Konichiwa!
Aloha family!
This week was wonderful! We have been seeing miracle after miracle every day. I was reminded this week about how important it is to always be grateful for little things. If we don't take joy in the small successes, we will be miserable most of our life waiting for some big thing to happen. Dolan Shimai is always good at looking at the small successes. On the mission sometimes we meet someone we think is golden. We think they are so prepared and then sometimes they sadly stop returning our phone calls or they never show up or we never see them again. This is heartbreaking. But I learned that we still rejoyce because it shows Heavenly Father our gratitude for blessing us right now. And we are successful when we invite, we cannot control anyone, but we can feel successful when we do our small part.
I have been amazed at Kentaro's example. He has an incurable disease and yet he still knows he has a life to live. He called us this week about two things, once to tell us he reserved a tennis court for us to play tennis at (his father is a junior high tennis instructor) and also he called to tell us he had a dream about Dolan Shimai eating sushi with wasabi and her face turning read and chocking he said he woke up laughing. He takes joy in living right now and doesn't focus on the negative.
I love this scripture this week that reminded me to always be grateful for the little things, Alma 37:41 "Because those miracles were worked by small means it did show unto them marvelous works. They were slothful and FORGOT to exercise faith and diligence and THEN those marvelous works ceased, and they did not progress in their journey." When we forget to be grateful, that's when we stop seeing miracles.
Everyday is a gift. I want to try and remember that and show God that I know that. Every day we have the chance to start over, to make a friend, to try a little harder and to love a little more. I love every day on the mission, even looking back now when it was so difficult to quite do anything on my own, I see that in those times I was meant to struggle so I could grow closer to Heavenly Father, to learn to trust him.
One of my best friends, Kentaro, was baptized yesterday. He looked so happy! He was really nervous and even when he got on his baptismal suit he was almost hiding in it, putting it on his nose, because he didn't know the whole ward was going to be watching him. After he was baptized he bore his powerful testimony and everyone was touched. He said that he walked into English class 5 weeks ago and it all started because he was diagnosed with this incurable disease. He said in his testimony "today is the first time I feel grateful for my disease. If everything was fine, I would not be here right now." He bore his testimony of Heavenly Father and Christ's love and how much he feels it here. He was so sweet and even translated his testimony into English for us so we could understand every word. He kept telling us thank you for everything. But watching him grow so quickly I really don't feel we did that much, his heart was so open and ready. It is true when we simply invite,Heavenly Father will do the rest. He will give us everything even the words we need. I know that Heavenly Father is real and he loves us all so much and that every one is precious in his sight. Kentaro is one of our best friends and I know that with Heavenly Father's help he will be okay.
My life with my two companions is great. I kind of feel like we are a sort of family. I love to cook and am always cleaning I feel and my companion Dolan Shimai is kind of like a dad in a way, always making a joke about something, and Sister Hunsaker is a fresh 19, but she is so brave. One thing I love about her is she is a great decision maker. The minute the Prophet announced the age lowering, she already was on the phone with her family telling them she was going to turn in her papers. I really feel like this is the time for Japan and the members are so strong and the people here are just angels. They are ready for more missionaries. Anyway I love you all!!!
Hugs and kisses
marni
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