Tokyo Japan Week 29

Just an awesome day in Tsukuba

Hey everyone! It's been another really awesome week here in Tsukuba and I'm excited to write about some of the cool stuff we saw this week. :)

Goofing around

First of, I just want to say I love you guys. Seriously, I was praying a lot today about those things in my life that I'm thankful for, and I felt really so thankful for the awesome family I was sent to. You guys really kept me on that straight and narrow path, and were always urging me to love those around me, and always trust in The Lord. It seems like every day as a missionary, I'm using something that I learned when I was a little kid, and I'm really so thankful for that. Just wanna saw thank you so much for all that you do for me, and especially for all of the prayers. I've been really feeling it so much recently, and I'm so thankful for that. Being a young Zone Leader really leaves you pretty worn out sometimes... But then there's that burst of energy and strength that I know isn't from me, and I know that it comes from those prayers. Thanks so much. :) I love you guys so much, and I'm so excited to talk to you again on Skype in just a few months or so now! How crazy is that?! Weren't we just talking on the phone for Christmas? Time is really picking up like crazy, but I'm loving this whole missionary experience so much. It's really changing my life and making me into that person I've always wanted to become. I'm so thankful to be here in Tsukuba as a missionary, and I'm so thankful for the wonderful miracles the Lord has blessed us with here. It's been such an awesome transfer, and I'm so stoked to see what the next transfer has in store! Can't believe it's already about over! Today was temple day, but unfortunately I wasn't able to go due to some money issues and lessons that prevented us from going, but it's all good, there's always next transfer!

So one really awesome miracle I want to share is about our investigator Dhani! Dhani is a 19 year old college student here who has been meeting with the missionaries for 2 years, and this week he finally committed to be baptized in the first week of April! I really hope I'm here for it, haha. But we had such an awesome powerful lesson all about God's personal love for him, and the spirit was so strong in that lesson. It really built my testimony in the power of those simple principles. What we decided to do was collect a bunch of things that God loves about Dhani, find scriptures to back those things up, and then we shared them with him. He really appreciated it so much, and The Spirit really spoke strongly in that lesson, and he was able to set that date to be baptized! How awesome is that? It's been so crazy, the miracles that we've been seeing here are seriously so amazing.

Another really awesome miracle was our investigator Kiyo! One of my life long dreams has been realized! I'm teaching a Japanese surfer. He's such an awesome guy, and recently he's been reading the Book of Mormon so intently. He's a vegetarian, and he threw out his TV because he thought it was too distracting. But he's such an awesome guy, and he's loving the Book of Mormon. He says he knows it is a true book from God, and our next big step is just helping get closer to baptism. He really isn't a huge fan of organized religion, but he is really such a prepared guy, and we know that the Lord will help him get to that point as we keep working hard and showing love to him. Kiyo is so awesome though! He always sends such gnarly emails with awesome endings like, "Keep easy like a bird. Sultry summer breeze, dense freeze winter." And "Relax yourself, and step confidently." Kiyo is awesome.

But honestly, I really love being a missionary so much. It's changing my life so much every day, and I feel so thankful to be here. Some days my Japanese feels like it's really coming along, and some days it's pretty hard, but the Lord has blessed me so much, and His strength keeps me going. I've been thinking a lot about the Atonement lately, and it's just something that has become really so real and awesome in my life. Through that incredible sacrifice of our savior Jesus Christ, we can truly change. There is no mistake that can't be painted over, or wall we can't climb over. With Him, anything is possible. Sometimes we feel like we're walking in that thick fog, or darkness that surrounds us, but He is that unfailing source of light that guides us back home. My new favorite hymn has become Brightly Beams Our Father's Mercy, and I love the lyrics to it so much. We have this great knowledge of this great Gospel, and we know the change it can truly have on all of those around us, and we really are those lower lights along the shore. :) Man, I really love that hymn. I feel so lucky to be a missionary at such an awesome time, and for the chance to just try to be that light along the shore. I love this gospel, and I'm so thankful for all that it's given me. I can't believe I'm reaching 9 months! It seems like yesterday I just started, but I'm so excited to just keep going strong and give this work all I've got. :)

One of the biggest churches in Japan, and it's an LDS church!

In other news, I've lost weight! Today I hit 72 Kilos! Which I'm not too sure what that is in pounds anymore... But around 160ish I believe? That's almost about 20 pounds lost since leaving home! Pretty gnarly. I've been trying my best to work out hard every day, and I've recently started doing a P90X for missionaries! All the Zone Leaders, assistants, and even President Budge use it apparently! It's pretty awesome. And with Spring on the way, I'm gonna try to start running every morning again with my companion. It seems like yesterday Elder Howard and I were running around Oyama when I was transfer 2, time flies by way too fast!

But all in all, things are going really awesome. The Lord has blessed us with some truly awesome investigators here in Tsukuba, and this transfer has just flown by. Elder Dunbar is really such an amazing missionary as well. He's really taught me so much throughout this transfer, and he's shown me that true power of exact obedience. He's truly a Christlike servant of the Lord, and I feel really lucky to be serving with him. We're hoping to be together again another transfer, but we'll just see how it goes!

Being a missionary is just awesome though. I wish I could have been there at that missionary fireside, and I would have just testified that missions change lives, and it is the greatest gift ever. Two years may seem like a long time, but it's the chance of a lifetime. Tonight we taught Jimmy the plan of salvation, and the spirit was so strong as we taught about this life and where we will go after. Jimmy just kind of smiled and said it's so crazy because before tonight he just saw life and the grave. There was no life before, or chance to keep living afterward. When he said those words, it really just made me feel so thankful to be here, and be sharing this message. Yeah, somedays are pretty hard, and somedays you're way tired, but you're on the Lord's errand, and He's with you every step of the way. He'll raise you up. He'll strengthen you. He'll bless you. He'll cleanse you. He'll refine you. He'll change you. I've really come to feel that in these short few months, and I'm so thankful for this chance to be serving.

As well this week, Elder Hardin, who was in the MTC with me, and I went on exchanges, and we saw so many awesome miracles. At the end of the exchange we just talked and testified about how our missions have changed us so far, and it was such an awesome experience. Being a missionary has been such an amazing gift, and I'm thankful that I still have about 15 months to keep going with my whole heart. I love this gospel, and I know that it has that incredible power to change lives and change hearts. This week we also visited a man named Jason who is a less active here in Tsukuba ward. He's preparing to receive the Aaronic Priesthood so that he can baptize his son, and it's been so awesome being with him and his family.

I love being a missionary! I miss you guys like crazy, but I know that this is where I'm supposed to be. :) Have a great week, and know that I'm praying for you everyday by name! I love you guys so much, and I'm so thankful for all that you do for me! The Gospel is True, The Book is Blue, and God Loves You! Also... Keep easy like a bird, sultry summer breeze, dense freeze winter. Have an awesome week!!

Love,
Elder Justesen

Tokyo Japan Week 28

Dinner with Tugs, our sumo wrestler investigator!

Hey everyone! It's been another really awesome week here in Tsukuba town of miracles and awesomeness. It's been a seriously awesome week! First off I just want to say I'm way sorry about the picture situation, I'm working on it as best I can, but I hope you enjoyed the ones sent just a little bit ago! The whole iPad transfer has had some hiccups, and President Budge is working way hard to figure out the kinks. I'll hopefully be able to send the pictures on my camera soon! Also! Thank you so much for the awesome Valentine's day package! The candy was seriously so good, and the tie is way suteki! I'm way pumped to rock it at zone meeting this week, haha. I find it pretty awesome that as a missionary your main source of identity really is your necktie... I like I've got a pretty stylish source of identity now.

It sounds like everyone is doing way good this week! That makes me way happy, and I'm so stoked to hear about all of the missionary work our family is doing!! Seriously, way to go Whitney, Alexa, and Mom. The Lord really needs all his faithful servants to go forward and spread the Gospel with all of those that he is preparing everyday. Know that I'm with you in spirit as you share this awesome message everyday! Man, I really just want to say thank you so much for all that you do for me. :) We met this AMAZING new investigator named jimmy who is from china this week, and his big dream and desire is to have a family of his own one day, and it just got me thinking about how amazing my own family is. Just want to say thank you so much for all that you do, and always being so patient with me. Thanks so much. :)

Just doing some housing

But yeah this week was seriously so awesome! First off I wanna talk about my main man Tugs. As seen in the photo I sent. He's a legit sumo wrestler who came to English class this week! He's a young guy from Mongolia, and he's seriously awesome. He came in, rocking a Scooby Doo beanie, and when we shared what we did as missionaries, he really wanted to meet with us and talk about it more! Over all you can eat pizza here in Tsukuba. It was intense going head to head pizza eating with a sumo wrestler, but I won! Haha. It was way fun, and we were able to teach him a lot about Jesus Christ, and he really loved it. When we asked what he thought about Jesus Christ, he said, "oh he's amazing!" And it was such a cool experience that we had with him. He's moving to Osaka pretty soon so we won't be able to teach him, but we want to get him meeting with the missionaries over there, and our dream is he'll have his own I'm a Mormon ad soon. ;) but in all honesty, it was such an awesome experience meeting with him, and one I know that I'll remember for the rest of my life. This week we as well had interviews with president budge, and it really made me just think about how much The Lord has blessed my life so much in this time as a missionary. Today I got an email from president budge, and my old Brazilian investigator Sandro got baptized a little bit ago in oyama! I don't know if I mentioned him too much, but we were meeting with him back when I was in oyama. He was always so busy, but I called everyday just to follow up with him on the Book of Mormon, and share scriptures, and he got baptized! This really awesome missionary from Brazil came down to oyama, taught him in his native language, and he finally was baptized! It was just another really awesome blessing The Lord gave me this week. :)

I can't believe this transfer is already coming to an end soon! The time is really starting to pick up, and it's seriously so crazy! I feel like yesterday I was dropped off at the MTC, and started learning this language. So Saturday night Elder Dunbar and I were asked to give 5 to 10 minute talks in sacrament meeting, and we didn't have any time to prepare, but I did it! It was such an awesome feeling going up to the pulpit, and talking about the temples, Bree getting married there, and other blessings I've seen from the temple all in Japanese with no notes. When I finished I just thought about that first day in the mtc, and it made me feel so thankful to The Lord. I feel that that is one of the most awesome and faith strengthening gifts He's given me. Japanese is not an easy language by any means, and I still have such a long way to go, but The Lord has blessed me so much, and I'm so thankful for that. The gift of tongues is truly so real!

A cool Italian restaurant 

Another really awesome miracle we saw this week was a man named Kiyo! So elder Dunbar and I were walking down this super endless road with no body on it, and it reminded me of a way awesome miracle elder tu'ua and I saw the transfer before. We were in that kind of situation before, and we ended up finding an investigator at the end of thatstretch of the road. So I'm telling elder Dunbar this story, and all of a sudden at the end of the road, this man starts walking down it! We instantly walk over and talk to him, and he ended becoming a new investigator! We got some lunch with him, and when we gave him a Book of Mormon, he just says, "oh I already read it! My old friend once introduced me to two other guys like you once, and I read it!" It was so awesome, and it really showed us how much the preparing to hear the gospel everyday. He's actually moving to Mexico soon, but we're meeting with him again, and hopefully he'll go and find those missionaries down in Guadalahara. Kiyo is a major miracle though!

