Letter 7 - I Am Grateful For...

Love these cute kids!

I  can only sum up my week with this scripture: 3 Nephi 21:9-10

9 For in that day, for my sake shall the Father work a work, which shall be a great and a marvelous work among them; and there shall be among them those who will not believe it, although a man shall declare it unto them.

10 But behold, the life of my servant shall be in my hand; therefore they shall not hurt him, although he shall be marred because of them. Yet I will heal him, for I will show unto them that my wisdom is greater than the cunning of the devil.

`My wisdom is greater than the cunning of the devil.` Sometimes we doubt or underestimate God`s power. When big, huge, miraculous things happen we have NO problem saying it was God`s power. However, when it comes to tiny, simple, every day things we begin to doubt God`s power by thinking `Oh, there`s no way.` or `Is that really possible?`

We had an investigator who FINALLY met with us after a whole transfer. Now, if she would`ve emailed us out of the blue and said `I want to be baptized tomorrow!` we would totally take that as God`s power. But when she simply said she would finally meet with us, we treated it really lightly, as if it was some sort of coincidence. You would think I would know better.

The night we met with her it just happened to be movie night at our church. We were watching The Testaments. So we taught her a lesson about prayer, had dinner with the whole branch, then headed down to the first floor to watch the movie. For me, the best part was always at the end of the movie. Remember, Helam. I love watching The Testaments with other people because watching everyone else`s reaction is absolutely the best. However, this time all the members and investigators around me seemed like they weren`t phased at all. Hmm. Then I reached behind me and asked our investigator how she was doing. She burst into tears. I was SHOCKED. She had told us over and over again that she was Buddhist, but now between sobs she was telling me how grateful she was for Jesus Christ. That is the power of our God. I`ve said it many times and I will say it again: only God has the power to change hearts. If you want yours changed, He is who you should go to.

But the best of all was Sunday morning when we were getting ready to start DCS (a morning meeting before church where missionaries and members coordinate missionary efforts by talking about needs of investigators and less actives), when right before it started Brother Ashitani walked in!

With Brother Ashitani

He`s the brother that hadn`t stepped foot in a church for more than 20 years but finally came with his whole family to our music fireside. And now he was at church! All of us -- 6 missionaries and 3 members just gasped as we jumped out of our seats and ran over to welcome him. It was one of the happiest moments of my mission. To see someone you`ve come to love because you`ve been praying for them, worrying about them and studying for them, walk into the church, it melts your heart. Like the scripture says, you feel spiritually healed. Brother Ashitani didn't give is any reason as to why he came but I think Sister Crofts leaving played a big part in it.

She`s returning home but the work she did here in Niihama is
eternal. Sister Crofts will be missed here in Niihama!

The hand of the Lord was definitely seen this week. His work is working. I can`t say that Brother Ashitani will fully return to activity, or that our other investigator will choose to be baptized; but I do testify that God`s power is being made manifest in my life through our less actives and investigators.

Since it was Thanksgiving, I have a list of 10 things I`m grateful for:

There is no beauty like Japan's beauty.

1. I am grateful for Niihama skies.  Niihama is not nearly as cold as Kobe right now, so these skies are the best! It also doesn`t snow very often. Yay.

2. I am grateful for the Niihama branch.  It is so full of amazing people! Yes we`re a tiny branch but we`re strong. If we don`t feel like we can do something by ourselves, we all lean on each other and help each other out.



3. I am grateful for rain boots.  Although it doesn`t snow here in Niihama, it has been raining A LOT lately. Without my boots I can`t even begin to imagine the trouble I`d be in!

4. I am grateful for convenience stores. We`ve had absolutely no time this week. Most of our meals, if we had any time to eat, were all purchased at convenience stores, which are so conveniently placed on literally every street corner here.

5. I am grateful for my Branch President`s guitar.  He`s lending me his guitar until I go home. We`ve been using it to go from house to house and sing songs to people. I love being able to use our God-given talents to spread the gospel.




6. I am grateful for Family.  Even though I`m not related by blood to the people here, we have a special connection. I love every single person I have had the honor of working with since coming to Niihama. I know without a doubt this is where the Lord needs me.



7. I am grateful for our senior couple missionaries, Elder and Sister Nakanishi.  The Nakanishis are my Japanese grandma and grandpa. They do so much for us missionaries. Instead of having to bike 2 hours to visit people, they give us rides, pack us treats, and help us with our Japanese. They also bring a special light into this branch. Without them, Niihama would be a darker place.

