Japan Fukuoka: Week 5: I Hate Goodbyes!

My favorite picture of Jesus

こにちわ!

People that I have come to know and call my friends in these past few weeks just left for Japan on Monday. On Sunday, the departing missionaries sang that "stupid, beautiful song" that all departing missionaries sing in our zone. In church sacrament meeting, I told myself, "I am not going to cry. I am not going to cry." But like the sun rising in the morning, it was inevitable.

Lyrics-
"There was this place called the preexistence where we lived with our friends so dear. A council was called and plans were made. Free agency is why we're here. Our Savior said 'Please find my lost sheep, And teach them and bring them home.' I promised my Savior I'd find them, And teach them the way to go. I'll go and find you my friend, I'll help you. Our Savior's plan is the way. Please accept me when I find you, And we'll be back with Him someday. Remember the worth of souls is great in the light and sight of God. Look and search and teach His sheep to find the Iron Rod. I'll find you there, my friend."

So I put this name tag on every day that means I am a representative of Jesus Christ and His church. Sometimes, I put about as much thought into placing that name tag on my shirt as I do brushing my hair in the morning. What does it mean to be a missionary for Christ? For one, we are united in a single purpose:

From Preach My Gospel:
"Invite others to come unto Christ by helping them receive the restored gospel through faith in Jesus Christ and His Atonement, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end."

But the question all missionaries must then ask themselves is, "How can I--with all my strengths and weaknesses--be successful in fulfilling that purpose?"

"If you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, you will always be disappointed" (Einstein). Richard I. Heaton from the Sunday devotional gave some amazing insight. He told us about when he was a missionary in Japan, he and his companion got completely lost. They're on top of this mountain, and they pray to God to give them some direction. After the prayer, one turns to the other and says, "Well, want to try that way?" As a missionary, I always want to have the Holy Ghost guiding me. I get stressed if I don't feel like my choices are direct promptings from the Holy Ghost. When these two lost missionaries knocked at the first door to ask for directions, a man answered the door and said, "I've been waiting for you. Please come in." In missionary tracting, that is so incredibly rare. It seemed as if the decision they made was initially rather uninspired, but Heaton asked us, "Was it really?"

My takeaway is to remember that this is God's work. He will ensure that I accomplish what needs to be accomplished. If I have faith, I don't need to worry. Even in ways I can't see, He is guiding my path. Seemingly coincidental occurrences can be by the hand of God and seemingly random decisions can be inspired by the Holy Ghost. If I have the right intentions, I can go forth in confidence knowing that God is on my side.

2 Nephi 7:7
"For the Lord God will help me, therefore shall I not be confounded. Therefore have I set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed."

Word of the week:
Ganbaranba means "please try your best!" in the Okinawa Island "dialect." In actuality, the "dialect" is like a language of its own and though people on the island understand Japanese, many elders don't speak anything but the Okinawa Island "dialect." Ahhhhh, why did I just find this out???

Reporting to you live from the MTC,

Rogers Shimai