Another awesome miracle is Jimmy! So he came to church, and had such an awesome time. The Tsukuba ward is seriously amazing, and probably one of the best wards I've been in here in Japan. The bishop is such an awesome man, and there is so much diversity in the ward. There are many Philippino, African, Utahn, American, and Chinese! It's such a fun ward to serve in, and Jimmy just loved it. After church we had a lesson with him and our ward mission leader, who was baptized only 4 years ago. Yeah, he was baptized, and then served a mission in Sendai, and is now married and expecting his first child soon! He's such an awesome guy, and he testified so powerfully about how this gospel can truly change lives. It was such a powerful lesson, and then jimmy accepted the baptismal invitation! He didn't set a specific date, but he said he really wants to receive baptism soon. He's such a prepared guy, and we're so stoked for him. He wants so badly to have his own family, and we were so blessed to be able to show him how this gospel can help him achieve that dream.

That has probably been the coolest thing that I've seen here in Japan. The church is still pretty young, and most of the ward leaders are converts themselves, and it's been the most awesome, faith strengthening thing ever to hear their stories, and see how The Lord has completely changed and blessed their lives so much. Especially when I look at our ward mission leader, he's just such an awesome guy, and only 4 years ago, he had no idea who Mormon's were. It just has shown me how much God loves all of his children, and is so aware of all of their thoughts, desires, and prayers. He listens to us so carefully, and he loves us more than we know. I that that is true, and it's something I'm seriously so thankful for. It's something that has changed my life, and makes me want to do all I can to be better person everyday of my life. Man... I'm really thankful to be a missionary. It's completely changed my life, and I'm just way thankful to all it has given me.

Another seriously awesome experience this week was going to mission leadership council! It's a meeting down in Tokyo at the mission home where all the zone leaders and sister training leaders go, and we just receive training. But, I got to see both of my trainers and it was just so awesome. I just gotta write, I love Elder Burgin and Elder Howard. They are the nicest guys ever, and I really was so, so, so blessed with the trainers I had. Elder Burgin and I got to work together a bit on the train on the ride back, and we talked to this way cool teenager on the train. Elder Burgin just was super nice, saying how much I've grown, and he said some really awesome things that I really needed to hear. Just gotta say, the people The Lord places in our lives is not by chance by any means. They've been our friends and life shapers way longer than we can remember. Elder Burgin and Elder Howard have been that for me, and they've really blessed my life so much. :) love those guy.

But all in all, it's just been a really amazing week. The mission is kind of mellowing out with the crazy growth, and President Budge is just super excited and full of faith in seeing where the mission goes next. I LOVE BEING A MISSIONARY. Yeah it's far from easy, and there are some days I wish I could just run home and sleep for a bit, but the blessings I've received here make up for all of those little things. It's really not a sacrifice, it's an opportunity to reach you full potential. It's an opportunity to see the lord's hand more fully than you've seen it before. It's an opportunity to see lives changed, and yours included. It's an opportunity to change and follow Christ. It's an opportunity to walk away from who you used to be, and be more of who the Savior wants you to be. It's just awesome. That's about allI can say :) I just love it with all my heart, and I'm so excited for the time I have left! It's not always easy, and I know that it won't be a peace of cake, but I love it so much, and I'm so thankful to be in a country as awesome as Japan. I love being a Tokyo missionary! I love you guys so much, and i pray for you every night and day by name. I love you guys more than I can say, and I just want to say thanks for all that you do. Have an awesome week!! I'll try to send more photos soon. ;)

Love,
Elder Justesen 

P.S. Other awesome things this week.
1: Sister Budge said I'm the smiliest, happiest missionary in the mission and told me she really appreciates the smiles.

2: went to Costco and ate pizza again!

3: my bike died! But I got an old bike from a missionary who just went home, and it's awesome!! It's a road bike.

4: my family is amazing.

5: only thought about the office 1 time this week. Boom roasted.

6: it's getting closer to cherry blossom season!

7: made a HUGE pot of spicy curry and fed 8 missionaries. Gnarly. I'm a curry fiend.

8: taught a skateboarder about the gospel and heard the most interesting life story ever. Businessman to skater in a week.

9: figured out sarcasm in Japanese!

10: life is awesome.

Tokyo Japan Week 27

Hey everyone!!! So... This will be the first email sent to you from the newest tool to help hasten this work... The iPad mini! Haha, it's still weird having one of these, but it's helped so much already in teaching our investigators, and I love it! It's been a pretty awesome week here in Tsukuba, and I'm excited to talk about some of the miracles that we saw this week.

It sounds like you all are doing really awesome! I'm happy to hear mom is doing better, stay healthy okay! And as well I'm way happy California got some rain finally! I was praying for my home state as well, so I'm glad to hear it got some good rain fall. It snowed like CRAZY here in Tsukuba this week! Seriously, it felt a little bit like Rexburg, haha, maybe just because Tsukuba is a college town, but it was crazy intense! We still worked way hard though, and some of my old dirt biking in the sand helped a ton with biking in the snow... It was gnarly cold, haha. But all in all a total blast, and The Lord really blessed us so much this week with some cool new people!

