Good Weekkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk- desu week 11

こんにちは,

Good week this week. Been working really hard lately and some cool things happened! I had a lot of lessons and cool experiences. Tuesday we met our buddy Panchhi. Same old same old with him. Wednesday, we had a weekly ping pong night and we brought an investigator! Masa さん had a lot of fun and he’s becoming a good friend. Thursday went on a companionship exchange with Elder Wilcox, My zone leader who’s a total beast. So i spent the day in Mikunigaoka on Thursday seeing investigators from that area and such. Friday was an awesome day. We had Zone Conference and talked a lot about the Book of Mormon. Learned some new insights, and some things i can use in my teaching appointments. Half way through we had Lunch, and President Welch whips out MEET THE MORMONS!! We watched that during our Lunchtime and man was that an amazing film. It was awesome to see the perspective of soo many different people all over the world. My favorite was the Navy football coach! the segment made me cry. I miss footballlllllllllll. Oh well haha. Anyways i enjoyed it! 

Saturday, we had a stake music festival! Lots of crazy good music and we brought our friend Masa again! He really had a good time, he LOVES music, all music with a passion. After that we returned to Hashimoto and headed back to the apartment. We decided to head over to our friend whom I scared last week haha. Turns out his electricity is still out and has been homeless basically. He was in his car when we saw him and we talked to him for a bit. He seemed worried and scared but didn’t want to show it. So me and my companion went back after talking to him feeling horrible about this. I grabbed my only jacket, my blankets, some bread and water, and headed back over to him. He was surprised yet so very grateful for helping him out that night.

Sunday was the hardest day of the week, but another experience through the spirit.

I woke up on not much sleep, and so we were getting ready for meetings and I only had time to eat a slice of bread for breakfast. I was hungry! We went to church and everything. Afterward, we had zero time for lunch; we had lessons to go to. So we went and visited the people and didn’t get back till about 7. At this point I’m DYING!! I hadn’t eaten all day haha. We headed to the apartment but decided to check on our friend agaiun on the way. He was still struggling a bit and said there was nothing else we could do; we already helped him he said. After that we left feeling sorry for the guy. We made it back to the apartment and I was so ready to eat! I had some chicken and stuff ready to make a BOMB Chicken sandwich.  I made a really, really good sandwich. As soon as I slapped the bread on top, the spirit overtook me and said, great you made some food! Now go take it to your friend! I was so mad! I wanted that sandwich! I hadn’t eaten all day! But then I remembered the scriptures, of how the lord asks us to love others and take care of the poor and administer to the sick, so I was smited by God and was told again, take him the sandwich. So.... I grabbed my other blanket and the sandwich, and we walked it over to him. I wish you could have seen the eyes on his face when he saw us again there ready to help him out. We left him almost in tears and I could truly feel his love and gratefulness from us. 

That taught me a lot. When we think of others and forget ourselves, we will be blessed. We may have a new friend ready to here the Gospel and even be baptized. It wasn’t so bad either, I thought I was gonna die because my natural man was coming in. But, because I followed the spirit, I was able to help someone, and I’m fine, I’m still alive and well and was able to have some delicious instant ramen! ( wasn’t that good but it’s okay it was soo worth it! :) )

I love that guy so much! I am grateful for the opportunity that the lord has given me to help him out. Remember to follow the spirit, it just may bless you, or in this case, someone else’s life! Remember to have gratitude in your hearts this time of year as we have many things to be thankful for that we sometimes don’t take the time to appreciate!

This week read Jacob Chapter 4 vs. 7 it’s a good one! 

I love you all!  Happy Thanksgiving!

Elder Preciado

プレシア度長老

Where has the time gone! Week 10

So I was chilling here thinking, wait a minute, its November about to be December, which means I’m coming up very, very soon on 6 months of being a missionary which means I’m about a quarter way into my mission which means I’m going to start going crazy because that’s TOO FAST.

