God Has the Map; Christ is our Guide

Dear Friends and Family!

This week, we were able to meet with a woman who we found from the Area Book, which is basically a huge record of all the people who have ever been taught by the missionaries or ever exchanged numbers with the missionaries. One day, a week or two ago, we opened up the Area Book and just picked a number from a list of people who had exchanged numbers with previous missionaries. The number we called was that of a woman named S-san. S-san spoke really fast on the phone and we couldn't really understand what she was saying. She told us that it was getting late and that she would call us back. We thought that was the end of that. But once again, just like I wrote last week, the Lord was showing us that He is who sets the expectations, not us. S-san called us back in a couple of days, and asked us to come and visit with her!  Amazing, right?

The miracles continue. She sent us her address, but it was really far away from our apartment, and we couldn't find it on the map that we have. All we could find was a train station that was supposedly close to her house. So, having faith that we would find her house somehow, we got on the train and started heading to meet S-san. I was so stressed out as we rode there. We had no clue where we were going. We couldn't read road signs or maps or anything really (they are all in Japanese). All we had was an address. I prayed on that train, pleading with God that we would be able to find S-san's house. That we would be able to meet and teach her.

As soon as we got off the train, pretty much the second we set foot out the train doors, S-san called us on our phone. She asked us if we knew where we were going. We told her we didn't, and you know what she said? She said, "It's okay, wait right there. I'll come and get you." She drove her bike to the train station (it's about ten minutes from her house) to come and show us the way. She even left her children at home to come help us. Isn't that not only an immediate answer to my prayer, but also an enormous demonstration of faith on her part? 

I think that is such a great metaphor for life. Sometimes we get lost. We can't read the map. We don't even know where we are going. We know our end goal -- to return to live with our Father in heaven and have Eternal Life --but how we can get there...well, that's the part we don't fully understand. 

Four Sister of Akashi
Sister Weigl, next to her trainer
her second transfer companion on the far right

Luckily, we don't have to go at it alone. God has sent someone to show us the way in which we should go, to teach us how we can return to live with Him. Can you guess who that is? If you said Jesus Christ, then you are right! Christ left His beloved Father, His home in Heaven, to come show us the way. Just like S-san dropped everything to come show us the way to her home. 

It is easy to get caught in the noise of the train station or bogged down and confused by the maps. If you're like me, if you don't know exactly where you're going and exactly how to get there, you get stressed out. You get worried. What if we NEVER find our way? What if...what if... that's how I felt about finding S-san's house. But God taught me an important lesson. And you know what that was? Let me tell you. It's this: JUST BREATHE. 

Everything is in God's hands. There is no reason to be stressed. God is all-powerful. He has the map. He knows the way. Can any of us deny that? No. Can we doubt that He is willing to help us? We shouldn't. We just need to keep the big picture in mind. We just need to have the hope that everything will work out, BECAUSE IT ALWAYS WILL. 

There is no need to be stressed. So we might not know EVERYTHING right now. Maybe we only have an address. But that's okay. It really is. We must remember that when we have enough faith to slow down and get off that train, that Christ will be there waiting to show us the way. Like I said, there is simply no reason to be stressed.

I testify that God knows the way. Christ has shown us where we should go, and if we follow Him, we can return to live with God forever. We truly have no reason to be worried. Everything is in God's hands.

Love,

Sister Weigl

We just finished our morning exercise...in the rain!
(standing inside our apartment door)