What a week!
Can I just say that I am so blessed? Why the Lord is allowing me to see so many miracles I couldn't say, but I can say that I am so grateful!! I love being a missionary. I love the lessons I am learning, and my time that I am spending here in Japan, with these people, is changing my life! Who would have thought that God could help change me so much so that I could have a greater capacity to love! I love the people I am serving, and I want so badly for them to be able to partake of the blessings that God has prepared for us. He wants us to be happy. That is why he has given us this gospel and the commandments. He doesn't give us the commandments as a prerequisite for happiness. Obedience to the commandments is happiness! It brings consistency and true joy to our lives. I love this gospel!! Adriana San is progressing like crazy. She loves the church, reads the Book of Mormon, is praying regularly, and looks up the church website and watches tons of videos on her own. She came to Stake Conference today and it was perfect. She absolutely loved it. She met tons of other Brazilian and foreign members, exchanged phone numbers, and had such a good time! She is incredible. Her husband is pretty anti Christianity, but we talked to the member who has been helping us and he agrees that just by being really kind to the husband that we can help soften him up. She loves the church and is so golden! She is the perfect example to me of how to exercise faith to see miracles in our lives! A few weeks ago we met 2 sisters while returning home from a member's house. We were able to meet with them and their older sister on Sunday and have a lesson! All 3 of them were so excited to receive Book of Mormons and they all really liked prayer! It was a beautiful lesson and we are meeting with them again next week! They are a total miracle, and we never could have expected today's casual meeting to turn into such a great spiritual experience. We are seeing so many miracles in this area and I know that it is the combination of the faith of the members, missionaries, and God's mercy. This is His work and He is hastening it! I love being here at this time to serve Him and to be a tool in His hands. Trying to be a good example, follow my Savior, and be a really good representative of Jesus Christ. I love this mission, I love Japan, and I really love the Japanese people and culture. I am really happy. A little stressed. But WAY happy. Oh also, fun fact, I might be turning Japanese. It's weird. I'm quieter. Less direct in speech. Much more polite at meals. A big believer in taking off my shoes. I put the elderly on kind of a pedastool. I'm feeling quite Japanese these days and living with 2 American companions is kind of throwing me off a little. But I love them! And I love being Japanese. I think it's something I might keep up for quite a long time. :) Love you all so much, thank you for the words of encouragement and the prayers. Love always, Sister Feist What a week!
I guess I should start out with the fact that transfer calls were today!! Yay for transfer calls! Sister Jolley and I will be staying in Atsugi, but Sister Handy will be joining us! We're going to have a very fun, very outgoing trio! I've never been in a trio before, so I'm intrigued to see how it goes, but I'm certain it will be incredible! As long as the three of us are striving to be 100% obedient and follow the counsel of The Lord, we are going to see so many miracles! Is it possible for me to emphasize enough how much I LOVE Atsugi area? The members are incredible, and are such great examples to me. They are all such great disciples of Jesus Christ, and they are blessing so many lives because of their love for the gospel. To see their progress every week and to see their families coming closer to The Lord really touches my heart. I love these members, and we are striving to serve them to the best of our abilities. Even the people we meet on the streets in Atsugi are incredible. They are all so kind, and really want to talk! Every person we meet is so different, and has an interesting story. I love them! I want to help them, to serve them, and to teach them how the gospel of Jesus Christ can change their lives! We are meeting with this less active member who is 80 years old, but she could easily pass for 100. She is old guys. But you know what? She's still got a great sense of humor! That's one thing I want to have for the rest of my life. Never take myself too seriously. Laugh off the pains and the heartaches. Not because I'm emptyheaded, but because I know that as a person with eternal potential, I don't really have time to worry about short term problems. They'll work out! I was sent to this earth to become like my Heavenly Father, and I know that He is happy and He wants me to be happy. I love life, and every minute that I am following my Heavenly Father's plan, I am becoming happier than the minute before. We have a new investigator! She is from Brazil, and we were able to have an amazing lesson with her and a member of our ward who served his mission in Brazil. We were a little nervous to jump teaching about the restoration right away since we didn't really know her, but we prayed about it and we knew that whatever her situation was, that the message of the restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ would bless her and her family. The lesson was incredible. The Spirit was so strong, and she is incredible. I love her, and I am so grateful to be able to teach her. She has such a sincere heart and really wants to learn for herself if this is Christ's true church. She is simply incredible! I have a testimony that this is Christ's restored church on the earth, and that because of the restoration, we are once again blessed by the power of the Priesthood. I know that the Priesthood leaders of our church are called by God, and that they teach us truths. I love and sustain President Thomas S. Monson as the prophet of our church, and I know that while he speaks as president of the church, it is like hearing the voice of God. I love him. I also know that my mission president, President Wada, is called to preside over the missionary work in the Japan Tokyo South mission and I love him and support him. He is such a great example to me, and has become like a father to me here in Japan. I am receiving so many blessings from God's power being on earth, and I am so grateful for its influence on my life. I have attached a favorite talk of mine. These 10 steps to a happy life are true! I want so badly to apply them, and I'm not doing it perfectly, but through the Lord's help, I'm getting better at it! Plus, I love Richard G. Scott. He is kind of my hero. I want to be like his wife when I grow up. I'm happy, life is amazing, and I love being a missionary! Shout out to my little brother who received his mission call to the Wisconsin Milwaukee mission. He is going to love it, and I am so proud of him for making this decision to serve The Lord! Love always, Sister Feist But seriously, READ THIS TALK... Please :) Living a Life of Peace, Joy, and Purpose February 2014 Liahona http://www.lds.org/liahona/2014/02/living-a-life-of-peace-joy-and-purpose?lang=eng To start things off on a not completely inspirational note, Sister
Jolley and I had a fiesta this week!! We made guacamole, nachos, and ate salsa. It was incredibly delicious. Definitely brought me back to my freshman year at BYU. The only difference is that Sister Jolley and I at least made the effort to eat veggies too :) And it isn't our every meal. We had our personal glory presentations in Bible Study this week! We discussed the end result that keeps us motivated. What we would shout from the rooftops and tell the world about if we had the chance. What is the final factor that influences our every day decisions. Pretty deep right? And let me tell you, it was amazing to learn so much about these students and the other missionaries! I shared that my personal glory is my future family. Everything I do in life is so that I can be a good mom and do a good job at raising my kids. I have been so blessed to grow up in the family that I am in, and I want to bless my future family's life just as my parent's have blessed my life. That "glory" influences so many of my every day decisions. I run every morning, because I want to be an example to my future children that not exercising isn't an option. I am learning how to cook balanced meals so that my kids grow up liking healthy food (and so that they don't starve). I am reading my scriptures daily to learn how to be more like my Savior Jesus Christ. He is my perfect example, and I know that if I simply become a little bit more like Him everyday, I will bless my family. I know it seems cheesy, but it's true. I want an eternal family, and I am working hard right now to serve The Lord and help others have eternal families. As I consecrate my life to His work, I know that I will see so many blessings in my future family. One thing that Sister Jolley and I have been thinking about a lot lately is being consecrated. We really have stepped up our efforts into serving The Lord with all of our heart might mind and strength. Our thoughts are more focused these days, and as we work with these Japanese people who we love, we are seeing so many miracles! The Lord is hastening His work, and as we prepare ourselves and dedicate ourselves to serving Him, He will use us as an instrument in His hands! I finished the Book of Mormon this week!! It's my first time finishing it on my mission, and I am so grateful for its influence on my life. I know that it is THE MOST TRUE book on this earth. I know that as we read it looking for evidences of Christ, we will be able to draw closer to Him. I have found strength and guidance in its pages, and I have been changed by its teachings. I know that this book is a true testimony of Jesus Christ, and that it was translate by Joseph Smith, a prophet of God. God prepared this book for us and our time, and as we do our part to learn from its teachings, God will give us divine guidance! I love the Book of Mormon, and am so grateful for its teachings. Please, read the Book of Mormon. Pray to God to know if it is true! If you really want to know, then God will send you an answer. And I promise that as you act upon that answer, it will CHANGE YOUR LIFE. You will not, cannot, be the same person. It has changed my life and I am so grateful for this opportunity to share it with the world! I love you all, I love my Savior, and I know that this is His true church upon the earth! Love always, Sister Feist What a week!
