Howdy! 🤠

This week was excellent. We started off the week by visiting a shrine (お寺) with Asaumi Shimai on P day! She’s been so awesome this week, and we saw her almost every single day! She also made us lunch on Thursday, and came to the Osaka Christmas Concert where I played violin on Saturday! She’s also started to really get into missionary work with us too. She asked someone for directions apparently on the way to the Osaka Concert and started talking about the gospel on the way. How insanely cool! I have many photos I still need to upload from this week.

Wednesday was also incredibly fun. We basically did service all day. In the morning, we helped the Bishop move a ton of dirt and in the afternoon we packed a bunch of rice. Thursday we also did service until we had lunch with Asaumi. Service is awesome and so fun!

Sunday, we had 3 people agree to come to church with us. And all of them fell through. It was really sad! Even our golden investigator Huang couldn’t make it (it was raining). But on my way to Church, I realized I needed to say a quick prayer that one of our friends would come. Right after sacrament meeting started, although I had essentially forgotten about my prayer, someone who had seen the missionaries for several years and stopped taking lessons showed up again. I didn’t see him at first, but after someone from the pulpit signalled me to him, I went and sat right next to him. I talked with him a little bit during sacrament meeting, because I knew he wouldn’t stay for second hour. To my surprise, he was really interested in connecting over LINE and hopefully will be interested in lessons. Although he smelled heavily like cigarette smoke and actually looked like a real certified gangster, he was truly kind and even texted very politely, with a lot of smiley face emojis and even flower emojis. It seems to be a common pattern with the type.😆

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I don’t think any of us will have the opportunity to be perfect before we die. Sure, as Latter Day Saints, that is the standard we aim for. We believe nothing that is imperfect can dwell with God for eternity. Despite our imperfections, we really try to heed the Savior’s command to “Be ye therefore perfect” spiritually.

But, as mentioned before, life is full of roadblocks and obstacles to becoming perfect. Because we will make imperfect choices because of the consequences of Adam’s fall, we cannot be perfect on our own. Therefore, God laid a plan for us to return to Him eventually. He would provide a Savior for our redemption, salvation, and exhaltation. Through the Savior, Jesus Christ, everyone is given the ability to overcome our setbacks.

Have you ever noticed how similar the biblical story of the Binding of Isaac and of God and His Only Begotten Son are when you look at it from a perspective of sacrifice? Abraham was asked to sacrifice Isaac, born from a miracle as Abraham and Sarah’s only child. God allowed His Son to be sacrificed and endure all the pain and sins of the world.

Yet, Isaac was saved by an angel and became the father of all of Israel. Christ was resurrected and rose the third day. In the end, the sacrifice was a total, true acceptance of the Lord and His will, done for the love of the Lord and other people. When we sacrifice ourselves in the sake of the Lord, He promises to return what we give infinitely more than what we give Him.

During Christ’s ministry, He commanded us to “bear up His cross” (i.e. literally become sacrificed like Him!) but also to come unto Him, for his “yoke is easy, and His burden is light.” Have you learned what this balance means for yourself? The Book of Mormon provides some clarity. When we really try our hardest to lay everything up at the Savior’s feet–that is, after we do all we can do–it is by His grace that we are saved (2 Nephi 25:23). The Savior gives us all the tools we need to recieve our “second estate.” And when we’ve proven we’re willing to sacrifice all we can, the Savior manifests true miracles.

Lean into God. Pray. Study about the Atonement. Follow Jesus Christ and His example. And endure to the end. When you do, I promise that you will find the things that bring peace in His rest and promises. I can testify that His word is the truth. His word is comfort, not hate and fear. It promises to us that we can change. It is faith, hope, and charity. When we seek these things above all else in the world, we are given infinitely more than we could ever sacrifice. When we know the Savior, we can rely on His promises when we have exhausted our last can of oil. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Please check out this talk when you have the chance! I think it’s really good. I studied it from the Come Follow Me manual this week. It’s titled, “Why Marriage, Why Family” by Elder D. Todd Christofferson:

www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2015/04/why-marriage-why-family?lang=eng

Sorry for the rather unpolished email. I’ll try to make it better next time.

Take care and see y’all next time,

Elder Son

Website: elder.son.org

Google photos: photos.app.goo.gl/6PuTqiB3mvJD9Qex8