tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-43833790477029037462024-02-21T15:39:48.105-08:00Elder Walton in JapanNick Waltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07029557442618525804noreply@blogger.comBlogger94125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4383379047702903746.post-44922560992624052422015-07-16T17:55:00.000-07:002015-07-16T17:55:38.534-07:00The End<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">Well, this is it. There and back again, a missionary tale by Elder Walton.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">I have been filled with so many emotions the past few days. People ask</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">if I'm excited to go home, but I can't really describe the different</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">emotions that are swirling around in my heart. The best I can say is</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">mixed feelings. This is my journal entry from 3 days ago.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">"It is starting to hit me hard how sad it is that I am leaving Japan.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">Last night as I began to pray, the emotion overwhelmed me and I curled</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">up and just silently cried for probably 10, 15 min at the love I felt</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">for the people of Japan and how sad I am that I am leaving. These</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">people here have become so dear to my heart. They have taught me so</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">much and so many times helped me feel so much love. Despite being a</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">complete stranger so many of them have shown so much love to me, been</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">willing to invite me into their home or their doorstep, or given me</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">fruit or praise or kindness. These people love peace and goodness and</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">they are determined to help those around them, they are so incredibly</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">kind and I love them so much with all my heart."</span><br />
<br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">I am so happy to see my beloved family, but so incredibly sad to leave</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">his place of my heart. It has become so incredibly precious to me.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">Truly to me it has become holy ground.</span><br />
<br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">I have learned so much here, I have learned that Heavenly Father truly</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">lives and loves people no matter what country they live in, what</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">language they speak, or what age they are. They are his children and</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">each one of them has so much value to Him.</span><br />
<br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">I have learned that Christ truly is the Savior of each of those</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">children. He lives. And I have watched time and time again that as</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">people turn to Him, like the Nephites of old they are healed, every</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">last one.</span><br />
<br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">And I know that the Book of Mormon is true. It is an amazingly</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">powerful testimony of Christ. I testify that Joseph smith was a true</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">prophet and that this is the restored church of God, and it will fill</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">the whole earth.</span><br />
<br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">I have so much left in my life to learn, and I still have so many </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">weaknesses and inadequacies within me. But I am more grateful than I</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">can ever find words to express for these two years that I could come to</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;"> know these </span><span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">precious truths and change so much more to be like and </span></div>
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closer to my Savior.<br />
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<span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">Love you all,</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">I'm excited to see you soon.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">A Missionary Forever</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">Elder Walton</span></div>
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<img alt="Displaying image1.JPG" src="https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?ui=2&ik=5f26214536&view=fimg&th=14e1f82fdcfab0cd&attid=0.1&disp=inline&realattid=8087c8cedbdd0799_0.1&safe=1&attbid=ANGjdJ_2W9tnL3j-ffV5YoJr7M3CvbVyPZYNxMY3Z672GFi6uFFHjAVtMI0_03Poeex588FH5Imn9OQh_L9hAA53jBO2xRJKmLbI3wmV3vgRImCjfHCpyAzQfOOOAVU&ats=1435173632763&rm=14e1f82fdcfab0cd&zw&sz=w1896-h955" /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08470569879583194637noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4383379047702903746.post-15164374265413347352015-06-15T07:54:00.004-07:002015-06-15T07:54:35.236-07:00One more year? <span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">Well I don't have a lot of time left in the mission, but I'm </span><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">definitely not going to slow down and let my faith cool. I'm going to </span><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">end burning like a bonfire.</span><br />
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<br style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">Literally. This next week in Okinawa along with super high humidity,</span><br style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">the low is 80 degrees Fahrenheit, THE LOW. Ha!</span><br style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><br style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">But that's okay! I wouldn't have it any other way than giving my all</span><br style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">despite fierce winds or hot sun and humidity and I'm going to love it!</span><br style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><br style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">Yesterday was a wonderful day of feeling the true joy of missionary</span><br style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">work and being an instrument in the Lords hands.</span><br style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><br style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">It started out with some rough setbacks though, this next week Mitsuru</span><br style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">was supposed to be baptized, so he had his interview on Saturday. He</span><br style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">was all ready, but then at the end of the interview he told the</span><br style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">interviewer that he wants to push it back and that he had some new</span><br style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">worries. So we were a little disappointed considering a week earlier</span><br style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">he said he wanted to have the blessings of baptism as soon as</span><br style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">possible. But we decided that an interview with the bishop would help</span><br style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">smooth out some of his concerns. So we set that all up for after</span><br style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">sacrament meeting and Mitsuru agreed.</span><br style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><br style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">But unfortunately right after sacrament meeting, Mitsuru again said he</span><br style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">had to go right after sacrament meeting and couldn't do the interview</span><br style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">(we had just taught him that week about coming to all 3 hours) and so</span><br style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">we had to let him leave right after the meeting.</span><br style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><br style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">The next few hours I was honestly pretty frustrated. It was like all</span><br style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">these things we were trying to teach and help him were just going in</span><br style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">one ear and out the other. I was down and disappointed, so I decided</span><br style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">to take a few moments after church and just pray and read some Book of</span><br style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">Mormon. While I did I felt Heavenly Father explaining lovingly to me</span><br style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">again what he had taught me before, that this work wasn't mine, that</span><br style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">it was his and that he would do it, so I humbled myself and decided to</span><br style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">put my trust in him.</span><br style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><br style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">Then that night we went out finding, and I felt this super fire to</span><br style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">talk to everyone and testify of the gospel to all I could find! And</span><br style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">Heavenly Father blessed us so much! We found multiple new people just</span><br style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">on the way to our appointment, it was the best day in weeks!</span><br style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><br style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">The best was the final door we knocked on. It was an almost log cabin</span><br style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">kind of house with a nice pine smell. We knocked and out came a 38</span><br style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">year old dad. He was kind and listened to us for a bit, then out came</span><br style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">3 daughters from about 13 to 5 years old and they were just so cute</span><br style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">and so fun and happy, we stooped down to their level and showed them</span><br style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">pictures of our family and they were so happy. They loved them!</span><br style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><br style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">We explained that we wanted to do an FHE with them with a game a treat</span><br style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">and a message and the kids got really excited! "How about next week?"</span><br style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">We asked.</span><br style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><br style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">"I'm free!" Exclaimed one of the kids, and he father said if they had</span><br style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">time he would welcome us so we took down his phone number and will</span><br style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">hopefully go back at the end of June. Me and my companion left that</span><br style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">house walking on clouds. It was the nicest little family I had ever</span><br style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">talked to and those girls had just so much love and pure goodness. It</span><br style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">was such a sweet experience.</span><br style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><br style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">While walking a way I felt a really strong desire to stay in this</span><br style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">beautiful country with these wonderful people and families and to keep</span><br style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">sharing the gospel with them. At that moment I would have chosen to</span><br style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">stay a whole another year if I had the option.</span><br style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><br style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">It was such a sweet experience. Later my companion told me that he had</span><br style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">a feeling from spirit that the Lord saw our hard work despite our</span><br style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">disappointments earlier and that all this was a blessing from God for</span><br style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">our hard work.</span><br style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><br style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">My mission may be winding down, but up so grateful for this wonderful</span><br style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">two years. I will never be able to thank him for such an amazing</span><br style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">blessing.</span><br style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><br style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">Love you all,</span><br style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><br style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">Elder Walton</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08470569879583194637noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4383379047702903746.post-15228767282816596152015-06-12T13:57:00.001-07:002015-06-12T13:57:22.017-07:00By Small and Simple Means<div class="gmail_quote" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13.6960000991821px;">
