So I cant wait to tell you about my week but i must put in my thoughts of the week that you expireneced. So you will just have to wait a little bit.
Sounds like you had a way busy week or monday i should say. I hope all of your pictures are doing good and have not been lost. Nohting will happen from dad writing that letter. Highland sucks. They have crudy peopel working there besides you. Everyone loves you. I am glad that bug got his jersey. I remember that is like one fo the only things i wanted when i played. I too am glad taht football is over for him. I hope your card tournament is going swell. Did bug go on splits with the missionaries? I think he needs to do that more. I wish i would of. It really prepares people. I am glad taht he enjoied it though. I did hear that Bries shower was a hit. I love Cafe Rio but i like Chipotle better ( hahahah). I am glad taht bug got his name called out over the speakers. It always makes me feel good to hear taht. I am happy he played hard and did what he could. Good for him. I am so happy football is over. How was garage seling? I have a few things i would like for christams to add to my list. I will tell you later though. I loved the ward party much more than trunk or treating too. Oh well.
Ok now i will tell you about my week and how great it was. IT was so much fun and i really loved being here.
Monday: After Pday we went and played indoor soccer. IT was so much fun. I havent played soccer in along time but ithought that i did pretty good against people who love soccer. The japanese were afraid of me though becasue i could run fast and i was bigger than them. It was funny. I met a really cool dude who lived in Australia too. He was awesome and thought i was cool too. I was so sore for liek 2 days after playeing soccer becasue i havent done any of that since the MTC!!! IT felt so good tho!!!
Tuesday: I was able to read emails from DAd, Justin, and Kamas. I was really touched about what they said and i pondered on it and prayed about it alot. The letter i just sent to you taht was for my President was written on Last tuesday in response to what i felt and My answers to my Prayers. It really was a good day. I loved my letters and I can firmly say that I AM NOT COMING HOME!!! I have made up my mind and i am going to stick with those guns! They are the most powerful.
Wednesday: I was able to teach my favorite investigator Michael. We taught him about the Plan of Salvation. I really connect with him super well. I love him so much. After the lesson we asked if he had any concerns and he told us about his grandma. He moved to Japan like 2 years ago. He loves his grandma. She passed away while he has been here in Japan and he was wondering if he will ever see her again. I was so happy to testify and promise him that he would see her again. I love bearing testimony about how families can be together forever. I read Christiaans email. HIs advice was to me was to fall on my testimony. I do everytime. I learned that one along time ago. But thinking about it now, testifying about how families can be together forever really makes me happy. i was super happy that i was able to share with him about Kess. I saw the look in his eyes. He realy has concern and when i promised him that , a new light entered his eyes. I loved it so much. I am worried for him though. He doesnt comprehend any language very well. He is on the slow side. He speaks really good english but cant understand when he reads it. That is a problem becasue he NEEDS to read the Book of Mormon. Thank heavens for the LDS website and its simpel BOM videos. We can have him read a certain part and then send a video along with it. SO when he is done and doesnt understand, he can watch the video (which is like a cartoon) and understand it. I did that with him and he said he loved it. So grateful for this wonderful tool. Also i have you and the family now. HE was so happy taht you added him. Please help him. I will be transfered and i dont want to loose him.
Thursday: We went to a less-actives daughters birthday party. IT was funny becasue they had tons of food. so who do they call. . . the missionaries. It was philippino food because it was a philippino family. I loved it so much. such good food. Anyways, we thought the party was dead but we were wrond. It was very much alive and people kept coming. We ended up having 7 contacted referrals and talked to everyone of the philippinas about church and our activites. It was super fun. THe little kids loved us too. THey reminded me alot of my nephews. It was hard not to reak rules but oh well. I had a ball. We talked to the less-actve about her family and found out that the birthday girl had not been baptized yet. So we talked and she wants to be baptized. So we set a date there. IT was suepr good. Talk about a philippino week in Japan.
Friday: We went to a older sisters house. She invited all her friends to hear about the Plan of Salvation. Maybe becasue they all are worried because they are gonna die soon. Yup they are way old. Maybe in their 80s. Anywho, They lesson went super good. We taught really simpley and they loved it so much. They couldnt get enough. THey wanted more. It was super fun to see thme get all excited about this. We read from the book of mormon and they said that it was super simple. Maybe because the book is as old as they are. hahaha. It was super good. We committed all 3 of them to baptism too. I think my area is now the number 1 area with the most dates. we have 6. It was super good lesson and the member is awesome. She is a beast of a missionary. SHe called us this morning and tomorrow we are going to her house again to teach a seperate group of old ladies the same lesson. These old people are so popular. It should be reaally fun and more dates.
Saturday: Our ward Halloween party. It was super god. We had a ton of investigators come and nonmembers and less-actives. It really was a fun night. but very different. Some of the boothes were super funny.
