28th Week in Japan; 2nd Area. Snippets of Comments from the letter

Snippet 1:

Do you know how excited I was this morning when the breeze felt cool for the first time without it being rainy?!  "It's beginning to look a lot like Chriiistmas!!!" I sang.

Snippet 2:

I know as you continually apply the atonement of Jesus Christ in your life, you will have joy and be able to overcome the problems around you.  I myself am striving to do so.  It's been hard trying to be a trainer.  But I believe it is for my own good.  President Nagano told me this little allegory that his mission president told him [President Nagano] while he was serving a mission.

He said something like, that everyone is a diamond in the rough, and in order to get rid of the rough parts of the diamond, it needs another diamond.  So two diamonds in the rough rub and scratch and grind against each other, and other diamonds to get [off] the little [rough] pieces left, until it becomes smooth on every area [facet].  Then, the Jeweler sets the diamond on a black velvet background so everyone can see the beauty and shine of the beautiful diamond.

2 Nephi 9 

"18 But, behold, the righteous, the saints of the Holy One of Israel, they who have believed in the Holy One of Israel, they who have endured the crosses of the world, and despised the shame of it, they shall inherit the kingdom of God, which was prepared for them from the foundation of the world, and their joy shall be full forever."

Snippet 3:

At the barbeque we went to recently, I learned some Japanese sign language (Shuwa).  [For those of you who don't know, I already know a little bit of American Sign Language.]  That was really cool!  We found a deaf potential investigator there.  That was last last week, I think.

Snippet 4:

This week has been FULL of miracles. I don't even know where to start, but I'll send you some of this from my letter to the mission president:

"We had a lesson with A____ on Monday.  She originally said she could not join our church but wants to learn.  However, today as we were going through the Restoration [of the fulness of the gospel] she said that she almost believes that God is her Heavenly Father and if she did believe it, then she would get baptized.  She understand the Restoration pamphlet much better when we went through it together.  She gladly accepted the Book of Mormon we gave her!

During lunch with an Eikaiwa [English] student, O____, she said that she was thinking about what Sister Madsen said a few weeks ago: that when she looks at nature she can feel God's love.  O____ felt the same way but she would use different words..  And she wants to learn more about what we believe!  That was amazing!  Last time, she said that because she was Buddhist, that she was not interested in learning about the church.   O____ was actually a referral from a member, and she was surprised that she was interested. 

We had one lesson with M________ for the first time on Tuesday!  It was a douseki lesson on the phone.  We talked about the character of God and who He is.  Having a member there was so nice. M_______ said that when we first stopped her on the street, she thought it was fate that we met because it was her birthday and we talked about God.  She had never thought about it before, but it made her interested.  We are going to meet at the station by her house sometime soon, we hope! Yay!!"

Douseki:  per google translation: Presence; 

verb
	sit with		同席
	be with		同席

i.e. in context -- a member that sits in with the lesson

Snippet 5 - Snippet 6 - Snippet 7:  Pictures

Zone p-day today! It is Sports Day holiday in Japan!!

This picture was today at the best restaurant ever. I love Indian curry so muuuuucchhh.  Yum!!

On my left, is my companion, Sister Madsen. Sister Fossa, on my right is from Italy.  She's so silly and funny!  Then the sister behind me is Sister Nicholas, she is from Utah but she grew up in Japan (half-Japanese).  And then sister Alvarenga is my MTC Senpai/ Sister training leader.  Then in front of me is Sister Hill, Sister Gorner(?), and then Sister Fukuda.

Sister Parker, Sister Madsen, and a Japanese friend

Sent from the white fields of Japan 🍲🌅    Sister Parker

[A white field is a field that is ready to be harvested -- souls for Christ]

D&C 11:3 Behold, the field is white already to harvest; therefore, whoso desireth to reap let him thrust in his sickle with his might, and reap while the day lasts, that he may treasure up for his soul everlasting salvation in the kingdom of God.

John 4:35 ...Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest.

D&C 33:3  For behold, the field is white already to harvest; and it is the eleventh hour, and the last time that I shall call laborers into my vineyard.

Note:  Ever wonder why the Lord mentioned the eleventh hour of harvest?  In the Biblical day, the first hour was 6am-7am.   So, the eleventh hour was 5pm-- very near the end of the workday.  Basically, the Lord is saying, these years are the last ditch effort to bring souls to Him, before the worldwide calamities end wickedness, so that the righteous rule of Christ (1000 years) can begin.

27th Week in Japan; 2nd Area. "Another Rep [repitition] for Jesus!"

Hello everyone!!

It's great to be a missionary in Japan!  We had the wonderful opportunity to attend the wonderful Tokyo temple.

We had exchanges this week with our Sister Training leaders.  I love them so much!!!  I went with Sister Alvarenga again.  She gave me great counsel that I really needed.  We don't have as much success in our area as much as others, despite as hard as we may work.  Sometimes it can be hard and depressing. I've realized that doing missionary work is simpler than I've been making it.  Missionaries are just sharing truths to people and inviting them to act.  When we approach people and introduce ourselves and state our purpose, we then tell them gospel truths. We bear our testimony of what we know as the Spirit directs us and then it is up to the receiver to accept the invitation to learn what we give them.


