Friday, February 26, 2016

February 26, 2016 - @ MTC, 31st day. Life is hard but miracles are possible

こんにちは皆さん。Hello everyone!

They always tell me at the MTC, obedience brings blessings. Exact obedience brings miracles. So I'm trying to be exactly obedient by being in bed exactly at 10:30 and every morning I wake up at 6:30am on the dot. I'm also trying the follow every single prompting of the spirit I have and repenting daily from mistakes I make. I know miracles will happen. 

Every Sunday and Tuesday we have devotionals. 

On Tuesday at our devotional, the choir teacher told a story that is true about a miracle. There was a man in the church who was a bishop, I think, whose 3-year old daughter got ran over by taxi (if I remember right), and she died. She had severe damage and her head was bashed in and people were going to set up a funeral for her. 

However, this man and his wife had faith that he could heal her through the power of the priesthood which he held.  He was going to do it with some of his close friends and give her a blessings, however, people from all around the neighborhood who heard came to watch. When he started the prayer, he couldn't speak.  The Spirit told him that there were unbelievers among the crowd of people and he would not be able to heal her.  He turned to the crowd and asked those people to leave and they did.  Then he still couldn't do it, so he went home and laid his daughter on her bed with a sheet over her.  The Spirit told him,"not yet." Everyone left except for his closest friends and family. He still couldn't heal her, his tongue was still tied.  His wife asked him, how much longer did they need to wait, and he told her, "Soon."  A few hours later, and then he said that he could bless her. They gave her a blessing that his daughter would be able to hear her parents voice and return to her body and that she would have all of her deep wounds completely healed and would be normal.  Then the parents fell asleep next to their daughter's bed as they waited.  In the middle of the night the daughter got up, without a single scratch on her body.  To this day, she has grown up and has had no brain trauma or any abnormal injuries. 

On Tuesday also, Sister Rosemary M. Wixom (general primary president) spoke to us about utilizing Jesus Christ gospel everyday. 

Everyday, we need to use each principle: faith in Jesus Christ, repentance, baptism, gift of the Holy Ghost, and endurance to the end:

The gospel is as important as the air that we breathe! We don't tuck away our baptism in a little box because we already were baptized and we don't keep the "Endurance" packed up in a box until we get old. Everyday we need to seek to be better and more like our Savior.  The more we seek to be obey God's laws, the more we can see God's hand in our lives.

In choir, we sang a classic primary song, "A Child's Prayer" for Sister Wixom along with some of the MTC presidency's grandchildren. I could feel the love Heavenly Father has for his children as these kids sang!  They are so sweet!! I know that God only wants what's best for his children. We are here pressing to become better people so we can receive our own glory through God's son, Jesus Christ. :)

"John 3: 16 ¶For God so loved the world, that he gave his only
begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but
have everlasting life."

Every person is a child of God.  He sacrificed his first son so that the rest of the world might be saved.  Jesus experienced all manner of pains and afflictions, so we won't have to be over burdened, as long as we believe in his word.  He sacrificed his will to do God's will.  I know God wants all his children to return back to him after this life.  He sobs when we suffer. 

I testify that God loves all his children dearly, just as a parent would love their own child.  The gospel of Jesus Christ is the only way to return back to our Heavenly Father's arms.  To be welcomed home with open arms, "Well done, you have been faithful."

I testify of these things in the name of Jesus Christ, āmen!

Parker Shimai

Artwork of  Jesus raising Jairus' daughter from death, Luke 8 or Mark 5

Kirsten's mother's note:   Kirsten's story about a child being raised from the dead sounds similar to a story (and may be the same) I heard about 10 years ago, about a spiritual Polynesian man (Iohani Wolfgramm), who raised his daughter from the dead.  (I think he also went by an anglicized form, "Johanni" or similar). He lived for years in Utah, fulfilling many callings including Patriarch. I was told that the daughter that he raised, later on as an adult wrote a book about her father.  I vaguely knew some Wolfgramms in San Diego, CA as a young person.

Here is a link to a blog which relates to the story:

http://visionsandtribulation.blogspot.com/2013/12/iohani-wolfgram-miraculous-healing-of.html

Here is a link to Brother Wolfgramm's online obituary (he died in 1997):
http://www.deseretnews.com/article/584854/Death--Iohani-Otto-Melila-Wolfgramm.html?pg=all

Her book:  http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10012150-iohani-wolfgramm
Iohani Wolfgramm:  Man of Faith and Vision, by Tisina Wolfgramm Gerber

Friday, February 19, 2016

2/19/2016 Sharing Japanese culture: Okay, a friend shared this, but it's awesome! Japan's answer to crop circles

Planting Rice in Japan...


