17th and 18th Weeks in Japan, 2nd Area. Another level up in spiritual growth.

17th Week:  (Some of you may have read this last week via email)

"I fear no man!"

I typed my weekly letter but I made the mistake of leaving the email app and then when I came back, it got deleted. sorry everyone, I don't have anymore time!!

John 15:

"12 This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.

13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

14 Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.

15 Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you."

This week, please pray and look for opportunities to serve others, you come closer to Christ, and help the Lord's work move forward by working together!! Gods love is unfailing and unveiling.

Till next week!!

Love,

Sister Parker!!

パーカー 姉妹

Sent from the white fields of Japan 

18th Week:

こんにちは、皆さん! 私はあまり英語も喋ることができませんね。けれでも、まだ日本語は難しいですよ! Already my brain has trouble with speaking English, but Japanese is still hard.

We had transfer calls today and Sister Lacey, my companion will be transferring tooo.. Drum roll.. America!! Yes America!! Or, to be interpreted, she has finished her mission, honorifically. My new companion will be.. Fireworks roll.. I don't know yet!! Because I'm training!! Yay!! I am so excited! So many people are supporting me. I may be young, but that's okay. I know I'm going to be lead by the revelations of the Holy Ghost. The Spirit will be teaching and training both me and my new missionary. The spirit will be the real trainer. 

"Alma 37: 

33 Preach unto them repentance, and faith on the Lord Jesus Christ; teach them to humble themselves and to be meek and lowly in heart; teach them to withstand every temptation of the devil, with their faith on the Lord Jesus Christ.

34 Teach them to never be weary of good works, but to be meek and lowly in heart; for such shall find rest to their souls."

I will strive to be more specific in my weekly emails and what I'm learning so you all can get a little bit of what I am learning from being a missionary of the Lord. I'm called by God to share this glad message of joy and that message is that Jesus Christ lives! All people who come and seek to learn of Jesus Christ can find peace, joy, and comfort in their lives. This world is crazy and dangerous. There's things that can bring happiness, but not forever. We can only be happy to our full extent forever by repenting of our wrongs and getting on the path that leads us home to our Heavenly Father. This life is the time to perfect ourselves and meet God again. There is only one path to eternal salvation in this war, (or, to be interpreted, mortal life) and that's Jesus Christ. He is all-knowing and powerful and all-loving and patient. Those who seek him  message will find it.

Visit Mormon.org for more information :))))))))))

Love you all!!!

Love,

Sister Parker

パーカー姉妹

Sent from the white fields of Japan 

See below another time lapse video of my travelling to the mission office:

Here's a picture (from the internet) of one of the Three Great Gardens of Japan (two of them are in other cities).

Kairaku-en  (偕楽園) (English: "A park to be enjoyed together").   Kairaku-en is located in Mito.

Kairaku-en garden, in Mito.

15th and 16th Week in Japan; Mostly answering personal questions

On July 11th, 2016 we had a temple day, bumping P-Day (preparation day) to Tuesday July 12th.

Here is some personal correspondence we exchanged on July 12th in short emails due to being online at the same time.  It was not planned but it was a happy thing!


Mom:  Hello Dearest Daughter, How are you?

Sister Parker:  Genki desu yo! O-genki desu ka?  げんき です よ！ おーげんき です か？  [I'm fine!   How are you?]

Genki: Japanese meaning "enthusiastic, energetic, lively".. in short, happy.

Mom:  How is your health?    How is the food working out for you?

Sister Parker:  My health is good, I'm losing weight again and I just had a delicious burrito bowl.  Mmm, there's no Mexican food in Japan, haha!  Except by the temple in Toyko.

[Sister Parker has an interest in cooking, organic cuisine, health & fitness exercise, and has studied and worked in the food industry prior to her mission.]

Mom:   How will you get your package being so far from the mission office?  Should I send it to your apartment?

Sister Parker:  No, send it to the mission office.  Once they get the package, they send it to me and it comes very quickly :)

Sister Parker:  Sorry, we have to catch a train so we are going to have to finish emailing later.

I love you and I'm praying for you all daily!! 

