Hello most awesome and amazing family in the world!!! Okay... So this email is going to be pretty short, and I'm so sorry! But! I'm staying in Tsukuba another transfer as Zone Leader, and I'm training a new zone leader! I'm really so stoked for this opportunity to serve again as a zone leader. It's gonna be gnarly. So right now we are in the midst of transfer planning, and we had a zone p day today where we went to the world's largest Buddha statue in the world! Look up DaiButsu in Ushiku City. Pretty awesome, I'll send some pictures!
All and all doing pretty great, but feeling a little sick today. The heat has been pretty gnarly here recently, but it's all good, and I'm getting a sweet tan again! So excited to be a missionary, and I can't believe it's been one year now!! I feel like yesterday I was being dropped off at the MTC, but boom! Here we are one year later. I love this gospel so much, and I'm so thankful to have such an amazing family! Thank you so much for all you do, and please know I appreciate every letter. Your encouraging words really push me on on those rough days, and I'm so thankful to have been blessed with such an amazing family. :)
Also Whittenshire HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!! I'll try to send something to ya if I can, and I'll be shooting you and Tyler two awesome personal letters next week! Please know I love you so much, and you're my hero! Sounds and looks like Iceland was amazing! Keep going for those dreams, and know that Heavenly Father is so eager to bless you as you keep his commandments. He loves you a lot!
But anyways, have an amazing week!!! I love you guys so much, and I'm so excited for the next package coming soon! Promise I'll be writing more next week, again so sorry! Also! Hope it's okay if I pick up a couple of white shirts, my shirts from this winter and last summer are pretty thrashed... Sorry! Won't spend too much though. :) Have an awesome week, I love and am praying for you always!
Love,
Elder Justesen (Devister McGee)
Monday, June 2, 2014
Monday, May 26, 2014
Tokyo Japan Week 41
Hello most awesome family in the world!!
It's been another really awesome week here in Tsukuba, and I'm so stoked to talk about some of the great miracles we were able to see this week. So! First off, this is a long transfer, so still no transfer calls, but next week I will find out! I'm really hoping to stay another transfer here in Tsukuba, it's really been such an amazing area, and I really love it so much. It's an area I really feel like I've grown so much in, but I'm really excited to just go forward this last of week of the transfer, and just give it all I have. We had the awesome opportunity to have Elder Quentin L. Cook and Elder Joseph Maynes come and tour our mission! It was so awesome to hear their love, feel of their faith and desire, and just learn so much from these great men. Sorry I didn't mention it sooner! I heard somewhere we weren't supposed to tell anybody until after the conference, but it was really so amazing! It was combined mission conference with Tokyo South and I was able to see my old MTC companion Elder Scott! It really made me so happy to see him again, and we had so much fun talking and reminiscing about the MTC. I can't believe that the year mark is coming up! Missionary life has started to become such a normal thing, but I love being a missionary with all my heart, and I'm so thankful to be in such an amazing mission. Elder Cook spoke a lot about the mission decision process when they see our pictures and gain that revelation where we should be called to serve, and it really made me feel so thankful to be a missionary here in Tokyo Japan. I love Japan and the Japanese people so much, and I'm so thankful to be here spreading this great news of the Gospel.
Also Mom! I received the first package, and I seriously love it! I wore the tie to the combined mission conference, and I absolutely love the shirt! Thanks so much for sending a piece of home to me, and please know I appreciate the time you took to make that package for me. :) You and Dad sound so busy this summer, and I'm really thankful for the time you took to make me feel that love of home. Thanks Mamma, you're awesome. :) I'm so stoked for package two!! And Alexa I'm so pumped to hear you got that job!!! I was gonna send you a personal letter saying I was praying and fasting for you, but I'm so glad you got that job! I know that the Lord loves you so much, and he's so happy to bless you at this time. Keep being awesome, and tell me about the job and what you'll be doing! Tyler it sounds like Europe was amazing man! I'm way glad you had such a great time, and especially that you weren't "Taken"! That would be crazy lame. Haha, but it sounds like a trip you'll always remember, and I'm really glad you're making some awesome memories man. Love you! And Whit, holy goodness Iceland!! All of those pictures you sent were so crazy pretty, I was so blown away. I have a new goal to go and visit Iceland someday, I'm so happy you got to go on such an incredible trip, and I know it's one you'll remember for the rest of your life. Thanks for being such an awesome example to me of going for the things you desire in life, and just for being so awesome. You're my hero Whit!
But anyways, recently I've been really thinking a lot about this time as a missionary, and really trying to follow Dad's advice and put down on paper those things that have been learned so far in this time as a missionary. It really has been such an amazing experience, and one I'm really so thankful for. Today was such an awesome p day because we were able to visit a recent converts family today, and they were so thankful to meet the missionaries, and although they aren't church members, they loved the Spirit that was able to be there in the simple message we shared about families. After that we were able to grab some dinner with Tugs and his other sumo wrestling friend named Rekishi, and they both were so excited to learn about the Book of Mormon, and learn about that eternal happiness that can be found in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. As well this week my AWESOME friends Shohei came all the way to Tsukuba to visit me! He's such an awesome friend, and I'm really so thankful for they chance I got to meet him here as a missionary. We started talking after English Class, and he said some really nice things that really made so thankful for this opportunity, and especially to the changes it has brought to my life. Elder Sakamoto and I were riding here to the church, and I just felt such a strong thankfulness to this special time of being a missionary, and I'm so thankful for all of the miracles that Heavenly Father has blessed me with during this time as a missionary. I have a testimony that the atonement of Jesus Christ is so real, and is such an amazing gift that we have in our lives. No matter the mistake. No matter the person. No matter the situation. We can all truly change and become the person The Lord has always wanted us to become. I'm still really full of mistakes, and definitely had to do some repenting this week, but I'm so thankful for this time as a missionary, and the changes it has brought in my life. I love this Gospel with all my soul and I'm so thankful to have been blessed with such an amazing family that has taught me the importance of being a missionary since I was very little. I love you guys so much, and know I pray for you all every day by name. :) I can't believe it's just about 1 year until we're all back together again, but I'm so thankful for this time, and I wouldn't want to be anywhere else in the world right now. I love you guys so much, have an awesome week!!! がんばろうジャステセン家族！
Love,
Elder Justesen (DR.J)
Tuesday, May 20, 2014
Tokyo Japan Week 40
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Hello awesome family! It's been another really awesome week here in Tsukuba, but today is another "not tons of time to write" day! Super sorry... But I just wanted to say thank you so much for making that mother days call so special! It was seriously so great hearing from all of you, even though Tyler was calling from the bathroom... Love you man. ;) haha, but I really felt such a strong feeling of thankfulness to have such an amazing family, and I just want to say I love you! I really miss you guys so much, but I'm so so so thankful to be here as a missionary, and I'm so thankful to all of the love and support you show me. Today we had the opportunity to attend the temple, and I really found myself just thinking about that incredible power within the family. I know that Heavenly Father has blessed our family so much, and I'm so thankful to have such an awesome family!
After temple day, Elder Howard and I were able to go with the missionaries in Oyama and go grab lunch with our old investigator, Shun! Shun was the young 17 year old teenager who really loved skateboarding and music. He's recently been battling depression pretty hard because of some bullying at school, but he was so excited and beaming with such good light as he came to the temple today. It really confirmed that testimony that Heavenly Father lives and loves us so individually. Shun has been able to find that small family amongst the missionaries and this church, and it was just such an awesome opportunity to see and show some love to him today. I'm really so thankful for the people that the Lord has let me meet here in Japan. :) Shun is such an awesome kid who has blessed and changed my life a lot, and I'm really thankful that he's doing great and meeting with the missionaries still!
Well rain season has officially started in Japan, and it's raining way hard, but it's so awesome and pretty! I've got some really great rain gear, so no worries whatsoever. :) I'm so thankful to be in a place so awesome like Japan! At the temple the Spirit was just so strong, and I felt really so blessed to be serving in such an amazing country. Of course it's not always easy, but this experience has changed my life so much, and I'm so thankful for every blessing, trial, and especially the miracles. The other day we saw such an amazing miracle! We were heading home from the temple, and we missed a couple trains, had to pick up some things in Tokyo, and eventually we were heading back. Our train pulled up, and the car that stopped right in front of us had my favorite Sumo wrestler inside! In was Tugs!! We sat down next to him, talked some more, and set up another appointment to meet soon. Of all the trains in Tokyo, a city of 13 million people, we catch the same train as Tugs. Seriously such an awesome miracle!
It sounds like you are all doing so great, and that seriously makes me so happy! Sounds like everyone is having fun all over the world, haha, and I'm glad you're all safe! Whit, seriously those pictures from Iceland are AMAZING! I'm still telling everyone that you are chilling (haha) in Iceland, and I'm really so proud of you! You've really done such amazing things with your talent of photography, and I'm so proud of you! You saw the dreams you wanted to achieve, and you just went for it, and I know that the lord is really blessing you so much. Keep it up! :) and Tyler I'm way stoked for you too man! I hope you're enjoying Europe, but remember your British Lady is waiting for you at home. ;) Way jealous, but you know motors aren't everything, missionary bikes are pretty gnarly too.
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Over all it's been such an awesome week, and really so many great miracles. I always love going to the temple, and just having that spiritual boost to keep going forward with all I've got. :) This week I've had a lot of opportunities to really get on my knees and pray fervently, as well as repent for those mistakes that I've made, and it's really strengthened that testimony that Heavenly Father loves us all so personally, and as we pray to Him, He truly hears our prayers. I know this gospel, and I love being a missionary with all my heart. I can't believe the first year is coming up!! It seems so crazy, but I'm so thankful to be hear, and I'm especially thankful to my amazing family. Love you guys so much, keep the faith and have an awesome week!! Love you guys!
Love,
Elder Justesen
P.S. Mom I'm so stoked for those packages! Thank you so much!!
Monday, May 5, 2014
Tokyo Japan Week 39
Good morning everyone!! Okay... I'm way sorry about last week! I felt seriously way bad sending off such a short letter but that's life I guess, haha. But we saw a super awesome miracle! Let me explain.
So last week we had our really great investigator Dhani call us up randomly on Monday and said he wanted to meet that night. So we thought we would have time to email after that lesson, but it ended up going a little long because Dhani had something he wanted to tell us. So Dhani is 20 years old, and has been meeting with the missionaries for 3 years, and he's truly been so prepared by the Lord. Elder Dunbar and I worked so hard with him, and then he went to Indonesia and it was a little different when he came back. Back that Monday he told us that he's just very tired and he wants to make that decision to be baptized once and for all. So! He's asking us to give him 4 super lessons, last one being tomorrow, and he said he will then make his decision to be baptized or take a break. So pretty heavy stuff, but! We prayed and prayed, and we felt such a strong confirmation that this is going to be a major turning point in Dhani's life, so we started prepping for these lessons! Dhani is looking really so great, and the other day he was asking me all about what he would have to do if he wanted to become a missionary. He really loves missionaries so much, and he stayed for all three hours of church yesterday, so he's looking really so great! Dhani has been standing between the lines of commitment for so long, and it was such an awesome miracle to see him become so determined and heartfelt about receiving that answer from the Lord. We've encouraged him to fast, pray, and just really open his heart to the Lord about how he is feeling, and we'll see how it all works out tomorrow night! It's big stuff, but I know that the Lord is proud and happy for Dhani. Dhani is actively seeking the Lord, and I know that the Lord will bless him as he does this. Keep Dhani in your prayers!!
So I really apologize so much about the short letter, but it was so awesome to see Dhani start progressing like that. As well this week, Brother Bel received the Aaronic Priesthood! Bel is seriously awesome, and it's been so awesome helping teaching the after baptism lessons, and just seeing his faith growing. He's such an awesome man, and such an awesome miracle to have met and be teaching him. He strengthens my testimony so much whenever we meet him, and it really makes me so thankful to be a missionary.
It sounds like you guys are all doing so awesome!! Tyler have a blast in Europe! Fly safe and don't be Taken okay? Haha, stay safe! I'm so excited to talk to you guys this coming weekend!!! I'm so excited to answer some questions and see how everyone is doing! I love you guys so much, and it's gonna be such a sweet reunion over Skype! Oh! So I remembered Mom said something a package coming my way soon and I just wanted to ask for a couple things if that's okay! 1: maybe some more p-day t shirts? Some of those Arbor shirts would be so awesome! As well as any other of my old t shirts would be great! The ones I have are great, but I could maybe use some more. :) plus! It's always awesome getting some of those old clothes from home! 2: if you could maybe toss in one pair of normal shorts that would be awesome as well! We're getting close to summer in Japan now, and it's really starting to warm up, so some normal p day shorts would be awesome as well. 3: okay! So there is a cd that tons of missionaries here have called the Lower Lights? Apparently it's a cd collection of church hymns covered into indie awesomeness, and I'd really love to have that cd! You can't buy it here in Japan, but apparently you can find it in the U.S.! It's way good music that I'd really love! 4: anything else you'd love to throw in there! Pictures, letters, cards, candy, anything would seriously be so appreciated. :) I always get so stoked when I get a package from home, and I really appreciate you sending me packages so often here. It really means so much to me, thank you so much!
