembered about her. So cool! Then in companion study we prepared our emergency backpacks. So...yeah! Fun! Then we got to attend a session of the Mission Leadership Conference (for the STLs [sister training leaders] and ZLs [zone leaders] to be trained by the APs [assistants to the mission president] and Mission President) because we were invited to participate in a poster activity--going around Nagamachi and asking businesses to put up an Eikaiwa poster with our pictures on it. Kind of fun! President Smith also introduced 2 new pamphlets they are testing out for Japan. "Who is God?" and "What to Expect when meeting with the missionaries." This answers prayers!! Dendo [proselyting] material specially for Japan! I have been praying for this!
Wednesday we had a mogi [roleplay] with Nishimura shimai and her 10 month old son. ;) It was such good practice. She was so kind and easy to talk to. She was a missionary in the HIroshima mission and said her favorite part of dendo was visiting the members. :) And she said "please come by anytime! It's just me and my son duirng [during] the day so I have lots of time and it gets lonely sometimes." So kind of her! Made us feel so welcome. :) For lunch I made taco soup--my first time making it in Japan. And it turned out okay! Happiness! Then we had a mogi with another sister in the ward. Sister Rollins was teaching Eikaiwa for the last time and the students asked her a little bit about things she's learned while in Japan. She said; the food in restaurants here is cheaper than the food in the grocery stores. It's cheaper to eat out than to cook for yourself! Groceries are so expensive. But the people in Japan are kind, gentle, caring people who love you to pieces.
In personal study I learned that I want to become a good personal decision maker. Our prayers and good works are a memorial before God. Cornelius was a prepared person sent TO Peter. I want a book of the Acts of the Holy Spirit through Katie Bellows.
Thursday we had a first-time lesson with an LA [less-active member] and she is amazing! I love her. I felt so much love for her. She seems like a wonderful person. We talked about Jesus Christ lifting us up from the hard times and I could just tell how much that meant for her and I got all teared up and she did too. The Spirit was really strong and really guided us to what to say. I hope she felt God's love and her testimony was strengthened. I hope she can come to church and feel more of that too. Hope hope hope.
Friday we went down to Yamagata for Sendai South Zone Training Meeting with our whole district in the AP's car. It was fun! Highlights:
- God loves us so everyday he gives us lots of little blessings. We are like fish--always surrounded by living water (God's blessings) we just have to open our eyes to see it.
- People need to know God's love. Think of the money in the farmer's shoes. Do we pray out loud in thanks for those who serve us? Do we serve others? (Matt. 25:31-40)
- Memorize Alma 53:20
- Our goal: Zion
- Our how: Obedience
- We invite others to baptism in order to open the doors of the Celestial Kingdom for them
- Emergency preparedness
It was great! As I was thinking back on the emergency training we received I thought do I have a spiritual emergency preparedness kit? What is it? What is in it? What are spiritual emergencies? After study we went to the church and rehe[a]rsed our skit for the ward talent show. I was the director--it was so fun! Then we went out for sushi for Tsuchida shimai's [Sister Tsuchida's] birthday and ran into the Smiths and the office missionaries, haha. Then we made Tsuchida shimai a pumpkin cake for her birthday. Fun day!
Saturday we had the coolest miracle; we did a mogi with Kaori-chan a week or so ago and asked if she had anyone who wanted to meet with the missionaries and she said yes so we planned to go to lunch with her and her friend and teach her a lesson. Saturday we went to that lunch date and while we were eating asked the friend if she had time for a lesson and she said not really so at the end of lunch we said goodbye and went back to our apartment. Then Kaori-chan calls us. "Do you have time? Haruka-chan says she has time for a lesson. Can we meet at the church?" Of course! So we ran over to the church and taught about God and prayer and why we came on missions and explained a little about missionaries and Kaori-chan taught her friend how to rpayer [pray] and she said the closing prayer and basically it was the coolest thing ever! The gospel in action! Member missionary work in the best! Just invite invite invite!
Yesterday church was great!
Today we went to the Zoo and then did our Star Wars skit for the Talent Show--it was so funny! Everyone said "You look so much like Princess Leia!" Haha!
So, in other words it's been a great week. And I am so excited to hear about this upcoming week from you guys! I am so happy for you. I look forward to all the pictures! I will be with you in Spirit. As I've been reading about the Holy Ghost this week I've thought about how God sees the end from the beginning and our whole lives are unknowing training grounds for all that lies ahead of us. All of our lives so far help us learn the things we need to know for what is next for us. And when we take those opportunities to learn and grow we are blessed to be prepared for what lies ahead of us. And then we--like the 5 wise virgins--can be prepared with the testimony and skills we've prepared drop by drop throughout our lives. It is built drop by drop by our previous experiences and revelation. And as I learn how the Spirit speaks to me and hone my own revelation receptors, I will be preparing for future times that I will be in need of revelation, or strength, or testimony, and I will be able to hear when the spirit speaks to me and ready to act on the promptings and answers I receive. Then I will have the confidence when I go before the Lord to ask "Who should I marry?" or "What should I do?" in times of big decision--because I will have the preparation and confidence that I will recognize the answers I will receive and know what to do in order to receive them.
I love you all so much. You are my joy my wonderful wonderful family!!!
I love you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Love,
Your missionary,
Bellows shimai :)
P.S. Any updates on friends and extended family?
P.P.S. Glad things have been uneventful in the injury department at the Bellows house. Congrats on all the work Candice! Love the pictures!! Moriah's getting married???? What?? I want to see pictures!
P.P.P.S. I also learned in personal study this week that we are on earth to become good decision makers. I'm working on that! I still want to ask mom and dad all the time! :)
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