64th Week in Japan. 4th Area. A former investigator came back; Zone p-day

[First of all, Happy Father's Day to those around the world who celebrated it this past weekend!]


6/19/2017

This week was awesome!  I've been thinking a lot about scriptures and stuff and have felt a lot of the Lord's love for his people, and it makes me feel happy.  I wake up lately, daily excited to go and serve God's children. The gospel of Jesus Christ is a joy and a light that cannot be dimmed.  It's a light that grows brighter and brighter and I will let it grow in me brighter until the perfect day. :)

Today, for p-day, we went on a photo scavenger hunt with the Zone-missionaries at Ōmiya koen.  It was so fun!!  We took pictures of things we were looking for.  In the last picture, we could not find the Sword of Laban, so we drew it.  I don't think there was a winner but it was really fun!  I love nature!!  Parks in Japan by the way are beauuuuuutiful. There are so many trees, it's like camping, except the pathways are built and there are some jinja or shrines.  

We also were dropped temporarily by three of our investigators so we are going to have more time for finding this week! We actually went to the church because we felt we needed to one morning and W_______-San, one of our long-time investigators walked in, and said she wants to be baptized, so we prepared for that.  She said she wanted to talk to the bishop.  She did--they both discussed things and she is going to wait until she gets some personal things taken care of.  But then she said she didn't want to be a burden to us when we do dendou--missionary work. However, I didn't think she would be. 

This week we had interviews with President Nagano,  and I went to church in Koshigaya.  The stake president (who is American)'s wife and children [from Provo, Utah] came to Japan for the summer. She gave us American food in our fruits basket. :)  

Tomorrow we will have full day Exchanges with the Kasukabe sisters.  Please pray for us to find those who will receive us.  If it be the Lord's will, I really want to find someone to teach.

Love,

Sister Kirsten Parker

パーカー姉妹

東京伝道部

p.s.  pictures below

For dad:  This egg timer has never let me down

Zone p-day pictures at 大宮公園 Ōmiya Kōen [Omiya Park]

Huuuge koi fish!! And a Shout-out to Sister Burke, my MTC companion. You're awesome, 👏 hard-working missionary!!

Jinja [shrine]

We could not find the Sword of Laban, so we drew it.

With dog Koko

The wakajo, short for "young women," made some waffle bowls and shared with us!

63rd Week in Japan; 4th Area. Loving the gospel seed planting.

6/12/2017


In Tokyo this past week (p-day included a Temple trip and a brief stop at the Tower)...

With Sister Haroldsen

The Tokyo Tower

Up in the observation area... It's a long way down!

The Mystery Ball.  Nobody knows exactly how it ended up in the antenna tower.

Tokyo Skyline

This week was awesome!!  I love missionary work!!  I love working with the Lord. 

I had this one experience, where it had been a few days, and I felt that I was being more obedient, living at a higher spiritual walk, and was talking to many people hoping that they would receive Jesus Christ's message, it was the end of the day, I think Friday and we were switching trains and I said a prayer as we were going up escalators that we could talk to someone on the train and have faith and find someone who would be interested in learning. When I ended my prayer, I felt that we should get on the car in front of us and through a specific door and sit down next to this lady reading a book.  I tried talking to her and introducing and asking about her book and her job and she didn't seem too interested, but I felt prompted to keep going, and once we talked about ourselves and that we are from America, she opened up more and she thought it was good that we were church volunteers. We couldn't talk long though because we had to get off the train, but we gave her a chirashi [flyer] and offered to teach her English.  After that I felt edified.  I think we both were, and even though she was not a new investigator, we talked to someone.   We were able to help someone at least a little bit, for the next time she meets missionaries.

Sister Kirsten Parker

パーカー姉妹

東京伝道部

62nd Week in Japan; 4th area. Faith and revelation yielded the solution.

Week ending June 5, 2017

We went to the temple today; it was really good!  It was my last temple p-day and I could understand a lot more of it in Japanese.  The study of the gospel in Japanese and English and then comparing the two passages, helps me understand meanings more.

Organic Hawaiian food, at a place by the temple.

Sister Haroldsen, with our investigator, H_____

There's this part of a talk I would like to share with you.  It's by Elder Russell M. Nelson and it's called "Sweet Hour of Prayer."  It really strengthened my faith when I read it and tried applying it. The Lord answers our prayers at the time we need it the most and as long as we press forward with faith In the Lord and follow him, he promises to never leave us and will provide for us.

"Many of us have had experiences with the sweet power of prayer.  One of mine was shared with a stake patriarch from southern Utah.  I first met him in my medical office more than 40 years ago, during the early pioneering days of surgery of the heart.  This saintly soul suffered much because of a failing heart.  He pleaded for help, thinking that his condition resulted from a damaged but repairable valve in his heart.  Extensive evaluation revealed that he had two faulty valves. While one could be helped surgically, the other could not.  Thus, an operation was not advised.  He received this news with deep disappointment.  Subsequent visits ended with the same advice. Finally, in desperation, he spoke to me with considerable emotion: “Dr. Nelson, I have prayed for help and have been directed to you. The Lord will not reveal to me how to repair that second valve, but He can reveal it to you.  Your mind is so prepared. If you will operate upon me, the Lord will make it known to you what to do. Please perform the operation that I need, and pray for the help that you need.”  

His great faith had a profound effect upon me. How could I turn him away again? Following a fervent prayer together, I agreed to try.  In preparing for that fateful day, I prayed over and over again, but still did not know what to do for his leaking tricuspid valve.  Even as the operation commenced, my assistant asked, “What are you going to do for that?”  I said, “I do not know.”  We began the operation. After relieving the obstruction of the first valve, we exposed the second valve.  We found it to be intact but so badly dilated that it could no longer function as it should. While examining this valve, a message was distinctly impressed upon my mind:
Reduce the circumference of the ring.  I announced that message to my assistant. “The valve tissue will be sufficient if we can effectively reduce the ring toward its normal size.”
But how? We could not apply a belt as one would use to tighten the waist of oversized trousers. We could not squeeze with a strap as one would cinch a saddle on a horse. Then a picture came vividly to my mind, showing how stitches could be placed--to make a pleat here and a tuck there--to accomplish the desired objective.  I still remember that mental image--complete with dotted lines where sutures should be placed.  The repair was completed as diagrammed in my mind. We tested the valve and found the leak to be reduced remarkably.  My assistant said, “It’s a miracle.” I responded, “It’s an answer to prayer.” The patient’s recovery was rapid and his relief gratifying.  Not only was he helped in a marvelous way, but surgical help for other people with similar problems had become a possibility.  I take no credit.  Praise goes to this faithful patriarch and to God, who answered our prayers.  This faithful man lived for many more years and has since gone to his eternal glory."

Sister Kirsten Parker

パーカー姉妹  (Sister Parker)
東京伝道部  (Tokyo Mission)