The greatest miracle; 2 years since the start, last Saturday in the field

“Saving souls.”(a mission motto that we were able to make this transfer) 

President and Sister McClure

The last moments of my mission. Please enjoy. 

1/23 Tuesday 

I woke up this morning knowing that we had zone conference, and then dinner at the Hayashi’s tonight, and felt that this might be the most important day of my mission, and life up to this point. Zone Conference went really well. It was a great last Zone conference. This round of Zone conferences I really learned to understand what the power and authority of our call really means, and the magnitude of the potential that a missionary can have to be a tool in the hands of God. 

We spent about an hour with Masahiro and Miki on video chat and the missionaries really taught them with power, and we gave them set times to teach set things, and then gave them set times to just practice the teaching skill “Listen” and then gave them 1 and a half minutes to just practice “Testifying” it was powerful and The Spirit was very strong. We asked Masahiro and Miki to bear their testimonies, which kind of threw them off, especially Masahiro, but through working with them a little bit, they complied and shared really cool feelings. Masahiro at first said that he didn’t have a testimony and I told him that he does and he ended up sharing his thoughts and within them there were some really big pointers that he was starting to recognize his testimony, despite his resistance. 

We travelled home from Muroran and it was a crazy blizzard! Fortunately President drove, but it was super intense and so we had to go really slow. It was pretty intense. We finally got back and picked up the temple missionary couple; the Clarkson’s and brought them to dinner at the Hayashi family’s. It was crazy because in this storm there was intense thunder and lightning, as it was snowing, which is super rare. We got to their house, and president kumagai was there with his wife. Apparently they had a really good conversation with them for about 20 minutes before we were able to get there. So we switched with them because they had to leave. We started eating dinner, which was really good, and then the children started playing in another room and so we were able to really have a powerful lesson with us, the Hayashi parents, the Clarkson couple, and Masahiro and Miki. It was super intense. Many experiences and promises were shared about the priesthood and about faith. It was wonderful. I tried to listen more, especially to The Spirit, and talk less. It was amazing to see the Spirit work on him. Sister Klarkson told him that the feeling that he had about not being ready or good enough to be baptized, was from only one influence, and that influence was not Heavenly Father! It was very strong, and seemed to help him recognize where his opposition was coming from. We talked more about the priesthood, and explained that if he would like a priesthood blessing in order to help to know what God wanted for him, we could give him one. He said that he would like one, and Brother Hayashi just became his home teacher and so it seemed like it would be great for him to give him the blessing, a lot of pressure in this moment. But Masahiro asked who loved him the most, kind of as a joke, but of course I was like, “well that would be me!’” And so he said, “yeah, konoba, you do it.” So now I had a little it of a panic attack, because this was potentially the most important blessing that I could give in my life, if it could help the Spirit to touch his heart and have a change and a desire to be baptized. So I went to the bathroom and prayed aloud, and cried and begged God to give the the power of the Spirit and to know what to say, to be guided and to be able to give the words that the Lord was willing to give, not more, and not less. I had just been teaching in each Zone conference about the power and authority of our call, and this was the moment of truth, I really needed to access the power of the Priesthood and of the call of a missionary. Miki gave a beautiful prayer and then the four of us laid our hands upon his head and gave him a blessing. It was one the most powerful moment of my mission. I felt the love, power and the depth of God, and of the Priesthood. I felt what I needed to say, and I was able to take myself out of the picture. I remember that in the blessing one of the things that he was blessed that his doubts and fears would flee, and that he would have peace. After the blessing he shared his feelings and expressed his gratitude and said that he had seen and heard what he needed to, and now he just needed to work through things within himself. It was a little bit difficult, because as he was saying that he was kind of cutting off the opportunity to challenge him to be baptized. The strong climax of the Spirit passed, and I hadn’t been able to ask challenge him to be baptized yet. The kids came back, we did a super fast mini FHE lesson and then had dessert. I was talking with Miki and consulted with her a little bit about what we should do. She told me that she had felt that she needed to share her feelings with Masahiro this morning, and so she told him about how she feels that we need to do the things that we feel that we need to do, now, because we don’t know when we will die, and so she can’t wait forever. He had apparently gotten frustrated, and so Miki san wasn’t sure at this point what would be best to do. As we talked, I considered maybe waiting until the next day to challenge him, but I also felt that he needed to be challenged today, so it was a challenging decision. Masahiro and I started talking quietly on the couch, and he made a subtle comment that “we had something on Saturday right?” I looked at him and said “what are you talking about”. He said, “that’s why you said we couldn’t go over to Sister Clarkson’s on Saturday night, right?” I felt the Spirit rush over me, and I looked at him, said, “Masahiro, will you follow Jesus Christ by being baptized by someone holding the proper authority? As I extended this commitment, him and I looked eyes, and then he said with confidence, that one word, that he had been so determined to not say, “yes.” “Hai” I could literally feel the heavens open and the angels rejoice. To me, this moment was the same as seeing the dead risen, or the blind’s sight restored, I could feel that God had worked a real, and powerful miracle, and witnessing that has and will change my life forever. 

