Week 78: Jan 29, 2018 - The End of January!

Hello from Ishigaki!

It makes me so glad to hear about all the experiences and the

snowfalls around the country and back home. I've finally resigned

myself that this year will be without, but it's ok, because there are

plenty of other blessings to experience as a missionary. For example,

living, working, and talking with a companion who is 100% dedicated to

the work. Elder Hafen helps me to elevate my thoughts, which in turn

shows me what type of person I want to and can be for the rest of my

mission, and my thoughts. It reminds me of late nights studying, or

preparing for tests, exams, and projects, where after time, things

just start to fall into place. I think thats roughly how things have

been going for us, and the Ishigaki island recently.

One simple example was biking home for dinner yesterday. We are

cruising on our bikes, and we hit a stop light, where we have to cross

to the opposite corner. As we sit, waiting for the time to cross, my

eyes are drawn to two young guys sitting near the corner we are going

to, waiting for something. As Elder Choi talked to us about, the first

thing that goes through my mind is 'talk to them', immediately

followed by 'that would be awkward'. Thankfully, a year and a little

has talked some sense into me, has taught me some of the divine plan

and potential God has prepared for each and everyone of His children,

and so Elder Hafen and I get to have a talk with the two lads from

Tokyo until they get into a taxi. It was a good contact, something we

could leave feeling good about, and something that the Lord blesses us

with quite often as we search for it. So why do I mention it? Because

the small things like that are indeed the hand of the Lord. I didn't

have a voice speak to me, or see a beacon spotlighting them as people

to talk to. Rather, through experience and trying to do the right

thing, in the end, I was able to do it. Sometimes God will guide us

through great and marvelous ways, but sometimes, it will just fall

into place. It is my testimony that those times as well are a sign of

His love and trust for us.

Thankfully, He has also given us a way to put on the spiritual glasses

necessary to see His love. On Sunday we had stake conference, and the

presiding authority was Elder Gay of the Seventy, currently our Area

President. One of the themes of his address that stuck with me was the

power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ for change. We don't have to be

doing anything wrong, but if we want to improve, we can rely on Him,

and He will help. As a missionary, it's things as simple as wanting to

talk to more people, to smile better, to testify bolder. And His

eternal message is to do your best, and go out tomorrow, knowing you

can do a little better, and He will help you get there.

Honestly, we don't have any crazy stories this week, no out of the

blue, General Conference level miracles to report. But I know that

every day God guides us. We may not see it, but His help is there. The

time I have been able to spend, giving each and every second to Him,

becoming His servant, has been the happiest in my life so far. He

lives, and knows us, loves us, and cares for us.

Love you all!

Elder Woodhouse

Week 77: Jan 22, 2018 - Elder Choi!

Hey everyone!

It's crazy to keep hearing about cold temperatures and record winters.

I guess I left at just the right time, because I haven't pulled my

winter jacket out yet. Just rain, but that's become my favorite

weather. Only crazy people would run around in the rain talking to

everybody! And that sums up a mission perfectly!

Of course, Elder Choi of the 1st quorum of the 70 had a few different

pieces of advice, besides just running around soaking wet. As a member

of the area presidency, he did a mission tour last week that we were

lucky enough to attend. After flying up to Naha and taking a taxi all

the way up to the Okinawa church building, where I served 6 months

ago?, it felt like I was going back in time a little. But, his address

and training really helped me see how far I've been able to come. We

learned about trying harder, about unity, about lifelong goals, about

working with the spirit, really, a little about everything. But by

listening with the spirit, it was amazing to see what things I've had

the Holy Ghost testify to me before, and now, what I need to focus on,

with that focus being push a little harder for Christ. There is always

a little more, just something else we can do, and as I've seen in just

a few short days from the conference, most of the time we just need to

be willing to look for it.

I think the coolest example was yesterday, when Elder Hafen and I were

walking through a neighborhood. We both saw a man walking around, so

we go over and talk to him, and as we are talking, a car drives by,

sees us, slows down, and the driver, a young man, starts talking to

us. I've never had that happen before, never talked to people running

motor vehicles, so of course I have to go and see what Yuya is asking

about. As things work out, he moved to Ishigaki from Okinawa recently,

loves English, and happens to be a 23 year old kid that's way easy to

talk to. So through divine help, we found another English student, and

someone to share the eternal works of God with. And, the first person

we talked to, our initial contact, had also been deeply pondering the

existence of God and Christ. When we gave him the Book of Mormon, he

said "I didn't know such a book existed. Of course I will read it".

Once more, something I think I've been saying recently, but God has

guided and continues to guide this work. It really makes life simple

as we do our best, and let Him do the rest.

So sadly, I don't have the conference picture from last week, but I do

have last conferences, so enjoy!

Love you all,

Elder Woodhouse

Week 76: Jan 15, 2018 - New Companion!

Hey everyone!

The rock of Ishigaki has been doing great recently. As last week was

transfer week, Elder Arnold and Elder Yanada left the island, both

heading up to Naha. And with their departure, Elder Hafen and Elder

Arpilleda came down! I'll have the privilege of working with Elder

Hafen for at least the next six weeks, and I can already tell it will

be a blast. He's from American Fork, UT, and loves music, coming out

on his mission after a year at BYU. Honestly, I feel like it was a

really inspired transfer, because he constantly reminds me of me at

the beginning of my mission, and so we will go forth and see miracles!

Go forth, of course, being used in the context of continue. The first

day Elder Hafen got here, we were dendoing an apartment when this

younger guy comes up the stairs. Out of nowhere, I find myself talking

to him, and in the conversation, the place where he works (Taketomi)

pops up. As luck has it, we had just been to Taketomi on Tuesday for

Pday, and so we connect there. Long story short, Takayuki invites us

in Thursday night, and then invites us over for dinner Friday night to

keep talking. It was one of the most random experiences on my mission,

which, as I've come to realize, means it was the most divine. God

guides everything we do, and He prepares people to meet us. Our job is

simply to open our mouths, to listen to the guidance of the Holy

Ghost, and to act. In the scheme of things, it's actually quite

simple.

