This week something incredible happened. I got to see the power of the atonement right before my eyes. We are working with a less active member and members actually set up the appointments for us. She is amazing. She isn't active mostly because something happened a long time ago with other members and she's still got some emotional scars from that. She once told us that she absolutely hated a certain person when we first talked to her. We visited her the first time about 3 weeks ago on her birthday and we talked about God and his love for her. She was so happy that we came then because she thought that everyone had forgotten her birthday. Since then we have had a good relationship with her and have really come to love her. In one of her lessons I was a bit off one day. And she told me not to worry and to be happy because there are people who need to hear my testimony. She told me I had a reason that I'm here and people are waiting for me. She's more like an old friend rather than a less active member we have to teach. She really is truly amazing and it's cool to see her changing. Recently we had a lesson with her and a member and the member called her out and said " your heart used to be hard, but now it's softened because of the atonement. You still need to continue to repent and change but you are different now." She said she had changed and she said "I am praying to forgive the person I hate.. I really hate this person, but I am praying to love them and forgive them because they are just human" when I heard this, my heart skipped a beat. I was beyond happy! Praying for someone you don't like let alone hate takes faith in the lord and a lot of humility. I have seen the light of Christ touch her, she is happier and she is trying her best to change. It's so amazing to see that.
Well I've got quite the track record for going to the dentist and or Doctor... 
don't worry I'm fine. So really funny story, I was flossing my teeth Wednesday night and my tooth broke.. I don't even understand how it happened. I was really shocked.. And stopped floss. I walked into the other room holding part of my tooth saying "uhh folkman shimai I think I might have a problem." I tried to rinse my mouth out ,but sadly the water was too cold. The next morning we called a member in the ward (he's from America, married to a Japanese woman) and asked him if he knew a good Dentist. Lucky for me he did, and this dentist studied in a America. And spoke a bit of English. No matter how good my Japanese is or gets I will never be able to go to the doctor or dentist because I have a little bit of a fear of them. Even in America I freeze up because I am so nervous. We had an appointment set up for Friday afternoon. Except one problem.. We had zone training meeting! So we called the zone leaders and asked them if it would be okay to leave. And they said it was cool.
Friday came along and my diet was mainly bananas and bread because it was soft and not cold. Glad that's over! We went to zone meeting.. And wow it was a good one. Recently we have been talking about the atonement and we are doing a challenge as a mission which is to read the Book of Mormon and finding the different applications of the atonement and anything that has to do with the atonement. If you really look for it you will come to realize that the Book of Mormon is really all about the atonement. It's so cool. I loved hearing everyone's insights on the Book of Mormon and the atonement. One thing that stuck out to me was when elder cannon talked a little bit about the recent mission tour we had. In that tour elder choi (he is one of the leaders over the Asian serving missionaries) came and talked about missionary work and just life in general. He said over and over again "if you don't like something about the mission.. Like it!" Elder cannon said "for me it was hard because for example, I hate eating cucumbers like I really hate it, there is no sauce no way to cook it that will make me like it, but I like eating with friends and I like being with my family all together, so if I had to eat a cucumber I could find the things that I like from it. Like it's healthy, and eating with people. Being a missionary is the Same there are things you won't like maybe hate ,but you can find things in it that you like. " I don't know why it stood out to me ,but I was thinking more about life when I thought about it. Life is not perfect. You guys know that ,but why not find the things that you love about life even in the bitter or hard things? Love life. If you don't like it or love it find the things from it that you do love.
We left after the meeting and went to the dentist... He did really good probably the best I've ever gotten in Japan. It's almost good as new!
Crepes... Never eating crepes again. We have eaten them with 2 investigators and I will never eat them again I get way sick thinking about it. Never again. The first time was awesome! The second time was alright, the most recent time was awful because it was right after we ate and the crepes are big!
We went out with two investigators this week and we talked a little bit about the temple because Kiku one investigator told us about how she had gone to the temple with her host family in America and whipped out a video from Facebook and said "is this your temple?" the familiar song "I love to see the temple" that I used to sing in Sunday school as a little kid played in the background and all kind of memories came flooding back as the video gave a virtual tour of the temple rooms. Gosh it was so amazing. We explained that we can be married in the temple and be married for all time and eternity. Usually marriage ceremonies say "till death to you part" where as in ours it says something a long the lines of "forever" I think I don't know I've never been to a wedding before. But we talked about that ,and it was just so cool to me because I haven been to the temple for so long! I just want to go back. We invited them to come to church and the said they would for sure come.
Come Sunday morning my companion and I wait patiently for them to come ,but moments go by and each grandma that bikes by gets our hopes up ,but finally when church started we realized they weren't coming. I can't tell you how upset that I felt. We were so excited for them to come and then they didn't show up... I was pretty dang sick that day and I kept praying for strength ,so that when they came I would be happy and peppy. When they didn't show my energy was gone and my heart sank. Later that night we got a call from an different investigator saying she didn't really want to hear the lessons anymore. We were quite upset because of what happened earlier. At about 7:00 ish we didn't know what to do. We were biking to go find new people. When I got the idea of the less active man that we visit a lot. "Maybe we should go visit him" I said to my comp. so we did. This is the same sarcastic man who makes us laugh and has the funniest things to say. We went over to his house and ended up setting up chairs on his porch so we could talk with him. It got really deep and spiritual. He opened up a lot about his mission and his walls came down with us as he told us stories from his mission. He loved his mission and his testimony is still so strong. He just has old wounds that need healing. He said so many things that really helped us that night. He has no idea. As went to leave, he told us "thank you. Really. It means a lot that you guys care so much. It feels good to talk about my mission.. I still think about it everyday" We laughed we cried and we felt the spirit. It was amazing. The cool thing about this work is when you give yourself to help someone and in turn you learn something new and you feel the love of God.
2 Nephi 7:7-9
7 For the Lord God will help me, therefore shall I not be confounded. Therefore have I set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed.
8 And the Lord is near, and he justifieth me. Who will contend with me? Let us stand together. Who is mine adversary? Let him come near me, and I will smite him with the strength of my mouth.
9 For the Lord God will help me. And all they who shall condemn me, behold, all they shall wax old as a garment, and the moth shall eat them up.
I really like this scriptures. :) have a great week y'all!
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