Hey, so I'm 15 hours ahead of you, NOT 13. So yeah, 7 am on the 25th for me sounds good! That would be 4pm on the 24th for you. Everything's good here, haven't felt any pain. I have to remind myself every day to drink more water, but I'm good. I got a few Christmas cards this week:
Thank you to Jason, Sara, and my little Pacaran's! :) I loved the picture. Thank you also to The Norris', Sister Davis, and the Mia Maids--I love the cards and appreciate the kind words! It's so nice to hear from people back home! THANK YOU so much!!!
Things here are still moving, investigators are good. Still trying to find more and get referrals. Man, now I understand how missionaries feel when they ask for referrals! We WANT to help and bring lost sheep back into the fold! So...TO ALL OF YOU WHO READ THIS, here's a challenge: PRAYERFULLY CONSIDER SOMEONE IN YOUR LIFE TO SHARE THE GOSPEL WITH, and refer them to your local missionaries by the end of the 1st week of this new year. That gives you TWO whole weeks to think of someone...and I'm sure some of you already have that person in the back of your minds, that person that you've always wanted to share the gospel with. Don't you want to share with others the one constant thing in your life that has brought you so many blessings, so much joy and peace? One way to show you truly care about someone is to teach them about the gospel and what it has done for you. Missionary work is one of the greatest things, it's a win-win situation: YOU are blessed for sharing what you believe and teaching your brothers and sisters about the gospel. YOU get to feel the joy of watching and being a part of the conversion process, seeing someone you love gain their own testimony. THEY are blessed for receiving the restored gospel through faith, repentance, and baptism. THEY will continue to be blessed as long as they endure to the end. In the end, EVERYONE's happy! WIN-WIN!
Anyway, I LOVE my comp, Sister Mongan! She has been through a lot of trials in her life, many family problems, but has remained true and steadfast in this gospel. There was a time when she was the only active member when she was probably still a younger teenager. She told me that it was so hard for her to go to church and see these families sitting together as she sat by herself on a pew. But what kept her going was her faith. Her faith and testimony of the gospel are rock solid. She is such an inspiration to me! I love teaching with her because whenever she bears her testimony it's always so powerful. I love it! I admire her so much, and we get along so well!
I'm getting more used to Indonesia every day. The language is coming, I'm starting to speak it a lot more and understand Sis Mongan when she's talking to other natives (which is when she talks super fast!).
On the 24th, we're going caroling to less-actives. That'll be fun! On the 25th we're going bowling in the morning and then to Senopati for the day. We're even doing a White Elephant there! Time is starting to fly, I have no idea where this past month went. I feel like it's still October or something, like Halloween hasn't even passed yet. I guess that's what happens when you enjoy what you do! And I am doing just that, enjoying every minute--good or bad!
I hope this email finds everyone in good health, good spirits, and enjoying life. One thing I was thinking about earlier today is that you can't change what's past...you can only move on, and hopefully learn from experience. Don't make the same mistakes that have already been made by you or others.
My love goes out to you all, may the Lord be with you, especially during this Christmas season! I hope you all have a wonderful, safe holiday!
Selamat Natal,
Sister Okamoto
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Indonesia - Week 7: Exciting News!
Wow, Christmas came and went so fast for me. I can't believe a new year is almost upon us...how exciting! My companion and I have been setting plenty of goals for the Tahun Baru (new year). Man, I LOVE being on a mission! Sister Mongan and I just got back from teaching Mutiara lesson 2...and we set a batismal date!!! January 17th! We were not even half way through the lesson and baptism came up when we talked about what we must do in this life: have faith in Christ, repent, be baptized, receive the Gift of the Holy Ghost, and endure to the end. She said she'd already done the first two, have faith and repent, but she'd been waiting to be baptized til she found the right church. Two and a half years, she said she'd been waiting. When we told her maybe she could be baptized next month or the month after, she said "lebih cepat, lebih baik!" (pretty much translates as "the sooner the better"). AMAZING! Heavenly Father truly prepares His children, sometimes long before they are introduced to the church. After that she started talking about how her grandmother had past away (who was Muslim) but she kept having dreams about her. Her grandma would say, "please help me...baptize...baptize..." Mutiara turned to us and asked if we knew what that meant. Sister Mongan and I looked at eachother and just smiled. We then explained about the temple and baptisms for the dead. She was just amazed at that. When we told her that we'd already been through the temple, she thought that was so cool and has the greatest desire to go. We taught the rest of the lesson and it went so well. I think we're going to be meeting with her like 3 times a week to teach her before she gets baptized. I am so excited!!! Jacklin also called me this week (she's been busy with work and the holidays and hasn't been able to meet). She's going out of town and won't be back til the 15th. But she kept telling me to call her when she gets back, she still wants to learn. :)
This is just such an amazing experience for me...I hope everybody can feel the joy of helping to "bring one soul" to the knowledge of the gospel at least once in their life...it is the GREATEST feeling! And so humbling too, knowing that you are only the instrument in God's hands, testifying of truth, but the Spirit does the real work...the CONVERSION.
Today has been awesome. This morning we all went to an elder's investigator's neighborhood to play futsol (pretty much soccer) and it was so fun. I haven't played in so long, it felt great. After that we went to the investigator's house and had a wonderful lunch. He even gave me a bottle of the mosquito repellent he sells because he saw how badly bitten my legs were. Lol. So yeah, today has been great, to say the least.
I hope you all had a very Merry Christmas, I want to wish you a Happy New Year too! I love you all, I truly do. I am so grateful for ALL the love and support I receive from back home...you all have helped me become a better person. Thank you!
Sampai waktu berikutnya--
Degan banyak kasih,
Sister Okamoto
This is just such an amazing experience for me...I hope everybody can feel the joy of helping to "bring one soul" to the knowledge of the gospel at least once in their life...it is the GREATEST feeling! And so humbling too, knowing that you are only the instrument in God's hands, testifying of truth, but the Spirit does the real work...the CONVERSION.
Today has been awesome. This morning we all went to an elder's investigator's neighborhood to play futsol (pretty much soccer) and it was so fun. I haven't played in so long, it felt great. After that we went to the investigator's house and had a wonderful lunch. He even gave me a bottle of the mosquito repellent he sells because he saw how badly bitten my legs were. Lol. So yeah, today has been great, to say the least.
I hope you all had a very Merry Christmas, I want to wish you a Happy New Year too! I love you all, I truly do. I am so grateful for ALL the love and support I receive from back home...you all have helped me become a better person. Thank you!
Sampai waktu berikutnya--
Degan banyak kasih,
Sister Okamoto
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Indonesia - Week 6
> Hello all!!!
> It feels like I haven't written in a month...but I'm still alive! So I’m sure as many of you all know, last Monday I woke up with a very sharp pain in the left side of my lower back. At first I thought it was from sleeping wrong, so I tossed and turned a bit, but to no avail. I decided to get up to get some Ibuprofen, but I couldn't even make it out of the doorway of our room because of the pain. I came back in and fell on the bed, the pain was unbelievably strong. I'd say that it was easily the most pain I'd ever felt in my life. So anyway we go to the hospital, they do some x-rays and CT scans and determine that I have a kidney stone! WHAT?!? How does that even happen?? Kidney stones are typically found in MALES ages 30 to 50...so OF COURSE it happens to me! Haha. The doctors aren't sure of the cause of kidney stones, some say it's genetic, some say it's not drinking enough water. The next morning I was treated using a shock therapy thing called Lithotripsy (high-energy shock waves are used to disintegrate the stone). They gave me some drugs so I wasn’t in too much pain. I stayed at the hospital til Wednesday morning, then I came to the mission home at Senopati where I’ve been staying for the past week. I think I’m getting better, for the past couple nights I haven’t woken up with any sharp pains, so that’s good. I still don’t know if I’ve passed the pieces of stone yet, the doctor said it would be like tiny pieces of sand, barely visible. I’m hoping that since I haven’t felt any sharp pains recently that that means it passed…or at least the bigger pieces anyway.