Another yummy dinner at the Nakanishi home.

8. I am grateful for the Book of Mormon.  I`ve come to really love this book! As we`ve been studying these sacred writings as a mission I`ve felt my love for them deepen, and my relationship with my Father in Heaven become stronger. I know these words aren`t just written to look nice on paper, but if pondered, they can be a powerful source of strength for us during those times when we don`t think we can make it.

9. I am grateful for Japanese hospitality.  I don`t think there is anything like it. I would invite everyone to go on a mission, and go to Japan! If your call says any place else, send it back and tell them you only want to go to Japan! Hahaha JUST JOKING! Don`t do that (Houston). I can`t put into words how polite Japanese people really are. You`ll just have to experience it for yourself!




10. I am grateful for my phone.  I know you think I sound like the old Hevynn but seriously, without it I wouldn`t be able to talk to my lovely sisters here in Shikoku, or contact our awesome investigators. I use a phone way more than I ever thought I would as a missionary. But I`ve been blessed to have had some very uplifting conversations thanks to this old phone! I am so grateful for technology because it`s helped us hasten the Lord`s work here in our little corner of the world.

....Last but not least, of course, I am so grateful for my own family and friends. I am especially grateful for everyone`s prayers on my behalf. I feel them. Thank you so so much. Last but not least, I am so grateful for this gospel. I`m so grateful for the choice that I made, and the privilege that I have, to serve a mission.

These feet have taken me many places, but Niihama, Japan, is the best place yet!

I`ve learned so many things that I just couldn`t have learned anywhere else. I`ve had lots of ups and downs that just wouldn`t have been the same if I had experienced them somewhere else. This short year-and-a-half has turned into a spiritual source of tremendous experiences that I will draw on for the rest of my life. I love my mission, I love those I serve, and those I serve with...and I love YOU!

Sister Heimuli

Last Letter

Today I received Sister Heimuli’s last handwritten letter from Japan.  I can count on one hand the number of handwritten letters I've received.  So from here on out, it’s all email.  This letter…not earth-shattering.  Good thoughts on Change.  But you thought I was going to say something more inspirational.  Sorry.  In fact, she wouldn’t have even sent it if I wasn’t in the middle of appealing residency status for her to attend Weber State.  And she wants to attend Weber State. So she had to mail me a copy of her driver’s license and mission call…thus, this last handwritten letter.

It was reading her mission call NOW, and the blessings promised to her by President Monson THEN, that pierced my heart.  I don’t know why I never noticed these very specific, profound blessings before. 

Every child of ours (so far) has chosen to serve a mission.  Thank goodness, these kids are nothing like me and my husband.  Funny thing is, with every missionary – Hema to Ecuador, Helam to Atlanta (Spanish-speaking) and Hevynn to Japan – it's my husband and I who have benefited the most.

 

Well-known blogs get 20,000 hits a day.  This one won’t even get 20,000 hits by the time she returns home (at 4:09pm on January 17, 2015, but who's keeping track?).  And none of that matters.  I created a mission blog for each child so it could be converted to a book and given to them to enjoy with their future families.  Noble cause, right?

 

But more importantly, I realized today when I accidentally clicked on an old link in this blog, that it has been my great privilege to witness and document each of our missionaries' tremendous personal growth and “increased knowledge and testimony of the Restoration and of the truths of the gospel of Jesus Christ” as promised in their mission calls.

Thinking about serving a mission?  It’s a lot to think about.  You may have already seen the “Most-Read Posts” listed on the front page:  Last Week at Home, and Surprise Letter to her dad…written when she was extremely homesick in the MTC.  It happens.  Expect it.

But if you’re new to this blog, you haven’t read the old posts, like The Call and Aloha ‘Oe about her time as a “should I stay or should I go?” BYU-Hawaii student (I use that term loosely).  View the Before and After Videos documenting her decision to ultimately go and serve the Lord.

Family Tradition? Another Tender Mercy detailed MTC Drop-Off Day. Let me just tell you...Mother's Day, it ain't.  In Week 1 – God Guides Moving Feet, she received a sign her first night in the MTC about how she should carry out the next 18 months.  No bold angel.  No heavenly voice.  No bright light.  An actual sign.

Learning the Japanese language was rough as explained in No Doubt In My Heart.  But tender mercies like providentially-timed letters and packages from family and dear friends, General Relief Society Meeting and Last Week as a Dai Senpai helped her realize God’s love for all His children, including her.  

