Pictures for this week - 24 November, 2014

This is from when we went to Questions of the Soul with Norton san :) we
saw Santa! ;) haha

Questions of the Soul with Norton san.

This is the entrance to the Yamate Church, the first church in Japan!

A monument to the first missionaries in Japan!

Note:  Some names may have been changed for privacy.

To Superman - Letter to Dad - 24 November, 2014

Hey superman, how are you?

So, I actually don't have much time, because we got to our emails later than we hoped. Also, Jared Blume (Elder Blume) had this brilliant idea a few weeks ago, so we have a group email that him, me, Elder Simmonds, Elder McFarland, and Elder Mecham are all using to talk to each other. :) However, because of that, I don't have much time. I had to write them a little longer than usual. I want you to know though, that you are incredible. I know that you said in your email that you felt like you needed 24 more hours in a day in order to get everything done. But I want you to know that you are totally fine. You are the hardest worker in the world. You are so amazing, and you put so much time and effort into what you do. As you continue to work hard, the Lord will fill your mind with knowledge and your body with strength in order to do what you need to. Thank you for your example of work. It is something that you have to have on a mission. Work. Missionary work, is work. It is hard. The days are like weeks, but the weeks are like days (you'll know what I mean when I say that, even though it sounds kind of weird haha). :) <3 <3 I love you dad. I love this work. It is moving forward, and the Lord is guiding it. He really is filling the world with good people. They need us, and that is why I am here. Because what I have to teach them is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. And it is true. I know that with all of my heart. I love you, Dad!!

Love, Elder Livingston 

リビングストン長老

Questions of the Soul, and other fun things like that ;) - Letter to Mom - 24 November, 2014

Hey mom!! How are you? Thank you so much for your email, it really was perfect. I love hearing about anything and everything. :) Thank you for all of your love and support. You are the most incredible mom in the entire world. :)

Well, I think that I should start with the most exciting news this week!! Guess what?? I have never flossed so consistently in my life . . . ;) hahaha that is true, but it is not the most exciting news. :) We set a baptismal date with Dunkley san this week! I am so so thrilled for him. We still have a lot to teach him, and he has a lot to do, and things to learn, but I know that he can do it. The Lord truly did prepare him, and he is ready to hear the gospel. It is going to be such a huge blessing in his life. Also, the ward that I am in really needs it. They have not had a baptism for around three years. They are amazing people, but it has been hard for them, and they need this. I am so glad that the Lord is blessing everyone for their efforts. His baptismal date is December 13, so in two weeks from this Saturday! I am so thrilled. He is an amazing young man.

Wow, I feel like anything that I put after that is kind of a let down haha. :) I did want to talk about questions of the soul though. Questions of the Soul is a specific program that President Wada does throughout the mission. He goes to areas, and shows clips from popular movies (not the whole movie, just parts) and then relates the movie to gospel principles. It really helps people understand things that may seem more complex, but when put in context of the movie is really easy to understand. This last week we took Norton san and Dunkley san to two separate questions of the soul, and it was really good. So the movie that he showed was Okuribito and talked about the Plan of Salvation. It was really good. I know that the Plan of Salvation really was created by God. He loves each and every one of us, and He created a perfect plan so that we can return to His presence. :) <3 We will be able to make it back to His presence as a family, and I love that with all of my heart.
 
Okay, back to missionary stuff. So, about holidays. They do not have thanksgiving here!! In fact, most people in Japan have never eaten turkey. haha :) But, for Thanksgiving on Thursday we get to go to one of the members homes on the American base and have an American Thanksgiving. :) <3 So, that will be super fun!! Also, Christmas is different here. I'm not sure exactly how yet, but it is. They eat KFC on Christmas Eve, for example. :) haha Um . . .oh! They actually do have children's day here (since there is mother's day and father's day in America! haha)
Also, the weather is way nice here! However, the rain is a bummer. It is super super hard for missionary work, and cold. It should rain all of tomorrow and Wednesday. :) haha wish me luck!! However, the rain gear I have, works miracles! It keeps me so so dry, and I am so grateful for it. Also, that fleece jacket that I don't usually like to wear . . it works wonders when it is super cold here. :) haha Well, I love you so so so so much, mom!! :) <3 Keep trusting the Lord! He is helping you more than you know, and I know that He will direct you as to how to recover. All of the family. :) I hope you know how much I love you. I should send the Christmas package next Monday!! :) Love ya!

Love, Elder Livingston
リビングストン長老
愛しています！！

Note: Some names may have been changed for privacy.