And with the Holy Ghost, one of the other things I've realized this

week is how soft that voice may be sometimes. A quote I've come to

enjoy reads "If you are doing the right thing, and if you are living

the right way, you will know in your heart what the Spirit is saying

to you" (President Hinkley). Just this week, I realized that we might

not even know that it is coming from the Spirit. We just know that

it's good. When I started to talk to Takayuki, I didn't realize that

it was the Spirit prompting me to speak. For most my mission, when I

talk, it hasn't been because I feel a divine hand guiding my words.

I've just always been able to try, to try to do what God would want me

to. And looking back, just as with coincidences, you start to realize

that they weren't random. The story you shared, the back road you

took, sometimes things you didn't even realize you were doing, they

turn out to have been necessary. In Gods vocabulary, coincidence isn't

a word. And as I think I say every week, I'm amazed and honored to be

a witness of that divinity, of that love and compassion, each and

every day.

Love you all!

Elder Woodhouse

Week 75: Jan 8, 2018 - 2018 well underway!

2018 is already moving really fast!

As I mentioned last week, we were able to have the baptismal service

for Sister Masako on Sunday, and it was crazy to be a part of one at

last. Because the ocean was going to be frigid (even on Ishigaki it

gets a little cold) we ended up doing it on the roof, which is a first

for me. But even with the weather, we were able to have a spiritual

experience, and it has been great to work with her and hear her

testimony grow throughout my time here so far. I think one of the most

amazing things was hearing her testimony, where she spoke from her

heart about following Christ to the end. The end is a long time away,

but really, that journey is simply one small step at a time. Little by

little we draw closer, thinking the entire time that we are making no

progress. Until one day, we look back, and realize that we're on top

of the world. As Masako quoted, the Lord promises in Ether to turn our

weaknesses into strengths, if we choose to allow Him, and then we will

improve and grow more than we ever imagined.

It reminds me of a conversation I had with Elder Arnold as we were

dendoing, about a quote from I believe President Hinkley. He said

roughly that 'we need to disagree, without being disagreeable'. We

can't compromise our standards for the world, because we want to grow

closer to the Lord. But when we are debating over the new color for

the house, be it blue or black, what is our attitude? When we meet

people that don't think as we do, possibly even don't agree with us

(and we meet a lot as missionaries), what is our reaction. I like the

question because I don't know if it has a single answer, besides draw

unto Christ. More than anything this transfer, I think that's been

something I've been able to relearn. The closer you come to Christ,

the more you try to emulate Him, the more you will be filled with

light and love in your life. It's truly an amazing time to be a part

of the hastening of the Lords work, and feel the glory and light

firsthand.

This week is also transfer week, but we don't have calls yet, so I'll

have to keep you all posted next week! Thanks for the emails!

Love,

Elder Mitchell Woodhouse

Week 74: Jan 1, 2018 - Happy New Years!

I realized as I was typing this that some of you might still be awake,

so enjoy the party! I can promise from the other side that 2018 is

great!

For the new year, I'll be honest, I still don't know what our

remaining plans are. Unlike last year, there aren't any really big or

famous shrines nearby, so I think we might actually take the time to

head over to a nearby island. Not many places in the world you can do

that! But as for things we have already done, we watched the sun rise!

I guess it might be an American tradition, I've always been asleep in

the morning on the first, but as a symbolic thing, and because it's

cool, a lot of Japanese people go with their families to watch the

first sunrise of the year. Wanting to make sure we got the best view

possible, I convinced Elder Watanabe to bike a 50 km round trip to a

view point one of our Eikaiwa students recommended. Cars are great if

you have them, but biking in the dark, racing the sun, it was worth

the experience right there! Thankfully the bike ride was fun, because

the sun ended up cheating, and rose behind thick cloud cover. There we

probably over 100 people gathered, and we all just waited as the sky

got lighter, and lighter, and lighter, and then everyone started

realizing what happened. However, it was still way pretty, and I'll

look forward to finding somewhere cool to try again next year!

Of course, missionary work is about more than just long bike rides,

and the central component with our Savior Jesus Christ. I've mentioned

a bit about Masako before, but as she has prayed for miracles and

divine intervention to allow herself to draw closer unto Him, it has

come, and the finalizing will be next Sunday at her baptism! It's

crazy to have watched her grow in just the four weeks I have been

here, but she is a living example of how the gospel will change you.

Radiating kindness, her faith keeps her moving, and its given her, as

I think it gives every one of us, a greater purpose in life. I'm so

excited for her!

And besides Masako, with New Years and the holiday season wrapping up,

Elder Arnold and I have a lot of other people we get to catch up with!

There isn't a single experience that pops out to me this week, but as

we have been able to rely on God, and show our faith, He has put his

children in our path. Whether it be the lady waiting for the

missionaries to knock on her door, and we come by Christmas Day, or

the guy who got a Book of Mormon and then lost track of the

missionaries, only to run into them on the street New Years Eve, or

any number of the young people we've run into in almost any possible

scenario, He has prepared them, and us as His servants. So that's my

goal for the new year, to keep trusting in Him, to remember as the

Savior taught the Nephites, that 'the morrow shall take thought for

the things of itself'. After all, that's how things work out.

Love you all, have a great new year!

Elder Woodhouse

P.S. Don't expect all these pictures every week, we actually did

things for the New Year.

P.P.S. As a side note, Elder Welch just got engaged, bringing the

number of my eight companions home that are engaged to three! It's

crazy!