Best Week Yet!!

September 15, 2024

Best Week Yet!!

Meeting Japanese Students

This was my favorite week yet!! I had a lot of great experiences this week with language and gospel learning. I had a lot of progress this week with the language which was nice because last week I sort of felt like I wasn't progressing. But everyday I'm just trying my best! We got to go to the Temple and while we waited for the bus got some free bussin ice cream!! It was so fun just talking to all the people around about our mission, and everyone was very kind.

This week we had a Sister from Japan join our district. Ishizuka 姉妹！ It's really cool trying to talk to her with the very little Japanese I know. But is very hard sometimes. This week we also got to have the most amazing experience, we got to meet 21 nursing students from Japan!! Their school in Japan was damaged and our Church donated to them. And had their 3rd and 4th year students come and tour BYU and the MTC and maybe some other places here in Utah. We got to do a class while they watched. And then after we got to introduce our selves and I got to sit down and talk to two of the students who were very kind and patient with me and my Japanese. But I really was able to understand and speak a little bit with them which was really cool to see. It was my first experience talking to a non-member from Japan and getting to just try to get to know more about them, and share a little of what i believe. That was my favorite day so far of the MTC!!

Devotional:
We got to hear from Elder Wada and Sister Wada. This was also soo cool because my dad met him last week and so it was cool to know a little about who he was. And he was from Japan!! He has almost always lived in Tokyo until recently he moved to Utah because his position in the church. But him and his wife spoke very good English! And he gave a really cool talk and while doing so he had both the missionaries who had really helped convert him when he was a teen come up to the stand and talk a little bit about their experience. The first Elder didn't know the language very well but shared a few phrases he had memorized and young Takashi Wada felt the spirit with that Elder. That Elder never got to see him baptized but found out 30 years later that Elder Wada was now a mission president in Japan The other Elder was their when they got to baptize Elder Wada, he bore a really great testimony about serving in another language and the power of having the language of the spirit with you.

Another funny thing Elder Wada talked about is how he used to be made fun of in Elementary school. His name was たかし but because he was small and had this short black hair they would call him たわし which is pot brush in Japanese. He was super funny but also had the spirit so strong while he talked.

Scripture:
Matthew 11: 28-30

28 ¶ Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

I really loved these scriptures that we read in Elders quorum last Sunday. And I can't wait to share that with Christ, all our problems can be made lighter with him on the other side of the yoke.

I'm getting a bit closer! And can't wait for the 1st of Oct, I am so excited to get to Japan and try to get to know as many people as I can there, and share the love of God.

みなさんをあいしてます！
Hope everyone has a great week!!
-Larkins ちょうろう