January 21, 2013
Hello wonderful
friends and family!
Where to start with
this week?
So last Monday was a
little bit crazy. After Iz**** Shimai passed her interview she said she had
to go so her boys didn`t get interviewed. Then she told us that they
had tournaments for the next 2 weeks so they couldn`t be baptized. We
asked her about February and she said she didn`t know their schedules yet. That
was a bummer.
But good news on the
baptism column! On Friday Is**** San passed his interview! He is going to be
baptized after church this Sunday!! We are obviously thrilled for him. But we
haven`t really done anything to help him...This is definitely not `our`
baptism. It is the mission`s and the previous missionaries` baptism.
On Saturday we met
with a girl, T**** San, we met streeting during Shogatsu. We texted her a couple
times before and she either didn`t respond or it took her a long time. So we
were about to drop her when on Friday night she texted us. This is what it
said, `Anderson San, Dobson San. I want to hear about God`s plan. When can you
meet?` Obviously we were elated! We met with her on Saturday and had a good
lesson. We did the water downed Plan of Salvation with some How to Begin
Teaching. She was feeling the Spirit and said she is really interested and
wants to learn more! yay! She doesn`t know her work schedule so we don`t have a
return appointment yet. But we are waiting.... She is super cute!
On Thursday we had
interviews! That was great. In my interview President was telling me about all
the sisters that are expected to come. It`s going to be crazy!! So in the next
couple of months we will be getting a few more sisters here and there. Then
come July there are going to be 11 new sisters in one transfer! President said
that number could even go up.
The problem with them
all coming in July is that all the Sisters who make up a majority of our
mission right now are going home in June. President told me that when that
transfer comes he won`t need revelation about who is supposed to be training.
It`s `all hands on deck`. Crazy! He said if we don`t have enough trainers we
are might even have to have 1 trainer to 2 new missionaries. That would be
insanity! But it is so exciting to see how the Lord is going to hasten His
work!
SHIMAI POWER here we
come!!
At interviews
President did some training about agency. Long story short. We do
need opposition in all things. And as frustrating as it is for us to
watch our investigators choose what they know they shouldn`t when that
opposition amounts, it is a vital role in Heavenly Father`s plan.
The training couldn`t
have come at a better time.
Saturday and Sunday
we watched our investigators exercise their agency.
We had tried to
contact Iz**** Shimai to talk about baptism and just to keep in contact. We
knew that Satan was going to work so hard on her, especially because she
already passed her interview and was that much closer to baptism.
On Saturday she
avoided us and wouldn`t talk.
On Sunday at church
we got a text from her. Long story short...She read a lot of anti-literature
and said she no longer wanted to be baptized. We asked if we could go talk to
her about it. She said no. Ugh!
On top of that.
Ni**** San came to church. Gave us Kentucky Fried Chicken, and then said he
could never come back to church. And left.
Sh**** San came
to church too! That was great. She hasn`t been for a while. But she said school
is super busy and she needs to get a job. So she isn`t sure if she can keep
coming.
R**** went back to
her home on the island off of Shikoku...she won`t be able to meet for a
while.
So basically in a
period of less than 12 hours we lost almost all of our investigators.
Needless to say we
were a little down after church. We felt like we had done everything we could
have for each of them. And they decided to exercise their agency and choose not
to continue.
We were doing a
little bit of Japanese study after church and in our Book of Mormon reading as
a companionship we read 2 Nephi 10:23. It was exactly what we needed.
`Therefore, cheer up your hearts, and remember that ye are free to act for
yourselves-to choose the way of everlasting death or the way of eternal life.`
The Lord knew that we had done everything we could have to help our
investigators. But. In the end. It was their choice, and they are `free to act
for themselves`.
We aren`t going to
give up. We are going to keep working. Especially for Izu**** San. She is so
close! We know she can make it. She will come around eventually. Hopefully it`s
sooner rather than later....
Well. That was
basically our week. Even though it was rough, I definitely felt the Lord
comforting me. Letting me know that everything will be alright. And I know it
will if we just trust in Him.
I love you all so
much! Keep going strong!
-Dobson Shimai
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| Anderson Shimai and I decided to lay out our aprons for a Winter Indoor Picnic |
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