Fwd: Week 4- We're Halfway There and Livin' On A Prayer

 Week 4- We're Halfway There and Livin' On A Prayer

On Saturday I'll have been here for ONE MONTH!!!!!!!!!! Have a party for me!

Woah! How crazy! It feels like an eternity but at the same time I feel like I got here yesterday.

This was a rough week. Our senseitachi (teachers) are really pushing us to elevate our Nihongo. No more notes. Our lessons were really rough, but I was surprised at how much I could actually say! Even though I can only say really simple sentences, I can come up with them on my own. I am so blessed to be able to learn so quickly. It is still really hard though. We are given 3 hours in the morning for Personal Study, Companionship Study, and Language Study. I really have to use my time wisely because it goes by so fast. We also have two 3-hour blocks of classroom time. It's a lot of studying, but we need it! I am still way behind the rest of my district, but I have made so much progress. I said something during a lesson and my sensei broke character for a second and said "Suberashii!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" (AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!) That was a good moment. It is a struggle to understand this language though. I have to rely on the Lord's help for everything. There is no way I could do this without His help.

The best part of my week was making a big breakthrough with my personal scripture study. I love how reading the scriptures can provide you with the answer that you're desperately searching more! Also, Elder Richard G. Scott from the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles spoke to us. I'll write more about that later! Also, Tad R. Callister (General Sunday School President and author of The Infinite Atonement) spoke to us on Sunday. Amazing. This week was a spiritual feast!

Some funnyness:

"toki doki doki doki" means "sometimes nervous". This is my favorite thing to say and I find the most awkward times to say it.

Also, we say "kiken" (means "danger") whenever there is danger of flirting. Flirting is a really bad thing. What's funny is the chorotachi in my district yell it at me the most. They like to tease me. They remind me of my BROTHERS (yes, I'm talking to you Jackson, Ben and Ryan!!!). There is another word that is really similar- "kikai" means opportunity. These are a little too similar, and wayyyyyyyyy to easy to mix up.

We like to come up with the Japanese equivalent of American sayings such as "Cool Beans" -Kakkoi mame (Funny story, when the Nihonjiin were here, we told them that they were Cool Beans and they were deeply disturbed...). The struggle is real - Ara soi wa honto desu *most used*. Burrrrrrn- Yakedo. 

WE HAVE NEW NIHONJIIN SHIMAITACHI to CHOROTACHI! (We have new Japanese Elders and Sisters!) We love talking to them! It's good practice for us! Plus, they are so nice! Soares Choro, who was trying to be friendly, tried to ask "Shumi wa nan desu ka?" (What are your hobbies?) but instead asked "Tsumi wa nan desu ka?" (What are your sins?) HAHAHAHAHA! I couldn't stop laughing. That's one of the funniest mix-ups we've had so far!

On Sunday in Relief Society, we heard from Jean A Stevens who is the 1st Counselor of the Primary General Presidency. She spoke about trying to be like Jesus. We sang "I'm trying to be like Jesus, I'm following in His way, I'm trying to love as He did in all that I do and say. At times I am tempted to make a wrong choice, but I try to listen as the still, small voice whispers: "Love one another as Jesus loves you, try to show kindness in all that you do. Be gentle, and loving in deed and in thought, for these are the things Jesus taught". I love that song. As a missionary, I am a representative of Jesus Christ. I wear His name on my badge every day. It goes right over my heart. I am called to do what the Savior did while He was on the Earth. He taught the gospel, He gave people hope, but mostly His mission was to show us love. When He suffered in Gethsamane and hung on the cross, that was for us. I have been studying the life of Christ, so that I can better know what He did. I want to follow His example. Christ loved the children, and blessed them. He fed the hungry, and lifted up the hands that hung down. The Savior said "If ye love me, feed my lambs". This is what I am so excited to do!

During choir, Brother Egget shared a thought that reminded me of Dad: God created the universe, but do we really know HOW BIG it is? Not only in volume, but the amount of detail? If we could count every particle of this earth, and millions of earths just like this one, we could not even begin to comprehend the smallest part of the Lord's creations. He went on to talk about the number of stars in our galaxy, and about as far as man knows how big our universe is. So when Moses came to the Lord concerned about facing Pharaoh who built the pyramids and commands the armies of Egypt... the Lord might have thought (just speculation) "I command the stars to change their course in the sky... I have told you to tell Pharaoh to let My people go... and you are worried about his armies? His power?" The same with Laman and Lemuel being afraid that "Laban controls 50 men", even though they would have known from their brother Nephi that the Lord giveth no commandment unto the children of men save he shall prepare a way for them to accomplish that thing which they have been commanded to do! The main idea is: God is as personal as He is infinite. I don't know if that make sense. God is as intimately acquainted with us as He is grand. It made me think about how there are 6 billion + who have no idea that God loves them. I must share my message with confidence. I will fear no man. I will fear God, and repsect and keep His commandments.

Tad R. Callister spoke about the Plan of Salvation, and had an awesome powerpoint that I greatly appreciated. 

Here are some things that stood out:

We are not creations. The building is a creation, paintings are a creation. They don't have much potential. Can a building ever become the architect? Can a painting ever become a painter? We are spirit offspring of Heavenly parents. Children can become like their parents. We have the potential to become perfect, as God is perfect. We know how we can do this- by following the commandments. We must be baptized by someone holding the proper authority, we must receive the Gift of the Holy Ghost, then we must participate in the ordinances of the temple. That is the only way we can become like God. "Straight and narrow is the way". Also, imagine what we wouldn't know without the Restored Gospel: We would have no knwoledge of the Pre-Existence, we would not know that God has a body of flesh and bone, we would not know that we go to the Spirit World after we die, we would not know about the Degrees of Glory or what happens after we are judged... and we would not know about Exaltation- we would not know how to be able to live with God again. 

Elder Richard G. Scott gave an amazing talk. We stood up when he came into the room. The Spirit was so strong! He talked about communication with our Heavenly Father. Prayer is essential. God wants to hear from us! He wants to bless us, but we have to pray first. We have a wonderful opportunity to speak with Heavenly Father, and we shouldn't take that for granted. The rest of my notes were impressions that I had while he was speaking, so I'll keep those private if you don't mind... what an amazing experience though!

Thanks everyone for letters! Especially mom, Dad (I loved the artcle about Joseph Smith and revelation, I shared it with SIster Mills) and Aunt Liz! Thank you for making my day brighter! 

Please send me letters! I love you hear from you!

I just want to thank everyone who reads my letters via social media! If you ever have questions, my email is lindsay.sanders@myldsmail.net

Onward, ever onward, as we glory in His name............ I honestly love singing Called To Serve. I've been here for a month and I'm still not sick of it :)

Ai shite imasu!!!!!!!!!!! I am so happy to be serving the Lord! Watashi wa kono kyokai shinjitsu da to omoimasu! I know this church is true! Watashi wa Iesu Krisuto ni kansha shimasu! I am thankful for Jesus Christ! 

-Sister Sanders