> It has been so nice staying here at “Hotel Senopati”, the other missionaries call it. President and Sister Marchant have taken very good care of me, I am so grateful for their hospitality! They’ve made me feel very at home here. Sister Marchant even let Sister Mongan and I help her decorate their Christmas tree. That was really nice and it definitely made it feel a little more like Christmas here, since the weather is no help.
> Oh, last Thursday Sister Hewlett taught the English class alone (since I was out of commission) and apparently she decided to teach them hospital vocabulary and words to use when you’re sick, so the children all made me ‘get well’ cards! I about cried as I read each one. It was SO cute!
> Yesterday we had Zone Conference (my first one in the mission field)! It was neat, even though I understood less than half of it. Presdient and Sister Marchant spoke, along with all the missionaries who are leaving before next conference. Each of the Sisters got matching batik skirts, and the elders matching batik ties just as a fun gift from President and Sister Marchant. I love the skirt! Batik is a very popular fabric made in Indonesia. The good batik is hand made with this big metal stamp thing, and I guess it takes a really long time. It’s so beautiful! I’ll have to send pics next email. All of the sisters here sang “The Olive Tree” for conference. It turned out really well! Sister Millecam took pics so I’ll try to get a copy of those. Mom, I thought you’d like to know that!
> Anyway, I’m so grateful for this Christmas season. Being in bed this past week has allowed me plenty of time to ponder about our Savior and what He did for us. I want to share a little message with you that came to me one night as I was trying to sleep:
>
> During this time of gift-giving in celebration of Christ’s birth, I hope we remember that the value of a gift is not measured with dollars and cents, but rather with love.
> In John 15:13 it says, “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”
> I testify that Christ’s love for us is so great that He suffered for every pain, sickness, temptation, grief, sorrow, and sin that every human has and would ever face. He paid the ultimate price and laid down His own life, providing a way for us to return to the presence of our Father in Heaven. This Atonement is the greatest gift the Savior could give to us. It was purchased with His precious blood, and proffered in perfect love; a gift with a value that no price could match.
> Let us learn from the Savior’s example that the gifts we give need not cost a worldly treasure, but perhaps require instead a sacrifice of self: our time, effort, or care. The greatest gifts we can give are ones from the heart, presented with love…gifts without a price tag.
>
> I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas this year, always remember the Reason for the Season!
> I love you all!
>
> Dengan Kasih,
> Sister Okamoto
> It feels like I haven't written in a month...but I'm still alive! So I’m sure as many of you all know, last Monday I woke up with a very sharp pain in the left side of my lower back. At first I thought it was from sleeping wrong, so I tossed and turned a bit, but to no avail. I decided to get up to get some Ibuprofen, but I couldn't even make it out of the doorway of our room because of the pain. I came back in and fell on the bed, the pain was unbelievably strong. I'd say that it was easily the most pain I'd ever felt in my life. So anyway we go to the hospital, they do some x-rays and CT scans and determine that I have a kidney stone! WHAT?!? How does that even happen?? Kidney stones are typically found in MALES ages 30 to 50...so OF COURSE it happens to me! Haha. The doctors aren't sure of the cause of kidney stones, some say it's genetic, some say it's not drinking enough water. The next morning I was treated using a shock therapy thing called Lithotripsy (high-energy shock waves are used to disintegrate the stone). They gave me some drugs so I wasn’t in too much pain. I stayed at the hospital til Wednesday morning, then I came to the mission home at Senopati where I’ve been staying for the past week. I think I’m getting better, for the past couple nights I haven’t woken up with any sharp pains, so that’s good. I still don’t know if I’ve passed the pieces of stone yet, the doctor said it would be like tiny pieces of sand, barely visible. I’m hoping that since I haven’t felt any sharp pains recently that that means it passed…or at least the bigger pieces anyway.
> It has been so nice staying here at “Hotel Senopati”, the other missionaries call it. President and Sister Marchant have taken very good care of me, I am so grateful for their hospitality! They’ve made me feel very at home here. Sister Marchant even let Sister Mongan and I help her decorate their Christmas tree. That was really nice and it definitely made it feel a little more like Christmas here, since the weather is no help.
> Oh, last Thursday Sister Hewlett taught the English class alone (since I was out of commission) and apparently she decided to teach them hospital vocabulary and words to use when you’re sick, so the children all made me ‘get well’ cards! I about cried as I read each one. It was SO cute!
> Yesterday we had Zone Conference (my first one in the mission field)! It was neat, even though I understood less than half of it. Presdient and Sister Marchant spoke, along with all the missionaries who are leaving before next conference. Each of the Sisters got matching batik skirts, and the elders matching batik ties just as a fun gift from President and Sister Marchant. I love the skirt! Batik is a very popular fabric made in Indonesia. The good batik is hand made with this big metal stamp thing, and I guess it takes a really long time. It’s so beautiful! I’ll have to send pics next email. All of the sisters here sang “The Olive Tree” for conference. It turned out really well! Sister Millecam took pics so I’ll try to get a copy of those. Mom, I thought you’d like to know that!
> Anyway, I’m so grateful for this Christmas season. Being in bed this past week has allowed me plenty of time to ponder about our Savior and what He did for us. I want to share a little message with you that came to me one night as I was trying to sleep:
>
> During this time of gift-giving in celebration of Christ’s birth, I hope we remember that the value of a gift is not measured with dollars and cents, but rather with love.
> In John 15:13 it says, “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”
> I testify that Christ’s love for us is so great that He suffered for every pain, sickness, temptation, grief, sorrow, and sin that every human has and would ever face. He paid the ultimate price and laid down His own life, providing a way for us to return to the presence of our Father in Heaven. This Atonement is the greatest gift the Savior could give to us. It was purchased with His precious blood, and proffered in perfect love; a gift with a value that no price could match.
> Let us learn from the Savior’s example that the gifts we give need not cost a worldly treasure, but perhaps require instead a sacrifice of self: our time, effort, or care. The greatest gifts we can give are ones from the heart, presented with love…gifts without a price tag.
>
> I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas this year, always remember the Reason for the Season!
> I love you all!
>
> Dengan Kasih,
> Sister Okamoto
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Indonesia - Week 4
Hey everyone! Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving. Sorry about the short email last week, I don't know what happened but when I tried sending it, it just deleted the whole thing. Last week my companion (Sister Christensen) was transferred to Solo. :( It was sad saying goodbye, I really miss her. My new companion is Sister Mongan (from Manado) and she's way cool too. I can tell my language is getting better 'cause I have a native comp so that's good. This week has been great. A few weeks ago Sister Hewlett and I contacted a girl named Nofi on busway and this past week we were all able to teach her (all meaning Sister Mongan and I and SIster Hewlett and her comp, Sistert Lei)! The lesson went really well and at the end we gave her a Book of Mormon. The cool thing is that she told us that recently she had a dream that she met Christ. He had his arms outstretched to her and then he gave her a book and told her to read it, that the book was important. She didn't know what the book was though. She said she remembered that dream when we gave her the Book of Mormon. At the end of the lesson, she said that while we were teaching she felt something different, like goosebumps. Sister Mongan told her that that was the spirit witnessing to her that what we taught was true. It was such an amazing experience! Tears welled up in my eyes as I sat there thinking how grateful I was to be a part of this...we learn the principles and the doctrines and just teach, and the spirit will do His job and carry the words to their hearts. It's THEIR job to decide whether or not they want to accept it.
> Even here in a country where almost the whole population is Muslim, we can still find people to teach. And that's because the Lord is helping US, and preparing THEM.
> Thanksgiving was great, we went to Senopati and had a huge, delicious Thanksgiving feast. President had us go around and say something that were thankful for since we've been on our missions. I said that I was grateful for the wonderful people I've met here--my companion, the other missionaries, the members, our leaders, the Indonesian people...everyone is so great and I know I've made life-long friends. After Thansgiving I continued to think about what I'm grateful for. Since I've been here, I've learned to appreciate even the small things...toilet paper, a laundry washer that actually washes clothes, American chocolate, cockaroach and rat-free houses...but it's all a part of the experience. And I love it.