So that was pretty much my week. It was full of Philippino's, Plan of Salvation, and Parties. I had so much fun. It really was so enjoiable. I can definatley see the difference after just 6 days of sayin "I am a committed Japan Tokyo Missionary". It is so much easeir. This week was just so good.
Tell justin Happy Birthday for me. I love him so much and am so grateful for him. I hope that he got my letter and enjoied it.
So as far as my Christmas list goes:electric shaver, i need deoderant (stuff that DOESNT have antipersperiant-kamas knows), Dog tags, a hand made scarf, and a Purple sport cord from Dicks sporting store. It is a stretchy cord for workouts. I had one before i left. Bug and Kamas should know about this. YOu can get them at Dicks sporting goods by san tan mall. I really need a new one. IT needs to be purple. so that is my list so far. I cant think of anything else. BUt if i do, i will let you know.
I love you so much mom. I am so grateful that i have a mom like you back at home. I cant wait to hear your voice on Christmas. I am so grateful that i had a good week this week adn i am looking forward to another great one this week. We have already planned so many fun things. It is going to be great. I love this gospel. I really do. I know i dont say it very much in my emails , but i appreciate it more than you know. Trust me. I love you. Next week i will be transfering. Presidnt has already told me that. SO my pday is going to be on my tuesday adn your monday. Just letting you know. I also might be a District Leader. Who knows. They are making the young missionaries leaders, and old missionaries trainers. I am excited for this week. It is going to be so fun. Take care and stay classy. God be with you always. . .
Love your son, the American Samurai,
Elder Kurt Van De Graaff
P.S. Here are some cool qoutes that i found.
ALl that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing. Edmund Burke
Life is what happens to you when you are making other plans.
Afflictions, trials, and temptaions are mandatory. Misery is optional. ( I like this the most)
Everything will be alright in the end; if it is not alright, it is not the end.
Called to serve in the Tokyo-Japan Mission
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
24 October 2011
Oh how i needed your email today. My week has been a peice of crap and it does have quite the story in it. But needless to say, i dont think my week was a wonderful one or any of that. Just adventure i quess you could say. I will get to that later though.
I want to go to the Gilbert Temple so bad. When will it be done in 2013? Do you know? I hope that i will be home to go through when they dedicate it. THat would be an awesome expierence. But i think i will keep the family tradition going and be married in the Mesa Temple. I do wish i had in n out though. Oh well. . . .
Whats up with just me and you being the injured ones in our family? Why doesnt anyone else get injured? Sounds like you have quite the problems hahaha. I am glad that your surgery went so well. I would want the cast off as soons as possible too. I hate them. I really like driving too. It is super good to hear that Cannon is out of the hospital. What a relief. I have been praying so hard for him and their family. I am so grateful that he is alive and will be a healthy boy when i get home. I know he will gain weight fast because he is a VDG and has the VDG curse of gaining weight. I hate that curse. I wish i could eat whatever and not gain any weight but that aint the case.
I am now excited to get the wedding invitation. I know that it will probably make me homesick though. I better start preparing for it. I took pictures yesterday and i will be emailing them to you today. I hope they are good. I will also be sending my camera card home with them on it. I will need that back as soon as possible. As for Christmas. . . I have thought about it. If you were to send a small package i quess i would want a electric shaver, dog tags with my name on it, deoderant that has NO Anti-persperiant in it Kamas knows what i am talking about(japanese people dont wear deoderant so they dont sell any), money, maybe you could sew me a scarf that would be cool. I will let you know over the next coulpel of weeks. But i do like the idea of money in my bank account for when i get home. Christmas is going to suck this year. It really is going to be different. But i am excited to talk with you guys.
I am so glad that you finally talked to coaches about Bug. They needed to knwo how messed up they are. Thank you so much. I really laughed at your story. I am proud of you mom. I love you so much. I hope that those coaches get fired. They suck so much. I am glad that Bug is handling it well and is on your side and is going to finish it out. Good for him. But like you said, it is in the past now and we can only move forward.
Sounds like you all had a pretty good solid week. I am glad Kamas and Brie are doing good. I hope that your hand gets better quicker. I will pray for you as i always do. Please let everyone know that i love them. Now, Let me tell you about my week.