So as well this week we had Mission Leadership Council, and it was pretty sad because it's my trainer Elder Burgin's last transfer here! He's still got a few weeks, but he and I talked for a while, and I really felt so thankful to have had such an awesome trainer. It's so true that as missionaries the Lord is always preparing us to meet His prepared children, but just as well Heavenly Father is always preparing people in our own lives that will truly change us. And that's really what my trainers were for me, and I'm really so thankful to have had such an awesome trainer like Elder Burgin. He and I were kind of freaking out because he was about transfer 8 or 9 when he picked me up from the mission home, and now I'm about the same place!! Time seriously flies by so fast as a missionary, but I'm so grateful for every moment here as a missionary, and I'm so excited to keep going forward and giving this work my all. It's not always easy, and some days you really feel like you've given you're absolute best, but sometimes the results come slow... But they do come. Heavenly Father loves us all far too much to ever let us fall, and He is constantly with us as we do all we can to follow His will and His son Jesus Christ. Especially at this 1 year mark coming up pretty soon... I took Dad's challenge and I've started collecting those things I've learned so far, and just experiences I've loved, and it's but such an incredibly humbling experience. A mission will change the course of your life forever, and make you into the person the Lord has always wanted you to be. Therein truly is the power of the Atonement, and it's something I'm so thankful for. I can still so clearly remember those first few days at the MTC just not knowing what was going to happen, wondering if I could ever learn Japanese, or most importantly if I would be a good servant of Christ... but the Lord has that power to cleanse, heal, and make us new. I'm so thankful to be a missionary. :)
I'm also super thankful for my awesome family!! Yesterday we had a Cinco De Mayo party at the Davis' house here in Tsukuba, and I can't lie, I may have gotten just a little bit homesick! Haha, their son just got back from his mission about 6 months ago, and the family is so much like ours at that time when Tyler had just got back from his mission. It's always so strange but awesome being around a family from the United States, and it just made me so thankful for the awesome family I was blessed to be with. I seriously love you guys so much, and I'm so thankful for everything that you do for me every day. :)
Well I'll leave some space for us to talk next week which I'm so stoked for!! I was thinking maybe 12 o'clock Monday my time, which I think would be Sunday evening at 8 your time? If that's cool that would be awesome! Monday is p day here, so it'd be nice to talk to you guys on that day, but whenever is good for you! I'm so excited to talk to you all, especially to the most Gnarly Mom in the world! Love ya Mom. :) I'm way excited to praise and compliment you to the point of annoyance! As well, I'll probably be wearing one of sweet short sleeve white shirts... Prepare for the Gun Show. Tokyo Japan style. And by Tokyo Japan style, I mean 16 hour time difference and on a little screen... Haha. But anyways! If that time is okay, let's go for it! If not, try to write me back soon and tell me! I hope Tyler can join us too, I'd love to say hello and talk to him too! Love you man! Saw tons of Skylines today and thought all about you!
Well I'm seriously so excited to talk to you guys, and I hope everything is going great! Thank you so much for all you do, and know that I'm always praying for you every day by name. I know that this Gospel is true, and that through the Savior Jesus Christ, we can all start again and strive to become who the Lord has always wanted us to be. I love being a missionary so much, and I'm so thankful to be here in Japan! Today marks 11 months, and I'm so excited to keep going strong! Love you guys so much, talk to you next week!!