> After this, we're going to visit a Musjid (Mosque). I'm excited!
> So I just remembered some of the things I wrote in the last email: we had one of the Presiding Bishops come speak to us last Saturday (Bishop Keith B. McMullin). He is awesome and immediately when he started speaking I knew that he carried the mantle of a servant of God. We had an investigator come (Jacklin) whom we met on busway I think the week prior (the one we gave a Book of Mormon to). She seemed to really enjoy it, took notes and everything, and even asked for a picture with Bishop McMullin afterwards! She's really busy with work, so we're still trying to set up an appointment to teach her. She is still reading the Book of Mormon though!
> Also, Sister Christensen had been working with these two kids (brother and sister ages 13 and 11, I think) Sifa and Riri. Their mom is a member, dad isn't. He's the only reason why they haven't been baptized yet. We set a date for their baptism though (Dec 13th) and we're going to fast and continue praying for their father to have a change of heart. He said he wanted to talk to Pres Marchant about giving permission so President's meeting him in 2 weeks. Please pray for our investigators!
> Well, I hope you all are happy and healthy. I love you and you're in my thoughts and prayers!
>
> -Sister Okamoto
> Even here in a country where almost the whole population is Muslim, we can still find people to teach. And that's because the Lord is helping US, and preparing THEM.
> Thanksgiving was great, we went to Senopati and had a huge, delicious Thanksgiving feast. President had us go around and say something that were thankful for since we've been on our missions. I said that I was grateful for the wonderful people I've met here--my companion, the other missionaries, the members, our leaders, the Indonesian people...everyone is so great and I know I've made life-long friends. After Thansgiving I continued to think about what I'm grateful for. Since I've been here, I've learned to appreciate even the small things...toilet paper, a laundry washer that actually washes clothes, American chocolate, cockaroach and rat-free houses...but it's all a part of the experience. And I love it.
> After this, we're going to visit a Musjid (Mosque). I'm excited!
> So I just remembered some of the things I wrote in the last email: we had one of the Presiding Bishops come speak to us last Saturday (Bishop Keith B. McMullin). He is awesome and immediately when he started speaking I knew that he carried the mantle of a servant of God. We had an investigator come (Jacklin) whom we met on busway I think the week prior (the one we gave a Book of Mormon to). She seemed to really enjoy it, took notes and everything, and even asked for a picture with Bishop McMullin afterwards! She's really busy with work, so we're still trying to set up an appointment to teach her. She is still reading the Book of Mormon though!
> Also, Sister Christensen had been working with these two kids (brother and sister ages 13 and 11, I think) Sifa and Riri. Their mom is a member, dad isn't. He's the only reason why they haven't been baptized yet. We set a date for their baptism though (Dec 13th) and we're going to fast and continue praying for their father to have a change of heart. He said he wanted to talk to Pres Marchant about giving permission so President's meeting him in 2 weeks. Please pray for our investigators!
> Well, I hope you all are happy and healthy. I love you and you're in my thoughts and prayers!
>
> -Sister Okamoto
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Indonesia - Week 2
Selamat Sore! It's about 6:30 pm on Wednesday night, the 18th. We just got done with an all-day service assignment. There was a huge conference for welfare programs here and some of the missionaries were asked to translate. Us sisters handed out headsets. We got there at 8 am and didn't leave til almost 6pm. Fortunately they fed us lunch and snacks in between! The conference was held at this really nice hotel-super fancy! It didnt' look like it belonged in Indonesia. We get to do this all over again tomorrow too. Anyway these past few days have been awesome! Just yesterday Sister Christensen and I were contacting people via busway and we met an awesome lady! She was Christian and we ended up giving her a Book of Mormon (which she said she'd gladly read). She was really friendly and funny, spoke great English. She gave US her card and told us to call HER. Haha! So we talked a little longer and then said bye and got on another bus to contact (for like 20 min). We get off at anotehr stop and someone grabs my arm--it's her! She tells us that she gave her Book of Mormon to her friend who really liked it and she wanted us to come over and talk to her. So we excitedly did! The friend was really shy but very nice as well. We talked a little but the lady was speaking English (which her friend didn't understand) so the friend just sits there continuing to read the Book of Mormon intensely! The lady joked that her and her friend would have to fight over the one Book of Mormon, so we gave her another one! We invited them to church too and said we'd call to make an appointment since we're super busy this week.Then the lady says that her aunt AND her nephew would be interested in what we were sharing, so we got two referrals! It was the best hour ever! :) Sis Chris and I were totally pumped.
> Earlier this week we taught the first lesson to a lady that Sister Marchant (Mission President's wife) met at the airport. Her name is Iriana and she is Catholic, but investigating other churches. She had a ton of great questions and the lesson went really well. Sister Marchant came with us too (at Iriana's request). We've tried to set up another appointment but she's really busy this week too. Hopefully we'll get her next week.
> Being on a mission is quiet the experience. I know that we are called of God to go to specific places where he needs us, and there are people that we are supposed to meet. Work is hard here in Jakarta, everyone says this is the hardest area. It's tough to get appointments so we don't teach very many lessons, but I've come to realize that here a lot of the missionary work is just being an example. People are ALWAYS watching you, and we must remember that we are representing the Savior. I had the opportunity to bear my testimony in Sacrament meeting this past Sunday. I was so nervous when I got up, but as soon as I started speaking, I felt the spirit confirm to me that what I was testifying of was true--no matter what language it was in. A similar experience was on Monday for FHE, we went to Elder Subandrio's house (the Area Seventy here) and had dinner with his family. Two of the other Sisters' investigators came and we all taught Lesson 2. At the end, two elders talked a little more and bore their testimomies and the spirit was so strong! I think that's the strongest I've felt it since I've been in Indo. It was awesome!
> It's getting colder here...raining more. Today I actually wished I had a jacket! Haha, I didn't think I'd ever say that here! Anyway, remember the Lord's hand is in our lives CONSTANTLY--we just have to take the time to look for it. I love you all, thanks for the emails!
> And thank you Brother and Sister Schwartz for the letter--it's the first one I've gotten here! Love you both and miss you tons!
> Sampai minggu depan,
> Sister Okamoto
> Earlier this week we taught the first lesson to a lady that Sister Marchant (Mission President's wife) met at the airport. Her name is Iriana and she is Catholic, but investigating other churches. She had a ton of great questions and the lesson went really well. Sister Marchant came with us too (at Iriana's request). We've tried to set up another appointment but she's really busy this week too. Hopefully we'll get her next week.
> Being on a mission is quiet the experience. I know that we are called of God to go to specific places where he needs us, and there are people that we are supposed to meet. Work is hard here in Jakarta, everyone says this is the hardest area. It's tough to get appointments so we don't teach very many lessons, but I've come to realize that here a lot of the missionary work is just being an example. People are ALWAYS watching you, and we must remember that we are representing the Savior. I had the opportunity to bear my testimony in Sacrament meeting this past Sunday. I was so nervous when I got up, but as soon as I started speaking, I felt the spirit confirm to me that what I was testifying of was true--no matter what language it was in. A similar experience was on Monday for FHE, we went to Elder Subandrio's house (the Area Seventy here) and had dinner with his family. Two of the other Sisters' investigators came and we all taught Lesson 2. At the end, two elders talked a little more and bore their testimomies and the spirit was so strong! I think that's the strongest I've felt it since I've been in Indo. It was awesome!
> It's getting colder here...raining more. Today I actually wished I had a jacket! Haha, I didn't think I'd ever say that here! Anyway, remember the Lord's hand is in our lives CONSTANTLY--we just have to take the time to look for it. I love you all, thanks for the emails!
> And thank you Brother and Sister Schwartz for the letter--it's the first one I've gotten here! Love you both and miss you tons!