I guess I should start out with the fact that transfer calls were today!! Yay for transfer calls! Sister Jolley and I will be staying in Atsugi, but Sister Handy will be joining us! We're going to have a very fun, very outgoing trio! I've never been in a trio before, so I'm intrigued to see how it goes, but I'm certain it will be incredible! As long as the three of us are striving to be 100% obedient and follow the counsel of The Lord, we are going to see so many miracles! Is it possible for me to emphasize enough how much I LOVE Atsugi area? The members are incredible, and are such great examples to me. They are all such great disciples of Jesus Christ, and they are blessing so many lives because of their love for the gospel. To see their progress every week and to see their families coming closer to The Lord really touches my heart. I love these members, and we are striving to serve them to the best of our abilities. Even the people we meet on the streets in Atsugi are incredible. They are all so kind, and really want to talk! Every person we meet is so different, and has an interesting story. I love them! I want to help them, to serve them, and to teach them how the gospel of Jesus Christ can change their lives! We are meeting with this less active member who is 80 years old, but she could easily pass for 100. She is old guys. But you know what? She's still got a great sense of humor! That's one thing I want to have for the rest of my life. Never take myself too seriously. Laugh off the pains and the heartaches. Not because I'm emptyheaded, but because I know that as a person with eternal potential, I don't really have time to worry about short term problems. They'll work out! I was sent to this earth to become like my Heavenly Father, and I know that He is happy and He wants me to be happy. I love life, and every minute that I am following my Heavenly Father's plan, I am becoming happier than the minute before. We have a new investigator! She is from Brazil, and we were able to have an amazing lesson with her and a member of our ward who served his mission in Brazil. We were a little nervous to jump teaching about the restoration right away since we didn't really know her, but we prayed about it and we knew that whatever her situation was, that the message of the restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ would bless her and her family. The lesson was incredible. The Spirit was so strong, and she is incredible. I love her, and I am so grateful to be able to teach her. She has such a sincere heart and really wants to learn for herself if this is Christ's true church. She is simply incredible! I have a testimony that this is Christ's restored church on the earth, and that because of the restoration, we are once again blessed by the power of the Priesthood. I know that the Priesthood leaders of our church are called by God, and that they teach us truths. I love and sustain President Thomas S. Monson as the prophet of our church, and I know that while he speaks as president of the church, it is like hearing the voice of God. I love him. I also know that my mission president, President Wada, is called to preside over the missionary work in the Japan Tokyo South mission and I love him and support him. He is such a great example to me, and has become like a father to me here in Japan. I am receiving so many blessings from God's power being on earth, and I am so grateful for its influence on my life. I have attached a favorite talk of mine. These 10 steps to a happy life are true! I want so badly to apply them, and I'm not doing it perfectly, but through the Lord's help, I'm getting better at it! Plus, I love Richard G. Scott. He is kind of my hero. I want to be like his wife when I grow up. I'm happy, life is amazing, and I love being a missionary! Shout out to my little brother who received his mission call to the Wisconsin Milwaukee mission. He is going to love it, and I am so proud of him for making this decision to serve The Lord! Love always, Sister Feist But seriously, READ THIS TALK... Please :) Living a Life of Peace, Joy, and Purpose February 2014 Liahona http://www.lds.org/liahona/2014/02/living-a-life-of-peace-joy-and-purpose?lang=eng Can I just say that I have a testimony that exact obedience will bring
