Konnichiwa everyone! It's been a really awesome week here in Oyama! It's been another awesome week here as a missionary in Japan! Stoked to hear about Brigham's mission call, I totally called Europe! He'll be a way great missionary for sure. This week has been pretty awesome! Elder Packer and Elder Broadhead are seriously awesome missionaries, and they really carry the Spirit with them so well. Elder Broadhead has so much great faith and we are doing all that we can to see some great miracles! We're fasting tomorrow for the White Christmas that President Budge mentioned to all of you back home, so we're really excited to just go forward and keep working. The mission is getting together for a big Christmas party in a couple weeks actually! We are all going down for a two mission conference which is going to be so awesome, and after that we have a Christmas Party, so I get to spend my whole day in Tokyo! I'm stoked for that. Mom, thanks so much for all of your kind words in you letters, you always know just what to say to put a smile on my face! Dad, same goes to you, thanks so much for all of those nice words. But anyways, onto the week!
So this week was full of some amazing miracles, and a couple of things that were a little hard on the heart. I'd rather not go into a lot of detail why, but our awesome investigator Kazuo may have to be dropped. We found out the other night during our lesson that he has actually had two seperate families his whole life. Both families are now fully grown, have children of their own, but still have no idea about each other. Kazuo is breaking the law right now, so we had to kind of end our lesson and call President Budge. We called, and he told us that basically we should invite him to repent and change his ways, but if he says he won't, we have to set our focus elsewhere. It really broke my heart! Kazuo truly needs the Gospel so badly, and I know that his meeting with the missionaries 25 years ago and now us is no accident. I'm praying for him every day, and I know that whatever happens is the Lord's will for him. It was pretty rough on my heart, but I know that our meeting was not an accident, and that some sort of miracle will come from it.
Our other investigator Shun is doing so well! We're really focusing on him to see him baptized by the end of this transfer, and we can really feel the Lord helping us every step of the way. We went to go pick him up to come to church yesterday, and we finally were able to meet his mom! Shun has been a little hesitant to introduce us to his parents, but we finally met her, and it really went so well. She's such a nice women, and when we came to pick Shun up she was so excited for him to be going to Church. Shun had a great time at Church, and we know that if it 's the Lord's will, Shun will get baptized this transfer! So far no date set yet, but as we get the okay from his parents, we know he'll start progressing really quickly. He has such a strong desire to draw closer to his Father in Heaven, and I'm really thankful to be teaching him. He and I have really gotten so close over the past two transfers I have been here in Oyama, and I'm really so thankful to be his missionary! He's an awesome 17 year old kid, and I know that as he makes this covenant with Heavenly Father, his entire life will be changed from it. This Gospel has such a strong influence on everything that it touches, and I'm so thankful to be spreading it throughout the Japanese country.
The Lord has blessed us so much here in Oyama! This week we've been so blessed in our finding, we found 24 new people since Elder Packer and Elder Broadhead arrived! The Lord's trusting us with His prepared children, and we feel so lucky to be with them and teaching them. Being a missionary is seriously the greatest gift I have ever received. My Japanese is coming along and I know that the Lord is helping me everyday to become the missionary that He wants me to be. Every day His chipping off a little bit of the rough edges I used to have, and He's making me into the servant He needs me to be. I love this Gospel so much, and I'm so thankful to the incredible gift of prayer. It's blessed my life so much as a missionary, and it's such an awesome gift we've been given! I know that we can truly speak to our Father in Heaven at anytime, and anywhere, and that He will listen. His love for us is really infinite and no matter what we have down in our lives, we can always come before Him and make things right. The Savior's arms are always outstretched towards us, and He is always calling for us to come to Him and feel of that personal love He has for us. I testify that the Savior lives, and that He is so aware of our challenges. He knows them because He experienced them all in the Garden. He knows exactly what we feel, and is the perfect comforter in those times of pain and doubt. When we doubt ourselves, He is always there to cheer us on, and urge us to keep going with faith! I know that as we trust in His will, and go forward with faith, we will find so much peace and happiness in this life. I know that Joseph Smith was truly called of God to restore the Savior's full and infinite Gospel to the Earth once again, and the Book of Mormon is true evidence of that. Within those pages we can not only find guidance for our lives, but as well answers to the questions of our heart. Within the Book of Mormon we can fully understand our potential and as well all that the Lord desires to bless us with. I love this Gospel so much, and I'm so thankful to be a missionary here in Japan! Although some days are really hard, I love being a missionary so much. I know that this is where the Lord wants me at this time, and that miracles are happening around us everyday! I love this message, and I'm so excited to share it everyday!! The Gospel is True, the Book is Blue, and God Loves You! Have an awesome week!! I love you all so much!!
私はこの福音が真実だと知っています！
-Elder Justesen
ジャステセン長老
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