Monday, July 7, 2014

"Taiso" and Obedience

Hello everyone!!

   So this week I realized there is truly power in being a foreigner in another country. I mean, I've noticed it before. People staring at me. Asking if they can touch my hair. The usual. But last Monday we decided to get up early and go and exercise at one of the famous parks here in Hakodate. It's a huge park with a lake and trees and flowers. Absolutely beautiful. Well at 6:30 every morning there is a group of grandmas and grandpas that get together and do "taiso". It's like an organized stretching routine that everyone knows in Japan. So we decided to join them. And one by one they all started coming up to me and Yabutani Shimai. They asked her where I was from and then I answered and said that I was from America, they were so shocked that I could speak Japanese. So they were just talking and talking with us and it was really so cute! And we even got chocolate from one of the grandmas because she said I was so happy and deserved a treat! haha. :) It makes missionary work so much more interesting when people come up to you and ask, "so why are you here"? And then I just think, "well let me tell you a little bit about our church...". Definitely the easiest way to find people to teach! :)

   On Wednesday we went to Muroran again!! The 2nd week in a row. YAY!! We got a new Mission President this week so he wanted to take a little tour of Hokkaido and visit all the different zones. So we got up early on Wednesday in order to catch the 6 am train. Got to Muroran at 8:30 and had a training meeting by the Mission President and his wife from 10-12. Sister Nakatsuka first talked about the importance of loving other people and relying on the Lord. She told us about when they were being interviewed by President Uchtodorf she expressed her fears and concerns about their new calling. And she said this is what President Uchtodorf told her: "It is good to have fears and worries, because when we do, that is the time that we rely more on the Lord." So it's okay if we are fearful and stressed and worried because that is the time when we can put our full trust in the Lord and in His plan.

   Then President Nakatsuka talked about Obedience. It was so good! The topic of obedience is something that I have really been thinking and studying about recently. I have been studying about what it means to truly be 100% obedient or to always be exactly obedient. He talked about how there was one major difference between the Law of Moses and Jesus Christ's higher law. The people who followed the Law of Moses, did it mainly because they had to. But it was the people who followed Christ who were willing to obey the law. So we can be following the rules and commandment because we feel that we have to OR we can follow them because we are willing to do so. If we willingly follow rules and commandment then we will be blessed and have more joy. It was really great and I really learned about the true meaning of obedience. I know that Heavenly Father loves all of His children and gave us rules in order to help us and protect us. I know that if we willingly follow Him, he will guide us and lead us along the path so that we will not stray!

   I love you all! Thanks so much for all your love and support! Have a wonderful week!

   Morrison Shimai


 Fun at the beach in Hakodate
with Yabutani Shimai

Burial of Yabutani Shimai - She goes home this week!

Squid are famous in Hakodate


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