Week 06 :: Christmas day was extra juicy

MTC

12/26/2018, 3:18 PM

merry CHRISTmas everybody!🌟

Quick shout out to everyone who sent me cards, emails, and packages. I feel your love, and appreciate your kindness, you know who you are, THANK YOU.

Iwagi San update: We finished teaching him about what he needs to know about the plan of salvation and invited him to go to church this Christmas Sunday and he agreed! We'll see how it goes later this week. Even though its not the real Iwagi San, we always keep him in our prayers and you can as well.

SLACKS are in. There was an announcement made that sister missionaries are now allowed to wear slacks. I don’t have any right now but once I do you already know imma be on that.

Sunday my district sang “Mary did you know” for sacrament meeting, and I taught the shimai tachi first verse of Silent Night in Hawaiian. Then we sang the 2nd in Samoan and 3rd in Japanese.

Christmas day was extra juicy. We had the privileged to hear from Elder DAVID A. BEDNAR (I’ll talk about what I learned in the next paragraph). We watched, "My Broken Horse Christmas", and, "Its a Wonderful Life", both of which I’d never seen before. Per usual we sang in the choir and our song is called "Where Shepherds Lately Knelt" accompanied by the violin. My district had secret santa which you'll see in the pictures. We ate sack lunches for dinner and had a special performance by DAVID ARCHULETA. It was awesome, I got to shake his hand.

It was such a blessing to hear from Elder David A Bednar. Before he began he told us not to take notes of what he says, but instead to listen to what the spirit is teaching us how its making us feel and to only write those things down. That was my first time ever doing that and I highly recommend you all to try it next general conference or even at stake conferences. What the spirit taught me through him is that I need to stop being so worried. As long as I'm worthy, obedient, and being good I will be filled with the spirit whether I recognize it or not, and I will receive guidance. I felt a strong sense of assurance. I felt gratitude and learned that I need to change the way I pray. Instead of asking for my will to be done, I need to pray that the Lords will be done. I know that these things I took away are things I personally needed to hear and that if I apply them they will help me become a better missionary.

Honestly, I think this is the best Christmas I've ever had. I've never felt so close to the savior, and I truly have been able to recognize the joy he brings to my life. I know Christ is the only begotten son of our Heavenly Father, that he loves us, that he suffered the great atoning sacrifice for each one of us, overcame death that we may too, and that if we follow him all will be well. Our savior Jesus Christ is the greatest gift. My gift to him is my obedience, truly serving him as a missionary and willingness to become like him as I develop Christ-like attributes.

What gift can you offer Jesus Christ, how can you become closer to him?

I hope you all have a wonderful winter break and Happy New Year! ily all 💕💕

Horito Shimai