Sister Alvarenga and I were housing. (By the way, almost all housing has an intercom with a camera.)  There was this one house.. and we pressed the button on the intercom and then their camera turned on. As we were speaking, a lady came out of the house and we happily shared our message with her.  She continually nodded and said, "Yes. Yes. I know that.  Yes, I already understand that," as we spoke of God and how we can return to live with him. She's Buddhist but previously investigated the Protestant religion, so she had some background knowledge of Jesus Christ.  She was very nice.  In the end she did not accept our invitation to take lessons, but we know she came outside because she felt the Spirit.  She knows there is something good about Christianity.  The Lord has been working in her life and is extending His hand in mercy to her.

We have three new investigators!  Two are high schoolers from our English textbook class/ mission school program.  After sharing a small spiritual lesson, we asked if they wanted to learn about Jesus Christ and they both said they have a little interest.  Little interest is a big thing!!  Sister Madsen, my wonderful bean-chan companion, and I were ecstatic.  Although Sister Madsen has been in Japan for only about 2 months, she is such a fantastic missionary.  She's very good at leading!  Yesterday, we also met with a student from English Conversation.  A couple weeks ago we invited her to learn more about the Church and she said no.  However, this week she said she had been thinking about what Sister Madsen said, "When I look at nature, I feel God's love."  She's Buddhist, but she said she feels the same way, but would use a different description.  So, we are going to start teaching her on Skype weekly.  As well as help her with her English.   Yeah!! :D

Religions all have truth.  They all have commonalities and similar principles with each other.  I believe when we share the gospel of Jesus Christ with people, it's not all brand new.  Everyone has felt the Spirit before.  We are just helping them make connections and learning to recognize that they already know God.
In Galatians 5, it says:
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering,
gentleness, goodness, faith,
23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

Small story: we were riding our bikes and it was raining and we were trying to get home to finish study, but there was this one girl with a yellow umbrella we needed to stop.  Sometimes it feels like the Spirit is yelling with a small voice, "Stop her!"  We stopped her and introduced ourselves as the missionaries and both bore a simple
testimony of Jesus Christ.  She did not want to learn more.  When we got home, Sister Madsen said, "Sister Parker, I'm glad you stopped that girl.  It felt like the spirit was screaming at me that we needed to stop her." I don't know why we needed to stop and talk to her, but Heavenly Father knows.   It could be because one day she may meet the missionaries again and she needed to have previously met us before. And/or we discovered a college that is by our house.  Suddenly lots of college students got out of school and maybe we wouldn't have discovered it biking earlier past it.  College = better chance of finding young investigators. #StrengthenTheRisingGeneration

Peace to all!!

Love,
Sister Parker

  

  

25th and 26th Weeks in Japan; 2nd Area. Knowing Christ's attributes is part of conversion.

September 18, 2016

Yesterday we did splits with members and I had the wonderful opportunity to be with M_________ Shimai (a good member friend--I've mentioned her before).  Despite the heavy rain, we housed for two hours!  She always shares bit of her conversion story.
It started when she was very young.  She said when she was about 10 years old, she saw missionaries (of another Christian church) walking around the neighborhood.  She would think to herself "Come on, come on, come on!!"  She really wanted to learn about Jesus Christ.  When she was even younger, she thought Christmas was about the death of Jesus Christ and wondered by people were celebrating it! Because she wanted to celebrate the holiday, and although her family was poor, she would go outside to their little tree in the backyard and decorate it with what she had.

A little about Japan:
Today has perfect weather! The wind is cool and there may be rain but I love that it isn't hot anymore!!  I think it's done.  A lot has happened this week, we got 7 referrals!! :)   We are really seeing the fruits of our labors.  Even though we don't really have any investigators, we are going to find one today.  We are going to the bike store to fix my bike pedals, maybe shopping, and then we are proselyting in Tomobe!  Yay!!  Tomobe by train is about half an hour away, I think.  We are visiting a less active and a potential investigator referral with a member (Sister S_______, she's from Australia and served her mission in Sendai for the majority).  Also, we teach lessons 1-5 before someone gets baptized.

Here are some pictures of Sister Madsen and I.

  

  

  

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September 26, 2016

This week has been hard, but I love Lord's work. 

Alma 31: 38  "And the Lord provided for them that they should hunger not, neither should they thirst; yea, 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."

We got two new investigators!!  One is really busy and we had to cancel our last appointment, but our other investigator we are meeting tomorrow.  The elders have been helping us a lot and giving us advice with dendou [missionary work].

Coming unto Christ is so important.  Learning about His attributes is part of that process.  It is important to know the nature of the Being that we should love and trust.   If you can listen to the talk given by Elder Bednar, titled "Character of Christ" that would be great!  It was instrumental in part of my conversion to Christ.

This is an excerpt from the visit of Jesus Christ to the Nephites on the American continent, after his resurrection.   

[His visit to them was part of the promise and statement that he made to the Jews in Jerusalem, wherein he said that he would visit people away from the Jews:     John 10: 16 And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring,    and  they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.]

3 Nephi 9: 13-15

13 O all ye that are spared because ye were more righteous than they, will ye not now return unto me, and repent of your sins, and be converted, that I may heal you?

14 Yea, verily I say unto you, if ye will come unto me ye shall have eternal life. Behold, mine arm of mercy is extended towards you, and whosoever will come, him will I receive; and blessed are those who come unto me.

15 Behold, I am Jesus Christ the Son of God. I created the heavens and the earth, and all things that in them are. I was with the Father from the beginning. I am in the Father, and the Father in me; and in me hath the Father glorified his name.

Sorry this letter will be short this week because we have to spend extra time cleaning our apartment today.

Until next time, Parker Shimai

Sent from the white fields of Japan 🍲🌅