Hello everyone! How are you all? Before I started my blog this week I wanted to start by saying I love this work!! I love these people!!!! I love Japan!!!! That is important to me that you all know that.
But I thought I would tell you more about the culture a little bit of what I saw this week! I have not done that a lot because I always get the impression every week that, just like this work, the spiritual things will leave more of an imprint on your lives than anything else. But I will try to do a little more when I see things!
Just some things that I think Japan does that is genius. They have a yellow strip down the middle of every main road sidewalk with bumps all along the way for the blind to always know where they are going. I thought that was really cool to see that they have that in so many areas. Also Japan has little sprinklers along all main roads, facing the road, that sprays warm water whenever it snows on the roads or gets icy so that there is never ice or snow on the roads. I thought that was genius honestly. Also Higashi Choro and I love to find in what we call "the loop." There is a big river with two big bridges that go over it about a mile apart. Our apartment is equally between them on the near side of the river and we do a big circle over both bridges back to our apartment, finding along the way. On the far side is a big park with little water park areas that little kids play in.
There is a really cool thing where you pull your car onto
this little track off of the side of the road, kind of like the same
track you pull onto to get a car wash. You park your car, get out and pay a few dollars and press a button. It lowers underground and parks your car. Then you come back and put in the ticket and gets your car for you. I thought that was very intense but cool. Lastly, there are crows everywhere. Ev... er... y... where.... Just a buck wild amount of crows going. All wicked-witch-of-the-west like. There is a very big train station in Nagaoka and there is a central building with a clock on top and every time the clock goes off of the hour and chimes, about 500 crows from the roof rise up and fly in a huge circle. It truly felt like it was right off of a movie. But anyway that is all I have for the culture this week!
But two quick funny stories before I go into what I loved spiritually this week. First, was just an awkward moment with my Japanese companion that I cannot communicate with very well. We walked past a screen on the wall of the train station and it had a still photo of a basketball player going up for a layup and I love basketball so I said "Elder Higashi look!" The still photo changes as he looks to cheerleaders on the screen. He just looks at me and goes, "Elder." With this sad look on his face. So awkward. I could not explain myself that I was pointing to the basketball player not knowing the picture would change.
Second, my companion and I were finding and we found this young man and were talking to him about the Book of Mormon. Then four college girls walked by saw me and just stopped. It was like they had never seen a white man before. They just stared at me giggling. I finally looked over and one of the girls waved and I waved back and they ran away... I just sat there thinking... When is this going to happen back in the US? Probably never so lets hold on to this memory everyone!
Speaking of memories, I thought back on how we reflect on our memories as we get older and use them to direct our lives decisions and learn from our mistakes. We use our experiences to build our testimony of what we know. But I love what President Eyring said in his talk, Mountains to Climb: "Getting older does not do it alone. It is serving God and others persistently with full heart and soul that turns testimony of truth into unbreakable spiritual strength."
Getting older and looking on what we have done does not do it alone. What are we doing now? What are we doing right now in our lives to turn our testimonies into unbreakable spiritual strength? Are we serving God and others PERSISTENTLY with FULL HEART and SOUL? In D&C:86 and other places it talks about how we are the wheat among innumerable tares. It says that angels day and night plead with the Father to let them come and separate us from the tares, but it is not our time yet. We are growing and ripening amongst tares. Ripening and being prepared to be gathered. Please don't let us ripen unto destruction.
I do not know where the story is, but I remember a story that President Hinckley told I believe, of a tree in his front yard that he let grow over the years. One day he came out and finally really looked upon it and found it leaning strongly one way. He realized he would have to cut off some of its beautiful branches and work hard with much effort to pull it back to its upright position. But recalled that if he had kept it straight in its youth, it would have been so much easier to reclaim and restore that tree. I say this not just to youth. This whole life is meant to prepare to meet God. We need to change now. We can't wait. It does not have to be a drastic change. When we feel we are on the path, we just need to work on the small things. Tighten our shoe laces, adjust the straps, straighten our posture, and walk with pride down the path to our Father. With every step we take, the path will become more and more familiar to us. As if it were a path you had walked a million times. It will be hard, but how great the promise in Luke 6:21: Blessed are ye that hunger now: for ye shall be filled. Blessed are ye that weep now: for ye shall laugh.
The trials of this life are but a moment of misery to an eternity of joy if we stand strong. I send this sincere message also to all return missionaries. Because I know one day that will be my category. In the field, missionaries are enveloped in the gospel 24/7, but return home to their old lives, to familiar places, and familiar situations. Do not let yourself think that because you served a mission that you can return to old places with new renowned strength and that it is ok now
because the temptation will not overpower you. Luke 5:37 gives this warning from the words of Christ:
37 And no man putteth new wine into old bottles; else the new wine will burst the bottles, and be spilled, and the bottles shall perish. Rather,
38 But new wine must be put into new bottles; and both are preserved.
God will preserve our efforts and our hearts if we truly set our hearts on Him. Where our treasures are, our hearts will be also. Returned missionaries can never return and become the person they were before they left. No matter how great. This mission is meant to sanctify, purify, and exemplify us as children of our Father. We can't set ourselves as holy vessels in unholy places and think it is ok. That goes for all of God's children. I always hope to help someone in some way back home from this far off land of Japan. I love you all so much. Keep your feet on the path, your hands on the rod, and keep your eyes on Christ!!!
Love,
Elder Trevor Aiken
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