Typhoons and Earthquakes

Well if there`s one thing I learned this week it`s that nature is very, very powerful. Really, if God didn`t want us around, he could wipe us out so fast. Yesterday, we got a phone call early in the morning that church was cancelled because of a really bad typhoon down south that might move up to where we were. A member of the ward came by and warned us to stay at home. But...we`re missionaries, and no little rainstorm is going to stop us. So we packed up our stuff and headed to the train station. I felt very impressed to go down south to the next area - which currently doesn`t have missionaries in it - and try to attend their small sacrament meeting.

Well we tried valiantly to get down there, and several trains and an hour and half later - we were stuck in a station because the train line we needed got cancelled. Well, that was unfortunate. So we hung around this tiny town for an hour, and then just went back home. However, I feel there was indeed a purpose in everything. We met a nice family from Australia visiting for vacation, and also a nice man and his sister from Thailand. They were all very happy to talk with us and we made some good friends. Maybe that was what was supposed to happen.

This last tuesday we visited our Brazillian friend named Kenji. He had read our pamphlet and a little from the "O Livre De Mormon" He talked to us about how he wasn`t sure if there was a God - but that he didn`t really have any friends. He was very impressed that we would come by and visit him, and counted us as his first true friends in Japan - after six years of living here. Above all, he is a very humble man with a very cute three year old son. His wife works everyday from 8am to 10pm, so I don`t know if we`ll easily meet her, but they are a fantastic family. We taught about prayer and it was a very spiritual lesson. I think he was keeping back tears as that all encompassing feeling of love filled the room. I found another one of my brothers.

Just a whole lot of rain this week really. My "waterproof" jacket and pants have just given up trying to keep my dry. I would give up too if I had to keep someone dry for eight hours of rain. Poor Elder Brough, my companion, didn`t have things in his backpack well bagged up. He`s been drying off his scriptures for the past three days. All I can say is thank the Lord for grocery bags. The hard part now is tryin gto dry off our stuff before it gets moldy. I never knew mold could grow on so many things.

This morning, during our Japanese study, my desk began to shake slightly. I look over at Elder Brough and he smiles, thinking that I`m shaking his desk. The ground starts to shake a little more and he looks up. A fun little sway develops for about twenty seconds, but then boom! we get a couple good bumps. It was quite an intense earthquake. Japan is like a giant amusement ride - one of the really wet ones. I highly recommend it.

Things are going so well. So many nice people to talk to. So many not so nice people too, but they`re fun too. It is such a blessing to serve here. I have been recently jumping back into the New Testament and have found some fantastic scriptures. Perhaps one of my favorites has been Rev. 21:4. I can`t imagine any greater feeling than meeting my Savior, him embracing me, and wiping away all my tears. It`s kind of like my mom or dad doing the same when I was younger. What a great day that will be. However, until then, I am stiff recieving His guidance as we work to bring that day to pass. That we may all have that hope planted deep within our souls - even in the midst of typhoons, earthquakes, or whatever is thrown our way - is my prayer.

Always,

Elder Alexander Todd Fuller
Japan Nagoya Mission
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints