The Real Joy of Missionary Work

Oi Queridos Familia e Amigos!

This week was an up and down week.. In all honesty, this area is extremely hard for me. Especially since I just transferred from Kingman--the Promised land of the mission--that is apparently what it was nicknamed. and now I know why ... aha.  We would get almost 20 lessons with members and several other lessons and then a bunch of other lessons with members of recent converts/less actives. The work was busy and fulfilling. But all of a sudden, there's this place where it's a struggle to get half the standard of excellence. We have barely anyone to teach and lessons fall through left and right alllll day every day.  We spend almost 100% of the time in the car driving from place to place and knocking on doors that never open ):  In all honesty, it's been super discouraging..

However, the few times we do get to actually meet with someone and teach a lesson and get to know them and have that Spirit there, it's the most amazing thing. I've come to realize that the true joy that comes from missionary work isn't from the experience and the hanging out with other missionaries or even just the people you meet/know, but from being able to teach. TEACHING is the source of happiness on a mission. We get to pray and bring the Spirit and testify and challenge to repentance, bringing people closer and closer, baby step by baby step, to their Savior Jesus Christ. This is where the true happiness and joy comes from on a mission.  It got to the point one time where the only lesson we got to teach one day was to each other in RolePlays during companionship study. But the spirit and happiness we felt from that was incredible. That's when we knew what we needed to do to get out of this funk! 

Our goal since we got here was to meet the members and know the members.  There are so many gated communities here that it's literally impossible to not work through the members. Like we won't be let in past the gates without knowing the person who lives there and getting their permission. so we literally cannot go in to see a potential without someone's consent. What a push for the work of members!

Anyway, Cool news! I met someone who went to school or something with Timian!  He's like "Do you know someone named Timian?"  I thought your last name sounded familiar! haha  His name is Kirk.... I don't know his last name--obviously our quest for meeting the members isn't going so well.... yet. :P

[Timian is Lauren's first cousin]

AND someone named Jenae Lindsey!  She said Dad said happy birthday to her on Facebook and she was like wait a minute... Yoshimoto!!  haha how cool!  So many strange little connections!  But yeah she's in my singles ward.   I talked to her for a little bit. We asked if we could take her out with us to lessons but she works a TON! but she said she'd come out with us when she can. So we're excited! :)

[Jenae Lindsey used to live in San Jose with her wonderful family many, many years ago.]

We have an investigator named Ricky. He's 26 and lives with his dad. and I absolutely LOVE him. Man, he is amazing.  In the past 3 or 4 years, he has had 3 tumors, two removed and one still there, all in his brain. They damaged his brain a little so he speaks a little slower and forgets a lot.  It's sad because it kind of caused a little Social Anxiety because people will pick on him saying "are you high? or just stupid."  SO SAD WHO DOES THAT! ):<  but he does sound high when he talks because he just has slower speech now. but he is so amazing. His mother died a year ago from cancer and his nephew has some sarcoma and his dad is pretty emotionally and slightly physically abusive as well. Yet, Ricky just wants to strengthen his relationship with his Heavenly Father. How amazing. just seeing how his dad handles it like the world usually would, being angry and lashing out, while he just wants to find that peace and happiness in the full picture.  We got to talk to his dad a little trying to convince him to let Ricky attend a baptism. We got him to go and have built a little bit of trust with his dad. wanted to do service but he won't let us.. too prideful. :P but we are working on him. Amazing things, this gospel can do for people like him. if only they understood that... But really, that's his only barrier, is his dad. He makes him work and clean and do all this crazy stuff (reminds me of Cinderella) and so he can never go out or to church or things like that ): so we're working on it! 

Anyway, I have truly gained a testimony of prayer.  There will constantly be struggles on a mission but sometimes the only comfort we can get is from prayer. Heavenly Father is always that one constant in our constantly changing lives. The one thing we can truly count on always being there and always being enough. I love this gospel. I don't know where I'd be without it and with out this amazing opportunity to be on a mission. I am so sad to see how fast it's going by. It blows my mind how its getting cold, in my mind it can't possibly be more than a month I've been out--it should still be summer. haha. But it's truly making me realize how much more I must take advantage of every second.

I love you allllll!!!

Keep my in your prayers, 

youre always in mine! 

Ate Logo!

-Sister Yoshimoto