Stay genki!! :) or get genki.. [happy].  Onegaishimasu.   [Please].

I love you very much and I'm thankful for all your love and support. :) 

Here's an applicable scripture:

3 Nephi 13: 19-22    [The Savior taught the Beatitudes to the Nephites just like he did to the Jews in Israel during his ministry].

19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and thieves break through and steal;

20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal.

21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

22 The light of the body is the eye; if, therefore, thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.

I love the scriptures!! Sometimes, I wish I could read it all day!!

ONE WEEK LATER... (family out of town but we communicated with her through the smart phone).

July 17th, 2016
Sister Parker's comments about difficulties of anonymous people she knows:

As I was reading in the Book of Mormon, it was in 1 Nephi and it spoke of how Nephi and his family and his brethren and their families were in the wilderness for years. They had so many afflictions that they could not write them all.  I think at least 8 years.  The woman became strong like unto the men, the Lord took care of them and made sure their needs were provided for.  Once they made it through the wilderness, they made it to Bountiful. They called it that because it was filled with different fruits and vegetables and beasts and all manner of things, to be provision for them.  They even found the beach!  They were very happy and blessed. 

Many times Laman and Lemuel were impatient and hard-hearted and did not believe that they should be going through afflictions or that they should have left Jerusalem.  They humbled themselves many times, but constantly they let themselves become grieved and angry.  Even when they reached Bountiful, even after seeing angels, they often did not believe in Nephi's words at first.  They did not believe he could build a boat or understand that God told him to.  They did not believe that God is all-powerful or in the mercy that he has constantly shown towards the children of men.  They had to be chastised by God in order to be humbled again and then believe.

Sister Parker:  Changing topics, here are some pictures.

My desk

[Pictures of people that the missionaries have taught and worked with]

Pictures of Mito and the nearby area

These members took us out to eat interesting, but delicious food!

I am also with Sister Lacey.

Until later,  Parker Shimai

14th Week in Japan, 2nd Area; The gospel brings freedom

Hello everyone of the world!!!

It's the Fourth of July, Independence Day!!    

Speaking of freedom. I'm reminded constantly of the tender mercies of the Lord and his sacrifice, daily. Our souls can be free and rescued of strifes because He lives again.   The gospel also gives guidance to our daily lives in that we can be free from the sadness and consequences of our potential poor choices, when we choose instead to live the gospel and make good choices.

Here's part of President Dieter F. Uchtdorf's talk from general conference.

"He Will Place You On His Shoulders And Carry You Home"

You Are Worthy of Rescue

"My dear brothers and sisters, my dear friends, I testify that God sees us as we truly are--and He sees us worthy of rescue.

You may feel that your life is in ruins. You may have sinned. You may be afraid, angry, grieving, or tortured by doubt. But just as the Good Shepherd finds His lost sheep, if you will only lift up your heart to the Savior of the world, He will find you.

He will rescue you.

He will lift you up and place you on His shoulders.   

 

 (Artist: Minerva Teichert)

He will carry you home.

If mortal hands can transform rubble and ruins into a beautiful house of worship, then we can have confidence and trust that our loving Heavenly Father can and will rebuild us. His plan is to build us into something far greater than what we were--far greater than what we can ever imagine. With each step of faith on the path of discipleship, we grow into the beings of eternal glory and infinite joy we were designed to become.

This is my testimony, my blessing, and my humble prayer in the sacred name of our Master, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen."

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

By the way, We have a new investigator named S_______.  She's had a really hard life. We set a baptismal date with her yesterday for July 31st, 2016.  She really likes Jesus Christ and wants to go to the celestial kingdom to be with the Lord.   At the end of our lesson, we can tell how much happier she is.

Here are some pictures of nature in Japan, and a video of spiders in an apartment building's stairwell. Neither Sister Lacey nor I like bugs and spiders, so the video is trying to make light of something we both don't like.

By the way, did you know that you can click on the picture and get a bigger view?

  

Here's the video:

Have a great week everyone!!

パーカー姉妹

Sent from the white fields of Japan 

Parker Shimai