Looks ordinary enough....... but watch as the rice grows!








Stunning crop art has sprung up across rice fields in Japan , but this is no alien creation. The designs have been cleverly PLANTED! Farmers creating the huge displays use no ink or dye. Instead, different color rice plants have been precisely and strategically arranged and grown in the paddy fields.  As summer progresses and the plants shoot up, the detailed artwork begins to emerge.


A Sengoku warrior on horseback has been created from hundreds of thousands of rice plants. The colors are created by using different varieties of rice plants, whose leaves grow in certain colors. This photo was taken in Inakadate, Japan. 








                                        
Closer to the image, the careful placement of the thousands of rice plants in the paddy fields can be seen. Rice-paddy art was started there in 1993 as a local revitalization project, an idea that grew from meetings of the village committees. The different varieties of rice plants grow alongside each other to create the masterpieces.

In the first nine years, the village office workers and local farmers grew a simple design of Mount Iwaki every year. But their ideas grew more complicated and attracted more attention. In 2005, agreements between landowners allowed the creation of enormous rice paddy art.  A year later, organizers used computers to precisely plot the planting of four differently coloured rice varieties that bring the images to life!
TRULY
LEGITIMATE WORKS OF ART


[Kirsten's Mom:  Sorry, I had to reload the pictures to get them to show up again.  Then some of them didn't upload in a straight, centered column.  I don't have more time to keep fussing with this to make it perfect.  :-( ]

February 19, 2016 -- @ MTC Elders that lighten things up, Testimony

Here are some of my funny district and zone leaders
(Mom's comment:  If you play "Where's Waldo?", could Kirsten be somewhere in the photo??)

こんにちは!(≧∇≦)
So much growth this week. I know for sure that there is a god, and he is our Heavenly Father. There is a Heavenly Father and He does love us. He has a plan for us and it's real. None of this is made up. Everything that happens to us, happens for a reason. I know my trials I experience and will experience are for my benefit so I can be prepared for the life to come, and for the life I'll live in Japan. Jesus Christ suffered all ways of afflictions so men might be saved. He sacrificed his will to God to be able to succor his people. He understands everything we go through; He went through it, too. The things I experience, whether good or bad, will help me to be able to help the people in Japan. I can only truly teach if I have the love for the people I teach, and seek to understand what they need. The teachings of Jesus Christ helps every soul find peace and belonging. We belong in God's fold, and the only way to get there is to come unto Jesus Christ. There's nothing in this world that could make one more happy than the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Faith, repentance, baptism, gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end. Salvation may not be cheap, but it is worth everything.
"Man's extremity is God's opportunity." ( Elder Jeffrey R. Holland)

あいしています。love you! That's all for this week :)
Parker Shimai

Monday, February 15, 2016

More From 2/12/2016 -- @ MTC

MY TESTIMONY

こんにちは、皆さん。私は回復された福音の証が会えいます。イエス・キリストの福音は真実です。ジョセフスミスは預言者だったと知っています。ジョセフスミスのじゅうじんによってキリストのきょうかいをかいふくしりました。この協会は真実だと信じています。キリストのあがないは本当に大切です。毎日、あがないによってわたしをたすきます。精霊をみちびくことができるとしています。精霊をきけばへいあんをかんじます。イエスキリストのみなによっておいあかします。アアメン。

Hey everyone! I have a testimony of the restoration of the gospel.
Jesus Christ's gospel is true. I know Joseph smith was a prophet.
Through Joseph Smith's obedience, Christ's church was restored. I
believe this church is true. Christ's atonement is important.
Everyday, the Atonement helps me. I know we can be guided by the
Spirit. By listening to the spirit, we can feel peace. I testify in
the name of Jesus Christ, āmen.

I didn't mean to put all those complicated kanji!!

Parker 姉妹 (Shimai)


******************************************************************************

Here are some more pictures
Provo Temple near the MTC.  Still very cold

Another Winter scene near MTC and Provo Temple


I'm in good company because Sister Burke plays the piano
and Sister Pearson sings!

An Elder in the Aussi zone roundhouse-kicked
the tree and created a snowfall
"We three sisters of MTC are, bearing the gospel we'll travel so far"
(to the tune of We Three Kings), ha ha

Yep, that's my name tag!