So on Monday we had a lesson with one of out investigators who had a baptismal date. HIs name is Adachi. We meet him at the train station and he was trying to talk to me. I couldnt understand anything he was saying so i would just smile and say "Hai" or yes. When my companion came we went to go find a spot to sit and teach him. Adachi was acting really weird. He was saying stuff like "Ban Di choro said i cant touch him." and "What bike is mine?" Just really random things. I could have said that he couldnt touch me or that we could go to our apartment but i didnt understand him. Finally we made it to a Hotel lobby and started teaching him. He told us that he didnt need to be baptized because he was already in our church. He said that he had worked at a Christian Hospital and had been baptized into our church. We told him no. The conversation went along like that for like 30 min. Finally we told him that we were through meeting with him because he wasnt taking us seriously. (There was someother topics talked about but it was all the same). Me and my comp got up and left. We were outside the Hotle doors walking to the escalator to go to our bikes. we were talking about how weird this adachi was. Then we heard " BAN DI!!!". Adachi was running out of the Hotel and running after us. We started making haste towards the escalator. We started running up the escalators and adachi is behind us yelling my name BAN DI, BAN DI!!! We almost got caught by him because on the escaltor was another man and we had to push him out of the way to get away. It was an awesome expirenece and i had a blast. Adachi is crazy. Over the week he would send us some really weird texts and stuff threatening us. so we blocked him from our phone and havent heard anything from him since thursday. It was such a Fun expirence. One i will never forget. It was just funning to think back on him yelling my name while running after us. So funny. So that started the week off really well. Tuesday and Wednesday were good.
Thursday i got a bit homesick and down on myself. I really got frustrated at the fact that no one wanted to listen to us the whole day. It really frustrates me.
Friday it was raining and agian i got down on myself. No one wanted to listne to us and i was now really mad. I felt like i was just wasting time and not being successful. Thankfully i had study though. WE went out and worked in the moring. THis is were it gets really intresting. SO friday night we had planned on going seeing a member that lives probably 30 min bike ride away. It was in the rain too. So we left. My bike was having some problems and then my chain jsut fell off and wouldnt go back on. We had probably been riding for 15 minutes when this happened. I tried fixing my bike for at least 20 min. I was Pissed now. I lost my temper and i was on the verge of just killing somebody. I didnt swear though. I really wanted to though. Now i had to walk my bike home 30 to 45 minutes in the rain. I was so mad. On the walk home i had time to think about everything. It was so hard. It went deeper than just what happend with my bike. Some thoughts were i should just go home, ill never learn japanese, you arent successful, etc. It was a super hard night. I honestly considered coming home. I honestly felt that i havent done any good here and that i should just carry on with my life back at home. I had a lot of hard thoughts. I cant even describe what some of those thoughts were becasue there were so many and i just want to forget them. I tried my hardest to battle them. But then the thought came up of how can i be a good missionary, a missionary who thinks about his investigators and doesnt think about other things, if i am always battling the adversary in my head. Its a constant battle. i always have it. I hate it so much. When we got back to the apartement i sat in a chair and just thought. I thought about how boo, justin, kamas, and kess all conqured their missions and how they made them fun. I really wish kess was alive to give me advise. He is the closest one that i can to relate to becasue he too had to learn a hard language in another country. I thought about if i would actually make a 2 year mission. If i keep feeling like i did then and keep having those kind of thoughts, there is no way that i would want to do that for 2 years. I would just rather go home and serve the Lord in other ways. As you can see, it was a super hard time on me. REally hard. I need your prayers now more than ever.
Saturday i had to go and get my bike fixed. Its going to cost $100 to get it fixed. I couldnt belive that. I think the person was just trying to ripoff the white person who doesnt speak japanese. But that is what happend on saturday.
Sunday i was looking forward to all weeek becasue we had a less active baptism. The girl was 9 years old or so i thought. She turned out to be only 8. I thought that i was finally going to get my 1 baptism in the mission. God has a funny sense of humor i think. It really was the cherry on top of the whip cream. Finding out that you arent getting a baptism when you have been planning for this for a couple of months. It hurt me inside but not that much. I never taught this girl and i didnt feel like the missionaries should get the credit for her baptism, but i was still excited to say that someone came to Christ while i was there. But that didnt happen. I did however get to stand in the Confirmation Circle and that was AMAZING. I Felt the Spirit so much. I really want a to do that again so i can feel that spirit again. It was such a good feeling. I only understood one thing out of the blessing too. And that was when the bishop told her to recieve the Holy Ghost. It was good. Sunday night however i got super pissed at my comp again. we were talking about americans and japanese. He said that he loved japanese more than americans. I told him that i loved americans more. THen he continued to say "When you really love the poeple, your opinion will change aobut that." AARRGG!! I wanted to punch him in the face so hard. That is twice that he has offened me and made me feel like a unsuccessful missionary. I just brushed it off my shoulders and forgave him though. IT really hurts though and really makes some question their mission when others sya that they arent doing good enough. If you remember he told me that i wasnt giving a good enough sacrifce and now that i dont really love the poeple i serve. NO wonder i am having a hard time with thoughts and stuff. I just want a companion that is like me just wants to have fun and bring people to christ. I dont wnat compainons who make me fell like crap. But i continue to look for ways to serve and love him. TOday i folded his laundery. Oh and i alwyas cook the food. He has never made one meal this transfer.
