Learning To Be Humble

August 19, 2013

So I know that I said last week that the Lord was just preparing us to have a better week this week. Apparently I wasn`t humbled enough and I needed to be in the oven a little longer. 

This week was rough again with people`s appointments falling through or getting spoked. It always was hard with the huge summer holiday all of Japan had this week. I know I shouldn`t blame our lack of success on that, but....it`s hard to be meeting with your investigators when they are in a completely different mission`s area.... 

But, I think we finally learned our lesson and how that this work is not and never can be about us. The Lord made that very clear. 

But as we have really tried to humble ourselves last week we have been blessed with things for the up coming week and our planners are quickly becoming full. Hooray!  

So. Yep. 

We did get to teach Y**** K****. Poor man. He is just so lonely, and I can tell he just wants to be loved. He doesn`t feel like he is worthy enough to repent. Apparently we didn`t explain repentance clearly and simply enough. Hopefully he will see how he actually can repent as he reads about Alma the younger`s repentance process. I told him that this man was trying to destroy the church and then he eventually became a prophet. We`ll see if that got the point across. :) 

Couple of cool things did actually happen this week. 

So I went back to Shimogamo and did an exchange which was fun.

 But the miracle that actually did happen, happened here in Mikunigaoka. Because me and Nakatsuka Shimai were gone in Shimogamo, our 2 companions (a first and second transfer missionary) were left on their own. 

They were obviously apprehensive about the Japanese. But the Lord proved that He doesn`t need Japanese speaking ability. He can do his own work. 

They met a Japanese woman and they started contacting her. But she, seeing that they were struggling with Japanese and obviously not Japanese, said that she could speak English. But her Spanish was actually really good. Well, my companion, Chavez Shimai, her first language is Spanish. So she was able to talk to her and explain who we are and what we do. The lady said that she would be interested and Chavez Shimai was able to set up an appointment and explain where the church is. So we have an appointment set up with her this week. So...excited about that. :) 

Also. This week Chavez Shimai lost her bike key. We couldn`t find it any where. And we really needed her bike. So we carried her bike the 1/2 a mile to the bike shop. 

The guy said he would fix the bike in a couple of minutes. So we were just waiting at the shop. Then a lady approached us and asked if we were missionaries. She is a member in the ward next to ours. We started talking with her and she introduced us to her friend who is not a member. We had a good conversation and then they left. 

I thought, well that was cool. Maybe that is why we needed to go to the bike shop. 

Well on Sunday we had stake conference. And before the stake conference all the missionaries in the zone got together and we went and did mini splits and went finding to try and invite people to church. 

I went with a new sister, Hamilton Shimai. Time was running out and we hadn`t found anybody yet . So we said a prayer to know where we had to go. 

We saw a house and we felt like we needed to go over there. So we hopped on our bikes and started peddling really fast. Just as we are about to get over to the house, we see the member from the bike shop, and her friend. He was giving her a ride to church, but he wouldn`t come in. 

We got to talk for just a second, but then he drove away. 

 

I just don`t feel like it was a coincidence that we met this man who doesn`t even live in our area twice in 3 days. We were talking to the member about him and she said that she has invited him to church, but he is too nervous to come. But she said because he met us now he wants to start coming to our English class. Which is improvement because he wouldn`t even walk into a church 3 months ago. 

Yay! I don`t know what is going to happen with him, but I feel like a miracle is in the beginning stages. :) 

Well, out of time. But I love you all so much!! 

Have a great week!! 

Love,
Dobson Shimai 

This is for Dad who loves wacky signs