Kurashiki is WONDERFUL! Life in the city is great. However, on Wednesday, we went to Fukuyama city (in Hiroshima Prefecture) for District Meeting, then I stayed there for an exchange with Elder Packer from Layton, UT (he went to the same high school as Chris Escalante and knows his family, cool). Fukuyama was even bigger than Kurashiki, the city kept going. . .
Oh, I forgot to mention how fabulous the apartment is in Kurashiki. It's got two floors, a sofa . . . AND a massage chair! Wonderful! I've got so much space here compared to my last apartment!
Our investigators are doing pretty well. We met with our Brazilian investigators on Friday night. Bishop Yamada and his wife (Sis. Yamada happens to be Brazilian and fluent in English, Japanese, and Portuguese!) taught our recent convert while Elder Daimler and I ganbaru'd with Sis. Oliveira's friend and son (the son translated for us, BUT I got to recite the first vision in Portuguese, memorized it in Izumo!)
I get to meet our Chinese investigator tonight. He lives a few hours north, but he's coming into town to have dinner with us, and then attend a family's sports activity. This should be good. We're still trying to figure out if he's a member or not. I guess he remembers being baptized a while ago, and loves the church, reading the Book of Mormon, and keeps the commandments... but they can't find his record. We'll see.
Yesterday was one of the best experiences I have ever had. Stake conference. We took a two hour drive up north to Nimi for Stake Conference. It was at a performance hall. I got to be reunited with former companions (Elder Kajiuchi and Elder Atkin), and former ward members (the YSA from Izumo Branch). I got to see Umetani San and her daughter Haruna briefly, they had to leave quickly after, but wow, Umetani san was BEAMING! The Baptism will be on the 20th of September! I'm so excited for her. I finally have her address, so I can write to them! Kajiuchi choro let me know that Seki San (the protestant friend of our Brazillian member in Izumo) has started taking the lessons! I feel so blessed! He gave me a letter from my friend Lisa, where she talked a bit about the adversary trying to deceive us into thinking we're not working hard enough. The things that are happening in Izumo now made me feel that I really did do my part. It's all about the Lord's timeline, and I feel absolutely blessed!
I didn't understand everything that was said, but I loved being surrounded by so many of these wonderful people! I love Japan, I love the people! I want to get better at Japanese so that I can better communicate with them, and reach the hearts of more of these precious sons and daughters of God! Life is great. Yes, there are still ups and downs, but we're overcoming the downs as they come.
Zone Conference is on Wednesday, and I'm excited! Every time I go with deep questions I need answered, and so far, they have been answered. This time, we'll see what happens!
Well, I love you all! I'm enjoying my stay here, and I'll try to get you some pictures soon. Ooh, I could use a little bottle of maple flavoring and that maple syrup recipe. I can get peanut butter here through the mission home, so you don't have to send any more of that. Thank you so much, you are so amazing! I really appreciate all your continued love and gifts and tastes of home. We made some bbq chicken sandwiches the other night. SO GOOD!
Praying for you, and loving you,
Elder Peterson
Changing to the Japan Fukuoka Mission
In February of 2010, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints published this statement to let its members know of changes happening in the Mission Field. Paul's mission, the Japan Hiroshima Mission, was one of the missions affected by this change. This is another article about the change to his mission. As of the first of July 2010, he is a part of the Japan Fukuoka Mission.
*As a side note, I stumbled upon Paul's new Mission President's blog where they have pictures of their missionaries. I don't know if there are any pictures of Paul, but I thought it was neat to see his mission from a different perspective!
*As a side note, I stumbled upon Paul's new Mission President's blog where they have pictures of their missionaries. I don't know if there are any pictures of Paul, but I thought it was neat to see his mission from a different perspective!
Monday, September 14, 2009
Where Did The Week Go?
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"Lord of the Rings" Relates to Missionary Work
J.R.R. Tolkien, in The Fellowship of the Rings, wrote this:"The road must be trod, but it will be very
hard. And neither strength nor wisdom will
carry us far upon it. This quest may be
attempted by the weak with as much hope as
the strong. Yet it is oft the course of deeds
that move the wheels of the world: Small hands
do them because they must, while the eyes of
the great are elsewhere."
Alma 37:6 -- "Now ye may suppose that this is foolishness
in me; but behold I say unto you, that by small and simple
things are great things brought to pass; and small means
in many instances doth confound the wise."
By small and simple efforts, the young missionaries of the
church really can "confound the wise" and help the kingdom
roll forth!
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