First off I wanted to talk about our investigator Ko a little bit! I think I may have mentioned him last week? He's a way cool college student that we met a little while ago, and he actually did a home stay in San Francisco and one of his friends is Mormon, and he wanted to learn more about what we do! His big dream is to have a family and being married, and it's been such a blast teaching him. Only hard part is he's having a hard time realizing that this gospel really has so much relevance in his life, especially in achieving those desires of his heart. He loves learning about these things, but he hasn't really been trying them out. So! Today we taught him primarily about prayer, and he committed to pray tonight! I got to make up a little card in Japanese about how to prayer, and I filled it with some sweet little doodles like I used to draw when I was little. I'm really so thankful to the help that The Lord has given me in this language. My Japanese is still far from perfect (haha) but the Lord has blessed me so much, and I'm really thankful for the help He has given me. The gift of tongues is truly so real, I'm so thankful for it. I remembered today that first Sunday I had in Japan with elder burgin and elder Hamada, and just how far I've come since then. The Lord has strengthened me so much, and it's been a total ether 12:27 experience.

That's one thing I love about the iPads! Scripture study has really become so amazing! They downloaded the gospel library app, and it's been so awesome to be so into the scriptures, and have them so easy at my fingertips. I've been really trying to study the life of Paul in Corinthians, and I've started to gain a new love of the New Testament. The scriptures truly are such amazing gifts that we have in our lives, and it's been so awesome to be even more deeply studying them with these awesome iPads. I've as well started the Book of Mormon over again, and I'm so excited for the new things to learn this time around!

I love being a missionary! Honestly I can't say that enough. Yeah, it's far for easy, has quite a few challenges, and some days just leave you beaten and trodden down, but it has truly been the most life changing and most awesome experience of my life. I'm especially thankful to be a Tokyo Japan missionary, and have the opportunity to meet so many awesome people everyday! The other day I met an amazing man named Mohammed from Nigeria, and we had such an awesome conversation about the scriptures. He was a member of the Islam faith, and there are some heavy rules that we cannot teach Muslim people at this time, but he and I had an awesome discussion about God, and especially about the scriptures. He pulled out his Koran on his iPad, and I pulled out my Book of Mormon on mine, and we just found all of the similarities, and those basic truths that Christ taught. It was probably one of the coolest experiences I've had so far, even though it couldn't go much further, but it was so awesome learning about his faith in God, and his desire to follow his teachings. I could really feel why I took that Middle Eastern class that semester. :) He and I talked about faith, and it was super edifying and uplifting.

I just want you all to know how much I love and appreciate you all so much. I can really feel of your love and prayers everyday, and I just want to say thank you so much. I couldn't ask for a more awesome family, and I'm so thankful to be a missionary at this awesome time in Japan. :) I still have so many kinks and weaknesses to work though, but The Lord is truly helping me so much everyday, and I feel so lucky and blessed to be a missionary of this incredible Gospel. It's changed my life so much, and I'm so thankful for it. This church is truly amazing, it's been really cool to use the "I'm a Mormon" ads our teaching appointments, and it just helps me see how truly incredible this church is. We as members are far from perfect, but we're perfected in Christ, and His infinite grace is what keeps us steady on the waves. Sorry, I've been loving teaching about waves and ocean analogies lately in Japanese. :) Gotta love being a missionary right? Haha, well I just want to say I love you guys so much!! Crazy that I've been a missionary for 8 months, but I'm so excited to just keep giving this work my all. My three words I've been trying to keep in my mind lately are: 

信仰: Shinko which means faith.

愛: ai which means love.

働き: hataraki which means work.

The gospel is true, the book is blue, and God loves you!!! Have an awesome week!

Love,
Elder Justesen

Sent from my iPad (haha) 

Tokyo Japan Week 26

Konnichiwa everyone!! It's been another super awesome week here in Tsukuba, seriously... Just awesome. I'm so stoked to write about all of the awesome miracles we saw this week, and yeah, onto the week. :) First off DAD! Happy Birthday!!! I'm way sorry I didn't get a chance to send you anything awesome this year... Just know I love you so much Big Guy, and your prayers and advice always keep me going. I know that if I can be a missionary like you were, I can be a really great missionary. I was looking over the "My Family of Missionaries" picture, and it always just makes me feel so proud to be a missionary alongside such awesome examples. You really set the way and path for me Dad, and I just want to say I love you so much. I'll just have to miss one more, but after that we'll do something super fun together! Maybe Huge Motorcycle Road Trip? ;) I really like this idea, haha. 

Mom I'm so sorry you got so sick! Please know I'm praying for you everyday, and I hope everything works out. Dang... Just know I'm hugging you through the email, and my prayers are with you! You've always been such an awesome example of endurance in my life, and I know sometimes all that hard work can take a heavy toll on our bodies. Just feel better and don't work too hard! I love ya so much! 

Well all in all, it sounds like everyone is doing way good! I just want to say I love you guys all so much, and I'm so thankful for all of your prayers and especially all of your kind words in the emails. They really give me that drive and desire to do my absolute best, and I just want to say thank you so much. I love you guys!! Just keep praying, reading the scriptures, and looking to the Lord, and I know that those awesome blessings will keep coming. :) 

This week started off super awesome! Elder Whiting of the Seventy came and toured our mission, and it was probably one of the most intensely Spiritual meetings I've ever been in. He prepared no talk. He had nothing written, but he taught with the power and authority of a General Authority, and it was so awesome. I received a ton of personal revelation, especially when he talked about the importance of these two years. It was so awesome, and it made me so stoked to give my absolute all to this incredible missionary experience. I can't believe I'm at 8 months!! That's almost a year! I swear it was yesterday I was dropped off at the MTC, but the time is really starting to pick up pace. Scary! Haha. As well, this Wednesday we're receiving our iPads! The whole mission is getting super excited, and I'm so stoked to see how much it will change missionary work. :) 

