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11.01.2010 / 11:27 AM
Sashiburi desu! (Long Time no see)
Hey everyone... Sorry there was no e-mail last week. It was transfers week, and well... You probably guessed something went on! Well, so much has happened this last week... Ah. I don't even know where to begin!
First I'll start with the pitures. (Haha suspense. You don't know if I got transfered or not yet)
IMG_2872.JPG 1,050.00K - Last week we had a Halloween Party! Yipeeeeee. It was lots of fun. No time to really talk about it. This was everyone that came minus the one taking the picture.
IMG_2873.JPG 950.00K - This weeks comic
IMG_2840.JPG 1,022.00K - Halloween Party picture
IMG_2836.JPG 1,156.00K - Same as above
IMG_2791.JPG 929.00K - Hahahahaha. Enjoy this picture please. This is how people eat in Japan. Or maybe I've just become a slob.
IMG_2714.JPG 765.00K - This is a piture of Furukawa, and me, sort of.
IMG_2881.JPG 874.00K - This is Elder Swenson and I.
Wait what!? Who's Elder Swenson! That's right! Elder Aiura was transferred to a new area, and Elder Swenson has been transfered into Furukawa with me! Yipee! So, Elder Swenson is from Washington, and this is HIS LAST TRANSFER! So he'll be 'home in time for Christmas' or however the song goes.
Surprisingly however, I have been made Senior Companion. Elder Swenson was getting a little... Well you can probably guess. He's a great guy and all, but sometimes Missionaries are a little to excited to go home. But we get a long great! However... If anyone has any advice on how to deal with those who... might not be quite as excited to get to work as other missionaries, please share. I'm open to all suggestions from anyone.
Oh! Also, thanks so much for the wonderful mail! I love getting your letters and hearing how you are doing! You are true examples to me! Oh gee. I am always running out of time. :/
However, today I want to share a spiritual message that's been on my mind the last little while. As you might have noticed, I have been in Japan for quite some time now, and still have not seen a baptism. This has been somewhat discouraging to me. I'm sure you will all want to tell me that quantity isn't important, or that people just 'don't baptise in Japan,' or whatever else... But frankly, people do baptise in Japan, and it's discouraging to me that I have yet to fulfill my purpose. However, I've begun to learn some of what it means to be patient.
The scriptures are riddled with stories of patience. Noah waiting for rain. Enos waiting in prayer to receive forgiveness. Jacob waiting for Rachel. Jospeh Smith waiting in liberty jail. The Nephites waiting for Christ to visit them. Etc... They are all over the place. But they all promise the same thing: If you wait on the Lord in faith, you will be delivered.
I recently found a book titled 'When do the Good things come?' or 'Itsu, ii koto wa kuru kana?' in Japanese. It's a Japanese and English Charlie Brown comic strip book. I obviously didn't have time to read the book. But the title intrigued me. When do the good things come?
Well, after study (see Mosiah 23), prayer, and serious thought, I've come to the conclusion that you can never really know when the 'good things' come. I don't know when I will see a baptism, I don't know when I will learn Japanese, but I know that if I trust the lord, and wait, those good things will come. There is a video on youtube that I was privleged to see in the MTC by Jeffery R. Holland. I think it's called 'Good things come to those who wait,' or something to that effect. It impacted me greatly, and I still remember it.
It depicts a man struggling with his family to find their place in this world. They are stranded twice along an old road near Kanarryville Utah. In the movie, as the father is doing his best to figure things out, the world seems to combine against him, but he just keeps on moving forward. I can still hear it in my mind now, Jeffery R. Holland imploring the young father, and me: "Don't you quit."
Don't worry. I do not, have not, and will not ever, intend to quit. I know that for me in Japan, the good things will come as I trust the Lord through, prayer, scripture study, and faith. And I also know that, that same promise applies to you. I don't know your problems. I don't know your needs. But I do know that if you trust the Lord with all your heart, through prayer, study and pondering, all will be well. I promise that, all will be well.
And I say that in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
Thanks again, I love you all.
--
Truly,
Sincerely,
Elder Shaw
PS. Remember too the saying: 'A patient man often must wait a long time. But no more often than an impatient man.'
Imonikai!
Hey everyone! Thanks for all of the marvelous mail! It was surely a pleasure to receive! I'm short on time today because we have some appointments to get to... So I'll start with the pictures.
So, this last week I was privileged to go to this 'Imonikai' thing. t pretty much translates to Ward Picnic. It was lots of fun! Unfortunately, none of the investigators we invited showed up... But a member brought a friend who lived close by to her... So it wasn't a total waste of time! Here are a few pictures from it.
IMG_2631.JPG - At Imonikai
IMG_2710.JPG - This weeks lackluster comic
IMG_2651.JPG 1,522.00K - Elder Aiura at Imonikai
IMG_2638.JPG 1,443.00K - Me doing the 'Asian Squat.' Try it out. It's not that easy! You have to keep your feet completely flat on the groundl. And then sit down. Good luck!