> Sampai minggu depan,
> Sister Okamoto
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Indonesia - Week 1
Greetings from rainy Jakarta! Yes, it is raining really hard outside right now...we walked to this little warnet place (like an internet cafe) and my skirt and shoes are soaked--even with an umbrella! Indonesia is amazing. I already have 17 new friends! They live on my arms, legs, and hands. Any guesses what they are??? MOSQUITO BITES! And I got them all the first and second nights here! Haha, awesome, huh? ;) Other than when it's raining here, it's very hot and humid. I can't believe it's already been one whole week..I feel like I landed here 2 days ago. But then again, I do feel like I'm kind of at home here now. Our apartment is pretty nice for Indo standards. I'll try to download pics next week on the email (apparently when you send snail mail they weigh it, so I prob won't be sending pics that way anymore). For the first 5 days I had 2 comps, Sister Atmi and Sister Christensen. Sis Atmi is from Malang (on the island Jawa). She's like 4'9 and is the cutest thing ever! She says the funniest, randomest things. Sis Christensen is so awesome too! We totally click and I just love her! She's from Nor Cal. Anyway Sis Atmi was transferred to Bandung 2 days ago so now it's just the two Bules (aka Gringos but in Indo) in our companionship.
> The food here is absolutely amazing! Oh my goodness. There so many different types too. I've alraedy had this thing called Masakan Pandang (means cooking from Padang) which is chicken, veggies, and rice with this delicious spicy sauce on it. And when I say spicy, I mean SPICY. The first time I had it, it made my eyes literally water and my face started sweating. AND I didn't have water! Hahaha. But the flavor is to die for! I've also had Nasi Goreng (fried rice) from these little vendor guys that pass by our house every day. You just take a plate out to them and they fry it up right outside your house. Oh yeah and everything is dirt cheap here! Nasi goreng is around 7,000 rupiah (70 cents) for a whole plateful and the other day I bought 3 mangos for 60 cents! In the US 1 mango is like 99 cents! Anyway, it's just awesome here. The ward seems really nice too. They always see my name and go "oh! Orang Japang, ya?" which means "Japanese person". And also everyone thinks I look Indonesian. In fact, there's a sister in our apartment named Sister Mongan and all the elders say we look like twins. They see me and go, "Sister Mongan, SIster Mongan!". It's funny.
> Sister Hewlett (my MTC comp) is in a 3-some now with Sisters Rondeauh and Mongan, so it's them and Sis Christensen and I in our aparment.
> Our days usually consist of riding some kind of public transportation (bus, bus way, or angkot) or going to a public place to contact people. Angkots are mini vans with seats along the sides and they fit up to 15 people. Buses are really loud and dirty, but cheap to ride (like 20 cents everytime you get on). Bus way is really nice and clean, with AC. They even have their own special lane, they're pretty new to Jakarta. It's so chill here, I love it! We pretty much shop whenever we need to and then contact people along the way. We 'mandi' twice a day--it's necessary cause we get so sweaty and gross! Mandi is what they call rinsing off...first you fill up this little tub with water. Then you grab this pan like thing (but it's plastic), dip it in the water, and pour over yourself. It is the most refreshing thing ever! Except I don't know if I'll ever get over the initial shock of cold water being poured over me. :)
> Know that I am healthy, safe, and happy...but most of all that I love what I am doing. The other day while we were riding the bus, I had 2 epiphanies. As I sat in my seat all comfy--or as comfy as you can get on a bus here--a girl about 8 years old jumps on and starts handing out envelopes to everyone on the bus. There was a written message on it in Indonesian, but I knew she just wanted money. I wasn't going to do anything about it but then she went up to the front and started singing. As soon as I heard the sound of her sweet little voice I immediately began crying. She was doing this to get money to probably bring home to her family. It broke my heart that a family would have to go through such extremes as to send there 8-year old daughter out into the streets to make money. Thi was a humbling experience that taught me humility. I am so grateful for all that I have, and I know that all I have is from a loving Father in Heaven. The second epiphony was when my comp gave a Book of Mormon to a man she met on that same bus. I saw him hold the book and I thought to myself, I wonder if he knows the priceless treasure that he holds in his hands. I wondered if he knew how much knowledge was contained in that book, how much happiness it could bring him. I am so grateful for this gospel. I know that it's true. God watches over us, He knows us and all we go through. I love Him and am doing His work.
> I love you all! You're in my prayers!
> Dengan Kasih,
> Sister Okamoto
> The food here is absolutely amazing! Oh my goodness. There so many different types too. I've alraedy had this thing called Masakan Pandang (means cooking from Padang) which is chicken, veggies, and rice with this delicious spicy sauce on it. And when I say spicy, I mean SPICY. The first time I had it, it made my eyes literally water and my face started sweating. AND I didn't have water! Hahaha. But the flavor is to die for! I've also had Nasi Goreng (fried rice) from these little vendor guys that pass by our house every day. You just take a plate out to them and they fry it up right outside your house. Oh yeah and everything is dirt cheap here! Nasi goreng is around 7,000 rupiah (70 cents) for a whole plateful and the other day I bought 3 mangos for 60 cents! In the US 1 mango is like 99 cents! Anyway, it's just awesome here. The ward seems really nice too. They always see my name and go "oh! Orang Japang, ya?" which means "Japanese person". And also everyone thinks I look Indonesian. In fact, there's a sister in our apartment named Sister Mongan and all the elders say we look like twins. They see me and go, "Sister Mongan, SIster Mongan!". It's funny.
> Sister Hewlett (my MTC comp) is in a 3-some now with Sisters Rondeauh and Mongan, so it's them and Sis Christensen and I in our aparment.
> Our days usually consist of riding some kind of public transportation (bus, bus way, or angkot) or going to a public place to contact people. Angkots are mini vans with seats along the sides and they fit up to 15 people. Buses are really loud and dirty, but cheap to ride (like 20 cents everytime you get on). Bus way is really nice and clean, with AC. They even have their own special lane, they're pretty new to Jakarta. It's so chill here, I love it! We pretty much shop whenever we need to and then contact people along the way. We 'mandi' twice a day--it's necessary cause we get so sweaty and gross! Mandi is what they call rinsing off...first you fill up this little tub with water. Then you grab this pan like thing (but it's plastic), dip it in the water, and pour over yourself. It is the most refreshing thing ever! Except I don't know if I'll ever get over the initial shock of cold water being poured over me. :)
> Know that I am healthy, safe, and happy...but most of all that I love what I am doing. The other day while we were riding the bus, I had 2 epiphanies. As I sat in my seat all comfy--or as comfy as you can get on a bus here--a girl about 8 years old jumps on and starts handing out envelopes to everyone on the bus. There was a written message on it in Indonesian, but I knew she just wanted money. I wasn't going to do anything about it but then she went up to the front and started singing. As soon as I heard the sound of her sweet little voice I immediately began crying. She was doing this to get money to probably bring home to her family. It broke my heart that a family would have to go through such extremes as to send there 8-year old daughter out into the streets to make money. Thi was a humbling experience that taught me humility. I am so grateful for all that I have, and I know that all I have is from a loving Father in Heaven. The second epiphony was when my comp gave a Book of Mormon to a man she met on that same bus. I saw him hold the book and I thought to myself, I wonder if he knows the priceless treasure that he holds in his hands. I wondered if he knew how much knowledge was contained in that book, how much happiness it could bring him. I am so grateful for this gospel. I know that it's true. God watches over us, He knows us and all we go through. I love Him and am doing His work.
> I love you all! You're in my prayers!
