Tokyo Japan Week 59

Hello amazing family! Sorry to be writing a day late, this week was temple P-day and we received our transfer calls! I'm staying in Urawa for another transfer with Elder Shumway, and basically nothing in our zone is changing! The next transfer is only 5 weeks so it makes pretty good sense, but I'm so thankful for this awesome opportunity to serve again as a Zone Leader out here in Urawa with Elder Shumway! He's a seriously awesome missionary, and he's really teaching me so much every day. It's going to be such an awesome transfer. 

Well as the usual, the temple was amazing today! We had such a great MTC district reunion in the temple, and it was so awesome to see all my best friends, and catch up about the things going on in our areas. I've been feeling so incredibly thankful for the brothers I have out here in the Tokyo Japan mission, and I'm so thankful to have had the chance to meet them and become such good friends with them! They've all changed and shaped my life so much, and I'm so excited to keep those friendships going, even after the mission as well. :) The temple was so great though! I seriously love the Tokyo Temple, and it was so awesome to go and attend, and feel the Spirit so strongly in the house of the Lord. As a mission we're really putting in a strong focus on accountability, and it's been such a great learning opportunity to study and apply that principle more as a missionary! In the temple, I gave an accounting of my work this past transfer, and it was such an amazing feeling of peace, and left me with such a strong desire to just keep giving this work my whole heart and soul, and go forward with faith! I love serving here in the amazing country of Japan, and I'm so excited for this coming transfer!

As well the G Package arrived!!! Thank you so much for sending those to me, I really appreciate it so much, and it's so awesome have some fresh new stuff, haha. It's amazing the difference it makes! ;) I'm so stoked for the next package, thank you so much for all the time and effort you put in to send me those packages, I really appreciate it so much! I love you guys! :)

It sounds like you're all doing so well, and I'm so thankful for all of the kindness and love you always share with me. :) I really have the most awesome family ever, and I'm so thankful for the amazing examples you set for me every day. I love you guys so much, and I'm so thankful for the amazing family I was born into! 

So to answer some questions Mom asked! I'm so so so stoked for Conference! We're planning on bringing as many investigators as we can, and we're so excited to attend with them! As well Brother Saito who was baptized this past transfer will be attending his first Priesthood session with us! It's going to be seriously awesome, and I'm so excited. As for me, I'm doing really great! If you could pray for our zone to be able to set more and more baptismal dates this transfer, that would truly help and bless us so much. We're struggling a little bit in that area, and it definitely weighs a lot on your mind as a Zone Leaders. Elder Shunway and I are working with all we've got to help set that example, and some gnarly prayers from home would help so much. Thanks so much though, other than that the health is great, I love the work, and I'm so excited for fall! Right now we're working very closely with Teshi, Asoyu, and Chen! They're looking so great, and Brother Chen prayed for the first time in his life the other day! Thank you so much for caring so much about the amazing people we are teaching. :)

This past transfer was really so amazing, and I'm so excited for this next one! As I was praying in the temple, I felt such a strong feeling of peace and comfort, and I just felt so excited to go forward into this next transfer with faith, charity, and diligence. I there is truly so much power in those three attributes as a missionary, and I'm so excited! Again thank you all so much for your prayers, love, and just being so amazing. There are some days I miss you all so much, but I know this is where the Lord wants me to be, and I'm so thankful for this chance to be serving here as a missionary. This short time has blessed and changed my life so much, and I'm so excited for the future! It's going to be so awesome. :) I'm so thankful for the chance Heavenly Father has given me, and especially the opportunity and chance to change. I'm so thankful for the Atonement of Jesus Christ, which helps me just little by little each day become more of the man I want to be in this life. This message truly is a message of hope, and a message of second chances. I love being a missionary so much, and I'm so excited to go forward with faith! I love you guys a ton, and I'm so thankful to have such an amazing family, have an amazing week!!!

Love,

Elder Justesen

Tokyo Japan Week 58

Hello amazing family!

