Making Up The Difference

Dear One and All, 

Another week has passed in Akashi, and yes, it shall be my last. That's right, I am transferring this Thursday to an area called Hanayashiki. I'm sure many of you may be curious as to why I am transferring. Well, as a missionary, we are sent where ever the Lord has need of us. I was needed in Akashi, but now I'm needed in Hanayashiki. I guess there are people there I'm supposed to find and lessons that I can learn only by going to this new place. Hanayashiki hasn't had Sisters there before...meaning that there have been no female missionaries in the area for awhile, maybe ever. So, that will be exciting! It also means that my companion and I will have a lot of shopping to do this next week, because our apartment will be new...and most likely very empty. 

My last week with W-Shimai

I am excited to go where the Lord needs me, but there is a little part of my heart that will always belong here in Akashi. It's a very sacred place to me. It is here that I began my mission. It is here where I experienced my first crazy days not knowing ANYTHING; not knowing up from down. It is where I really started to understand who my Savior is and who I am. I learned so much here. and not to mention all the people I've met and the way they've changed and taught me. Like I said, Akashi is a sacred place. 

I've talked about sacred places before with a missionary friend of mine. We all have them. Places that for some reason or another, have become very special to us. Sometimes they are not exactly where you might expect. For example, another one of my sacred places is a broom closet in the Mission Training Center in Provo. It was there that I really poured my heart out to God for the first time. If any of you would be willing, I would love to hear about some of your sacred places! 

This Sunday, two of our investigators came to church! Really, such a miracle! They are our Family English Program students. I don't know if I have talked about this program yet, so I will just quickly review (if I have already explained it, sorry!). But yes, this program is set up so that we teach a family 30 minutes of English (for free, of course), and in exchange for this, the family listens to 30 minutes of a gospel message in Japanese. A member of our Ward  asked us to do this program with her two nieces, who are about 15 (H-chan) and 19 (A-chan) years old. These are the very same two investigators who came to church this week! 

We taught them about prayer, and they both willingly accepted the invitation to pray everyday! We asked them to say prayers in the lesson, and what a sweet and tender moment that was! These two young women praying to God for the first time. A-chan was a bit embarrassed and asked if it was okay if her prayer was short. We told her that of course that was okay, and so her prayer was only about 3 seconds long. But just think how wonderful those three seconds must have been to God. It's like being away from your child for a really long time, and not having any contact from them. And then, you hear their voice, talking to you. Even if it's only for three seconds, don't you think that those three seconds would be infinitely valuable? That's the way I imagine it, anyways.

Sister Weigl is getting good at eating with chop sticks!

After church was over, all four of us (my companion, A-chan, H-chan, and I) all had lunch in the kitchen of the church building. It was a great time to really get to know them. I've probably talked about this in the past, but when you truly take the time to get to know someone and care about them, it makes all the difference. Not just in teaching (though that is true --  they are much more willing to listen when they know you care about them), but also as a teacher. When I love my investigators, they become my whole world. I just want to do WHATEVER I can to help them come unto God. Why? Because I love them and want to live with them again with God after we die. But when I don't try to think about them -- about their lives, their thoughts, their feelings, THEM -- then my teaching becomes so much less meaningful. 

So, this week has really taught me something about myself. It has taught me that I am fearful. I am doubtful. I am prideful. But, you know what? That's okay. It's okay to be afraid. It's okay to have doubts. It's normal to want to think about yourself more than others. Now, if we dwell in these feelings and these thoughts, that's when they become an issue. If I let myself drown in a sea of doubt, reside in a dark abyss of fear, or set myself upon a rich throne of pride, then that's when these traits become destructive. 

But, we are all human. I am going to have fear and doubt. It's part of the human existence. What I, and what we must all know, is that Christ is the way we can overcome these things. And overcome them we MUST. We must continually be striving to become better. To let go of fear, doubt, and pride. As long as we are trying, then Christ will make up the rest. That is the essence of His atonement and His purpose here on earth. 

He is willing to make up the difference. But are we willing to let Him? I hope that I can become humble enough, faithful enough, and believing enough to truly let Him make up that difference. To let Him into my life, instead of blocking Him out. I hope that you all can, too. 

Let us be willing to let Him help us. He wants to so very desperately. Of this I testify,

Sister Weigl

Missionaries Serving in Akashi