This week has been an adventure.
So to start off, tomorrow we will receive our transfer calls. We do
not know what is going to happen, but with this same situation in the
past, the missionary in my position, has almost always transferred, so
I will likely transfer. I have absolutely loved my time here in
Suehiro, and will be really sad to go. I would love it if it was God's
will for me to have one more transfer here. I am grateful to feel that
the area is stronger now than when I came, and while it has had its
ups and downs, we have been blessed to find many new investigator's,
and strengthen the couple that we have left from before I came. We
have been able to do much good with the ward, and we have really
strong relationships with the less actives. (A few which I will be
really really sad to leave. My love for them has grown so much.) It is
incredible for me to think back to when I first came to this area, and
just think about how different I am, and how much I have changed and
experienced. My Japanese has improved tenfold, I have had two
companions, my trainer, Elder Scheidt, and now Elder Backman. In
comparing my two companions, they are about as opposite as you can
possibly get, but then in any ways that they are somewhat similar, I
am completely different. But basically, Elder Scheidt and I are
somewhat alike, and Elder Backman and I are about as different as a
chipmunk and a bear; I'll let you pick who is who. Lol. What has been
so interesting, is that he not only behaves differently then me, he
thinks completely differently than me.
To give you some contrast...He is pretty OCD (Especially about
cleanliness, but also just things being in their "proper" place. He is
always closing doors behind him, and putting things back into a state
that makes him less anxious I guess.....I really don't care where
things are, and I can study with my sliding closet doors open.;)...I
will happily say that I am an extrovert...He loves being an
introvert...He worries about things a ton, and says that he is
paranoid all the time...I very rarely get worried, and the last thing
I do is get paranoid about whether or not we'll have time to call
someone...He loves video games...I think they're the reason people
lack social skills(Okay that is kind of a joke, they're not that bad,
but I'm not a huge fan.)...He loves anime...I didn't know what anime
was really until he explained it...He never has done any sports...I
thrived off of sports for most of my life...He hates most fruits...I
love all fruits...He loves being super skinny...I've always wanted to
be bigger...He plans for the worst case scenario...I plan for the best
case scenario...he's great at cooking...I'm not very good at cooking,
especially at Japanese food...He is very organized, and loves to
clean...I like to have a clean desk, but I could be a lot more
organized, and definitely don't like cleaning...he is the only boy in
his family...I have three brothers........I could go on and on. He is
a great missionary, and has many strengths as a person. It is kind of
cool because we have completely opposite strengths and weaknesses, and
so I guess you could say we compliment each other well, but we also
have to work really hard to be patient, and to try to understand one
another. It is really interesting, because even living with someone
you would really like to live with, when you do it 24/7 and then just
make it missionary life...it becomes really hard to not get irritated.
Which is why I love the mission!! You grow so much, and you constantly
have to reassess and become more humble in order to be able to
continue to work. This transfer has been great, because I have learned
so much, and because I have learned that my way is not the only way,
but that there are many really good ways of doing missionary work,
especially when it comes down to the smaller things.
For those of you that are going to soon become a missionary, start
learning how to get along..especially with the people that are the
hardest for you to get along with. Practice letting go of things
you're used to and letting other people have their way sometimes,
because you love them. It will help you a lot, I promise, because you
will have companions that will push you in every way possible, usually
not all at once, but all of your companions, even the ones that you
become really good friends with, will push you in different ways. I am
just constantly learning of the importance of eradicating pride from
within myself, and becoming humble, and submissive to the Lord. Pride
is a very dangerous sin, and we are prideful in many ways without even
realizing it. If you want to understand Pride more, and identify what
you need to change to be not be burned ("The prideful will be burned,
and the meek will inherit the earth") look at the talk "Beware of
Pride" by President Ezra Taft Benson in General conference 1989. It is
very eye opening, and very influential. I am sadly trying to abandon
some of my competitive nature. Competitiveness, is a very dangerous
thing, because it is so often linked so closely with pride.
Fortunately I think that a very strong desire and determination to
succeed, is wholly condoned, and encouraged, by the Lord, it is just
the motive behind it. If the motive is to be better then others, then
that is pride, and essentially that is competition, the great thing
is, is that that competitive spirit can also be easily changed into a
pure desire to succeed in all things, in order to be a greater servant
to the Lord. It is such a happier path to rejoice in others'
successes, instead of feeling less like you are less, anytime anyone
else succeeds. We can either choose to be happy about all of the
success that anyone has, and to feel some of that joy, or we can
choose to only feel the joy of our own successes, and feel self pity
every time someone else succeeds...the choice is ours.
I know this church is true. I know that the Book of Mormon is true. I
know that we can receive the strength that we need, when we rely on
Christ and his Atonement. I love the Atonement. The gift of being able
to receive a remission of our sins, and be made clean each week, is
truly the greatest mercy that we are offered. The Savior is there to
take our pain, and to make us clean in him. This is our purpose. This
is the time to repent. We all need to repent, and we all need to
become clean in order to meet our maker. I challenge you all to find
something that you need to change, and repent. Work hard to give it
up, or to not do it, or to do it, and then when you take the sacrament
recommit to the Lord, and you can feel yourself be cleansed through
your repentance. It is a beautiful gift. I love you all, please know
that I am happy. I love my purpose. There will never be a more
important purpose in my life, than to spend all of my time serving the
Lord. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
Love,
コノバー長老
Elder Conover
Pictures:1-5: An amazing restaurant owned by an investigator in another Area,
that I have gone to for splits every transfer, but this was my second
time going to this restaurant. Amazing food. That ice cream is this
"Soft cream" it tastes like it's straight from a cow, and then those
are fresh blueberries. That was one of the best treats I've had here.
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