Pictures for this week - 17 November, 2014

This is the family we met with for all you can eat cookies!

All you can eat cookies!

All the rest of the pictures are from Zoorasia, a zoo we went to today!

Zoorasia #2

Don't forget that missionary work should be fun! ;)

Interesting... Tanner's name tag and a sign at the zoo!?
 (see a later photo if you're wondering what a Livingston's Turaco is)

This is a red panda and they are so so adorable!

They do exist!  This is a zebra,horse,giraffe. I told you they existed! ;) haha

Zebra, horse, giraffe #2

 

This is a Livingston's Turaco

久しぶり - Letter to Dad - 17 November, 2014

Hey Dad!! :)

So, that subject line translates to, "Long time, no see," basically. I felt it was appropriate since I haven't sent you a full message in a while. :)

I want you to know, just like I told mom, that you don't need to worry about the health of the family. The Lord is aware of you. He is aware of our family. The fact that He allows us to go through trials like this is evidence of the enormous amount of trust that He has in your faith to follow Him and His divine guidance. When the storm hits hard, remember that He is the One who can calm any storm, but also remember that the refiners fire, though hot, will cleanse us of impurities. Also, remember that Moses was also tempted by satan right after seeing an incredible vision. Remember that satan often comes around when we are receiving some of our most important blessings and revelation. In the franticness that often comes with trial, don't forget to turn outward to others, as Christ did. That will strengthen our family so so much.

I am so jealous that you are going to have a WiiU Super Smash Bros. party!! Make sure and take lots of pictures, okay? I can not wait for the fun moments like that again in the future. Japan is so incredible, Dad. I wish that I could bring you all here, and walk you up and down the streets where I walk, especially around Futumatagawa station and the church. I wish that I could go with you to incredible ramen shops, and to eat Katsudon (so so so incredible), and do all the amazing things that Japan has to offer. I really need to take pictures of the temples and things that they have here (which is totally fine with the culture here) and show you. It is so cool. Also, I really wish that you could experience the trains in Japan! haha I know that we talked about the UTA system in Utah quite a bit, and how it worked, but all of the trains that they have here completely blow that out of the water! It is so easy, so convenient, and so smooth. I love it.

Dad, thank you for always teaching me how to reach out to others, and how to really love people. It is incredible just how quickly you can come to love people that you meet on your mission. I have met people once, and honestly loved them when we had to part. It is so cool. In fact, there was one man that I met while I was on splits with one of the Zone Leaders in Yamate, and we met this man who was really sad, and told us some things about his life that are really tragic. He didn't accept our message at all, and I left him just feeling sad. I sincerely cared about him. I think that as missionaries we are blessed to feel some of what the Lord feels for His children. It is an incredibly deep love, and so so amazing to feel for people that you hardly know. :)

Dad, you are incredible. Keep being patient, even when it is hard! Don't worry, and trust the Lord. :) Everything will work out. I love you so so  much!

Love, Elder Livingston
リビングストン長老


For those of you that are curious I took a snapshot from Google Maps of the Futumatagawa Station so you can get a sense of where Tanner was talking about.  I find it really fun to find the places he mentions and to even try and see if I can tell where some of his pictures were taken.  Here is the Google Maps info (the read marker is Futumatagawa Station, Yokohama is on the right near the bay).

Futumatagawa Station

A Week Full of Adventures - Letter to Mom - 17 November, 2014

Hey mom!! :) <3

So, I want you to know that I will be hoping and praying that I have the Spirit with me as I write this email. Reading everyone's email today I really felt like this email needed to be more guided by the Spirit instead of me just spilling stuff out about this week. So, here it goes.

Mom, don't worry about your health. Don't worry about the girl's health. Don't worry about Ammon's health. Now, I know that sounds crazy. And you should definitely still try to do everything that you can to follow the Spirit in finding new ways to help and treat the Lyme disease that is hurting our family, but don't worry. As I was reading all of the emails that I got today, I really didn't feel worried. Which I felt was strange. I have been so involved with making sure that all of you were okay, and I am used to being worried about you, but today, even reading the emails, I just felt peace. Mom, as you follow this new program your health will improve. The girls will be okay. Ammon is going to get better. I promise. I say that because I feel like it is the right thing to say. I am not going to pretend that magic fairy dust will sprinkle down and make all of you better. But as you perservere, as you strive, fight, and patiently wait to see the Lord's hand, you will be shocked at how powerfully it comes. I promise. I am so blessed to have the opportunity to be a missionary. I see so so many miracles, every single day of my life. And really, I am just super blessed to have the Spirit with me. Don't forget that Spirit. Don't forget how powerful it is, and notice it in your life. I promise that you have it a lot more than you might think you do. It is incredible to see people experience the Spirit for the first time. Don't worry about your health. :) <3

