Thursday, February 11, 2010
Hey everyone! So last Friday I taught at District Meeting…I was way nervous but I think it went well. My District is really cool, all great missionaries. Our investigators are doing well, 3 are praying about baptism. I love this work, I see the Lord’s hand in it every day. I know that when we are prompted by the spirit to do something, and we do it, we will receive great blessings. Just the other day I was sitting next to a lady on the bus who didn’t look very friendly and I was a little nervous to contact her, but I felt prompted to do so. So I did. And it turns out she was way nice and very friendly and she wanted us to call her!
My companion, Sister Mongan, has two more months before she goes home. Crazy! I’ve learned from her to enjoy your companion and the work and time will fly. She says that’s the key to success. I’m so grateful I’ve gotten to serve with her, hopefully we’ll be together for the rest of her mission. But whatever happens is the Lord’s will!
This week we’ve learned how valuable the members are in this work. We’ve had a member fellowship with us at almost every lesson, and the lesson goes so much better than we could have done ourselves! Adding another testimony and personal experience from someone other than a full-time missionary is invaluable! It helps the investigator to feel more at ease and the lesson just flows. Also, I read a quote once, “The members in your ward aren’t going to get transferred this Friday, but you might.” In other words, make sure that investigators get attached to members and make friendships in the ward because that’s where they’ll be staying. Missionaries get transferred and change constantly, but the members stay. So for those of you non-full-time missionaries, get involved in the work! Help the missionaries with referrals and fellowshipping. You will be blessed!
I hope all is well with all of you. Thank you SO much for your support! I love you all!
Dengan kasih,
Sister Okamoto
My companion, Sister Mongan, has two more months before she goes home. Crazy! I’ve learned from her to enjoy your companion and the work and time will fly. She says that’s the key to success. I’m so grateful I’ve gotten to serve with her, hopefully we’ll be together for the rest of her mission. But whatever happens is the Lord’s will!
This week we’ve learned how valuable the members are in this work. We’ve had a member fellowship with us at almost every lesson, and the lesson goes so much better than we could have done ourselves! Adding another testimony and personal experience from someone other than a full-time missionary is invaluable! It helps the investigator to feel more at ease and the lesson just flows. Also, I read a quote once, “The members in your ward aren’t going to get transferred this Friday, but you might.” In other words, make sure that investigators get attached to members and make friendships in the ward because that’s where they’ll be staying. Missionaries get transferred and change constantly, but the members stay. So for those of you non-full-time missionaries, get involved in the work! Help the missionaries with referrals and fellowshipping. You will be blessed!
I hope all is well with all of you. Thank you SO much for your support! I love you all!
Dengan kasih,
Sister Okamoto
So today I hit 3 months in Indo! I feel like the language is picking up more, I hardly ever speak in English except for when we go to the English Branch on Sunday mornings or I’m talking to Sister Hewlett. Sister Mongan hit her 16 months today…she’s excited, to say the least. Everyone always asks her first how much longer she has and then they ask me…haha. I reply, “saya masih punya kekekalan!” (“I still have eternity”) and they just laugh. But really, I’m okay with that. I love it here and I’m immersing myself in the work and the culture which makes things a lot easier, I think. I’ve seen other missionaries that just refuse to accept this amazing culture and they’re having a really rough time. For example, Indonesians run on what we call in English, “rubber time”. When they say they’ll be somewhere at 6pm, that really means 7 or 7:30pm. And that’s usually WITHOUT traffic or if there’s rain. If there’s rain, it’s no surprise if they don’t show up at all. Now we can react to a situation like this in two ways: either get mad and frustrated and have a bad attitude, OR know that you did all you could and you’ll have to just meet them another time. I choose the latter. It saves a lot of stress and makes things easier for you and your companion.
