August 11, 2014 日本から What's up!

日本から What's up!

Everything's going pretty well for me, and even the hard times are getting a little better so that's always a blessing! . The biggest struggle for me is understanding right now, and it really makes communicating difficult when you don't know what they said. I think I'm getting better, but sometimes, people still assume that I can't speak at all because I'm new, which is a little frustrating too.

We have a weekly English class, and a lot of people actually come! We had around 35 come last week, and even though most of them aren't investigators, I know that our efforts aren't in vain. They're all really fun to talk to, and It's always fun to tell them about my wonderful family! I've even had the opportunity to talk about family history with some of them, and they were really impressed with family search and all that it offers.

Bennett and Aaron: I'm looking forward to those emails! I've heard great things about Brother Wilcox so I bet that was an amazing experience!

Tell all the family hi for me! I wish that I could be there to spend time with all of you, but since I can't be there, make sure you make the most of it for me!

What else do you have planned before school starts up again?

Is everyone ready for Blake to come home?

How's dad's week been?

I've actually been thinking a lot about the same sort of thing that Jason Rock talked about, and it's been frustrating that some of our investigators don't have and don't really want a testimony of the Book of Mormon. One of our investigators is just really apathetic about any commitments and hasn't really wanted to make a change. He's received all of the lessons and even has a baptismal date, but he doesn't have the Spirit in his life, which is sometimes very apparent. He really just doesn't have a solid foundation of faith and always questions why he needs to do things when he doesn't really want to do them. Even when we explains the possible blessings, he doesn't feel like he needs those blessings and believes that he is fine without them. I wasn't really sure what to say at that point, and honestly, I still don't know how to help him understand the importance of the things we teach. The last few weeks have really forced me to work on my abilities as a teacher and to teach things simply and powerfully with the Holy Ghost. No matter how logical our words are, they won't make them want to change unless they receive a witness that it is true. I'm so grateful for all of your examples to me and for helping me gain a testimony of the truth! I may not know very many things for certain, but I know that this church is true, and that through honestly and humbly reading the Book of Mormon, we can know of a surety that it is, in fact, true. No falsified account could make me feel the way that it does or inspire millions to become the best that they can be. It has been written that "By their fruits ye shall know them." I will let the fruits of the Book of Mormon and this church speak for themselves and bear witness of their truthfulness. I love this gospel with all my heart and soul! It has changed me for the better, and I know that it can do the same for anyone who earnestly desires it.