1.31.2016

100% Turn Around

Sunday January 31, 2016

This week was the hardest week of my mission.

Monday: went to family home evening at the mission home. Once a month the mission president has FHE and all missionaries in Sapporo, who bring investigators or less actives can go. It was a first for me and was way fun. Got to hear a message from our beloved mission president, and play a game and see some old friends from different areas.

Tuesday: still teaching Eikaiwa alone. It is legit no fun when no one is listening and chatting all class. I don't want to be a teacher, especially to a class of students who can't speak English. Sorry that sounded way bad.

Wednesday: hardest day by far. Elder Owada and I spent probably 4 hours straight looking for old investigators from old records. We literally didn't talk to anyone for 4 hours because no one was home. Plus, my companion and I weren't really talking at all, still not sure why, but it was a silent, getting lost feeling for 4 hours straight. Then we visited an investigator who called us for help with his computer. We helped for over an hour simply explaining how to put pictures onto a USB. We started sharing a message, but after 3-5 minutes he got uncomfortable and said "nope that's enough for today" it was literally:
Us: have you been praying or reading the Book of Mormon?
Him: nope not all lately
Us: short testimony....cut off
Him: yep that's enough for right now, I have other things I want to do today
After, we just did finding for 3 hours and got rejected by everyone. Mentally tough day

Thursday: fun day with my man Okamoto San. Teaching him all the lessons again, so he knows pretty thoroughly before baptism. He's way smart. I think legit genius smart. He understands everything after you tell him. After reading the chapter about the tree of life for the first time, he understood 100%. Things are going great with him. Just needs to quit his job and come to church. Keep praying for him

Friday: did some more housing and no success. Everyone just cuts you off after you say the word "Jesus Christ" It's always: I'm Buddhist, or I'm busy, no thank you. It's really hard to find a way through that stuff, and to show people we are simply introducing what our church believes in. We aren't asking you to be a LDS member after 30 seconds haha. I'm working on new techniques. For example: instead of "we are from the church of......" Sometimes they won't even talk to you if you say that. I'm trying to just Simply have a conversation so I'll say: "Hey I'm from America. I want to talk to Japanese people. You ever seen an American who can speak Japanese?"

Saturday: here's the 100% turn around. Up until Saturday I was mentally and physically wasted. We had about 4 hours before a board game, ping pong game night at the church. We spent some time weekly planning, and then door to door. Up to this point on my mission, I have yet to find a new person willingly to listen to our message. We knocked a house, and the nicest lady ever answered. We introduced Eikaiwa, got to know her, even gave her a Book of Mormon. It was awesome! She let us into her genkan (little room behind the door, for shoes and talking). I've only been invited into a genkan once or twice. It was seriously a miracle. She said come back anytime.

Sunday: the mission president came to church and we had a big potluck called a 食事会 (Food Council) and a devotional by the mission president himself. He was pumping the ward up. He talked a lot about working together with missionaries especially because right now 1/3 of the foreigner missionaries in this mission are transfer 3 and below. That means 1/3 of the missionaries here have only been in Japan for 3-3 1/2 months. Good luck with Japanese

God truly does answer prayers. I was having a rough time with my companion because he's super quiet and it makes 4 hours straight really boring. But, we worked things out and are doing our best to make this transfer really fun. I also have been struggling with motivation because let's be honest, after 7 months of being a missionary, not finding a new investigator is really sad. I was struggling a lot, but God truly was watching over me. Awesome experience

Sorry this week is way long, but a lot happened and I didn't ever write that thoroughly haha.

Thanks for everything. Have a good week! Ask me questions!

敬具 (sincerely yours)
ー  シャイト長老 (Elder Scheidt)



1.24.2016

Great News!

January 24, 2016

Alright I want to talk about only one thing this week. This email will be a lot shorter this week, so everyone should read it

This week I had the opportunity to go on splits with one of my Zone Leaders. A Japanese Missionary named Elder Tsutsumi. We met one of my favorite investigators, Okamoto san. He follows all of the
commandments, and has heard all of the lessons, but has one problem. Work. His only day off is Thursday and his boss won't let him move it to Sunday so that he can go to church. Okamoto San really wants to get baptized, but his job is his dream job. On top of that, he has a ton of work privileges. For example: gets a car from the company he works for... Yep a freaking expensive car. So, he wants to be baptized, but really doesn't want to quit his job. Has been meeting the missionaries for a year now. Missionaries have been asking him to quit his job for almost a year.

This last Thursday we made a baptismal date with him. It was a first for me and it was one of the best experiences of my life. Being out for almost 7 months now, I haven't made a baptismal date, let alone found a new investigator, This experience changed my whole mindset. He was practically in tears, and I was the one who actually asked him to be baptized on April 2nd (my sisters birthday----> no relation whatsoever) and it really brought joy to my heart. It was one of the best times I've felt the spirit and recognized it. Honestly, I don't get that crazy, overwhelming spirit feeling all too often. It's usually different, but this time it was something special. Now I probably won't be here if the baptism goes through, but that's not the point. Watching people grow closer to Christ doesn't get old. It's something everyone should have the opportunity to do. I truly does bring me happiness.

