One of the families we are teaching is from Japan and they are very active
Buddhists. So today she invited us to come to a Mommy and Me get together,
where they talk about their beliefs and their lives and different things like
that. Well we got there and to start off the meeting they do their Buddhist
chants. It was a very..... interesting and educational experience. They chant
for about 10 mins and then start the meeting. The whole time I was just
wondering how they remember the words and their throats don't get all dry and
thirsty. It was quite a scene having the three moms chanting to this box shrine
thing, their babies just playing and crawling everywhere, and then us two
sitting there. 2 of the moms were English and the Kimyo ( our Japanese
investigator.) but like i said I enjoyed it. it was interesting and cool to
talk about our different beliefs but to find out how we are similar and
different and can live in harmony and learn about each other. The best way to
describe it without trying to be mean or rude is just picture the scene from
finding nemo where they are in the dentist office and it is his first night in
the tank and they have to like initiate him. Shark-bait-ooo-ha-ha. that is
exactly what it was like. orrrrr like the thing that they do before rugby
games. i forgot what that was called and even if i remember i would have no idea
how to spell it, but whatever it is.... it was like that. ohhhhh i remember, the
haka??
So you think you guys have it bad with the heat. i don't want to hear about
it. it is now 35 degree Celsius and HUMIDDDDDD, but here is the catch. they
don't have AC over here. since it is never this hot none of the houses or
buildings have it. so there is no escape from the heat. except for maybe a
pool, but oh wait..... haha
I tried a Kiwi for the first time this week!!! aren't you proud of me. I
don't know why the heck it took me so long it was delicious! I should have
realized that they would be because Kiwi flavored things are scrumptious, but
the outside always scared me off. the hairy brown stuff..... no thank you. and
all the seeds on the inside, but hey just proves that we shouldn't judge by
appearance because looks can be deceiving! which is so true with missionary
work. so many times i find myself drawn to stopping a certain type of person
because they look nicer or look like they would listen, when sometimes that is
not the case and the people you wouldn't expect to be interested are. I have to
remind myself that we are all Gods children, and all brothers and sisters, and
everyone needs the gospel whether they look like they want it or not. so that
is something i am working on. Every day i make sure to stop someone that i
would initially not stop because they look a bit on the rough and tough
side.
ohhhhh funny moment. We were sitting in the library one day waiting for an
appointment, when this young man walks up to us, probably late teenager. He
says so what is it that you guys believe. We start to tell him about the Book
of Mormon and he was like no what is your unique message. We start to tell him
about having a prophet on the Earth today and he stops us and says "I don't
think you guys really know what you believe. I think you are brain washed". It
was hard for me not to get impatient and a bit sassy back to him, but i tried my
best. We continued to talk to him and teach him a bit and then showed him the
intro of the Book of Mormon and asked him to read the last 2 paragraphs. ( if
you haven't read it, go read it, it is good stuff.) anyways he freaked out. He
was like No! It might be a spell that you are trying to cast on me to take over
my brain! I just started laughing. I asked him where he heard that and he said
from his pastor. That his pastor told him not to talk to or read anything from
us. I was very tempted to say 2 things A) if i wanted to cast a spell on you
and take over your brain i would have done it at the beg of the conversation to
save my time and B) it sounds like you are more brain washed then us if you
can't even read a paragraph, but i refrained. aren't you proud?
GUESS WHAT!!!! i heard about a sport this week that i have never heard of.
brace yourselves. under water hockey!!! cool huh!! have you guys ever heard of
that? crazy huh. one of the members of our ward plays it. apparently it is like
a world wide sport. sounds pretty boring to watch, and maybe even to play, but i
want to play at least once. it sounds like something either a drunk person or
little kid made up.
There was the most beautiful sunset the other day when we were driving home
on the top level of the bus. i seriously was going crazy over how gorgeous it
was. to me nature is such a testimony of the love and power of God. The colors
in it were so beautiful. They should really make a sunset colour because it
would be a lot easier for me to say my favourite colour as sunset than peachy
salmony.
so this morning after our run i was laying down on the floor staring up at
the ceiling just thinking, (my usually morning routine) and there was a fly
flying around above me. have you ever seen a fly fly? ( haha that sounds funny)
but really. it is the strangest thing. they go for a bit in one direction and
then suddenly jerk into going the other way and then jerk and go in a different
direction. it is as if they hit an invisible wall, or that they are attached to
a leash and someone yanks them in a different direction. They stay within a
circle of about 2 feet in diameter just flying around. I started thinking about
how this is a lot how we as people are. In life sometimes we find ourselves
flying around with no real purpose and then when a trial comes our way we are
completely tossed and thrown in a new direction, and we just continue that way
until some new problem appears and we jerk in a different direction. We stay
within a tiny circle not really getting any where in life. not really having a
purpose or direction, just going until some new problem appears and makes us fly
in a new direction. I was thinking about how the gospel is so amazing and can
give us that direction, that purpose. if we hold tight to the gospel of Jesus
Christ and its teachings. and the basics of reading, praying, going to church,
and following the commandments, when we hit that invisible wall, the problem in
our life, we can push through and overcome that challenge and continue on in the
direction we were headed. continue on our path, instead of getting completely
tossed in a new direction. and just now it made me think of this scripture in
Ephesians.
"That
we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with
every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby
they lie in wait to deceive;"
Too
much deep thinking for the morning. no wonder my head has been hurting the
whole day :) haha
Working hard having fun. trying to make a difference. sometimes i think i
am not, but then everyone once in a while i feel useful. and it is all worth
it.
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