Hello everyone!
Well, this week has been quite a bit more spiritual than
some others, so, this letter might be a little long-winded... sorry...but
before I tell you all that, I just want to say that the best letter award this
week goes to gramma Brame! That sweet woman!... But... all the same... thank
you to everyone who wrote me this week. I love you all so much. You're all
amazing =)...but not quite as amazing as gramma Brame =)
This week I started working out in the morning with sister
Lane... oh my gosh, if my bike doesn't kill me, sister Lane's work outs will. I
worked out with her once and I couldn't even walk straight for the next THREE
days! But it's good... I'm getting waaaaay flexible, which is also a miracle...
I can almost do the splits now...
Also this week, I ate a Japanese peach! Oh my GOODNESS!
Best, juiciest, sweetest peach ever! I don't think when I come back to the
states I'll ever eat another peach again. The fruit here is soooo good. But
soooo expensive. Totally worth it though. I tried to make a peach milkshake
this week... and I accidentally didn't screw the blender together right... and
when I went to pour the milk in, it all poured right through the bottom and all
over the kitchen table! I was pretty upset... sister Lane even took a picture
because I was so upset... but now I know! And since that little incident,
I have become the designated milkshake-maker! We looooove milkshakes over here
in the Fukuoka shimai apartment! Last night I made a brownie milkshake!
Also... I got sister Lane to eat a raw egg this week.
Haha... it's so funny. She's still so American! She's afraid to eat everything!
It's so cute! But Sister Andaca and I are still trying hard to get her adjusted
to eating Japanese food so that when we go to our investigators' houses for
dinner, she won't spit her food out right in front of them... as has actually
happened before =) Oh gosh, I just love sister Lane. Training with Sister
Andaca is a lot of fun... and Sister Lane is very loved =) Don't worry,
everyone! We'll get her adjusted to this place in no time!
On a more spiritual note...this week I gained a testimony of
fasting =) I have never really felt the power of fasting before... but last
week we had to drop quite a few of our investigators... we went from about 8 to
only 2, either because they dropped us or we dropped them. We've been working
so hard... We are out in the sun for sometimes 3 hours a day street contacting
because we just don't have many people progressing right now, and the members
are so afraid to give us referrals! Not because we're bad missionaries... but
because here in Japan, if you're a Mormon, it's kind of your secret life...
it's like everyone is an undercover Mormon secret agent... and they don't want
anyone to know... So... I fasted for new progressing investigators-
halfheartedly... kind of just because I didn't think I'd actually receive an
answer but needed something to fast for.
The next day, we got 4 referrals. 4!!! We met with 2 of them
this week and now they are both progressing investigators! One is a really
sweet girl from Ghana, named Coco and the other is a Japanese woman names
Mayumi! We are meeting with the other 2 this week and are so excited! Wow, can
you believe it!? Heavenly Father actually listens to us when we fast and we're
not just starving ourselves!
Another blessing happened this morning...
I woke up this morning kind of sad... I was really
sore and tired and discouraged. I was praying and wondering "Heavenly Father...
why do you feel like you have to break me? All I want is to just be a good
missionary... People always laugh and point and yell at us and no one wants to
listen... I always crash on my bike... the elders are acting like dumb hormonal
teenage boys... what more can I do!? I'm trying so hard!" So I rolled out
of bed... and worked out with Sister Lane and then went into personal study...
While i was studying, I randomly came across this scripture, D&C 97:8 "Verily
I say unto you, all among them who know their hearts are honest, and are
broken, and their spirits contrite, and are willing to observe their covenants
by sacrifice—yea, every sacrifice which I, the Lord, shall command—they are
accepted of me."... Wow...
I realized that the only thing that is important is
whether or not the Lord accepts me... Why am I worried sick because people are
laughing and pointing? The only thing that matters is whether or not I'm good
enough for Heavenly Father- and if I'm sacrificing and trying to be obedient,
that's all that matters to Him!
So my heart changed a little bit... You know how horses have
to be broken before they can be tamed? I guess that's what Heavenly Father is
doing to me... I'm pretty hard-headed and prideful, so it's going to sometimes
take a lot to break through it all... but I'm ready to be humbled and broken,
so that I can come unto Christ and more fully be enfolded in His grace...
Last week I got this really funny bag. On the front it says,
"If the result is beauty, the method is justified!" I just bought it
because it was only 100 yen and I thought it was hilarious, but this morning
when I looked over at it, I realized... Heavenly Fathers method is hard... but
His result will always be more beautiful, so His method is justified! So... I'm
ready to be beautified! Beautiful soul, beautiful mind, beautiful heart! I'm
ready to be broken and beautified from the inside-out!
These missions are amazing... I finally feel like I know why
I'm here... to get past myself and find a new me- a better me, who can finally
reach out and help other people...
Ah, life... gotta love it. What on earth am I going to do
with myself when I get home?
Anyway... this is a really long letter, so I think I'll end
it now.
Love you all! Don't forget about all the missionaries who
really need opportunities to teach! Share your friends and they'll love you
forever!
Ok, bye for now! 愛していますよ!
また！
ロバーツ 姉妹！
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| Updated version of my
happy corner =) |
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Here's this cute calendar thingie I made. Whenever I pass
one of these landmarks I color it in, so by the end of my mission it will be
all colored!
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