> Dengan Kasih,
> Sister Okamoto
Saturday, November 7, 2009
MTC - Week 8
It’s a countdown now! My district received our travel plans last Friday…we leave the MTC at 4:30pm this Monday, November 2nd. Our flight leave SLC Airport at 8:20pm, we have a 3-hour layover in San Francisco, and about a 2 ½ -hour layover in Taiwan. We arrive in Indonesia on Wednesday the 4th, two whole days later! So this will be my last Preparation day at the MTC…I gotta think of all the good news to tell you ‘cause now’s my only chance! :P So last Thursday night we had our first Zone Conference. It was bomb! I now know why missionaries always raved about them! Three districts from our Zone met together (Mongols, Malaysians, and us Indo’s) and four different teachers spoke to us. Brother Maynes (teacher in the Malaysian District) spoke about what it means to be a missionary. My favorite quote from his talk was “you don’t let your light shine to draw attention to yourself, you let it shine to glorify God.” Brother Rasolo (teacher in a Malaghasy District; he’s from Madagascar). Spoke about how to fulfill our purpose at the MTC. Brother Leo (our teacher) spoke about how to invite others to come unto Christ. The last teacher, Brother Cannon (teacher in Mongolian District), spoke on how we can recognize the spirit. It was such a spiritual boost, I absolutely loved it! I can’t wait to have more Zone Conferences in the field!!!
> The TRC this week was a good learning experience…it showed me that I need to have patience and faith. We taught Andrew again, but the scenario this week was that he was a Muslim living in Jakarta, he knew a little about the church from meeting with previous missionaries, his wife passed away, and his 4-year-old son lived in Solo with the grandma. He asked a ton of questions…which Sister Hewlett and I understood maybe 15%. It was very frustrating not knowing what he was asking. I thought about how hard it will be in the field if I was teaching someone who was sincerely interested in learning about the gospel, wanting to know what he needed to do in this life to see his wife again, and not knowing what he was asking or how to answer. At the end of the lesson I was having a hard time ‘cause I wanted to be fluent in Indonesian just with the snap of my fingers…but I know it doesn’t work that way. The language will come, little by little, as I remain faithful and study diligently. I have definitely learned (as I have said before) that I cannot do this without the help of my Heavenly Father, I truly rely on Him—for I know that with His help, I can do ANYTHING…even learn Indonesian.
> On Sunday we heard from Sister Vicki Matsumori from the Primary Presidency. Yay for fellow Japanese! :) She talked to us about how important it is to involve children in our lessons when we teach, and how to make them feel loved. The fireside that night was by Brother and Sister Thomas (a branch President and his wife from the MTC). They did a musical fireside and ALL of their children and grandchildren came to sing! It was the coolest thing! After Sister Thomas spoke, the 5 Thomas children got up to sing an a capella number. It was beautiful! Then after Brother Thomas spoke, all of their children and grandchildren got up and sang “My Kindness Shall Not Depart from Thee”. That made me think of my family. :)
> Guess who came to speak at our devotional on Tuesday??? Elder L. Tom Perry! And did you know that he is super tall in real life?? He’s a giant! He talked about the requirements for teaching. One thing he said that stood out to me was that the first step in becoming a great teacher is becoming a great student. We must learn from the scriptures, through prayer, and by the spirit to ‘obtain’ the word before we can ‘preach’ the word. It was so neat to hear from another apostle of the Lord…I’m so grateful that we get to hear from such amazing and inspired people!
> Wednesday we got to host again, so fun! I hosted two sisters—one was Melissa Roseberry! I knew her from institute but had no idea she even had a mission call! It was so cool to see a familiar face.
> This gospel IS the true gospel of Jesus Christ that He once established on the earth. I know that through Joseph Smith, the gospel was restored in its fullness. I know that he translated the Book of Mormon, and that those that wrote the Book of Mormon truly saw our day. They knew the challenges we would face in this last dispensation of time, and so wrote verses of scripture that would help us battle against the adversary and protect ourselves from his ‘fiery darts’. I know that by reading the Book of Mormon with a sincere heart and real intent, we will grow closer to Our Father in Heaven and Jesus Christ. I know that from experience. God loves each of us individually and he knows us so personally, every detail of our lives! He lives today and is mindful of our every thought and action.
> I hope you all are well! I love you and want you to know that I am happy and so grateful for the privilege of being called as a servant of God…His work is progressing! I am so excited to meet the people of Indonesia and help bring them back into the fold!
> Thank you for all the love, support, and prayers, I really do appreciate them!
>
> Dengan kasih,
> Sister Okamoto
> The TRC this week was a good learning experience…it showed me that I need to have patience and faith. We taught Andrew again, but the scenario this week was that he was a Muslim living in Jakarta, he knew a little about the church from meeting with previous missionaries, his wife passed away, and his 4-year-old son lived in Solo with the grandma. He asked a ton of questions…which Sister Hewlett and I understood maybe 15%. It was very frustrating not knowing what he was asking. I thought about how hard it will be in the field if I was teaching someone who was sincerely interested in learning about the gospel, wanting to know what he needed to do in this life to see his wife again, and not knowing what he was asking or how to answer. At the end of the lesson I was having a hard time ‘cause I wanted to be fluent in Indonesian just with the snap of my fingers…but I know it doesn’t work that way. The language will come, little by little, as I remain faithful and study diligently. I have definitely learned (as I have said before) that I cannot do this without the help of my Heavenly Father, I truly rely on Him—for I know that with His help, I can do ANYTHING…even learn Indonesian.
> On Sunday we heard from Sister Vicki Matsumori from the Primary Presidency. Yay for fellow Japanese! :) She talked to us about how important it is to involve children in our lessons when we teach, and how to make them feel loved. The fireside that night was by Brother and Sister Thomas (a branch President and his wife from the MTC). They did a musical fireside and ALL of their children and grandchildren came to sing! It was the coolest thing! After Sister Thomas spoke, the 5 Thomas children got up to sing an a capella number. It was beautiful! Then after Brother Thomas spoke, all of their children and grandchildren got up and sang “My Kindness Shall Not Depart from Thee”. That made me think of my family. :)
> Guess who came to speak at our devotional on Tuesday??? Elder L. Tom Perry! And did you know that he is super tall in real life?? He’s a giant! He talked about the requirements for teaching. One thing he said that stood out to me was that the first step in becoming a great teacher is becoming a great student. We must learn from the scriptures, through prayer, and by the spirit to ‘obtain’ the word before we can ‘preach’ the word. It was so neat to hear from another apostle of the Lord…I’m so grateful that we get to hear from such amazing and inspired people!
> Wednesday we got to host again, so fun! I hosted two sisters—one was Melissa Roseberry! I knew her from institute but had no idea she even had a mission call! It was so cool to see a familiar face.
> This gospel IS the true gospel of Jesus Christ that He once established on the earth. I know that through Joseph Smith, the gospel was restored in its fullness. I know that he translated the Book of Mormon, and that those that wrote the Book of Mormon truly saw our day. They knew the challenges we would face in this last dispensation of time, and so wrote verses of scripture that would help us battle against the adversary and protect ourselves from his ‘fiery darts’. I know that by reading the Book of Mormon with a sincere heart and real intent, we will grow closer to Our Father in Heaven and Jesus Christ. I know that from experience. God loves each of us individually and he knows us so personally, every detail of our lives! He lives today and is mindful of our every thought and action.
> I hope you all are well! I love you and want you to know that I am happy and so grateful for the privilege of being called as a servant of God…His work is progressing! I am so excited to meet the people of Indonesia and help bring them back into the fold!
> Thank you for all the love, support, and prayers, I really do appreciate them!
>
> Dengan kasih,
> Sister Okamoto
MTC - Week 6
Week 6…wow, I only have 2 and a half weeks left at the MTC! This week has been great; Sister Hewlett and I taught Lesson 3 (the Gospel of Jesus Christ) to two R.M.’s at the TRC (Teaching Resource Center) on Saturday, Sean and Andrew. They were way nice but they talked so fast! I literally had to ask them to repeat every sentence. But the lesson went well. Church was amazing! Our Branch President spoke on prayer and how in answer to our prayers, the Lord will give us peace—not the world’s view of peace, of soothing sounds and where everything goes smoothly, but HIS view of peace—an inner peace and confidence. In Relief Society, Sister Martha Johnson on the General Relief Society Board spoke to us about love. It was so powerful! And at the beginning of her talk she said to us sisters, “if there ever was a choir of the believers, this is it.” I thought that was so cool! Then we had a fireside with Stephan B. Allen (who is the Director of Missionary Services, I believe) and he talked about Preach My Gospel and the important principles we learn from it. That night, Sister Wing and I stayed to watch The Testaments. I love that movie! The part that stood out to me the most was when Christ was hanging on the cross and He prays to Heavenly Father to forgive the men who crucified Him. It is amazing to think how much love Christ had for EVERYONE…even those that mocked and scorned Him, and ultimately sacrificed Him. If He could forgive them, how much more should we forgive those who sin against us? Charity and forgiveness are such powerful principles.
