Week 46

New Transfer! Gilbert Reflection

So transfers happened last week and we got 5 new missionaries! And I stayed in Fushimi! It doesn't feel like a whole transfer happened in Japan yet, probably because I was at the Honbu (office) for a whole month! So we`ve really only been in Fushimi for 2 and a half weeks. 

But our district, the Kyoto District, was split and Elder Matsumoto is the District Leader now. So now we are taking care of some extra things! 

This week we had lots of great lessons, a lady that we are helping is on date for July 24th, but because of the strong Japanese family culture and respecting the Family`s choice over individual choice, sometimes it can be hard to get permission. And the lady we are helping is 26! There`s nothing stopping her, technically speaking, but the culture is there. And haha, culture is massive! So she is having some family problems, but we talked with her and we fasted for her which was a neat experience. 

Some improvements in Japanese that I`ve seen recently is that I can message people on my own which is very important in a mission where we do lots of online work! Haha, texting in Japanese as a missionary is more manageable than speaking for sure, so it`s been nice to be able to write texts as well while Elder Matsumoto is trying to do something, instead of him literally writing all the texts haha. 

Haha, this past week was just a lot of nice work! It`s different from Gilbert as we do a lot more online work. I love in-person things, but I`m starting to learn why tech work works in Japan. Plus, if we want to visit a friend, instead of spending an hour and a half biking or 50min train ride trying to get there, we can have a zoom meeting. So really the only travel commitment is more for our friends and trying to get them to church in person. And we have been doing streeting and it`s more of a tool. And it`s like that in Gilbert as well, but you use it more often, but in Japan, it might be more effective on that day, in that time, to do Facebook ad responding, or make bunch of calls. What`s cool is listening to the Spirit and being flexible and going streeting on the spot. 

I`ve been thinking a lot about Gilbert and the ways it prepared me for Japan. And I can say without a doubt, that I needed Gilbert. I learned so many good skills and had so many great examples of missionaries that loved the Lord, and learned how to truly have meaningful contact with our Heavenly Father. Gilbert really did change my life for the better and the people I met and the missionaries I met will be my friends for the rest of my life! And that just put into perspective that God loves me so much that He timed COVID and my birth and when I was going on a mission, so that I would be reassigned to Gilbert and by revelation, the Apostles reassigned me to Gilbert and Japan. Revelation is here on the earth! God loves me so much that he shut down the world so I could learn everything I learned in Gilbert. Wow! That was a special moment for sure. 

Those moments happen everyday, God wants you to become like Him. Wouldn't He give you what you exactly needed then? I love the scripture that says basically, if imperfect parents know how to give a good gift to their children, then wouldn't our perfect lovingly Heavenly Father know what is perfect for us? So look back on your life and express gratitude to your Heavenly Father! I promise that you will see His hand!

Today, we are planning on going to Kiyomizu, a famous Buddhist shrine and there is this AE86 car place that has a parking lot full of them haha, so that'll be awesome! I'll send some pictures later. Have a safe week and I love you all!

ロバートソン長老