Leaving SLC…Headed for Japan put her back into the world.  I’m in Nihon! was her first day in Japan and her 20^th birthday.  Her Polynesian Cultural Center dancing skills were put to good use in Aroha (yes, that’s how the Japanese -- and her Maori grandpa -- say Aloha).  Fun times.  It wasn’t all fun, though...as in Thanks for Your Prayers but we know without a doubt that missionaries are protected and prayers are answered.  Week 60 –You Would Not Believe the Week I’ve Had was the realization of many wonderful blessings promised by our beloved prophet. 

I can’t express how thankful I am for the missionary experiences of each of our children.  They have blessed our family beyond description.  This is true for every missionary's family.  Does a missionary miss out on a lot...being gone for 18-24 months?  Maybe.  But probably not.  Especially when compared to what they gain.  I have missed Hevynn more than anyone can imagine.  And now she only has 8 weeks left.  That means I only have 8 blog entries left.  Then what am I gonna do?

Houston, you're next.

Signed,

A Missionary Mom

Letter 8 - Waiting, Weeping

Wonderful, awesome baptism of Chizuru san

This wonderful week was busy! We did exchanges with the sisters in Matsuyama.

On exchanges with Bevan shimai from California. She is going home at the end of the transfer. She is such a great missionary!

Did my first french braid! Are you proud, mama? Bowman shimai taught me and let me try it out on her. Bowman is the bomb. She is from California and is probably the coolest sister I've met out here!

We were in charge of a service project where I learned the awesome technique of tree trimming here in Japan. I can cut bushes into perfect round ball shapes now (Yes!), although I already know daddy will not be thrilled if I do that to his beloved trees back at home! 

Then we prepared like crazy for our investigator`s baptism.

Elders taking care of the font for us...they are the best! Yup, this is how we do it here in Niihama.

Sister Kamada Chizuru was baptized yesterday and it was a day I can never forget. Of course the ordinance in and of itself was beautiful. 

With Chizuru san and my beautiful companion

But one of my favorite parts of the whole day was when her mother was wheeled into the church building. That moment is one I can`t wait to watch over and over again when I get to Heaven.

Crofts shimai and I were so happy to witness this special moment for mother and daughter!

It was the first time she`d stepped foot in a church building for about 20 years. Chizuru`s mom was baptized over 30 years ago but due to physical incapability she is not allowed to leave her hospital for long amounts of time so she`s not able to attend church. So the fact that we got permission to bring her to the baptism was a miracle and a blessing because she was finally able to see her answer to her prayers. She told me she had been praying for 20 years that her daughter would accept the gospel, and now she was getting baptized! The doctor wheeled her in and she just started to bawl. Crofts shimai and I ran to her and gave her hugs and told her how happy we were to see her, but she was so overcome with emotion she couldn`t speak. She just rubbed her eyes and tried to catch her breath. She just kept saying `Thank you, thank you, thank you`. I was brought to tears as I watched her weep for joy. 

It was an emotional day for this sweet lady as she was able to witness her prayers being answered. 

Weeping happens in every phase of emotion. From the darkness of sadness, to the brightness of happiness, we weep. At times, we are like Christ was in the Book of Mormon (3 Nephi 17:20-21)

20 And they arose from the earth, and he said unto them: Blessed are ye because of your faith. And now behold, my joy is full.

21 And when he had said these words, he wept...

What a beautiful sight that must`ve been to see the Man we all love and look to, weeping because His joy was full. I am sure Chizuru`s mom`s joy was at its fullest yesterday! She couldn`t stop crying. Through every single phase of the baptism, her cheeks were always glistening with her tears.

I`ve thought a lot about how much patience our Heavenly Father has. I know He was able to bless Chizuru san`s mom with her answer to her prayers, but for Chizuru san`s sake He made her mother wait for 20 years and, in the process, a mother developed patience and increased love for her daughter, which made this ordinance all the more sweet.

I`m always moved by Christ`s patience when I read the Bible. When Lazarus died, Christ didn`t raise him from the dead right from the get go. Instead, He took time to weep with the family, as it says in John 11:33-35 

33 When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled,

34 And said, Where have ye laid him? They said unto him, Lord, come and see.

35 Jesus wept.

Those two words show us evidence once again of the mortal and immortal characteristics of Christ; He was human enough to mourn with the family of Lazarus, but a few verses later we see evidence of His true divinity and power when He raised Lazarus from the dead.

