Fwd: Transfer 8 week 3

From: Lindsay Sanders <lindsay.sanders@myldsmail.net>

Date: August 30, 2015 6:48:54 PM MST

Subject: Transfer 8 week 3

Transfer 8 Week 3

Hello friends and family! How's life? Sorry about last week, we had an opportunity to go to the temple with our Ward, so we gave up our Pday. Going to the temple was awesome. I really needed it! I am so blessed to be in a mission with a temple! While I was there, we did a session in Japanese (I get to wear headphones with the English dub!) and one all in English. The missionaries were the only ones in that session... I received some really specific revelation and answers to some questions I have had for a long time. I love that we can find answers to prayers and feel peace when we go to the temple. I feel like such a weight was lifted off my shoulders. It was so nice to go. 

We had a typhoon on Tuesday... on the same day the STL's came for Junkai, and they brought their bean companions... So there were 8 of us stuck in our apartment all day! They stayed over Monday night and luckily they arrived just before the storm got bad. The wind and rain was so strong it blew tons of trees over and the whole city is a mess. None of us could sleep. The next day we got an email from the mission president with a commandment to stay inside. I wish I could tell you we did something exciting, but all we did was call people from our area book and organize stuff... It was nice to have a chill day, it is just kind of scary because we live on the top floor of a tall building so when the wind is really bad the whole building shakes. I got all of our records updated, I cleaned out the fridge, and got to know the new sisters. They are the cutest! They both told me they want to be my companion someday :) it was way sweet. I love the people I get to serve with. Luckily, the typhoon passed quickly and we were able to go out that night and help clean up some of the sidewalks near our apartment.

This week, on my Junkai with superstar STL Sanford Shimai, she helped me refocus on my goals for how I want to conduct myself for the rest of my mission. I get my death call this transfer (just an email telling me the exact day I end my mission) so everyone considers me to be old. Sanford Shimai goes home in a few months, so she said she was feeling preachy and gave me advice for about three hours. She is an amazing missionary... We are very different, but I appreciated a lot of the things she said. We talked about how PMG is so awesome, and how every single chapter can be applied to normal life. I will definitely keep reading it when I get home!

We saw a cool miracle this week. We had planned out our day the night before, but that day we weren't feeling right about the area we had decided to go to. We prayed and I had a distinct thought to go to a specific area at exactly 3:15. I told my companion, and we prayed again... We both felt strongly that was where we needed to go. We go to this area and are not really sure what house to knock on, so we just start housing. The fourth door we knock on, a woman comes to the door and opens it, sees us, gets scared and shuts it right away. Then she opens her door again and says "sorry, I didn't expect to see foreigners!" We asked her some questions and she told us a little about her life... And then she starts asking us a TON of questions, like why are there so many churches? What is God like? Do I have to believe in Jesus Christ to get to heaven? Do I have to read the Bible? Why do some people have harder trials than others? 

We told her that there was an answer to all of her questions, and that there was a way that she can ask God directly for answers. She was really excited. We taught her how to pray and prayed with her there on her doorstep. She said she would pray again the night and then we would talk about it the next day. We were there for an HOUR, she has so many questions! I know she will be able to find those answers for herself. We are meeting with her again this week :) people just need to know that they can have a personal relationship with God! This was such a cool miracle. I am so grateful that we were sent to find her at that exact time. 

Our new district leader is way cool. His name is Sato Choro! He visited Gilbert Arizona for a whole summer!! Needless to say, we are best friends. He is also ペラペラ in English (fluent). He gave an awesome training. I decided I wanted to share some of my notes for my thought this week!

We have to ask ourselves WHY. You can do this with anything in your life... It helps you get to the root of whatever you need to figure out.

First, ask yourself why you came on a mission. Then ask why again. Take that answer and ask why a third time. For example,

1. Why did I, Sister Sanders, come on a mission?

I came on a mission because I wanted to help people.

2. Why?

Helping/ serving people is the best way to show love.

3. Why? Why do you want to show love to others?

When we serve others, we serve God. I want to show God that I love Him.

The next question involves some scriptures, but I will have you look them up by yourselves. 1 Nephi 6:4, 2 Timothy 4:3-6, Alma 26:26

Why did these missionaries change? 

I think it is because they experienced the power of the Atonement. The Atonement is the mechanism for lasting change.

 In Mosiah 27:27 it reads  "For, said he, I have repented of my sins, and have been redeemed of the Lord; behold I am born of the Spirit. And the Lord said unto me: Marvel not that all mankind, yea, men and women, all nations, kindreds, tongues and people, must be born again; yea, born of God, changed from their carnal and fallen state, to a state of righteousness, being redeemed of God, becoming his sons and daughters; And thus they become new creatures; and unless they do this, they can in nowise inherit the kingdom of God. I say unto you, unless this be the case, they must be cast off; and this I know, because I was like to be cast off."

Each of them relied on the Atonement. As a missionary, as a Latter-Day Saint, and as a human being, I need the Atonement because I am not perfect. I make mistakes, and I make them often. However, God is able to love my imperfections perfectly. He has given me a way, through the Atonement, to make all wrongs become right. We can be redeemed, reclaimed, even "new creatures". I believe that is the main message of the gospel of Jesus Christ: we always get a second chance.

I know that I can be forgiven of any mistakes that I have made. I know this because I have felt peace after I have asked for forgiveness and promised to try harder. God loves each of His children. He knows you by name. He wants you to grow and learn and have JOY. 

The Atonement also makes up for what we lack. From the Sept 2015 Liahona, a missionary shares an experience of how the Lord helps her overcome her shortcomings. She says "Time after time, I watched as God took my imperfect efforts to share the gospel and worked miracles through my words and actions."

I have seen this in my mission, too! Sometimes I am about to talk to someone and I have no idea what to say, but then I open my mouth and the words just come. There have been countless times when the Lord has made up for my lack. He hasn't sent us here to fail.

The last why you need to ask yourself is: Why did the Savior Atone for YOU? Like the first set of why's, please ask why three times. Then, write it down! Then, read page 5 of Preach my Gospel.

If you're like me, I had a really hard time with this! It took a lot of pondering. Here is what I eventually came to:

1. Why did the Savior atone for Sister Sanders?

Because He wants to make it possible for me to make it back to the Celestial Kingdom.

Why?

Because He knows that is the place where we can have real, lasting happiness.

Why? Why does Jesus Christ want me to be happy?

Because He loves me.

We are all so loved! Don't forget it! Have a wonderful week. Please write me and send me pictures! Love you!

サンダーズ姉妹より

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