So here i am today writing you this email. As you can tell, i have had quit the week with ups and downs. I really hope that i have learned what the Lord wants me to learn. I dont recall ever having this hard of week in my life. I really just want to speak japanese, get poeple who want to listen, having a fun companion, and do work. Dont worry. I dont want to come home. Well i do, but i will stay out on my mission until my time is up or i get sent home for some reason. But i want to stay and show the Lord that i love him and that i will do his will. I cant wait til i have more fun things to say and less hard things. I want to let you know how my week went and what is up in my life right now. This is what i am battling. I really need your prayers and everyones at home. If you could have my older brothers and father send me some advice in a good way, i would really appreciate it. Also, could you find something from kess mission. i really could use some help from him. I love you with all my heart mom. I really want to be at home enjoing everything that is going on and avoiding my hard times but hten i wouldnt learn what the Lord wants me to learn. I hope that you have a fantastic week. I will hope for the same. Give everybody my love. I Love you so much. I find joy listening to the birds in the moring. They are pretty and remind me of the simpleness of things. I also love reading the Book of Mormon in Japanese. I cant wait to read it at the cabin and you guys will have no idea what i am saying. I cnat wait til i understand more fully. Until then, God bless you and keep you safe.
I want to go to the Gilbert Temple so bad. When will it be done in 2013? Do you know? I hope that i will be home to go through when they dedicate it. THat would be an awesome expierence. But i think i will keep the family tradition going and be married in the Mesa Temple. I do wish i had in n out though. Oh well. . . .
Whats up with just me and you being the injured ones in our family? Why doesnt anyone else get injured? Sounds like you have quite the problems hahaha. I am glad that your surgery went so well. I would want the cast off as soons as possible too. I hate them. I really like driving too. It is super good to hear that Cannon is out of the hospital. What a relief. I have been praying so hard for him and their family. I am so grateful that he is alive and will be a healthy boy when i get home. I know he will gain weight fast because he is a VDG and has the VDG curse of gaining weight. I hate that curse. I wish i could eat whatever and not gain any weight but that aint the case.
I am now excited to get the wedding invitation. I know that it will probably make me homesick though. I better start preparing for it. I took pictures yesterday and i will be emailing them to you today. I hope they are good. I will also be sending my camera card home with them on it. I will need that back as soon as possible. As for Christmas. . . I have thought about it. If you were to send a small package i quess i would want a electric shaver, dog tags with my name on it, deoderant that has NO Anti-persperiant in it Kamas knows what i am talking about(japanese people dont wear deoderant so they dont sell any), money, maybe you could sew me a scarf that would be cool. I will let you know over the next coulpel of weeks. But i do like the idea of money in my bank account for when i get home. Christmas is going to suck this year. It really is going to be different. But i am excited to talk with you guys.
I am so glad that you finally talked to coaches about Bug. They needed to knwo how messed up they are. Thank you so much. I really laughed at your story. I am proud of you mom. I love you so much. I hope that those coaches get fired. They suck so much. I am glad that Bug is handling it well and is on your side and is going to finish it out. Good for him. But like you said, it is in the past now and we can only move forward.
Sounds like you all had a pretty good solid week. I am glad Kamas and Brie are doing good. I hope that your hand gets better quicker. I will pray for you as i always do. Please let everyone know that i love them. Now, Let me tell you about my week.
So on Monday we had a lesson with one of out investigators who had a baptismal date. HIs name is Adachi. We meet him at the train station and he was trying to talk to me. I couldnt understand anything he was saying so i would just smile and say "Hai" or yes. When my companion came we went to go find a spot to sit and teach him. Adachi was acting really weird. He was saying stuff like "Ban Di choro said i cant touch him." and "What bike is mine?" Just really random things. I could have said that he couldnt touch me or that we could go to our apartment but i didnt understand him. Finally we made it to a Hotel lobby and started teaching him. He told us that he didnt need to be baptized because he was already in our church. He said that he had worked at a Christian Hospital and had been baptized into our church. We told him no. The conversation went along like that for like 30 min. Finally we told him that we were through meeting with him because he wasnt taking us seriously. (There was someother topics talked about but it was all the same). Me and my comp got up and left. We were outside the Hotle doors walking to the escalator to go to our bikes. we were talking about how weird this adachi was. Then we heard " BAN DI!!!". Adachi was running out of the Hotel and running after us. We started making haste towards the escalator. We started running up the escalators and adachi is behind us yelling my name BAN DI, BAN DI!!! We almost got caught by him because on the escaltor was another man and we had to push him out of the way to get away. It was an awesome expirenece and i had a blast. Adachi is crazy. Over the week he would send us some really weird texts and stuff threatening us. so we blocked him from our phone and havent heard anything from him since thursday. It was such a Fun expirence. One i will never forget. It was just funning to think back on him yelling my name while running after us. So funny. So that started the week off really well. Tuesday and Wednesday were good.
