Tokyo Japan Week 89

Me and Brother Hide

With Elder Templin 

Hello amazing family! It's been another really awesome first week of the transfer, and Heavenly Father has really been blessing us so much here in Urayasu! It's also so awesome to be working with Elder Adachi, he's seriously such a great companion, and he's already really teaching me so much during our time together. The members absolutely love him, and the investigators we are working with as well are all doing so great with him! It's been such a huge peace of mind, and I feel so confident it's totally going to be okay when I head out next transfer. It's going to be such an awesome time, and I'm so thankful and excited to be working here in Urayasu!

Basketball with Ura San

Us with Tsukushi

It sounds like everyone is doing so awesome as well! Again I just want to say that thank you guys so much for always showing me so much love and kindness, I truly do appreciate it so so much. :) It's always so awesome every Monday to hear from all of you (most of the time, haha) and always the kind loving words you all share really do motivate me so much, and really leave me with a great desire to do better each day, and serve with all of my heart. I love being a missionary so much! Last week one of my great friends from Urawa Brother Hide Yagi came to Urayasu to visit me! He went to the temple a couple months back, and he's now received the Melchizedek Priesthood! It was so awesome to see him and talk to him again. I was able to teach him a few times right after he was baptized, and we really became such great friends in Urawa! It made me so thankful to be a missionary, and I'm so thankful that this work truly goes on forever.

With Gary from Hong Kong!

Exercise class

One kind of bummer this week though was that Shohei and I won't be able to go to the temple together while in here in Japan. His Bishop in Kyoto feels he needs to wait until December, and Shohei was so crushed. He called me on the phone and was so sad, and he had just been in tears most of the day because he was so eagerly anticipating entering the temple. I of course was so bummed as well, but we had such a great conversation on the phone about God's plan for all of us, and how sometimes the plan takes some unexpected turns and trials, but it will always lead to true happiness, and there is always a reason behind every trial. He told me thank you, and we had such an awesome talk together just about how happy we are to be best buds here in Tokyo. Although it makes me so sad that I won't be able to enter the temple with him as a missionary, I know there's a reason behind this, and I'm so exited to keep in contact with my awesome brother, Shohei Yoshida. :) He and my trainer Elder Howard might actually be coming to my homecoming! I know whatever happens is what the Lord wants, and I'm just so thankful to keep striving my best to align with His will. I love serving as a missionary!

Our friend Gary

Chin and the Etou family

But anyways! Our investigators are doing so great here in Urayasu, and Elder Adachi is such an awesome companion. He's from Bountiful Utah, and he's full Japanese. His mom lived in Hawaii for a really long time, so he's really got a strong Hawaiian vibe, and it's looking like it's going to be such an awesome transfer! Heavenly Father has truly been so good to me throughout these past 2 years, and I feel just so thankful at this time to be His servant. Not every day has been easy, and some days have been so hard, but I wouldn't give this up for anything in the world. My time serving as a full time missionary has completely changed my life, and is continuing to leave me with a strong desire to follow my Savior, do what is right, and do all I can to live my life in the way that the Lord desire me to. I love this work so much, and I especially love my family! With Mother's Day coming up so soon, I've just been feeling so thankful to my amazing mother. Mom, you really are a super hero, and I love you so much! I'm so thankful for your incredible example of love, kindness, and patience in trials. You've truly taught me so much, and all that is good about me, which isn't too much haha, but I owe all of that to you. I love you so much, and so excited to talk with you next week!

Us with the Etou family

At the Sibata's home in Tsukushi

Elder Kondo and I at the temple

Please know I'm praying for all of you everyday! It's getting closer and closer to us all being reunited again, but I'm so excited to stay focused and give every effort to this amazing work. I love my Tokyo Japan, and I love serving as a missionary so much! Talk to you all next week! The book is blue, the gospel is true, and God loves you!! Also! I'm going to be calling this Monday at 10:00 AM Japan time! So that would be sometime Sunday evening in America! So excited to talk to you guys!

Love,
Elder Justesen