👋 Hello Everyone!
Church was great! We had M_____i [female name, different person than last week], one of our investigators come to the international group (the English ward/congregation, except it's not that big of a group). We were able to work with the members more and help them out and are building better relationships. Urawa is a great ward [congregation]! Everyone has so much of Christ's light in their faces, it makes me happy to come to church every week. A returned missionary shared this scripture and talked about that as well
(Alma 5:14. This is one my favorite chapters, especially in high school).
And now behold, I ask of you, my brethren of the church, have ye spiritually been born of God? Have ye received his image in your countenances? Have ye experienced this mighty change in your hearts?
Prophecies foretold are coming true! Jesus Christ will be coming soon!
[Read 2 Thessalonians 2:3; 2 Timothy 3:1-8 regarding the last days prophecied apostacy from the truth and goodness. Sister Parker wrote this in response to her mother's recent letter about the congregation's discussion about local youth struggling to be an example and have faith in the face of so many people not believing in God or righteous values anymore--they feel like the minority!]:
I'm so glad that the young man in our home ward [congregation] had the courage to stand alone in his beliefs. It's so important to love and help support the youth. The Spirit can guide them to stay pure in a world full of bad influences and temptations.
I've been thinking lately. Well, off and on, I think about and pray about how I can talk to people and not be afraid. But from Elder Choi's recent conference when he came to Japan, we talked a lot about the 'Open Your Mouth' and speak concept. The first session really was a call to repentance. And I felt that my faith was boosted after applying the things I learned. This transfer, my theme is "Faith, Hope, and Charity." But in Moroni 8, at the end it talks about these three attributes of Christ and how essential they are to each other. They are also gifts of God. Gifts of God that we can receive freely as long as we ask and then try to accomplish them.
So yesterday, I prayed for charity, again. I prayed that I may be filled with the love of Christ. Love for Christ, feel Christ's love, and love for his people. And I've made a goal recently that I really felt strong about, especially during the conference, that I set goals to find 12 prepared people to be baptized and baptized within my mission. I'm still figuring out the plans. But I've been trying to talk to everyone on the streets and trains without fear. and really trying to show love and care for them and it's made a difference and I felt love. This combination of faith in Jesus Christ and pure love for him and his people, through actions is what has helped me feel more happiness, more motivation to do good, and more of the Spirit being poured upon.
So like the same for the youth or anyone we are teaching, teaching with pure love and always looking to the Savior for help and guidance and trusting that he knows how to help them and yourself, is key. I highly recommend studying the scriptures on how the Savior taught others.
When reading scriptures, I've found that when I pray with questions and search for those answers wherever I'm reading, it helps me have an effective study and feel like I've feasted on that manna!
We are going to take a little break and practice a musical for MLC this Thursday [K-Mom: I don't know what MLC is]. Probably sister Nagano [the mission president's wife] will record it and you may see it on Facebook.
Sister Parker, Kirsten.
「完全な愛あはあらゆる恐れを取り除くからである。」モロナイ書8:16
Google translation: "A perfect love removes every fear." Moroni 8: 16
Here's a video of my apartment. Typical sister missionary apartment here in Japan:
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