We called the daughter over, and Elder Satou asked Yui chan if she wanted to get baptized with her mom and dad on Saturday. She shyly was super happy and very excited. For the next few hours, and as I tried to sleep this night, I almost couldn’t believe what I had witnessed. It was like a dream, but it was real, and it was a miracle. 

1/24 Wednesday 

Today we worked on Transfers, and then we met the Yoneta’s and reviewed all of the commandments and a few of the principles in chapter 5 of pmg. We committed them to keep each of the commandants, and reviewed the baptismal interview questions. We found out that we would need to have President McClure do the interviews, and so that was a little bit of pressure for them, but probably actually really a great experience. 

1/25 Thursday

Miki sent us a message early in the morning saying that her sins were too heavy and that she was not qualified to be baptized; she said that she didn’t even want to be interviewed. I kind of had a minor heart attack, and we had to finish a staff meeting before we could contact her, and at first she wouldn’t respond, and then didn’t want to talk on the phone; so we decided that we’d better send her a video, and so we made a video explaining what the purpose of the baptismal interview was, and told her what President told us to about him being really nice, and that the point of him doing the interview, was for her to really understand foreignness, and how clean she can become when she gets baptized. We were able to get her to talk on the phone, and had a good conversation. She really perked up, and seemed to have overcome her challenge. She said that she had stopped crying and had prayed, and was able to feel peace. She came to the interview and seemed to radiate with light. I was fortunate to be able help President McClure in the interview, with translation, where he needed it. It was really special to be able to witness her readiness and worthiness to be baptized. She was able to pass her interview, and Yui chan had her interview with Elder Anderson, and she of course passed as well. Now we just had to make it through masahiro’s interview tonight. We came back to the mission home after english class, and Masahiro was interviewed by President McClure as well. We waited for a while, and it was fun talking with Miki san, but the longer it got, the more nervous I became. Then they came out though and he had passed, and President just said how much of a stud he is, and said that he asked really good questions. Such an incredible miracle that he has been able to really obtain a testimony and to be willing to commit to live the standards of the Gospel. God is so good. We finished all the plans for the baptism and we wanted members to do everything, but they had already talked about who they wanted to baptize them, and so we compelled to their desires, and I was to baptize Masahiro and miki, and Satou choro would baptize Yui chan. We asked for the members help for everything else. I love the Yoneta family so much. They are like my Japanese immediate family. I am sure that I knew them before this life, and I am so grateful to have been able to be one of God’s tools in helping them to return back to Him. 

1/26 Friday 

Today we finished transfer planning. We did a video chat with yoneta’s and that was great. 

1/27 Saturday

2 years ago today I entered the MTC and started the experience that would change me forever. 

Tonight the Yoneta family was indeed able to be baptized. It was beautiful, and an incredible faith strengthener. Masahiro led his family by being baptized first, and then Miki and then Yui. This is the first whole family, where a mom and a dad that can look to being sealed in the temple has been baptized in at least the last 3 years. It was the start of what we truly believe will start to be more and many. 

All 3 of them bore there testimony’s and it was so awesome to feel of their power, and to see the great change that had truly happened inside of them. Masahiro made everyone laugh and was super powerful and moving with his testimony. He will be a powerful priesthood leader, a few years down the road. 

1/28 Sunday 

Today The Yoneta family was confirmed. It was beautiful. The ward loves them so much, and it is so awesome to see how much they have changed and gotten so excited about missionary work! Today Masahiro was also able to receive the priesthood, at the level of a priest. President had this idea of helping them be able to go to the temple before I leave, and so they aimed for that, and got their interviews for temple recommends. 

