Week 61 in Nagano (4/26)

Hey!  So, we have an appointment at 12:30 and we have to leave in 30 minutes, so I don't really have any more time (if you're wondering where my time went, I had to check my BYU classes and I wrote President Yamashita a longer email than I usually do).  So, here are some highlights:

Ko-san:  A member tachiaied for us, and it went much better than last week's lesson! (last week, we mostly just sat and listened to her concerns and life plans, and weren't able to get in a lesson....)  Member power is real!!!  We talked a lot about God's will, trusting in God, and obedience, and we really felt the Spirit!  I also got to use my iPad for the first time to share a quote with her and show her a video about following God's will!  Not in our plan, but I think it went well.

Wada-san:  Dad--thank you for your email.  We were only able to chat at her doorstep with her this week, but I plan on taking our family pictures and telling her that you know Wada-kaicho.

Finding:  Finding is as horrible as ever, but whatever.  I really need to work on talking to people on the train--can you pray for me that I will be able to have the courage to do train OYM?  For some reason, it's a lot harder now than street OYMing.  Also, we ran it to this weird guy while housing last night, and he seemed super kinjin at first, but then we realized he was drunk and he does weird exorcist things, and he didn't want the Elders coming over (i.e., no real interest).  It was kind of depressing because I was super excited to meet him at first (he seemed super prepared), and I was really trying to focus on receiving guidance on where to go finding.  Well......I'm not sure what to think after meeting him last night, but I guess we'll just press on and keep on knocking and talking (:

LA work:  On Wednesday, we basically hiked up a mountain for an hour to visit a less active (Toi shimai), about whom the only information we had was, "wonderful visit," from the couple missionaries that were here 4 years ago.  Luckily, after our hour hike we were able to meet her and she let us in to talk!  Long story short, she was baptized without gaining a testimony (kind of similar to Mom's story), and is now somewhat actively involved in "Koufuku no Kagaku" (The Science of Happiness?  Some weird Japanese religion.  Can someone look it up for me so I know what they believe?  We were only able to gather some random pieces about what they believe from talking to Toi shimai).  I really really wanted to find a less active who is looking for the truth, so at first I was kind of disappointed to hear that she is involved with Kofuku no Kagaku.  As the conversation went on, though, she told us that she didn't know if she actually believed what they taught, and is looking for the real God!!!  Just that last night, she said she had just been thinking if God really existed, and then we showed up!!  She lives forever away (well, it only took us 10 minutes to get down the mountain.....but getting there is a nasty trek), but I really hope that we will be able to meet her frequently.  Between her and Yoshioka shimai (another less active--the one with the sword), they are my number one "investigators."

Ok, I'm out of time.  Sorry for always being in a rush.....I did try my best to write as much as possible!

Oh, and please pardon my horrible English.  I will probably need English rehabilitation when I get back home, as you can probably tell from my bad grammar and word choice.

And, mom and dad, thank you both for your answers to my questions!  They helped a lot!  Can I just add one more question?

I get that the Quorum of Twelve are prophets too, but how come it seems like there isn't really any order to all of the prophets that testify in the Book of Mormon/Bible?  Was the quorum of twelve only established after Jesus called the twelve during his ministry?  Was there ちゃんとした order before that?

Ok, love you!!!  Talk to you in two weeks for mother's day? (:

Have a great week!!!  I'm always praying for you!!!

Michelle