Speaking of the Spirit, I had an incredible experience this week. Dunkley san, who I think I mentioned last week, is so incredible. Just to recap if I didn't put it last week, we found him housing, and he really wants to learn. We were able to have our first lesson with him this last Saturday, and it went really well. He really really wants to learn more, and is so willing to act. It is incredible. And then yesterday, we invited him to church! He came, but only made it for the last song and the closing prayer. And then Elder Squire went and got a bunch of the people in the ward to come and introduce themselves while I continued to sit with him. It was incredible, and the ward here did such an amazing job at reaching out to him! I was so so happy. And then one of the most amazing experiences of my entire mission happened. He turned to me, and was smiling and said, "I'm feeling this new feeling." So I talked to him about it, and I helped him realize it was the Holy Ghost that we had talked about the day before. He loved the feeling. He is such an incredible young man. He is 18, and really has his priorities right. He said that he doesn't  think he is smart, and he has had some super super hard family trials in his life. But more than anything he wants to feel happy, and to feel God's love, and to find out what is true. And he wants to find an incredible woman someday, and get married. I am so blessed to be able to be working with him. Don't forget that feeling of the Spirit. It was so new to Dunkley san, but he loved it. Don't forget just how amazing it is. It will lead you in all things that you need to do. :)

Well, now for a little bit about this week (more random fun things that we did). First off, I got to go to an all you can eat cookie place!! :D haha it was super fun, and the family that we went with is so incredible. Elder Squire found them in his last area, and we really hope that they start taking lessons soon. They are an incredible family and I really believe that they will join the church someday and be able to be sealed together. They are so happy and friendly. :) The next best thing this last week was the fact that I got to see a zebra . . .horse . . .giraffe . . .mix. ;D haha You might not think it is possible, but I will send pictures! ;D haha So, to answer some questions, first of all the language is hard. I still don't understand most of what people are saying, but depending on the person I can usually follow a little bit of what the conversation is about. My conversational language is getting a bit better, and I feel like I can say a little bit, but there is just so so much vocabulary that I still need to learn! But, I am not stressed about it. I know that as I continue to work at it, it will improve. And plus, the Spirit is what we need to communicate the gospel, not the Japanese language. :) Let's see . . .chopsticks. I am a lot better than when I got here. :) haha we use them a bit, but every home in Japan will also have spoons and forks and knifes. Depending on what you eat, you might not use them. For example, ice cream they still eat with spoons. :) haha thank heavens!! But I am definitely getting better with them. :)
Well, I love you so so so much, mom!! I miss you a lot too. :) Also, I am working on everyone's Christmas presents still, so be patient! I will send them as soon as possible! :) I love you so so so much! I know this gospel is true. I know that me being here on a mission is where I am supposed to be, even if it is hard sometimes, and even if I wish that I could go home and help you. :) I love you. Keep trusting the Lord, all will be well. :)

Love, Elder Livingston
リビングストン長老

Note: Names may have been changed for privacy.

Pictures for this week - 9 November, 2014

This is the Saijo family and Yamaguchi family (sister Yamaguchi is
Saijo 兄弟's daughter)! They are so great! He is 67, crazy huh? 

食事！This is at dinner at the Saijo family's house! (#1)

食事！This is at dinner at the Saijo family's house! (#2)

These next few are of soccer!! Haha gotta love playing in a big, hot
sweater! Haha  (#1)

These next few are of soccer!! Haha gotta love playing in a big, hot
sweater! Haha (#2)

More soccer! (#1)

More soccer! (#2)

Hey dad! - Letter to Dad - 9 November, 2014

Hey, how are you? :)

So, I actually don't have that much time. I'm so so sorry that I
haven't been able to send you a big long email. I will send you one
next week. Also, I am going to send a written letter home this week!
It is already written. :) Dad, thanks for being so incredible. You are
so great. :) how has work been this past week? How have things been
going with the app? Also, is there anything that people want from
Japan?? :) I need to send Christmas home soon, but I want to get
everyone cool stuff, so it might be a little late. I want you to know
I love you, and the Lord loves you so so so much! Have a fantastic
week!

Love, Elder Livingston
リビングストン長老

愛しています！

Soccer and other miracles - Letter to Mom - 9 November, 2014

Hey!!

