Week 74 - 01/13/19 - Group Email

This week we did a lot with members. We have really been trying to focus on helping returning members (less actives) which has been going great. One member always offers to drive us around so we have been able to talk with many members who haven't had any contact with the church for years! A number of them have agreed to let us teach them so hopefully we can get lots of them back to church here soon. We also had two member meals this week which were delicious. One of the members gave us this weird sea weed stuff that is super slimy that I had never eaten before and I was not a fan. Definitely one of the worst foods I've eaten since I've been in Japan BUT the rest was good :) 

One of the members in our ward is a super nice guy and has recently let a homeless man move into his apartment with him. He has a lot of trust in this guy because he gave him his own key and everything. We had an opportunity to meet him and were hoping to teach him a bit about the gospel but we realized he has some pretty severe mental issues. During our conversation he paused, looked away and had a straight up conversation with someone like he was on the phone then after a few minutes snapped back into it and we resumed our conversation. It was bizarre. I feel really bad for him because he's had a rough life but we aren't sure we will be able to help him. 

Not much else happened this week so here is a story from the January 2019 ensign that I like:

"I heard a story about a father who noticed his young daughter kneeling beside her bed, praying that Heavenly Father would protect little birds from entering a bird trap her brother had built and placed in the backyard. Later that day, the father grew concerned. He knew the trap was a good one. He had helped his son build it.
“I heard you praying this morning that Heavenly Father would protect the little birds from your brother’s trap,” he said to his daughter. “But sometimes sad things happen even when we pray that they won’t.”
She responded, “I just know he won’t catch any birds, Daddy.”
“I admire your faith, sweetheart,” the father said. “But if he does catch some birds, I hope that won’t hurt your faith.”
“He won’t, Daddy,” she said. “I know he won’t.”
The father asked, “How can you have such great faith?”
“Because after I said my prayers,” his daughter replied, “I went out back and kicked his bird trap all to pieces.”
It is good to pray for Heavenly Father’s blessings. But after we say amen, we have to go to work. We cannot expect the Lord to guide our footsteps if we’re not willing to move our feet. Nor should we ask Him to do for us that which we can and should do for ourselves."

I have definitely learned this principle as a missionary. In order to receive the answers we are seeking we have to act, study, and put in our own work! For example if we pray about how to help a specific person we are teaching, God isn't gonna put a specific scripture into our head that we have never even read before. We gotta know the scriptures and act in order to get that answer! 

Hope you all have a great week! 
ディーン長老