Hey everybody! Spring
wishes coming your way from Omuta!
At least, I think it might be spring, I'm not 100% sure. But things
are going well, and it feels like we're progressing, so I'll take
whatever weather comes our way (but hopefully the nice spring
weather). As big news from the past week, not one, but two of the
people we have been working with, Ippo and Kodzuma, came to church
yesterday, and the both loved it! I love having the members here to
work with, because they make or break an investigators church
experience, and I've never felt like I have to worry about it.
In other news, Elder Erickson and I kept ourselves pretty busy last
week, with a surprisingly large part of it in English! My highlight
might have been working in the fields with Maehara, an older,
traditional gentleman who speaks fluently. We started cultivating the
ground for him to plant pumpkins, and then learned more about the
history of Omuta, and the history of his house, which has been around
for 100 years! He does live in a different one now, but it's amazing
to learn how things were done, and it helps me understand the culture
so much better to see and feel parts of the history. But, while
Maehara was great, we also met with Yamada Shimai and Maria to eat
takoyaki and speak in English. While neither of them are American,
they both also speak really well, and it's an opportunity to build and
rebuild their relationships with the missionaries. I may be wrong, but
I feel like 9 out of 10 times, people don't talk to us simply because
they don't understand who we are, or what we're doing. All I'm asking
as a missionary is for consideration, for a little time, because I can
promise that because of Jesus Christ, because of His restored church,
I am a better person, I have found joy in my life, and every single
person, no matter what situation you are in, how bad it may seem, can
feel that joy. So services activities, meals, they are really fun
chances to be genuine, to get to know people and to be real people to
them, not just the two white guys in suits.
The last thing I have for this week is just the fact that Gods hand is
in this work. It's in the large things, like helping Ippo stop
smoking, or strengthening Kodzuma to come to church, and the small
ones, like the power of a testimony, where we can promise blessings,
promise truth, and know that it will happen. Other people feel it to,
that's how missionary work works. If God wasn't with us, no one would
open their door for a discussion on divine principles with two 20 year
old Americans, no one would be left dumbfounded by our simple
Japanese. But I've seen it happen, I've been part of it. The Spirit
drives this work, for it is Gods divine work, and I'm blessed to be an
instrument in His hands.
Love you all, thanks for the emails and updates on everything!
Elder Mitchell Woodhouse
At least, I think it might be spring, I'm not 100% sure. But things
are going well, and it feels like we're progressing, so I'll take
whatever weather comes our way (but hopefully the nice spring
weather). As big news from the past week, not one, but two of the
people we have been working with, Ippo and Kodzuma, came to church
yesterday, and the both loved it! I love having the members here to
work with, because they make or break an investigators church
experience, and I've never felt like I have to worry about it.
In other news, Elder Erickson and I kept ourselves pretty busy last
week, with a surprisingly large part of it in English! My highlight
might have been working in the fields with Maehara, an older,
traditional gentleman who speaks fluently. We started cultivating the
ground for him to plant pumpkins, and then learned more about the
history of Omuta, and the history of his house, which has been around
for 100 years! He does live in a different one now, but it's amazing
to learn how things were done, and it helps me understand the culture
so much better to see and feel parts of the history. But, while
Maehara was great, we also met with Yamada Shimai and Maria to eat
takoyaki and speak in English. While neither of them are American,
they both also speak really well, and it's an opportunity to build and
rebuild their relationships with the missionaries. I may be wrong, but
I feel like 9 out of 10 times, people don't talk to us simply because
they don't understand who we are, or what we're doing. All I'm asking
as a missionary is for consideration, for a little time, because I can
promise that because of Jesus Christ, because of His restored church,
I am a better person, I have found joy in my life, and every single
person, no matter what situation you are in, how bad it may seem, can
feel that joy. So services activities, meals, they are really fun
chances to be genuine, to get to know people and to be real people to
them, not just the two white guys in suits.
The last thing I have for this week is just the fact that Gods hand is
in this work. It's in the large things, like helping Ippo stop
smoking, or strengthening Kodzuma to come to church, and the small
ones, like the power of a testimony, where we can promise blessings,
promise truth, and know that it will happen. Other people feel it to,
that's how missionary work works. If God wasn't with us, no one would
open their door for a discussion on divine principles with two 20 year
old Americans, no one would be left dumbfounded by our simple
Japanese. But I've seen it happen, I've been part of it. The Spirit
drives this work, for it is Gods divine work, and I'm blessed to be an
instrument in His hands.
Love you all, thanks for the emails and updates on everything!
Elder Mitchell Woodhouse
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