Us "young" missionaries in Nago

We see miracle everyday. We are not very good teachers and we are not good at Japanese, and Elder Robinson and I are still pretty young in the mission (between us we don't even have ten transfers total, sixteen transfers is a two year mission), but we still see miracles.  This week we got all of our goals for lessons taught, sacrament meeting attendances, new investigators, and member involvement visits. One of the investigators that came to church we met on the street. He said he had interest in religion (what!), we shared the first vision and invited him to church. He said he would, and true to his word he came in the pouring rain. Wearing a white shirt and tie none the less! The other investigator was Egawa Etsuko, who we have been working with for maybe a month or more now. (She has been basically our main source of food since we met her. She never sends us away without some food.) What a blessing! We have wanted her to come for so long! It is so wonderful to see the Lord working in us to fill our goals. I feel like if we can keep up the good work and continue to rely on Him we will see success. 

It is pretty hard on Elder Robinson, the little things that get at all of us sometimes are hard for Him. We have been working hard though and he is improving dramatically. His Language has gone from un-understandable to passable (a huge jump). He has improved in so many ways. It is so good to work with him and see him work so hard on things. I love all of my companions, and couldn't be happier :) 

I love the Mission!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I know this is the work of Jesus Christ, the son of God, the Savior.

With love to all,

Elder Bevan

Miracles!

This week was incredible!

 It hardly seems like this week at all, it seems like ages ago, but on Monday we found a new investigator. That was a time where I was still recovering from a bad cold, and Elder Malen had no voice, and we had just spent a lot of the last week trying to dance around sickness and rain, (oh yeah, it's rainy season,) and anyway it was just rough.... So we went out to an area that is pretty far away, 45 or thirty minutes minimum by bike, and on the way tried to talk to people, but no one listened, and so we stopped on the path and prayed. I prayed that we would be able to see a miracle that would lift us up and give us courage, that we would find a new investigator, and that we would eventually be able to baptize in the waters there. 

After that, we kind of took a fun way, by the ocean, to the area we wanted to try. We went to the very end of the area and went from there. In answer to prayer, probably not more than fifteen minutes later, Elder Malen tried to stop a man who was just getting home. When we finally got his attention, he said rather straightforwardly, and VERY unexpectedly, that; yes, he was interested, and, yes, he would like to meet again, and weekends would be best, 'lets do Saturday'. And that was that. 

I about fell over. 

This last Sunday we met him again. He gently scolded us for being late, he was expecting us on Saturday, (we had to be in Okinawa city for a big stake conference,) and explained that He knew in his heart that Jesus Christ was his God, and had for a long time, he was feeling like he should look into religion lately. He asked where the church was and what time, and said he would come. He gave us his business card (he is a boy scout'er), we gave him the Book of Mormon and asked him to read the introduction. And that was that.

We prayed hard that the Lord would bless him and us as he comes to learn about this The true Church of God.

I have never met someone, anyone so prepared, It sounds almost fake, but I am a witness to it. I know that The Father of Heaven does answer prayers. I know that He loves us!

With love to all,

Elder Bevan

This is what happens when it rains here. Usually everything is wet regardless of if you have rain gear or not. I love Okinawa! :)

June 1, 2014

Today is actually my companions birthday, so I get to celebrate quite a handful of birthdays with Bryan, Elder Malen, and your Birthdays' so close together. How great! Your the greatest! Love you!

As I run over my planner for this last week I am surprised at how much we did. Last P-day we finally fixed our bikes, which had been flat for the last two days, and from there we saw many miracles. 

On Friday we saw a great one of those miracles. In quite a hurry we went to drop a conference talk off at our investigators home. We caught her just before she left to go buy tobacco... ha! that was great. We then had a great lesson, not at all about the word of wisdom, but about where she is reading in the book of Mormon and prophets. We said a prayer together and Elder Malen and I went to leave. Before we left the home we decided to say another prayer together. She then came out again to go get tobacco. 

We then talked about the word of wisdom and the Spirit guided the talk. It was wonderful! She committed there to quit smoking and we felt supremely blessed to have been part of that. Please pray for her! Her name is Sister Uema.

Other days the miracles were harder to see because... well I guess because the day was a little harder, but they are always there. Yesterday, despite being rejected by everyone else, we did find one new investigator. Also a new investigator the other Elders found came to church and had a GREAT lesson in Gospel Principles. We are so blessed!

I love to serve here. I love serving the Lord. I love the people here. I love their testimonies. Yesterday before church I was privileged to stand with Elder Miyanishi for a priesthood blessing, and was blessed to feel the Lord's Spirit and love. 

I know this is the true and living Church of God, I and am grateful for my parents who taught me the truth of it. Love you Mom!

Love to everyone else too!

Elder Bevan

Awesome week

This week was Awesome! I am so grateful for the miracles that the Lord is doing here, and for the chance that I have to be a part of them! I am learning to have faith and trust the Lord. I am learning about the things that the Lord wants me to do and how He expects me to work. I am doing everything I can. I work as hard as I can and try to all that I can to be what I need to be. I try to be exactly obedient and to do everything that I am asked to do. I learn every day about how I can improve, but mostly we trust the Lord and simply do what He asks of us, and then we get to see miracles happen.
I wrote this to the mission president about what is happening in Nagasaki:

We had 9 investigators at church! What a miracle! For me it is even more of a miracles because almost everyone we teach knows enough English for me to be involved in the lesson and help teach them. I am never not involved, and I am seeing how much the Lord has blessed and helped me with the language so far. What miracles I have seen!
We thought we were going to have to cancel a baptism this week. Zan, a Chinese College Student living here in Nagasaki, had not learned or committed to the law of tithing, and then he stopped answering texts the day before his baptismal interview. We were to say the least, worried. We were worried especially because he has only had the time for the past few months to meet with us once a week. We prayed for him. Elder Coelho and Elder Malcom, our roommates and zone leaders fasted. Zan made it to Sacrament meeting, and told us that he had dropped his phone and broken it, and that is why he couldn't reply. He then read the tithes and offerings pamphlet, and, in our lesson after sacrament meeting, shared how much it meant to him. He expressed the truest Christian sentiment I have ever seen towards helping those in need, and helping the poor, and committed whole heartedly to living the law. We went over the interview questions, and we held the interview with no scruples. He will be baptized on Tuesday 28 January 2014. 

We really do see miracles every day.

Other things make living in Japan good too. Everything here is beautiful. The mountains/hills are covered in green, and the city is beautiful. The people are better.

Yesterday, the day of Zans interview, we had a lunch after church. It was wonderful!!! Everyone is kind and considerate. They are so loving, and in such a small branch they really love each-other. It really was just amazing. I love these people!!!   ...The food was great too :). I really cant express the love I feel for my people. I love them, and am so grateful to serve them.

I'm out of time again. My love to all.

Elder Bevan

Elder Harvey and Bevan