One Year in Japan; 3rd Area. Two progressing investigators.

3/27/2017

Hello Everyone!

Japan's Sakura [cherry blossum] is suppose to start blooming next week but the Ume [plum] trees started blooming already.

Japan is good. We have been helping our investigators and helping the ward [congregation] where it needs.  We had some plans fall through during the week and were not having as much progression in the work, but I can feel the Spirit leading me and helping me do my best! I'm trying to give everything I have to the Lord so that I can be an instrument in His hands.  In fact, on Sunday, we had many things going on!   Recently, Mo____, (female) an investigator who moved from the Sendai mission area, moved here officially and came to church along with an investigator who came for the first time, Yu____ (female).  I sat with Yu____ and I remember her saying how grateful she was for the prayer that we said on the phone with her.  I had prayed that she would have the power to endure and be able to gain her health back and feel God's love and she did. She had almost no money, no food, living by herself and her illness was bad enough that she couldn't leave her house, but she has changed, gotten better and she feels happy.  She's prayed

to God and when she came to church she felt so much peace.  I gave her a Book of Mormon during sacrament reading to read a verse along with the wonderful speaker and she read the whole chapter!!  She could feel the power that was in the Book and took it home.  She had to leave
early, but she already bore her testimony to me that God lives and grants power in prayer.  She left sacrament [meeting] early, but I was so amazed by how much she has changed and grown and her circumstances have completely changed with her faith in God.  She just needs to learn more
about Jesus Christ now!  But I prayed quickly and asked Heavenly Father, "is she really going to he baptized? I believe it.." and I felt shivers go through my body and I know that she can get baptized
next month. We prayed about a date and thought of April 16th, this year.  We are going to extend it to her as soon as we can.

And Mo____-chan (same person listed near the top of this letter), she has been to church every week since she has met the missionaries in October last year.  We are going to try and talk with her tomorrow about her concerns, and fears of baptism and invite her to join Jesus Christ's church by being baptized by proper authority of God.  As missionaries, we teach repentance and baptize converts, and these next few weeks, we are going to try our best to help them convert to Jesus Christ, have faith in Him unto repentance, and prepare for the saving ordinance of baptism. Baptism is such an important ordinance because it is the only way, the covenant by that we can enter the kingdom of God, being completed by receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands, as taught in the New Testament.   

I believe that when these two wonderful women join and become one with the church of God, that they will start their journey and discipleship of Jesus Christ, and thye will be "living after the manner of happiness", according to Jesus Christ's gospel. Families are a blessing from God because it is a great place to have a loving atmosphere and teach the gospel of Jesus Christ.  I love you all very very much!!  But it does not compare to how much the Savior Jesus Christ loves for he gave himself as an offering to satisfy the demands of justice that come from the fall of Adam.

Here's a scripture that I hope may be able to brighten your day. :) this is during the time of Captain Moroni and the wars.  Helaman and his two thousand stripling warriors had been conquering back their cities from the Lamanites but they were receiving not as much help from their government [they were desperate, in dire need] and the Lamanites were attacking them often.

Alma 58:
10 Therefore we did pour out our souls in prayer to God, that he would
strengthen us and deliver us out of the hands of our enemies, yea, and
also give us strength that we might retain our cities, and our lands,
and our possessions, for the support of our people.
11 Yea, and it came to pass that the Lord our God did visit us with
assurances that he would deliver us; yea, insomuch that he did speak
peace to our souls, and did grant unto us great faith, and did cause
us that we should hope for our deliverance in him.
12 And we did take courage with our small force which we had received,
and were fixed with a determination to conquer our enemies, and to
maintain our lands, and our possessions, and our wives, and our
children, and the cause of our liberty.

Remember, that the Lord is with you always. In every single step that you take in this life as you continue back to Father's presence.  We are all children of A loving Heavenly Father and we all need the Savior in order to return back to his presence clean and purified.  Seek the spirit to purify you daily in everything you do and pray for it always that you may have the strengthen to overcome temptation.

