Well it all started yesterday, sunday morning before church we decided to visit Zaima, build him up a little and see if by some chance he can come to church. We get there at 9am or so and call him. He answers and then comes to the door. We clearly woke him up. (oops, but worth it) We talked for a bit, and asked him if he worked today. He was kind of sketchy and avoided the question. "So you can come to church?" then he said to us. "Issho ni Hiroshima ni ikou" or "Lets all go to hiroshima"
What?! "Oh church in Hiroshima?" We thought. We talked a little bit clearly not meaning church, but wasn't being clear, he kept nervously turning the music on and then off, the tv on and then off and finally he said he had an appointment there at a place called the RCC.
"Let's all go." He said. We still didn't understand. He was being really sketchy and not really telling us anything. Then finally he says it, "I'm getting married today."
Our jaws drop. Completely out of nowhere. "What you're getting married today? Since when?" He hadn't told us anything, and he was still sketchy, we asked him to who, and how they met, and he wouldn't tell us anything. He just avoided all our questions. We were way worried because it clearly wasn't the kind of things he was especially proud of. We had no idea what it was all about. "I'm sorry we have to go to church and we have appointments, we can't just drop the day of and go, though we really want to."
Then we ask him what time he needs to leave "Oh about 9" He looks at the clock. It's 9:20 "Wow that was fast!" We let him get ready and leave biking away completely blown away. It was all so so weird, everything about the situation was way weird. On our way me and Elder Rees start talking, questioning whether we should actually go or not, then we ask Elder Wood.
"You should go!" he says. Backed up by our district leader we went.
We met Zaima at the train and rode over, I wrote a little in my journal on the way, "Right now I'm on a train. I should be in church (I was the saddest I've been not to get to take the sacrament) , but instead I'm going to the sudden wedding of my recent convert, I found out about 30 minutes ago." We were still so confused what was going on. And still he was sketchy about everything and wouldn't tell us anything.
He looked pretty worried about all of it too, but when we asked he was just stoic saying "Daijobu desu" "I'm fine"
The whole time I just feel like this parent whose child is making some kind of big mistake, but I can't stop him from something he is entirely set on, I can only help him and keep loving him despite all of it. I had not really any idea what to do.
We walk to this cultural center that he said was the place and sit down. He looks at his phone a little while, nervously orders a glass of juice and downs it in 20 seconds. Finally he looks up. "I made a mistake, let's go" I was hoping he meant about the wedding.
But turns out it was just the place, he told us it wasn't actually in Hiroshima, but it was in Miyoshi, in another province north of hiroshima province an hour and a half train ride away. How do you not know the state or province of your own wedding? We had to tell him we couldn't go (not only was it so far and expensive away it was out of not only our area but our whole mission!) So we bid him farewell. He was really grateful that we had come so far.
"I didn't think you would come, thank you so much." he told us.
So we got back to Saijo church just in time for Mission Coordination Meeting. We walk in and all the missionaries and the mission leader turn to us. "What happened!? They all asked? Did he really get married?" We told them the details. The members didn't believe it really was his wedding, they thought we made a mistake that it was his friend getting married, everything about it was so unheard of they couldn't even comprehend it was so unjapanese-like. Maybe they don't have eloping so much here? But after Zaima's home teacher called him that night it was confirmed, it was indeed HIS wedding, but there seemed to be some trouble as he was at least 3 hours late to his own wedding. So we still don't know if he actually got married or not.....or what is going on. But the whole situation is so weird....
We are really worried for him. But God is merciful and he has a plan for Zaima and he will help him out whatever happens. Please pray for him!
I didn't mean to spend so much time on that...but it's written so...
Anyways awesome things and many miracles happened this week!
We got invited by our muslim investigator to go to the Islamic version of a break the fast (this month is ramadan) So thursday night we went down to the local mosque and had indonesian with 50 muslim guys. They were all way cool guys! We got a picture with our main main Imam Abullah the local leader.
And then also this week I really felt the truth of the gift of tongues. Twice we ran in to chinese people this week. Both times once I learned they were chinese I went full into chinese, teaching them simply and inviting them to know more and setting up a new lesson with them all in chinese! It was amazing to feel God really helping me because without his help I know I could never do that! I can truly testify that the gift of tongues is real.
On Friday we were out waiting for a new investigator to come to an appointment he probably wasn't going to show to. But then on the street we see one of our investigators Yamashita san. We greet him and say hi, then ask if he has time to meet.