> Tuesday we had the RC (Referral Center). I had a really cool experience with a man named William. He had ordered I think it was the Book of Mormon so I was calling to confirm that he received it. He told me about he had been to church a few times and had met with the missionaries, but that he was investigating pretty much every church he could find looking for the truth. He then said something like, “wouldn’t it be nice if there was just one church with all the truth?” I couldn’t have even asked for a better invitation! I asked if he had heard about Joseph Smith and the Restoration and he said that he knew all about “Mr. Smith” from the missionaries and other members he had met. He said how it was kind of ironic that he was going through the same thing that Joseph went through—investigating different churches, searching for the truth. I told him that the only way to know the truth was to pray. He was definitely a bible believer; he quoted it several times throughout our conversation. He told me about almost every encounter he had with Mormons, and every one of them was a good experience. He was a talker! After about 20 minutes of talking to him, my district was leaving so I had to wrap it up. I encouraged him to read the Book of Mormon (especially Moroni 10:3-5) and I testified about its truthfulness. He said that he was first going to pray to see if he should read it, but he asked me to pray for him as well that he would receive the answer he needed. You better believe I prayed with all my heart! I just wish there was some way that I could talk to him again to see how he felt, if he ended up reading it or not. That experience taught me firsthand that there are people in the world searching for truth…and those are the ones being prepared to hear the message of the restored Gospel of Jesus Christ!
> I love you all! I often think about you and hope that all is well! Please write and let me know how your lives are going…I care about you!
> Sampai jumpa,
> Sister Okamoto
> Tuesday we had the RC (Referral Center). I had a really cool experience with a man named William. He had ordered I think it was the Book of Mormon so I was calling to confirm that he received it. He told me about he had been to church a few times and had met with the missionaries, but that he was investigating pretty much every church he could find looking for the truth. He then said something like, “wouldn’t it be nice if there was just one church with all the truth?” I couldn’t have even asked for a better invitation! I asked if he had heard about Joseph Smith and the Restoration and he said that he knew all about “Mr. Smith” from the missionaries and other members he had met. He said how it was kind of ironic that he was going through the same thing that Joseph went through—investigating different churches, searching for the truth. I told him that the only way to know the truth was to pray. He was definitely a bible believer; he quoted it several times throughout our conversation. He told me about almost every encounter he had with Mormons, and every one of them was a good experience. He was a talker! After about 20 minutes of talking to him, my district was leaving so I had to wrap it up. I encouraged him to read the Book of Mormon (especially Moroni 10:3-5) and I testified about its truthfulness. He said that he was first going to pray to see if he should read it, but he asked me to pray for him as well that he would receive the answer he needed. You better believe I prayed with all my heart! I just wish there was some way that I could talk to him again to see how he felt, if he ended up reading it or not. That experience taught me firsthand that there are people in the world searching for truth…and those are the ones being prepared to hear the message of the restored Gospel of Jesus Christ!
> I love you all! I often think about you and hope that all is well! Please write and let me know how your lives are going…I care about you!
> Sampai jumpa,
> Sister Okamoto
MTC - Week 5
Wow, I feel like this last week just FLEW! So last Thursday after I wrote this email, we went to the temple and I got to be a daughter for some sealings! It was awesome! This gospel is so amazing; we are so blessed to have temples, the Plan of Salvation, commandments appertaining to our eternal happiness, sacred covenants and ordinances that strengthen us…ah…I love it. While we were there the temple sealer said that there were some really bad earthquakes in Indonesia…did you hear about them at all? He told Sister Hewlett and I to be ready to get re-assigned. We were so sad! We talked to our teachers about it and they said that the earthquakes were in Padung or something, there are no members there but they expect the death toll to be in the thousands. Jakarta thankfully wasn’t harmed, so no re-assigning for us!
> Friday morning we had a surprise guest come to our class! A man named Bapak Pasaribu came to visit. He’s an Indonesian man who works in the government—specifically, he’s the one that allows us to come into the country as missionaries. He came to see what the MTC was all about and it was a pretty big deal. When he came in our classroom, the whole district had to stand and introduce themselves, say where they’re from, and where they’re serving their mission…in INDONESIAN! We were so nervous. He also asked a couple people why they would leave their studies, work, and family and give up 1-2 years to serve a mission. We took pictures with him so I’ll send those with next week’s letter since I didn’t get them developed this week. He was really nice, and he left with a smile on his face…always a good sign!
> Conference was amazing. Russell T. Osguthorpe’s talk in the 1st session was so good! I liked how he talked about “saving lives” and experiences from his mission that related to that. Like how whenever he went to the laundry room the lady would help him learn the language, or his teacher from church would always remind him to “aim high”. I also liked President Uchtdorf’s talk on love. Very powerful! President Eyring’s talk in the Relief Society broadcast about the legacy of R.S. was so interesting! I LOVED President Monson’s talk on service…and the primary kids who sent him the jar of “warm fuzzies”! So cute! And then of course, Elder Holland…wow. He is just bomb. He has such a way with words and is such a powerful speaker. His testimony was very strengthening. I hope you all enjoyed it as well and were edified by the messages shared and testimonies borne.
> That night we had a singing fireside, it was so cool! There was a couple who spoke about hymns, but pretty much the whole time we just sang. Elders and Sisters would line up at these two microphones and tell their favorite hymn and why. Then we’d sing it! My testimony of the power of hymns grew immensely…whenever you’re feeling low, hurt, frustrated, angry, or like you’re about to say something you’ll regret, sing a hymn. It works wonders.
> At devotional on Tuesday a man named Ben Banks spoke. I got so excited ‘cause I thought it was Clint’s old mission president! Unfortunately it wasn’t…but fortunately it was an amazing devotional anyway! He’s an emeritus from the Quorum of the Seventy and he and his wife host people that come to Utah from different countries to learn more about the church. There was one man in particular that he spoke about from South Africa who was Jewish and had been in the diamond industry for years. Elder Banks showed him around different church sites and brought him to the MTC and the MTC president’s wife gave him a Book of Mormon. At the end of the tour, the man said with tears in his eyes, “I’ve never felt this way before.” The spirit had touched his heart. The next day or so he flew back to South Africa and told his wife all about his experience. A couple months later he came back to Utah, but this time brought his wife. She had the same experience he did. He finished reading the Book of Mormon just before he and his wife came to Utah. He had received a witness that the church was true, and he could not deny it. This man ended up leaving the diamond business, his faith, and his family to join the church with his wife, but he never regretted it. When Elder Banks finished explaining the story, he says, “and that man is here today, sitting with me on the stand.” The man then got up and bore his testimony…it was amazing!
I love how often and how strongly I can feel the spirit here. I know that we are doing the Lord’s work, that we have the opportunity to bring lost sheep back into the fold. I know that where I have been called to serve is where the Lord wants me to go. Saya sangat gembira untuk membagikan Injil ini dengan orang-orang di Indonesia! (I am very excited to share this gospel with the people of Indonesia!)
I love you all, thank you so much for your support. Thank you for the letters, emails, DearElders, and packages. I miss you all but am doing great!
Sampai berikutnya waktu,
Sister Okamoto
> Friday morning we had a surprise guest come to our class! A man named Bapak Pasaribu came to visit. He’s an Indonesian man who works in the government—specifically, he’s the one that allows us to come into the country as missionaries. He came to see what the MTC was all about and it was a pretty big deal. When he came in our classroom, the whole district had to stand and introduce themselves, say where they’re from, and where they’re serving their mission…in INDONESIAN! We were so nervous. He also asked a couple people why they would leave their studies, work, and family and give up 1-2 years to serve a mission. We took pictures with him so I’ll send those with next week’s letter since I didn’t get them developed this week. He was really nice, and he left with a smile on his face…always a good sign!
