Week 9: 4 days left!

Hey y'all,

    I've got 4 days left (well, I count days by the day after… hahaha … you could sense my excitement, couldn’t you?!) here at the MTC .   I can't wait to go to Japan but I'm going to be so sad when I have to leave my beloved district.  They're awesome people, and I just love them all to death! Well, it's all good though since we're already planning a district reunion in Hawaii (Elder Tani's home state).  I can't believe I've been in the MTC for 9 weeks.  It's crazy to think about it.  It felt like just yesterday that I just came into the MTC and met Elder Lee.  It's been a bumpy ride, but we've gotten through it.  Honestly, I am so cut off from the world, and it is SO nice.  I don't have to worry about the millions of problems I had to deal with before my mission.  I can just focus on our Savior, Heavenly Father, and the people in Japan.  It feels great!  Teaching the gospel is so fun!  I especially love the idea of finding and just getting to know people in Japan.  If y'all don't already know, Japanese people are very quiet, and they might think that it would be weird to have strange foreigners (Guy-jin) come up to them at random points in the day and start conversations. Ah, it'll be so fun in Japan!!  I can't wait! I already love the food, the culture, the people, everything about Japan (That's the first step to missionary work--love the people).  I just love all of this.  If any of you are on the fence about going on a mission, I encourage you to do so.  It might be the hardest time in your life, but you'll learn so much, gain so many lifelong friends, and just feel happiness all the time. 

    I played a violin & piano duo piece with Elder Thoreson on Sunday, and it went super well.  We only had 4 days to practice, but we got through it.  I had to memorize the piece, and the piano piece was pretty complicated (it didn't look like that when we chose it).  If you guys want to look up what piece we played, we played "A Poor Wayfairing Man of Grief" arranged by Marshall McDonald.  I forgot one phrase during the performance, but while playing the music I improvised and it sounded really good.  I had so many zone members come up to us and congratulate us on the performance.  BTW, some of them haven't even seen a violin that close before--that's insane!  The thing that is even more crazy is that during that Sunday night devotional, another group performed the same piece with a cello.  They did really well (But I think Elder Thoreson and mine was better….hahaha)  I'll miss the violin on my mission. It's such a pretty instrument, and I just love it so much.  You never really appreciate what you have till it's gone or you're gone from it for so long.  Well, anyway, please don't bury your talents, and share it with others!!

    I gave my second blessing yesterday.  Ever since I was little, I loved helping people.  I'm a daisenpai(senior missionary) so I've had the most time in the MTC from my zone.  Two days ago one of the kouhai (Greenies) shared with me a little concern that he and his companion have totally opposite personality.  He is super outgoing while his companion is quite opposite and he is super quiet.  So, he was having a hard time with his companion.  I told him about how, before the curriculum change, we would have a special interview called Companionship inventory on Saturdays.  There, as companions, you would start with a prayer, ask Heavenly Father that you can tell each other's feelings without offending the other, read a scripture and see what goals you can make as a companionship.  I suggested him that he should implement that on Saturdays after class.  In fact, I've had the inventory three times with Elder Lee and it helped us so much.  I told him about how at the start of the MTC for me, Elder Lee and I couldn't get along.  We were almost the complete opposite when it came to leadership.  His experiences and mine were so different up into the point where we entered the MTC.  I told him that everyday, I would pray for charity and patience...and it worked!  Elder Lee and I are best buds now.  I also encouraged him to read Mosiah 7 (Especially the last section about charity) and pray about it.  While I was talking about this, I hadn't noticed, but pretty much all the kouhai (Greenies) were listening in to this advice I was giving.  It felt like I was giving a sermon or something to most of these new Elders in my zone. Hahaha.   If any of you are having a hard time getting along with anyone or just need some guidance or hope for the future, I honestly encourage you to think about charity toward others, and to read Mosiah 7 or 1 John 4.  Charity and love is Christ's number 1 attribute.  It keeps us going and it is the most important trait to gain.  Have charity, and everything else falls into place!  Love God, Love Christ, Love your neighbor, Love your enemy; do this, and Satan can't do anything to you!  

When I finished speaking to the elder about charity and patience, it was super late so I had to go to bed, BUT, during the night, I had a revelation come to me.  I was supposed to give him a blessing.  So when I woke up, I told him that when he has a convenient time, call me over and I would give him a blessing... so I did.  It was right before we went to bed the next day.  It's something that is pretty sacred so I won't share much, but I will tell you that after the blessing, I felt peace and comfort and I felt like someone said to me "It'll be okay. Everything will work out in the end."  And the elder, with tears in his eyes, gave me a huge hug.  I really pray that he will have a great time with his companion at the MTC as I have been having with my companion.

    The other eventful thing that happened this past week is that we got the “maturity” talk by one of our teachers.  Our teacher, Brother Nelson, stopped us 15 minutes before class ended, and had us gather in a circle.  He had us read 1 Corinthians 13:11 which says:

11 When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put way childish things.

This is our goal now.  If there was ONE thing that stuck out to me and just shocked the entire class is what he said after we read this scripture.  He said "God doesn't want the missionary that you are right now. He would rather care less about you if you stayed the same. He wants you out in the field as the person he wants you to be, not the person you were before the mission or the person you are right now." (I may have the quote a bit wrong but that was kind of the gist of it).  I realized that I need to step up my game.  This mission isn't for my sake...well maybe just a little... but what I mean is, it's for everyone else to be able to get the question that people always wonder answered.  That question is almost always, "why are you always so happy?" And that is when we share the gospel and how Heavenly father helps us so much and love each and every one of us.  He knows what you are going through and places you in these trials because he knows you can handle them.  My goal is to be able to change.  I need to become a better person.  To put the childish things away and to focus on the mission!  That's what I'll have to get to by the end of my mission or even sooner.

This week, I would like to challenge you to listen to the spirit.  Please pray about the truth of the gospel, pray for divine guidance, and pray for His help.   Heavenly Father knows we need His help, and is willing to help us, so long as we have faith in Him and His beloved son, Jesus Christ.  I would like to share Ether 4:11-12. It says:

11 But he that believeth these things which I have spoken, him will I visit with the manifestations of my Spirit, and he shall know and bear record. For because of my Spirit he shall know that these things are true; for it persuadeth men to do good.

12 And whatsoever thing persuadeth men to do good is of me; for good cometh of none save it be of me. I am the same that leadeth men to all good; he that will not believe my words will not believe me--that I am; and he that will not believe me will not believe the Father who sent me. For behold, I am the Father, I am the light, and the life, and the truth of the world.

Trust in God.  Believe that he is there to help you!  Believe that you can be helped.  I hope this message will stick with you because I write these things from the bottom of my heart.

I know these things are true.  I know this church is true, and this gospel is our answer. This Book of Mormon is an account written in the time of Christ. Telling of when Christ came to the America's to teach the people (who would become the native Americans) -all of this is written in the introduction.  If you haven't read it ever or in a while, I would also encourage you to read it.  In this day, we need as much help from our Father in Heaven as we can get. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE pray and follow God's will.  When you do this, you can be blessed. You can know the truth and it can bless you and so many people around you. I say these things, humbly, in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Elder Jacob Wilson

PS. I got another haircut this week. I think it looks nice. Love you and miss you! Take care!