Dear Loved Ones,</div>
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<br />What I learned this week can be summed up in this simple sentence:<br /><br />Even if we feel like dirt, God can use us to make a beautiful flower<br />in the life of someone else.<br /><br />That's not to say that this week was especially bad or anything, I<br />mean it was pretty normal with normal ups and downs, but I just saw<br />this week multiple times God using me to do amazing things even when I<br />didn't feel the best. This is probably illustrated best by a new<br />investigator we started teaching named Iha San.<br /><br />On Friday we were out proselyting and it just wasn't really my day. I<br />was just kind of stressed about the normal worries of missionary work,<br />and on top of that while finding we were facing a lot of rejection and<br />people just not really wanting to listen to us. It was starting to get<br />to me a bit.<br /><br />Anyways we finished the last a house on the street and again the man<br />rejected us and don't really want to listen. Then we walk down to the<br />street and we only had 15 min left to find so I looked around trying<br />to decide what we could use that small amount of time for.<br /><br />Then I look up and see this older man on a staircase just standing<br />there and I felt like maybe we should talk to him. So we go up and<br />introduce ourselves and start talking about God. Turns out he does<br />believe in God, though he doesn't know who He is. We invite him to<br />learn who God is and he agrees to meet with us on Sunday at the church<br />to learn more, but unfortunately he had no phone that we could call<br />and confirm with.<br /><br />Well it came to Sunday and we were out finding before the appointment<br />with him, and again I just wasn't feeling so great. Though this time<br />it may have been my own fault. On fast Sunday's we always get a fruit<br />basket full of deliciousness from our loving members so at dinner time<br />when we broke our fast we feasted on those. Unfortunately I think I<br />was a little too hasty and I ended up feeling not so good at what I<br />ate leaving me again feeling kind of crummy while housing.<br /><br />I wasn't sure whether or not he would actually show up, since we<br />didn't have a number to confirm with but then at 7pm when we had made<br />the appointment we show up at the church and there he is just sitting<br />outside waiting for us.<br /><br />So we invite him inside and start teaching him. Turns out he is 72<br />years old man who had been in the hospital a year and half and only<br />got released last year. We asked what kind of person he thought God<br />was and he answered, "I don't really know, will you please teach me?"<br />with a genuine humble desire to learn more. His humility and desire to<br />be taught surprised me coming from an older Japanese man, as most of<br />them I've met on my mission just love to talk, but not really be<br />taught.<br /><br />We taught him about gods love and the amazing gift of Gods son, and we<br />could tell he was really feeling the spirit. We testified and taught<br />of Christ and his love and perfect example and invited him to follow<br />Christ and be baptized. At first he simply said, "Really? Would I be<br />able to?" But after assurance from us that we would help him prepare<br />he gladly accepted and said he would pray, read, come to church and<br />meet with us twice a week to prepare to be baptized on the 18 of July.<br />After the lesson he kept repeating in his head when we were going to<br />meet again so he wouldn't forget, " Tuesday and Thursday 6pm, Tuesday<br />and Thursday 6p." He was just so excited to come to know and grow<br />closer to God it amazed me!<br /><br />We left that lesson and me and my companion just looked at each other<br />so surprised at how prepared and ready he seemed and how much he<br />really wanted it. And It really amazed and humbled me that though I<br />had been feeling crummy both when we found him and when we taught him,<br />despite all that, God had still used the weak and simple me to do a<br />great work and help this child of his that God loves so much.<br /><br />That perhaps is one of the biggest miracles of my whole mission, that<br />God could take something like me, and something like Iha San, and make<br />us so much more than we ever would have been without him.<br /><br />This life has challenges and trials, ups and downs, and to be honest<br />sometimes you just plain feel crummy and feel like dirt. But through<br />these I am coming to see gods beautiful amazing plan and how He uses<br />us as his instruments even when we ourselves feel down.<br /><br />Even if we feel like dirt, God can use us to make a beautiful flower<br />in the life of someone else.<br /><br />I'm so grateful for the atonement of Jesus Christ that makes that<br />possible. And I love Him so much!<br /><br /><br />Love,<br />Elder Walton<br />Okinawa, Japan</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08470569879583194637noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4383379047702903746.post-3365414644323883032015-06-03T15:09:00.004-07:002015-06-03T15:09:38.537-07:00The Family<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">Wow already June?! Crazy!</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">Also it's crazy hot. Especially here in room where we are emailing,</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">but I guess that's what happens when you're a missionary and "The</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">Spirit of God like a fire is burning." Ha!</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">This week there was night in particular that was such a wonderful one</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">to me, this is the journal entry of that day (with just a few more</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">details added later)</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">"Today we went to a Barbeque at the church in Naha with all the</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">priesthood holders. It was so delicious! I loved simply looking around</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">for the people who looked lonely and showing them love and kindness.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">Like this old grandpa member sitting there all by himself, I went over</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">there and listened to his stories and laughed and enjoyed time with</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">him. I love that simple loving and ministering to people, it really is</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">the fruit of life.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">Then later we went with brother Yoshimura to teach a family named</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">Komesu we found recently. We got there earlier so we had about 10 min</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">just sitting there on the 7th floor of their apartment building</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">overlooking the city and I asked him about his mission. He told me of</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">an elder in his mission who until the last minute went out handing out</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">book of Mormons and testifying to people, and how he wanted also to be</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">that kind of missionary so at the very end of his mission, instead of</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">having all sorts of dinners where people would praise him, he just</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">wanted to go out housing and find and help people.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">It filled me with a desire to do the same. I want to end my mission</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">not worrying about what others around me think of me, but I want to</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">end thinking what Heavenly Father would think and serving as he would</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">have me serve. It was a precious moment with such a great member.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">Then we taught the Komesu family and it was just such a sweet</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">experience. The mom had already had an experience with the Book of</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">Mormon that helped her with problems at work. Then when we taught</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">about Christ and his love we showed her a bunch of pictures of Christ</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">loving and ministering to others around him, while we did that she</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">started to tear up because she felt such a strong desire to be a</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">better person and love others more.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">The father told us how right before we had housed into him he had been</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">out on his porch step pondering about the world and about life and</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">that his heart had been opened, and the 16 year old daughter was just</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">so sweet and kind as she shared her own feelings about how Christ</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">loves and helps us in our lives.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">I'm so grateful to be able to teach this family, they are such a</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">blessing. They are such a precious family! I hope so much that they</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">can get baptized and become that amazing eternal family I know they</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">can."</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">It was truly a precious experience to see just how much this gospel</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">really does bless and help people's lives and families lives as they</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">accept it into their lives. I don't think everything will simply go</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">smoothly and easily for them to conversion, just as it doesn't for</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">anyone. Even that man last week, despite that amazing miracle, we</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">haven't able to meet him yet. But just because things don't work out</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">in a storybook perfect ending doesn't make the miracles along the way</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">any less miraculous or amazing, or the experiences any less sweet.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">I'm so grateful to Heavenly Father to each and every part of it. =)</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">Love,</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">Elder Walton</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">Picture: the sister in he middle is sister Joyce Curtis, she is my</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">second cousin and currently attends church in the same building here</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">in Okinawa as me (though a different ward)</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">Picture: me and one of our high school investigators, he is like my</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">little brother ha</span><br />
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<img alt="Displaying image1.JPG" src="https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?ui=2&ik=5f26214536&view=fimg&th=14dad0c81c31581d&attid=0.1&disp=inline&realattid=90693b45144d9fa3_0.1&safe=1&attbid=ANGjdJ_5QmmqylLlDWt0fys3EMiSgBljl2p-18Y0qiCaJyMJd9VDOPzcw8Z9zwApK8lQ42muC2r7jFXJgb9WQzSQnFEvQOlWgJ5FU4jXbJ_VUJdCCEX1sxFv822jfjA&ats=1433367963257&rm=14dad0c81c31581d&zw&sz=w1884-h894" /><br />
