Draw Nearer to God

February 7, 2017


Dear Family and Friends,
This last week and a half has been a very happy, exciting time in
Toyohira, Sapporo Japan! I am sorry that I did not write on Monday,
this week is temple Pday, and so we are going to the temple in just a
little bit!

Over this last week and a half we have been trying a new way of
finding! We have been going into the subway stations and shopping
centers, and stopping college students, and different people who are
willing to stop, and it has been dramatic how much more effective this
way of finding is versus housing, or even streeting(streeting while
its a blizzard or just really cold, doesn't exactly make the people
that you stop any more or interested in hearing about religion...) but
in the subways and while people are eating or just relaxing at food
centers, they are much more prepared to listen to us, and exchange
numbers and plan a time to learn more about our message. I love this
new way of finding! Back when we used to house we would basically just
talk to old grandpa's and grandma's, with an occasional younger
person, and you just don't really get to talk to to many people,
whereas now that we are going where the people are, we talk to many
many people each day. In two hours we probably talk to an average of
about 30 different people, and from that are able to find a couple
investigators, who are willing to hear the message of joy that we are
sharing. It is exciting, and so much easier to be passionate about! I
love talking to people through doors, (most people don't even come to
the door here) and listening to old people talk about their old
traditions, but it is so much more satisfying to go out and really be
able to meet the people, and give many people an opportunity to hear
the gospel.

So we've been doing this new way, but we have to make sure and be
really natural about it, because if we just camp out and stop all the
people walking by that are going to go get on the subway, then the
"Subway police" are not too happy. Lol. We accidentally didn't keep
moving the other day, and were kind of just stopping people directly
in their path, and we got in trouble! Haha I always joke here that I
want to receive 1 complaint, or reprimand per week, because then I
will know that I am on the line of being too bold, and can know what
bold, is actually too bold. Haha so anyway, we just gave this guy an
english flyer as he wasn't willing to stop and listen to us, and so
then just a minute later, this subway worker just comes up and tells
us to stop and asks us to "kindly make our way out." She was holding
our flyer, which I didn't really like, because it has other
information, and she could complain to the office if she wanted, so I
asked for the flyer back, and she asked why, I told her that I wanted
to give it to someone else, and she said "I received it from a
customer, so it's mine now." (Okay diva.) So hopefully she won't
complain, and conversely, she'll show up at english class.

I am so happy to be here doing the Lord's work. We have been able to
meet with some really great investigators lately. Daiichi is working
really hard to be able to pray, and even though he spends 90% of his
time thinking during his prayers, he has been able to pray
successfully in front of us 3 times! He a little slow, but such a good
guy, and I love watching him recognize the relationship with God that
he has. He also got a lot better at ping pong since the last time we
had played! We talked with him on the phone last night from
9:40-10:00, and read a couple pages of lesson 1 pamphlet with him,
because he has had a hard time reading it on his own, but we read it
together on the phone, and then he prayed. It was a great, and just a
happy moment to be a missionary.

We also were able to meet kouki yesterday too! He is one of the high
school boys that we found my second transfer here. We were able to
introduce the gospel of Jesus Christ, and he seems like he is going to
really take it seriously, and try to know if this gospel is something
that he wants. We ran into him about a week ago in the mall, and he
said that he hadn't prayed to much recently, but then when we asked
him yesterday, he said that since we had asked him in the mall, and
invited him to pray more, he had prayed a lot! It makes me so happy
when investigators pray, feel the spirit, and recognize God in their
live's. Please pray for them and their conversion process.

There are many miracles and stories, and I wish that I could give you
the experience of having a day here, but I can't. I do know though
that we are all missionaries, and that wherever you are, shoutout to
my missionary buddies around the world!! But wherever you are, at
college, in high school, at home or abroad. You are God's tool.
Prepare yourself to be used. Don't make God use a hammer to do a
drills job; He can't. He needs you. He needs all the tools, and
everybody offers a unique special function. He needs us all, and we
cannot think that the next person will do it, because while yes, God's
work will move forward, and you will not hold it back, you will be
holding yourself back. Follow the promptings of the Spirit, never
hesitate to act and quit second guessing yourself and the spirit. If
it is good then it is from God. Just act, and see the blessings and
the joy that will come. I bear my testimony of Jesus Christ. He lives.
The Atonement is real, we can use it to find peace and joy in this
life, and to receive eternal life in the next. He is the way. I invite
you all to think about what you can do to give a little bit more. Open
your heart to God, and submit yourself to him, I know that this is the
way to find the joy and peace that you may be searching for. I love
you all. Thank you so much for the inspiration that you are to me.
Love, Elder Conover