1/31 Wednesday 

I went over to the temple by myself, with president’s approval, and got to be baptized by Masahiro for names that Miki had found earlier today with us. I also got to see Masahiro baptize his wife. I could feel the power of God work through him, and I felt that he had truly become a man of God. He spoke the words with authority and power and it was such a rewarding and blessed experience. So blessed. Only recently because of the change that priests can baptize in the temple, was this made possible. After that I switched off confirming them with Brother Hayashi, one of my heroes. It was sacred and very special. I know that God has a specific plan for His children. He uses us to move his plans forward, and we get to experience joy in the process; God’s work is beautiful. 

コノバー長老
Elder Conover

Elder Graham, Yuta Fuse (family friend), Elder Conover on his way home!

such great dendo fire!

Hello Family and Friends,

I hope you enjoy this report of what happened a couple weeks ago. This is the first of 3 letters that I will be sending. 

1/16 Tuesday

Today we had a really awesome Zone Conference. I felt the fire big time in Odori zone. Elder Graham, Elder Akamatsu, Sister Morita, and many other awesome missionaries and great friends. I was able to add an arm wrestling activity into my portion of the zone conference demonstrating with a skinny person and a strong person, and having the skinny person take off his name tag, easily loses. Then gave him his name tag back and now with the help of someone strong, easily wins. With the power of our calling and the help that the spirit provides, it becomes possible to win. When we learn through the spirit to teach and testify with converting power then people will be able to feel the Spirit, change, and decide to follow Jesus Christ. 

Once again in this zone conference we were able to have the Yoneta family participate by video call for about 45 minutes and we had the missionaries practice teaching certain principles and practice testifying, but not with other missionaries, with real investigators, so it was another really great powerful experience with them. “Saving souls”, our new mission slogan is something that is really nice and simple to help us remember what we are doing, and what the goal of this work is: To Save Souls. That is God’s work. When we testify we are throwing our all into the battle for this person’s salvation. People’s faith is increased by hearing the testimony’s of people with faith. So when we testify and the stronger our testimony is, the more the people that hear our testimony, can be strengthened in their own faith in Jesus Christ. 

After zone conference we came back to Atsubetsu, and tonight Miyu chan, who we had known back in toyohira a year ago got baptized! It was a crazy coincidence, (But of course God’s plan) that Miyu is actually the yoneta mom’s daughter from her first marriage. Miyu is 28 years old, and decided that she had better be baptized towards the last minute, as she is going to canada this Friday. She is already connected with members in Canada, and was able to develop and gain a strong testimony quickly. Miki san, her mom, felt that maybe Miyu would get baptized first and then they could get baptized after, so that Masahiro, her husband could see her baptism, and maybe it would help him to not be so against baptism. (Apparently just the word baptism made grown him angry.) 

But she got baptized and the first missionaries that she ever met was Elder Graham and Elder Bede, she was their Recent convert’s friend and became a referral. She loves Elder Graham and it worked out that Elder Graham was able to come and baptize her! So awesome! It was a beautiful service and such a crazy miracle. I decided after we ate lunch for Zone Conference that I wanted to fast for Masahiro, that his heart would be softened at this baptismal service, so that he might be able to desire to not only allow his wife and 8 year old daughter to be baptized, but to actually desire baptism for himself. I asked Elder Satou if he would also want to fast, and he said that he would, and so we fasted and really prayed for him as the baptismal service happened. 

 1/17 Wednesday 

Today we were able to go to the Yoneta’s at night and talk with them about the baptismal service. We asked how they felt, and their answers were wonderful. We talked about the Holy Ghost, and we used the arm wrestle example, and I had Elder Satou and Masahiro Arm wrestle; super fun and funny. Masahiro shared that he realized through seeing the baptism last night, that baptism definitely wasn’t a bad thing, but that he still had a lot of resistance and opposition in him, so he still couldn’t do it himself yet. He also was still not sure if this church was truly the right one, he knew it wasn’t bad, but he still had a hard time believing in God, and in being okay with keeping the commandments. 

He talked about how he was thinking about it, and about how he figured that if he was going to do it then it would be better to do it before I go home, but he counted the days on his fingers and realized that in order for that to happen, he would have to decide by around next Tuesday, for it to be possible. So he basically told me not to have any expectation and that it probably wasn’t realistic. We reviewed with him that I don’t want him to get baptized for me, and so it might not be able to while I am here, but then promised him that if he would really pray from his heart everyday then God would make some things happen, and the opposition within him could go away, if he would really pray everyday and read the Book of Mormon with a searching heart, then God would provide an answer to his prayer, and it would become realistic for him to be baptized. He committed to do it. 