Thursday i got a bit homesick and down on myself. I really got frustrated at the fact that no one wanted to listen to us the whole day. It really frustrates me.
Friday it was raining and agian i got down on myself. No one wanted to listne to us and i was now really mad. I felt like i was just wasting time and not being successful. Thankfully i had study though. WE went out and worked in the moring. THis is were it gets really intresting. SO friday night we had planned on going seeing a member that lives probably 30 min bike ride away. It was in the rain too. So we left. My bike was having some problems and then my chain jsut fell off and wouldnt go back on. We had probably been riding for 15 minutes when this happened. I tried fixing my bike for at least 20 min. I was Pissed now. I lost my temper and i was on the verge of just killing somebody. I didnt swear though. I really wanted to though. Now i had to walk my bike home 30 to 45 minutes in the rain. I was so mad. On the walk home i had time to think about everything. It was so hard. It went deeper than just what happend with my bike. Some thoughts were i should just go home, ill never learn japanese, you arent successful, etc. It was a super hard night. I honestly considered coming home. I honestly felt that i havent done any good here and that i should just carry on with my life back at home. I had a lot of hard thoughts. I cant even describe what some of those thoughts were becasue there were so many and i just want to forget them. I tried my hardest to battle them. But then the thought came up of how can i be a good missionary, a missionary who thinks about his investigators and doesnt think about other things, if i am always battling the adversary in my head. Its a constant battle. i always have it. I hate it so much. When we got back to the apartement i sat in a chair and just thought. I thought about how boo, justin, kamas, and kess all conqured their missions and how they made them fun. I really wish kess was alive to give me advise. He is the closest one that i can to relate to becasue he too had to learn a hard language in another country. I thought about if i would actually make a 2 year mission. If i keep feeling like i did then and keep having those kind of thoughts, there is no way that i would want to do that for 2 years. I would just rather go home and serve the Lord in other ways. As you can see, it was a super hard time on me. REally hard. I need your prayers now more than ever.
Saturday i had to go and get my bike fixed. Its going to cost $100 to get it fixed. I couldnt belive that. I think the person was just trying to ripoff the white person who doesnt speak japanese. But that is what happend on saturday.
Sunday i was looking forward to all weeek becasue we had a less active baptism. The girl was 9 years old or so i thought. She turned out to be only 8. I thought that i was finally going to get my 1 baptism in the mission. God has a funny sense of humor i think. It really was the cherry on top of the whip cream. Finding out that you arent getting a baptism when you have been planning for this for a couple of months. It hurt me inside but not that much. I never taught this girl and i didnt feel like the missionaries should get the credit for her baptism, but i was still excited to say that someone came to Christ while i was there. But that didnt happen. I did however get to stand in the Confirmation Circle and that was AMAZING. I Felt the Spirit so much. I really want a to do that again so i can feel that spirit again. It was such a good feeling. I only understood one thing out of the blessing too. And that was when the bishop told her to recieve the Holy Ghost. It was good. Sunday night however i got super pissed at my comp again. we were talking about americans and japanese. He said that he loved japanese more than americans. I told him that i loved americans more. THen he continued to say "When you really love the poeple, your opinion will change aobut that." AARRGG!! I wanted to punch him in the face so hard. That is twice that he has offened me and made me feel like a unsuccessful missionary. I just brushed it off my shoulders and forgave him though. IT really hurts though and really makes some question their mission when others sya that they arent doing good enough. If you remember he told me that i wasnt giving a good enough sacrifce and now that i dont really love the poeple i serve. NO wonder i am having a hard time with thoughts and stuff. I just want a companion that is like me just wants to have fun and bring people to christ. I dont wnat compainons who make me fell like crap. But i continue to look for ways to serve and love him. TOday i folded his laundery. Oh and i alwyas cook the food. He has never made one meal this transfer.
So here i am today writing you this email. As you can tell, i have had quit the week with ups and downs. I really hope that i have learned what the Lord wants me to learn. I dont recall ever having this hard of week in my life. I really just want to speak japanese, get poeple who want to listen, having a fun companion, and do work. Dont worry. I dont want to come home. Well i do, but i will stay out on my mission until my time is up or i get sent home for some reason. But i want to stay and show the Lord that i love him and that i will do his will. I cant wait til i have more fun things to say and less hard things. I want to let you know how my week went and what is up in my life right now. This is what i am battling. I really need your prayers and everyones at home. If you could have my older brothers and father send me some advice in a good way, i would really appreciate it. Also, could you find something from kess mission. i really could use some help from him. I love you with all my heart mom. I really want to be at home enjoing everything that is going on and avoiding my hard times but hten i wouldnt learn what the Lord wants me to learn. I hope that you have a fantastic week. I will hope for the same. Give everybody my love. I Love you so much. I find joy listening to the birds in the moring. They are pretty and remind me of the simpleness of things. I also love reading the Book of Mormon in Japanese. I cant wait to read it at the cabin and you guys will have no idea what i am saying. I cnat wait til i understand more fully. Until then, God bless you and keep you safe.
