Faith Precedes The Miracle

Ohaiyoo Gozaimasu!

I learned some Samurai language the other day, really old Japanese that they only use in movies now, but it sounds cool. If I was a samurai and I wanted to say "I am Fuller" it would be "Sessha wa Fura de gozaru" which is a whole lot more fun than "Watashi wa fura desu." So there is your Japanese lesson for today. When you speak samurai, it`s a requirement to speak in low, loud, angry tones like you were a powerful king or something. I think.

So this week has been one of the best so far. Elder Olson is such a great guy and very, very motivated to go out and work hard. We even go running every morning, which none of my other companions would do. He teaches me so much by example of how the Lord would do missionary work. His flaw would perhaps be his lack of cooking skills, but thanks to last transfer of cooking with Elder Doxey, I just cook for us and everything turns out great. My favorite is that I learned how to catch food on fire and cook it faster. Kind of dangerous but sure lots of fun.

So we have been doing lots of planning for this area and lots of praying over where we should focus our attention. Last transfer was a bad time of year and we really didn`t see too much success. So elder Olson and I decided that this transfer is going to be the one where miracles happen. Monday especially we had planned to be a special day. We were going to find someone who had interest in the gospel and we weren`t going to come home until we did. We set out at noon from our apartment with plans to work straight until 9pm preaching the restored gospel to anybody and everybody that would listen. We headed out to a place called Miho which is the very small port/pinnicila in our area. We visited some inactives who werenPt home and then decided to go housing around the neighborhoods where we were at.

We went to some apartment buildings and started knocking doors. Right away we taught a great lesson, but he had no interest. Next, we found a very nice 19-year-old guy who came to the door, accepted our invitation to read and pray about the book of Mormon, and allow us to return the next day. What a blessing that was, to see our goal fulfilled so quickly. We got his information and moved on. Our faith was burning and no one could stop us. The next person we talked to had many, many questions about the resurrection versus reincarnation. We taught another great lesson and challenged him to read 2nd Nephi chapter 2 about agency and the purpose of life. He gladly did but then was unable to set up another time to meet. Well, from there we continued all day and saw some great people. Our faith was truly making things happen as we searched for those that would recieve us.

However, tuesday was a little different. We returned to our new person to teach him more about Joseph Smith and the restoration of the gospel. He acted rather weird and wouldn`t let us in his house. Undaunted, we started teaching on his doorstep again. We taught for about 45 minutes and he answered questions somewhat well. Finally, we committed him to read and pray about Joseph Smith, to which he replied "I`m really sorry, but I am Buddhist, and I just can`t listen to you teach about Jesus Christ anymore." Sadly, we gave him a challenge still to read and pray, left him with the Book of Mormon, and Elder Olson said a beautiful prayer with him blessing him and asking God to help him find truth in life. We walked away sad for him, very sad because I had come to like him, but undaughted and ready to continue.

We went back to the inactive`s house and talked to them for a bit. Their whole family were strong members about 10 or 15 years ago, but now they are "Buddhist" and don`t believe in Christ anymore. That is kind of sad too.

So that brings us to Wednesday and Kazu. Who is Kazu? He is a good friend of the missionaries. He is 26 and has already lived a full-life with the things he has done in life. We are not sure exactly what he as done in life, but he tells us he had some really bad friends. I think the Mafia might be involved, but he is a little too silly to be involved much with that I think. Anyway, he met the missionaries about June of last year and loves the missinoaries so much. He is really nice, very short, and quite funny. Until now, the missionaries have just kind of been his friend, and haven`t really taught him much at all. I tried to teach him a bit, but Elder Doxey said it was not much use trying.

Anyway, Elder Olson and I had different ideas of what to do with him. We taught him a great lesson about forgiveness and how through Christ`s atonement we can recieve that peace and security of knowing we are clean before God. It went really really well. I was worried he knew all about what were saying and then wasn`t going to do anything about it. Oh well, we tried our best, I thought.

Then, last night, we hear a knock on our apartment door. It was Kazu. He apologized for coming over, but he said that he needed a Book of Mormon, that he didn`t know where he had put the one the missionaries first gave him. We gladly gave him it and he quickly left. This was such an amazing thing. I can only assume he is actually going to read and probably pray as well. This really touched me and made me think quite a bit.

I know that God loves me so much and that He would do anything for me. Even send His beloved Son. I have felt many times His powerful and encompassing love. If He loves me that much, and is also no respector of persons, then surely He loves Kazu just as much. Kazu just isn`t a crazy friend with a shady past, he is also a son of God and entitled to just as much help as I am. He really is changing his life. I found out just recently that he had been a heavy alcoholic and simply decided to stop drinking about the same time he met the missionaries. How amazing it is when we can help others.

Sometimes our faith allows miracles to take place. Sometimes God helps even more to keep our dying faith alive.

I know there is success waiting here in Shimizu and everywhere in the world as those who would recieve the restored gospel wait, not knowing what they seek.

What a joy it is to help others. Thank you for your love and help you give me. I am happy. I am very happy and glad to be a missionary. I love Shimizu and Elder Olson and the members here.

May the Lord bless you and help you along life`s path.
Always,
Elder Alexander Todd Fuller
Japan Tokyo South Mission
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints