Things are just fantastic here:) We set another baptismal date yesterday! Hooray!!!She's a lady in her 50's. Remember how I told you that there was a wedding reception at the church a couple weeks ago. Well, the night before we were at the church practicing the song we were going to sing and everyone else was helping set up the cultural hall. Well as we were heading out of the church to go to our next appointment there was a lady looking at the bulletin board. I thought she was a member there to help set up for the wedding, so we didn't say anything and just went out to our bikes.(we were kind of in a hurry) Anyways, I got to my bike and realized I didn't have a Book of Mormon in my bag (cause I had given it away earlier that day) So I ran back in to grab a copy and noticed that the lady was kind of wandering around looking for somebody. So I asked her if I could help her find something and she asked me what kind of things we were doing at the church. I was taken back because I thought she was a member, but we started talking and I found out that she had been an investigator about 13 years ago and that her daughter had been baptized. She said she used to go to the mission home every week for family home evening and always had the missionaries over for dinner. What?!?! She said there was alot going on in her life right now, and on her way home from shopping she felt like she wanted to stop by and see what was going on at the church. Hallelujah~~
SO, pretty much she's AMAZING. We've had a few lessons with her and every time she tells us how she thinks she needs to get baptized and start following God. She said 13 years ago when she was listening to the lessons, she was listening for the benefit of her children, but during our lesson she said she finally realized that it was for her too. She got so excited when we told her that Jesus Christ is always there for us and that he wants us to lean on him. She was like " I can ask God for help?" It was amazing.
We've got to work hard, but she's got the desire, so if she'll just put her faith into action, I know everything will go okay:)
ALSO, we had a crazy miracle this last Saturday. Recently the Elders have had a Chinese investigator who was baptized. Well, he's been bringing his friends, who are bringing their friends, who are bringing their friends. Last Saturday we were at the church getting ready for Oyako Eikaiwa (English conversation class) when about 12 Chinese people walked into the church. (all in their 20's) We were WAY surprised...and didn't know what to do with them cause we had to start the kids English class in 5 minutes. I ran to the phone, called the AP's and told them to get to the church ASAP. I guess they thought church was on Saturday. It was crazy because they came all on their own. And I don't think any of them were investigators at the time. They just heard about church from a friend of a friend...WOW. What's even more amazing is that the Chinese member who was just baptized, just happened to come to the church about half an hour after all the Chinese people got there. MIRACLE!
Teaching them is a little tough cause they all just got to japan a few months ago. Some speak a little English, some speak a little Japanese...so lessons are going to be very interesting. Also, Fukuoka has seen this kind of "Chinese boom" before...but not alot of them stayed active...or they moved, so yeah...we've got to be careful, but I think we are truly seeing a miracle here in japan. Since we can't preach the gospel in China, the Chinese are coming to Japan to hear it. The Lord works in mysterious ways:)
I know life's probably hectic as you're getting into the holiday season, but listen to lots of Christmas music, get that holiday spirit in you and go about every day with a smile on your face!