How is everyone? I want you to know, first of all, right off the bat, that I love you all so so much!! You are amazing!. Mom, thank you for your sweet message this week (I think I got it Saturday night). It meant a lot. You are so incredible. I love you!!

So, guess what? The Lord definitely prepares you for your mission, whether it is 5:15 morning piano lessons, or 6:00 in the morning soccer games. Piano has been such a huge blessing on my mission. I am actually the unofficial priesthood pianist again haha. :) I love it, and it is so fun to share that talent with the ward. I have also been able to play in a couple of our investigator's houses, and that has been amazing. I absolutely love piano, and I am so so so grateful that you didn't give up on me, even when I "hit my limit" ;) haha I love piano. Thank you for sending the songs that you have sent. If you find any other decently easy ones, I would absolutely love it if you could send them! :) Also, like I mentioned before, soccer has also been so so great! It is a very quick, simple way for me to connect with kids around my age who are just randomly playing in parks, and I always invite them to church after. Even though they haven't come yet (yet is the key word!! ;) haha) it is very fun, and they get to see that we are normal people really fast. Plus, it is always super funny to see them react when you walk up, and they look at you like, "You really want to play? In those clothes? okay . . ." haha And then I'm actually better than they thought, so that is way fun. Really though, what I want you to take away from this is use your talents. If it is playing instruments, use it. If it is playing board games, use it. If it is knitting, use it. If it is programming, use it. Take whatever the Lord has given you, and use it. He will help it to grow in ways that you never knew possible, and most importantly He will provide a way for you to help others through your talent.

Also, I wanted to share another story about an incredible experience! We were housing, and knocked on this one apartment door. The man opened up and said that we could share a message. And I totally froze. hahaha Looking back it was hillarious, but I really should have just simply testified to him. I felt bad that I had frozen up in the situation, but undeterred we turned around and went to the door on the other side of the stairway. We knocked, and a very sharply dressed young man stood there with his grandma. Elder Squire introduced ourselves and asked if we could share a message. He told us to wait just a minute, and stepped to go into the house. The grandmother then stepped forward and said, "Kaerinasai!" Which is literally the command form of go home. haha But, the young man turned back and told us to wait, and told his grandma it was okay. He went into the house, and she talked to us for a minute, telling us how she was Sokagakkai (Spelling?) a religious group that actually is very similar to ours (the man who founded it wanted to be prophet, so he made his own church based on buddhist beliefs) and people use it because they think it is a cop out to not convert to another religion. We found out later she was actually shinto (just the normal Japanese beliefs). The young back came back out, and introduced himself as Dunkley san. He is an 18 year old who has always wanted to learn about Christianity. He said that there are so many beliefs that he really doesn't know what to believe, but that he wants to learn. He said he likes Christian beliefs. We were so thrilled. It was easily the best part of the day!! :) :) We should be meeting with him this weekend for the first lesson, and I can not wait! He is super cool, and has a really deep voice. Also, he lives right by one of our member's houses!! (I'll actually send pictures of the member and his family because we had dinner there last night. He is in our bishopric too!) It is such a miracle, because he can't have lessons in his grandma's house where he lives, but Saijo 兄弟 said that we could do lessons in his house. I am so grateful for the Lord preparing people to receive the gospel.

Well, I love you all so so much. Look for the small miracles in your life. Don't forget to thank the Lord for all that He does for you. He is incredible, and even when times seem really really hard, remember that the Lord has a plan for you and that if you follow Him everything will work out. Notice His hand. I promise it is there.

I love you all so much, and I hope that you have a fantastic week!! Love ya! :)

Love, Elder Livingston (リビングストン長老)

Note:  Names may have been changed for privacy.

Pictures for this week!! - 3 November, 2014

This is us attempting to make Takoyaki (basically these balls with octopus inside that taste super good!). The first batch was a struggle haha

Takoyaki #1

Takoyaki #2

Takoyaki #3

This is the batter you put Tako in (octopus) you can see some pieces
in the top ones!

Takoyaki #4

Tanner's Nerf basketball hoop

Hey! - Letter to Dad - 3 November, 2014

Hey dad!

 

This email is going to have to be super short, but I just wanted to thank you for your short email to me, and I wanted to let you know that I love you! The Lord loves you too, and He will help you with everything. Don't forget to turn to Him whenever you get stressed. He will always be there, and can help you even work more effectively so that you can finish quicker, and help Him with what He needs you to do that day. :) I love you!!