This week was really awesome! First off, I just want to say that it was the most awesome birthday ever! I can't believe that I am now 20 years old, but it still feels pretty much the same! Haha, but it was really such a great day, and it was so awesome to feel the love of so many great people. I'm really so thankful for all of the amazing eternal friends I have made here as a missionary, and it was so great to feel that love on Wednesday. :) Elder Dunbar and Elder Hansen in my district snuck into the apartment and kidnapped me and took me out to Indian curry, and then from there it was just an awesome day! Something that was so awesome was Dhani from Tsukuba came all the way down to Urawa just to say hello! It was really so so nice of him, and it made me feel so thankful for the love and kindness of the eternal friends I have made here in the amazing country of Japan. As well our Stake mission leader bought me an entire dozen of Krispy Kreme Donuts! They have a small store here in Saitama, and he drove all the way out and picked me up a box! It was so nice of him, and it was so awesome to feel the love of the ward here in Urawa. 

It sounds like you all are doing so amazing! I can't lie, I'm pretty stoked to hear about Dad's new found desire to purchase a Honda Fury! I heard those bikes are really great, and as well it's JAPANESE, so double win! Haha. :) I'm stoked for when all three of us can go hit up the open road on our bikes! 

I definitely missed you all so much on my birthday, but it was such a great comfort to me knowing that I'm out doing the Lord's work. I love being a missionary so much, and I'm so thankful to all of the incredible blessings it's brought to my life. It's truly changed me from who I used to be, and I'm so thankful for all of the amazing things I'm learning everyday, and the things still to come. This transfer, there have definitely been some tougher moments, but I'm so, so thankful for all of the blessings Heavenly Father has brought to my life in this short time in serving a mission. 

By the way I just want to give a shout out to Virginia! That video made my day so much, thank you so much!! I think I'm the most lucky missionary ever to have her waiting for me! Haha, miss her so much, but I'm so excited to hear from her! Please tell her how much I appreciate the kindness she's been so awesome to share with me. She's like my second amazing grandma, and I'm so thankful to be her hometeacher! She's so awesome, love you Virginia!

This week has been pretty awesome! It's definitely been a little bit pressure-ful with having the 10 missionaries here in Urawa, but it's been such an amazing blessing serving here amongst these amazing missionaries! I love being a missionary with all my heart, and I'm so thankful to this amazing work. :) Being a zone leader for 9 and half months has been such an amazing gift, and one I'm seriously so thankful for. It's been so amazing to see these amazing missionaries grow in this great service, and I'm so thankful to be serving here in a leadership position. At times it can definitely be a little stressful, but I'm so thankful to be serving here, and I'm so excited for the future ahead! I know that if I just keep relying on Heavenly Father, and always seek to follow His will, the miracles will come, and it's going to be such an amazing next 9 months. 

I just want to close with saying I love you all so much! I'm so thankful for this time to be serving in Japan, and to be amongst the Japanese people. They've blessed and changed my life so much, and have taught me the importance of respect and unconditional love. I'm so thankful to the Urawa ward as well! It's been such an amazing 2 transfers serving here in Urawa, and I'm so excited to keep giving this work my all, and striving to have that strong faith and desire to give this great work every effort. Although I miss you guys a ton especially around the birthday time, there's nowhere else I'd rather be than right here in Japan! It's been such an amazing life-changing experience, and I'm so thankful for the love and kindness you always share with me. I have the most amazing family ever! Thanks so much for you do... And holy goodness thank you so so much for the amazing birthday package! I love the watch so much! I've designated it as my Mission President, Zone Conference, and Special Occassion watch, haha. It was such a great package, and I loved it so much! Thank you so much for sending it to me, and I'm so thankful for the time and energy you put in to send it to me. :) I love you guys so much, I hope you all have an amazing week!! The book is blue, the gospel is true, and God loves you!!! Have a great week!

Love,

Elder Justesen

P.S. Tell Wyatt I say hello! He's such an awesome friend, and I really admired his humility and just being a great guy. I felt really honored to ordain him a priest, and I'm so stoked to hear he's planning for his mission! He's a great friend, thanks so much for sharing that Dad!