> Conference was amazing. Russell T. Osguthorpe’s talk in the 1st session was so good! I liked how he talked about “saving lives” and experiences from his mission that related to that. Like how whenever he went to the laundry room the lady would help him learn the language, or his teacher from church would always remind him to “aim high”. I also liked President Uchtdorf’s talk on love. Very powerful! President Eyring’s talk in the Relief Society broadcast about the legacy of R.S. was so interesting! I LOVED President Monson’s talk on service…and the primary kids who sent him the jar of “warm fuzzies”! So cute! And then of course, Elder Holland…wow. He is just bomb. He has such a way with words and is such a powerful speaker. His testimony was very strengthening. I hope you all enjoyed it as well and were edified by the messages shared and testimonies borne.
> That night we had a singing fireside, it was so cool! There was a couple who spoke about hymns, but pretty much the whole time we just sang. Elders and Sisters would line up at these two microphones and tell their favorite hymn and why. Then we’d sing it! My testimony of the power of hymns grew immensely…whenever you’re feeling low, hurt, frustrated, angry, or like you’re about to say something you’ll regret, sing a hymn. It works wonders.
> At devotional on Tuesday a man named Ben Banks spoke. I got so excited ‘cause I thought it was Clint’s old mission president! Unfortunately it wasn’t…but fortunately it was an amazing devotional anyway! He’s an emeritus from the Quorum of the Seventy and he and his wife host people that come to Utah from different countries to learn more about the church. There was one man in particular that he spoke about from South Africa who was Jewish and had been in the diamond industry for years. Elder Banks showed him around different church sites and brought him to the MTC and the MTC president’s wife gave him a Book of Mormon. At the end of the tour, the man said with tears in his eyes, “I’ve never felt this way before.” The spirit had touched his heart. The next day or so he flew back to South Africa and told his wife all about his experience. A couple months later he came back to Utah, but this time brought his wife. She had the same experience he did. He finished reading the Book of Mormon just before he and his wife came to Utah. He had received a witness that the church was true, and he could not deny it. This man ended up leaving the diamond business, his faith, and his family to join the church with his wife, but he never regretted it. When Elder Banks finished explaining the story, he says, “and that man is here today, sitting with me on the stand.” The man then got up and bore his testimony…it was amazing!
I love how often and how strongly I can feel the spirit here. I know that we are doing the Lord’s work, that we have the opportunity to bring lost sheep back into the fold. I know that where I have been called to serve is where the Lord wants me to go. Saya sangat gembira untuk membagikan Injil ini dengan orang-orang di Indonesia! (I am very excited to share this gospel with the people of Indonesia!)
I love you all, thank you so much for your support. Thank you for the letters, emails, DearElders, and packages. I miss you all but am doing great!
Sampai berikutnya waktu,
Sister Okamoto
MTC - Week 3
HALO! Apa Kabar? Well another week has come and gone...Preparation Day is still the highlight of my week! I love having the opportunity to reflect on my week through writing this email to you all. Well, I’ll start off with last Saturday, the 19th. We taught Lesson 1 from Preach my gospel all in Indonesian, no notes or anything at the TRC! That morning, Sister Hewlett and I had the opportunity to practice-teach one of our teachers, and it went so well! I felt the spirit as I recited “Penglihatan Pertama” (The First Vision) and it testified to me that what I was saying was true. It was amazing! We were so pumped after that. So it comes time to go to the TRC, we feel pretty confident because of the way things went that morning. To make a long story short, the lesson didn’t go too well. I don’t know if it was the guy who was our “investigator”, or if it was my companion and I, or all of us, but we just kept forgetting what to say and the spirit wasn’t there. Afterwards, I felt so low. I was frustrated that I wasn’t able to say the things that I wanted to, and sad that it wasn’t a good experience. Turns out our whole district had similar experiences…our teacher tried to cheer us up by saying that it was only our third week and that our “investigators” all said they were impressed with us. Later that day for companionship study, Sister Hewlett and I watched a CES Fireside by Jeffrey R. Holland called “Lessons From Liberty”. It talked about how the period of time while Joseph Smith was in Liberty Jail was some of the darkest moments he had known and yet that was the time that he received revelation to write some of the most powerful scriptures in the Doctrine and Covenants. D&C 121:7—“…peace be unto thy soul; thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment…” Like in the song that we sang at Clint and Maddie’s old ward, “My Kindness Shall Not Depart From Thee”. In fact, that’s where the song came from. It was song by the BYU choir at that fireside. At the end of section 122 I believe, it says that the Son of man hath descended below all…art thou greater than He?
> We finished watching the fireside, and I cried pretty much through the whole thing. We reread sections 121-123 in D&C, and I felt a comforting peace inside. Like I said in my farewell talk, Christ has been through everything we have and will go through. He knew how I felt at that moment, the struggles and frustrations I felt trying to learn a new language. He shared the burden so I wouldn’t have to bear it alone. As Jeffrey R. Holland said in his talk at devotional last week, “if it was hard for Him, it’s got to be a little hard for you…the road to salvation always goes through Gethsemane.” I know that my Savior is right beside me as experience hard times, that it would be a lot harder if He hadn’t walked the way before me. Since last Saturday, my determination to learn this language and teach by the spirit has increased. We are doing the greatest work there is!
> Okay so guess what? On Monday the group going to Mongolia left... going with them was the Coordinating Sister. We knew the Branch presidency would be calling a new sister to fulfill that calling, but the week passed by and nobody knew who it was. Sunday morning rolls around (the day before the original Coordinating Sister leaves) and my companion and I walk in the door to Sacrament Meeting. Guess who’s there to greet us at the door? The Second Counselor in the Branch Presidency! He shakes my hand, and then asks if he could talk to me outside. So…guess who’s the new Coordinating Sister??? I was nervous at first—I’ve got a language to learn, principles to remember, scriptures to study…but I know with the Lord’s help I can do anything! I work with the Zone Leaders to welcome new missionaries, we do a little orientation thing and give them a tour of the MTC. I am responsible for all the sisters in the zone…Hopefully I’ll fill the calling as well as the last sister did!
> These past couple days I really feel like I understand the language more. Now that I’m getting the vocabulary down and I understand the prefixes/suffixes, it’s coming a lot quicker. My teachers are great! They are so willing to help us all the time…
> I love my district! They’re awesome. I feel like I’ve known these missionaries a lot longer than 3 weeks! It’s amazing to see how much they’ve grown even in this short time…they are so strong! And the sisters that I share a room with are awesome as well. We all get along and have a ton of fun. When the Mongolians left, they couldn’t carry all of the food/candy from the packages they had received so they gave it all to us! That was a nice surprise.
> This Saturday we teach Lesson 2 at the TRC…please pray for my companion and me! Hope all is well back home. Know that I love you all, you’re in my prayers.
> Please write when you can! It’s so nice to get mail!!!
>
> Dengan kasih banyak,
> Sister Okamoto
>
> P.s.
> So there’s one other district that’s learning Indonesian along with ours, so we always play them in sports and stuff. We have a ton of fun!
> Everybody calls me “Sister O”…that’s my new name here! Haha.
> We finished watching the fireside, and I cried pretty much through the whole thing. We reread sections 121-123 in D&C, and I felt a comforting peace inside. Like I said in my farewell talk, Christ has been through everything we have and will go through. He knew how I felt at that moment, the struggles and frustrations I felt trying to learn a new language. He shared the burden so I wouldn’t have to bear it alone. As Jeffrey R. Holland said in his talk at devotional last week, “if it was hard for Him, it’s got to be a little hard for you…the road to salvation always goes through Gethsemane.” I know that my Savior is right beside me as experience hard times, that it would be a lot harder if He hadn’t walked the way before me. Since last Saturday, my determination to learn this language and teach by the spirit has increased. We are doing the greatest work there is!