Anyway, we had a small but cool miracle happen recently! These past couple of weeks we’ve been teaching a new investigator named Ibu Dewi. She’s Christian and already has a very strong testimony of Christ. Her husband is Muslim but he’s okay with her taking the lessons. We’ve met with her at least 4 times, but the second time we went she said she’d lost her glasses and wasn’t able to read the Book of Mormon. This week we’d been praying and praying that she’d find her glasses. A few days ago her husband was driving (for his work) and he saw someone drop something and then drive away. At first he thought it was a cell phone, but no one went to pick it up so he went to see what it was. It was a glasses case but the glasses weren’t inside. He looked around to find the glasses and saw them lying in the middle of the road with cars and motor bikes passing by. He thought for sure they’d be broken but when he picked them up they were in perfect condition! So he took them home and gave them to Ibu Dewi and they just happened to be the right prescription and everything! We were so happy and it was just another testimony to me that Heavenly Father answers our prayers. I’m still doing well; I come home every night so tired (whether from the heat and humidity or from walking around and teaching all day, who knows) but I take that as a good sign. Oh, 2 bits of news: 1) In the beginning of March I’ll most likely be taking a trip to Singapore. Apparently they had some visa problems (originating from Salt Lake) so we have to take care of that. They’re hoping it’ll only be a week, but it could take up to a month. We’re not allowed to go out and sight-see at all (and you’re not allowed to proselyte in Singapore anyways), President made it sound like we’ll be in doors all day, studying. I’ll let you know more details when I find out more myself. 2) So…I have another kidney stone. But no worries, this one is apparently really small and about ready to come out. The USG results from before said that all the fragments (from the previously destroyed stone) had come out, but I think this one somehow didn’t come up on the USG. This past Saturday morning I woke up fine but around 7:30am I started feeling sore on that same side where I had the previous kidney stone. We all thought it was from me washing my clothes by hand and sitting in the same position for too long, so after personal study I went to lay down for a bit. The soreness persisted and even got worse, but I didn’t want to go to the hospital again. Around 11am, I went to the bathroom and was about to walk out the door when the pain hit really bad. Way worse than the first time. My eyes got blurry and I thought I was going to faint! It was crazy! So I called to the sisters and I ended up having to go to the hospital again. But I’m fine now! I have pain killers and everything’s good. From that experience I learned to appreciate when my body is functioning normally and is not in constant pain…and I never would have thought of that before. I’m still learning new things every day…my testimony is strengthened every time I share it. I know that God loves us so much that He sent His Son to earth to endure more than He has ever asked us to experience. Christ is literally our Savior. Salvation can only be found through His infinite Atonement, and through living the gospel of Jesus Christ. I know that by so doing we will not only receive blessings and happiness in this life, but also in the life to come.
I hope you all are doing well, remember to appreciate the “little” things in life!
I love you!
Anyway, we had a small but cool miracle happen recently! These past couple of weeks we’ve been teaching a new investigator named Ibu Dewi. She’s Christian and already has a very strong testimony of Christ. Her husband is Muslim but he’s okay with her taking the lessons. We’ve met with her at least 4 times, but the second time we went she said she’d lost her glasses and wasn’t able to read the Book of Mormon. This week we’d been praying and praying that she’d find her glasses. A few days ago her husband was driving (for his work) and he saw someone drop something and then drive away. At first he thought it was a cell phone, but no one went to pick it up so he went to see what it was. It was a glasses case but the glasses weren’t inside. He looked around to find the glasses and saw them lying in the middle of the road with cars and motor bikes passing by. He thought for sure they’d be broken but when he picked them up they were in perfect condition! So he took them home and gave them to Ibu Dewi and they just happened to be the right prescription and everything! We were so happy and it was just another testimony to me that Heavenly Father answers our prayers. I’m still doing well; I come home every night so tired (whether from the heat and humidity or from walking around and teaching all day, who knows) but I take that as a good sign. Oh, 2 bits of news: 1) In the beginning of March I’ll most likely be taking a trip to Singapore. Apparently they had some visa problems (originating from Salt Lake) so we have to take care of that. They’re hoping it’ll only be a week, but it could take up to a month. We’re not allowed to go out and sight-see at all (and you’re not allowed to proselyte in Singapore anyways), President made it sound like we’ll be in doors all day, studying. I’ll let you know more details when I find out more myself. 2) So…I have another kidney stone. But no worries, this one is apparently really small and about ready to come out. The USG results from before said that all the fragments (from the previously destroyed stone) had come out, but I think this one somehow didn’t come up on the USG. This past Saturday morning I woke up fine but around 7:30am I started feeling sore on that same side where I had the previous kidney stone. We all thought it was from me washing my clothes by hand and sitting in the same position for too long, so after personal study I went to lay down for a bit. The soreness persisted and even got worse, but I didn’t want to go to the hospital again. Around 11am, I went to the bathroom and was about to walk out the door when the pain hit really bad. Way worse than the first time. My eyes got blurry and I thought I was going to faint! It was crazy! So I called to the sisters and I ended up having to go to the hospital again. But I’m fine now! I have pain killers and everything’s good. From that experience I learned to appreciate when my body is functioning normally and is not in constant pain…and I never would have thought of that before. I’m still learning new things every day…my testimony is strengthened every time I share it. I know that God loves us so much that He sent His Son to earth to endure more than He has ever asked us to experience. Christ is literally our Savior. Salvation can only be found through His infinite Atonement, and through living the gospel of Jesus Christ. I know that by so doing we will not only receive blessings and happiness in this life, but also in the life to come.