He says, "sure."
So we read the Book of Mormon with him and talk about it. He really started to understand how it helps us in our life. But then at the end he said, "but I have so much homework and I'm so busy, how can i Have time for this?"
And the spirit starts speaking to me something I never even realized before, I tell him, "When I was in college I felt the same, so busy so many things to do. Sometimes I was tempted to think, "I'm too busy to read the Book of Mormon. Or to do this or that for God." But then even when I didn't I never was able to finish everything. But then when I put him first, read the Book of Mormon first, somehow balance came into my life and I was able to do all of them." He really understood and it hit him hard.
"Ahh balance" He understood and really left with a desire to read the Book of Mormon, it was awesome just feeling the spirit guide me to know and say what he needed.
So as I learned as the spirit spoke through me it is especailly when we are so busy that we should read, we should go to church. It is especially when we are financially stressed that we should pay tithing. Because as we put God first it allows our priorities to be where they are, and our lives balance out. We are not less productive as we balance and put God first, but it puts us right side up and we are in fact more productive as we have the right balance with God first.
Love you all!
Elder Walton
"I didn't think you would come, thank you so much." he told us.
So we got back to Saijo church just in time for Mission Coordination Meeting. We walk in and all the missionaries and the mission leader turn to us. "What happened!? They all asked? Did he really get married?" We told them the details. The members didn't believe it really was his wedding, they thought we made a mistake that it was his friend getting married, everything about it was so unheard of they couldn't even comprehend it was so unjapanese-like. Maybe they don't have eloping so much here? But after Zaima's home teacher called him that night it was confirmed, it was indeed HIS wedding, but there seemed to be some trouble as he was at least 3 hours late to his own wedding. So we still don't know if he actually got married or not.....or what is going on. But the whole situation is so weird....
We are really worried for him. But God is merciful and he has a plan for Zaima and he will help him out whatever happens. Please pray for him!
I didn't mean to spend so much time on that...but it's written so...
Anyways awesome things and many miracles happened this week!
We got invited by our muslim investigator to go to the Islamic version of a break the fast (this month is ramadan) So thursday night we went down to the local mosque and had indonesian with 50 muslim guys. They were all way cool guys! We got a picture with our main main Imam Abullah the local leader.
And then also this week I really felt the truth of the gift of tongues. Twice we ran in to chinese people this week. Both times once I learned they were chinese I went full into chinese, teaching them simply and inviting them to know more and setting up a new lesson with them all in chinese! It was amazing to feel God really helping me because without his help I know I could never do that! I can truly testify that the gift of tongues is real.
On Friday we were out waiting for a new investigator to come to an appointment he probably wasn't going to show to. But then on the street we see one of our investigators Yamashita san. We greet him and say hi, then ask if he has time to meet.
He says, "sure."
So we read the Book of Mormon with him and talk about it. He really started to understand how it helps us in our life. But then at the end he said, "but I have so much homework and I'm so busy, how can i Have time for this?"
And the spirit starts speaking to me something I never even realized before, I tell him, "When I was in college I felt the same, so busy so many things to do. Sometimes I was tempted to think, "I'm too busy to read the Book of Mormon. Or to do this or that for God." But then even when I didn't I never was able to finish everything. But then when I put him first, read the Book of Mormon first, somehow balance came into my life and I was able to do all of them." He really understood and it hit him hard.
"Ahh balance" He understood and really left with a desire to read the Book of Mormon, it was awesome just feeling the spirit guide me to know and say what he needed.
So as I learned as the spirit spoke through me it is especailly when we are so busy that we should read, we should go to church. It is especially when we are financially stressed that we should pay tithing. Because as we put God first it allows our priorities to be where they are, and our lives balance out. We are not less productive as we balance and put God first, but it puts us right side up and we are in fact more productive as we have the right balance with God first.
Love you all!
Elder Walton
Pictures:
-Me and Elder Rees and Imam Abudllah down at the local mosque
-Me with Sonkei, a new chinese investigator we found on the street talking to him in all chinese.
-The plan of salvation in Vietnemese
-Me and Elder Rees and Imam Abudllah down at the local mosque
-Me with Sonkei, a new chinese investigator we found on the street talking to him in all chinese.
-The plan of salvation in Vietnemese
No comments:
Post a Comment