Hello Again!
I hope this week has been a good week and have learned something new everyday! For God is moving his hands in everyone's lives everyday. This week, I've been in Naka-Urawa, with my sister training leaders. So I have been able to go out and talk to people!!
There truly is power in gaikokujin (foreigners). People are more open to us and accept us more. That's one reason why people go all over the world to teach the gospel. Of course some people don't open up easily or are nice, but in Japan people really like foreigners, especially Americans. I really liked being with the sister training leaders. It was so fun! I feel like I have been able to help their companionship and with mission school we are teaching.
We also got transfer calls and my new companion is going to be Sister Burke!! She was one of my MTC companions!! So we will both hit our year mark on January 27th together!! She called me today and said she was so excited to be companions and it made me feel good!
So last transfer I came to Kasukabe with dendou Fire (spiritual movings/enthusiasm to talk to others and teach them) and I just wanted to talk to everyone and always be productive and work hard, but we were not able to do that due to certain unfortunate circumstances. And so, we didn't talk to many people and things like that. So lately, I've been feeling kind of afraid to talk to everyone! But when I have tried, I have found that God does fill my mouth with what to say. Even if it's not perfect, or a confused jumble I know that I tried to share the gospel with people.
In D&C 68:4-6* (see asterick at the bottom of this letter), The Lord gives a promise to his missionaries:
Verse 4 And whatsoever they shall speak when moved upon by the Holy Ghost shall be scripture, shall be the will of the Lord, shall be the mind of the Lord, shall be the word of the Lord, shall be the voice of the Lord, and the power of God unto salvation.
5 Behold, this is the promise of the Lord unto you, O ye my servants.
6 Wherefore, be of good cheer, and do not fear, for I the Lord am with
you, and will stand by you; and ye shall bear record of me, even Jesus
Christ, that I am the Son of the living God, that I was, that I am,
and that I am to come.
Also, on Sunday, Sister Solomon (MTC Senpai)** and I were on splits in Koshigaya while Sister Moffat (MTC kohai) was with a member in Naka-Urawa. There was a man on the train that talked to us afterwards and asked if we were going to church. We said yes and that we are Mormons and he said he was a pastor for a Christian church. He said he didn't believe that Christ came to America and that it wasn't in the Bible (although it is, if you know where to find it, but Anyways)! We were able to give him a pamphlet and he said he'd like to talk again so we exchanged numbers. I reevaluated what I could've said or testified. I think his real concern could've been, is the Book of Mormon the word of God? If it is, then Christ came to America, as well to other nations. The Book of Mormon answered all questions of the soul.
I've felt really humble lately and a burning in my heart to change and repent. I'm trying everyday to repent so that I can be a better instrument in God's hands. I feel happy and successful when I am
giving everything I have to God. When I consecrate myself to God's work, I can do the work and have fun! I know that is the same for even those who are not missionaries. In our daily lives, when we put the Lord first, we are able to be guided to make righteous decisions. Through humble prayer and trust in the Lord we grow and become "perfected in Christ." By following the promptings of the spirit we exercise our faith unto repentance.
Sincerely,
Sister Kirsten Parker
Sent from the white fields of Japan 🍲🌅
* [For those of you who don't know what D&C means, it means "Doctrine and Covenants." It is mainly a compilation of revelations given to the first organizer of our Church, Joseph Smith, who had prophetic gifts to restore truths lost in the first decades and first few centuries after the first 12 Apostles of Jesus Christ (see Acts 20:29, Luke 10:3, Matthew 7:15, 2 Thess 2:3). The Protestant movement was a step in the right direction, but it didn't go far enough to correct what went wrong in the Roman movement, but instead it helped lay the conditions in which the Lord could restore lost truths and help further prepare this planet for his great 2nd Coming in which the righteous will be blessed (in this life or the next) and the unrepentant wicked will be destroyed, and the earth will become ready for the Lord's righteous rulership over this earth]. K-Mom.
** MTC Senpai means a missionary who was at the MTC/missionary training center a little earlier, thus a little bit like "senior/seniority" and MTC Kohai means a missionary who was at the MTC a little later, thus a little bit like "junior." K-Mom.
p.s. Here are some pictures and videos -- Enjoy!!
On missionary splits, and meal time.
2 train videos. In one of them I silently say "hello" and make some faces so as to not be loud.
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