Sorry I feel like I'm being all gushy, girly right now.... But

I testify this work is real. God loves everyone, and wants everyone to return to him. He has a plan for us, and I know that this church is true.

Kk maybe a bit longish, but please read it.

Kk everyone have a good week

敬具 (sincerely yours)

ー  シャイト長老 (Elder Scheidt)







Saturdddddaaaayyyy

January 17, 2016

Yo!

Can't believe it's already been another week. The mission has its way of being forever, but also fast in the blink of an eye. Anyway, boring week so I'll give you a boring breakdown Jk..

Monday: normal p day or shopping, emailing, etc...

Tuesday: had zone training meeting. I didn't use the translator and was actually understanding a ton, so I was pretty pumped. But we all know that once I start feeling confident in Japanese, God is going to give me a nice serving of humble pie. I learned a lot from my zone leaders and it was a good time. Grateful for their hard work and prep.

Wednesday: went and talked to my main man nozaki San. He's doing well, but not keeping commitments... A little frustrating. We also had interviews with the Mission President on Wednesday. I went in first and because I didn't have any questions he made me do a role play (もぎ) "Mogi" I freaking hate mogis, but you know I didn't tell him that. I smiled and agreed. (@_@) he asked me to mogi about prayer and when I was done he gave me feedback. He kept saying "woah your Japanese is actually really good! No like really good" he kept giving me this look like (you might need to train soon, or take some kind of responsibility that older missionaries tend to have) so I'm praying that's not the case haha. Glad I got to talk with him. I can feel his love it's amazing!

Thursday: planning day and had the best soup curry I've ever had. Will attach pic

Friday: met my man wakamatsu San. This crazy old guy who has dementia we think, but still an investigator. He always forgets stuff, and just randomly yells in English with his super deep voice. I freaking love him. Actually committed him to pray on Sunday ( ´ ▽ ` )ノ

Saturday: longest day of my mission. Nothing planned and our one "show up whenever and teach" lesson fell through. Housed for the next 6-8 hours. Everyone said けっこです"kekko desu" which means no thank you or nope! Didn't find a new investigator and to be honest, only a couple people opened the door. Really rough day mentally and physically

Sunday: normal church today. Trying to get more activities planned for our investigators, because they won't come to church, but will sometimes go to activities. We'll see!

Thanks everyone. Sorry I'm going to try and spice it up next week with some crazy story or something.

Thanks for all the prayers. Love you all!

敬具 (sincerely yours)

ー  シャイト長老 (Elder Scheidt)





Transfers

January 10, 2016

What's up everyone?

Transfer calls came last Tuesday and I'm staying! Kind of figured because my companion had been here for 4 transfers already. But get this! My new companion is Owada 長老. My first Japanese companion. He worked in the mission headquarters for the past 4 transfers, so he's ready to work super hard in this area.

I seriously got my number one option as a companion. When I was in shinkotoni (the area before shinoro) me and Owada 長老 hung out every P day. We literally just picked up where we were 6 weeks ago. Yep, so that was really exciting. Because he's Japanese and his English is very limited, I'm going to spend the next month and a half of my life only speaking Japanese. The sisters in this area are both Japanese as well, plus my zone leaders are both Japanese. I'm straight up surrounded, so if my Japanese doesn't shoot up in the next 6 weeks, I'm doomed. I'm just praying I don't break down from having almost no English for 6 weeks. I think I'll be okay.

This week we had an activity called a mochitsuki (もちつき). Hard to describe, so I hope the pictures will help. basically you take a bunch of hot rice and throw it in a sort of log from a tree. Then you take a hammer and smash the rice over and over for a while, all while someone is flipping over the rice right after it was smacked. It's way fun, and after a while the rice becomes mochi. Then you add this bean paste (あんこ) to the mochi and eat it. so freaking good, but im probably getting fat. ive been eating too much of it. we had 2 investigators (if you can call them that) show up and they had a blast!

Because everyone in my area is Japanese, I have to teach 英会話 our English class by myself. Kind of a bummer because I can't crack jokes to my companion and know that nobody understood what I said. ALL BYYY MYYY SEEELLLLFFF! Sorry

Yep this week was fun! I'm learning to enjoy being a young missionary and not think about when I'm going home. It's really hard to see all your newly made friends on transfer 11 and 13 and 15, but I've come to realize I should just enjoy it now, because I'll be sad when it's over.

The mission is great right now! 

I know this church is true, and I want to work hard to touch lives of the people around me. The people here need to gospel! Everyone does! It helps our lives in so many ways.

Kk
peaches ;)

敬具 (sincerely yours)
ー  シャイト長老 (Elder Scheidt)