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<img alt="Displaying image2.JPG" src="https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?ui=2&ik=5f26214536&view=fimg&th=14dad0c81c31581d&attid=0.2&disp=inline&realattid=90693b45144d9fa3_0.3&safe=1&attbid=ANGjdJ8OXPgspyFc3w3ZMLCuEuIXiYbKPfk0ndIOCNfDmGnKC0HiGrQMV_c_gYqDs1UcVY1X2q5eCdPObsUuFloqzvo_a_20gTXu8rxJ73KE5UjGiKJoH2PYQTu6EgU&ats=1433367963257&rm=14dad0c81c31581d&zw&sz=w1884-h894" />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08470569879583194637noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4383379047702903746.post-72934743798177516702015-06-03T15:08:00.003-07:002015-06-03T15:08:53.861-07:00<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">Dear Beloved Family and Friends,</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">This week has been full of so many different things. We got transfer</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">calls for my final 5 weeks. This last month I get to train a new</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">missionary! I feel so privilege because that is exactly what I really</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">wanted to do, to help and love and train like a father. My new</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">companion is elder Lotti from Arizona and he is a wonderful</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">missionary!</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">This week was a little difficult in several ways, we had several</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">investigator appointments fall through due to the rain, and several</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">investigators who said they would come to church didn't, so the usual</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">missionary disappointments. For some reason I also struggled with the</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">change of being a trainer and having a companion so different from my</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">last.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">It came to the point where I started feeling frustrated at the trials</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">and challenges I was facing. Then I remembered one of my favorite</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">scriptures before the mission 1 Peter 1:7</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">"7 That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ"</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">A trial being more precious than gold? How can that be?</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;"> And yet it's true! These trials we have might be difficult, but if</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">used correctly they can be powerful opportunities for grow and drawing</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">closer to savior that will truly become more precious than gold. They</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">might be hard, but trials are truly precious gems in the treasure box</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">of our life.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">Within the trials of being a missionary though, there are miracles</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">that blow any trial out of the water and his week I had one of the</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">most amazing miracles of my entire mission.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">A few weeks ago I was out finding on splits in another area and we</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">talked to normal looking older Okinawan man, we asked what he thought</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">the purpose of life was and he amazed us by giving an answer I had</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">never heard in my whole mission,</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">"To find spiritual truth" he said.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">I was astounded! I had never heard anyone say that before in two</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">years! So obviously we gave him a Book of Mormon and testified of the</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">spiritual truth inside its pages, left it with him and exchanged</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">numbers. Over the next 2 weeks he texted us and told us what he was</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">learning. He clearly loved the book and in two weeks had finished 2/3</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">of it saying "now I see, the Book of Mormon has the fullness of the</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">gospel of Jesus Christ! Amazing!" Yet still we hadn't been able to</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">meet again in person or teach him anything.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">Then on Friday in personal study I was reviewing my notes from when</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">Elder Nelson and his wife spoke to our mission. Sister Nelson told us</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">to "pray to find the descendants of those who are ready to receive the</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">ordinances on the other side of the veil. Pray to find them so their</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">ancestors can receive the gospel." So I took a moment right then and</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">offered a prayer for that.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">Then two hours later I got a text from that man we met two weeks</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">earlier that said,</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">"Hello, I would like to participate in ordinances for ancestor files</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">at the temple, but is that possible?"</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">I was speechless. We had not taught him anything, we had said nothing</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">of anything beyond the Book of Mormon, and here only 2 hours after I</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">offered that prayer to find the descendants of those who are prepared,</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">a man texts me saying he wants to receive ordinances for his</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">ancestors. I have never seen a prayer like that answered so</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">immediately and so dramatically. I was amazed and truly humbled at how</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">Heavenly Father really does do his work.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">I truly know that this is not our work, it is His work and it</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">stretches across aeons and across generations and the veil, and that</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">there are truly people waiting and ready to hear he gospel, they are</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">eager and ready for us and for others we may help to receive the</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">gospel and to free them from the prison they are bound.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">Isn't it truly amazing?!</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">Photos</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">-We went to an art museum that had a making of Disney exhibit, look at</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">my new companion! I think he might scare the Japanese though...</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">-My son! Isn't he cute!</span><br />
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<img alt="Displaying image1.JPG" src="https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?ui=2&ik=5f26214536&view=fimg&th=14d897432663a4d0&attid=0.2&disp=inline&realattid=48b1f7394c430d8d_0.3&safe=1&attbid=ANGjdJ-b6U4mwbsmeRsgH9_0IWSdcOdAoaVuMV9WxHDFl1R7DJBkJz7dJn7R9gyY6bP1MJEXCuoe9mCrq99jzQdmtun5EQd8B41plurM6m37Z7sccuUxF_nyXcpiwbM&ats=1433367963764&rm=14d897432663a4d0&zw&sz=w1884-h894" /><br />
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<img alt="Displaying image2.JPG" src="https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?ui=2&ik=5f26214536&view=fimg&th=14d897432663a4d0&attid=0.1&disp=inline&realattid=48b1f7394c430d8d_0.1&safe=1&attbid=ANGjdJ9V_8jjtf5QXLfqfXGZyZQOIhR5K0MKE6p54We6zkDYlHLcnCJNTYfHYupYykMJmS0zzL3Ny47QL0aNVNAmfKfMYHntf1IS1Kxrb0LbT9-ItiUlNwB9eGBlgr4&ats=1433367963764&rm=14d897432663a4d0&zw&sz=w1884-h894" />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08470569879583194637noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4383379047702903746.post-1071470965354045682015-05-22T20:19:00.000-07:002015-05-22T20:19:07.936-07:00The Last Transfer<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">Dear beloved family and friends,</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">This week had many wonderful miracles as well as stretching and</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">growing trials. Both of which I am so incredibly grateful for!</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">The other morning I felt this emotional wound in my heart I couldn't</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">let go because of actions of others who I had been hurt by, I felt</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">both that emotional pain as well as resentment and difficulty to</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">forgive. But that morning in personal study I imagined I was in the</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">temple and just talked with my loving Heavenly Father. I poured out my</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">soul to him and sought his guidance and love to heal both the pain and</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">also help me to forgive. I felt the spirit speaking the healing word</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">of God to me and I really felt the power of the atonement healing the</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">wound in my heart and helping me let go and forgive. I finished that</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">prayer feeling so much peace and joy and so grateful for the power of</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">the atonement.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">As always the work isn't easy, it takes a lot of housing and working</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">and talking and getting rejected to find those who are ready and who</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">will listen, but he lord has blessed us so much! This week we were</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">able to teach a family named the Komesus. We met them housing and the</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">father, a big almost Polynesian looking Okinawan told us that he had</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">met a missionary twenty years ago and became friends, so he let us</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">come back and share our message to his wife and 16 year old daughter</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">as well. We gave him a plan of salvation pamphlet to read before we</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">met.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">A day before the appointment he called us and asked we could meet that</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">night, so we adjusted our plans and went. We went and felt so much</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">warm love and acceptance from that family! And especially the daughter</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">was really interested and had read the whole pamphlet before we even</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">met her! At first they said they just wanted to listen because they</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">thought it was amazing how we were volunteers and giving so much. But</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">as we helped them see how the gospel changes hearts and strengthens</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">families they opened up and allowed us to come back again next week. I</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">am so excited!</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">Today is the transfer call day for my last transfer. What makes it</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">worse is that my last transfer is only 5 weeks. I will be happy to see</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">my loved ones again, but I will miss Japan and being a missionary so</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">much! I'm determined though that my mission will not end. I may return</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">home, but my mission and my discipleship in following Christ will</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">continue forever! And I'm so excited to live my life as a light on a</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">hill for those around me and love them as He would.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">Me and my companion were talking about the song "come unto Christ" the</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">other day and I realized how amazing it truly is to be a</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">representative and servant of Christ. In the song the lyrics encourage</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">us to come into Christ and be healed by him, but often to come into</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">Christ we have to go towards his servants who he has called. And for</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">the non members and investigators here, I am that servant, to come</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">unto Christ, they need to come unto me and then I bring them to Him.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">That is simultaneously so amazing and also such a huge responsibility</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">I want to give my all to live up to especially these last several</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">weeks. I love it so much!</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">Love Elder Walton</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">Okinawa Japan</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">Sent from my iPad</span><br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08470569879583194637noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4383379047702903746.post-21298702220467208982015-05-11T13:27:00.000-07:002015-05-11T13:27:13.683-07:00The Fight For the Family<br />
