89th week in Japan
4/24/2017
Meeting Simon Robinson!

Dear Family and Friends,

Elder Busby and I have had a fun transfer full of hard work. We have
been really searching to find those who are prepared to hear the word
of God and accept the gospel into their lives. One thing that we have
been struggling with lately is finding new investigators that will
hear us.

President Welch came to our zone a couple of weeks back and talked
about how finding is not an activity, but rather it is an attitude. It
is a mindset that we need to create in order to find those that are
prepared, and we must do so diligently. President Welch also asked us
to start the new doctrine of Christ challenge, and I have started
recognizing what it means to seek diligently with the right mindset.

My companion and I weren't in the area all that much this week due to
companionship exchanges and meetings, but with the short time that we
have been in our area we have been working to get new investigators.
We received a referral a while back that seemed to have some good
potential but lived very far away. We didn't know what would be best
to do with our time, but we felt like we should try following up with
this referral. A long the way to the referrals house we tried stopping
all those who we could to teach them about the restored gospel. We
faced many rejections. Eventually we came to the area of the referral.
It was late at night and we didn't have much time before we had to go
back home before curfew. We knocked on the door and a man from
Scotland named Simon Robertson came to the door. He talked with us for
a while about how he met with the missionaries in the past. He had
been through many trials in his life and he feels like he needs to
follow Jesus Christ in order to live a better life. He talked about
his desire to be baptized and live a better life.

Finding out that Simon has been prepared by the Lord brought great joy
to Elder Busby and I. It has strengthened my faith in what Nephi says
in 1 Nephi 10:19 "For he that diligently seeketh shall find." I know
that what President Welch has testified about finding being an attitude
rather than an activity is true. I know that God is looking out for
his children and that each and every soul is of great value in His
eyes. He loves us. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Questions:

What are some things you like to do in Nara?

1. We liked going to the Nara park. Next week we will go bowling with
some investigators. We also go to do service for a family at their bakery
every Saturday, which is fun.

Is your companion getting the language down?  Does he like Japan pretty well?

2. Yes. He is doing great. He has improved a lot. He likes Japan.

How are your investigators doing?  How are your English classes going?

3. They are doing well. We are currently working to find more new
ones. Well, we started out with about 6 or so people coming each week
and last week 17 people showed up. We have been working hard to help
people come to eikaiwa.

Have you had any game nights lately like ping pong?

4. We wanted to start ping pong, but the members didn't seem to be too on board.

Do they have any holidays there in Japan in April or May?  When is kids day there?

5. I don't think so. I am not sure when kids day is.

Have you been learning the song we sent for the piano?  Do you still have your easy piano hymn book?

6. I played a little bit, but I haven';t had time lately. I still have
the hymn book yes.

How do you like being in the Osaka zone? 

7. It is fun. We get to go to a lot of fun places.

Have you been able to see Brother Kei Iwaki at all?  I think he is somewhere in the Osaka area.

8. Yes. I have met him a few times. We went to Himeji together when
I was in Kobe.

Elder Hirschi