 

Love, Elder Livingston

Miracles still happen!!! - Letter to Mom - 3 November, 2014

Hey mom! <3

How are you? How is your health doing these days? And you said a few weeks ago that your ribs were doing better, right? Sorry, I forgot. Haha I hope that you are doing well! Also, thank you for sharing that experience that you shared with me about church and your calling. I know that what you felt from God. I have felt Him so frequently on my mission, and actually quite a few times today, when I really did not do anything particularly special. I know that He is there and He wants to comfort us and give us blessings, we just need to listen for Him.

Well, what to say this week! haha Let me talk about a string of blessings that continue to happen. Blessing number one is the Ringwood Taikai. (Elder Ringwood Conference) Elder Ringwood is the Area President for the Asia North Area (I believe). He is called of God. This past Thursday he came and did a conference with us for 4 hours (two two hour sessions). It was so incredible. I learned so much, and really it is all just about being obedient to the Lord. It brings power, and I have felt that. Follow the Lord exactly, and everything will work out. Anyway, Elder Squire took a lot of notes, and he shared one particular one with me the next day. He showed me that randomly he had felt impressed to write "Make cookies for Norton and his family." So we decided that we were going to go to Costco today, (which we did) and we got chocolate chips for the cookies! haha But, the miracle keeps going. We met with Norton Friday and talked about Christ and the Holy Ghost, and he told us he honestly doesn't really care. He doesn't see how it applies to him (which we have been working with him about and talking about the past couple days). He is very sukoshi zutsu (little by little). We were walking him home after meeting with him, and guess who we ran in to coming back from work? His dad. We have never met his parents, and we randomly ran into his dad! We were SOO happy. His dad was super nice and outgoing, and he said that the house wasn't clean right then, so he wasn't sure if we could come in, but we told him we had another appointment so it was okay. We left to go to our appointment, but were thrilled to get to meet his father. And really, that was the miracle. But the Lord decided to take it WAY further than I ever would have imagined. We were going to a members house for dinner on Sunday with Norton too, and I was talking to him about the Book of Mormon. He said that he didn't have his right then . . .because he had "borrowed it to my dad" as he put it. I asked him what he meant. He said that when he was leaving to go, his dad picked up the Book of Mormon and asked him if he could read it. So Norton lent it to his dad. Now, we don't know exactly what he felt while he was reading, how much he read, or anything like that. But as I was sitting at the members house I had an impression that the Lord was preparing the Norton family, and that He has a work for us to do with them. We are going to make cookies tomorrow and take them over to their house. I am so excited, and I am going to trust the Lord that He will prepare the way for us to meet with his parents and teach all of them so that they can begin to come to Christ. This gospel is real. It is true, and I love it.

Another miracle is a lady named Kate Boyer. She was married to an American, and lived in America for 20 years so her English is amazing!! She got a flyer for our English class from us the other day when we were handing them out, but then came back and said that she wants to learn writing English. And then she asked if we were Mormon, and said she really really wanted to know what the Mormons believed. She has had a lot of interaction with Christian churches in the United States, and she has always wondered why the Mormons were different, and why they were so fushigi (mysterious, unknown; kind of like that). We needed another male member in order to meet with her to teach her (we had that planned for Thursday night) but we couldn't find one. Quick side note. There is one really hard thing with working in Japan as a missionary. Everyone is super super busy, and they work all of the time. It is hard to find a member to go with us, and sometimes it is hard to meet with investigators too. They work so so so so hard, all the time. Anyway, we knew that we eventually wanted to refer her to the sister missionaries anyway because they can plan to meet with her easier, and set things up nicely so they were going to come with us too. We got to the church, and then our Elders quorum president showed up. It was a miracle! He often comes here (I think he is here now) to do a "secret workout" (He is super funny about not letting anyone know what he does in it). We asked him to come teach with us and he said he would come and sit there, but be quiet. Well, she came, and asked a ton of questions and talked so so much, and we just listened and helped her understand our beliefs, and you can't understand everything all at once. But our Elders quorum president opened up and helped us so so much. It was great. She seems like she really wants to know, and desires to learn, so I am excited to see how she progresses with the sisters!!

Anyway, there are probably the two biggest miracles of the week. Thank you so much for your support. I love you mom. The Lord is working miracles in Japan, and all throughout the world. I love you so so much, and I hope that you have a fantastic week! I miss you, and I am so glad that I can trust the Lord to take care of you while I am here in Japan. Don't forget to smile and laugh every day.

Love, Elder Livingston

Note:  Some name have been changed for privacy.