Tokyo Japan Week 57

Hello amazing family! Wow, this week has really gone by so crazy fast, but I can't believe I'm going to be 20 in about 2 days! This past year has truly flown by so fast, and I can't believe all of the awesome miracles, and blessings Heavenly Father has given me in this short time. :) It's been such a life changing experience being a missionary, and it's something I'm forever grateful for. This week was pretty awesome, so I'm stoked to write about some of the cool things that happened this week!

A small list of things I've learned in the years of 19-20: 

Japanese is still an amazingly complex and difficult language! But man, it sounds way cool. ;)

Cooking is a skill that takes some a lot of time! It's much easier to go to McDonald's.

Humor should never degrade. :)

Heavenly Father truly loves His missionaries.

Friends start seriously getting married at your year mark!

It's easy to remember your investigators, friends, zone members birthdays, but it's actually pretty hard to notice your own!

Being a missionary is one of the most awesome experiences ever.

In all things, be wise, and always wear a smile.

Buying small chocolate bars after a hard day is always a great idea.

Missionaries are the only people besides Mozart who can throw together a music night in less than 30 minutes.

Even though you're 20, you're still a kid at heart.

If you give your whole heart and will to The Lord, He can and will share that incredibly personal love he has for you.

It's still hard to NOT quote The Office as a missionary.

Although some days may leave you super confused and frustrated, being a missionary can bring you closer to your Heavenly Father and brother Jesus Christ than you ever thought before was possible.

Being an adult is gonna be AWESOME.

In all things, you have to have fun and love it!! :)

First off! I just want to say thank you all so much for the personal emails, and the incredible kindness and love you always share with me. I'm really so thankful to be apart of such an amazing family, and I'm really thankful for that love that is always shared in the home. :) It sounds like you guys are all doing way awesome, I'm so excited about all of the awesome things you're doing! Alexa I just want to say thank you so much for that awesome email, it seriously made my day. Love you so much, and I know I say it all the time, but thank you so much for helping and showing that love to the missionaries in your home ward. I know that they truly appreciate all you do for them, and you're storing up blessings for helping and loving them so much. :) Heavenly Father truly does have such a deep love of missionaries, and especially those that are loving and caring for them. Thanks so much for being so awesome.

Whit as well thank you so much for your email too! Wow, those pictures were seriously so pretty, and I'm so happy you're seeing such much good right now, attitude is seriously the key to everything! Just keep it up, and Seattle will be here before you know it!

Tyler, you're the man. :) Just want to say I really love you a ton man, and I just want to say again thank you so much for the incredible example you've always set for me in our years growing up. You've always been that example of humility and diligence to me, and I'm so thankful to have you as my brother. Love you man!

And Mom and Pops. :) I've been doing quite a bit of reflecting on these past 20 years, haha, and I just want to say thank you so much for everything. I really couldn't ask for any more amazing, hilarious, charitable, inspiring, spiritually solid parents. You've always taught me to be the best I can be, and also seek the Lord's will and timing. As well you've always shown me that perfect example of Christ-like love, and it's something I'm really so so thankful for. It's blessed and helped me so much as a missionary, and I'm so thankful to be your son. I'm way sorry about some of the trouble I gave back in the days, but I'm so thankful for the love and kindness you always share with me. At times it can be hard being so far away from you guys, but I know that during this time I'm just going to keep giving my whole focus and heart to this work, and then the reunion will be all the more awesome. I just want to say thank you so much, and know that I'm giving you all the world's most gnarly hug ever through this email.

This week was seriously way awesome! I'm super glad you enjoyed the music night videos! Funny story about that... That was 100% on the spot. Wing it? Yeah. Haha, so for family home evening they wanted to do a music night, and we all thought it would be super fun! Turns out they thought that the missionaries were going to take care of all of it, and we didn't learn this until the night before! It was seriously so intense, but through tons of heavenly help, it ended up being a great success! Lots of investigators came and attended, and the feeling was so great as we all sang songs and felt the spirit of the church together. Elder Shumway and I were talking recently, and we realized that as a missionary anything you set your mind to and work super hard to do well, it always works out! There definitely is a heavenly hand in all things as a missionary, and I definitely felt that at music night! But it was so great, and it was so cool to sing and play in public for the first time.