I know He can immediately stretch forth His hand and make everything better for us at any moment, but for reasons we don`t always or immediately understand our Heavenly Father and His Son Jesus Christ allow us to experience the full range of emotion as we wait on Them. As you know, up until now I`ve never had a baptism. The Lord has made me wait almost 70 weeks. Throughout this process I`ve been able to perfect my skills as a teacher and learn more skills that I will use in the future. I am so very thankful for all of this!

There will always be a special place in my heart for Chizuru san!

We wait on the Lord. And when those special moments come, we weep with joy.

I know this gospel is Christ`s purest teachings. How could it not be? I will continue to wait on the Lord this week and see what blessings He will lovingly send my way. I hope you can all be patient as well! With your daily dealings, with your family and friends. Be kind, have charity, be patient. That`s all we need to do as we continue in this life. I love this gospel and I love the Lord`s work here in Japan. I love you all, too :)

Sister Heimuli

Week 67 - Time

Hi Family and friends!

Sorry I kept you all waiting! We didn`t get Pday yesterday so we are taking it today. Instead we had an amazing Zone Conference in Takamatsu yesterday with the Takamatsu and Matsuyama zones.

Love these missionaries in my district!

I was so happy to see all our sisters and give them the cute little handouts Crofts shimai and I had made the night before. There`s something really special about the sisters in our zones here on Shikoku (my unbiased opinion).

Me and one of my cute sister missionaries who serves in another part of Shikoku.

When we returned to Niihama around 6:30 p.m. we went to visit our Baptismal Candidate Sister Chizuru with the Nakanishi senior couple. The Nakanishis are the best! Sister Chizuru is SO ready for baptism. She`s just glowing! I wish you could all see the Chizuru san I met not-too-long ago back in September. She`s 200 times different now! She smiles, she laughs, she puts forth the effort to talk with those around her. It`s truly amazing how much the Lord can do with His children in such a short amount of time.

I`ve thought a lot lately about why it seems that God gives us too much to do, but not enough time to do it all. I guess it is partly because I still feel like there`s so much I want and need to do here as a missionary in Japan, but I have only a couple of short months left to do it.

I have come to realize that if I look beyond the 18 months of my mission there`s even much, much more I hope to accomplish. It worried me because I just don`t know how much time God will bless me with to do it. But Nephi reminds us in 2 Nephi 10 `Therefore, cheer up your hearts, and remember that ye are free to act for yourselves...`

And there we have it. We shouldn`t feel pressured or rushed. We should cheer up our hearts! I think the beauty of having so many options, but not enough time, is so that our Father in Heaven can see how we CHOOSE to spend the time we are given. Heavenly Father knows there`s incredible potential in each one of us, so he`s given us TIME.

My thoughts on Time have lead me to the third chapter of Ecclesiastes:

2 A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;

Coolest graves ever.

3 A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;

4 A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

People here really know how to throw a festival!

5 A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;

6 A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;

7 A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;

8 A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.

Chizuru san`s time has come. She`s ready. She`s choosing to follow Christ and be baptized this Sunday. My time and your time will come. Everyone`s time will come to an end. But it`s not about how much time God`s given us --  it`s about how we`ve decided to spend the time He`s given us.

He`s given us this beautiful gift of free agency...how will you use yours this week?  I`ve gained a stronger testimony of Ecclesiastes 3:1 `To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven.`

Always remember there`s a Plan and our Loving Heavenly Father is in charge. Trust in Him. He knows what He`s doing. We`ve been given this opportunity to live. Let`s live well, whole and wisely! Hope you all have a wonderful week!

Please keep Chizuru san in your prayers so she can finally enter in through the gate of baptism and be on her way back to her Heavenly Father. I love you all and wish you the very best this week!


Love,

Sister Heimuli

Me...eating...again!

Week 66 - All We Have to Do is Walk with Him

We had a crazy week! Considering the fact that we were only in our area for maybe a total of 3 days, the Lord was so good to us. He blessed us with 5 new investigators. But the miracle isn`t in the numbers; the miracle was behind the numbers. The Lord helped us use the limited time we had to accomplish all that we did. First of all, exchanges with the Tokushima sisters, Sister Grundvig and Sister Chapman, were outrageously fun.

Dinner on the exchange

Chapman shimai and me. I love this girl!!!