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<span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">I was studying in the Book of Mormon about the people of king Noah and</span><br style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">Limhi and found a powerful example of how the family is being attacked</span><br style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">and also how it needs to be defended today. In the Mosiah 18 and 19 I</span><br style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">read how Gideon goes to fight king Noah and dethrone him, and right as</span><br style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">he is about to slay him they see the army of the lamanites and he</span><br style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">stops to save their people. Noah commands the people to flee, but as</span><br style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">they flee they are too slow, so Noah commands the men to leave their</span><br style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">families and run for themselves to save their own lives.</span><br style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><br style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">What an example of selfishness he was to leave those he was meant to</span><br style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">be a protector of simply out of his own selfishness. That philosophy</span><br style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">self interest is hitting the world hard today. Maybe they don't leave</span><br style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">them to run from a physical danger, but how often do people neglect</span><br style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">their families, or refuse to start building a family out of</span><br style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">selfishness, for careers, for personal joy or some other reason?</span><br style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><br style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">But then in the next few verses we find a striking contrast example to</span><br style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">Noah and his selfishness. Here the Lamanite armies are advancing on</span><br style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">the people. And the young women of the group truly rise to bravery and</span><br style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">courage to defend their families.</span><br style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><br style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">"their fair daughters [did] stand forth and plead with the Lamanites</span><br style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">that they would not slay them." -Mosiah 19:13</span><br style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><br style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">I bet these young women were young and agile, they probably could have</span><br style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">outrun their mothers and fathers and younger siblings. Yet despite</span><br style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">that, they decided not to be selfish, but to stand firm for those they</span><br style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">loved and for their beloved families, even risking death or worse.</span><br style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">These righteous young women were examples of how we need to be today.</span><br style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">We need to be willing to fight for the value of family. Even if we</span><br style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">have to give up our fears, our own interests. We need to follow their</span><br style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">example.</span><br style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><br style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">To me these young women are amazing parallel examples of bravery to</span><br style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">the 2000 stripling warriors, young men who were similarly fearless in</span><br style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">fighting for their families and fighting for the right. It shows just</span><br style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">how powerful youth can be when they fearlessly stand together and</span><br style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">stand for the right.</span><br style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><br style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">I love as a missionary the chance to boldly declare God's word and his</span><br style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">beautiful purpose for families. And I am so grateful for the amazing</span><br style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">family he has given me, and especially my angel mother. Happy Mother's</span><br style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">Day!</span><br style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><br style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">Love,</span><br style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">Elder Walton</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08470569879583194637noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4383379047702903746.post-43219561648390479022015-05-04T07:00:00.003-07:002015-05-04T07:00:43.005-07:00The Holy SabbathThis week we taught an investigator who is named Nakayama. He is<br />Japanese, but he is so good at English usually we just call him his<br />English name, Alex.<br /><br />He is a 30 year old classic happy surfer guy. He always has a huge<br />smile on his face and is full of laughs. He is also really spiritual<br />and really wants gods power and help in his life to protect him from<br />the temptations he faces.<br /><br />Anyways this week he told us he would come to church finally after we<br />had invited him a few times. So on Thursday we met him with a member<br />and taught him about keeping the sabbath day holy so that this<br />upcoming Sunday could really uplift him and help him progress towards<br />baptism.<br /><br />It was an amazing lesson, not really because of us, but because of<br />Alex. have never in my whole mission seen someone who wanted to keep<br />the sabbath day holy so much! He had such a huge desire to make that<br />day a really special day to come closer to God and to feel his love in<br />his life.<br /><br />We told him about the different blessings of the sabbath day and what<br />kind of activities on the sabbath day help us obtain them, and then we<br />read a quote from Elder Nelson at the last general conference which<br />said<br /><br />" I learned from the scriptures that my conduct and my attitude on the<br />Sabbath constituted a sign between me and my Heavenly Father. With<br />that understanding, I no longer needed lists of dos and don'ts. When<br />I had to make a decision whether or not an activity was appropriate<br />for the Sabbath, I simply asked myself, What sign do I want to give<br />to God? That question made my choices about the Sabbath day crystal<br />clear." -Elder Russel M Nelson<br /><br />And then Alex amazed us by saying,<br /><br />"I write down what I am grateful for every night, but so basically the<br />sabbath day is taking that gratitude and not just saying it but<br />showing it by your actions too!"<br /><br />He was spot on! In my life before the mission I wasn't always the best<br />at following the sabbath day, I usually avoided things I knew I<br />shouldn't do, but I still often was focused on myself. Now however I<br />see that the sabbath is this beautiful day to give back to the Savior<br />as thanks for what He did for us. When I return home the sabbath will<br />be my day to really be a missionary again, to be a completely<br />consecrated disciple of Christ. The sabbath truly is a delight!<br /><br />I am so grateful for our loving Heavenly Father who has given us these<br />commandments this roadmap to guide us I our lives. Isn't he great?<br /><br />Love,<br /><br />Elder Walton<br />Okinawa Japan<br /><br />Photo: my previous zone leader (who also went to timpview) who had<br />returned a year earlier came back to my current area to visit the<br />members here,<div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08470569879583194637noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4383379047702903746.post-31724332606316031022015-04-28T11:39:00.004-07:002015-04-28T11:39:50.319-07:00The Digital Age!<br /><br />This week we have entered the digital age is of missionary work! I'm currently typing this email on my iPad. And by "my ipad" I mean the missions iPad I get to use till the end of my mission.<br /><br /><br />We got tons of training on iPads to help prepare us to both be safe from temptation and distraction and also to be effective with it. It was a really powerful training that I think will really help me the rest of my life. Some of the main points they emphasized were:<br /><br /><br />-The iPad will not convert people. The iPad does not have the Holy Ghost. You do! Nothing will replace a testimony borne sincerely by the Holy Ghost.<br /><br /><br />-Temptations to misuse technology are greatest when we are feeling bored, stressed, angry, lonely or any of those negative emotions. We need to be able to recognize those feelings in ourselves and avoid using it when we have those feelings. <br /><br /><br />-Filters are helpful, but they are always changing and no filter is perfect. The only filter you can always rely on is your own personal testimony and the help of the Holy Ghost. <br /><br /><br />-Don't turn on your device till your intention is clear. If at some point you you aren't sure what your purpose is, turn it off.<br /><br /><br />Its amazing the help it will be, but at the same time, I think it will always be missionary work. It has been the same since the dawn of time, and will be today, only that now God is hastening His work in His time.<br /><br /><br />Along with many miracles this week there were also stresses as well, with lessons not turning out how planned, stresses in relationships with members or missionaries and also just in worries that came to me.<br /><br /><br />This past week I started noticing how difficult it is sometimes to be a parent, the messy diapers, the lack of sleep, the stress and difficulties. Ever since I was young I have always wanted to be a parent, I love being a kid myself! Playing and enjoying the simple things of life, but I think for the first time in my life I realized that it isn't all fun and games, that there were challenges and difficulties too. As I watched these Japanese families and there adorable little kids I wondered, " Can I handle that? Would I be able to be a good father?" "Will I be able to manage, work, family, school, church, and all the other demands in life?" These kind of worries and fears started to come to me. <br /><br /><br />With this in the back of my mind, on the way back from church I read President Eyring's talk at the women's session called "The Comforter" about the power of the Holy Ghost<br /><br /><br />When I got to Mosiah 24:14-15 my eyes stopped, and it sunk deep into my heart. I felt the Spirit truly speak to my fears. It says,<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /> "And I will also ease the burdens which are put upon your shoulders, that even you cannot feel them upon your backs, even while you are in bondage; and this will I do that ye may stand as witnesses for me hereafter, and that ye may know of a surety that I, the Lord God, do visit my people in their afflictions.<br /><br /> 15 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."<br /><br />When I read this scripture a calm peace swept my fears away, I literally felt this comforting power of the spirit like a cool breeze blowing the stress away almost as if to say, "Yes, you won't be able to do it yourself, but don't worry, you don't have to.<br /><br />Because I will be with you."<br /><br />And I know and trust that He always will.<br /><br />Love,<br /><br />Elder WaltonSent from my iPad<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08470569879583194637noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4383379047702903746.post-78866589386866573702015-04-20T08:23:00.003-07:002015-04-20T08:23:27.337-07:00The Work<br /><br />Dear Loved Ones,<br /><br /><br />Here's the update on how the work is going here in Shuri Okinawa.<br /><br /><br />We actually have a decent amount of investigators, the Lord has been blessing us a lot lately. Especially with the youth, this past week the Lord led us to 3 college students (one trumpet graduate student and a couple) who are actually all quite interested and are pretty solid investigators. I have never taught so many youth before it is so fun!<br /><br /><br />On the down side, Mitsuru was going to get baptized this next saturday, but he told us he needs some more time, he still wants to be baptized, but he doesn't feel ready yet. <br /><br /><br />It's okay though, I was honestly getting a little wierded out because the missionary work was going just a little too smoothly, and that just about never happens haha. But I even though there are always bumps and downs and ups, the Lord is with us every step of the way and as I read this morning<br /><br /><br />"The works, and the designs, and the purposes of God cannot be frustrated, neither can they come to naught." -DC 3:1<br /><br /><br /><br />One of the biggest miracles we had this week was yesterday. After church we taught an investigator named Shirasuna san. He has been an investigator for a while, and is kind of becoming an eternal investigator because he still doesn't feel like he has gotten an answer. Well anyways we taught him yesterday and for the first time since we have taught him we were able to really get into his heart.<br /><br /><br />He is a 21 year old college student who really just wants knowledge, but he has never really let the gospel into his heart, always talking simply about what the doctrine, is, but not really the meaning it would have for him. But this time we felt the spirit guide us so much so that we knew what he needed and the questions to ask to help him see that he needs to desire to know god, to have it in his life and were able for the first time to get into his heart.<br /><br /><br />In big and small ways Heavenly Father is always guiding me, I am so grateful to him!<br /><br /><br />Love you all,<br /><br /><br />Elder WaltonAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08470569879583194637noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4383379047702903746.post-3446275517278788992015-04-13T06:56:00.001-07:002015-04-13T06:56:43.259-07:00When we feel inadequate. <p dir="ltr">The April liahona had an article in there called "weakness is not a sin" and since reading it I have come to ponder a lot on what that means. <br></p>
