Ups and downs! Transfer??

Oh my goodness everyone how are you?! 

I am doing good, a little bit sad and nervous and happy. Transfer decisions come out tomorrow and part of me really really wants to get transfered and part of me doesn't. I've only been here for 4 transfers (about 6 months) but it kinda is starting to feel like I'm an old stinky sock. I've done all I can for the less active members, they're getting tired of seeing me and one who was super nice in the past told us not to visit her for a bit. One thing that my companions were very good at is progressing people quickly to baptism, I was doing good at the start but it feels like I have kinda pittered off. Not sure what's happening but so many of our friends who are/ were so close to making that first covenant with God seem to be falling away. But saying that we are also finding new people too. I found a family through Facebook this past week and I think they have a lot of potential, right as I might be leaving. I hope if I leave Elder Yamanaka and whoever comes to train Elder Yamanaka will be able to regain momentum again. 

Ok whats up its been a few hours, feeling better now that I ate food, got a letter from my family and watched a movie on the gospel library app. 

This past week!

We went to Miyako for a long exchange, we flew there on Monday during PDay and then flew back Thursday morning! That exchange was so good! I got to do an exchange with both Elder Hashimoto and Elder Lyman! With Elder Hashimoto we did some housing and got to meet someone who used to meet with missionaries a long time ago! He invited us in and we sat down and taught the Restoration for about 30 minutes! That was an awesome experience! Elder Lyman and I did some housing too but there wasn't much interest, HIS JAPANESE IS GETTING SO GOOD! He is just finishing his first transfer and he is being so diligent! I want to be like him! I taught him a lot about how to use the PMG app (daily planning/keep track of friends) because Elder Hashimoto typically did it by himself but now they do it together!

I found a family called the Goibuchi kazoku! I messaged the mom on facebook and she looked at my profile and saw that I was a missionary and asked if we still did eikaiwa! We met twice for kids eikaiwa last week and they are coming to our Gyoza party on wednesday! I think they have real interest about learning about the church! They are such a cute little family, 7 year old, 4 year old, and -2month old. She's pregnant!

Been working on making some fire shokais, a way to introduce gospel principles simply so that we can help people understand and gain interest about the church! I'm trying to make one about the Word of Wisdom! If you have any suggestions fellow missionaries or past missionaries, hit me with an email お願いします！

Sometimes I feel like I want to be in Ishigaki forever and sometimes it feels like I can't wait to hear transfer news tomorrow. This email has been a hurricane of that, but good news,Christ can calm the storm!

I want to talk about Christ today! While on exchanges with Elder Lyman, he asked me some really good questions. In Japan, even more than America, people like to keep to themselves. (except for 4 year old girls and the park, she litterally grabbed my hand and pulled me to the playset while we were talking to her mom. "一緒に遊ぶ！”　(meaning is basically like: Come play with me!)) OK sorry, he asked me why we need to go up to people who don't want to talk to us. What I responded with was this (not direct quote it was probably much less elegant) " Because if it was me, if I was the person playing at the park and I knew what you were trying to teach me, I wouldn't let anything stop me from hearing your message." We really are teaching the way the eternal life, there is only one way, and this is it. Only through Christ's Atoning power, and the covenants we can make with Heavenly Father can we obtain everlasting life and unending joy! If the people of Ishigaki, or Miyako, or Cambodia, or Peru, or America, or Brazil, or anywhere knew what we were really shaing then they would be knocking on our door for us to teach them. But they don't. They don't know. It's our job and calling to teach them and invite them to come unto Christ.

Shout out to all you crazy people serving missions right now. Everyday when I look at the ocean (through the crack between the buildings) I still can't believe I'm in Taiwan. This isn't easy but it is so so so good. I love you all, I love Christ, and He loves you too.

PS. One of my life long dreams is to just be a farmer for my own family and live in the country with only family around. This week I listened to some old talks that talked about food storage and that kind of prep and I got a little Frunky (farm trunky). I don't know how many hours I laid in bed planning what I would grow and how much and where and what to do during the winter when the plants don't grow and then how I would get rid of the groundhogs who keep eating my potatoes and carrots... yea anyways

ALSO TODAY I TAUGHT MY JAPANESE BEANCHAN ABOUT BUCCEES, YALL PLEASE I CANT WAIT TO GET BACK TO TEXAS YEEHAW!

Elder Rasmussen :)

PS this might be by last email in Taiwan (Ishigaki), I love it here!