Who can believe that November is already over! How did this one happen? Time is going by way too fast. (To all of you whom I've written letters to but haven't sent yet... sorry. I think I have some letters now that have been sitting unsent for 3 months now...... the weird thing is that if feels like I wrote them yesterday.....ごめん)
So, this was a week, man what a week! So the big activity that we had planned for Wednesday was a stake-wide day of service for everyone in Hiroshima and the surrounding area. Here in Yasufuruichi we got together at 10 in the morning to pick up trash around the church building and the surrounding parks and train station. We had a really good turnout with somewhere around 15 people attending (that's a good number from our little branch) and had a great time cleaning up the area. It looks way nice now and we were able to start several conversations getting asked why in the world we were picking up trash on a holiday. (November 23 is a Holiday in Japan, not really sure what for, though, but people had the day off) We ended up picking up 3 rather large trash bags full of various trash and other items which surprised most everybody because Japan is a pretty clean place, but the Branch President, Brother Schrubb and I found a little ditch off the beaten path that was just full of trash! I'm pretty sure we won the trashy contest.
After the service activity everyone had Hot Cocoa and snacks before we all left. We had another special fireside later that day at 4 that the missionaries were told that we couldn't arrive before 4 on the dot. We've been expecting this fireside for a couple of weeks now and were told to invite several missionaries around our area and to come hungry and no earlier than 4. Well, that gave us about 3 hours to do missionary work in between, so off we went. We managed to finally meet one of our less active members that we haven't been able to meet with in several weeks. She's a recent convert but is struggling with coming to church. But the amazing thing is that as she had been studying recently (she just graduated from a computer school) she's found peace and better study skills from reading the Book of Mormon. So that gave us hope, now if we can just get her to pray and come to church, then she'll really be set for whatever comes her way!
After that we were walking around a different part of town and decided to randomly visit one of the Sister's investigators. (Ever since the sister missionaries came here we split up the investigators so that they have all of the women and we have all of the men, we previously only had women investigators so that kinda of left us with nothing.......oops) She had been one that Beckstrand 長老 and I had been working with and had just started coming to church. When we visited her I immediately realized why we were led to visit her at that time. Her hands were shaking and she could hardly open the door, she apparently hadn't been sleeping for the past couple of days and was just feeling like everything around her was sinking and that she couldn't do anything. She had no idea what was wrong with her but was visibly relieved to see the missionaries at her doorstep. We taught her about the power of the priesthood and priesthood blessings and we ended up giving her a blessing right there on her doorstep. I don't know if I've ever been so scared to pray in my life. She was in a time of need and had full faith that whatever I would bless her with would happen. I don't think anything can make a prayer better than when you’re scared out of your wits. Well, scared isn't the right word... it's more of a full desire and hope that you won't mess up, because it's someone's life and well-being in the balance, and you’re the only one that can ease their burden. I don't recall ever praying as earnestly as I did at that time, and the look of gratitude and peace that came over her, even now I can recall the moment clearly. The priesthood is real my friends. There's no doubt about it, just let it into your life, you're the only that can control that.
Those two visits ended up taking a lot more time than we thought and it was about 3:00 by the time we were done, and we still had to make it back to the train station to show the other Missionaries the way to the church. We were about a 40 minute walk from the church, so we booked it over there. By the time all of the missionaries arrived (we had 10 missionaries and a recent convert from another ward) and we were all still confused about the mystery fireside. We brought them all up to the church building (it's really just the second floor of an apartment building so people who don't know where it is never can find it) and walked in to a church that was just completely dark with the curtains closed. That was a little weird. I walked in leading the other missionaries and peeked around the curtain. (apparently I was supposed to just turn on the lights but, I didn't know that.... oops) I was quickly informed to open the curtain all the way and revealed to all the waiting, anxious missionaries that surprise from the Yasufuruichi Members.
There was a long table in the middle of the room decorated with everything Autumn you could find in Japan, a table full of food from a full turkey, stuffing, gravy, mashed potatoes, corn, yams, Bean Salad, breads (oh man, I love Japanese bread) and everything you think of when you think Thanksgiving dinner. These Japanese members had created a real American Thanksgiving feast for the missionaries! Before that day I had been wondering what in the world Okada and I were going to do for Thanksgiving because we had no plan, and hardly any food. I'm not going to lie, when I saw the table, the food, and everyone in the ward lined up to wish us a happy thanksgiving.... I cried a bit. Their love, their appreciation, it filled the room and everyone, everyone was visibly touched. The members served us as we ate and had made individual name plates for each of us. We went around the room and everyone shared something that they were grateful for, and the prevalent theme, beyond friends and family, were feelings of gratitude and thanks for the work of the missionaries. It just kind of hit me again like a sack full of bricks. I'm a missionary. We give love and service all the time without expecting anything in return, but when it does, when that love comes back, when all your hard work and sacrifice come to something.....the feeling is indescribable. Joy is the closest I can come.
I LOVE BEING ON A MISSION! I love serving the people, I love everything they do, I love the language, the culture, the work, the ups, the downs, the time to improve, the growth in other people, the blessings of the Lord poured out over everybody. It's the best. To anyone that's toying around with going on a mission, wondering if it's the right road for you, just do it. That's all I can say, just do it. Shoot, it's going to be hard, but is anything thing in life really worth it if it didn't take at least a little effort to get there? And how much more sweet the joy the harder the work is! Every day Thanksgiving! (at least until the 1st, then it kind of turns to Christmas)
That didn't even end the day! We still had eikaiwa (English class) after that and our small little class of 5 people from a couple of weeks ago has grown to 28 people, and is roaring beyond what any of us could have imagined! That was just one day, and man, what a day it was!
Friday we had thanksgiving dinner again (all the food provided by the parents!!) When making the dinner I turned on our only Christmas CD in the apartment (a collection from the London Symphony Orchestra) and was kinda of in my own little world for the next little while. Who knew that I would enjoy making a green bean casserole so much? Okada and I have been having a thanksgiving mood just about every day which has been so easy now. Sunday was the Primary presentation in Yasufuruichi; which was awesome with the 3 primary kids and 3 sunbeams and nursery kids doing their program at church. Man, kids are the best. Then that night we met with the Mission President for interviews before the Zone Conference that was on Monday (which was amazing). It's crazy, days will go by where it feel like nothing is happening, but looking back and seeing all the blessings over flow, it lets you know that those hard days really aren't so hard, after all. There is always something that you can find to be grateful for. So that'll be my challenge to each of you for this Christmas season: Find something that you are grateful for each and every day. It doesn't matter if it's finding a penny, you favorite movie, family, books, comfort, anything that you can think of, write it down and see what happens these 25 days of Christmas!
I love you all (sorry for the super long e-mail this time) and good luck!
Elder Everett
エベレット長老
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