miracles? The first line of our mission motto is that Obedience is the Price. It's so true! Is we are obedient, we display our trust in God and follow His plan. We humble ourselves and as we take the road less travelled we find the miracles that aren't seen by many. It takes a lot of effort, but I know that we are blessed by obedience! Even obedience to the little things that don't even seem important, I know that we will see miracles. I have a few miracles I want to share, I wish I could share all of them but there isn't time and I'm not a good enough writer (yes, I know, my grammar has become rubbish, y'all don't need to continue lying to me) to do any of them justice. Commandment #1: They shalt respect Japanese Customs. Sister Wada (our Mission President's wife) always emphasizes the importance of respecting Japanese culture. During our first few days in Japan she is sure that we learn table manners, greeting etiquette, and other small things. And that's what they seem like. Small things. But she emphasized them so much, that I wanted to do it because I loved her. I continued following the etiquette rules for different motivation. I was sick of looking like an idiot. You really do look more like a child when you don't know how to use chopsticks or don't take your shoes off properly in a home. This was a selfish motivation I know, but it kept me from breaking the fragile rules of courtesy. This Sunday I gained a testimony of etiquette. We were in ward council when the Bishop turned to my companion and I and said that our following a few simple Japanese customs while visiting a less active member change her heart about the church. She hasn't come to church in 10 years and she hasn't had much interest in being visited by missionaries or members. When Sister Jolley and I visited her with a member, she was shocked when we followed the Japanese customs. She said that through our attention to the details of Japanese culture she could feel the love that we have for the Japanese. She told the Bishop that she was now open to receiving lessons from the missionaries again. What an incredible miracle!! That by being obedient to a rule we didn't fully understand, we were able to be tools in the hands of The Lord to help this woman feel His love! I am so grateful for a wise Mission President and Wife who teach us how to love others in so many different and important ways. Commandment #2: Magnify your Calling In Preach my Gospel and our rules handbook it repeatedly reminds us of the sacred nature of our calling and that we must constantly strive to magnify it. I have a testimony of that! I'm not perfect at this missionary thing because I'm not a perfect missionary but I do know that God is really merciful and patient, and that He is proud of me that I am making an effort to improve every day. The members in Atsugi ward are such a huge example to me of how to magnify their callings, and when I look at them, I recall other men and women who have given their all to their callings so that others can draw closer to Christ. Young women leaders, relief society presidents, visiting teachers, and others who have helped shape the kind of person I am today. Thank you so much to those who have helped me and given so much of their time to help build my testimony. I did not appreciate it half as much as I should have, but I am so grateful for it now!! Commandment #3: When the trail gets rough, keep moving forward. Guys. I went on another hike. I have officially been on 2 voluntary hikes in my life. Both in Japan. It's almost embarrassing how unathletic/outdoorsy I was premission. But this hike was so much fun!! We went up Ooyama with a bunch of English class students and members of our ward. Our guide was Brother Kesh. He hiked Mt Fuji 42 times last year and so is helping our students train for Fuji next month. On our way back, a bridge was out so what was supposed to be a 7 mile fun and fancy free hike turned into a 12 mile rigorous trek. Okay, I'm exaggerating. But Brother Kesh definitely said that it was harder than even he had anticipated. It was such an amazing opportunity to really get to know our students and learn about their lives. The trail was beautiful, and we got some great pictures! Our unplanned detour put us back about 4 hours. It would have been easy to complain that things were too hard or to want to turn back, but not one person said a negative comment. We were all exhausted, and walking the next day was a whole new challenge, but we had so much fun because we simply kept a good attitude. Our misadventure most definitely turned into one of the best hikes I've ever been on. Life is great. I really love where I am in my life and the people I am working with. I am grateful for my family and the support they give me daily. I love this Work, and I know that I am doing something more than just fun, or cool, or a good endeavor. I am participating in the utmost important service in the world. Christ has restored His church to the Earth through the Prophet Joseph Smith. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is the TRUE church of Jesus Christ. This is His Work, and it is hastening. I am so grateful to be a part of it. I love you all!! Love, Sister Feist |