What a week!! (February 26, 2012)

Well, I thought that maybe towards the last few weeks of my mission that my life might calm down and I would just finish my mission normal but that is about exactly the opposite of what's going to happen...I shouldn't be too surprised but I had a pretty busy week.

I don't think lately I have talked too much about food but this Friday I went to a member's house and it wasn't what they gave me but how much. The other two missionaries couldn't come so we had to eat theirs and ours. Basically it wasn't a 3 course meal but a 3 meal course...haha but it was really good. It was chicken kastu (It's like deep fried breaded chicken) but this thing was huge. I'm saying like a foot long. I'm not sure but it was huge. We also had okonomiyaki which is Just like a pancake except with vegetables and octopus in it. I learned how to make it so we can have it when we get home. I actually love octopus. It doesn't really have a taste it's just a mind over matter thing and it's pretty good.

My mom asked me what I am going to eat before I go home but I am going to give an answer that every one probably expects. SUSHI!! I'm pretty sure Japanese sushi is better than American sushi but it's cheap and good so I will have that. I will also eat gyoza because it's my favorite meal. It's actually Chinese food but hamamatsu is famous for good gyoza. Its just meat and vegetables wrapped in a really small flour shell and then fried. It's way good.

Well I went to this place called Numazu which is on the opposite side of this zone (2 1/2 hours by train). But we went there and it's just pouring down rain. And they had an appointment an hour away by bike up hill. I thought just my luck. I wasn't too happy about the situation because I didn't have too much rain gear and I didn't have a change of clothes. But as I was biking up the hill basically through a river because the rain was coming down so hard I started thinking. You only have a few more times doing this...in a month you will be home and probably not be riding bikes to go help someone. Then I started thinking about the person we were going to go help. I actually met her a year and half before when I was in Fuji so it wasn't hard for me to think about her. She is in an old person's home because she can't walk and or remember things too well. We met another member than and in the middle of this...hospital we sang hymns to her...I am not that good at singing but there was such a peaceful feeling that could be felt in that hospital. She tried to sing I am a Child of God with us and even though she had a hard time remembering the words and she has a tongue disorder, she somewhat sounded like an angel (maybe becuase I was singing right next to her). But all of the sudden that painful journey became well worth it. We helped a Daughter of our Heavenly Father who desperately needed it and the Joy that you receive from that is priceless!! My wet clothes seemed much less important. The puddles that most people call shoes I was wearing didn't matter any more because of the Spirit that was felt. And as we were walking out a patient asked us why we were there. We said we have come from this place to help a friend who happens to be a member of our church. The lady (who is slightly crazy) said that is really cool, I want friends like you. Then she ran away. Through simple acts of service we can show others the light of Christ and by thinking of others we will forget about our problems.

I also learned another lesson this week. It has to deal with a new investigator and the member who gave her as a referral. It's a really long story but in the end the member who gave us the referral and the referral won't come to church because of a problem that happened over a year ago. And the member that offended the other member doesn't even know he did anything wrong. It is sad to see that people stop coming to church because members in the church make mistakes. The church is perfect but the members aren't. We can't let others ruin our relationship with God. After I have seen this happen and cause people to go less active, I have learned that we need to forgive and forget.

I feel preachy saying that but people's lives are changed for the worst because they won't forgive people. Is it easy...No, but it needs to be done.

And on that note I will say goodbye until next week.
Have a good one and be safe
See you Soon!!

Love
Elder Nelson