<p dir="ltr">I feel like one of the most commonly felt feelings as a missionary is inadequacy, this feeling that we don't measure up. I think that is a feeling that we have all often felt in life. <br></p>
<p dir="ltr">Sometimes when I feel that way I think that the solution is simply that because I'm not good enough I need to try harder and harder till I become good enough. Yet strangely, usually that simply leads to me feeling worse. As I pondered this principle and Moroni 10:32 I felt prompted to read the story of the pharisee and the sinner who go to the temple to pray. <br></p>
<p dir="ltr">The phrarisee is doing the right things and thanks himself the Lord that he is better than the sinner. But the sinner realizes his weakness and relies on the Lord. I felt the spirit speak to me as I read it saying to effect, "The reason God was dissappointed with the Phrarisee wasn't in his righteous acts, but in his trusting of himself" <br></p>
<p dir="ltr">And I realized that when I feel inadequate, and simply try to try harder and harder, I'm really trusting in my own arm just like the pharisee. But as President Utchdorf taught in conference and the Liahona taught too, the real key is simply to humble ourselves and rely on Him and realize that without Him we will never measure up. <br></p>
<p dir="ltr">I now that without Christ, we can never make it, but if in our times of feeling weak and inadequate, we will simply humble ourselves and turn to and rely on Him, He will truly make weak things strong and give us grace to be more than we could ever be alone. <br></p>
<p dir="ltr">Love</p>
<p dir="ltr">Elder Walton<br></p>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08470569879583194637noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4383379047702903746.post-78206936700121176512015-04-07T09:43:00.001-07:002015-04-07T09:43:08.207-07:00Trials and Miracles, Blessings Both<br /><br />Dear Loved Ones, <br /><br /><br />This past week was my birthday. I was completely content at celebrating it simply with some early morning pancakes and some cool vanilla ice cream. My companion, however, had other ideas. Over the previous week he and some members coordinated a surprise party at english class (which fell on my birthday) He in the middle of the class (which was a pizza party) suddenly said "I forgot to email president! Ive got to do that right now!" So he takes me to the computer room really quick and when we come back no one is there. <br /><br /><br />"Huh?" I think for a second, and then everyone jumps out with a cake and surprises me! I was pretty oblivious to a lot of obvious signs that week that it would happen, but hey, all I was expecting was some ice cream. <br /><br /><br />But I really felt my companions love a lot. He is a champ!<br /><br /><br />We are currently working a with several good investigators here. Our most progressing is named Mitsuru. He is a 50 year old architect, who loves to laugh and has a really gentle heart. He has a date for the 25th of April and is pretty solidly committed, all he needs is to continue strong with quitting tobacco, (clean as of this sunday) and if he can do that he will be set! Please pray for him! <br /><br /><br />We are also teaching a 30 year old named Nakayama who is full of smiles and really wants help in his life to overcome the temptations around him, Shirasuna, a 20 year old college student, and Masa an 18 year old. We are also still working on teaching the Ab lessons to new convert Hiroko, she is a hilarious grandma. She is great!<br /><br /><br />Some of you may know, but last week after finding and removing a tumor, my father was diagnosed with brain cancer. To be honest, I have had a lot of trials in my time as a missionary, yet just just like Nephi says in 1 Nephi 1:1 I have also had so many amazing mercies from the Lord.<br /><br /><br />This time too, when I first found out, it was hard for me to process and figure out what I think and how I feel, but in the evening when finally the lights were out and the day was over I was able to really just pour out my soul to Heavenly Father. His love, His willingness to always listen to me with so much love and care and warmth gave me so much comfort. I know that whatever is put in His hands will all work out. =)<br /><br /><br />Love,<br /><br /><br />Elder Walton<br /><br /><br />Okinawa Japan<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Pictures: My birthday <br />Me and my companion at the castle in our area<br />Beautiful Okinawa Sunset<div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08470569879583194637noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4383379047702903746.post-9953655941904276412015-04-06T13:11:00.004-07:002015-04-06T13:11:33.610-07:00His Gift<br /><br />This past week I received a letter from one friend and an email from another both praising me for what what kind of person they thought I was, one so full of love and light and goodness. I felt like they had this image of me that was so great and so amazing, and yet I myself felt so inadequate, I felt like I was really so weak in so many ways. It's ironic that it is on the mission when you get the most spiritual strength and growth so fast, but at the same time, it is also where you come to realize just how weak and inadequate you really are. <br /><br /><br />This past week me and my companion were talking to people on the street and we talked to this one man about the purpose of life. I asked "Do you think we have a purpose?"<br />"No I don't" He replied glumly.<br />"Well what do you think happens when we die? Do you that is all just the end?" I asked<br />"Yep that's the end" He said.<br />"Isn't that sad to you?"<br />"Yes, but I can't ignore it." He finally said with a tone that expressed the sadness in his way of thinking. <br /><br /><br />Unfortunately then a crowd of people bustled us and all we were able to leave with him was a flyer and a short testimony that there is more to this life. We walked away and I couldn't help, but feel so sad for him, living life with such a sad gloomy perspective. I yearned for him to know, to understand and feel the light and joy that comes from knowing God's beautiful perfect plan. To know He was loved, that he was valued and he had a beautiful joyful purpose. <br /><br /><br />There are so many trials in this life I have seen so many trials in my families lives, in those around me and loved ones and others, but that is what makes His Easter gift so beautiful to me. He died for each one of us, for those suffering with disease, or with heartache and pain, guilt and sorrow. And He lived that we may all be healed. Though Him every dark pain can be turned into peace, light and healing. <br /><br /><br />I was pondering the other night how amazing a gift God has given me of His gospel, the beloved people in my life, this mission I'm on and especially His son, and I couldn't help but be overcome and weep, I tried to express in words how grateful I was, but nothing could come out that would adequately express what I felt. Then I realized that this gratitude was not something I could express in words, it is something I will have to express in a lifetime of action of being a disciple of Christ and I am so grateful that I get to show him my thanks, forever.<br /><br /><br />#BecauseHeLives<br /><br /><br />Elder Walton<br />Okinawa Japan<br /><br /><br />Pictures: 4 member kids that live in our same apartment building<br />Us feeding ducks with Shin Chan, Our recent converts grandson<br /><br /><br />Man I love kids!<div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08470569879583194637noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4383379047702903746.post-81400731340811706572015-03-24T09:53:00.001-07:002015-03-24T09:53:40.131-07:00Disciples of Christ in the Digital Age<p dir="ltr"></p>
<p dir="ltr">Dear Loved Ones,<br></p>
<p dir="ltr">Our mission has now been officially approved and will be receiving Ipads this next month. This last Saturday we had a special mission wide conference where Elder Nelson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles came to speak to our mission. The whole mission gathered in Fukuoka...except us in Okinawa. We gathered in one chapel to watch it. <br></p>
<p dir="ltr">I was a little sad at first to miss out on this one chance to meet an apostle on my mission. But then I realized the real gift isn't to shake the hand of an apostle, but really it is to be taught by one, to have the blessing of prophets seers and revelators today to bless us with God's counsel. So I'm simply grateful for that marvelous gift!<br></p>
<p dir="ltr">The training we received on using technology for missionary work was powerful. I was especially hit by the trust the Lord has in us, and the vision of how focused they expect us to be in being completely focused on the work of the Lord despite possible distractions these could become. <br></p>
<p dir="ltr">It is so easy for technology to distract us from the things that matter most, instead of enjoying face to face conversations with the ones we love we let phone calls and texts and games and music distract us from that which matters most. We let ourselves get caught up in hours and hours of watching meaningless entertainment or news or things that really don't matter. <br></p>
<p dir="ltr">In our training one safeguard they taught us that I think will be really helpful for me after the mission as well was to always clarify what you purpose is before you use the technology and the internet, if you find yourself using it without a purpose stop. Clarify and think how what you're doing will either make you a better person or help others. <br></p>
<p dir="ltr">I had a powerful experience right after the meeting that drove home what was taught. To return to our area we took a taxi, and us 4 elders in our district got in a taxi with a 40 year old Japanese woman drive. <br></p>
<p dir="ltr">While we were driving back I started reading one of the books we received about using facebook and such for proselyting. I was reading it and then I heard the taxi driver start talking about her troubles in life and how she felt like she couldn't find real peace. Then it hit me, "What am I doing here reading about using the internet to help people find the gospel when there is someone right next to me that needs it right now!?" So I quickly closed the book, put it in my bag and began to teach and bear testimony to that wonderful woman about how the gospel would truly bless her life. <br></p>
<p dir="ltr">She had 3 kids and was a single mom, working so hard everyday to provide. She was filled with stress and worries in life. She would go out once a month with friends to drink and her worries would leave a little just a few moments, but then the would come right back and she would never find what she called "real peace" <br></p>
<p dir="ltr">"So how do I get it?" She asked us.<br></p>
<p dir="ltr">I bore testimony to her of the unending power of Christ and the Atonement, how He loved her more than she could ever imagine, and gave His life for her. She told us at the end that she felt peace in her heart just from talking with us.<br></p>
<p dir="ltr">And also because she said my voice was so calm and relaxing, I think though that was just the spirit. We ended up exchanging numbers and hopefully will get to meet her again and help her. <br></p>
<p dir="ltr">I know this gospel is the only way to find real peace. I know that the Atonement is real and will lift the burdens of all those who come and lay them at the Saviors feet.<br></p>
<p dir="ltr">Love you all,<br></p>
<p dir="ltr">Elder Walton<br></p>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08470569879583194637noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4383379047702903746.post-53447103608998108772015-03-16T10:33:00.002-07:002015-03-16T10:33:40.162-07:00The Sacrifice of Grandma'sThis Saturday Hiroko Shimai got baptized! There were so many people that came to see her get baptized and support her! I am so grateful for all of the amazing members here. Looking at all the people she asked us, "so who else is getting baptized?" <br />"Just you."we replied<br />"All these people came just for me?!" She was so surprised, but felt so much love.<br /><br /><br />Its amazing to see how much her heart changed as she felt the spirit and Christ's love. She is so great!<br /><br /><br />After the baptism we went out to eat sushi with her and two other relief society sisters. It was two 20 year old elders, a 35 year old sister, a 50 year old sister and a 70 year old sister, so we were definitely quite the interesting group! <br /><br /><br />Then amazingly the next morning she came to church for her confirmation and told us she had had to work the night shift so she only had 1-2 hours of sleep, but she was just peacefully happy as ever to be here at church and to receive the Holy Ghost.<br /><br /><br />Yesterday I had an experience where I learned what it meant to walk in Christ's footsteps. Last night me and my companion had finished planning and I went over to our study room to read some old testament while my companion was in the other room. While I was reading though, I just had this feeling that I needed to go be with my companion, that he needed me. I went over and found him laying on the bed looking sad. He told me he had been struggling with feelings of loneliness and homesickness.<br /><br /><br />That day I had been feeling pretty sick, and at that moment I didn't feel like I had enough in me to help my companion, I felt a part of me that wanted to not care about it being full with my own problems, but I remembered the example of Christ, how even in his darkest moments he thought of others and lifted them up, healing the soldiers ear, praying "forgive them for they know not what they do", and remembering his Mother even on the cross in excruciating pain.<br /><br /><br />Remembering His example I summoned the strength and love to simply talk with my companion and love him, to ask about his scouting trips as a kid and his life and just listen to him. Finally there was 2 minutes left and I still had my shirt and necktie on and had to hurriedly got ready for bed. <br /><br /><br />That night I prayed to God, and despite feeling tired and the normal stresses of life, I felt so good being able to tell God that I followed the example of His Son. <br /><br /><br />We all have trials in our lives, but I know if we will raise our eyes and our prayers to heaven to seek and find those that need our loving helping hand, God will guide us and use us to be an answer to someone else's prayer.<br /><br /><br />Pray and ask God to be guided to someone who needs your help and I promise He will. <br /><br /><br />And in your times of need He will guide those people to you too! Because He loves you!<br /><br /><br />Elder Walton<br />Okinawa Japan<br /><br /><br /><br />Pictures: Temples in Space! will build one one day!<br />Me and Shin chan Hiroko Shimai's grandson<br />Hiroko Shimai's baptism<div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08470569879583194637noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4383379047702903746.post-32691136330892290142015-03-10T13:09:00.000-07:002015-03-10T13:09:21.691-07:00The Scottish Grandma<br /><br />So I have now been in Okinawa about a week and a half and it is so great! I feel now , partly from not being a zone leader and partly from just being here in the islands and not the rush of the city I am able to just refocus on the basics of being a missionary and of missionary work. It is such a peaceful good feeling. <br /><br /><br />Despite being in an area we can bike across in 20minutes (the smallest in the mission) we have been seeing many miracles and actually finding some really good people that havent talked to missionaries 15 times. Woot!<br /><br /><br />But we really have been just seeing how much it isn't us, but how much God is guiding us even to knock on a single house that turns out to be someone who will meet again, or even guiding us to know which members we should visit and encourage to do missionary work. <br /><br /><br />Currently our most important investigator is Hiroko san!<br /><br /><br />She is a 65 year old grandma! She always wears this beret and talks with so much personality I swear she has scottish in her blood. She is so sweet and so fun to be around. Every lesson we have she comes in with sandwiches and snacks she bought from the local convenience store. She is so great!<br /><br /><br />Before I came in she had loved the missionaries and hanging out with them, but she didn't really have interest in the gospel even when she took the lessons. However one day sitting in church next to a missionary she reads on the program "baptism" and she says, "I want that!" And from then on she has started progressing. When I first came in she didn't really have a testimony of God or relationship with him, but we have been able to help her have her own spiritual experiences especially with Christ. <br /><br /><br />Her favorite was when we showed her the picture of Christ holding the little sheep. She saw that and felt so much love for Christ and that picture told her a thousand words of who Christ is. She told us "Sono hitsuji ni naritai!" (I want to be that little sheep!) <br /><br /><br />And now she has progressed so much! Her heart has done a full 180 degrees and totally changed. She is so wonderful. And she will be getting baptized this saturday! I am so grateful to have been apart of helping her come to Christ, even if it was just a small small part. <br /><br /><br />I love the gospel!<br /><br /><br />Elder Walton<br /><br /><br />Pictures:<br />A okinawa alcohol special "Habu Sake" an alcohol brewed by sticking a highly deadly poisonous snake. No thank you.<br /><br /><br />Me and my companion!<div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08470569879583194637noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4383379047702903746.post-37578070141287169672015-03-03T06:17:00.000-08:002015-03-03T06:17:00.019-08:00Haisai!<br />
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Haisai! (that means hello in Okinawan!) </div>
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I got transferred down to Okinawa, for those who aren't familiar, it is like the Hawaii of Japan! </div>
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I got off the plane <span class="aBn" data-term="goog_1473313836" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">Thursday</span></span> to palm trees, warm humid weather and wonderful island life! </div>
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I am now a district leader in Shuri. My new area is the smallest in the whole mission. Wereas I am used to biking as far as I want and never being able to leave my area unless I biked 6 hours, I now bike across my whole area in 20 minutes or less. </div>
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The church here is amazingly strong. Our ward is huge. It is full of returned missionaries and families and young people, I was so amazed when I came here. I am used to smaller branches with more old people, but this is amazing to see and work with a full ward and see what that is like. </div>
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The missionary work has been struggling here though, there hasn't been a baptism in either of the areas in my distict in the past year and a half. But with the Lord's help we will change that. </div>
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My new companion is Elder Chung. He is chinese, we taught a man in chinese together on the street the other day and set up an appointment for today. Pray for Ni Jian Zhan!</div>
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Love</div>
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Elder Walon</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08470569879583194637noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4383379047702903746.post-13095841276260471002015-03-03T06:16:00.003-08:002015-03-03T06:16:30.737-08:00The Professor the Plane and the Power<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">Dear Loved Ones,</span><br />
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This last week has been truly wonderful! There were so many small moments where I couldn't help but rejoice at the thought that I was a missionary declaring His gospel. There are so many trials as a missionary, but there are also so many amazing moments where I return home feeling absolutely amazing, feeling like I'm floating on clouds from feeling the spirit so strong. </div>
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This week we had so many miracles where I felt that way.</div>
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-One night me and my companion were planning on taking a bus an hour away, but part way there we found out there were no buses to take us all the way there. So we had 3 hours of nothing planned and weren't sure what to do. In those decision points our mission president has taught us to always ask the Lord what we should do, so we prayed right there on the street to know the next step.</div>
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While we prayed I felt like we should go housing near this former investigator, Dawn and Te's house 30min away from where we were, but I was for some reason hesitant to say it, I asked my companion "what do you feel" and then he left me flabbergasted by saying, "I feel like we should go house near Dawn and Te.</div>
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He had felt EXACTLY what I was thinking. It was crazy. So we get down there and begin housing. We do the bottom part of an apartment, but no one was home so we decide to move on, about 20min later though I just got a strong feeling that we needed to go back to that apartment, so we went back and housed the top part of it. </div>
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The third door was a bright young college student who seemed interested and made an appointment for us to come back and then the last door was a young mom who spoke english. We told her our message and asked if we could come back, she said essentially, "Yeah I have heard about God from my Mom you can come back, how about <span class="aBn" data-term="goog_1473313829" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">tomorrow</span></span>?" </div>
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"Yeah sure!" we said. This was no normal night for us! We left just feeling on clouds for how God had used us to do His work and guide us by the spirit. It was amazing. </div>
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-Then the other miracle was a few days later, we were biking on the street and my companion saw a couple he felt like we should talk to, the husband was a professor who it turns out had actually been to Salt Lake and seen the temple! We asked if we could share our message, but he told us he was too busy, we left him with a flyer and went on our way, but the next day he called us and said, "Hello, this is the gentleman you met yesterday" (He spoke fluent english)</div>
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He wanted to meet us that day at <span class="aBn" data-term="goog_1473313830" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">5pm</span></span> at his office! (people almost never call us from flyers) so we go down to his meeting room and sits us down at this big table and he brings some of his staff to meet us, an associate professor from Nepal, a PHD student from Ghana and then another Japanese associate professor a lady about 25. He sits them all down at the table and then after simple small talk he asks us why we would give up 2 years of our lives to come here? </div>
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To be honest I was terrified, I have never taught such a large group of people all much smarter than me, but with my companion at my side and the spirit in my heart I felt the spirits promptings and pulled out 2 Nephi 2 and had them read</div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">"Wherefore, redemption cometh in and through the Holy Messiah; for he is full of grace and truth.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;"> 7 Behold, he offereth himself a sacrifice for sin, to answer the ends of the law, unto all those who have a broken heart and a contrite spirit; and unto none else can the ends of the law be answered.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;"> 8 Wherefore, how great the importance to make these things known unto the inhabitants of the earth, that they may know that there is no flesh that can dwell in the presence of God, save it be through the merits, and mercy, and grace of the Holy Messiah,who layeth down his life according to the flesh, and taketh it again by the power of the Spirit, that he may bring to pass the resurrection of the dead, being the first that should rise."</span><br />
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Then my companion and I bore a sincere testimony of Jesus Christ, of our Savior and the amazing atonement he has performed for us. Immediately the spirit came into the room and we were able to share what we believe and why it is so important, and leave them with a pure warm feeling and 2 book of mormons for them to ponder themselves. </div>
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It's amazing how the Lord has used me as an instrument in His hands. Some times Satan tempts me to doubt myself, to think that I am a failure for this or for that. I think he does that to all of us. He tries to pull us down into the darkness in dark thoughts and dark places. But Christ has paid the price that we could rise to the light. Whenever I feel trapped in that swamp of darkness I know that through the Saviors light I can be brought through and return home. </div>
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My time is winding down here as a missionary, but I am loving and savoring each precious day as a disciple of Christ.</div>
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Love,</div>
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<br />Elder Walton</div>
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Me and Elder Murphy in traditional japanese clothes</div>
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Two high school kids who live near the church (nonmembers) who came to our waffle party. </div>
