Week 4: Feel the Spirit & Open the Mouth

Hello,

So, this week I was released from my calling as district leader. When I was released, the branch president told me how good of a job I did as district leader, and that this is just because every 3 weeks, they're supposed to switch things up. It was definitely fun while it lasted. After getting released, I didn't know what to do with myself. To be honest, I was kind of sad that I wasn't a leader anymore, and I felt like I had no purpose. The reason why, I think, I was called as a district leader first wasn't because I was the best qualified, rather it was because I needed it to have the leadership role to feel needed, or to help me calm down and keep my stress level down, and my mind off of the stuff that actually stressed me out. Though I felt useless for a moment when I was released from the calling, but I knew that that was just the effect that Satan was trying to null me into and that that was perhaps just my pride talking. So, instead, to avoid having such negative thoughts, I thought the best thing to do was to open up and tell someone about my feeling. After watching The Testaments, we had a quick testimony circle with the Elders. After Elder Dombrowski bore his testimony, the spirit was so strong, and I had a prompting to tell everyone how I felt, and so I did. I told the Elders in my district everything that I stated above. Dombrowski 長老/Chouro (elder), the one I blessed the other day, has become the district leader, and Tani 長老/Chouro (elder) and Thoreson 長老/Chouro (elder) got called as zone leaders (even though they aren't companions). I'm happy for all of them since I love them so much already. They'll do great!! I just know it!! Thoreson 長老/Chouro (elder) and I are very alike. He's half; his mom is japanese; he lived in Japan; he know really good Japanese; knows spanish; loves skiing; oves hiking; loves the outdoors; and he sings. They're all super hardworking and uplifting with the spirit. Anyway, after the testimony circle, we were walking over to the gym to do service and Domrowski 長老/Chouro (elder) put his arm around my shoulder and told me that I did a great job as district leader, and this is probably what God wants me to work on. He said since I love leadership, I might get a larger leadership role later. BTW, I asked him if the blessing I gave him at the beginning helped him with comfort and getting him through this. He told me that it helped him a lot. He said the blessing helped him keep cool and helped him get the leadership role. I know he'll do really well. He gives such great testimonies!!

As all the 大先輩/Dai-Senpai (the oldies) were released, I was released with them --- An end to an era.

The 大先輩/Dai-Senpai (the oldies) left on Monday. So, to say goodbye, we all woke up at 3:30am to say goodbye--right before they left for the airport. The whole day, we were just drained though. I miss them so much! They were really awesome people. We bonded with them so much that it was hard to see them go.

The other amazing experience we had happened on August 6. At the last 30 minutes of class, we were given an option to do coaching though I didn't think I needed it. When we aren't being coached, it's pretty much going to a language study hall. So while coaching was going on, our district decided we would share some great spiritual experiences or times we've seen God's hand in our lives. The spirit was so strong that as someone walked into the room, you could feel a strong sense of the spirit. In fact, when our teacher, Fernelius 姉妹/Shimai (sister), entered into the classroom, she mentioned how strong the spirit was. She told us that she felt the difference from the time she entered into the classroom. So when it was the end of the day and almost time to go, I got another prompting to just open my scriptures to a random page so I did. I came across a great scripture, and expressed how I thought it applied to us. It was Doctrine and Covenants 75:2-5. It was so powerful.

It says:

2 Hearken, O ye who have given your names to go forth to proclaim my gospel, and to prune my vineyard.

3 Behold, I say unto you that it is my will that you should go forth and not tarry, neither be idle but labor with your might—

4 Lifting up your voices as with the sound of a trump, proclaiming the truth according to the revelations and commandments which I have given you.

5 And thus, if ye are faithful ye shall be laden with many sheaves, and crowned with honor, and glory, and immortality, and eternal life

After I read this, I told them that our job is to open our mouths. I said, "this spirit you feel, the one we went over in class today, is the same feeling that God wants us to share with everyone. If we can make everyone feel this strong of the spirit, we can make those with hardened hearts, soft; those with a lie, to know the truth; and for those with a simple, to have it opened". I then added and said, "we have that power just by opening our mouths and using the spirit. We have this 目的/Mokuteki (purpose) which is that 'our purpose is to invite others to come into Christ and receive the restored gospel', and as we do this through the spirit, God will guide us to do our best. He already prepared people in Japan for us. It's our duty to go find them." I just love my district! They're all awesome people and we're all able to be open with each other. That's what I love about my district; we're so unified.

Thanks for all the birthday wishes and gifts!! I shared most of my snacks with my district. Now I have tons of food. I still have a package of Oreos, Beef jerky, Gummy bears, and Redvines. On top of that, I got a box of cookies from the Welch's (--thanks for their kindess!!), 8 Twizlers (mostly from G-ma and G-pa), 4 bags of Sour patch kids, 1 bag of Swedish Fish, 2 cupcakes (also from G-ma and G-pa -- Thanks, G-ma and G-pa!!), and a box of candy and cider (drank the cider with my district--thanks dad). I tried sharing a lot of it with my district, but they were so stuffed from dinner, they couldn't eat it (on top of that, the next day was Fast Sunday). On top of the food, I got a sweet Rocky Balboa shirt with an awesome quote (Thanks, Mom).

This week's theme was definitely feeling the spirit and opening our mouths to invite it. Japanese is coming really well. On Friday, we have our first assessment with language, so tomorrow, I'm going to speak Japanese all day - the only exception is if my companion asks for clarifications on what I just said. This assessment will probably help me to figure out what to work on. Now I can testify in Japanese. My readings are getting better, and writing Hiragana has gotten down to 1 minute 11 seconds and Katakana has gotten down to 1 minute 32 seconds. Oh, this week has had so much. We received a special poster that we call "田中さん/Tanaka san (Mr. Tanaka)" that we inherited from our 大先輩/Dai-Senpai who got it from their 大先輩/Dai-Senpai. It's just a poster of this random dude that someone received. A missionary's Amazon account somehow shipped the poster to the 大先輩/Dai-Senpai, so now we have it after our だいせんぱい left. Hahahaha.

Anyway, here is my testimony: 神様は私達の天のお父様だと知っています。イエスキリストは私達の救い主だと知っています。モルモン書は真実だと知っています。また、私達の教会が真実の教会だと知っています。これらをイエスキリストの御名によって証しました。アーメン。

(I know that God is our Heavenly Father. I know that Jesus Christ is our savior. I know that Book of Mormon is true, and I know that our church is the true church on this earth. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. )

I love you all!

Elder Wilson