Love,
Elder Justesen
Monday, April 21, 2014
Tokyo Japan Week 37
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| Bel's baptism |
So this week Bel was baptized!! It was seriously so awesome, and such a strong faith builder knowing that Heavenly Father is truly preparing all of His children to hear the Gospel. We met Bel just about 2 months ago, just walking on our way to the train station, and we stopped to talk to him. He couldn't speak a huge amount of English or Japanese, but he recognized the name of Jesus Christ and wanted to learn more. I was really lucky with the opportunity to baptize him on Saturday morning, and Elder Sakamoto was able to confirm him on Easter Sunday. Seriously an awesome Easter weekend. Bel is such an amazing person, and I feel really so blessed to have met him. He's really changed my life, and I feel really so blessed to have been able to share the Gospel with him. The church is very small in Nepal, but Bel is going to be such an awesome church member! He's so excited to receive the Priesthood soon, and we're way excited to just keep meeting with him now as Brother Shrestha. :)
Just want to also say this week how thankful I am to my awesome family! Whit I really loved your email this week! It was so cool to hear about your trip down to Alaska, and hear how much you were able to share your faith with Grace and Austin, and just have an awesome week with them! Seriously those pictures are so awesome!! Haha, my companion was checking them out and he was freaking out at how pretty the mountains are. ;) as well Lex! Thanks so much for being such an awesome ward missionary. I promise that missionary appreciates what him did for him so much! It's those little things from the ward that help a missionary really feel like he's worked hard in that area, and that little going away party definitely meant a lot to him. I promise that! Tyler thanks so much for your email as well man! I really loved the pictures, and you're seriously looking way good! Sounds like you're having tons of fun in Provo, thanks for always being such an awesome example to me. I know if I can be a missionary half as devoted as you were, I think I'll be doing okay, haha. Really though, you really set that example to me of being a missionary that is always obedient, and I'm really thankful for that. A really awesome missionary serving in the Portuguese branch here in our mission just went home this week, and I got to talk to him for a while at temple day, and he really reminded me a ton of you. You're awesome Tyler! I really love you a lot man, and I'm so thankful for that awesome example you set for me all growing up. :)
Mom and Dad! Just want to say thanks. :) I did think about you guys a ton this past Sunday because it was Easter, and I really just wanted to say thanks so much for everything you do for me, and did for me as a teenager. You always were such amazing examples of positivity and love, and as well you always relied on the Lord. I'm really so thankful for that example you showed me, and for always guiding me along that right path. I'm sorry I wasn't always the best son I could have been, but I'm really excited to just repent and strive to change as much as I can as a missionary. :) This time is really so precious, and I can see now every day those moments when you would say, "hey this will help you when you are on your mission!" Those little experiences really are helping me so much everyday, and I'm so thankful for all the awesome things you've done for me. :) I love you guys!
All in all it was a really awesome week! Pretty stressful with transferring, but all in all it was an awesome miracle-filled week. The Lord has really blessed me so much here as a missionary in Tokyo, and I'm so thankful to be here! This short time has really changed my life so much, and I feel so thankful to here. :) Of course there are times when it's hard, you wish things would go differently, but I've loved this time being a missionary with all my heart. I'm so thankful for this time, and for the really awesome miracles the Lord has blessed me with. It's really changed my life so much, and I'm so thankful for that! I love His Gospel so much, and I'm so thankful for this chance to be a servant in the vineyard, here in Japan preaching the good news. I love you guys so much!!! Thanks so much for all that you do, have an awesome week!!
Love,
Elder Justesen
Monday, April 14, 2014
Tokyo Japan Week 36
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| Ward Family Night! |
Hey everybody, happy Easter! It was really such an awesome time in Japan last week, and conference was really so amazing!! Seriously, I was so blown away by the power, and the boldness of the conference, and I really enjoyed it! It really reminded me that really important need we have of standing for the truth, and standing for what is right. There are a lot of gray areas in the world right now, but I know as we look to the Savior, we can find those things that are truly right. I'm really thankful to be a missionary right now and be really focusing on those things that are truly so important. This week Bel is set to be baptized, and I'm going to be here for it! We got our transfer calls today, and Elder Sakamoto and I are still gonna kick it in Tsukuba another transfer. :) I'm way excited, and I'm really thankful to have such an awesome companion like Elder Sakamoto. He's really taught me so much about truly following the Spirit, and really relying on that power from the Lord. The Spirit is such an incredible gift that the Lord has given us, and I know that as we heed those gentle tugs from the Holy Ghost, we'll be guided to those things that the Lord really wants us to do, and most importantly what He's always intended for us to become. I love this gospel so much, and I'm so excited to go forward this transfer! Especially cause I'll be able to talk the MOST AWESOME MOM IN THE WORLD! I'm so stoked to talk to you Mom and the whole family! It's gonna be such an awesome experience, and I'm so excited to talk to you all again. :) Time is really picking up speed, which is pretty scary, but I love being a missionary so much, and I'm so thankful for this time to be a missionary. These short 10 months have seriously changed my life so much, and I'm so thankful for all of the incredible miracles that the Lord has blessed me with here in Japan. Not every day is super easy, but this time has been such an awesome miracle in my life, and one I'm really so thankful for.
