Monday, June 15, 2015

Whats up family! What a crazy week! - May 18th

Me and Elder Day worked super hard the last two days we were together.  On Wednesday we received our new companions.  I'm now with Elder Barr from Columbus Ohio.  He's an interesting kid 19 who loves military history and anything about the military.  He's really fun talks a lot!  Haha

And then we went to work, finding more people.  Working harder.  Doing more.  And then something happened, oddly, on Saturday morning, I had the strangest impression to call my mission president.  I learned well into my mission never to ignore those promptings.  So I gave him a call and told him I didn't know why, but that I needed to talk to him.  It was about 7:20.  Still sleeping at the time, he woke up and was able to talk to me for about 45 to 50 minutes about missionary work and how to set goals and feel accomplished.  What a crazy impression, but President knew how to respond.  It was a great miracle that morning.  


I have also been feeling that something big is coming, something is going to have to change in my life.  And I think that it was something that I expected God to change, but instead I had to start.  I have been studying and thinking a lot about the word sanctify.  Sanctify.  

 35 Nevertheless they did fast and pray oft, and did wax stronger and stronger in their humilityand firmer and firmer in the faith of Christ, untthe filling their souls with joy and consolation, yea, eveto the purifying and the sanctification of their hearts, which sanctification cometh because of their yielding their hearts unto God

I read this and felt that I needed to yield my heart to God.  I thought I had been doing a pretty good job.  I've been obedient, I've been working hard, what more can I do?  Apparently a lot!  Haha, but I had the name of a talk that I hadn't heard in a long time come to me.  It's called, Purification, or AKA Sanctification.  It's not a talk given by a General Authority, but something written out from some words by general authorities.  The bulk of it is from Elder Gene R Cook.  And it's simply, making a list of 10 things you want to change, things you want to give up or things you want to do better.  Then, starting with a real fast of food and drink (for 24 hours), go 40 days without doing those things, or doing them better, and the promise is that we will have our natures changed to do or not do these things.  What a great promise!  So I guess I know what I am going to be doing these next couple of weeks!  I am excited to try this out and try to change some more things.  I emailed president today and made a joke that, In accounting the equation is always the same Assests+Liabilities=Equity, and its the same in the gospel, Sacrifice = Blessings.  What an easy equation!  A great question that came to me from the Spirit "How much are you willing to sacrifice for your brothers and sisters?"  So I guess I know what I am going to be doing!  And How excited I am to be able to sacrifice even more for my brothers and sisters and in doing so see more blessings myself! 

The last thing I want to share today is just a small miracle of having our investigator 오지원 come to church on Sunday and take the sacrament like it was nothing!  We were really excited for him to come, he had a really good time and we are still going to meet with him which is awesome!  Last week he suddenly opened up his heart and let out everything to us about he feels about life.  He said, "I don't know why, but I feel like talking about all fo this all of a sudden"  It was really cool!

well Anyways I need to get going this week but I love all of you soo much!!! Congrats to LOGAN AND MELISSA (hope I got that one right!) for a wonderful marriage,  I hope many blessings for your lives together now!  Remember the most important thing you can bring to a marriage is not love butCOMMITMENT.  Keep that in mind!

Love you all!

Elder Yamagata

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