Funfetti Cake

February 23, 2014

Dear Family and Friends-

 

So, lets see what is new.  So much happens in one week, but at the same time, all of the days seem to be the same.  But, yesterday little Yu Chan came to church!  She only came to partake of the sacrament because her brother was sick, but she came!  }Here are my current guesses on the situation.  Yu Chan had a bad morning and didnt want to go to church last sunday (a typical thing for a 9 year old to say).  Her mom then said that if she is going to be baptized, that she has to go to church.  So naturally in response, she said then she wont get baptized.  And then the mom told us she didnt want to get baptized.  If I think back to when I was nine, I can see myself doing a very similar thing.  She was smiling and everything when she walked into church.  I am a little worried about the mom though.  She is a strong member, and she was hoping Yus baptism would motivate her husband to become reactivated...but it hasnt.  Now with the baptism right around the corner and the husband not doing anything about it, I think she may want to try pushing back the baptism again.  I really hope she doesnt.  The husband will come around when he wants to and is ready, but she shouldnt put her daughters salvation in jeopardy.  But, that is only my best guess.  We will see how it all unfolds in the coming week or so. 

 

We got to teach Nana Chan on Wednesday.  She had lost her voice and everything with a cold and she still came (not very typical here- you get sick and your whole life shuts down...even with a cold).  Sadly I dont know if she will make her baptismal date in March because she seems to study way too much to attend church, but I definetely think she will be baptized soon. On Saturday we got to teach Tania (I love how they are giving us more responsibility to teach recent converts).  She is awesome and is really trying to put her priorities in order.  She was so funny.  She said these other two missionaries came and gave her a newspaper about their church and she wanted to show it to us.  But she told us to stay where we were and she would show it to us through the window because it wasnt allowed in her house.  When she came back in the house, she scrubbed her hands after holding something so filthy.  It was so funny to watch and so great to see.  I love seeing the testimony of this gospel sink deeper and deeper into their hearts.

 

So this week, the MP gave us a new mission training plan- it is only for 2 weeks.  Our last training plan was about us relying on Him.  Well he decided that we cant rely on Him if we dont know who He is.  So for two weeks, the whole mission is doing everything we can to really come to know our Savior Jesus Christ- not just facts of Him, but to really get to know Him and have a burning testimony of Him in our hearts.  Im excited for it!  We are to wake up early to study and cut down breakfast, lunch, and dinner, to focus on studying the life of Christ.  Every thought we think should be about Him or our investigators and same goes with the conversations we have with our companions.  It is really hard to train your thoughts in such a way, but it has been good.  Conversation is much more stimulating now as we ONLY talk about the gospel.  Im excited to see how I will grow and change over these next two weeks.  If you are up to it, I challenge you all to do the same thing.  Eat, breath, and sleep the gospel of Jesus Christ.  It is occupying my mind so much that last night will I dreamt, I remember specifically thinking "Oh no!  These dreams arent about Christ- I somehow have to change them!" I dont know if they actually changed, but I was trying to.

 

Anyway, I hope you all had a great week and this next week is even better.  Keep trying everyday to be a little better than you were yesterday.  Focus on the eternal perspective and why we have everything that we have.  Come to know, or come to better know who Jesus Christ really is.  I love you all!

 

Ellsworth Shimai

Nana Chan and funfetti cake!

Her district this transfer!