But this week was really so awesome! So... This week we started with one baptismal date in the whole zone, and now we have 4 in one week! The Lord truly strengthened us so much, and really blessed us with some really amazing people. We have a new baptismal date with the COOLEST college student ever named Jason! He's a really young guy from China, and it was the coolest miracle we saw this week. We met him on the street, and set up a time to get some dinner and talk more about the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and he said he had some interest because his grandma was a devoted Christian women. So we met for dinner, and we started talking to him about some of his goals and life dreams. His main dream is to work really hard, earn some money, and eventually take his mom to see the United States. Apparently she has had this dream for such a long time, and his main dream is to help her achieve hers. It was so awesome, and he instantly accepted the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and set a date to be baptized on the 9th of March! He's in China right now for the New Year Festival, but I gave him one of my personal Books of Mormon, and he said he would read it while he's in China. Way stoked because that Book of Mormon was completely marked up with Questions of the Soul! It was my main finding Book of Mormon, but it was the only one we had on us, so I couldn't not give it to him! Haha. But Jason is just such an awesome guy, and we're so stoked for him. Keep him in your prayers! 

As well through this week, the Lord blessed us with so many awesome new investigators. So Tsukuba is home of one of the biggest universities in Japan! Aka, tons of foreigners, young students, and people with incredible desires and open minds. It's been so much fun getting to know the area, and meeting so many awesome people! A lot of them speak English super well, but my Japanese is getting better I think! I can now read the Book of Mormon in Japanese pretty quickly, which was one of my goals I set in the MTC to have done by my half way mark, so that was awesome! The gift of tongues is really so real, and something I'm thankful to so much. It's helped me so much in knowing what to say, how to say it, and most importantly when to say it. Being a missionary has taught me that so much. When we rely on the Lord with all we've got, trust in Him, and give our absolute best, He's with us every step of the way, and brings us to that higher plane, and helps us to reach and achieve those desires of our hearts. This week just really showed me how much the Lord is eager to help us, and it's something I'm so thankful for. I love being a missionary!! :)

And honestly, I love being a Zone Leader! It's been such an awesome learning experience, and it's really strengthened my faith so much. It's been so much fun getting to know all of these awesome missionaries, and having my faith strengthened so much by them. As well, I love so much being in a position of always trying to serve and help others. I love praying for them by name every night, and I love celebrating with them when they see awesome miracles! It's just way fun, and I'm way thankful it's something I get to experience so early in my mission! 

Just gotta say, being a missionary has been the greatest gift I've ever received in my life. Elder Dunbar and I were housing in Tsukuba yesterday, and it was a pretty countryside, rice paddy, type area, and I just kind of had a blown away moment about how much I've been blessed in these short 8 months. My life has truly been so changed, and I'm so thankful for it. It's not been easy by any means, and there has been some intense refiners fire, but it has changed me so much from the person I used to be, and is molding me into something better. Elder Whiting spent a lot of time talking about the Atonement, and I just felt really so thankful to our Savior Jesus Christ. Sometimes we look at the Atonement as kind of our free ticket. It's that cleanse factor we all are searching, but it really is something so much more. It's an incredible loving tool that we can use to change from who we used to be, and become that child the Lord has always wanted us to become. He loves us so much, and wants nothing more than our happiness. Sometimes we have to have that opposition in all things, but with the Atonement, we can truly meet any challenges that we have in life, and continue on with that brightness of hope that it talks about in 2nd Nephi 31. I'm just really so thankful to these 8 months, and I just want to say how thankful I am to be a missionary. It's really changed, and is still changing me everyday into the man I've always wanted to be, but maybe wasn't too sure I could actually be. It has shown me that with the Lord, anything is possible. Anyone can change. Anyone can be forgiven and move forward lightened from those burdens. 

I love this Gospel! I love this work, I love being a missionary, and I especially love my family! I miss you guys a ton, but I know that this is where I'm supposed to be. :) Less than a year and a half now we'll all be back together, and I'm so excited for all the awesome changes that we'll see. :) I love you guys so much!! Have an awesome week! The Gospel is True, The Book is Blue, and God Loves You!

Love,
Elder Justesen

Tokyo Japan Week 25

Hey everyone! It's been a gnarly week of transfers, but I finally made it to my new area of Tsukuba! It's such an awesome area, and I'm getting so pumped to get to work here. So some really cool things about Tsukuba area! 1: I'm in an apartment with one of my Dai-Senpai at the MTC! Elder Hardin, who was in the District of Elder Peters who picked me up at the MTC curb, is in my apartment! It's been way fun joking around with him a bunch about the good old days at the MTC. Also, my Bishop here in Tsukuba is awesome! He served his mission in the SAN FRANCISCO mission back in the 90's, and he speaks perfect English! He actually speaks a lot like a Californian, it's pretty awesome. As well, Tsukuba is a ward that has 8 missionaries, and they're all so awesome! The Davis family as well is so great, and actually we know a few same people back in Utah which was way cool. Connections everywhere! Haha.

