{"id":2832,"date":"2026-04-20T13:18:05","date_gmt":"2026-04-20T13:18:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/elder.son.org\/?p=2832"},"modified":"2026-04-23T20:04:03","modified_gmt":"2026-04-23T20:04:03","slug":"33-104-weekly-ramble","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/elder.son.org\/index.php\/2026\/04\/20\/33-104-weekly-ramble\/","title":{"rendered":"Week 33: Weekly Ramble"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Hellooooooooo!! I love you all so much!<\/p><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\nAnother week in Abeno. Sorry, it’s been a minute since my last email! I’m including some of the pictures from Osaka Castle which we visited two weeks ago with my dear friend Asaumi [during the peak of Sakura, the season of Japanese Cherry Blossoming]. I’ll post the rest of the photos from my three weeks as I get them!<\/p><\/div>\n\n\n\n

\nI’ve had yet another blessed transfer with Elder Jenkins. The miracles are probably too many to count. Abeno is truly a wonderful and gracious area and our friends are progressing well too. Our dear friend Ayu, who started off as a pretty casual friend who was willing to come to church, is starting to show a lot more interest and need for the gospel. He actually wanted to do a lesson with us this week but was pretty sick and actually got hospitalized, so I’ve been praying for him a lot. Our friends Minki and Haruto also started lessons. It’ll be fun to teach them this upcoming transfer. We had three Chinese families pull up to our ward this week. I would be surprised if there isn’t a Chinese branch that starts here within the next year \ud83d\ude42 I think I’m staying in Abeno- we have three people leaving already. My companion Elder Jenkins who is returning to America, Elder Evenson who can speak Chinese, and Sister Jensen. I’d be one of the three who remains: Elder Kosaka who is half Japanese and Sister Seavey who is from Hawaii will likely remain too.\n<\/p><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\nOf course, we still have our challenges too. Our friend Leon was on date for baptism this week, but sadly his grandparents said that if he were baptized before he turns 18, he would be kicked out of the house. It’s a sad situation, but I understand both sides of the coin. However he said he would absolutely get baptized someday (\u300c\u7d76\u5bfe\u30d0\u30d7\u30c6\u30b9\u30de\u3092\u53d7\u3051\u307e\u3059\u300d\u3063\u3066), and although he’s only 16, I really believe that statement to be true. He really loves the gospel and recognizes the power that Christ can bring to our lives. On that same note, our friend Salvador was on date for this week too. But he’s having trouble keeping some commandments and doesn’t quite feel ready for baptism yet. We’ll keep trying to support him in this change to the gospel. We also stopped teaching our other friend Anthony because he kept on making too many excuses for baptism and eventually it was just clear that at this time he doesn’t want to be baptized.\n<\/p><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\nRecently, I’ve had three or maybe even four people ask me, “What is it that you want out of your mission right now?” We even asked about it one of our District Council Meetings. Some people said they really valued the experience outside of the country and learning a new language. Some valued the connections and friendships you can make with other missionaries. I thought about question for a long time. What is it that I exactly want out of the mission? Where do I feel weak? Where do I want to improve? Where do I wanna be in the future? Am I even in the right place now? What does my mind tell me, but also what does my heart? I was soon lost in all the questions that filled my mind. Eventually, however, I came to a little bit of an answer in one of my favorite parts of the Book of Mormon.\n<\/p><\/div>\n\n\n\n

\nMoroni 7:47<\/a> But charity is the pure love of Christ, and it endureth forever; and whoso is found possessed of it at the last day, it shall be well with him.<\/q>\n<\/p><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\nMormon, a prophet from the Book of Mormon, gives some of his best wisdom before he dies at the hands of the Lamanites. Whosoever is found possessive of charity at the last day, Mormon writes, it shall be well with him. I don’t know the answer to every question in my life. Even to ones that seem pretty important to me. However, tomorrow, we may live a totally different life than what we dreamed of. But in the words of the Apostle Paul, “charity never faileth” (1 Corinthians 13<\/a>). And although “I see through a glass darkly,” I can know that where my heart is, my actions are also. Putting God first in my life is the best thing that I can get out of the mission. I may not know what comes tomorrow- but I can follow the example of Jesus Christ happily today and see the results of my faith and focus later. I have already seen the results of following Him in my life, and while it’s not always the easiest, the most convenient, nor the most logical, it has always brought me the most joy.\n<\/p><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\nThis week marks the fourth time I’ve been asked if I was half Japanese \ud83d\ude42\n<\/p><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\nHere’s some things I’m really grateful for from the past few weeks:\n