Kazoku! (Family!)
Alright, now I can finish what I wanted to say when I was emailing.
So! Lots of stories about loving those I serve. On getsukyobi (Monday), when Gauthier kyodai came back, after we taught Wakertsugi Shimai, we got to teach as a class. We’ve taught as a class before, but Gauthier kyodai always pretends to be someone else. We were able to teach him as himself this time. He has been struggling with feeling the spirit since he’s been home from his (mission) dendo. He still seireio kanjiru (feels the spirit) but not nearly as often as he would like. We were able to help teach him ways to more abundantly feel the seirei in his jinsei (I’m pretty sure that means life). I was able to feel so much love for him as we tried to help him with his trials. I have noticed a lot recently how much love Heavenly Father has for his kodomotachi (children). Kamisama wa watashitachi o ai suru to shitte imasu. I know that God loves us.
During our lesson with Hasegawa San kino (yesterday), we were oshie (teach)ing about Junketsu no Rippo (the law of chastity). He understood everything, but was struggling to know why it wasn’t okay to live with his girlfriend. As he was talking to us, and sharing with us how much the fukuin (gospel) has already changed his life, I was filled with so much, ai (love) for him, and I wanted so badly to taskeru (help) him. I knew he was having a hard time accepting the imashime (commandments). We had taught him about the Chie no koto ba (Word of Wisdom) a couple days before, and he was already trying his best to stop smoking, and then to be told that he either needed to move out, or get married to his girlfriend… It’s a lot for anyone to take in. At one point his eyes began to tear up. I was able to say kamisama wa Hasegawa San o ai shitte imasu. Chotto muzekashii, demo it’s worth it. (HasegawaSan, Heavenly Father love you. I know it can be a little hard, but it’s worth it). I told him that Junketsu no Rippa o mamoreba jinoei o shukenfuku suru to shitte imasu. (if you keep the Law of Chastity, your life will be blessed). We were able to testify to him that Heavenly Father will help him. He asked if he could pray, and he inori (prayed) for strength and comfort. When he finished his inori, he said that he felt Heian to nagusume (peace and comfort). Oh my goodness. I wish you all could have been there! I absolutely love being a missionary! I invite you all to pray this week for charity, so that you may see others the way God sees them. It is truly the best feeling. That is just one small example of how wonderful being a missionary is.
That leads perfectly into Elder Christofferson’s devotional about the Worth of a soul. He opened his talk by sharing the story about 18 month old Jessica who was trapped in a well for 58 hours. During that time there were so many people who didn’t even know Jessica that knew she was precious and wanted so badly for her to be saved. So many prayers were offered in her behalf. “We all sensed the worth of a soul”. Eventually she was rescued and now (all grown up), she has no recollection of her time trapped in a well. The thing that he wanted us to get out of this story was just how much one person is worth to God. The answer is, so much more than any of us can even fathom. We mean so much to Him. We are His children, and He loves us. We each have a divine potential. As we grow closer to our Heavenly Father, and apply the (atonement of Jesus Christ) lesu Kirisuto no aganai into our lives, we can begin to recognize that divine potential that we all have. We are all sons and daughters of a loving Heavenly Father, and we all have the potential to be like Him and have all that He has. If you ask me, I think that is a pretty incredible blessing. It is important for us to remember though, that we are not the only son/daughter of God. Everyone that you meet is a son/daughter of God. Each of them has that same great potential. As we strive to serve them, and to see them the way that our Father in Heaven sees them, we will be filled with love. Kore was shinri to yakusoka shitte imasu. I promise this is true, and that it will happen. I’ve seen it happen so many times over the past month! “Your soul is precious in the sight of God,” and so is everyone’s you will ever meet.
As I have gotten to know the kyudosha (investigators) that we teach, or the shimatachi that we hoshi (sisters that we serve), or watashi no doryo, or watashi no dendobu kaicho, or the new kohai, or watashi no senseitachi, or the list could go on and on! As I have gotten to know them, and I mean really know them (not just one shallow first impression kind of thing), you will be filled with so much love, charity, and compassion for them. I could go on and on and on about this, because I know it’s true. I know without a shadow of a doubt, that as you strive to see others the way God sees them, You will be filled with so much love, that you won’t even know how to receive it.
Being a senkyoshi (missionary) is the hardest, most difficult, most challenging, most wonderful, perfect, fantastic thing I have ever done. Leaving the people I love so much and having very little contact can be really muzikashi sometimes. But the love that I have been given, by others and the spirit that I have felt, and the love I have felt for others is so very worth it. No matter how hard the gengo (language) is tokidoki (sometimes), or how chotto (little) I wakari masu (understand), it is all worth it. It’s all worth it. The (blessings) shukufuku outweigh the trials by more than I can count. (I am so grateful for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.) Matsujitsu seito lesu Kirisuto kyokai ni kanshu shitte imasu. Lesu kiristu no aganai ni kansha shitte imasu. Opportunity I have to be a senkyoshi ni kansha shite imasu. Kazoku to tomodachi ni kansha shitte imasu. Ai, to Heian, to nagusume ni kansha shitte imasu., Being a missionary is honestly the BEST, and I wouldn’t trade it for the chijo (world). If you are thinking about serving a mission, just do it! (After you hajime inori of course! – pray first).
<3 Ai shitte imasu!
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