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President Gustafson is always watching</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08470569879583194637noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4383379047702903746.post-14300920419459111832015-02-17T11:13:00.001-08:002015-02-17T11:13:26.970-08:00The Petition<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">
Dear Loved Ones,</div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">This week was a powerful turning point for the rest of my mission and maybe even my life. This last week we had a mission tour by Elder Whiting from the Seventy so we had to take a 2 hour train up to Fukuoka to get there. We had been asked by Elder Whiting to come prepared with questions for the conference so during the train ride I was pondering my mission and what I needed to ask.</span><br />
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While I was pondering I realized that though I thankfully still had time, I still wasn't where I wanted to be by the end of my mission. I felt like there was this person Heavenly Father wanted me to become that I hadn't measured up to. I felt like I could almost see this glorious glowing light of what I could become, but I wasn't there. As I sat there on that train I felt a desire to rise up and become that person, become that missionary who has given their whole heart to the work. </div>
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During the Whiting conference, and afterwards as I talked about it I got powerful revelation for exactly what the Lord wanted me to do. I realized that the past several months I had been trying so hard to improve myself, to become better by focusing on this plan or on that goal, but I always felt like I had been falling short, like there was something missing, and I wasn't sure what it was. </div>
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I remembered a past self I once was on the mission over a year ago, I remembered this powerful light I had had and this focus on other people I had had, I was young, but there was this...something ...that I felt I was missing now. </div>
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During the conference Elder Whiting spoke of a petition with God. Something where you don't just ask God for a gift, but you tell him what you will do with it. "If you ask me if you can borrow my car I'm going to ask you what you will do with it, if you want to go as fast as you can you aren't getting it! But if you tell me you need to go give a blessing to a sick person who had been in an accident I'm giving my keys"</div>
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We petition God for the best gift and then tell him what we will do with that gift, what are we going to do for Him. </div>
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So I pondered about these things and what I was missing. I realized that these last few months I had been focused not so much on others, but trying to change myself. I seemed to think it was me that changes me instead of the atonement. But I felt this promise from Heavenly Father that if I gave my all for Him then He would change me and bring me to that light I wanted to be essentially, </div>
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<span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: 16px; line-height: 27px;"><span style="color: blue;">"For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it."</span></span></div>
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So the next morning I kneeled down and I made that petition, I prayed with all my heart that God would make me through the atonement that person He wanted me to be, to bring me to that light, and I promised that if He did that from here on out I would forget about improving myself, forget whether I was doing good or bad, forget myself, and simply give my 100% to loving and serving his children and doing His work. I trust that He will make me who I want to be, I just need to forget myself, and give my all to Him. </div>
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This 100% consecration to God is really the only way to true light and happiness, whether it's on the mission or at home. This is where I want to be, the rest of my life.</div>
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Love,</div>
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Elder Walton</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08470569879583194637noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4383379047702903746.post-34515176994903686342015-02-09T11:01:00.000-08:002015-02-09T11:01:05.587-08:00Faith and the Weak<br /><br />This week I have been thinking a lot about faith. It seems like something so simple, but the more I understand it, the more it sinks deeper and deeper into my soul. <br /><br /><br />This last week me and my companion were out finding one day, and it was just a struggle, we talked to tons of people, not really anyone wanted to listen, we were having some struggles teaching on the street in unity and it was just not our day. We finished the afternoon without much success and went back for dinner.<br /><br /><br />At night while we were biking to an area we had felt the night before we were supposed to go to, I realized that that day I just hadn't been finding with much faith. I at least had enough to get out there and try, but as I talked with people I didn't really have faith that they would really make it. I also realized that though I had tried hard to just have faith, my own efforts didn't get me the faith I needed.<br /><br /><br />I remembered a quote in PMG, "christlike attributes are a gift from God" and I realized that faith is the same, it is a gift from God, not something we try really hard and comes into us or will ourselves into having. So I started praying while I was biking to have the faith I needed to do God's will. <br /><br /><br />We get to the area we had planned and start housing, after the first house we see a man walking down the street and we call out to him, and start walking and talking with him. Turns out he is fluent in english and really nice! We walk with him quite a ways into a completely different neighborhood than we had planned on going, all the while thinking "Yes! This is the guy!" <br /><br /><br />But then unfortunately at the end he tells us he isn't interested. A little bit bummed out we now have to decide what to do next. At that moment I felt this feeling "You aren't here by chance, you're here for a reason." And I realized maybe God meant for us to be led by this guy to this place. <br /><br /><br />So we start talking to people and inviting them. Unfortunately we hit some pretty strong opposition, the first house was a women not so pleased to see us telling us that it was late and we should go home and everyone around here is just old people anyways. <br /><br /><br />But there is always opposition right before the miracles, so we knew we were getting close. We pressed on talking to several not so interested people until we come to a 4 way intesection. We felt like we should turn left and house there. The first or second house a woman comes out there is a feeling, she feels kind and different than the others around here. She tells us to wait a second and she goes to get someone. <br /><br /><br />Me and Elder Redd look at each other "She's the one! We both are thinking" She came out again with her husband. Who was also way cool! We told them what we were doing and a little about our message about eternal families. We invited them to meet again, and they seemed slightly interested, but not ready to commit to meet. Sometimes in this moment I might have given up then, but I felt this faith that really wasn't my own, but was really divine help from Heavenly Father give me the love and boldness I needed to be persistent. <br /><br /><br />I told them how I looked at curry before I came to Japan and I thought it looked gross I didn't want to try it, but then when I did I realized it was actually delicious and I loved it! It's the same with them! You have to at least try this message once to see, then if you still don't agree well that's your choice, but you have to at least give it a chance! And we invited them again. This time to our surprise they said yes and gave us a specific time and day. It's pretty rare we are ever able to get a return appointment with both parents of a family and for it to feel that solid. We truly felt God guided us and gave us the faith we needed to help them. <br /><br /><br />The most amazing almost mysterious part of it all was the name of the guy we talked and walked with over to that area. His name was Keiji, which in japanese means revelation. <br /><br /><br />We were truly guided by "revelation"<br /><br /><br />I have felt so much weakness and unconfidence this last week, yet still God has used me in so many ways, and we have seen more miracles even then when I was confident. It's so amazing how he uses the weak things of the world. <br /><br /><br />Love you all,<br /><br /><br />Elder Walton<br /><br /><br />Pictures:<br /><br /><br />This week we did Japanese Calligraphy! It was super fun, and really difficult. 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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08470569879583194637noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4383379047702903746.post-17103521495585601552015-02-03T17:35:00.000-08:002015-02-03T17:35:14.626-08:00Revelation and Roller Coasters<br /><br />Hello loved ones!<br /><br /><br /> On Friday on splits me and my companion talked to a man introduced ourselves and asked his name, he then said. "I'm James Bond." and invited himself to church. He came and had a wonderful time.<br /><br /><br /> This week the investigator the other elder's taught and I interviewed, Brother Matsukuma got baptized! He is a 20 year old college student and he has a really strong testimony that the book of Mormon is true and that this is the true church. He is truly amazing! It was such a privilege to inverview him. The night before the interview I was praying and asking Heavenly Father what he wanted me to share with him, and I felt like Matsukuma needed to realize how important he would be for the Lord's work. I shared the scripture in John where Christ turns to Peter and says, "Peter, Satan hath desire to have thee and sift thee as wheat, but I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not. When thou art converted strengthen thy brethren." And both of us felt the spirit strongly as we applied that to him.<br /><br /><br /> Another amazing miracle was on Thursday during companionship inventory, me and my companion were telling each other how amazing we were, and then when I it came to how we could improve, I just felt this feeling that we both have such an amazing potential that we both aren't reaching up to. <br /><br /><br /> We both started talking and suddenly revelation started flooding down to us. I remembered how in my past Dr Fullmer had these amazingly high expectations that we then rose to, and when we didn't rise to them, he didn't accept it until we did. I never felt gloomy or depressed about myself, but just a desire to rise to those amazing heights. <br /><br /><br /> We decided then on to rise to those high potentials personally and not accept anything less. And also we got tons of other revelation related to that. The most amazing thing is that after this went to go to another area to fix some problems and work with them and help the work be hastened and it turned out that all the tools, everything and every principle we needed to accomplish it we had recieved the night before in that revelation. It was amazing! I felt more spirit and excitement and fire then I had in so much of my mission!<br /><br /><br /> Unfortunately I think after such a spiritual high and fire, the next day I felt exhausted, and the one after gloomy and down despite how much I tried to rise up and be happy. But today I feel good again! Life has so many roller coasters and challenges. But I know they are all for our good and we will be grateful for all of them someday.<br /><br /><br />So why not just be grateful for them now? <br /><br /><br />Love you all,<br />Elder Walton<br /><br /><br />-Glorious to preach the gospel<br />-Sasebo Sunrise<br />-One way ticket to Obama.<div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08470569879583194637noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4383379047702903746.post-20971635591864125552015-01-29T13:20:00.001-08:002015-01-29T13:22:40.364-08:00Fun and Laughs<br /><br />A mission isn't all fun and laughs. <br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />But you sure get your pick of them! This is just a few of the laughs I have had this week.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />--One day me and my companion decided we were going to set an appointment with God. We picked a specific intersection a specific time and decided we were going to find a new investigator and he would be a guy with a hat. We get out there and its raining and wet and there aren't that many people. But we get to the appointment and wait for the man in the hat. <br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />We waited and waited for him. 10 minutes passed after the time we set and then we saw this old man with a hat riding a bike towards us. "He must be the one! Some golden investigator who has been waiting all his life for the gospel!" We thought.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Then we tried to talk to him, but he just got really confused, "Ehhh?! What are you saying? I don't understand?" And then he just biked off....