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| Elder Dunbar and I with the Sakura trees |
It sounds like you all are doing so well! I was so stoked to hear about Mom and Dad reading from Preach My Gospel together! As a missionary, I want to challenge you all to just take a little time download it on the gospel library app, and give it a read! I'll do some follow up. ;) I know that Preach My Gospel really isn't just a book for full time missionaries, but for all who enjoy this great gospel, and as well seek to share this great message with those around them. Within the pages, there are so many incredible teachings and promises that can truly bless our lives so much. My life has been so changed by those chapters, and I know that we can find so much direction from the simple principles that are continually taught in Preach My Gospel. I love you guys so much, and I'm really so thankful to have an awesome family is so excited to share the gospel. :) Alexa, just want to say thank you so much for helping out your missionaries in your ward so much recently. I promise you, it really means so much to them, and they'll continually pray for you. I know because that's what happens here in Tsukuba. On Sunday morning, we were trying to find a place to go with our investigator Cho to watch conference, and the Davis family in our ward invited us to come to their home and watch there, and it was really such an incredible miracle. It brought the spirit so strong, and our investigator Cho to have an amazing spiritual experience. Member missionaries are really so amazing, and I am so sure all of those missionaries are way thankful for all that you do! Thanks for being awesome. :)
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| Elder Sakamoto being classy |
Overall this week has been really so awesome, and the Lord has really blessed us so much here in Tsukuba. Especially with Bel! He's looking so awesome for this Saturday, and we're so excited for him! He's been such an amazing miracle here in Tsukuba, and it's really shown me how much the Lord prepares His children in every country, at all times. I feel so blessed to be teaching Bel, and I'm really so thankful for his strong faith and great desire to follow the example of the Savior and be baptized. He's been reading the Book of Mormon every day, and he even looked up some of general conference on his phone! The language barrier can be pretty hard sometimes, but with teaching and being around Bel it's really strengthened my testimony in the fact that there is a language that has no bounds and can be taught to everyone, and that's the Spirit! Bel's such an awesome man, and I'm so thankful to know this great man, and I feel so grateful to have been able to teach him!
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| Elder Sakamoto, Bel, and I at the Sakura trees! |
Well since it's transfer week, I don't have a huge amount of time to write, but I just want to say I love you guys so much!! I'm really so thankful for all of your love, kindness, and especially prayers. I really do feel them everyday, and you guys everyday push me to improve and try to do my best as a missionary. Time is going way quick, but I'm so thankful and so excited to be a missionary! I know this gospel is true, and I know that the atonement really can change lives. I've really come to feel that as a missionary, and I'm so thankful for that gift. With Heavenly Father anything is possible, and we can all change and enter that path that the Lord has always intended for us. He loves us more than we can understand, and he wants us to truly find happiness in this life. I know that's true!! The gospel is true, the book is blue, and God loves you!!! Have an awesome week!