I was with Sister Chapman who is from Tahiti. She doesn`t speak English or Japanese (yet!) -- only Tahitian and French. But somehow, the Lord helped me train her and we ended up having one of the best exchanges I`ve ever had! It`s an exhilarating thing when you can feel the Lord guiding you. As I was with Chapman shimai, her wide-eyed, excited, beautiful persona really helped the Spirit to be with us and unify us. Although she can`t speak very much Japanese, she was able to learn that she didn`t have to. I gave her a couple sentences to start out the conversations and then I just finished them. She did so great! I was proud of her. One lady she decided to talk to actually ended up telling us she wants to be Christian and wanted to come to the Christmas party! I was so happy the Lord put that woman in our path to help Sister Chapman`s confidence. I love Sister Chapman with all my heart. She`s got such a strong desire to be here.

It`s been the best week of my mission. I don`t even know where to begin. I guess I can start with: We had our music fireside yesterday! Ashitani family came! On top of that, their NM daughter brought 2 of her friends and the 2 of them expressed interested in learning about the church.

Niihama missionaries and the whole Ashitani family

One of my favorite moments I will never forget, was the image of Ashitani kyoudai with tears running down his face telling me how there`s something special about missionaries. He said that something about us brings people closer to God even from one conversation. I`m glad we are able to fulfill our purpose of inviting others to come unto Christ, even in normal conversation. I don`t know if he`ll decide to become active again...we are going to meet with them later this week and hopefully talk about it. But I do know that he was able to feel the Spirit again and it`s an experience that I think he and his family will remember forever and it will be a fond memory tied to the Church.

Also, another member`s NM daughter came with her daughter and she`s now our new investigator. She`s having us over for dinner on Saturday. She said when she stepped foot in the church she felt different. And as she sat through the fireside she said she felt close to God which is different because she`s never really thought about God`s presence before.

I am so grateful for the talents the Lord`s given Crofts shimai and me. The more we`ve used them this past week, the more I`ve felt the Spirit with us. Just like that new investigator, I`ve felt close to our Father in Heaven and to the Savior. I felt like I could really walk with Them. (Walk with Me is our mission theme; Moses 6:34).

Fukuda family. Fukuda kyoudai has been LA for over 20 years but came to the music fireside and let Crofts shimai borrow his violin! She just killed it on that violin. She is SO good!

RyuSama. I love this little boy! After the fireside we had some fun...and some oranges.

Practicing I Am a Child of God with Yumiko shimai's children for the music fireside

Singing a special I Am a Child of God musical number with the Ashitani grandchildren

It`s funny because I`ve actually felt happier as I`ve been working this week. I think it`s because we`re combining 2 elements we love most: our God-given talents and His work. I`ve laughed more this week than I have my whole mission. I`ve said more earnest prayers this week than I have my whole mission. And I`ve felt so calm, even though we had a crazy busy week.

This past transfer and a half will be one I will cherish forever. It`s been a humbling experience being a Sister Training Leader. I get to dive in and work with our sisters one by one.

Crofts and I eating out with our Takamatsu Zone sisters after ZTM on Friday.

How is it possible to have so many beautiful sisters in the same zone? I love each one of them!

Yes! $1 Sushi is the BOMB! We can eat a lot!!

So if you eat 5 plates, you get to play a game. And if you win, you get a prize. Guess who won?!!!

It is a long 5-hour train ride home. One of our sisters knocked out. Like her handmade sleeping mask?

Now I see why the Savior asks us to seek Him, to come unto Him, and to Walk with Him. Just like I love working with our sisters individually, He wants to work with us individually as well. There`s something really intimate and special about working with the Savior one on one. I love that we`ve been able to do that this week. This doesn`t only have to apply to missionary work. It can apply to us as we are running around doing errands, chores etc.

This morning we volunteered to clean up the mall by our church. Just trying to be like Ammon.

Walking with the Lord doesn`t have to be just a `Sunday thing`. You can figure out on your own how you can walk with the Lord more in your life.

The Lord knows all. He`ll help us in all phases of our lives, not just in church. He knows how to catch and run footballs, jump hurdles, swim, make pottery, paint, write music, race cars, create universes, etc. He knows it all. All we have to do is walk with Him, and He`ll teach us what we need to know.

Went to Aoba choro's pottery show. He is SUPER famous. His works are in the temples here in Japan. And right here is where those famous pieces were made.

Chizuru san and I. She is getting baptized on the 23rd

 

Aoba shimai made me perform at their showcase

I`ve gained this testimony this week. And I plan on strengthening it more as I finish out my mission. Have a fantastic week, my family and friends!

Love,
Sister Heimuli

P.S. A couple of bonus pics

Sometimes eating sushi is like Russian roulette...

...Sometimes you die