> Okay so guess what? On Monday the group going to Mongolia left... going with them was the Coordinating Sister. We knew the Branch presidency would be calling a new sister to fulfill that calling, but the week passed by and nobody knew who it was. Sunday morning rolls around (the day before the original Coordinating Sister leaves) and my companion and I walk in the door to Sacrament Meeting. Guess who’s there to greet us at the door? The Second Counselor in the Branch Presidency! He shakes my hand, and then asks if he could talk to me outside. So…guess who’s the new Coordinating Sister??? I was nervous at first—I’ve got a language to learn, principles to remember, scriptures to study…but I know with the Lord’s help I can do anything! I work with the Zone Leaders to welcome new missionaries, we do a little orientation thing and give them a tour of the MTC. I am responsible for all the sisters in the zone…Hopefully I’ll fill the calling as well as the last sister did!
> These past couple days I really feel like I understand the language more. Now that I’m getting the vocabulary down and I understand the prefixes/suffixes, it’s coming a lot quicker. My teachers are great! They are so willing to help us all the time…
> I love my district! They’re awesome. I feel like I’ve known these missionaries a lot longer than 3 weeks! It’s amazing to see how much they’ve grown even in this short time…they are so strong! And the sisters that I share a room with are awesome as well. We all get along and have a ton of fun. When the Mongolians left, they couldn’t carry all of the food/candy from the packages they had received so they gave it all to us! That was a nice surprise.
> This Saturday we teach Lesson 2 at the TRC…please pray for my companion and me! Hope all is well back home. Know that I love you all, you’re in my prayers.
> Please write when you can! It’s so nice to get mail!!!
>
> Dengan kasih banyak,
> Sister Okamoto
>
> P.s.
> So there’s one other district that’s learning Indonesian along with ours, so we always play them in sports and stuff. We have a ton of fun!
> Everybody calls me “Sister O”…that’s my new name here! Haha.
MTC - Week 2
Halo everyone!
It’s Preparation Day again! These weeks go by pretty fast. But then again, if I think about how much I accomplish in one day, let alone one week, it’s seems pretty long.
So last Saturday Sister Hewlett and I taught at the TRC. The TRC is a place where missionaries can go to practice teaching “investigators” in the language they’ll be speaking on their mission. Usually the “investigators” are returned missionaries or families from that country. We had to teach lesson one in Indonesian, but luckily we were able to use notes. We taught a lady named Josephine who is a native Indonesian. She was so sweet! She kept helping us when we pronounced things wrong, and she’d tell us a word if we didn’t know it. We asked her about her family and she said she had a younger sister who passed away. I immediately saw our common ground and told her that I too had a sibling who passed away. I bore my testimony that through the gospel, families can be together forever. What a wonderful truth! At the end of the lesson, we bore our testimonies about the Restoration and the gospel. We usually say the same thing to everyone we bear our testimonies to, but I felt impressed to say different things. Somehow I was able to express my thoughts and feelings clearly because she understood what I said. The spirit was strong and again my testimony of the truthfulness of this gospel was strengthened. This Saturday we have to teach at the TRC again but this time with NO notes! Our teachers asked us to also memorize “Penglihatan Pertama” (the First Vision) in Indonesian. The only thing is it’s literally twice as long as it is in English! That night I studied the First Vision over and over and was able to memorize it. I know that the Lord is helping me with the language and in remembering things. I know that he has given me the ability to learn the language as quickly as I have so far, and I can feel the confidence He has in me to preach His gospel to the people of Indonesia.
Our Branch President asked us to have a talk prepared every Sunday in case he is prompted to call on a certain missionary. This past Sunday the topic was the Plan of Salvation. As I was preparing the talk, I wrote down a few thoughts and then realized that my testimony of the Plan of Salvation really began when Hunter passed away. Through that experience, I was able to pray and feel the Spirit testify to me that I would see my little brother again. I was actually hoping that President Dodge would call me up to speak, but unfortunately he didn’t. Maybe next time!
This past Tuesday for devotional, the MTC was blessed with the presence of one of the Lord’s apostles. Elder Jeffrey R. Holland and his wife spoke to us about missionary work, what an important calling it is, and how we should embrace and cherish every moment spent out here. It was beyond powerful! I felt the spirit so strongly and I knew that he was one of the Lord’s chosen servants. He talked about his mission and how he has thought about it every day for the past 49 years. “My mission has affected every good thing that has happened to me,” he said. These past couple of weeks have been full of wonderful and memorable experiences. I am loving the MTC and the work that we are doing…the church IS TRUE!
Saya mengasihi kamu semua (I love you all),
Sister Whitney Okamoto
P.s. Ok so the scripture I want for my plaque is Alma 17:11, written like this:
“…Go forth…and establish my word; yet ye shall be patient in long-suffering and afflictions, that ye may show forth good examples unto them in me, and I will make an instrument of thee in my hands unto the salvation of many souls.”
It’s Preparation Day again! These weeks go by pretty fast. But then again, if I think about how much I accomplish in one day, let alone one week, it’s seems pretty long.
So last Saturday Sister Hewlett and I taught at the TRC. The TRC is a place where missionaries can go to practice teaching “investigators” in the language they’ll be speaking on their mission. Usually the “investigators” are returned missionaries or families from that country. We had to teach lesson one in Indonesian, but luckily we were able to use notes. We taught a lady named Josephine who is a native Indonesian. She was so sweet! She kept helping us when we pronounced things wrong, and she’d tell us a word if we didn’t know it. We asked her about her family and she said she had a younger sister who passed away. I immediately saw our common ground and told her that I too had a sibling who passed away. I bore my testimony that through the gospel, families can be together forever. What a wonderful truth! At the end of the lesson, we bore our testimonies about the Restoration and the gospel. We usually say the same thing to everyone we bear our testimonies to, but I felt impressed to say different things. Somehow I was able to express my thoughts and feelings clearly because she understood what I said. The spirit was strong and again my testimony of the truthfulness of this gospel was strengthened. This Saturday we have to teach at the TRC again but this time with NO notes! Our teachers asked us to also memorize “Penglihatan Pertama” (the First Vision) in Indonesian. The only thing is it’s literally twice as long as it is in English! That night I studied the First Vision over and over and was able to memorize it. I know that the Lord is helping me with the language and in remembering things. I know that he has given me the ability to learn the language as quickly as I have so far, and I can feel the confidence He has in me to preach His gospel to the people of Indonesia.
Our Branch President asked us to have a talk prepared every Sunday in case he is prompted to call on a certain missionary. This past Sunday the topic was the Plan of Salvation. As I was preparing the talk, I wrote down a few thoughts and then realized that my testimony of the Plan of Salvation really began when Hunter passed away. Through that experience, I was able to pray and feel the Spirit testify to me that I would see my little brother again. I was actually hoping that President Dodge would call me up to speak, but unfortunately he didn’t. Maybe next time!
This past Tuesday for devotional, the MTC was blessed with the presence of one of the Lord’s apostles. Elder Jeffrey R. Holland and his wife spoke to us about missionary work, what an important calling it is, and how we should embrace and cherish every moment spent out here. It was beyond powerful! I felt the spirit so strongly and I knew that he was one of the Lord’s chosen servants. He talked about his mission and how he has thought about it every day for the past 49 years. “My mission has affected every good thing that has happened to me,” he said. These past couple of weeks have been full of wonderful and memorable experiences. I am loving the MTC and the work that we are doing…the church IS TRUE!
Saya mengasihi kamu semua (I love you all),
Sister Whitney Okamoto
P.s. Ok so the scripture I want for my plaque is Alma 17:11, written like this:
“…Go forth…and establish my word; yet ye shall be patient in long-suffering and afflictions, that ye may show forth good examples unto them in me, and I will make an instrument of thee in my hands unto the salvation of many souls.”
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