But overall this week has been pretty awesome! I love my Zone so much, and I'm getting so stoked to help out as best as I can. I was doing some study today, and I was studying about how I could be a better leader here in the Matsudo North Zone, and I came across the story of King Benjamin. I always remember how much Dad refers to King Benjamin, and as I read through I could really see why. King Benjamin was the perfect example of a great leader. He showed the way to his people, and he got down into the work with them. I've really been trying to apply that so much to this transfer, and I'm so excited to be a true servant this transfer. I feel really so blessed with this calling though, and I'm just pumped to work with all of got, and be a missionary just always ready to serve. I love being a missionary so much!! I can't believe I'm almost at 8 months, but I'm so thankful for each and every one. It's changed me so much from the person that I used to be, and I'm so thankful for that. President Budge is always urging missionaries to be that, "Follow Me" type of missionary, and I've decided that's the missionary I really want to become. I just want to serve and help as best as I can, and I'm just really humbled and really so thankful for this awesome chance to serve in this Zone. :)

Another awesome thing about Tsukuba... They have a Costco! Yup. Just right on the outskirts of town, we have a genuine Costco. My awesome companion Elder Dunbar has a Costco card, so we made a four man trip to Costco and all I can say... It was pretty awesome. Costco pizza after 7 months of no pizza is pretty awesome. As well they had so much American food, and we all went pretty crazy. I was able to pick up some of my favorite Tortilla Chips, and it was just a really fun time being with my awesome apartment. Also! I'm sorry I've been taking so much personal money out! I needed some money for transferring this week, and as well I picked up some new white shirts today at Costco! I've been really needing some for a while since my old ones fit pretty baggy, and they had them for really cheap at Costco! Hope that's okay... Just wanted to make sure! I may have to take out just a little more next week due to some pants issues. So President Budge has asked all missionaries to move away from wearing the UniQlo pants because they look too fashionable, and so I may have to buy a pair of slacks or two that are pretty cheap, but within the standards. Sorry about that! Elder Dunbar is really awesome at working out every morning, and I've started losing weight again! Haha, I'm sorry though, I hope that's okay! I won't take out too much I promise, just need some of those things to not look like a baggy, or grungy missionary.

As well, the Lord has really blessed us with some really awesome miracles this week. First one being we found some new investigators really quick! We white washed here into Tsukuba, and it was a pretty hard area last transfer. I was talking to some of the missionaries, and apparently this area has been proselyted in very hard for quite sometime that finding has become really hard. But the Lord has already blessed us with some really awesome people! One of which named Cho, an awesome college student from China! We were riding back home from Stake Conference, and the four of us rode post Cho and I waved and said hello! He smiled really big and said hello back, and as we went past, I felt we really should go back and talk to him. Next thing, Elder Dunbar says, "Hey! Let's go back and talk to that guy!" So both of us feeling that impression, we went right back to go talk to him. He had some really strong interest, and he really had a great desire to learn more. He told us it's really hard for him to believe in God, but he wants to try. So we met with him today, and he's just so awesome. We started talking about God being our loving Heavenly Father, and Cho whips out his notepad and starts writing down what we're telling him. It made me feel so thankful to be a missionary, and as well it showed me how people are truly so prepared to hear this great Gospel. Cho was really excited to start reading the Book of Mormon, and he really just seems so prepared. If you guys could pray for Cho, that would really mean so much to me! He's going to China this weekend, so we're not going to see him for a while, but when he comes back we're super excited to continue with him. He just seems so prepared, and we're working hard to see some really awesome miracles this transfer.

Also if you could keep praying for Luis! I called up Elder Tu'ua today, and it sounds like he's having some trouble kicking some word of wisdom issues, and it's kind of holding him back from being baptized. Just keep praying for him. He and I had a really long conversation the night before I left for Tsukuba, and Luis has such strong faith. He just has never made a lifestyle change like this before, and he may just be getting kind of nervous. Just keep him in your prayers, and I know we'll see some really amazing miracles. :)

It sounds like you all are doing so well, and I just want to say thank you so much for all that you do for me. Your prayers and thoughts always keep me going, and I feel really so thankful to have such an awesome family. You guys really are the greatest, and I'm so thankful and happy about all of the blessings you are all seeing so much recently. Just always look to Heavenly Father, and show that thanks, and I promise that those blessings will keep coming. It truly is how the Lord works, and when we trust in Him, and kind of just let go of our will, we can really find that greater peace and happiness. That large step is just letting go, but I have seen it bless the lives of others, as well as my own. Serving as a missionary has completely changed my life, and I'm so thankful to every second of it. It has it's ups and downs, but the Lord has given me so much in these past 7 almost 8 months that I can't not give all I've got to this great cause.

I love you all so much! Mom, feel better! Know I'm praying for you, and Dad you too! Happy birthday by the way!!! I'll be sure to take a moment and sing happy birthday to you in Japanese. :P Alexa, keep being awesome and go learn some surf down in Santa Cruz!! I'm way jealous dude, but go catch some gnarly waves for me, a'ight? Haha. Tyler! Feel better too man! I'm so excited for you going to Europe! That's gonna be such a blast. Just remember to call mom and dad a lot okay? Somedays I really wish I could talk to them as much as I used to. Don't take advantage of that, and call them a lot just to say you love them. Whit! Keep being awesome you dream catcher you. Haha. I'm so excited for your Iceland trip!! Just keep working hard, live the CA dream, and do those simple things of actively feasting on the words of Christ, praying daily, and seeking out ways to share the Gospel. As you do those things, the blessings truly come. :) You guys are all so awesome! Thank you so much for everything, have an awesome week!!

Love,
Elder Justesen

Tokyo Japan Week 24

Hey everyone! Well, just got back from some P-Day activities, and as well we received some really awesome transfer calls... Are you ready?