Pictures! - 28 October, 2014

Biking in the forest with Elder Kennedy

The forest

Tanner's bike

Beautiful scenery in Japan

Halloween Party!!

Thank you :) - Letter to Dad - 28 October, 2014

Hey dad!

I wanted to really say thank you in this email. I sent in my email to mom quite a bit of the stuff that happened this past week, but I wanted to say thank you for what you have sent to me. Time and time again your wisdom has helped me, but this last lesson plan and story that you gave me really helped. :) Thanks, Dad. I definitely want to try and implement some of these ideas, and I will definitely be keeping them for the future as well. But what really stuck out to me was the end, where you asked me to evaluate myself in light of what Christ would do. It really struck me. As a missionary I am His representative. I bear His name. I am called to do what He would do, teach how He would teach, and love how He would love. I definitely have so much room to improve, and I am grateful for your reminder. It really helped me evaluate myself better, again, and to really see where I was and what I can do better. Thank you, Dad. :)

Thank you also for being a second example of what it means to be like Christ. You are so gentle. There is an incredible Mormon Message called Earthly Father, Heavenly Father, and I am so grateful to be blessed with the best dad ever. You are so amazing. I love you. Thank you for leading the way, and leading the family, and living the way that Christ would. Thank you, Dad. :)

I want to share a thought with you, about the Temple. Which, by the way, we got to go to the temple today, which is why this is a day late (we go to the temple once a transfer, and depending on the stake that I am in, the week changes). Dad, the temple is the house of God. It is a place of revelation, a place of reflection, and a place where the Holy Ghost can communicate with us unrestrained. I don't know how your temple attendance is lately, but I just wanted to remind you that if you have anything you are stressed about (you mentioned you were stressed in your last email), anything that you are worried about, anything that you need, go to the temple. Go often. Once every 6 weeks is not often enough for me, and I am so blessed to even go that much as a missionary. Make sure that you make and take time to go to the temple. If you put the Lord first, you will always have time, energy, resources, and strength to do what you need. I am really learning that here on a mission. If we just put Him first and foremost in our lives, everything else in life just falls into place. I know that is true, and that as you strive to continue to improve in your own ways, becoming more like Christ, you will feel the Spirit more, and have a greater increase of revelation. It will guide you in all things in your life. Thanks for everything, again, and don't forget that I love you!!

Love, Elder Livingston

I finally go mountain biking! - Letter to Mom - 28 October, 2014

Hey mom!!

I'll attach a couple pictures in some other emails with my bike (I remembered :D haha) and a random trail. To explain the title, let's rewind to last week, on Tuesday.

So last week on Tuesday we had a lesson with 桝田兄弟 or Morgan Kyodai, as I may have referred to him before! It was super good. I had to go on an emergency split and teach with Elder Kennedy instead of Elder Squire because he had a totsuzen (unexpected, all of the sudden) conference call he needed to attend to as district leader. So we went over to Morgan Kyodai's house and got to teach him and his wife. We read Alma 34 and talked all about prayer, and how prayer is a powerful tool in our lives. And then at the end of the lesson we mentioned that you could also pray in your heart and your emotions. He loved that. He seemed to really latch on to that, and for the rest of the lesson when we asked him how he could apply things to himself, he said that you can pray in your heart and mind. :) We committed him to start having personal prayers, as well as praying during work in his heart. He agreed to do that, and I know that as he does the Lord will bless him. We really decided with him that we needed to start at base one, even though he has technically been investigating the church for about 20 years. As he learns how to keep small commitments, the Lord will give him an added measure of the Spirit. As the Spirit comes and blesses his life, he will want to be baptized. It comes naturally as we follow Jesus Christ. After the lesson we were going to bike to this forest/park thing on our map that we didn't know what it was. Parks are amazing for talking to people, so we were hoping to find a new area to work! However, we were disappointed. We ended up hopelessly lost. :) haha It was very out of the way, and took a ton of time, but we got to bike through this gorgeous forest. It was absolutely incredible. It is such a testimony builder when I am completely surrounded by nature. God did create this world. I know that for a fact. And He also created us, His children. All things have a purpose. Ours is to return and become like Him.

So, biking through that forest (a tiny bit of super short mountain biking in there haha) was super fun! We also had the opportunity to have two Halloween parties! One was for our Eikaiwa (English Class) and one was a game night/ward activity. They were super fun, but what was so great was really just the fact that it got the members interacting with the investigators and potential investigators that we have! Member friendship is SOOO vital. Please reach out to new people. If they are members, awesome. They will love new friends. If they aren't members, then let me bear my witness to you as a missionary that it is absolutely essential that you reach out to them. They need you. They need friends. They need to have a connection to the church other than the missionaries. Reach out the way that Christ would, and you will see so many miracles. :) I promise.

