Sunday, June 29, 2014

Come Listen to a Prophet's Voice 4/14/2014


Dear all, 

Wasn't conference incredible? I loved it so much. I am so grateful I got to listen to it in English!  I took lots of notes but I am definitely excited for the Ensign and that I get to study the talks for the next 6 months. We got to watch all 5 sessions, and I loved the RS broadcast. It was really interesting and I totally teared up at the videos haha. The sisterhood in our church truly is amazing.  

Well, lots of experiences this week. One, S-san. Oh my goodness, her faith never ceases to amaze me. We taught her the word of wisdom and asked her to keep it. Turns out she had already been keeping it since the first time we taught her back in January (the first lesson we brought out tea and green tea cake. We told her we don't eat/drink tea and coffee because we have been taught it's bad for our bodies. We gave her a list of things we do drink. That was it). She said "Why would I drink things if they are bad for me?" My companion and I were needlessly to say very surprised and wished she would tell that to all of our other investigators haha. Her faith is so inspiring. She said she kept her coffee and tea though to serve her friends when they came to visit. We didn't say anything to that but later she gave us a call and apologized profusely at how silly that was of her. "Why should I serve things I don't drink to my friends?"She told us that she threw everything away. She also told her daughter that she is getting baptized and her daughter is totally fine it! She felt guilty about hiding it and having her daughter's approval seemed to mean a lot to her so I'm grateful she had the courage to tell her. She also came to watch general conference and was able to feel that she isn't alone in this world. So grateful for a living prophet and the words he speaks to guide us. She never ceases to amaze me and I love her so much. Just a few more weeks!!  

Another experience. An old investigator texted us and told us she wanted to meet with us again. Of course we were stoked and said of course and set up a time. We went to meet up with her and turns out she brought a friend. A referral?! Kuroki s and I were both thinking, wow she must have so much interest in the gospel! Oh no. Not at all. She/they met with us to tell us how the reason we came to Hokkaido was the meet them and join their religion. The promptly pulled out a book and spent the next 45 minutes teaching us how their religion would make us the most happy. That is about all I understood because it was a lot of religious words I have never heard before. 

I got really frustrated. 

Maybe because I didn't understand or maybe because I felt like we were wasting time but I wasn't too gracious. I wasn't rude, but I didn't go out of my way to agree with them. They had absolutely no interest in making it a conversation (one sided wave of words I didn't understand) and I wasn't really about that. After sitting there for 45 minutes, I got up and said thank you, bore my testimony about Jesus Christ, introduced the Book of Mormon (which they refused) and said, it's time to go. And then we left. 

Needless to say, Elder Holland's talk about courtesy while defending our faith cut right to the heart Saturday morning of General Conference. I learned a lot from that experience but I'm grateful for repentance and that the Lord forgives because I was not very courteous that day. And I felt really really guilty. So now I learned my lesson and will be much nicer now when I get dendo-ed [proselytized].  

I have another funny story but that will just have to wait until next week! Sorry!  

The gospel is true and Christ lives! I love this gospel and am so grateful for a living prophet. Love you all!!! 

Love,
Sugihara shimai

 

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