Friday, February 12, 2016

February 12, 2016 -- 17th day at the MTC (training center)





Hi, this is me with one of my missionary companions, Sister Pearson.   In Japanese, she is called "Shimai Pearson."   Shimai means Sister.    We are in the laundry room doing laundry.  My other companion, Sister Burke (Burke Shimai) is sitting on the floor.  I apologize for not getting pictures sooner.  I didn't have a card reader for my digital camera.   This picture was taken with an iPad.   More pictures to come soon, if all goes well!    Love, Shimai Parker   (Kirsten)


Okay, this is my other companion, Sister Burke (Burke Shimai).  I am lucky to have two great missionary companions!


Thursday, January 28, 2016

January 27, 2016 - First Day at Missionary Training Center

This is my family and I on arrival day at the Missionary Training Center.

There was so much work to do to get ready.  As part of the application process I started last summer, I began the slew of dental, medical, and ecclesiastical appointments.   Getting my wisdom teeth out was the worst of those appointments :-(

In November 2015 after I received my assignment, I started the legal process of going on a mission (passport, application for a Visa) and starting to get immunizations (yuck).   There was also much work to do in terms of just figuring the process of preparation out, making sure that things were done in timely fashion.  I had an online profile to set up, training videos to view.  I was part of a missionary pilot program (i.e. not every pre-missionary receives this extra training at this time), wherein several returned missionaries worked with me on morale as well as training me on simple Japanese - such as learning to pray in Japanese.  I took two years of Japanese in high school, but considering that a person of any language needs to know probably around 10,000 words to be completely fluent comparable to a native speaker., and that would be, knowing how to use those words in proper context of grammar and colloquial expression...two years of high school Japanese was just prep-time, not fluency.  I received this extra training  with returned missionaries up to week before I entered the training center.  I also repeated the class, Preach My Gospel/Missionary Preparation over at the local community college this past Fall, to help me get familiar with the gospel concepts which I will be teaching to the people of Japan.

As this training continued into December and January, I also continued with my daily things -- a full-time job at NPS, which I needed to help pay for my missionary wardrobe, and I also increased my physical activity by getting a temporary membership at VASA Fitness.  I continued with my prayer and scripture studies.

Some people do not realize, but when a person makes the decision to go on a mission, life becomes harder.   Most of this is inner difficulty.   The decision to go on a mission takes on a new dimension of realness.  A person begins to further question one's ability to do a good job as a missionary, asking oneself also, am I ready to take this on and be away from family and friends for so many months? Then there are temptations to indulge in negative thinking, or to be distracted by the usual things that young people do, even just wasting time, or blowing the healthy eating plan just after working out.   Relationships with family and friends go through a painful process of saying goodbye.  Unresolved issues come to the forefront the closer departure time comes, unexpected money issues can pop up.  

God is real, but so is the Devil.  No, I don't think the devil runs around 24/7 in some silly red suit with a pitchfork (those are just symbols of his intent to destroy us), but he does afflict us in anyway that he can.  Sometimes family or close friends will have increased problems, things that show than an opposition is in place trying to prevent the missionary from going to preach the message of Christ. This affected me even up to the day I left.  Things require my best efforts to resolve, and the rest has to be left up to faith that God will help resolve the rest that I can't do myself.  I have walked into mission life today, with the faith that God will not just bless and protect me, but bless my loved ones back home, while I am away.

My next blog I will introduce you to life at the Missionary Training Center (hereafter referred to, as the MTC).

Jan. 2016 - Should you feel moved to help

Hello!
Thank you so very much to those who helped out with expenses I got most the wardrobe and other things needed for my almost 1 1/2 year long stay in Japan.  Although I had a full-time job over the holidays working at NPS, it was not enough to cover the expenses, so everything I received was greatly appreciated and made it possible for me to leave home with the basics!!

I will continue to have monthly expenses while I am out, plus I still need to get a bike and Ipad, and some heavy duty rain gear when I arrive in Japan -- yes they have major rain there.   Should you feel moved to continue to help in any amount, feel free to use the donate button on my blog (which utilizes the PayPal method, which accepts major credit or debit cards).  Should you wish to use some other form of payment (thru an LDS account, check, or other credit/debit method), please email:   kirstenparkermission@gmail.com, and in the subject line please type "Donate" and you will get an email with instructions.

Thank you!!