1/18 Thursday 

While praying last night, I felt that Masahiro needed a baptismal date that he could kind of envision in the case that he were to actually receive his answer and if his opposition were to subside. I felt that we should go to his work; he works at a car dealership as a consultant for people who bought cars from the dealership. We made this little wallet size card with a picture of the first vision and on the back Moroni 10:4-5; laminated on card-stock for him to often read and see. We also bought bread from a bakery to bring to his work as an excuse for why we came. ;) We got there and fortunately he was really happy to see us! He said that by chance it was not busy at all and he sat us down at a table to talk. We brought up the idea of a day to be able to visualize in order to exercise more faith. He was pretty unsure about it, but he agreed with a strong IF something big happens. I told him that I was looking at it at about a 50% chance, and that seemed okay to him. While looking at the calendar is looked like the only possible time was next Saturday, the 27th, and then that he could probably take of work on Sunday the 28th.

We challenged him to tell his wife that he was going to try and visualize this day and prepare for it, and he said that he would. 

We left his work feeling like we had accomplished what we needed to, and then we went to Asahikawa with President and Sister McClure for Zone conference tomorrow, and interviews today. I talked to Miki on the phone and I guess Masahiro wasn’t the most thrilled that we made a date to think about because he doesn’t like deadlines, and he had already told us that, and this feels a little bit like a deadline, but then she talked about how at the same time he was grateful and she is so awesome because she always thinks that whatever we do is what needed to be done. She started crying on the phone a few times, because after becoming so close with me as a family, it will be really hard for me to go back to America, even though we will stay in contact, I am going to have a hard time saying goodbye to this family. I don’t want to look back and regret anything, and so I want to give every ounce of my heart might mind and strength in helping the yoneta family to make the step of being baptized, and if I do everything that I can, then I won’t regret, but I feel that if I do everything that I can, then there is a possibility that they can be baptized. 

1/19 Friday 

Today we had a wonderful Zone Conference in Asahikawa. 

After Zone conference I drove us back and then we quickly went to Eniwa exchange with the zone leaders. I picked up Elder Yagi and we came back to work here in Atsubetsu. We were able to make an appointment with the Yoneta’s saying that I wanted hem to meet Elder Yagi, so it was a little bit late, but we were able to meet them at 8:20ish. Masahiro wasn’t being to talkative and seemed to be in deep thought. Miki san did a lot of the talking for him. As we were talking they referenced how it was really impactful to hear convert stories, which there were a few shared at the baptism, during the changing time. I told them that we would try to set something up to meet some of those members. We talked about repentance and Masahiro tried to pull a fast one by saying that he is a good person and that he doesn’t have any sins. lol. Or at least he chooses to not recognize/ignore his sins. He is half joking, but also a little bit serious. I challenged him to pray tonight to ask God if he could be forgiven of his sins. He agreed that he would. (Hopefully he can start to actually recognize them as well.;)) 

1/20 Saturday 

Today splits with Elder Yagi was really fun. He is awesome and has such great dendo fire! I wanted to set up something with some of the strong convert couples, and so I consulted with Brother Nishihara and we decided that the Fuji couple and the Nishida couple, would be great. So I called them and tried to set something up for if possible even tonight. Miraculously The Fuji couple said that they could and provided the idea that we go to this cool restaurant, because there was not time to make food and eat at their home. So I contacted the Yoneta’s and they said that they could come! The only worry was that Masahiro was at a busy time in his work and so he might not be able to get there on time, and we were meeting at 7:30, so already pretty late, but Miki just said that we need to pray that he could get off earlier than expected. She is amazing, truly understands the prayer of faith and expects her prayers to be answered.  

We were able to go to this psychology, Choice theory, class for our language study. It is a class that members around Sapporo come to, about 10 people or so, and they learn about psychology things. It was such a fun experience and I learned a lot! 

