You know, for being the southernmost mission in Japan, the
"warmest" in the country.... it's awfully cold. All this week
the weather has been in the single digits (granted that's Celsius so it's
really 30's to 40's but that's still cold). I've definitely been getting
some good mileage out of my vests, jackets, and scarfs!
Well, Happy December! This week, all week, we had 2 main themes: 1) Get everything ready for the interviews around the mission throughout this and next week and 2) Somehow get prepared for the caroling event (which just so happens to be tonight!).
We've been working on having a practice every day, as time permits, and it really seems to be coming along. We're singing 6 songs, a good mixture of common secular songs and mostly religious up-beat and feel good songs. We're starting with "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" followed by a quick introduction to who we are and what all these foreigners are doing in Japan. Then we go into "Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire" and "I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas". They're both kind of a jazzy version of the songs, and we'll be using that to transition into "Little Drummer Boy." We somehow got hold of a drum set and an electric guitar for that piece, and it's looking really good! We'll be following "Little Drummer Boy" with "The First Noel" before finishing it off with "O Holy Night". All the while members will be going around to everybody watching, passing out flyers and bags with cookies, inviting them to the ward Christmas activity and to come and learn more about the church. It looks like it's going to be pretty intense rain today, but I have confidence that we'll still be able to get it all together! (Thank you President and Sister Maxwell for the picture I used to make the Flyer for the Caroling event!)
Speaking of storms …. Yesterday as we were running through the program a huge storm rolled in! It started with this HUGE crack of thunder shaking all of the windows in the cultural hall! It stopped all of us in our singing tracks. After that the clouds just opened up and dumped everything they had on Fukuoka. Luckily Elder Tanaka and I had brought the car to drop off the amp, because we were able to pack everybody and their bikes into the Vanimal and take them home in the squall. We've had a recent rash of accidents in the mission and I didn't want anybody getting hurt again, so we dropped everybody off by car. It might be a terrifying thing to drive in Japan, but it sure is useful to have a car sometimes.
Monday we had dinner over at a member's house. She shared at least part of her conversion story, which spanned more than a decade. She was like, if I could get baptized, anybody can. Don't give up on your friends, family, or anybody because they don't seem like they’re open to the Gospel right now. Everybody has their own time, everybody has their own season, and this Gospel is for everyone. So don't be discouraged because they don't come when you want them to; know that the Lord is in it, and He has a plan for them and you. Now that doesn't mean that we can slack off. In that same meeting the member also shared a story about a group of people, Jesus Christ, and a rock.
Now there was a group of people walking down a path when they ran into a giant rock. They weren't really sure what to do about it, but as they were conversing the Lord came to them and told them to push the rock. So they, being obedient, pushed the rock. All of them exerted all of their effort, tried with their whole might to move that rock. Eventually they heard another voice telling them, "it's impossible to move that rock, try as you might it'll never budge, you might as well give up and not even try." As they worked and pushed, they began to listen to the other voice and eventually all of them quit pushing. It was just too hard, and that rock would not move. At that point the Lord came again and asked them, "Why did you stop pushing the rock?" To which they answered, "We tried with all we had to do like you asked and move the rock, we exerted all our efforts, and tried to work together but it wouldn't move, so we quit, realizing it was impossible." Then the Lord said to them "I never told you to move the rock, I only told you to push it. You'll never be able to move the rock alone, only I can do that, all you are required to do is push, and I will move the rock for you."
How many times do we come upon a giant rock in the middle of our path, and try with all our might to move along, only to become discouraged and eventually give up? The Lord never asked us to move the rock, to move the work forward on our own. He has asked us to push the rock, and when the time is right, when we need it most, He will move the rock for us, and our path will be made open. But this freedom, this new vision comes only after much trial and after all we can do. That is the way of the Lord, that is the hope for a better day. So don't give up thinking that your efforts are in vain, because no effort is wasted on the Lord, and it time, all will be made right, if we let Him make it so.