I hope you all are doing well, remember to appreciate the “little” things in life!
I love you!
Selamat malam semuanya! Sister Mongan and I just got back from visiting with an old investigator of some already-returned-home sister missionaries. Her name is Ibu Josephine. She is so nice and so receptive. Her teaching record said that she’d been taught lessons 1 and 2, but that was a while ago so we mainly wanted to follow-up. She still reads the Book of Mormon and wants to learn more! She also invited her friend over to listen in on the lesson because her friend had heard some bad rumors about the church, all of which were not true. But as soon as her friend met us and had the rumors cleared up, her questions answered, she was very open to hearing more about the church. So two new investigators! Before we left, Ibu Josephine gave us two bags of these cracker-type things and bracelets! Indonesians remind me of Japanese people that way, they never let you leave their house empty-handed, always giving of what they have!
So one of our current goals is to teach 20 lessons a week…that’s 3 a day and 2 on Sunday. I don’t know how other missions are, but for Jakarta especially, that’s a LOT! But Sister Mongan and I have proved that hard work pays off. Everyone says Jakarta’s the hardest area, but the Lord is blessing us and we’re working with a lot of investigators.
Today for P-day we went to the Museum Nasional. It had tons of statues from old Buddhist temples and lots of Indonesian cultural artifacts. It was really interesting! I would love to someday visit many of the islands in Indonesia; they are all so different, each with their own traditions, beliefs, and culture.
Oh yeah, I don’t think I mentioned this before but 2 weeks ago I gave my first talk here! I was so nervous, but I think it went ok. I spoke on Moroni 7:15-19 (the Spirit of Christ). There’s a really cool quote in Preach My Gospel (I forgot who it’s by) and it talks about how everyone is given the Spirit of Christ and so when we teach them about the gospel, it will ring familiar to them. We all chose this plan: to come to earth, gain a body, be tested, live the gospel, prove faithful, and endure to the end. Really, we as missionaries are only reminding our brothers and sisters of what they already knew and committed to do in the pre-earth life. Kind of a cool way to think about it.
Anyway, everything’s great here…hope you all are doing great too!
Love you all and thanks for ALL of your support!
Dengan Kasih,
Sister Okamoto
So one of our current goals is to teach 20 lessons a week…that’s 3 a day and 2 on Sunday. I don’t know how other missions are, but for Jakarta especially, that’s a LOT! But Sister Mongan and I have proved that hard work pays off. Everyone says Jakarta’s the hardest area, but the Lord is blessing us and we’re working with a lot of investigators.
Today for P-day we went to the Museum Nasional. It had tons of statues from old Buddhist temples and lots of Indonesian cultural artifacts. It was really interesting! I would love to someday visit many of the islands in Indonesia; they are all so different, each with their own traditions, beliefs, and culture.
Oh yeah, I don’t think I mentioned this before but 2 weeks ago I gave my first talk here! I was so nervous, but I think it went ok. I spoke on Moroni 7:15-19 (the Spirit of Christ). There’s a really cool quote in Preach My Gospel (I forgot who it’s by) and it talks about how everyone is given the Spirit of Christ and so when we teach them about the gospel, it will ring familiar to them. We all chose this plan: to come to earth, gain a body, be tested, live the gospel, prove faithful, and endure to the end. Really, we as missionaries are only reminding our brothers and sisters of what they already knew and committed to do in the pre-earth life. Kind of a cool way to think about it.
Anyway, everything’s great here…hope you all are doing great too!
Love you all and thanks for ALL of your support!
Dengan Kasih,
Sister Okamoto
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
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
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