So! I'm going to be transferred! I'm going to an area called Scuba in the Matsudo area, which is a place that is on FIRE right now. And... I'm a Zone Leader!!! Yup, pretty intense, but President Budge called me up, and I'm so stoked to go forward and just keep trusting in the Lord. My companion will be Elder Dunbar, but I don't know him too well yet, but I hear he's a really hard working, very obedient missionary. He's quite a few transfers older than me, so I'll be learning tons from him, and it just sounds like it's really going to be an awesome transfer. Apparently there's a family living in my area called the Davis', and they're professors at BYU! They've been working really hard with the missionaries and apparently their English Class is about 80 people! Which is totally mindblowing, because in Maebashi we had about 16 max, haha. President Budge told me that the goal should be to go out and harvest those souls and bring them closer to Christ, and I'm just excited to get going.

But I can't lie, I'm really bummed to leave Maebashi! It's been such a growing area, and although it hasn't been always easy, I've learned so much from this awesome area. As well, it's been such an awesome blessing seeing all of these incredible miracles that have happened this transfer, and I'm genuinely pretty bummed to leave all of my awesome investigators. Luis and Edward, who are our two baptismal candidates, are both looking really good for those dates! Luis is looking the best so far, and he's just shown so much faith lately. When I first got here he wasn't sure if God was there, and not even thinking about being baptized, but now he's getting so excited for February 5th. The other night we had such an awesome experience with him! We went over to his apartment, and our goal for the lesson was just to get him so excited for his baptism. So Mom! I decided to take one of those packets of pictures of Christ that you gave me, and Elder Tu'ua and I decided to pick the picture of Christ being baptized, the one that is one the cover of PMG? So near the end of that lesson, and we hand it to him, and we both start testifying to him about how he can make this date, and how much it's going to change his life. As I was testifying, I felt such a strong impression that I just needed to stop talking. Stop testifying, and just listen and pay attention to Luis. It almost felt like a hand on my shoulder just letting me know I needed to pause. So I did. And I can't even begin to describe the incredible Spirit that flooded that room. Luis just stared at that photo for a really long time, until he looked up at us and just whispered, "Thank you." It was one of the most powerful moments of my mission, and it reminded me how much when we go into share the Gospel, there's always three of us walking into that lesson. The Spirit is the true teacher, and it was so evident that night. It made me so thankful to Luis, and just so stoked to be a missionary. Not every day is easy, and not everyday is like that... But wow. I was just blown away, and it made me so thankful to have met Luis. He's about 21 years old, and when he first met missionaries about a year ago, he had no interest in God, religion, or anything like that. But now he's moving forward, and I know he's going to be baptized! I'm just a little bummed I can't be here to teach him the rest, but I know that Elder Tu'ua and his companion will take awesome care of him, and he will be baptized!

It sounds like you all are doing really awesome! Seriously... My family is the best. I love you guys so much! I just want you to know how thankful I am to all of your examples, and especially your prayers everyday. They help me truly so much, and I know those days when people are paying for me. Please know I'm praying for each of you by name every night, and I'm just so excited for all of the things in store for you! Oh! Mom, to answer your question! So... I plan to go HARD my whole mission, epecially those last few months, so I wouldn't mind a short break at home before school! Fall semester sounds AWESOME. :) That's crazy far away, but yeah! That sounds really good. Thank you so much for taking care of all of this for me, you're the best! I'm so stoked for Provo in a year and a half or so! Haha. Whit I'm so stoked for Iceland for you!! Just have fun with Mom and Dad, they're pretty grovy folks. ;) And Lex! Sounds like you're tearing it up in The Bay Area, さすがね? Pronounced sasuga, my new favorite word. :) And Tyler, man you're looking super great in your photos! Just to let you know, I went on exchanges with the Brazilian area in my district, and it was AWESOME. I got to see a little of what your mission was like! I met two guys who were from Curachiba and Minaos, and they were way excited when I told them you served in Londrina! Como vie? Un fallo bien! Bien ne? Haha, as well I went to a really awesome BBQ, got some real Brazilian steak and tons of Guarana. Good stuff, haha. Mom and Dad, you guys are just awesome, and I'm way excited to hear about the success you're seeing with these restaurant chains! It seems like a really effective business to go into. People will always have to eat right? Does this mean I'm like the heir to Costa Vida, and I can go in and demand free nachos whenever I so please? I hope so. That would be pretty awesome. I'd be a a just ruler, but a stern ruler.

;) I'll always have my humor I promise! It may get a little different during these two years, but I got it still!

I honestly still can't believe this transfer call! It's so crazy, and I can't lie I'm pretty nervous, but I know that with the Lord anything is possible, and I'm just way excited to go forward. This is going to be my fourth area in 5 transfers which is pretty intense! I never get to stay anywhere too long, but I'm so thankful to all of the areas I've been blessed to serve in. In each area I've seen so many awesome miracles, and I'm so thankful for them. Aw man, I'm just really thankful and so stoked today. Yesterday another one of my old investigators in Oyama got baptized! His name is Sandro, and he was one of my Brazilian investigators! We had such a hard time meeting with him, but when I was there, I think I called him just about everyday to try to set up an appointment. I knew he would be baptized one day, and I'm just way stoked I got to hear about it. The Lord has really blessed me so much since the day I entered that MTC, and I'm so thankful to be a missionary.

Here's my advice for Hector! Not everyday is easy. Not everyday is great. But, serving as a missionary will be the greatest gift in your life if you allow it to be so. It takes effort on your part, and a lot of willingness to change. But I promise, if you let it, this time can change your entire life. If you let it work in you, you will see the Lord's hand so much more fully, and feel of His infinite and personal love for you. You will feel that power and strength that only comes from Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, and He will work miracles through you. You will change lives, and bring people to a happiness that they have always been searching for. There's gonna be slammed doors! There's gonna be tired days. But as well, there are baptisms. There are confirmations. There are lives changed, and souls saved. Proverbs3:27, "Withhold not the good from them to who it is due, when it is in the power of thy hand to do it."

