From: Lindsay Sanders <lindsay.sanders@myldsmail.net>Date: December 31, 2015 6:55:40 PM MSTSubject: Transfer 11 Week 2Transfer 11 Week 2
Hello my loves :) 良いお年を！Happy New Years! I am excited for this new
year and all the opportunities it will bring! Woohoo! Bring it on,
2016!
This week's highlights include:
Being tortured (I mean fed) by members who wanted to see if we would
eat their huge quantities of traditional food. (I will take
pictures... I think the fish head I ate was still blinking).
Other normal meals with awesome families who did not torture us :)
Mensetsu (Interviews) with Kaicho and training from the AP's all about faith.
One of the member's daughters turned 8 and was baptized. We had a
beautiful baptismal service for her :)
Getting a pretty nasty cold and going through three boxes of tissues
in one weekend.
I had a big change of heart, which is what I want to talk about today.
As I was sitting in sacrament meeting, I was thinking about how I
wanted to improve in the coming week... I prayed and asked "What lack
I yet?" and I had the distinct impression "You need to put Christ
first". Then I thought, "Wait, am I not a missionary? Haven't I
already put Him first? I have already given up so much." It really
kind of bothered me! But the guilty taketh the truth to be hard...
So I prayed about it some more, did some soul searching, and
repenting... And I decided how I can put Christ first in all that I
do. It has become my theme for 2016! Put Christ first.
And a scripture: Matthew 10: 39 He that findeth his life shall lose
it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.
To me, this scripture is talking about priorities. What are we willing
to sacrifice? Are we willing to lose ourself in the work? The
wonderful, promised blessing is that when you give up yourself (your
will, what you want...) you will get a better "you" in return. How
could we not be willing to give all our heart, might, mind, and
strength when the reward is so great? (Isn't the reward of knowing you
are doing the right thing enough?)
As I met with my mission president and talked to him about these
changes I was making in my life, he got really quiet for a while...
And then he told me that there were miracles I can't imagine waiting
for me after I fully consecrate myself. He promised that the flood
gates will open and many other things would happen. As I left that
room, I remembered a scripture that I had memorized a few weeks ago:
Matthew 22:37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God
with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. Iesu
wa iwareta, kokoro o tsukushi, seishin o tsukushi, omoi o tsukushite,
Shu naru anata no kami o ai seyo.
My mission has changed so much about me. I really just want to do the
right thing (what God wants). I strongly feel that as I put Christ
first, everything else will fall into place. I will be happier, and my
life will have more direction and purpose.
We don't make room for Christ, we put Him first.
It is my prayer that this year we can all make the resolve to change
and be more Christlike! It is so worth it! I promise! I know it!
I know that if we really want to desire something that is good, we can
pray for help to have that desire! That is how I have changed. God
answers sincere prayers. He loves us.
Have a wonderful week and enjoy the break from school :) I sure love ya!
サンダーズ姉妹より
Cutest little girl!
Happy New Year with the Sasaki family!
