So we got a call Monday night. A Secret meeting was called for all missionaries working on the island of Shikoku. We were to not tell anyone about it, including other missionaries or members. Also, the only thing we knew about the meeting was that it was from 11AM to 4PM, nothing else. It was on this past Friday, in Marugame.
The meeting was called because we are going to establish the church officially on the island! We are forming a STAKE! the goal is to submit the application before April General Conference for the first stake in Shikoku. (well, there was a stake before, but because of the massive area it covered and lack of technology, it dissolved). So the missionaries in Shikoku right now will all get to participate in the establishment of a stake on Shikoku, never to be dissolved again! In order to fulfill this goal, a lot of less actives have to come back, so some of the missionaries will be called as `Stake Missionaries`, so they will focus all their efforts on members. The sisters in our area are the stake missionaries, so nothing changes really for us except we will inherit their investigators. ^^
Then this Saturday was the Christmas Party! One of our potential investigators came and several ward member`s friends. Us, as six missionaries, did a Christmas Singing / story reading thing. it was great.
Before the Christmas Party, we met with our investigator who was getting baptized! When we visited though, he was super sick and said that he probably couldn`t come. woah. hold on. I had consecrated oil on me, so after a quick explanation, we gave him a blessing. ( my companion`s first first time participating! and it was in Japanese. ^^)
The next day was the BAPTISM! He showed up right on time, and told the other missionaries enthusiastically about how we gave a blessing with oil and he was miraculously healed over night. Everything went so well! This man was so well prepared. The second time we met him we set this baptismal goal, and he was ready when the day came. Lots of people from the ward, and it was just great all around. It was my companion`s first baptism, so he performed the ordinance ^^ The water was only half what there should have been though! the branch told us that it takes 2 hours to fill. wrong. it takes probably 4 ish hours. So he had to lay all the way down practically to get baptized. He was confirmed by the Branch President and it was a beautiful blessing. He is going to be such a strength to the branch! he first learned that there were less actives and he was shocked. `We have to help these people!!! they need to remember what I am feeling right now!`
During a lesson last week, I was trying to tell him to remember the feeling he will receive at baptism.... but instead of kimochi (feeling) I said kimuchi (kimchi.....) haha. It was pretty funny. But I gave him a little kimchi as a baptism gift and told him to always remember the kimchi he received at baptism. haha. I`ll get him a better gift as well, don`t worry. just have to wait until I can go to Kobe to get a triple combination for him.
Well it was a really great week! this week we will go to Okayama for Trainer trainee meeting, and I will go to Niihama on Friday to do some translation for a district meeting. (after that, there is only one area I haven`t been to on shikoku, tokushima)
Love you all!
Hurrah for Israel! and Shikoku!
Elder O`Reilly
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| There was a McDonalds right outside the marugame church. yeah..... 44 missionaries, mostly American, swarmed a Mcdonalds all at once. They were going crazy. You`ll regonize Elder Hunt (my current district leader, MTC companion), and Elder Ogasawara (now a zone leader in Marugame, was a district leader in Kouchi, and in the same district in Fukuyama). |
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| Just in case you wanted to know if I am awesome. haha. |
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| A picture at the Christmas Party! that is Elder Waters, another missionary in the apartment. The girl came to English class and has met with the sister missionaries a few times. She likes to take pictures with us. ^^ |
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| Its a baptism! He progressed so fast. Met him while knocking some doors at the end of October. |
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| And with all the missionaries. |
P.S. I got the package today! all sorts of fun. Saving basically everything for Christmas day though ^^
I did watch the DVD. was WAY funny. haha! My roomates loved it too.
love youuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!
me
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