Sister Amanda Robertson: Week 39: a heart full of gratitude

Thank you for all of your love and support! You are each so incredible. Thank you for helping to make my birthday so incredible. I love you all!

What an incredible week it has been. I think that only word to describe it all is how grateful I am for everything and everyone. Training is an adventure, but I really love it. I can't even express how many times in the last few days I have just felt so grateful. Grateful for my trainer, and each of my previous companions. Grateful for my Heavenly Father and for His love and trust. Grateful for the gifts of the spirit. Grateful for each of you. Grateful for this adventure. Grateful for my mission. Grateful for Perry Shimai. Grateful for so many more things than I can even express. One of the things that I have thought about most this week, is how grateful I am for the opportunity that I have to serve a mission. Missions are the greatest, and I have learned more than I could every say. Just take my word for it, missions are the best, and Heavenly Father really does love you!

I want to share one story about a lesson we had on Friday. It was Perry Shimai and my first full day together, and our first lesson together, and we were getting ready to teach K Shimai, a less active with really difficult to understand Japanese... To say I was a little worried doesn't quite explain how I felt. But, I tried my best to not think too much about it, and just love her. So, that's what we did. We tried our best to just love sweet K Shimai. And the coolest thing happened. I started to understand almost all of what she was saying. And she really opened up to us. She had brought, broughten, brung... English is hard. this big huge photo album with her that she wanted us to see. She was telling us about her family, and mentioned that her twin had died when she was a baby from cancer. As we were talking with her, she opened up and expressed how she feels guilty, and like it was her fault that her sister died. She has been sitting with 60+ years of guilt, for something she had no control over. As we were talking, I felt prompted to share one of my favorite scriptures with her. Alma 7:11-12. It talks about the atonement of Jesus Christ.

11 And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictionsand temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people.

12 And he will take upon him death, that he may loosethe bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities.

We don't ever have to feel alone. We don't ever need to feel like no one understands, because Jesus Christ understands perfectly, and through Him, we can overcome anything. I am so grateful for my Savior, and for all that He has done for me. And I am grateful for the gift of tongues, so that I was able to help understand and discern what K Shimai needed. And I am especially grateful for Perry Shimai's pure and heartfelt testimony. I love new missionaries. :)

So, I am training. :) My trainee is Perry Shimai. She is from Utah, and came straight out of high school. She is 19 years old, and incredible. I am so lucky and privileged and blessed to be her companion. I have already learned so much from her! :) She is amazing!

I love you all so much! You are incredible!