Thursday, October 20, 2011
17 October 2011
I am sorry that i didnt mention that i had recieved your letter. But i did and i really appreciate it. Thank you so much. I also just got done writing bug and justin some letters. I will be sending them either tomorrow or the next day. I also found a member that has a super nice camera. I will ask them to take my picture. Its really wierd asking that question to members when you are supposed to do missionary work.
Sounds like you have had a way busy day and weekend. Just by the time i got this email, you are up pretty dang late. I am sorry i didnt tell you my pday was today. They are usually on monday. if not i will let you know. Next week my pday is on my MOnday your sunday. I will be on the computer at 10 am my time and 6 pm your time.
THank you for telling me about the sons of Mosiah. That really made me happy. I was writing a girl a letter today.i realized how happy i was to be serving them and trying to get them back into the gospel. I also told myself that christiaan is in a high baptizing mission becasue he saved up for his whole mission and is in an area where he is probably using 50 to 100 bucks a month. THat means the rest of his money is coming to help me and other missionaries in expensive areas. It was a good little revelation. But thank you so much for writing and telling me about the sons of mosiah. I had totally forgotten about them. thank you.
I hope that your surgery goes well. You have my prayers. I hope kamas does super good on his scoring. That is so cool to know that i have a brother who is getting married and doing super well in the Military. He better remember Heavenly Father during this time of prosperity. Today i was reading in Helaman 12. It pretty much talks about how men are stupid and forget the Lord in their time of prosperity and what the Lord does to them to get them to remember them. I would hate for Kamas to forget and then have all these bad things happen to him. You should let him know and read this chapter together.
I am so glad that you became friends with the Kawamitzu's. I totally remember them. I used to be really good friends with the boy that was my age. I have been thinking about htem when i remembered that they lived here in Japan. Pleace find out where they live adn let me know. Give them my address and have them write me a letter. I want to get back in touch with taht kid so bad. I really liked him alot. Are they members? I thought that they were. If not i will find them and baptize them. Maybe this is why i got called to Japan. To rescue them if they need it. I am so glad that you got in touch with them. I always thought about them and that boy that is my age. He was a really good friend of mine. Please let me know.
I love you lots mom. I am grateful that i got an email from you and that it was a really good one. Thank you so much. You already read whats been going down in my life. I have an investigator named Jay Michael Rider. Look him up on facebook. He is so awesome. He really reminds me of me and my life. I love him so much. He has a baptismal date. I told him that some family members would be asking to be his friend and he got super excited. IN my letter to bug i asked him to do the same thing. Please look him up and befreind him. He doesnt speak any japanese so people really cant fellowship or talk to him about the gospel like you guys can. Please do this. Be a mom like you are to nick and chris. I love you so much mom and really am thankful for everything. I am glad that i got on to check my emails again. I love you and hope that you have a good week. God be with you always. I know He is. Cant wait for next week.
Much Love,
Kurtiepie
Sounds like you have had a way busy day and weekend. Just by the time i got this email, you are up pretty dang late. I am sorry i didnt tell you my pday was today. They are usually on monday. if not i will let you know. Next week my pday is on my MOnday your sunday. I will be on the computer at 10 am my time and 6 pm your time.
THank you for telling me about the sons of Mosiah. That really made me happy. I was writing a girl a letter today.i realized how happy i was to be serving them and trying to get them back into the gospel. I also told myself that christiaan is in a high baptizing mission becasue he saved up for his whole mission and is in an area where he is probably using 50 to 100 bucks a month. THat means the rest of his money is coming to help me and other missionaries in expensive areas. It was a good little revelation. But thank you so much for writing and telling me about the sons of mosiah. I had totally forgotten about them. thank you.
I hope that your surgery goes well. You have my prayers. I hope kamas does super good on his scoring. That is so cool to know that i have a brother who is getting married and doing super well in the Military. He better remember Heavenly Father during this time of prosperity. Today i was reading in Helaman 12. It pretty much talks about how men are stupid and forget the Lord in their time of prosperity and what the Lord does to them to get them to remember them. I would hate for Kamas to forget and then have all these bad things happen to him. You should let him know and read this chapter together.
I am so glad that you became friends with the Kawamitzu's. I totally remember them. I used to be really good friends with the boy that was my age. I have been thinking about htem when i remembered that they lived here in Japan. Pleace find out where they live adn let me know. Give them my address and have them write me a letter. I want to get back in touch with taht kid so bad. I really liked him alot. Are they members? I thought that they were. If not i will find them and baptize them. Maybe this is why i got called to Japan. To rescue them if they need it. I am so glad that you got in touch with them. I always thought about them and that boy that is my age. He was a really good friend of mine. Please let me know.