Guess what!!! We had two investigators come to church this week!! :D Now, I know that is a super small number, but right now in our area, that is a lot. I don't think I had anyone come my entire first transfer here. But we had two last week! Technically one wasn't an investigator yet, (you have to teach a lesson and set up a return appointment), but we did get to teach him this week and now he is a new investigator! His name is Howard Scott (Scott San) and he is super cool. He is 22 years old, and we first met him at Eikaiwa about three or four weeks ago. Yesterday we got to give him a Book of Mormon and teach him about that and prayer, and he said that he will try reading it! He is so amazing, and came to church last week without really knowing anything. He had a good experience, but it was hard for him.

Now, you might ask why was it hard. Let me explain a bit about Japanese culture. They don't have a concept of God. If you ask any Japanese person what they believe in, they will tell you that they haven't thought about it. And that is the honest answer. They don't think the way that we do. Scott San explained to me after church that he has lived for 22 years, and never thought about Christ, or God, or anything the way we do, so it is hard. That is one of the big hurdles that we are learning to overcome. How to get someone who never believed in God to believe in Him, recognize who He is, and their divine nature. But the incredible thing is that we can do it. We can help them feel the Spirit, which in turn can testify of the truth. It can teach them that God is their loving Heavenly Father, Christ did sacrifice for them, and they can know with a surety it is true. I love that. It can definitely be challenging, but people are being prepared. Those are the ones that Christ has asked us to seek. Find those that are prepared, and teach them. Teach them the way that He would. :)

Speaking of prepared people, one last note! We were doing a Kubarikai (where we hand out flyers about our English class and talk to people about while we are here, it is a super good conversation starter) Elder Squire gave one to a lady and she said she spoke a little English, but brushed him off and kept walking pretty quickly. She did the same to me, and then left. A couple minutes later she came back, and said she had some questions. She asked if she could learn about writing in English, instead of speaking. We said if she came to Eikaiwa we would definitely help her with that. She then said she had some Mormon friends, and knew some, and wanted to learn more about the church. She said she had lived in the US but had always felt pushed and pressured into the church, and she didn't want to meet with us if we were going to push her into it. We told her we wouldn't do that, but we just want to teach and invite. We will be meeting with her this Thursday, and I am so excited to be able to teach her about the gospel! The Lord really does prepare people. She left with a copy of the Book of Mormon in 日本語 and I am so excited to talk with her more about it!

Well, this is super long, but I want you to know that I love you so so so so much!! :) You are amazing! Definitely the best mom the world has ever had. ;) haha Also, people in Japan always say you are super young, and look even younger when I show them our family pictures. Just thought you would like that. Love you, mom! <3

Love, your son, Elder Livingston :) <3

P.S. I hope that the preparations for your new health regime are coming along well. I promise the Lord will bless you! 愛しています！！

Note: Some names have been changed for privacy.

Zone P-day - At the Beach - 20 October, 2014Sea

Sea Hawk

Sea Hawks

Zone P-day at the beach.  Having fun!!

Elder Livingston and his zone on P-day

Pictures for this week! - 20 October, 2014

So, this picture is a rock by the beach. But the beauty of this rock is the left side. It is music. Ask Ammon if it was ever weird there were random rocks with music on it for Link to learn from in Zelda. :) haha it is weird, huh?  And then you go to Japan, and they are totally real! The next one is a rock by a pond in a park by our house. :)

Rock by the beach

Rock by a pond in the park (near Tanner's apartment)

Hey! - Letter to Dad - 20 October, 2014

Hey dad!

 

Sorry, this email won't be as long. We need to go and make dinner (we are having it pretty late tonight because of zone P-day and everything), but I wanted to send you a short email!! :) I hope that everything at work is going well. I am so glad that you went on a date with mom! ;D haha You really went all out when I told you to take her on a date. :) I am so glad. She is such an amazing woman. Thank you for showing me an example of true love with the way that you treat her.

