HAPPY NOVEMBER, HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
Well, this was an interesting week. President Gustafson went to Korea for a Mission President's conference, the AP's were out doing a week of companion exchanges down in Okinawa and everywhere else, so it was just the Beus', Elder Tanaka and me in the office. I would say that it was a little more quiet this week, but with more phone calls, things breaking down, and all of the other crazy things that came up this week, there wasn't really any quiet moment at all. One big thing that we got done this week was getting Elder and Sister Beus' driver's license.
So the two of them had served together previously in Germany, and the surrounding area. They actually led the introduction of the institute buildings in Europe and helped it grow to the force that it is today. So they had to move around Europe, all across the autoban and everywhere else, so they had a German License. Apparently if you get a German license, it doesn't ever expire. So they held on to that German License, which was a great thing for when they came to Japan because switching over a license from Germany doesn't require you to take the driving test. What it does require, however, is several more levels of bureaucracy and red tape. Let it suffice to say that, well, the third time is the charm when it comes to the driver's license palace. The best thing about going to the PMV ('P' stands for Palace :D) though is the awesome Udon shop just in front of the complex. (Now this palace-complex is roughly the size of a small airport, and has over 5 floors of just, space. It's a pretty great and spacious building) Something I learned about Udon though, is that it originated here in Fukuoka, which explains a little bit of why there are so many udon shops everywhere.
This past Monday one of our investigators took his place in the 40-day Fast for our ward. We still haven't been able to sit down and talk with him yet, but we visited his house while he was still at work and left note cards and a bag of candy in his mailbox as a way for him to break his fast. He gave us this sweet, awesome text the next morning talking about how much his life has changed ever since coming to church and just how grateful he is for all of the experiences he's had from the members and from all of the missionaries he's met in the past couple of months. There's nothing greater for a missionary than to hear and see the love of Christ work through the people that we love and work with.
Then on Wednesday we met with our investigator who's writing his thesis on missionaries and had a really great lesson on the importance of prayer. In our conversation we talked a little about how his paper was going and we found out that starting on Wednesday he was going to be going up to Tokyo to take a tour around the Church Headquarters! I'm still not entirely sure how he gets around to all these places, or how he even got in contact with them up in Tokyo, but, I figure the more he goes the better. I don't know if he realizes just how close he is to finding the truth. Right now he's looking at the structure, the infrastructure, the church as a well-oiled machine, and he's just off the line from letting himself feel the truth of the gospel. We said that he's looking at the church from his scholar glasses, and that he just need to let himself look at the church through his spiritual glasses. There's so much more that he could have in his life if he would only let himself. I'm so glad that he picked up on the difference that happened in Amulek when he said "I said I never had known much of these things; but behold, I mistake, for I have seen much of his mysteries and his marvelous power...for I was called many times and I would not hear; therefore I knew concerning these things; but I would not know." My prayer and my hope for him is that he would let himself know. He knows more about the church, its organization, the logistics of it, more than any other member that I know, but he will not know..... not yet, but it's coming.
Thursday we had a family home evening at a member’s house and I somehow ended up teaching the lesson. I taught about having life goals and using the correct tools for our lives through the example of archery and riflery. I figure if I have 3 years of experience with something, I might as well use what I know to teach. I think it went really well and I'm going to see if I can fine-tune it a little more and show it next time as a more polished lesson. It's always a good thing when you can find gospel relations to the things in your life. They are always there, we just need to find them.
Japan is great, I love working here and to have the opportunity to work with all of the great people here in Fukuoka. It's definitely one of the busiest times in my mission. I made a to-do list that took a whole page on my planner and then some (and that was just the projects, not the small needs within each project!) but it's been great! I figure if this doesn't prepare me for living a gospel centered life in the real world, I don't know what will. Granted, I may not be “under” the Temple everywhere I go, but I will have to balance the time I have between that which is good, that which is better, and that which is best. And it is my hope that both you and I will always choose the best.
Have a great Thanksgiving!
Elder Everett
エベレット長老
Well, this was an interesting week. President Gustafson went to Korea for a Mission President's conference, the AP's were out doing a week of companion exchanges down in Okinawa and everywhere else, so it was just the Beus', Elder Tanaka and me in the office. I would say that it was a little more quiet this week, but with more phone calls, things breaking down, and all of the other crazy things that came up this week, there wasn't really any quiet moment at all. One big thing that we got done this week was getting Elder and Sister Beus' driver's license.
So the two of them had served together previously in Germany, and the surrounding area. They actually led the introduction of the institute buildings in Europe and helped it grow to the force that it is today. So they had to move around Europe, all across the autoban and everywhere else, so they had a German License. Apparently if you get a German license, it doesn't ever expire. So they held on to that German License, which was a great thing for when they came to Japan because switching over a license from Germany doesn't require you to take the driving test. What it does require, however, is several more levels of bureaucracy and red tape. Let it suffice to say that, well, the third time is the charm when it comes to the driver's license palace. The best thing about going to the PMV ('P' stands for Palace :D) though is the awesome Udon shop just in front of the complex. (Now this palace-complex is roughly the size of a small airport, and has over 5 floors of just, space. It's a pretty great and spacious building) Something I learned about Udon though, is that it originated here in Fukuoka, which explains a little bit of why there are so many udon shops everywhere.
This past Monday one of our investigators took his place in the 40-day Fast for our ward. We still haven't been able to sit down and talk with him yet, but we visited his house while he was still at work and left note cards and a bag of candy in his mailbox as a way for him to break his fast. He gave us this sweet, awesome text the next morning talking about how much his life has changed ever since coming to church and just how grateful he is for all of the experiences he's had from the members and from all of the missionaries he's met in the past couple of months. There's nothing greater for a missionary than to hear and see the love of Christ work through the people that we love and work with.
Then on Wednesday we met with our investigator who's writing his thesis on missionaries and had a really great lesson on the importance of prayer. In our conversation we talked a little about how his paper was going and we found out that starting on Wednesday he was going to be going up to Tokyo to take a tour around the Church Headquarters! I'm still not entirely sure how he gets around to all these places, or how he even got in contact with them up in Tokyo, but, I figure the more he goes the better. I don't know if he realizes just how close he is to finding the truth. Right now he's looking at the structure, the infrastructure, the church as a well-oiled machine, and he's just off the line from letting himself feel the truth of the gospel. We said that he's looking at the church from his scholar glasses, and that he just need to let himself look at the church through his spiritual glasses. There's so much more that he could have in his life if he would only let himself. I'm so glad that he picked up on the difference that happened in Amulek when he said "I said I never had known much of these things; but behold, I mistake, for I have seen much of his mysteries and his marvelous power...for I was called many times and I would not hear; therefore I knew concerning these things; but I would not know." My prayer and my hope for him is that he would let himself know. He knows more about the church, its organization, the logistics of it, more than any other member that I know, but he will not know..... not yet, but it's coming.
Thursday we had a family home evening at a member’s house and I somehow ended up teaching the lesson. I taught about having life goals and using the correct tools for our lives through the example of archery and riflery. I figure if I have 3 years of experience with something, I might as well use what I know to teach. I think it went really well and I'm going to see if I can fine-tune it a little more and show it next time as a more polished lesson. It's always a good thing when you can find gospel relations to the things in your life. They are always there, we just need to find them.
Japan is great, I love working here and to have the opportunity to work with all of the great people here in Fukuoka. It's definitely one of the busiest times in my mission. I made a to-do list that took a whole page on my planner and then some (and that was just the projects, not the small needs within each project!) but it's been great! I figure if this doesn't prepare me for living a gospel centered life in the real world, I don't know what will. Granted, I may not be “under” the Temple everywhere I go, but I will have to balance the time I have between that which is good, that which is better, and that which is best. And it is my hope that both you and I will always choose the best.
Have a great Thanksgiving!
Elder Everett
エベレット長老
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