Other than that the Urawa 10 missionaries and Saitama East zone are looking great! We're just trying to do the best we can every day, and it's been so cool to see and feel the blessings Heavenly Father has been so abundantly giving us here in the Tokyo Japan mission. I feel so thankful every day to be serving here every day, and I'm so thankful for the changes and attributes that I've been really blessed to learn. I love this gospel so much, and I know that it is true. This past Sunday we had a YSA sacrament meeting here in Saitama stake, and we were able to attend with our investigator Teshi. President Dorff, the stake president, gave such an amazing talk on the power of the atonement and how it can erase every mistake, and turn every weakness into a strength. And I know that that is so true. I've felt it time and time again here as a missionary, and I'm so excited to keep striving to understand it more and more everyday. I love this gospel and I love this work so much. I'm so excited to be 20 and I'm so excited for these next 10 months out here in Japan! I love this work with all of my heart, and I'm so excited to keep going forward with faith! The gospel is true, the book is blue, and God loves you!!! Have an awesome week!

Love,
Elder Justesen

Tokyo Japan Week 56

Hello amazing family! Wow, I can't believe that in less than 10 days I'm going to be a 20 year old... That is so crazy! Time is really flying by so fast, but this week I'm feeling really so thankful for this incredible chance to be serving as a missionary here in the Tokyo Japan mission. :) Every day is changing my life so much, and I feel so strongly that those little rough edges are being smoothed out, and I'm so excited to keep striving to be the missionary, servant, and son of God that He really wants me to be. This week there were some seriously awesome miracles, and I'm so stoked to talk a little bit about them!!

First off I just want to say thanks so much for being the most amazing family, and always sending such amazing emails that build me up so much. Starting up a new area here near Saitama University and having ten missionaries in the area has been such an amazing blessing, but as well there definitely is that weight of responsibility, and sometimes it's super easy to feel so overwhelmed, but! I can always count on the love from home, and the incredibly kind words that push me forward and keep me striving to be the best missionary I can be. Just want to say thank you all so much, and I really do appreciate it so much. :) I'm so stoked for the birthday package! I know it's going to be so awesome, and I'm so thankful for the time and effort you put in to send me this awesome little piece of home.

It sounds like you guys are all doing super great by way! I'm so stoked to hear Whitney found a super (FASCINATING) job. ;) Haha, no but seriously, it sounds like such a great stepping stone into Seattle! It's all going to pay off so much Whit, just keep it up! I'm so so happy as well for how much you're making Heavenly Father a part of what you're doing. I promise that doing that will bless you so much, and he's really going to show that personal love he has for you. You're an awesome example to me of chasing the things we really want out of life, and you're inspiring me so much with your determination to do what's right, and follow the will of the Lord. So pumped for you! Thanks for all you do, and as always the awesome example you set for me.

Lexa sounds like things are going pretty great as well! Thank you again so much for all you do to help and bless the missionaries in your area, I know that they are so thankful for all of the love and kindness you show to them. As well, I know that as you seek to help out with them, Heavenly Father is going to bless you so much. Missionary work truly is one of the greatest gifts and opportunities we have as members, and I can say from experience, it'll change and bless your life! You're amazing, keep it up! :)

Tyler! Loving the bike, brother. Haha, I'm so excited for when we can ride together next year, it's going to be so awesome! It sounds like things are all going so well, and I'm praying for you every day. Thank you so much for the incredible example you set for me in serving a mission, and just being such an awesome older brother to me. Love you tons, man! 