Proverbs 3:27 has become my new scripture that I've been trying to live by, and I'm just way thankful to be here. :) I miss you guys a ton a lot of days, but I know that this is where I'm supposed to be. I know that if I continue to work hard, and just show the Lord I'm willing and ready to give my all, I know I can see a deep change in my self, and as well see changes in the lives of those I teach. I love being a missionary so much, and I'm so excited to go forward with transfer 5! As a zone leader! The Gospel is True, The Book is Blue, and God LOVES YOU! Have an awesome week!!

Love,

Elder Justesen

Tokyo Japan Week 23

Hey everyone!! It's been another really awesome week here in Maebashi, but I don't have a ton of time to write today! Today was temple day, which is always one of my favorite days of the transfer, but it stole all of our P-Day time because Maebashi is about 3 hours away from Tokyo! Long story short, I got up at 3 in the morning. My mind is a little scattered right now getting this whole last week of the transfer in order, but we saw some REALLY awesome miracles this week I really want to share.

First off, I got Sister Eshbaugh's cookies!! It took some time, but they were really seriously delicious! Be sure to tell her thanks a ton from me, and I'll try to email her as soon as I can! They were really so awesome, and it was really so nice of her to send those. She's awesome, and the package really made my day!

Holy goodness my siblings are all having crazy awesome lives!! Whit. I think Seattle would be AWESOME. Not even kidding, I was getting pretty worried about you moving all the way to NYC, even though it would be awesome, but to me... Seattle feels right for Whitney. :) I'll keep praying for you for sure! But seriously, that sounds so cool. AND ICELAND?! That's so cool! Dang, the Lord is really blessing you so much right now, that really is so cool. Make sure to always to let Him know how thankful you are for all these awesome blessings! I'll be praying it all works out for you Whit!

And Alexa arriving in The Bay Area!! That makes me so stoked! I know that the Lord really has so much awesome stuff in store for you there, and know I'm praying for you everyday Lex. You're awesome, and the Lord is so proud of you for jumping into the deep end and moving to California. I know it's all gonna work out for the best!

And Tyler!! Europe?! That's so gnarly! Dang, that's way cool. It sounds like you're gonna have a ton of fun, just be careful man! I'm way excited for you though. Except, it would have been cool if you came to Japan and got a little taste of my life here everyday, but Europe is way cool too!

Mom and Dad, you guys seriously make me so proud to your son every day. I just want to say thank you so much for being such awesome member missionaries, and really helping the missionaries. The ward members here in Maebashi gave us tons of presents during Christmas, and I can't tell you how happy it made me. When the ward does nice things for you, and it just helps you feel like you're really doing your job and building up the kingdom. I'm positive that you made those two missionary's journals and letters home. Thanks for being so awesome all the time. :)

Well like I said, this week was really full of miracles, but not too much time to write them all... But! Luis our Peruvian investigator is looking really good to be baptized on the 5th, and we're getting so stoked for him. We've really come so close with him throughout this transfer, and I really just love this guy. He and I always joke around about California, but he has such strong charity. He's recognizing the Spirit every day in his life, and he's just doing great. Here's the awesome miracle of this week. So! Oyama. When I first got to Oyama, there weren't many investigators, and the ward hadn't seen a baptism in over half a year. It was really hard at first, but working with Elder Howard we were determined to turn that area around. We knew that if we gave it all we had, Oyama would become that area that missionaries get stoked to be called to. And it's happening!! Yesterday I spent the night in Oyama with my Zone Leaders, and they have had 2 baptisms this month, and 2 more this coming week. As well, many more baptisms are on the horizon, and Oyama is an area that is just doing awesome. Really brought so much happiness to my heart, and made me so thankful to be apart of helping that area. I love Oyama, and it will always have a really special place in my heart.

But anyways! Temple day was such a blast today, and it always just leaves me feeling so good and excited for the opportunities that lie ahead. This work truly is going forth. It's rolling forward, and I feel really so blessed to see some of the lives that it has changed, including my own. I can't believe I've been a missionary for almost 8 months, and I'm so thankful for every day I've been blessed with. Granted, every day hasn't been super easy and laid back, but it has molded me and shaped me into such a better person. It's changed who I am, and has really just helped me see the eternal perspective in all these things. I still have so much time, but that ending is starting to make itself known a bit, but it's just pushing me to keep giving my all every day. I know that this Gospel is true! It's changed and blessed my life so much, and I'm so thankful for it. And most of all, I love my family. :) I just want to say thanks to you guys for all that you do for me, and all of your prayers. You guys push me on to keep going when I feel too tired to keep going. I love you guys! I'm so excited for all of the awesome things that life is showing to you guys now, and I know that as you trust in the Lord and always align your will with His, He will bless you so much. He'll open ways that will change your perspective, and make you more of the child He has always known you were. I love being a missionary! This has been such a growing transfer, and I'm just pumped to go onto transfer 5!! Next week we'll know what the whole situation will be! I love you guys so much, have an awesome week!!

Love,
Elder Justesen

P.S. So about Burger King... It was awesome. Way expensive, but the taste was exactly the same!! McDonald's is WAY good here! Still pretty cheap, and a good place to have lunch with investigators. ;) Love you guys! Talk to you next week!!

愛しているよ！信仰があればなんでもできますよ！！！