The Savior, The Son of God, Truly is a Man of Miracles.

It was a good week this week, we definitely saw some little miracles all throughout.

First of all, I`m so glad I`m staying in Omihachiman with Sister Walker!  I love her and this area and our investigators and our members so much!  I`m excited to be able to stay here for another transfer.

Most of our investigators made little victory advancements this week, and one or two made some huge ones.

Two investigators that we`ve been teaching have been very hesitant and not really interested. One, "Michelle", is really Bhuddist and usually brings that up all the time when we talk to her. She just keeps meeting with us because she`s old and likes talking to people. The other one, "Helen", was really thrown off when we tried to teach setting then table because she wasn`t really interested, and we barely got invited back.  We felt like we should teach both of them an abbreviated Plan of Salvation to them to help strengthen their interest.  It worked!  "Michelle"  didn`t protest or bring up her Bhuddism at all, and almost seemed a little interested. She`s not gung-ho about the Gospel or anything yet, but definitely a little miracle! The other investigator definitely became more interested too!  She listened calmly and seemed to think about what we taught her. This time, when we asked if we could come back, she said `Mo chiron!`  Of course!  What a turnaround! We`re excited to teach them both again this week.

Another little miracle regarding that, I`d been having a hard time being excited about visiting and loving these investigators who really aren`t interested.  It`s just hard to have to tiptoe with this message!  So I`d been praying to be able to love them better.  And it`s been working. Even just little things about them.  Like, "Helen's" youngest daughter`s name is "Syriah", which is easily my favorite Japanese name.  Just a bunch of little things and little miracles.

We went to go visit a "Yvette" with S. Shimai too.  She has interest primarily in Joseph Smith, and we were worried about getting her to listen to anything besides that, especially because we`re supposed to teach setting the table, about God,  first.  We went to go talk to her though, and tried to teach setting the table (we got cut off.  This woman loves to talk, and it was really hard to steer it back in, especially because I can`t understand anything), but it seems like she will definitely listen to the whole message!  Another little miracle! Plus, she`s a calligrapher, and gave me and Walker Shimai each a beautiful piece she said she thought about us while she was working on it.

Now for the big miracles.

We taught "Katelyn" about The Book of Mormon and a little about the restoration this week. Last time, when we visited her with our normal doseki (who couldn`t come for this lesson) the doseki (member in a lesson) kept saying she should get a Book of Mormon.  The investigator had responded that she wasn`t quite that interested and could never choose one true church. This time, we briefly led up to the restoration and watched the Restoration DVD with her. Consistently throughout the movie, she was nodding her head and going `ooh,` clearly impressed.  The Spirit was so strong during the scene of the first vision!  After the movie, she commented about how important prayer was!  We read Moroni 10:4-5 with her, shared our testimonies, and promised her that if she read and prayed about the Book of Mormon, she could know for sure that it was true, and then that Joseph Smith was a prophet, and that this church was true.  She was impressed by the idea that she could get such a specific answer to a prayer!  (Prayer has been a strong point for her. She`s so amazing.  She has been praying for God to guide her husband to have interest in God.) When we extended the invitation to read and pray about the Book of Mormon, she not only accepted, she did so willingly and enthusiastically.  Yay!  The Book of Mormon is so powerful, and I`m so excited for her to get the answer to her prayers.  This change of heart regarding the Book of Mormon and choosing a true chruch was definitely a BIG miracle this week.

Lastly, we finally got a yakusokusha (someone with a baptism date)!  Kind of. :)  We found this investigator by calling her from the PI list on a Saturday night and inviting her to church. It`s "Uly".  She`s been to church twice now, and on Saturday, we had our second lesson with her.  We taught her the chart, and invited her to be baptized.  She was really, really hesitant, but after some emphasizing that this is a goal and that she will only be baptized if she knows it`s true, she accepted.  Even though she`s hesitant now, we plan on teaching prayer and the Book of Mormon next time. We`re confident that as she is able to pray and read on her own, she will quickly come to a knowledge of the truth.  (God has definitely prepared her for this.)

Also, I loved being able to watch General Conference!  On of the questions I brought into it was How do I become a better teacher of the gospel?  And there was an entire talk on that! All of conference was wonderful.  On of my favorite talks was Elder Vincent`s about God`s love. I`ll talk a little more about that next week. Most of the missionaries had to go all the way out to Kyoto to watch it, but Brother Morris set up a special little system in the chapel for us to watch it here.  Another little miracle.

The Japanese is coming along.  Speaking`s not too bad, but I still hardly understand a single word of what anyone says. At all.  It`s a challenge. ;) Thank goodness for Walker Shimai! However, it really is coming a long, probably faster than it should have.  Another miracle? :)

Wow.  It really was a lot of miracles.  We were blown away.  A few of them don`t even make sense.  Why did they happen so readily?  This is the Savior`s work.  He will work the miracles expedient to achieve it.

There`s this beautiful song by Jenny Phillips.  I think it`s called `Man of Miracles,` and it goes like this: 

Man of Miracles
You've heard the stories of this Man from Galilee
They say He heals the sick and calms the stormy seas
You've heard the wonders but you haven't really seen
Open your heart to Him and just believe

Come and find this Man of Miracles, leave your nets and follow Him, know His peace and gentle healing, perfect love bestowed so freely,
come and drink from living water, see the Son sent by his Father
run to greet Him, humbly seek Him
you will find.... this Man of Miracles

You've heard the stories of the water turned to wine
You've heard He's changing men and healing broken lives
You've heard the wanderers come and fins his peace
Open your heart to Him and just believe

Come and find this Man of Miracles, leave your nets and follow Him, know His peace and gentle healing, perfect love bestowed so freely,
come and drink from living water, see the Son sent by his Father
run to greet Him, humbly seek Him
you will find.... this Man of Miracles

Come and find this Man of Miracles, leave your nets and follow Him, know His peace and gentle healing, perfect love bestowed so freely,
come and drink from living water, see the Son sent by his Father
run to greet Him, humbly seek Him
you will find.... this Man of Miracles

Listen to "Man of Miracles" by clicking here.

The Savior, the Son of God, truly is a Man of Miracles. We saw so much proof of that this week, but I know He also works so many miracles in our normal daily lives as well!  It was one of our goals for this week to recognize the miracles we saw throughout the day.  (We have a lot more I didn`t share in this email.) They`re there.  Even when the dog bites, and the bee sings, the Lord`s hand is at work, slowly working miracles.  After all, He loves us.  He wants us to be happy.  He can do anything.  Why not work a miracle from time to time? Every day?  Every minute?  And I testify that He does.  I love the Savior so much and am so grateful to be a part of His work!  Jesus Christ is my Savior and Redeemer, the living Son of God. Through Him, we can see miracles and we can work them as well.

The church is true!

The book is blue!

I love you all!

--Sister Whitney, Omihachiman

This is how we watch general conference.  :)  Apparently, all of  the other missionaries in the zone went to Kyoto to watch it, but Brother Morris set this up for us in our church building.

 

Here`s Da Silva Choro by the little computer to the side, where Furukawa Choro could listen simultaneously in Japanese.  What a clever system.

Also, a new transfer means a new PLANNER!  A beautiful one at that, decorated with fabulous Japanese tape.  The 9 on the front is the number of elect in the area, the 2 on the back is the transfer number I`m on.  (Walker Shimai`s says 9 and 10.)

 

So, I`m a little to obsessed with the planner.  That`s a problem.  So here`s a picture of me with it.

 

Then here`s a picture of me with an awesome calligraphy thing S. Shimai`s friend (our new investigator!)  "Yvette"  gave me!  (She gave Walker Shimai a different one.) It says something along the lines of `Dreams Come True.`  I`m going to learn what the Kanji says eventually. :)