I love you lots mom. I am grateful that i got an email from you and that it was a really good one. Thank you so much. You already read whats been going down in my life. I have an investigator named Jay Michael Rider. Look him up on facebook. He is so awesome. He really reminds me of me and my life. I love him so much. He has a baptismal date. I told him that some family members would be asking to be his friend and he got super excited. IN my letter to bug i asked him to do the same thing. Please look him up and befreind him. He doesnt speak any japanese so people really cant fellowship or talk to him about the gospel like you guys can. Please do this. Be a mom like you are to nick and chris. I love you so much mom and really am thankful for everything. I am glad that i got on to check my emails again. I love you and hope that you have a good week. God be with you always. I know He is. Cant wait for next week.
Much Love,
Kurtiepie
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
03 october 2011
Thanks so much for the email. It really breaks my heart to hear about Justin and Janalyn!!! I really do feel for them. I wish I could be at home right now to comfort them. Can you please do that for me? Show them my love for them. I feel horrible that out of all people, they are the ones who have to go through this trial. I hope that they are rewarded big time for this one. I really hope that little Cannon will be ok. I really want to meet him. He looks super cute in those pictures you sent me. I hope things turn out for the better. I read today in the scriptures Alma 57:16-17. These verses really stood out to me. This chapter is Helaman telling Moroni all the things that have happend to his army and the stripling warriors. He talks about how they had so much success over the Lamanites that they didn't have any room for them. So they selected men to take the prisoners to Zarahemla. Verse 17 then says that those who had left for Zarahemla returned the next day without the prisoners. Helaman said that he didn't inquire because the Lamanites were upon them and those who had left and returned, returned just in time to save them. That really stood out to me a lot. I thought to myself, all things, whether good or bad, happen for a reason. In the end result though (whether short or long), the thing that happens will be for our benefit. I know that this is a super hard time for everone. This will help us, though. The Lord will benefit us if we keep faithful and turn to him. You can share that with Justin and Janalyn if you want. I am glad to hear that you and everyone else had a good week. I am glad that Bug only has 4 games left. I can't wait for him to be out of football. I hope that Kamas is doing good and Kendi also. It is crazy stuff happening in Gilbert, AZ whille I'm gone.
So I am having problems with my new companion. He is a transfer 15. We have gotten in so many arguments in the past week. I have been in more arguments with him than I have since I got to Japan. You know how at the beginning of my mission I struggled with missionary work and finding happiness in it. Well, over the past couple months I have been doing really good and finding the joy in my mission. So on Saturday night we got into an argument over a Japanese class. The class was offered every day. He wanted to go on P-day(today) and I didn't. I told him that there were classes on everyday and why did we need to go on our P-day. He then told me how he wanted to help these people and the area (which I do, too). He then continued to tell me that when I start serving these people, it is then that I will be happy. I said that I was happy because I thought I was serving them. He then told me that I wasn't happy and that he wished that I could see myself. I was P.O.ed at this point and ready to pound in his freaking face. I couldn't believe that he said that. I have given up everything I had to come on this mission. I know that I have problems with finding joy in the work, but I felt like I have really made progress. In just 5 minutes, though, he tore all that down. I really started to ask myself then if my mission has been worth it. Becasue if I haven't been serving people, then the Lord wouldn't be accepting my misison. As you can see, it really did some damage. I really thought that I have been serving these poeple the last 5 months. Good thing Fast Sunday was the next day. After the argument, I went to the floor and poured out my heart to the Lord on the issue. I then fasted for getting along with my companion and being united with him. I think it went very well. On Monday I got to talk to that one phycologist dude. I told him what had happend and he told me that my companion had no right to do what he did. I quess there is a technique to degrade someones character and that is what my companion did.
I know that I still have a lot to learn. I also know that the Lord put me with this comp for a reason. Maybe for him to learn something from me? I am sure I have something to learn, though. I really am trying to be more united with him but it is so hard. Some missionaries are just super wierd and aren't themselves. They always talk about being consecrated and doing everyting they can to have the spirit. You know what I think? If you aren't having fun, you aren't consecrated. God has given us rules to follow so we can have fun. If we aren't having fun we don't have the spirit. If we are preoccupied with other things, we miss what is in front of us. I can keep going on. My comp told me that if I did follow the rules that the Lord wouldn't give me his spirit> That is B.S. When I was baptized, I was given the gift of the Holy Ghost. The Lord has promised me his spirit. Ya, I know that I have to do my best, but I am going to goof up sometimes. It is by the spirit that I recognize I goofed up and need to change. Some missionaries just have really wierd thinking.
I am trying my best, mom, I really am. I don't want to sound prideful about anything. I am trying to be humble and willing to learn. All these things I just said have been things I've thought about since I fasted. I think they really will help. I will continue to try and love my comp. I am looking all the time for oppurtunites to serve him. It is super hard. He doesnt like jokes and talking about things, so it's super hard to connect. Good thing I only have 5 weeks left! I think I can handle that. Well, the rest of my week was ok. Just lots of problems inside of the apt. I really am looking for ways to strengthen that situation. I am super excited for conference. I hope that I will get some answers to my questions. I am sure I will.
The weather is getting cold and I need clothing. I am from AZ and I love the heat and hate the cold. Well, winter time cold. It is getting winter time cold here. Just letting you know. I don't have any winter clothing. Our apt. has no heating systems in it and I don't have a coat or sweater. I want both! I am ok now, but in like 4 or 5 weeks I will not be. I need whatever you think is appropiate for winter clothing. I would really love a hoody, though. It's like a shrt with a hood and pockets on the front.
The language is coming along ok. I wish it would come faster, though, but it is coming and I can see a difference. Just letting you know.
I am super sad about Justin and Janalyn. Please let them know how much I love them and care about them. Let them know that I will be praying for them all the time. I love you mom. I can't wait to hear form you again. God be with you always. I know that he is. I love and pray for you always!!!
So I am having problems with my new companion. He is a transfer 15. We have gotten in so many arguments in the past week. I have been in more arguments with him than I have since I got to Japan. You know how at the beginning of my mission I struggled with missionary work and finding happiness in it. Well, over the past couple months I have been doing really good and finding the joy in my mission. So on Saturday night we got into an argument over a Japanese class. The class was offered every day. He wanted to go on P-day(today) and I didn't. I told him that there were classes on everyday and why did we need to go on our P-day. He then told me how he wanted to help these people and the area (which I do, too). He then continued to tell me that when I start serving these people, it is then that I will be happy. I said that I was happy because I thought I was serving them. He then told me that I wasn't happy and that he wished that I could see myself. I was P.O.ed at this point and ready to pound in his freaking face. I couldn't believe that he said that. I have given up everything I had to come on this mission. I know that I have problems with finding joy in the work, but I felt like I have really made progress. In just 5 minutes, though, he tore all that down. I really started to ask myself then if my mission has been worth it. Becasue if I haven't been serving people, then the Lord wouldn't be accepting my misison. As you can see, it really did some damage. I really thought that I have been serving these poeple the last 5 months. Good thing Fast Sunday was the next day. After the argument, I went to the floor and poured out my heart to the Lord on the issue. I then fasted for getting along with my companion and being united with him. I think it went very well. On Monday I got to talk to that one phycologist dude. I told him what had happend and he told me that my companion had no right to do what he did. I quess there is a technique to degrade someones character and that is what my companion did.
I know that I still have a lot to learn. I also know that the Lord put me with this comp for a reason. Maybe for him to learn something from me? I am sure I have something to learn, though. I really am trying to be more united with him but it is so hard. Some missionaries are just super wierd and aren't themselves. They always talk about being consecrated and doing everyting they can to have the spirit. You know what I think? If you aren't having fun, you aren't consecrated. God has given us rules to follow so we can have fun. If we aren't having fun we don't have the spirit. If we are preoccupied with other things, we miss what is in front of us. I can keep going on. My comp told me that if I did follow the rules that the Lord wouldn't give me his spirit> That is B.S. When I was baptized, I was given the gift of the Holy Ghost. The Lord has promised me his spirit. Ya, I know that I have to do my best, but I am going to goof up sometimes. It is by the spirit that I recognize I goofed up and need to change. Some missionaries just have really wierd thinking.
I am trying my best, mom, I really am. I don't want to sound prideful about anything. I am trying to be humble and willing to learn. All these things I just said have been things I've thought about since I fasted. I think they really will help. I will continue to try and love my comp. I am looking all the time for oppurtunites to serve him. It is super hard. He doesnt like jokes and talking about things, so it's super hard to connect. Good thing I only have 5 weeks left! I think I can handle that. Well, the rest of my week was ok. Just lots of problems inside of the apt. I really am looking for ways to strengthen that situation. I am super excited for conference. I hope that I will get some answers to my questions. I am sure I will.
The weather is getting cold and I need clothing. I am from AZ and I love the heat and hate the cold. Well, winter time cold. It is getting winter time cold here. Just letting you know. I don't have any winter clothing. Our apt. has no heating systems in it and I don't have a coat or sweater. I want both! I am ok now, but in like 4 or 5 weeks I will not be. I need whatever you think is appropiate for winter clothing. I would really love a hoody, though. It's like a shrt with a hood and pockets on the front.
The language is coming along ok. I wish it would come faster, though, but it is coming and I can see a difference. Just letting you know.
I am super sad about Justin and Janalyn. Please let them know how much I love them and care about them. Let them know that I will be praying for them all the time. I love you mom. I can't wait to hear form you again. God be with you always. I know that he is. I love and pray for you always!!!
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