9/30/13: @_@ Now Sept. is over too!?!?

This week hasn't been too different from the last couple weeks, except that I think that Elder Nakayama and I are starting to improve our relationship. I think we still have a ways to go before we're anywhere near perfect, but I feel like this week we've finally started (at least to try) to understand each other, and I feel like we're making steps to overcome the gap between us. I'm super excited for that! Whether it happens while we're companions or not, I'm just glad that we're not at each others throats any more (figuratively speaking).

While our number of lessons taught this week is... well... non-existent, we did have a great week with our LA members. We were able to make our goal of teaching three lessons. I think one thing we can do to improve would be to shorten the length of the visits, and to be sure to share something every time we do visit. We've been making great progress with Bro. M!! Having him come with us to meal appointments has been great for helping him build friendships with the members. Slowly more and more of them are getting to know who he is. Hopefully soon he'll be able to meet with bishop and start working towards blessing the sacrament and receiving the higher priesthood! I'm also glad to know that he'll be moving to Salt Lake to go to University of Utah next fall, so it's going to be easy for me to keep in contact with him after my mission.

I've been able to stay in contact with the N. family all week, though we didn't ever get an appointment set up. They had a good weekend out at her parents house, which seemed to have reduced a lot of the stress they've had built up (yay!). Sister C. has also been in contact with Sister N., and regularly invites her to church (more yay!) . Since they were out of town this week they didn't come, but she also told Sister C. that she couldn't go because she doesn't have a skirt. Her reply was a prompt, "I can get you a skirt, I'll bring it over before Sunday next week" (even more yay!). The YM also visited Alex to try and cheer him up. It's so great to know that the N's have so much member support! I am concerned that the reason they're not coming to church is more than just because the son's knee hurting and not being able to go. I think if that were truly a concern than they also wouldn't be able to have him go to school, or drive clear out to visit her family. I'm praying that we can meet with them and try to lovingly discuss their concerns. I can tell something is holding them back, but we just haven't been able to meet with them recently to figure out what it is. They read and pray daily, so I know they're seeking for the comfort the gospel has to offer, but I wonder if they have some kind of fear of what church will be like.

I read a great talk this week given by Elder Bednar in the MTC the summer before I got there. It's about being a PMG missionary, and what that exactly means. I wish I'd have read this talk earlier in my mission, not because I feel like I haven't been a PMG missionary for my whole mission (because I do), but because I never had a good definition for what a PMG missionary IS. Obviously there are a few things that they would have to be, but I couldn't ever really put it into words so I avoided the phrase. This talk explained it simply. The talk in entitled "Becoming a Preach My Gospel Missionary". Absolutely great talk.

Love,

-Jeff

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Side note from Mom--

Hey Everyone!
I just wanted to let you know that I received an email from a member of the Tokyo South Mission Presidency this morning.  It has been confirmed that Elder Mosdell will be home on November 19th.  We are awaiting additional information concerning flight numbers, times and all that seemingly tedious stuff.  We'll let you know when we find out more info!

9/25/13: The last P-day in September already?!? Where does the time go...

Well, this week has been interesting again...

*sigh* I could rant all day about my feelings this past week, but it's probably better that I don't. Here are some good things that have come out of this last week:

With the "extra time" I've had in the apartment, I've been able to study and ponder ways for me to become a better more Christ-like person. I've also had enough time to get through over half of Jesus the Christ (I'm somewhere just before the end of his public ministry). Jesus the Christ has really helped me develop a more personal relation with the savior. Before I didn't really have a connection with him. He was just a name associated with a lot of miracles and establishing the church, along with creating the world and this thing called "the atonement" that supposedly cleanses the repentant of their sins. I've believed all of these things to be true for a long time, but my believe and faith was based off of results I'd seen, "Judging them by their fruits" as it were. However I've come to understand how real the savior of the world truly is. It's not just some story, but rather a real account. Christ DID live, and he WAS resurrected. Now that I have such a strong understanding of that, I understand the need for a true church today, and how this church is truly Christ's true church restored to the earth today. Though we didn't get out and help many people become converted, I was able to deeply strengthen my conversion and understanding. For that I am grateful.

I also was able to use the time to mail the Long family and have a good conversation with them over the last few days. Though I don't feel like I can count them as lessons due to it being broken up through emails and the lack of a prayer, I do feel like I was able to help Sister Long's understanding. Though they're still suffering through their trails, it seems that she has a slightly happier disposition about live. I also was able to find out that the reason Brother Long stopped being active in his church was because when they got married, Christianity scared Sister Long and he loved her more. Now that she's extremely interested and is reading and praying daily, I think that he has a great potential as well. I sadly haven't been able to talk with him lately, but hopefully we'll be able to drop in one evening and have a good chat with them. It's been wonderful to have the Addington couple working with the Longs as well. The ward has also expressed a desire to help and support in any way they can. The Young Men are hoping to go over and play games with Alex sometime during the week, and the Money family has offered to give them (even if only mom or dad) a ride to church next week. I'm so excited for the Long family! :)

We've also been working with a less active. He was out of town this weekend so he didn't come to church, however (again with the extra time I had) I was able to mail him while he was waiting to do interviews and such with people at the event he was at, and created a good relationship with him. I'm super glad to have been able to do that! I finally feel like I have a pretty good relationship with everyone we're working with now. (I have to admit, sometimes I'm jealous of Elder Nakayama's ability to strike up a friendship right off the bat with anyone, even if I've known them for 9 weeks longer. He's really good at that. :P )

 

Well anyways, this is getting kind of long, and I REALLY don't have time so I'm going to send it. Hopefully there's not too many spelling errors and jazz like that.

 Hope everyone is doing well!

 -Elder Jeff Mosdell

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