😄Temple Pday😄

Hello everyone! Sorry, we switched our pday at Friday this week so that we could go to the temple! We went this morning and it was so great! My testimony of how all of this was done out of love for us was strengthened. We came to this earth to learn for ourselves the blessings that following God brings.

The past two weeks have been a blast! We finished zone conferences with Kagoshima and Yamaguchi so I got to see lots of people I love! 

   

We had MLC this past Wednesday and it was pretty good too! There were 2 MLCs this transfer, so this one we were able to shorten by 30 minutes. 

(Okinawa ZLs doing their best to be Shisa (look it up))

After MLC we exchanged with the Yamaguchi Zls here in Fukuoka. It was such a blast, I was with Elder Ellis (my previous companion). He also used to serve here in Fukuoka. I contacted Brother Walbeck, a member here in Fukuoka and asked if he wanted to street with us. He took us to a Mexican restaurant, we ate quickly, and then tore up the streets of Fukuoka, particularly Ohori park and Keigo park. I think we taught like 5 or 6 lessons. It was so much fun to be with Elder Ellis again, and to dendo with a member.

While we were tearing up the streets proclaiming the gospel to every creature, Elder Casinillo was busy cooking up a fire lesson with our friend Towa! He finished teaching the Plan of Salvation and invited him to be baptized! Towa is currently on date to be baptized on the 24th, but it might have to be moved back because he is going back home to his parents house in Kitakyushu for the Japanese holiday, Obon.

I don't know if I've really been brainwashed by Japan, but I think my middle part looks really nice... my mom on the other hand does not think it's as majestic as I do.

I think my last companion took my electric razor charger with him to America... so I've been having to just use my normal razor. XD

While on exchanges last week in Kagoshima we had the opportunity to teach one of the sisters investigators. His name is Minami san. They had found him from housing and had met about 3 times, plus he had just come to church on Sunday. We taught the gospel of Jesus Christ to him. To teach we used a little shokai I used once on a different exchange. I drew on the whiteboard a beautiful clean home, I asked him what would make the inside perfect. We drew a family sitting on the couch, a nice warm meal on the table, a beautiful painting on the wall, a dog, and other friends. I then explained that this house is God's house. I drew a figure standing near the door and explained how this figure was inviting all to come inside, to feel joy and love that would accompany all of those things. But then I explained that we, having sinned and not yet entered into the home yet, are dirty. Throughout our lives, because of the mistakes we make everyday, we have gotten a bit muddy. Even though God is beckoning us to come forth and enter into His home, we look down at ourselves and see ourselves not worthy to enter in, or that, if we did, the house would become dirty, tracks of mud on the carpet, stains on the couch. We then explained how God knew we were going to be dirty, God knew we would slip in the mud and land flat on our bottoms sometimes. Because He knew that, he prepared a way for us to be made clean, not just once, but over and over again through day-in and day-out efforts. That way is through following the Gospel of Jesus Christ. First we have faith that we can be made clean through the power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. Then we have to repent, we have to follow the things Jesus taught us to do. If we are doing something we shouldn't be, we have to stop. If we aren't doing something we should be, we have to begin doing it. Next, after preparing ourselves by trusting God and following His teachings, we have to choose to enter into a covenant with Him. We have to promise to keep doing the things we have learned, we promise to always remember Him, no matter what circumstances we are in. We make that covenant through receiving Baptism by someone holding the restored priesthood authority of God. When we do that, we are cleansed through the power of Jesus Christ. God promises to guide, comfort, and direct us through the Holy Ghost. And that's it, after we make that promise, it is our responsibility to endure to the end, which means we keep strengthening our faith, we keep repentening, and we keep our baptismal promises. Through those actions, the mud is washed away, we are prepared to be equal heirs to enter into that house and receive all the blessings God has. 

That got a bit deep, but when we taught it, the spirit was in our hearts and Minami san committed to be baptized.

I love missionary work. I love it because I love the Gospel of Jesus, because I love the Plan God made for us, because I love this, the restored Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

We've had lots of late nights preparing for transfers and something tells me that it's just getting started. I'm a bit tired, but I'm loving it so so so much. I wouldn't rather be anywhere else, doing anything else, with anyone else. 

I love you all, but more than that, God loves you. He needs you to prepare and be cleansed through the Atonement He provided through His son, because he prepared you a seat at that table. All of the blessings of the kingdom of Heaven are yours, if you prepare now to receive them. In my Heaven, you all have a seat at my table, and I don't want any empty seats when we get there. So please if you haven't started on your path yet, start now, if you are progressing along it, keep going, and if for some reason or another have fallen or wandered off of this path, come back. God can bless many people through you now, come back now, do not deny yourself those blessings.

Please,

Elder Rasmussen 

View of the smoking volcano in Kagoshima (from the elders' apartment)