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!

Week 73: December 25, 2017 - Christmas!

It's crazy that it's already Christmas again!

And that it's my second one in Japan!

I'm not really sure what to do actually... the time flies by, the

weather is nice, I'm living on a tropical island, speaking a language

that by conventional wisdom I should not be able to speak still, and

it's the times like these that help me reflect on what I am doing, on

who I am serving.

This Christmas, I am once again blessed to be in full time service of

God, representing Him and His holy son, Jesus Christ. It's through His

grace that I got here, through His guidance that I can speak, and

through His love that I can testify. It's the times like this that I

find myself saying "I stand all amazed", because really, how can you

not be amazed? We are blessed to share the Christmas message with all

the people on this island, and how can you not be amazed that the

Savior of the world was born in a manger? That He descended, in order

to succor us individually? That we have a Father in Heaven that cares

about is individually, enough to send His son as a sacrifice? I know

that it is Christmas, but as President Hinkley said, and I'll

paraphrase, 'Without the events of Calavary and Gethsemane, the babe

born to Mary would just be another babe in Bethlehem'. But the latter

events of His life did occur, and it was for us! I can't comprehend

even the smallest bit of it, but I can promise that it is true.

As an example, there was a member that Elder Arnold and I visited

yesterday, on Christmas Eve. She is older, and hasn't come to church

in a while, but we thought it would be good to stop by, and share a

little about Christmas. So we go, share our message, and are about to

leave, when the Spirit whispers to me 'Ask a question'. My companions

already half packed up, but I say the first thing that pops into my

head, 'Is there anything you would like to say or add, Yamada

Shimai?', and then we have the chance to listen. Listen to her

worries, her concerns, her fears. Everything that she has been holding

in for who knows how long. And then, through the same Spirit, we can

testify. It's simple, but we promised her that God is there, He does

care for her. No matter how many times you ignore God, or don't follow

Him, He still reaches out His hand, because He loves you. His goal is

for us to return to Him, because heaven is a real place. And like any

father, He will do anything and everything to help us reach that goal.

And I can make that same promise to everyone. God cares, and He guides

us through the Holy Ghost to bless His children. Sometimes we are the

ones guided, and sometimes we receive the help, but no matter what, He

is there.

It's crazy to think that for all of 2017 I have been in Japan,

privileged to work with these amazing people. I've learned so much,

and just wanted to share that little bit with you. Love you more than

you can imagine!

From Ishigaki,

Elder Mitchell Woodhouse

Week 72: December 18, 2017 - Almost Christmas!

I can't believe how fast time is going! This past week I got Christmas

cards from the Mitchell's and the Woodhouse's, and I kept thinking to

myself that everything was coming early. But, here we are, one week

until the celebration of our Saviors birth, and I feel like I haven't

even got ready! Thank you all so much for everything you sent out, and

more than the gifts, for the example you have all been in my life. I

know that you all are lighting the world just by living every single

day, and it's amazing to have built upon that foundation.

The crazy thing from Japan right now is the fact the took us off the

island! For zone conference, we flew up to Naha, on the main island of

Okinawa, and got to do interviews with Kaicho and participate

face-to-face in the conference. What was really cool for me was the

chance to work with Elder Coleman on Thursday, in the little time we

had before conference started. We went through the MTC together, but

haven't really had the chance to meet and talk in over a year. I guess

that might not be long in the real world, but it feels really long

here. Just talking with him, it was clear how much the missionary

experience has already molded him into one of the Lords leaders. We

are obviously both 20 year old kids still, but as we do the Lords

work, He grants us a special spirit, a guiding hand, something that

cannot fail. I was able to see that in Elder Coleman, and I hope that

I have also been able to cultivate that attitude in myself throughout

my time in His service.

And that personal growth is going to be really important, because we

just received landslide news from church headquarters. Effective

immediately, our mission, and I believe many worldwide, has been

approved to use the internet to continue on with the work of

salvation! In practical terms, that means that we have been asked, by

a prophet of God, speaking for God himself, to dust off our facebook

accounts, make Line accounts, and spend part of our time teaching

using these resources.  To be fully honest, I'm not 100% sure what it

means yet. If you have questions, I would refer you to the 'online

proselyting' tab of the 'missionary' section of gospel library,

because that will answer it better than I can. But what I do know is

that these tools will help us reach people we've never reached before.

People like Harada, who I talked about last week, who can't take the

time to meet in person, but have a phone on them all the time. People

like the youth of the world, who kinda just do things whenever the

feel like it (not that easy for missionaries). So I'm excited. The

Lord is hastening His work, and to be a part, to do my best to follow

Him, is an amazing experience in my life.

Love you all, can't wait to talk to you in person next week! As

always, I'll try to answer any questions you send my way! Don't be

worried when you see facebook active!

With love from Ishigaki,

Elder Mitchell Woodhouse