A Mighty Fortress is Our God

So some nights, when I am in a particular good mood, we will come home to our apartment and I will put on a CD I have from the BYU Men’s Chorus. The first track is Martin Luther’s "A Mighty Fortress is Our God." However, when you have a choir of 200 men singing with power, it sounds like a giant army. I’ll turn it loud and pretend to direct the music and sing along. I’m sure our neighbors enjoy the 9:30 ritual, but I only do it for like 20 seconds. I’m still not sure what my companions think of it, but I love it. It’s so fun. And maybe I’m kind of strange.

So Elder Golladay is amazing. He and I are having way fun. He makes up songs all the time just like me. I never knew there could be somebody just as cool, or peculiar, as me, but it is way fun. Our investigators are doing good, and most of all, church was fantastic this past Sunday.

Well, we had visited lots of people and told lots of others that Elder Pratt would be visiting with his family, and so lots of people came who normally don’t. We also had six investigators there - bringing sacrament attendance up to 67 (74 with Elder Pratt’s family). It was almost like home - babies having to be taken out and little kids running around - but there was a particular and special spirit there. I love the Japanese saints.

I’m hesitant to tell the next story, but because it has a good ending, I will. So Friday morning, I woke up feeling pretty yucky. My stomach hurt and just wasn’t my old self. However, after getting dressed and eating, it wasn’t bad, I assumed it was just some bad food or something (missionaries eat at a LOT of people’s houses sometimes, and there is lots of interesting cuisine.) Anyway, there still remained a very small pain in my stomach, through the weekend and even today. It really wasn’t a big deal at all, but simply because it lasted, I was a little curious. So, I called our stake president, President Sugimoto, who is a doctor, and talked to him.

After just a few questions, he knew what it was, and assured me that he would take care of it. That was at 7am this morning. At 11am, his wife knocks on our door and hands me some little pills - and wishes me better. I was amazed at how fast my prayers and request for help was answered. The organization of the Church and of helping one another is truly heaven sent. I am so thankful to be so watched over. Maybe it’s because I am a missionary, but I have never felt more safe and worry-free about health, or really anything, than ever before.

I love the words of Nephi, "I know that he loveth his children; nevertheless, I do not know the meaning of all things." I too know that God loves us and watches over us, though there is still so many more things I am waiting to learn. That we may all learn together more deeply of His love is my prayer,

Always,

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