Gomen [sorry], I want to put more words in this letter to help you or lift you up but we have to leave soon. I want you to know that I love the Lord and I'm learning that my mission is not mine, it's His.  Everything I'm giving is to the Lord and I love my family, but I don't want you to feel that you're not important because you all are.  I'm just trying to do what the Lord wants me to do.  I'm really really really trying to give all my desires and hopes and talents to God because I know he loves his children and he trusts me to do it. 

It's been stressful being in Japan--trying to help people progress and receive salvation and not knowing how to do it exactly.  Although, it's good, I don't know how to do it because then I depend on the lord and seek the spirit, but anyways. In the times that I could have been upset or stressed because there's so much to do I have prayed for strength and have found peace and more love in my heart. I want to do the best good I can.

Sister Parker / Kirsten
Sent from the white fields of Japan 🍲🌅

51st week in Japan; 3rd Area. "God gives his toughest battles to His strongest soldiers."

Konnichiha Everyone!!   Happy Spring!!

"God gives his toughest battles to His strongest soldiers."

It's amazing how many great weeks I've had, but also hard days.  We've seen many miracles working in Kasukabe and helping people.  Bringing joy to other people's lives through the gospel and sharing the blessings I've been given brings happiness!!  It brings happiness and I feel God's love in abundance through the miracles Sister Burke and I have seen.  Even through the tough times, there is miracles because God is always working in our lives. :)

I'd like to share my testimony of the power and love of God by sharing sometime when I felt overburdened.

I've been having some days that are really hard to get through and it came to one day that my companion told me that I should go into the tatami room (where we sleep) and pray aloud to Heavenly Father and ask for help.  So I did. I remember when my companion left the room I could just feel a welcoming presence inviting me to pour out my heart.  I felt so much love!!  and my asked questions and I listened and I can testify that I did have a conversation with God.  I wrote down all the thoughts and impressions that came to me and I followed them. From the words of the prophets and apostles that I've been lead to study and ponder, I've truly learned that there is an enabling power that can only be received by and through the atonement of Jesus Christ.  We cannot get through this life without depending on the Lord and His strength.

Like form the Book of Mormon, in Alma 31, Alma and his brethren were to teach the Zoramites.  They were afflicted by the wickedness of the Zoramites who had fallen away from the true God and had separated themselves.  But the Lord provided for Alma and his brothers..

"and he also gave them strength, that they should suffer no manner of afflictions, save it were swallowed up in the joy of Christ. Now this was according to the prayer of Alma; and this because he prayed in faith."

I think often, prayer may seem like something that can take away agony or circumstances or that we can be free from our trials by asking for it to go away..  But that's not always what God will do.  Because we only learn and become like the Savior as we strive to be like him during our own times of Gethsemane.  Because the Savior suffered our pains and afflictions first he is the only one who knows how to reach out to us, succor us, and strengthen us.  When we ask Heavenly Father to give us strength to conquer our lives' enemies, we can have joy. Because of Jesus Christ we can have joy even in our trials.  And I can testify of it because I've read it and I've experienced it.  And everyone has frightening or terrible or easily besetting experiences but all of them can be overcome by asking for the enabling power of the atonement of Jesus Christ to be strengthened.

“I will also ease the burdens which are put upon your shoulders, that even you cannot feel them upon your backs. …

“And now it came to pass that the burdens which were laid upon Alma and his brethren were made light; yea, the Lord did strengthen them that they could bear up their burdens with ease, and they did submit cheerfully and with patience to all the will of the Lord” (Mosiah 24:14–15)

I testify that God is an all-powerful, all-knowing being who is the Father of our spirits and loves you and knows each everyone of you you name.  He reaches out to you daily.

I invite you all to have a conversation with God and listen with your heart that you may feel His love! His love truly soothes aching hearts and fixes broken souls. It is the strongest bond in families and is the source of happiness. God's love is perfect and it lifts every soul that hangs low and raises joyful ones even higher. And all that is needed is a humble heart willing to act and ask.

I love you all!! :)

心を込めて、With all my heart

パーカー姉妹 Sister Parker

Sent from the white fields of Japan 

Life is not always serious-- here are two videos where I appear less than polished...

I was tired of doing planning meetings in this video.  I hope it's okay to show this.

HIccups...

50th Week in Japan; 3rd Area. Using the gospel to help get over heartbreak.

We are helping that one family from Sri Lanka go to the temple. They have their recommends to do baptisms now but we are just picking another day I think.

[Responding to a comment in the family letter about some workers and their behavior]  I thought of Alma 37:37

37 Counsel with the Lord in all thy doings, and he will direct thee for good; yea, when thou liest down at night lie down unto the Lord, that he may watch over you in your sleep; and when thou risest in the morning let thy heart be full of thanks unto God; and if ye do these things, ye shall be lifted up at the last day.

Sometimes we can be spared experiences with certain people if we ask God if those particular people we could be associating with in work or business or other meaningful relationships like dating or marriage are worth having in our lives--Always thinking beforehand and asking God if what choice you're making is right, is incredibly important. God knows what we need in order to be happy and he will always guide us to what is right.

I feel that every moment that I am a missionary is important time preparing God's people for the next life.  I read a talk by Joseph Smith called "the King Follett Sermon" I think and he talked much about God's character and it enlightened my understanding.  I look at all these people and they are all preparing to meet Heavenly Father again.  It would be terrible to end this life and to realize that they didn't prepare as well as they could to meet God again.  Not perfecting or tuning themselves.. (as Jesus said that we are to be perfect like our Father in Heaven (Matthew 5:48).   I imagine it could be terrifying in a way.  There's such a need for these people to know, and more people are becoming willing to listen to the gospel.  And even if they aren't, they need to hear it and exercise their agency to accept it or not.  I say this because I love God and want to do his will. God doesn't want us to have heartbreak.  But he promises that through the atonement of Jesus Christ that our heartbreak can be healed and forgotten and lifted.   When we come unto Christ by repenting of our sins and keeping God's commandments, living according to our covenants we made, we can experience and have the joy that Jesus Christ's gospel brings.  Even when we feel bad, we can have and hold joy in our hearts because of the hope it brings.  But we don't need to feel bad or heartbroken for a longtime. Yes, it can be hard to forgive, or let go of things, but it's simple. And he is always there with open arms. 

There's an artwork picture of Jesus Christ knocking on a door with no handle.  We have to let him in, he can't come in himself without us letting us in.  I've had times where I have felt unworthy or just heartbroken or lost but when I have followed the way that Jesus Christ teaches in the scriptures, I have found peace and my burdens have been lifted.

I love this scripture because it's true. All the scriptures written by prophets of old and today are inspired and revealed by the power of the Holy Spirit. There is no deceiving.

Matthew 11: 

"28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."

I know that there is a Savior for us all.  God loves you with all his heart and it is unchangeable, eternal, and always there. Whether or not you feel it or believe it. I was going through one of my studies and answering the "Why" questions to the gospel according to the pamphlets that I have. Many of them said, "Because Heavenly Father loves his children, he sent his children to earth. Because Heavenly Father loves his children, he sent his son Jesus Christ. Because God loves his children, He established families.." :) 

(Changing topics...) We have been using the ukulele a lot for fun examples in teaching. The "Lord, My Redeemer" song has some hard chords and I can't figure out the strumming pattern, but we've been playing children's song book. Speaking of teaching, I recommend studying "Teaching In the Savior's Way" book. It's great!

And I think it's great that you're visiting people at their 🏡 homes.  This ward in Kasukabe needs help.  As I've gotten older and am learning more and more how to care for other children of God, I can see who is hurting and what is going on in the ward. I want to help them the best I can. The daily miracles, or a word for evidence of the hand of the Lord guiding his children, I see is great! We have been helping strengthen the members little by little, helping them do member work, while still declaring the gospel with the angels round about us.

Thank you for your love and support!! Sister Burke is doing better by the way. :)

This is from today!! By the way Sister Griffin (on the right) is from San Diego.


(This is to her sibling:)

Have you ever eaten these Oreos?

Love,

Your missionary daughter,

Sister Parker

Sent from the white fields of Japan 🍲🌅