Tuesday, September 27, 2016

54th week in Japan
8/21/2016
効果的になるために何が必要? (What does it take to be successful?)

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I was able to participate in the Sapporo Japan Temple Dedication!

Dear Family and Friends,

This past week has been full of learning experiences and a recognition of need for improvement. This transfer has been a lot of fun and I am grateful that I was able to serve as the district leader in the Katsura district. These missionaries have become some of my closest friends. I will forever cherish the relationships that we have built. I am sincerely grateful for their service to the Lord. I know that he will forever bless them for working so hard. I have learned so much this transfer and one of the biggest things being that I have a lot of room for improvement.

As children of God I realize that each and every one of us are imperfect. We will all make mistakes and that is what we are here for. We came to Earth so that we could learn. God has given us the opportunity to choose for ourselves and because we all make mistakes we needed a Savior. This transfer on my mission I feel like I have worked hard, but I have not pushed myself the most that I could have. I set some okay goals; however, I did not do all in my power to achieve them. I know that I have need of repentance and continual change in order to become the best servant of the Lord that I can be.

Lately my companion and I have been teaching many of our investigators about the gospel of Jesus Christ. Within the gospel of Jesus Christ there is 5 principles that we must follow. The first step is faith. The second step is repentance. In order to make it to the step of repentance we must first have faith in Jesus Christ. I have come to realize how important having faith in the Savior is to be able to improve. We must truly believe that Jesus is our Savior and Redeemer. He truly did come to the Earth and atoned for each one of us individually. Once we come to have strong faith in the Savior we are then able to take the second step in the gospel of Jesus Christ. We are able to repent and improve because we have a sincere desire to become more like Jesus Christ.

Through following the principles of the gospel of Jesus Christ, we can reach the potential that our Heavenly Father sees in us. He sees us with the potential of one day becoming as he is. Through constantly seeking to do his will we can become successful. I know that in order to become a successful missionary and in order to have a successful life we must constantly follow the gospel of Jesus Christ until the very end. If we do so, we will one day make it back to our Father in Heaven. He loves us. He wants what is best for us. That is why he sent his son Jesus Christ to come here and atone for each one of us. Jesus Christ is our Savior. Through following his teachings and his example we have been promised blessings far greater than we can even comprehend. I know that this gospel is true, and I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Ponderizing scripture: Moroni 4:3

This week I am going to try my best to become more like the Savior by following the gospel of Jesus Christ. I challenge each one of you to read, ponder, pray, and seek to gain faith in Christ this week. I promise that as you do so, you will come to feel of his love in your life.

Questions:
Do most people drive cars or ride bikes there?  Do they have baskets to hold stuff on their bikes?


1. Most people ride in cars. There are a lot of people that ride bikes, but I would say the majority of people ride in cars. Most of the bikes do have baskets on them. They are called mamacharis and they make your knees hurt really bad when you ride them.

So are you the district leader there in your area? What is the district leader training meeting like?

2. Yes I am the district leader.  The training meeting for the district leaders is really good. All the district leaders get together at the mission home and discuss how we can help our districts. President Welch and the APs give us training as well.

 How do you explain to someone that has never really heard of going to church about church and what you believe?

3. I try to do it very simply. Most people don't really have any idea of what church is like, so we explain that we meet with other people and learn more about God. We learn about the purpose of our lives and how to become better people.

How do you teach English in your class?   Do you use pictures or quizzes?

4. We sometimes do quizzes and try to make it fun. It is mostly conversation. We don't have to do as much as you would think we do. It is very easy and people mainly just go to talk and make friends.

Do you have a favorite drink that you like there? 

5. There are a lot of good drinks in Japan, and I don't know if I can say that I have a favorite. I don't drink any soda but one soda that an investigator gave us once was really good. It was like ice cream flavor or something. I also like this yogurt flavored drink that they have.

Do you ever pass out cards or any of the bookmarks or cards we sent?  Would you like us to send more?  What are your best teaching materials to use when you teach a lesson?

6. I am sorry I haven't passed out that many of them. They are all in English so most of the people probably wouldn't understand it; however, it wouldn't be a bad idea. I bet they would like it. We use a lot of pamphlets and try to give out as many Book of Mormons as we can. We mostly use scriptures because the scriptures combined with the Holy Ghost is our most powerful tool in conversion.

 Is there anything we can send you for your birthday that you would like? Did you get the package we sent yet?

7. I did get the package. Thanks so much! I think I am okay for my birthday. I don't need toothpaste or deodorant so I am okay there. If you want you could just send a packet of Alfredo sauce. You are the best. Thanks so much for everything!

I love you all. Have a great week!

Elder Hirschi
ハーシ長老
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