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!