Anyways haha, Hello again! Been a FAST, FREEZING week. Its beginning to get very cold here and it isn’t even the worst of it. its just starting! Lots of good things happened this week as opposed to other weeks. Tuesday had a good lesson with my good ole friend Panchhi さん. Afterward we promised we would eat at his restaurant so we had some mighty fine Indian food. Wednesday traveled to Senboku Area which was like an Hour away, to do a baptismal interview for the Elders over there. Afterward we swapped companions and came back to Hashimoto. My new companion for the exchange was Elder Sano! The sickest Japanese Missionary on the planet. He speaks minimal english, so i was forced to speak A LOT of japnese during the exchange. it was Hard but i learned a lot from it. Japanese is slowly getting better. Every Wednesday night we hold a ping pong night at the church, and we try and invite investigators and members to come and play and have fun and what not. This week! Masa さん Came! Some guy we called from the area book and invited him. And surprisingly he actually showed up! Built a good relationship with him and invited him to our free english class we hold every Friday. And he came there too!! We even gave him a Book of Mormon to read and we plan on following up with him later. 

Saturday, had a few good lessons, teaching this young women about how to find happiness in this life. We gave her a book of mormon and she committed to reading it. Yesterday was a good one. After Church, went over to a Lady’s house of whom we’ve been teaching. Last week we gave her a book of mormon and she started reading. She’s in 2 Nephi already! She’s a beast. Hopefully she will see the goodness and light of the gospel and want to get baptized very soon. On our way back from that appointment, we found 3 new people while housing. Talk about awesomeness. 

Saturday had a really cool experience with the spirit. 

We taught an 18 year old kid weeeeekkkkksss ago, and it was an amazing lesson. The kid was crying and everything and really felt the spirit. We agreed to meet the following weekend because he only lives in this apartment on the weekends as he has a job in osaka and commuting is difficult sometimes. For weeks we were trying to visit him but he was never home. What happened? Where did he go? Did he move? Did he lie and try to be nice? What’s going on!  Saturday we were going to visit him one last time. We walk around the corner and look up at his windows and they’re all off, all the lights are out. My companion says, welp he’s not home... and I said hold up man!!! We walked up to the door. And My companion rang the doorbell like 50 times. No answer. So we started heading back down. But I felt the need to begin violently shaking the door handle. So i did! I waited about a min. Then the lock slides open and out comes the kid!! The guy almost pooped his pants he was so scared! Turns out he hasn’t been able to come back to the apartment for a few weeks and so he came back that night and they shut off his electricity. so it was dark. The guy said, `I was sitting on the toilet freezing because the electricity was out and my toilet seat warmer wouldn’t heat up, then I heard a crazy noise so I walked out and then I see this HUGE Foreigner in my doorway! haha 

Basically because of the spirit, we came back in contact. Don’t know what would have happened. Maybe he would’ve missed out on some Awesome eternal salvation! haha When you receive a prompting from the spirit, Do it. It’ll bless you. It’s blessed me in this experience and MANY others in terms of my life actually being saved, helping someone else, and finding a lifelong best friend. I know it will bless you like it has me! 

We recently started a mission challenge of reading the book of Mormon in 4 months. BUT here’s the catch!! We were asked to find All references of Jesus Christ, Attributes or characteristics of the godhead, and highlight when a prophet, angel, god, etc. are speaking. SO I challenge YOU to do the same thing!! Take three different colors and have at it. I’ve begun and holy jamoly is it amazing. It causes me to really, really focus in on every verse to find each thing and its increased my knowledge of the Book of Mormon in just a few short weeks. As I study some more I’ll find some good golden nuggets for ya’ll to read, but for now this is where I want you to start!!

Have a good week i love you all and enjoy your families presence at this time of year :)


プレシア度長老

Elder Preciado

Here's some pictures this week, the elder is Elder Sano, a Japanese

 missionary i was on comp exchanges with..

Week 9 Getting better..

Hey folks,

This week was a better than last week and I hope you enjoyed last weeks letter. 

This will be a little shorter, but i want to share a cool experience I’ve been having this week. Had a companionship exchange which was last friday. We had a lesson with a college student and taught him of the book of mormon! (My FAVORITE) he loved it! I was able to testify to him all my feelings of it and the power it has, and i know he felt it, I gave him an english and japanese copy so that he could practice reading english.  He promised to read at least 5 minutes a night with his busy schedule. We plan on meeting tonight so hopefully it goes well.

That's really the only great thing that happened this week. I was just glad to be over the flu and back out there! My knee is doing a little better. I treated myself to a cane so that i can get around easier! Don’t  laugh or hate i gottta do what i gotta do to teach people. It helps thought so it's getting better which is good!

Hope you are all continuing reading and enjoying life, enjoy the holiday season and do so by sharing the gospel with someone you love! 

I love you all..till next week!

P.s. Sorry my camera is having issues so hope to get it fixed so I can share pics soon!

プレ詩アド長老

Elder Preciado

Rough Week 8!

Well hello again!

Been a really rough week this week as i caught the flu and have been stuck in the apartment. Not much has really happened as you could imagine but from all the studying, might as well enlighten you all rather than bore you!

I've recently restarted reading the Book of Mormon. And ive come to the book of Alma! One of my favorites as it talks about my favorite Book of Mormon prophets and heroes such as Ammon, and Captain Moroni. As I read, I've come to LOVE Alma Chapter 2. It talks a lot about faith. Lately Ive been dealing with a ton of Physical trials and what not, and believe it or not, its been hard! Keeping faith in this kind of stuff is hard. Not being able to go out and proselyte is heart breaking, makes me feel like im wasting time, and that im not successful sometimes. But when i read this Chapter, it picked me right back up.

If you read Chapter 1, it talks about certain events that occur. At the end of it, and at the beginning of chapter 2 It says that the church was very prosperous at this time! As time moved and the more prosperous they became in their industries and what not, some of the nephites began to lust after the vain things of the world wearing all manner of fine clothing and dwelling on gold and silver and precious things. One Nephite in particular, Amlici (hate that guy) began to build up another church and began to draw away the hearts of many people. Army became very strong and he and the Amlicites desired to go to war against Alma and the Nephites. Physically, the Amlicites could probably wreck anyone any day of the week, key thing is, they had no faith! No faith in their Heavenly Father about anything. The Nephites were JACKED on faith, Spiritual giants everywhere! Because of their faith and because of their prayers, God heard them and their prayers and delivered them out. The Amlicites fell before the Nephites and everyone was happy.

BUT, The Amlicites took off and decided to go chill with the Lamanites for a bit, and then come and try again to smite the Nephites off the earth. Sure enough, the Amlicites AND the Lamanites came, Thats two armies people! Two freakin strong armies thirsty for blood of the Nephites. Basically what i imagine is going through the minds of the Nephites is, `Shoot man! its all good though we have GOD on our side, psssh we are good!` So the Nephites begin to pray with everything theyve got and cry and plead unto God to help em out. Because of that and their faith (once again) It is said that the Nephites slew THOUSANDS, and TENS OF THOUSANDS through the power of god within them.

Basically from these two experiences they had, we know that all of us can cry unto our Heavenly Father for help, or guidance or about anything really, and we will receive help ONLY when our faith in him is there, and that our desires are righteous ones. 

BUT WAIT THERES MOREEEE

Chapter 2, Alma goes face to face with the man himself, Amlici, in a sword duel. Alma being a man of god, and having been exercised with much FAITH, he asks god `Hey God, help me out man! Let me win the battle so that I CAN CONTINUE BEING AN INSTRUMENT IN THY HANDS` After, He freakin slays Amlici like a beast. Soon as that Happens everyone freaks out and starts running for it across the river Sidon, The Nephites build a bridge over the river out of the Lamanite and Amlici bodies that they killed (freakin savage man!) and pursued them and continued to slay them so that they wouldn't come back.

Freak man! That's sick! We can liken this story to us. In a very suitable way considering the world we live in. The Amlicites are the Devil and his temptations. May we all build up our faith each day, become spiritual giants so that we don't fall before the adversary. may we have faith like unto Alma, and be able to contend with `The Devil` when he comes our way and be able to Slay him. Now some of us may make mistakes, that.s okay, that's what the atonement is for, we can take what we`ve learned, meaning take the bodies we've slain, build that bridge and continue to slay the Devil so that these kinds of problems don't   ever mess with us anymore and we can say NO, and keep moving forward in faith so that we can achieve Eternal life with our Father in Heaven.

I have really began to strengthen my faith through DAILY prayer and scripture study, really makes a difference and I know it will help you too!

Hope what i have taught you makes sense, and i Hope you continue to work hard at building your faith! I advise you to read this Chapter!!

Love you all and PRAY for me that next week  i'll be better to leave the apartment! Hate being sick!

Love,  Elder Preciado

プレ氏アド長老　

Jacob drew this picture for a Japanese family named Mitsukawa, which means river of light. He drew this picture of a light river leading to the Tree of Life. The scripture is Matthew 5:16 "Let your light so shine before men so that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven."