Tokyo Japan Week 68

Hello Awesome Family!

A view from our apartment!

Wow, I can't believe it's already 2 weeks until Christmas! This December is flying by really so fast, but it's been really so amazing. I'm so excited and thankful for this great opportunity to be serving as a missionary during this special Christmas season, and especially for the chance to be sharing about the true meaning of Christmas. I'm sure you guys have heard all about the "He is the Gift" campaign, it's been going so amazing here in Japan! Missionaries and members are sharing it so much, and it's been so amazing to see the miracles that are coming from sharing that true special meaning of Christmas! I love serving as a missionary with all my heart, and I'm so thankful for this chance to be serving here in Tokyo Japan. I love it!!

Beshounuma Park

Well it sounds like you guys are all doing so awesome! I'm so thankful to hear of the great blessings Heavenly Father is raining down on our family, and I'm so thankful for all of the great things happening! As well I just want to say thank you guys so much for all of the prayers and kind words you always share with me. Recently I was reviewing my setting apart blessing, and there's a portion that talked about being able to feel the prayers that are in my behalf, and I have definitely felt that this week. I'm so thankful for the power of prayer, and the incredible role it is playing right now here in Urawa. Next week will be transfers, and I'm nervous as I'm more than likely heading out of Urawa! It's been an amazing 4 transfers here, and I'm so excited to keep going forward with faith! This past week was pretty busy, but there were also so many amazing miracles as well! I'm really excited to talk about some of them!

Recently we had Mission Leadership Council, and it was really such an awesome learning experience! The sisters of my district in the MTC will actually be heading home next week, and many of them were at this meeting. It was so awesome to see how much we've all grown and increased in faith, and it made me feel so thankful for the amazing people I've had the chance to be serving alongside. There really was such an awesome spirit of unity and love in my MTC district, and although I'm seriously blown away they're heading home, it's been such an awesome experience serving with so many great examples. Speaking of amazing examples, my trainer Elder Hamada is going to become a father right before I come home! I got some information this week that his first baby will be born in May! How incredible is that? It's amazing to see how much things can change in a year and a half! Haha. But anyways, just wanted to share that. :) As well at the Mission Leadership Council, President Budge mentioned he's going to send a lot of the Zone Leaders in that room back to serving as normal missionaries, as he really wants to start training new Zone Leaders, as well as building up for the next great group of missionary leaders. I'm pretty sure that means I might get a break! Haha, it's been such an amazing experience serving as a Zone Leader for the past year, and I'm so excited to go wherever the Lord needs me. I've definitely come to know that serving as a missionary, leadership or no leadership, is the most amazing gift ever, and I'm so thankful for this chance to keep serving wherever the Lord needs me. I love being a missionary so much! It's been the most amazing life changing experience ever, and this week has been especially amazing!

Brother Futoshi's interview

Brother Futoshi had his baptismal interview this past Saturday, and it was such an amazing spiritual experience. He came down the stairs, and when he gave the thumbs up that the interview went great, he burst into tears of joy. He's been searching so diligently to find this answer, and feel that reality of the faith he holds, and it just came full circle the other day. I'm so thankful for Brother Futoshi, and it was such an honor to just give him a big hug as he cried. It's going to be such an amazing service on the 20th, and I know he is someone the Lord has been preparing for such a long time. It's been such an amazing miracle to see how much he has grown in the past 6 months, and I'm so excited for him! As well Brother Han Bing is looking so amazing for the 28th! Brother Han is such an amazing miracle! He attended our English class, said he felt a warm feeling in the church, attended on Sunday, set a baptismal date on that first lesson, and know he's looking so great! Thank you so much for the prayers in his behalf, he's looking so great! Every time we teach him, he's already testifying concerning that lesson, and says things like, "in our church, in our religion, with our belief in God," etc. This past transfer has taught me so much that Heavenly Father will truly do His work, and we just need to give our best effort, and do all we can to be obedient to His will. It's been so amazing! And lastly there's the amazing Matsuhashi Family! I'll write more about them soon, but they've been such an amazing blessing in our life. I love serving in Urawa!

The Matsuhashi family!

But all in all it's been another amazing week having the greatest calling in the world! Serving as a missionary has been the most incredible life changing experience ever, and one I'm truly so thankful for. Today during the temple, I just felt such a strong thankfulness for this chance to be serving, and I'm so excited to keep going forward with faith, and give this work every effort I have! I love this work with all of my heart, and I'm especially thankful for my amazing family, and the incredible examples they set for me. Ever since a young age, you all have always shown me the man and son, father, husband, everything I want to be, snd I'm so thankful for that. One last cool thing! We had a Christmas concert at the mission home, and I got to perform with my great friend Daisuke and Elder Hansen! It was such an amazing experience, and one I'll never forget. We performed Silent Night, and it was such an awesome experience! The Lord has truly been so kind and loving to me, and I'm so excited to go forward with faith! It's been an amazing ride, and the wave is still going! It's gonna be an amazing Christmas. :) Talk to you guys in a couple weeks! Love you!

Love,
Elder Justesen