Mom and Dad! Man... Just want to say I love you guys so much. :) Recently in Urawa we've been working a lot with the Hashimoto family, who are an awesome family with so much missionary fire. They actually have a son serving a mission in Kobe Japan, and it's so fun to see how they get so excited to share with us his pictures, emails, and his experiences, and it always gives me a little picture of what it must be like whenever the missionaries come by our house, haha. They remind me so much of our family as well, and Sister Hashimoto is such an amazing cook! Maybe not as good as you, but then again Japanese food and American food are very different. ;) I'm so thankful for the many many times we had the missionaries, and the incredible examples of service you always showed me. In being a Zone Leader I've really had to rely on that example you set for me, and the things that were taught in our home have blessed and strengthened me so much in this time in serving my mission.

This week was pretty busy, but overall so great! We had a Saitama Stake and Tokyo Stake Zone conference, and it was amazing to see 90 missionaries in this awesome Zone Conference! President and Sister Budge gave such awesome trainings on the power of love and charity in missionary work and in life in general. It was such a great opportunity to look at myself, and see more of the helper and more charitable missionary I want to be, but I'm so excited to keep going forward and doing all I can to change and improve each day. Recently I've been studying a lot from President Eyring's recent talk called The Priesthood Man, which talks a lot about the importance of being a Priesthood hero, and I've been learning so much from it. He talked about how we can focus on the three characteristics of the Priesthood hero, which are: a pattern of prayer, a pattern of service, and a rock solid determination to be honest. In focusing in on those three things this weeks, it's been so cool to feel the love of Heavenly Father, and really how striving to have those three characteristics can change so much of our daily attitude. It's been so awesome!

Well, I'm so excited for Urawa this transfer, and to just keep giving this work my whole heart. We're working really hard with our great friend Teshi, and he's looking great! It's been such an amazing blessing serving with Heavenly Father's children every day, and to witness the amazing miracles of this great gospel. I know that the foundations and principles taught in the this great gospel can truly change and bless the lives of all people and help us to realize and feel that we are literal children of our Heavenly Father. That he sent his son Jesus Christ to live and die for us, so that we could overcome all that seems unfair or wrong in this life. I love this gospel so much, and I love being a missionary so much! This short time has truly blessed and changed my life so much, and I'm so thankful for this chance to be serving here in the great country of Japan. Little by little each day I'm feeling more and more the truth that coming to this incredible country was decided long ago. It's a country I've really fallen in love with, and I'm so thankful for the incredible people here. I'm so excited for these next 9 months, and I'm especially so stoked for this coming Christmas! We've been talking a lot lately in the mission about what we will give Christ this Christmas, and I'm so excited to give Him all that I have. I'm so excited and so thankful for this chance to be a missionary, and I'm so thankful for the blessings Heavenly Father has given me every day of this special two years. I love you guys so much, and I'm so excited to keep going forward with faith! I miss you guys a ton especially around this time of year, but I know that pretty soon it's going to be such an awesome reunion, and I know that it's going to be a lot like Alma 27. :) I'm seeking to be a truly humble seeker of happiness! Haha, well anyways, I gotta get running, but I love you guys so much! Have an amazing week, and know I'm praying for you all every day by name! The book is blue, the gospel is true, and God loves you!! Have a gnarly week!

Love,
Elder Justesen

Tokyo Japan Week 55

Hello everyone, happy September 1st! We just finished up having an awesome P-day today, and it's definitely starting to feel like Fall again here in Japan! I seriously can't believe it's coming to that time of year again, but I'm so excited to keep working and giving my all to this great work. Just want to say... I love being a missionary! I'll admit I had a bit of a panic attack when I realized I've hit the single digits, but I know that as I stay focused, and have that focus on giving my whole heart and soul to this great work, it's going to be the most awesome 9 months ever. This week we saw some really amazing miracles, but one I wanted to share with Tyler today! So today while traveling home from a Costco in Koshigaya, I ran into a new friend named Jean! Jean is from São Paulo, and is seriously such an awesome miracle! So we were waiting at the station for our train and we went forward to talk to some people, and I started talking to Jean! He's about 22 years old, and three of his friends served faithful missions for our church. As well he met with missionaries many times, and he said he's always loved the Mormon lifestyle, and as well the missionaries that met with him. I just wanna say thanks so much for being such an awesome example in Brazil, and I just wanted to let you know that the example you set over there helped me out today. :) He had such a positive look on missionaries, and he said he's only ever attended the LDS Church, but when he went he seriously loved it, and he's so excited to come to our ward music night in the next week. He lives outside my area so we'll have to refer him to the other elders, but! It was such an awesome miracle, and I really feel like it was a really big thing running into him at the station. I spoke a little bit of Portuguese with him, and he was just a way cool guy. The whole time I just thought of my awesome older brother, and the example you've always set for me, thanks man. Love you! Eu não fallo Portuguese! Moito te amo!

