Fukuoka Temple

Today I went to the temple with our Bishop and my wonderful companion
Elder Burgener. There I felt the peace of being out of the world, in
the presence of a loving and familiar God. What is there more than
this? What could be more important than feeling comfortable in the
presence of God? I am so grateful to be able to say that it was not an
unfamiliar feeling, but only a little more relaxed, as I took time to
sit and ponder on the things we learn there, and forget for a while
the efforts of the outside world.
I am so tired... But I am glad to still be allowed to work. I am going
to ask the president if he will let me stay in my area with the new
elder who will be taking my place, to work here for just one more
day... We are close to the mission home so maybe he will allow me to.
After we went to the temple we went to the train station and studied a
little while we waited for Keiko (an investigator from Nagasaki; my
"Japanese mom". It was great to see her. We ate ramen together and
talked for a long time. We talked a little bit about what I would do
when I returned... It would be awesome to be a MTC teacher!!!.... I
will be thinking about it. When I get home.
Mostly it was good to just see her. She is so sweet.

Besides that we have been busy. One of our strong investigators set a Baptismal date! Pray for Hironori!
We have been more blessed than I can write, so I will end here with, I am grateful to the Lord Jesus Christ for this marvelous work of His!
I'll see you all in two years!
Love Elder Bevan
Sent from my iPad

Pictures!

The things I learned this week

The things I learned this week can, I think, be summarized in a not so
long email. They are pretty simple:

By the end of the week I was getting tired, and not feeling like we
were doing much good. It was a struggle to not think about home. (I
didn't though; just so you know:-).  ) Yesterday we had two member
involvement lessons, and so I returned home somewhat discouraged about
the effectiveness of the day.
When we counted up our numbers for the week I was astounded to see
that we had exceeded our goals! We had done so good! We had so many
lessons! I am only comparing to my own expectations and my past
experiences, nothing else, but we had three member presents and seven
other lessons! More than we had goals for! We also have an active
baptismal date and that person came to sacrament meeting!
We also visited seven good member families, three of which were
part-member families! We were so blessed!
Despite having so many more lessons than usual, we did not fall behind
in finding numbers. This was in part to a companion split in our area
with the zone leaders, but we were still able to talk to over two
hundred people and have many discussions with them about the gospel!

My conclusion is this: Heavenly Father knows our wants and our needs.
He really desires to help us, and He hears our prayers. He knew that
we fasted and that we were praying for these blessings. He blessed us
with success for as long as we really desired it and asked in faith. I
have now only to ask in faith and continue to work hard for the
blessing He will send, until my calling is changed.

I love this work! I am so glad Heavenly Father allows me to participate in it!
With love,
Elder Bevan

P.S. I am able to go to the temple on Saturday this week so my email
will be two days early. If you write don't write about me coming
home!!! That is the worst!


Sent from my iPad

"Transfer to ...HOME?"

Note from Mom:  This next bit was what Nate sent in response to our question about what his plans are when he gets home.   Hmmm.  Do you think he's in denial about his next "transfer"?

As far as I am concerned my plans for this next transfer are the same
as always. I will wait for my transfer call from the assistants on
transfer week Tuesday, and if I happen to be transferring I will pack
up my things in my spare time and leave when they tell me to. Then I
will work just as hard in my next area.
Just in case though, I have been in touch with an investigator from
Nagasaki who will come up before we find out to spend some time
together on p-day. :-)
We don't act like anything is going to be different unless we are told
to do otherwise.

Miracle Week

We had a miracle week!!! On Friday during personal study I was
studying from 3Nephi27 and 28. Which I have been loving!!! They are
the chapters where Moroni records the visitation of the Savior to the
Twelve Nephite disciples. Jesus teaches His gospel and then blesses
them all with the desires of their hearts. I have been pondering and
studying these chapters for at least a good two weeks now, but this
time these verses really stood out: verses 28 and 29 of the first
chapter. They read:
"And now I go unto the Father. And verily I say unto you, whatsoever
things ye shall ask the Father in my name shall be given unto you.
"Therefore, ask, and ye shall receive; knock, and it shall be opened
unto you; for he that asketh, receiveth; and unto him that knocketh,
it shall be opened."
This promise is in such perfect unison with the events that are
recorded, and the Spirit made it so plainly apparent that what Jesus
Christ said is true, that as I read them I felt sure I had faith
enough to ask for whatever I desired and it would be given me. I
looked at the way that the Twelve had prepared themselves to receive
revelation and answers of this sort from heaven, and saw that they had
fasted and prayed in unity for a specific reason.
So when companion study came we talked about it. My awesome companion
agreed that "procrastination prevents priesthood power" and that we
had better start right a way. So we got a drink and started a fast;
praying that we could help someone towards baptism in the next three
weeks of the transfer.
That day was really hard and had success only in fact that talked to a
few members, and felt good about it. I have never been as drained as
when we came home and planned that day.

Then Saturday came! We started out the day with a service project, at
which we were able to talk with a former investigator and get a
separate great new potential investigator. On the biker ice to the
church for a lesson we got a call from our investigator who we hadn't
had a lot of contact with lately, and that was great! Then we had a
lesson! When we were finally about to sit down to lunch after the
lesson, our next appointment (who I absolutely did not think would
show up) showed up! And we were able to make it a joint lesson with a
brother from another ward who had come for a seminary thing. Then I
was able to meet the Matono family, President Ichimaru, and Sister
Miyagawa  from Nagasaki!
(Sisters Matono and Miyagawa and us)

Members in Japan

Well, this week was awesome! It is going to take a while for me to get
everything straight in my head. Let's see...
Monday was p-day until 6:00, we had ramen for lunch near the famous jinja nearby

Tuesday we went to Fukuoka to the mission home under the temple and
had interviews with the mission president, where we discussed member
missionary work, among other things.

Wednesday we had a visit with a member sister 朝野. She is amazing!
There is a member involvement lesson that we received training on in
his last interview session. We had planned on doing that with her, but
as soon as we started it was apparent that we needed to change plans.
She cried as she shared her wonderful missionary experiences, and we
felt the Spirit strongly. I have never seen someone more aware and
more active in her duty to do missionary work.

After the member involvement lesson we went bowling with an Eternal
investigator. We did not know if it was what we should do, but we
prayed about it and felt like we should go. Later he called us and
asked us to come for dinner and a lesson at his apartment, so we took
that as a sign that we had done good in going bowling with him.
Besides that we got to talk to some people at the bowling ally about
who we are and what we are doing and so it was good. Then we had
Eikaiwa (English class)

Thursday we went finding, then did a kids Eikaiwa at a members house
the 田村's, where we offered to help with things if any of the Mothers
that come had something we could help out with. (Later, on Sunday,
田村姉妹 said that they might have something for us to do, and that they
were impressed that we would be willing to help! We are praying for
these kinds of things)

Friday we did junkai (companion splits) in 飯塚 (iizuka) with Elder York
and my 同期, Elder Glover(below)

.