Kelsie Letter: “What a very busy week!”
Hello everyone!
Wow, All I can say is…last week was busy! We had some very interesting experiences that I hope you will all find enjoyable and fun and spiritually uplifting.
Funakura san is an Eikaiwa student who agreed to listen to a message about Jesus Christ a few weeks back. This past week we taught her about the Plan of Salvation. She has always had the feeling to pray, ever since she was little. As we really explained who God is and bore testimony of our own answered-prayer experiences, the spirit was very strong. We asked her how she thought her life would change if she received an answer that what we taught was true…her answer was so simple and profound: life would become easy, comfortable (sorry, the word in Nihongo has a bit more meaning, but that is the best for English). She agreed to pray about the
Plan of Salvation and to read from where we asked her to in the Book of Mormon (Alma 22:1-26). It was an awesome lesson!
I had my very first ever experience of talking to someone, in a very deep and long discussion about the Bible and the Book of Mormon. We met Hideko san a couple of weeks ago. She is a Jehovah’s Witness, and has been for a very long time. Well, we went to just chat with her and ended up standing on her doorstep for 2 hours! That mornging I had read the talk by President Holland from last April’s conference. I had prepared some questions I wanted to ask her, found them and read them in the Nihongo Bible, and prayed like mad for help from the Spirit. We talked and talked, shared scriptures and discussed them. It was all in a very friendly manner. I bore witness of a living prophet and shared the Amos 3:7 scripture. They believe that Christ was the last prophet and that he is guiding the church from heaven. I fully agreed…through a prophet! As I explained that the Book of Mormon is the ’stick of Ephraim’ as spoken of in Ezekial, I could tell she started to think. In the end she would not even read from the Book of Mormon. I tried explaining it in a way that she has a cake, but only a part of it. We can help make that delicious cake whole! I read 2 Nephi 29:8-9, it was very slow (those kanji still look like blasted little pictures!) Stock shimai was there the whole time, helping look up scriptures, and sharing her testimony about the Book of Mormon. I couldn’t believe it though! She rejected the greater light. It was so strange! To really talk to someone who believes in Jesus Christ and have them reject the truths we hold was, well, a little shocking. I know all of you who served in Christian countries experienced daily, but here, where we are excited if they have heard of the Bible, it was almost mistfying to me that she wouldn’t even read from the Book of Mormon. I do know, however, that we got her thinking. She will never think of the scriptures we shared the same way again. The next time she meets missionaries, maybe her response will be different. I am so grateful to a loving Heavenly Father who helped me to know how to be prepared, who helped me to really understand her. All I can say is, I was exhausted after 2 hours of a deep discussion in Nihongo. But I was very happy to add another experience to my already overflowing repetoire of times that I have felt the Lord’s hand in this great work.
I spent Relief Society talking a sister who comes only every great once-in-a-while. She has some mental illnesses. It was a very, very interesting talk. She came with her sister, who has schyzophrenia (sorry!), let me just say that I am so grateful for my fully functioning mental abilities. Our talk ranged from her getting mad at herself because of the 2001 terrorist attacks, saying I need to hit her because she was bad, the fact her brain is a boys, she spent all of her money on entertainment, and several other fairly interesting topics. I felt so bad for her. But, as I thought about it, I realized again what a huge blessing the Atonement really is. I know that she will receive a perfect body oneday. The trials she experiences now will be gone. I am so grateful for my Savior!
Last night we found a new investigator! He is in his 30’s, is having problems finding a job because of the depression, and is really interested in the purpose of life. His house is in the mountains! It almost had the feeling of the play, ‘Brigadoon’, slightly in the mountains and the fog was coming in. We have a lesson tonight at the church with him! Pray that his heart is open to hearing our message!
Well, this was my very fun, busy week! I hope you all had a wonderful time. Kare and Al, I opened the pictures of your tiny munchkins!!! They are so cute! I too am so grateful for a loving Heavenly Father who heard all of our many prayers in their behalf. Good luck with those 3 AM feedings!
Everyone, feel free to upload pictures now! I hope all of you are in good health, and enjoying life! Love you lots! Today we are headed to Sakurajima..the volcano out in the bay. I will send you some pictures! Good luck!
Love, Sister Haymond
イエスキリストが生きているとしています！
I know Jesus Christ lives!
