My dear family,
I'm writing with a very thankful heart right now. We had a few lessons throughout his week that went so well I was blown away. I can't remember what happened on Monday, but on Tuesday we set up a practice lesson with a member named Nagahama kyodai. He was very helpful and is about twenty nine so he can still remember being a missionary in Tokyo where he served. Anyway, we met with him and practiced and took feedback to see how we could improve. I think it would have been more productive to simply tell us what we DIDN'T need to improve, but that's life as a missionary who has only been here four months. On that note I do not like the sound of being a quarter done with my mission. Not one bit. Anyway, that was very helpful.
The next day we taught Yuuta San the first lesson. He seemed to understand things so well, and we found out that he had read three chapters in the few days since we last met. That was pretty mind blowing for us. Anyway as we went through the restoration he seemed to see how it logically made sense to have a need for a restoration of truth. At the end of the lesson Horne Choro asked if he would be baptized if he felt that what we taught is true, to which he said yes. We were pretty pumped but kept it on the lowdown to continue teaching. We committed him to read and pray each night and to pray about the things we teach. He closed again by praying in the name of Christ about our lesson, it was unreal. He finished and then looked at us and said, "Was that okay?" Of course it was okay!! Such great faith for not even knowing what faith is...it was a.really good experience though.
Wednesday and Thursday were fairly regular days. We continued to meet with members and have them critique our lessons for us which was so helpful for our teaching skill and unity. Each day we found plenty of people willing to talk with us, but none who wanted to meet again. The favorite and most used word in the Japanese language is "isogashii." It means "I'm busy." They use it in place of a lie I believe hahaha. We will talk to people who say they are walking to the park or have a day off, then when we ask to talk again they just bow and say they are "isogashii." Ridiculous. It's like they don't think we remembered they told us they have no plans. The second most used word is "difficult" or "muzikashii." They use this one in the same kind of context. We ask if we can walk with them and talk after they tell us that they know it's great we are teaching about family, but then just say it is "muzikashii" to talk anymore. Japanese people are so funny. The culture is to not be loud, put yourself out there, draw attention, or create any kind of difficulty for anyone around you. So if someone says they are busy or something is difficult, most people just leave them alone. Not missionaries. We pester and badger them until they realize they have no reason NOT to talk to us, or get mad. Shoganai. Can't be helped hahaha.
Friday we met with Yuuta San again. He had read all the way to chapter twelve in the Book of Mormon! We were so happy when he said that. He still struggles to pray daily, but he likes what he is learning. We taught him the Plan of Salvation with aforementioned Nagahama Kyodai as a member present. It was really great. Yuuta really liked how God had given Adam and Eve their agency to bring about the fall and loved that it was all part of the Lords plan, yet he preserved our right to choose at the same time. He really thinks and ponders while we teach and asks such good questions it's only a matter of time before he makes a breakthrough. At the end of this lesson we told him that November 22 we had a baptismal meeting and that we would like him to prepare and learn so he can be baptized on that date. He was a little nervous, but when he asked who's baptism it was and we told him it was the sister's investigator who had been taking e lessons for about two months, he was really surprised. After thinking and us reassuring him that he needs to receive an answer first he agreed to begin to prepare! I couldn't believe it when he agreed. All of this seems to be such a dream. We have fought so hard to find even this one investigator prepared and ready to hear what we have to offer, it seems strange to actually be doing what you have only heard about all your life. Anyway, from here on out we need to get him on track to keep the commandments and learn more about Christ's Gospel. Please pray for him. He has such great potential and faith.
Saturday we met with a particularly difficult Buddhist man. He seems to think that Buddhism and Christianity are the same which anyone who has half a brain knows they are NOT. But we are being patient. He has been taught by missionaries for almost nine months and has not really progressed beyond reading the Book of Mormon. We asked him what he would do if he knew all the things that he had been taught were true and he said he didn't know how Mormonism, Protestantism, and Catholicism were different...SO we have our work cut out for us. Hopefully we can help him remember all the things he has been taught so we can help him make a good decision on whether or not he will accept the truth. He's a funny old man.
Sunday we did a new thing that Nagano Kaicho suggested. The elders and sisters split for the Sunday schools and were asked to create strong relationships with the youth. Seminary and institute attendance in Japan are in crisis mode so we need to work to change that. There is a HUGE correlation between seminary and institute attendance and church activity so the stake president has asked that we make this a focus. From here on out we are supposed to set up times to go visit the Youth at night when proselytizing is finished and help them with homework. From there we commit them to bring their friends as well as come to seminary, which we attend. I like the idea so we will see where it leads.
I cannot think of too much more to speak on this week. Horne Choro made a weekly goal last week to be safer on his bike which he has upheld fantastically. This is the first week we had without an accident or a collision. So that was good.
Thank you Krisitin, Lisa, and mom for the emails. It's always great to hear from you all.
Dad the sports updates are awesome, makes me feel human.
Love you all
Viehweg Choro
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