IMG_2634.JPG 1,646.00K - For Luke
IMG_2658.JPG 1,331.00K - Japanese Forest, slightly different than America
IMG_2654.JPG 726.00K - At Imonikai - Grass is still grass in Japan :)
IMG_2656.JPG 1,585.00K - At Imonikai
IMG_2707.JPG 1,311.00K - Me about to enter my new Lotus... Haha just kidding. It was just really fun to see. Haha So we took some action shots.
In other news, we found some new really strong investigators this week. The Ishiyama family! Their daughter lives in Texas and is a member! So they have a great relationship with the church already. We've only taught them once so far, but I have high hopes for them. Chiba San is not looking good. We have not been able to contact him in some time. I don't know what's going to happen with his baptism. Also, next week is transfer week, so my e-mail will be delayed. Just FYI.
Ah! Sorry, I have no time for a spiritual message this week. I love you all, the church is true, and keep working hard! Good things come to those who wait :)
--
Sincerely,
エルダーショー
Elder Shaw
Soutaikai!
Hello everyone! So, first I'll start with the pictures.
IMG_2635.JPG 1,158.00K - This weeks comic. It's about Indianna Jones!
IMG_2624.JPG 834.00K - A timely Halloween gift from Kristy! Halloween in Japan is sort of boring. No dressing up, no candy... Barely any decorations. It's sad! Especially so since Halloween is my favorite holiday! (Outside of Christmas of course, but that hardly counts!)
IMG_2618.JPG 1,227.00K - I don't know where this picture came from?
IMG_2591.JPG 1,014.00K - I didn't let Japan's lackluster efforts to celebrate Halloween get me down. I bought my own decorations! (It was with your money dad. Sorry. But it was only like 3 dollars.)
IMG_2592.JPG 983.00K - See above.
Now, I'll talk about conference. So, if I said anything about it before this e-mail, please disregard it. Because I was confused! But I'll explain how it happened. First off, obviously, I was privleged to watch it a week later! But, thankfully, in English. The send CD's to all of Asia that contain English, Spanish, Protueguese, Japanese, Mandrin and Cantonese. So, while the members were watching the morning session in Japanese, I had headphones in listening to the same session in English. It was glorious.
However, conference was a little different this year than it had been for me in other years... First, the number of people in my ward... Saturday was difficult for most of them. But we had 7 people come for the morning session (if you count Elder Aiura and I, and one families new baby). For priesthood session there was a total of four of us. Sunday morning session obviously had the greatest turn out: 10. Most people just wait and watch it at home on their computers when it comes out it seems.
But despite the change, conference was amazing. When you're on a mission, conference truly has special meaning for you, and I like to think even more so in my case, because it's the most English I've heard in a long time! But seriously.conference was amazing. The opporunity to hear the word of God in such a way, so quickly is truly a miracle. I am so grateful for the opporutunity to watch it. However, I am also saddened by it. Because it made me remember something. And I'm sorry, I need to repent. I truly appreciate you all, but what have I done to show it? Not enough.
Dad. When you first bought the yellow house across the street from the church, the basement was unfinished. After every 15 day interval stay at Mom's house, I recall coming to your home and being excited to see what new additions you had made to the basement. It seemed you were always working on it! And I was amazed at how quickly the basement turned from a dull dirty storage place, into, literally, a theatre room. However, it also always perplexed me. I never saw you working on it? I didn't understand when you were getting the work done... You were always busy with me it seemed. And not until recently have I realized what that meant. It was no doubt an important job to you, but when I was at your house, you were with me. You weren't working to finish the project, you were spending all the time you could, with me. Thank you. I only wish I had taken better advantage of that time.
Mom. Something you might remember is a short little song that you used to sing to me every morning. It was simple, but the lyrics were this: "It's time to get up, it's time to get up, it's time to get up in the morning. It's time to get up, it's time to get up, it's time to get up, right now. Get up, get up, get up. It's time to get up right now." The lyrics are basic, the tune was also not very complex, but it got the job done. As I have come on a mission, sometimes, I haven't wanted to get up. But those mornings, when I feel the weight of my calling pressing down on me, when I feel like I might never master this language I've been called to speak, when I feel surrounded by darkness and doubts, I remember that song. And when I sing it, I remember that it is indeed time to get up, it is time to arouse myself, and it's time to get to work. And somehow, my sunset seems to become a sunrise as I remember my mother and all the things she's taught me. I truly feel like a stipling warrior, I do not doubt my mother knew it. Thank you mom, for teaching me in my youth.
Time is short, so I'm sorry I can't give everyone the proper thank you that you deserve. But know, that I love you all. Jen, Luke, Justin, Kristy, Jon, Julie, and so many more people I can't list. You have done more for me than you will ever know. :) Thank you.
I leave that with you in Jesus' name, Amen.
--
Sincerely,
エルダーショー
Elder Shaw
My name is Brian Shaw, though you can just call me エルダーショー (Elder Shaw). As of the 19th of May 2010, I have been rigorously engaged in serving the Lord by laboring to bring the Japanese people back to their savior, Jesus Christ; and I will continue to do so faithfully until the 19th of the same month in 2012.