 

Dad, how can I help people have more of a desire? I have a lot of investigators who really just want to be friends with the missionaries, and don't really have that much interest in acting on the church, or progressing. They have no desire. How did you adress that on your mission? Did you have that? I feel stuck, because if they do not even have desire, then they won't be able to act on it and gain faith. They are dormant. They can't progress. It is something that Elder Squire and I have been trying to address for a while now, and I really don't know what to do. Do you have any ideas? Sorry to just throw that out there, but you have always helped me in the past, and I know that you have a lot of experience with helping other people. I will continue to pray and try to receive revelation about it, but any ideas that you have will help. :)

 

I got to see some super cool sea hawks today (I am pretty sure that they make the sounds for all other birds in movies, because it sounded exactly like anything I have heard in a movie. It was so cool!) I knew that you would love seeing them! I have some photos of them for you. :) They were so cool. The way that they fly is so majestic. Looking at those birds really made me think of God, and the things that He has created. It is so so incredible. He is infinitely powerful, and I know that He exists. He is infinitely caring, and I know that He loves you, and each of us. He is infinitely intelligent, and I know that He will give us guidance as we look to Him. :) I love you, Dad!! Look to God, and He will direct you in ALL things. Absolutely everything.

 

Love, Elder Livingston

Transfer Calls!!! - Letter to Mom - 20 October, 2014

Hey mom!! :)

So, as the subject line says, we had transfer calls today!! They are pretty anti-climactic, no matter where you are going or what you are doing. :) haha But, I am staying in Hodogaya with Elder Squire!! I am so happy. I feel like there is still so much that we need to do with investigators, and so many ways we can reach out to people. So, that was a fun little part of today!

But, the best part of today was definitely when we had zone P-day. Apart from being the first time that I have worn normal clothes in public (I felt really weird . . .like I was on a soccer team in dress clothes during a game. To iu kanji) we had an amazing thing that a lot of people in the mission do called Enos Prayer. That activity is where we all got together and we read a bunch of prophecies that have been made about Japan in English and Japanese. There are incredible promises for the people that live here, and the work that is being done here. I firmly believe that there is going to be a floodgate opening in Japan and the Orient, and the church will be accepted so much more. At this point people who go to the orient are looked on as "people who get one or two baptisms . . ..maybe". But that will all change, and it is going to become a hub of spiritual strength for the entire world to see. Apostles and Prophets have testified about it, and I know that it will happen. After we read those prophecies, we shared thoughts for a couple of minutes, and then we said a prayer that had been prepared by one of the sister training leaders that goes home this week. The Elder who read it is actually an incredible actor apparently, and so he was able to read it with power. Kneeling on the beach in Kamakura and feeling the power of the missionaries there was absolutely incredible. We are a bunch of young adults. A bunch of kids. But I honestly looked around and saw these people, people who I was serving with, people that I love, and I saw the wealth of spiritual strength. We really are called to be representatives of the Lord, and you can see it in the eyes, the smiles, and the attitudes of the missionaries. When we are obedient, and when we really give our will to the Lord there is absolutely nothing that we can not do. This is His work, and He will help it move forward more powerfully than we could ever know. He is laboring with us.

Let's see, what else did we do this week? I had splits in Kamakura!! It was way fun, and the house that they live in (yeah, they have a house in Kamakura, not an apartment) is so cool! I also had splits in Hodogaya with Elder Otsuka. Wow. That was an incredible experience. It is the first time that I have ever been with just a Japanese companion! I absolutely loved it. He knows a bit of English, and wants to learn more, so he speaks English a lot, but he also speaks Japanese a lot, so it was super super good to practice with him! I felt at the end of the night that my Japanese ability had gone up by just being with him and hearing it more. Especially from a native speaker. We taught a couple of lessons, and they were so so good. I loved it so much!

Oh! Guess what? I also played in sacrament meeting this last week! :D I accompanied while Elder Squire sang Savior, Redeemer of My Soul (the version from the movie Joseph Smith: Prophet of the Restoration) It was super good, and lots of people loved it. It also got Norton san to church! I don't think he really wanted to be there for the actual church part of it, but I am glad that he came to support us. Slowly, step by step, I hope that his interest in the church grows. I really want to create a powerful spiritual experience for him so that he can see what we want to share with him. I feel like when we teach investigators we are holding out the fruit of the tree of life and saying, "Here, try this! It is super good," but until they actually have a taste of it they won't feel like it is as relevant to them.

Well, thank you so so much for your love and support, mom. You are so incredible! :) I love you so much. I am so so glad that you got to go to San Diego with Dad! It sounds like it was amazing, and I am jealous that you got to ride in a Camaro ;) haha The Lord will guide you. I promise. Follow His guidance exactly, and you will be blessed immeasurably. Also, when you feel no guidance, trust yourself. You know so much, and the Lord trusts you when He doesn't give an immediate answer. So trust yourself. I love you, and I miss you! <3

Love, Elder Livingston