<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Sigh...o much for being prepared... <br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />But then we realized how funny the whole thing was and got a good laugh out of it. <br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />--Yesterday in church the Mission President's counselor came and told this story of a grandma taught in his mission. The missionaries with not so good japanese or pronunciation were teaching this sweet old grandma about the law of tithing. At the end they asked her "will you pay the "Jubun no ichi?" (law of tithing)<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />The grandma scrunched up her face and thought really hard. She thought and thought and thought and then finally decided. "Hai jibun no uchi o utte sasagemasu!" Instead of "Jubun no ichi" which means "law of tithing" She thought they said "Jibun no uchi" which means "ones house". So that sweet old grandma heard the law of "jibun no uchi" or "Ones house" and with all the faith she could muster told them "I will sell my house and give it to the church!" <br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />"Wait you'll what?! No no no! It's "Jubun no ichi!" It is just 10% of your income!<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />I love grandmas. <br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />We had amazing miracles this week too! Especially with investigators in Nagasaki having amazing spiritual experiences on their own. Our investigator Yoshi, for example, we taught him with the district president about the book of Mormon, and then he went back to his house and then at 10pm he really started to read the book of Mormon. He read and read and got engulfed in it and felt so good. Then when he looked again at the clock it was 2 in the morning! He told us "I've always heard of people having their book of mormon experiences and feeling it's true. Now I have finally had my own!<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />And the sisters investigator Shiori, she has been wondering whether to keep learning from the missionaries or what to do. But they taught her yesterday and she decided to go home and pray about it all. She went home and prayed and for the first time in her life she felt this amazingly good feeling. It wasn't a voice but almost a feeling "Benkyho shinasai" Meaning "Keep studying!" and then as she wrote about it in her journal she began to cry from how good she felt.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />We definitely do not convert these people, the spirit does. But if we can help them to pray, read the book of Mormon and exercise their faith then the Holy Ghost will bring the power into their souls. <br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />I'm so grateful to be an instrument for the in His hands. <br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Love,<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Elder Walton<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Pictures:<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />My break fast every wednesday. (not really, I would die)<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Me as a serious Japanese man from 200 years ago.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Nagasaki has one of the 3 best night views in the world. <div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08470569879583194637noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4383379047702903746.post-7572255515661614612015-01-20T11:06:00.001-08:002015-01-20T11:06:48.520-08:00Trials More Precious Than Gold. <p dir="ltr"></p>
<p dir="ltr">"That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the coming of Jesus Christ" - 1 Peter 1:7<br></p>
<p dir="ltr">In past weeks I wrote a little about the trials we have been facing here. For about 2 weeks me and my companion have had some extremely difficult trials in the work where we didn't know why things weren't working out or what was going on. But now I see that those trials truly have become one of the most precious gifts of my <b>entire mission.</b><br></p>
<p dir="ltr">Nearing the end of those two weeks me and my companion Elder Redd realized we were at a wall and didn't know where to go or what we needed to reach for. We prayed and pondered and we felt like if we could just reach for our mission president's standards of excellence then that would be what we needed. So we decided to reach the best we could. <br></p>
<p dir="ltr">But then we realized how far we were away, how much there was to do. And I realized, not for the first time, but maybe most powerfully I had ever realized on my mission, how incredibly much we needed to rely on Heavenly Father and how much we needed His help and His power. It became not just a catchphrase or something we say in our head, but don't understand in our hearts. <br></p>
<p dir="ltr">It sunk to the depths of my soul. <br></p>
<p dir="ltr">I started praying like I haven't really before for His help and guidance, putting my heart and soul on the line.  And I feel like I finally am coming to understand not just in my head, but truly in my heart how weak I am, and how much I am dependant on Him. <br></p>
<p dir="ltr">And since then in the last few weeks I feel like my heart and soul has changed unbelievable amounts. I have felt the gospel enter into me deeper than ever before. The most fundamental gospel truths have become more important to me than ever before. Me and my companion together have started to understand what this work is all about more than ever before. And it has been amazing. <br></p>
<p dir="ltr">I have come to feel and see more and more what it really means to be a disciple of Christ, to be His soldier, His servant here. And frequently that feeling overwhelms so much that I almost weep at the gratitude I have to be out here. At night or while I bike I have been overwhelmed with emotion at how amazing it is that He lets us be part of this work. <br></p>
<p dir="ltr">Like this last week. Me and my companion were biking, but got lost. So we, at a decision point, prayed where to go. We felt like we should go a certain direction and set off. Then partway there we saw a neighborhood and I felt strongly "We need to house there" So we stopped and started housing. After getting off our bikes we saw a staircase and also felt, "We need to go up that staircase" And so we did, not sure where we were going or why we were here.<br></p>
<p dir="ltr">We started housing and the third door a man came out. <br></p>
<p dir="ltr">"I know you. You are mormon!" He said. (in english)<br></p>
<p dir="ltr">"Yeah we are we!" <br></p>
<p dir="ltr">Turns out this Japanese man had met the missionaries 40 years ago and taken the lessons and gone to church then stopped there. He then moved to america and didn't have contact with the missionaries after that. <br></p>
<p dir="ltr">Until 40 years later, his dad passes away. He comes back to Japan for the funeral. He sees the body and wonders "Where did my fathers spirit go?" And within a few days missionaries show up at his door. <br></p>
<p dir="ltr">"I don't really believe in God, but you showing up at my door right now, even I think it's kind of weird" He told us. <br></p>
<p dir="ltr">At first he didn't seem like he really was ready to hear our message saying "Oh I have your book I don't need it. I'm okay"<br></p>
<p dir="ltr">But we testified to him of the plan of salvation sharing Alma 40:11 from the book of Mormon and the spirit came. We felt it right there. And we asked if we could come back to meet again. To our suprise he said, <br></p>
<p dir="ltr">"Yes come back. Here's my number call me." and again as we left, "Don't forget to call me!"<br></p>
<p dir="ltr">And we are going back tomorrow. <br></p>
<p dir="ltr">After we left we felt like we were on clouds. Wow. God truly guided these two young kids. Isn't He amazing?<br></p>
<p dir="ltr">We still have trials, we still struggles, but I now know. He is there. And this truly is His work and we truly are his servants.<br></p>
<p dir="ltr">And I am overwhelmed with gratitude.<br></p>
<p dir="ltr">Elder Walton<br></p>
<p dir="ltr">Nagasaki Japan<br><br></p>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08470569879583194637noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4383379047702903746.post-66593250707699454452015-01-06T14:14:00.003-08:002015-01-06T14:14:48.133-08:00Trials Church and a Testimony<br /><br />Dear Loved Ones,<br /><br /><br />This week was a difficult one. We have been having some struggles with out investigators lately, hitting opposition or dissappearing or the many various things that they sometimes do that make their missionaries so so sad. Like Te and Dawn still struggling with the law of tithing and coming to church, or ones that just don't respond to our calls or texts. <br /><br /><br />Then to top it all off this weekend I got influenza. Saturday morning it was just a cough, but then after dinner I started feeling a little woozy, we went out biking and finding people along the way and I just didn't feel good, I felt like my limbs didn't have a strength and I was just not all the way there. We got back at night, finished daily planning and then I just fell in my bed at only 9:27 when we finished. Sunday I woke up feeling even worse, but we had several appointments that day with new investigators and church so I did my best and went to church wearing the classic face mask that japanese people always wear when they are sick. I wanted to feel excited and happy, and I would try and make myself feel so, but the moment I stopped trying I just went back to feeling pretty crummy. <br /><br /><br />But then in sacrament meeting I had an amazing experience. According to the suggestion of another zone leader, saturday morning I had taken a little 3x5 index card and wrote on it my concerns and worries to ponder and recieve answers for at church then put it in my scriptures and forgot about it. When I sat down in church I remembered it and prayed that I could recieve answers for it, I had been worried about our investigators, worried that I wasn't doing good enough as a missionary, and I was worried for the future of the church in Nagasaki and in Japan in general. <br /><br /><br />Then in fast and testimony meeting a 55 year old single japanese man named brother Komori got up and bore his testimony. A somewhat strange fellow, he hardly ever talks to us, yet every week he brings massive amounts of vegetables to our doorstep and leaves us before we even realize we have 16 cabbages in 3 boxes that we don't know what to do with. <br /><br /><br />Anyways this Japanese brother got up and he started bearing a powerful testimony of the priesthood and the truth of the church, a testimony I had never heard from this usually quiet brother. He testified with power of the truth of the restoration of the priesthood by John the baptist and Peter James and John. And of the blessings that had come into his own life. Then he said with great sincerity, "And all of this, is thanks to these young missionaries, and their fathers and grandfathers who come to share the restored gospel with us, I amso incredibly grateful to them and I wish and pray with all my heart."<br /><br /><br />By the time he finished I was a wreck. Tear drops were dripping from my eyes wetting the chapel carpet floor. To this brother, he was just sharing a simple testimony, but to a sick, discouraged missionary, really just a kid so far from home, it meant everything. I saw right then in that brother why I was here, what I am doing and why it means so so much. God had answered my prayer. <br /><br /><br />God knows each one of us. Our worries, our challenges, our fears. And He is ready He wants to speak to us and answer our prayers! He loves each one of us so so dearly much. And so often he answers those prayers through others and especially at church!<br /><br /><br />I invite you to this week make a simple card with your own questions and concerns and worries, pray and ask the Lord for answers and then go to His place, church with full assurance that He will answer them. <br /><br /><br />He answered mine. <br /><br /><br />Elder Walton<br />Nagasaki Japan<br /><br /><br />Pictures: The Masked Missionary. Dendo in Disguise<br />The great Mican Temple<br />Bus roller coaster!<div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08470569879583194637noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4383379047702903746.post-30898107950556913882014-12-30T07:33:00.001-08:002014-12-30T07:33:08.584-08:00Christmas Cake and Wonderful Life!<br /><br />This Christmas was so wonderful! <br /><br /><br />Interestingly, being a missionary doesn't change at all the temptation at christmas to get stressed and overloaded with too much stuff. But this Christmas I tried my hardest to make my focus on what the true meaning of Christmas. <br /><br /><br />On Christmas we got to watch "its a wonderful life," we exchanged presents and skyped our families (which was so incredibly great!) and ate tons of food!<br /><br /><br />But one of my favorite moments of Christmas was when I snuck away (still within mission rules of course) from the other missionaries and by myself kneeled and prayed in a corner of the church and spent time there by myself just reading the bible and the book of Mormon about Christ's birth and pondering it's meaning to me. <br /><br /><br />My favorite christmas story is in the book of Mormon, when the christian Nephites watch and wait for the star to come, praying hoping that it would, despite persecution and threats of death. <br /><br /><br />I can imagine the faith of a family, the kids get bullied at school for their belief in the savior, and they come home to their father probably named Jemlon and say, "Dad dad, the kids told us that they are going to kill all the christians if the sign doesnt come!" <br /><br /><br />And I can imagine that faith filled father speak with power and conviction from his testimony by the Holy Ghost, "Don't worry little one, I know that...<br /><br /><br />He Will Come"<br /><br /><br />And then they watched and waited trusting in the birth of christ that meant very literally the difference between life and death for them. <br /><br /><br />We can learn from the example of those predecessors and live our lives with steadfast and immovable faith in His son. Having our own powerful testimony, that He lives and He will come again. <br /><br /><br />I know that He will.<br /><br /><br />I bear witness of that in His name,<br /><br /><br />Nagasaki, Japan<br />Elder Walton<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
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