Much Love,
Elder Justesen
Monday, April 7, 2014
Tokyo Japan Week 35
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| Sakura trees in full bloom! |
Hello everyone!! It's been another seriously gnarly week here in Tsukuba, and today was temple day! I was so stoked to be able to go this transfer, and it was really such an awesome experience. I always feel so blessed to be in a mission where we have that awesome opportunity to go to the temple every six weeks, and it was exactly the spiritual refresher that I needed. This week has really been so awesome, and the Lord has blessed us so much down here in Tsukuba! I can't believe that this transfer is coming to a close, but it's been so awesome. I really feel like I've grown so much this transfer in particular, and I really felt such a strong love of being a missionary today at the temple. There's always such a strong feeling of love here, and I know that that is a place where we can go to take a break from the worries of this busy world. :) It's such an awesome blessing to be able to go there every six weeks, and today was just especially awesome. I can't believe I've been a missionary for 10 months already! The double digits have started, but seriously I feel like I just started! Haha, the weather has been so nice lately, and Japan really is so gorgeous in the spring. The other day we went on a bike ride with our amazing investigator Bel, and we took a ride through some Sakura trees. It was seriously so pretty, and it just made me feel so thankful to be a missionary. Especially in Tokyo! Today after temple day Elder Sakamoto and I went on a walk around Tokyo a bit, and it's such an awesome city! So massive and full of people, but it just has such a cool feeling about it, and I feel super blessed to be a missionary in such a prepared place. To answer Mom's question, I haven't heard anything recently about North Korea! Hopefully that all mellows out, no worries so far though! I knew things were getting tense, but that's about all. :/ Don't worry though! I'm all good. :)
It sounds like everyone is doing super great though! I just want to say thank you all so much for the long emails this week! It was so awesome to hear about all of the cool things you are doing, and I know that the Lord is really blessing our family so much. Even hearing about those little things that go on every day helps me to see how much the Lord is involved with all we do, and I'm really thankful for those longer emails! :) I really love hearing from you guys so much, and I'm really so thankful for all of your love and support. It really keeps me going on those days that may be a little harder than others, and I'm just really thankful to my awesome family. I'm always praying for all by name everyday! Just wanted to say thanks so much for all you do, I love you guys! :)
So this week was way fast but really awesome as well! Bel is looking so great for his baptismal date! He's come to church every week, he's heard all of the lessons, and his baptismal interview is set up for next week. He's so excited, and he's really so excited to come closer to Jesus Christ and follow that example of being baptized. Bel is one of those giant miracles I know I will remember my whole life. He's had such an impact on my faith, and he's shown me how much the Lord cares and knows His children so much. We had a lesson with him the other day, and he explained to us a dream he had a week before he met Elder Dunbar and I! He explained in the dream he saw two books in front of him, one was about Buddhism, and the other about Jesus Christ. He knew he needed to read one, but he couldn't decide, and he said he felt God say to him, "You need to study this book about a Christ." And then a week later he met the missionaries! How incredible is that? He's been waiting to hear this message, and he's so readily accepted it, and is applying it into his life. The other day he fasted with us on Fast Sunday, and was so eager and ready to pay his tithing. Bel is just so awesome, and has shown me that as missionaries, we really are just tools in the Lord's hands. The Lord prepares His children every day, and as missionaries, we have this incredible opportunity to just become those tools, and seek to do the Lord's will. To answer Mom's next question, I'm so stoked you are starting to study PMG with me!! I love PMG so much, and I'm way excited to be studying it together. Recently I've been studying a lot from chapter 8, focusing a lot on the "How to Set Goals and Accountability" sections. There's really such incredible power in setting goals, and I'm studying to become a better goal setting missionary. :) As well, I'm trying to study from chapter 6 at least every other day, and focusing on an attribute I want to improve in my life. Have a blast with PMG! I love it!
This week as well, one of our old investigators Jason from last transfer hit us up last night! He's such a prepared young guy, and we were so sad when we lost contact, but all of sudden he's back, and he's so stoked to learn more! He recently went to Utah with his mother, and she urged him to study as much as he could about the Mormon faith because the church has such powerful and good members. She's not a member herself, but that incredible example the church sets has influenced her so much, and she wants her son Jason to learn as well. So cool!! The Lord is seriously preparing Tsukuba so much every day, and it makes me so thankful to be here!
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| Burgers in Tokyo! |
All in all, it's been just an awesome week. Of course not every day was super easy, but I just love this work with all I've got, and I love being a missionary. It's been such an amazing blessing in my life to come to this awesome country, and share this great news with those around me. This experience has completely changed my life, and forever changed the course of my life. The atonement is so real, and it has such an incredible ability to change hearts, and change desires. I've felt such a big change in my life here as a missionary, and it's something I'll forever be grateful for. I know this gospel is 100% true. I've been blessed to see it change hearts and lives, including my own. I know Heavenly Father lives and He loves us so much more than we can possibly understand. I know that being here is exactly where I am supposed to be right now, and I wouldn't change it for anything. Not every day is easy, but this experience is a once and a lifetime thing. I know that as we give all of our desires to the Lord, He blesses us with that ability to face all of life's challenges, and as well achieve those things that it is expedient to Him that we accomplish. Japan has changed my life, and I'm so thankful to be here! I love you all so much, and I'm so stoked to Skype in a couple months? Next month? I can't remember! Haha, but soon! Thanks so much for being the most gnarly awesome family ever! Love you guys so much, have an awesome week!!!
Love,
Elder Justesen
ジャステセン長老
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