I love Talking to Real Japanese People

This week we had new Japanese sisters come in and they leave the same day as us and so what did we do, we talked to them, A LOT. We had one in our room all day on Tuesday and so we got to know her and she's so funny and we talked like all day long in Japanese and it was fabulous, and she tried speaking some English and she was trying to make fun of the most American accents she could (like when Americans say banirra instead of vanilla) and we were all in tears. At dinner she wanted to try some cornbread and we were like okay and as soon as she put it in her eyes got huge and she covered her mouth and said  ”なに！” meaning "What is this?" and she thought it was the most disgusting thing she ever ate. That night we went to the Tuesday devotional and there was another Japanese sister that looked a little bit down because she didn't know English and the people she was with didn't know much Japanese so communication wasn't really happening so Sherman Chourou and I talked to her for a solid 30 minutes and just really got to know her and about her life and it made a big difference because we were trying to make her laugh and all of that and she seemed a lot happier afterwards which is what going on a mission is all about. Service. Plus, it's just so cool that I can hold at least a small conversation with Japanese people and talk to them and I'm just so so so so excited to be in Japan in a week and a half!!!!!

That night, Bishop Causse, one of the Presiding Bishopric came and spoke, and we spoke about how we need to be obedient and bold and if we aren't bold as missionaries then people won't be super affected by our message and told the story of an English woman going to school to become a preacher in the Church of England and her husband was atheist and the missionaries taught her and asked her to 1. read the Book of Mormon, 2. Pray about it, 3. Come to church, 4. Be baptized and 5. For referrals (these are the five commitments we should leave every lesson he said and I'm going to do that) and so she went to Church and was contentious the whole time and argued with everybody so she ended contact with the missionaries until a couple of days later she called them and said she read the entire Book of Mormon, prayed about it, knows it's true and wants to be baptized and her husband when he found out wanted to be separated but she knew that it was true so she kept with baptism and her whole family ended up joining the church because those missionaries were bold and left bold commitments and now her life is changed. He then shared this scripture in 1 Corinthians 1:26-27 "26 For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble are called: 27 But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty." Missionaries don't have much worldly experience. We may not know the ins and outs of the Bible. We may not be the smartest people and we make mistakes. But God uses us to spread His message and we can "confound the wise" by remaining humble and sincere in our message. I 100% believe that.

Everybody. Read the Book of Mormon. Start today and read straight through, a little bit everyday. I promise that if you do this, you will know for yourself the truthfulness of the book. You will know that it IS God's words. You will gain a greater understanding of Christ and His Gospel. I promise you. Never stop reading that book. Man can draw closer to God by abiding by the precepts in that book than by any other method on the planet. I beg and plead with you to read it. Study it. Pray about it. Live it. Be humble. Be Christlike. Serve others. Live what you believe and know to be true. Paul said (I forgot the reference) "Can we continue in sin and expect to be saved through mercy? God forbid!" or something along those lines. The Gospel is about continually improving your life to become as Christlike as you can be. As we become Christlike, we will turn outwards and help other people when the natural man would turn inwards. After Christ suffered in the Garden of Gethsemane for the sins, burdens, pains, addictions (more on that in a few), and everything completely and utterly alone and bled from every pore, no doubt He, being God, was exhausted beyond anything anyone could possibly fathom; it would have killed anybody else. Peter then cuts off a guard's ear and Christ turns out and heals that superficial wound. On the cross, while dying, he comforts His mother and leaves her with John the Beloved. He asks the Father to forgive the crucifiers of their sins. He looks at the men next to Him and tells them that they'll be with Him in Paradise. While He was dying for the world, He still never looked inward and He kept serving those around Him! I promise that as you read the Book of Mormon and pray for that desire to develop the Character of Christ, that you will, but it's a process and it's hard but it's so worth it and if we do develop that character, which is charity, there is no way we can be found unworthy at the last day. Please do it!

Friends, family. Today, go to LDS.org and start watching the Addiction Recovery videos. They are so powerful and helped me understand the Atonement so much more. I know that God loves everybody, even those that we look down upon, because He has a perfect love and understanding of everybody. I want to develop that love and serve the Nihonjins as selflessly and as Christlike as I can and I know that if I put my faith in Christ and work that He'll help me. He promises us that He will.

Everyone I love you all so much!!! I miss you but I miss Japan more and I haven't been there yet! Read the Book of Mormon! Pray about it! You'll know it's true! I'm not just wasting two years in Japan because it's cool (even though Japan is SO COOL) but because I know that this message is Christ's message and changes lives everyday. It's changed mine and will change yours if you put in the effort for it. Please do it. I love you all and that's why I want you to.

I love you all!

Elder Tschirki

 

Drew and Elder Ben Jenson (great friends from home who grew up together)

 

Me and Brother Liddiard in our branch presidency. He's one of the funniest guys I've met and he was a Hollywood makeup artist and worked with Robert Redford countless times and is like, best friends with him and he's worked with Sylvester Stallone and mouthed off to him. He's so funny and sweet!

 

Me and Budge Kyoudai who just got back from Fukuoka two months ago and is my teacher here and I've learned so much from him. He's a spiritual giant that watches Naruto (every Japan RM does apparently, so Mom go buy every Naruto for me!) and I respect this man so much. I've learned so much about Japanese and Christ's atonement and Christlike attributes from him and if you end up going to Japan on your mission and meet Budge Kyoudai, you are SO LUCKY. Plus ladies, he's single!