We switched companions again so I was back with Elder Satou, and it worked out that we were barely able to switch in time to make it to the restaurant by just at touch before 7:30, such a blessing! But actually the yoneta’s exactly according to miki’s faith were able to be there by 7:15, and were able to get seats. We asked them how Masahiro got off his work so early and apparently this is the earliest that he has almost every gotten home! He got home before 7! I guess that his work had released the whole staff at 5 to go and see the car show, which was not the plan, so he went for a bit to the car show, and then came home. Super awesome. The Fuji’s were wonderful. They shared their conversion experience, and they talked about the word of wisdom and tithing, and the difficulties of those things while they were investigating the church. The Fuji couple really said some things that Masahiro needed to hear. Miki told us that Yui chan had a school band concert on, not the next Sunday, but the one after, and so Yui chan wouldn’t be able to come! This was a little bit of a wrench in our plan to have them all be confirmed on that Sunday! I asked her how bad it would be if Yui chan didn’t go. She said that it might not be the worst, if it was for something important. I encouraged her to see about changing that. She laughed and agreed. We shared President Eyring’s Prophecy about Japan, and it was really cool to see the gears working in Masahiro’s head. He can feel that this will be something that will grow, he just isn’t sure if he can be on the early end of this big growth. It was a wonderful evening, filled with testimony, experience, and passion. This is the ultimate battle between God and Satan for this wonderful family, and both forces are working very strong. Masahiro just has to understand the light and be willing to make the step towards God, despite the opposition, and then resistance, and price within him. I love the Yoneta family. They are my Japanese parents, and Yui chan is like my Japanese little sister. I feel like I have with other converts, that I was sent to Japan to meet them. For me, and for them. 

1/21 Sunday

Church was wonderful. I actually gave a talk, because I only have one Sunday left after this. I hadn’t had any time to prepare really; I had only been informed on Tuesday after the baptism, but I took some time this morning and put together a talk wth the basics of all the things that I have learned about faith, and I decided to use “poison” my miracle butterfly story from when I was in Toyohira, as an example of faith vs. doubt. haha it was really funny. 

We have a desire which naturally leads to action and when we act we have to act with an expectation that our action will fulfill the desire that we had. 

Desire—>Act—>Expect. If we want to know if God lives, that is as desire. We act, but if we just act, then we will not satisfy our desire. We have to act with a strong expectation, belief, knowing feeling, that when we pray (act) our desire to know if God lives (desire) will actually be able to be satisfied, because we will receive the answer that we are already feeling in our heart, believing and expecting that we will receive (Expect). This is the principle of asking in faith. This is the principle of exercising faith. Through this principle we access the power of heaven, because faith is a principle of Action and POWER. The power aspect comes from when we exercise faith, and the power of God becomes active, and he uses our faith to do His work. It is His miracle, our faith. 

Tonight we had a multi family curry night that we have every month, and Brother Nishida was able to come and share his testimony and experience with Masahiro. It was another powerful night, and another round of punches against masahiro’s walls of resistance and opposition about being baptized. He committed that he would recognize his sins and we talked thoroughly about the process of repentance. Repentance is such a beautiful thing. 

As we were all putting on our coats I told Masahiro that I was going to ask him a question on Tuesday night. (We have a member meal/lesson with them with the Hayashi family scheduled for Tuesday night.) The question that I was going to ask him was: “Will you follow the example of Jesus Christ by being baptized by someone holding the priesthood authority of God?” I asked him “Will you prepare yourself to answer that question on Tuesday night?”He answered with a committed “yes”, but with some comments about how the answer may not be yes, at least not yet, but he would prepare himself to be asked that question on that night. Wonderful night, the miracles are happening, and I think that Masahiro’s heart is changing. 

1/22 Monday  

Today we had our Zone activity before we came to Muroran for our last Zone conference. It was really fun. We created our own hole for basically a mini golf course in the church, then we played the course of 12 holes with the person who we made it with. It was a really good activity. I got pied, which is a tradition when missionaries are on their last transfer. Their companion gets to pie them and it’s quite the ordeal. Sister Koyama also got pied, which was super funny, because she didn’t want to get pied at all.  

We called the Yoneta’s tonight, and Miki san told us that she had talked Yui Chan’s teacher and told her that they wanted to keep Sunday’s sacred, and so they weren’t going to be able to participate in school activities and events that are on Sunday. The teacher was very understanding, and said that that would be okay! And so she was able to be off for her concert on this Sunday, which became a sudden big problem with the plan/hope that they would be confirmed on Sunday. Such great faith, and a great miracle with Yui chan’s school. 

コノバー長老
Elder Conover