Elder Myers: January 10, 2016

Well this week was just absolutely beautiful!! Can I just say that being a missionary is so awesome! This is by far the best week on my mission.

Well Tuesday we went to an appointment with an investigator and he didn't show...sad. However as we were riding to our next appointment we found a new investigator. One dropped but we found a new one! Funny how that works. Well his name is Hiraki and he is a 70 year old man who's voice is interesting because he smokes so much. We talked to him on the street and he said he would come to church on Sunday. Well Yesterday he actually came to church!! He stayed for sacrament meeting and then left but he said he is coming again next week. We are finally finding some good investigators here. It's awesome!!

Wednesday we had the Dias family's baptism interview. They passed!! Hahaha! They are so awesome. Afterward we all went out and ate to celebrate. Haha! We showed up at the restaurant and they told all the Japanese people that me and my companion are fluent so people started freakin out and we're talking to us and were so surprised that we were 19 and could talk so well. It's always fun when you surprise people that you are a foreigner who speaks Japanese well.

Well Sunday was by far the best day ever. The Dias family got baptized!! It was such an awesome baptismal service. The spirit was definitely felt by everyone there. Me, my companion, and a man from the ward did a version of Nearer my God to Thee durning the program. I sang the first verse in Portuguese then me and my comp sang the second in English then we all three sang the third in Japanese. it was so powerful and everyone loved it. The Dias family bore their testimonies and it was so great. They were so happy after the baptism it was so amazing. My face hurt at the end of church yesterday cause I had just been smiling so much.

Also yesterday during second hour Alessandro (the father in the Dias family) asked me when he can get the priesthood. I was like "wow we just finished your baptism but okay if you're ready lets do it". He then started telling me how he thinks it's cool that he will be able to baptize people and pass the sacrament. He also told me that he is going to go find someone and baptize them once he has the priesthood. Haha! He is an awesome guy! Well we got him in for an interview with the bishop and he is getting the priesthood this coming Sunday.

I love this family so much and am so grateful for the opportunity I had to meet them and teach them. They don't feel like investigators to me anymore. I feel like they are just my family. It's like I just baptized a part of my family. They are so amazing. It's been such a testimony builder for me to watch them make changes in their lives and try so hard to come closer to Christ. I don't know if I could go to church when I can't understand what is going on very well. They have so much faith and it just touches my heart. This is what the mission is all about! Bringing people closer to Christ literally brings you more joy then you can ever feel in any other way.

I know this church is so true and that the gospel that I go out and preach each and every day is true. I love the Book of Mormon and the powerful and heart changing words that are written within. I love that we have a prophet on the earth who I know is a man of God. I love that this gospel brings people so much joy, peace, love, and hope. I love this all so much and that's why I'm here. I love what I am doing here and don't think I ever want to leave. Haha.

Thank you all so much! I miss you all and hope you have an amazing week!

皆さん頑張ってね！