This is a special Christmas season and a time for everyone to be of good cheer and to bask in the light of the Lord. I hope that you all have a great week and feel the spirit of Christmas in all that you do!
Elder Everett
エベレット長老
Well, Happy December! This week, all week, we had 2 main themes: 1) Get everything ready for the interviews around the mission throughout this and next week and 2) Somehow get prepared for the caroling event (which just so happens to be tonight!).
We've been working on having a practice every day, as time permits, and it really seems to be coming along. We're singing 6 songs, a good mixture of common secular songs and mostly religious up-beat and feel good songs. We're starting with "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" followed by a quick introduction to who we are and what all these foreigners are doing in Japan. Then we go into "Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire" and "I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas". They're both kind of a jazzy version of the songs, and we'll be using that to transition into "Little Drummer Boy." We somehow got hold of a drum set and an electric guitar for that piece, and it's looking really good! We'll be following "Little Drummer Boy" with "The First Noel" before finishing it off with "O Holy Night". All the while members will be going around to everybody watching, passing out flyers and bags with cookies, inviting them to the ward Christmas activity and to come and learn more about the church. It looks like it's going to be pretty intense rain today, but I have confidence that we'll still be able to get it all together! (Thank you President and Sister Maxwell for the picture I used to make the Flyer for the Caroling event!)
Speaking of storms …. Yesterday as we were running through the program a huge storm rolled in! It started with this HUGE crack of thunder shaking all of the windows in the cultural hall! It stopped all of us in our singing tracks. After that the clouds just opened up and dumped everything they had on Fukuoka. Luckily Elder Tanaka and I had brought the car to drop off the amp, because we were able to pack everybody and their bikes into the Vanimal and take them home in the squall. We've had a recent rash of accidents in the mission and I didn't want anybody getting hurt again, so we dropped everybody off by car. It might be a terrifying thing to drive in Japan, but it sure is useful to have a car sometimes.
Monday we had dinner over at a member's house. She shared at least part of her conversion story, which spanned more than a decade. She was like, if I could get baptized, anybody can. Don't give up on your friends, family, or anybody because they don't seem like they’re open to the Gospel right now. Everybody has their own time, everybody has their own season, and this Gospel is for everyone. So don't be discouraged because they don't come when you want them to; know that the Lord is in it, and He has a plan for them and you. Now that doesn't mean that we can slack off. In that same meeting the member also shared a story about a group of people, Jesus Christ, and a rock.
Now there was a group of people walking down a path when they ran into a giant rock. They weren't really sure what to do about it, but as they were conversing the Lord came to them and told them to push the rock. So they, being obedient, pushed the rock. All of them exerted all of their effort, tried with their whole might to move that rock. Eventually they heard another voice telling them, "it's impossible to move that rock, try as you might it'll never budge, you might as well give up and not even try." As they worked and pushed, they began to listen to the other voice and eventually all of them quit pushing. It was just too hard, and that rock would not move. At that point the Lord came again and asked them, "Why did you stop pushing the rock?" To which they answered, "We tried with all we had to do like you asked and move the rock, we exerted all our efforts, and tried to work together but it wouldn't move, so we quit, realizing it was impossible." Then the Lord said to them "I never told you to move the rock, I only told you to push it. You'll never be able to move the rock alone, only I can do that, all you are required to do is push, and I will move the rock for you."
How many times do we come upon a giant rock in the middle of our path, and try with all our might to move along, only to become discouraged and eventually give up? The Lord never asked us to move the rock, to move the work forward on our own. He has asked us to push the rock, and when the time is right, when we need it most, He will move the rock for us, and our path will be made open. But this freedom, this new vision comes only after much trial and after all we can do. That is the way of the Lord, that is the hope for a better day. So don't give up thinking that your efforts are in vain, because no effort is wasted on the Lord, and it time, all will be made right, if we let Him make it so.
This is a special Christmas season and a time for everyone to be of good cheer and to bask in the light of the Lord. I hope that you all have a great week and feel the spirit of Christmas in all that you do!
Elder Everett
エベレット長老
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