Tokyo Japan Week 15

My companions! Elder Packer, left, and Elder Broadhead, middle.

Konnichiwa everyone! It's been another really awesome week here in Oyama, and I'm way stoked to write about some cool things that happened this week. But to first answer some questions! Mom, I really love your nativity Christmas idea! I'll try to pitch that to our Bishop here in Oyama, but I really think that is a good idea. During this Christmas season, we're really focusing on a lot of less active work, and bringing those great people back to Church. It's been a real blessing to go visit some of these great people, get to know them, and try to spark that fire back again in their lives. Christmas in Japan is definitely a little different than in the US, but! That same spirit of good will and love is still there, and we're excited to get going, and I think your idea will be a really big hit. I can't believe this transfer is almost over!! I'll be starting up transfer 4 really soon, and I can't believe I'll be 6 months into my mission already. That seems crazy! It's like Dad and Tyler said though, I really am starting to love my mission so much. I have since day one, but it's just starting to click now. The language is coming really well, and the Lord is blessing me so much everyday. We had a way awesome P-Day today, and I just did a lot of deep reflecting on these past few months, and I just felt really so grateful.

Oyama! I love this area.

I want you all to know that I love serving a mission with all my heart. I love being able to walk up to people and tell them I'm a missionary, and just share with them what I believe. Numbers don't determine success as a missionary, it really is your commitment to your service, and I needed to be more committed! I was focusing too much on the baptisms determining my success, and I realized today and throughout this week that the Lord has been blessing me so much in these past 5 and a half months. I feel really so much like a changed person, and I feel so much closer to my Savior Jesus Christ. He's given me so much, and He's given me this awesome opportunity to see miracles every day here in Japan. I love being a missionary!!!! Just wanted to say thank you so much for fasting for me this week, I really felt it, I can honestly attest to that. We saw so many incredible miracles this week, and when you said in your email you fasted this week, it just made sense. :) I love you guys so much! Thanks for being the greatest family ever. I love showing my investigators pictures of you all and telling them that my family is so happy because of this great Gospel, and I know that that is true. Just love being a missionary, haha.

A traditional Japanese meal in a traditional Japanese home! My knees sure hurt after.

Our investigators are doing really well this week! We found an awesome new investigator named Shachin who is just gnarly. He's from Nepal. loves Jack Johnson and Bob Marley, and is so sensitive to the Spirit. It's been a blast teaching him. We committed him to baptism today, and he asked us to give him a couple days to think and pray about it, and so now we're just trusting in the Lord. The Spirit really led our lesson today, and it was such a great experience. I feel seriously so blessed to kind of be the guide to bring people back to Heavenly Father and more fully feel his love for them in this life. Shachin just said he felt so good and peaceful after our lesson, and it was just really awesome. Our 17 year old investigator Shun is doing really awesome as well! It was so cool, his mom actually came by the church this week unannounced specifically at a time which we were there (Miracle right?) and told us how thankful she was to us for everything that we're teaching to Shun. She was so concerned that because he said he couldn't receive baptism right now, he wouldn't be allowed to come to church anymore. She was so happy to hear he could keep coming, and that we're still going to meet with him. We're really feeling that Shun is the gateway for his whole family to receive the Gospel, and come closer to Heavenly Father. We're just way stoked for him! He's such an awesome kid, and he and I have become tight the past couple transfers. That's honestly my FAVORITE thing about being a missionary! I get to just love everyone and talk to everyone. It's seriously the best, haha. 

We taught a lesson in Starbucks! Don't worry, it's hot chocolate. :)

Last week was just lame, and I was focusing too much on the things I wanted to happen, rather than looking at all the incredible things that the Lord has given me. First off, an amazing family!! Second, this awesome opportunity to be a missionary in Tokyo, Japan! He's given me the ability to speak Japanese! That's a miracle in and of it's self! I just want to testify that even when our lives feel like there's just so much we can't do, if we just take a few moments to look around at everything our Father in Heaven has given us, we'll realize we truly have so much. :) Although my time in Oyama isn't up yet, I feel really so blessed to come here and serve. But when I first got here to Oyama, there were hardly any investigators on the board, and finding was REALLY hard. However, if I leave it this transfer, I know that I have left this area better than when I arrived. There are so many awesome people to be taught, a ward that is stoked to do missionary work, and an area that has the Lord's trust. I feel really thankful to have been a part of that, and I know that Oyama will see baptisms so soon! Will I be here for them? That's up to the Lord, but I'm confident that they will happen here. It was an area that needed some tender care, and the Lord blessed me so much by letting me come here and help! I'm so thankful for all the awesome stuff that has happened here, and I LOVE BEING A MISSIONARY!

I love Japanese ramen and gyoza! And I've mastered slurping my noodles.

By the way, I was thinking a lot about the things I'm really thankful for this week, and I just have to say my FAMILY! I love you guys so so so much.Thanks so much for all of your prayers and seriously kind words. They mean so much to me. I feel it was just yesterday we would all crowd around the computer after doing some homework to see Tyler's email, and I know you guys are all doing the same for me... Except with iPhones and what not. Haha. Just know I'm so thankful, praying for you all everyday, and that I LOVE YOU SO MUCH! I'm really so happy to be here in Japan, and I'm way stoked to talk to you guys in about a month now! It's gonna be awesome, but please refrain from making fun of my Engrish, haha. Have an awesome week! I love you all so much! THE GOSPEL IS TRUE, THE BOOK IS BLUE, AND GOD LOVES YOU!

Winter in Japan. We get crazy fog!

その書いたが真実だと知ってます！本当に今週からいっぱい必要なことを学んで、あてはめて、与えて下さいましたので心から感謝いたします！私の心中で神様の愛を感じて、その感じて下ったことからすごくうれしく成りました。やっぱり、そのつらいことがあれば、いつも、神様は助けて下さいますよ！私の書いていることはそのしょこうですね？この福音を伝えてみせますよ！愛してますよ！いつも、あなたたちの助けに心からかんしゃもしあげます！じゃ、またね！

ジャステセン長老

Elder Justesen