Haha, but anyways, this week was pretty awesome, just getting started with the ten missionaries here in Urawa, but it's looking so great! I'm so thankful for the chance to be serving here in Urawa at this time, and I'm so thankful for the blessings Heavenly Father has given me in this short amount of time. With the ten missionaries, the Lord has already blessed us so much, and we're so stoked to keep seeing those awesome miracles. Being a missionary definitely has its ups and downs, and there's still so much I'm learning everyday, but I'm just so thankful to be here, and I'm so thankful for the opportunity the Lord has given me to change, and become more of the son and brother to others he wants me to be. 

It sounds like everyone is doing so great, and Whit I just want to say thank you so much for your amazing miracle! It really meant so much to me, and I promise, doing those things that you wrote will truly bless and guide your life. There's a great talk called The Fourth Missionary I'll try to send to you! It's a talk that really showed me the incredible importance of giving our whole will to the Lord, and fully trusting in him. I promise you that doing those simple things of reading and praying every day will create such an awesome pattern of receiving revelation in your life, and as well the life of your future family. If you can teach your future children this great truth, I know that they will make such an amazing difference in the world. There are so many things that can steal our focus in our lives, but we can't ever lose the focus on the Lord. Daily prayer is something I've become really so thankful for, and I know it will help so much! Start keeping a prayer book and asking Heavenly Father those questions directly, and then listen for the answer. Then write it down, and make sure to act! I'm sure you've seen the Hope of God's Light Mormon message! We've been using it quite a bit with our investigators, and just like he says in the video, action is that deciding factor. :) Love you so much, and I know Heavenly Father loves you to, you're onto such an awesome path I promise!

Lexa as well it sounds like things are going so great in San Fran! Just keep the faith, and I know that Heavenly Father is going to lead you. I know as you keep helping the missionaries as well, it's going to bring such an awesome amount of blessings in your life! You're such an awesome example to me of the member missionary I want to be after my mission, and I'm so excited to see what Heavenly Father has in store for you! You're going to be awesome!

Check out this sweet farmer's tan ;)

As well Mom and Dad it sounds like you guys are doing so awesome! I'm so excited to hear about the miracle business-wise! I know Heavenly Father is blessing you guys so much for the help you're doing with the young women and in the Gospel Principles class. :) as well here's a little note for the Tokyo Exchange Student!! こんにちは！カルフォニアにようこそ！結構ステキな所ですけどごめんね〜皆そんなに日本語に対しては上手じゃないんですがたくさん愛を持っているよぉ！なので、ぜひ彼らと共に凄く楽しい時間を過ごして下さい！たしかに、インアンオウトバーガーというレストランで食べないといけないんです！(^^) 私の面白い家族にお願いしたら彼らが喜んで連れていきま〜す。宜しくお願いします！^o^

Hope she can read my Japanese! Slowly it's getting there, but I love it so much. It's been such an amazing time learning the language, and just talking to the people. I hope she has a great time in California! 

Well I have get going to prepare for Zone Conference tomorrow, but I love you all so much! Thank you so much for all of the constant love and kindness you share, and I just want to let you know I love being a missionary with all my heart! This short time has changed my life so much, and I'm so excited to keep going forward with faith, soon to be 20! That seems so intense, but I'm so excited for what age 20 has in store. :) I love you guys so much, thanks so much for all you do, have an amazing week!!! 

Love,
Elder Justesen