How are you doing? How is your programming/managing coming right now? Have you had any direction as to where you need to go with your job in the next little while? If you hadn't, don't worry. Treasure up in your minds the words of the prophets concerning taking care of your family and a job, as well as the words of the scriptures about enduring to the end, and I promise you that you will find an answer to your questions before too long. :) I love ya!
So, I think that I will start this week with my split with Elder Jesperson. Elder Jesperson is so cool. I will send a picture of us on splits in just a minute. He is from California, near San Diego I believe. He is a really good missionary, and he is actually the group that came into the mission field just after me, so I knew him in the MTC. I told myself in the MTC that I really really wanted to become his companion in the field, and I did for at least a day! haha it was great. But, referring to the title of this email, we stayed up super late. After the lights are out, and missionaries are in bed, there is pillow talk. :) haha Sometimes you stay up a little late talking, but it is definitely not against the rules. And it really really helps missionaries to build relationships with each other, so that is really important. I love doing it, but not all the time, or else I would be utterly exhausted. :0 haha But, that night with Elder Jesperson we stayed up really late, and just talked about his life, and the things that he loved. It was super good to get to know him, and I feel like we are a lot closer. I honestly have learned on my mission just how important it is to not talk, and just LISTEN to people. I don't think that I was the best at that before my mission, because I definitely like to talk. It has helped a lot to have Japanese humble me. haha But, I have been told more than once on my mission that I know how to listen, and that really really struck me, because I had never thought that I would have that talent before my mission. The Lord definitely strengthens us where we are weak, especially as missionaries. I love Him so much, and I am grateful for his blessings.
We had another super funny story the other day, when we were just walking down the street talking to everyone. There was a kid coming on his bike, and Elder Driscoll and I told each other that we were going to get him to stop (something which is really not that hard to do haha). So, we spaced ourselves out, and then just said hello to him really loudly in English. He slammed on his brakes as hard as he could, and I wish that I could adequately describe just how horrible the sound of his brakes was. It was a screech that only a demon from the depths of the pit of despair could rend from its horrible lips. hahaha :) (that was probably the most descriptive English that I have used in over a year.....I need help.) haha It was great. We had a short conversation with him, but as soon as he actually realized that he stopped for us, and that we were missionaries, he was very keen on leaving the conversation.
We also got to start reading the Book of Mormon with Ryosuke! He is the bomb. I love him so much. We started just with chapter one of first Nephi, and it was super super good. We read through the entire chapter, and explained it a little, and then he just dove into chapter two. We ended up reading all the way through when Nephi killed Laban, which is actually something that people have a really hard time with here in Japan. He was the same way as most people and really did not like the fact that Nephi killed Laban. Elder Driscoll explained that there are two ways to understand it, logically or spiritually. We explained it as well as we could logically, and then just told him that we couldn't explain it perfectly. He would have to pray about it. He is going to do that, and we are excited to hear about the answer that he received, because we felt confident and promised him that the Lord would answer his prayer that night, something that we don't promise often.
All in all it was a super good week. :) I love the Lord, I love this work, and I love my family. You are definitely the best family on the earth right now. :) I hope that things are going well with church as well! Keep me posted, okay? Is there anything that I can do to help you? Oh, I had one thing I wanted you to send me. Could you watch the P90X3 videos and just send a time breakdown of when the moves switch? I have all of the moves, but I have no idea how long to take because most of them do not have times with them. If you could do that, even just in an email, that would be perfect. Thank you so much, Dad! I love you!!!
Love, Elder Livingston
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