Week 74 Sennan: フォースと共にあれ (group)

Hey you guys,

This last week was a really great one. We worked hard and saw more and more miracles. One of the biggest this week was a friend and new investigator who we met this week named Tomo. We found him doing a Family History survey at a busy train station. He was standing in the smoking room with a bunch of other guys smoking, I felt like I should run over and talk to all the guys in there so I went and asked if they would take a survey about families. One of them was Tomo who was the only one in there who took the survey, and though he was not interested in coming to our weekly Family History class, as he was walking away I stopped him to talk about the other things we do and teach as missionaries. It turns out he was interested in coming to church. He ended up coming to Stake Conference, and though he told us that he hardly understood a single thing that was said, left saying that he had never thought about God up to that point in his life, but now after that meeting he feels like God is definitely there. What a blessing it is to play a part in the Eternal Salvation of God's children. Though it is evident that this is not our work and that all things are happening by divine design, it is such a Joy to be an instrument in the Hands of the Lord. I feel so often like Ammon who said, "12 Yea, I know that I am nothing; as to my strength I am weak; therefore I will not boast of myself, but I will boast of my God, for in his strength I can do all things...for he has all power, all wisdom, and all understanding; he comprehendeth all things, and he is a merciful Being, even unto salvation, to those who will repent and believe on his name." (Alma 26:12,35)

Well I am so grateful for your Love and Support. Have a wonderful week!

フォースと共にあれ

Elder Allred

 

This is me with a needle in my neck because our Zone Leader is a

professional acupuncturist. (Notice how there is not yet a bald spot

on the back of my head 😅)

 

Week 73 Sennan: Character of Christ

皆さま、

This was an incredible week! We saw so many miracles and I got to stay in this amazing area for another transfer with my Australian mate, Elder Cotterall. We can tell that this is going to be a great transfer. The members are getting so pumped about missionary work and prepared people are being found left and right. This Sunday was an especially great day. We came to church and there were 3 investigators there including a referral brought by a less active that has recently come back to church. It was so awesome to be able to teach them after Sacrament meeting and help them recognize that they have a Father in Heaven who loves them. They were all able to recognize times in there lives when they have felt God's and the Spirit. The referral also is really wanting to follow God and set up a time for us to meet this week. After church we went to a busy train station and just started talking to everyone. Including this guy, who we are pretty sure was drunk, who stopped for us and started to ask where we were from and what we were doing in Japan. Once he read our badge he screamed, "Oh no, Jesus Christ?" And started running away, then stopped and turned back and shouted this time in English, "I am Buddha" and then continued to run away. I love streeting. We then had to run through the back streets of Japan searching for a guy's apartment in the dark who we set up a lesson with over the phone. It was dark but we eventually found it. It was a great lesson and he said that he wants to continue meeting. We then ran through the back roads to another train station and felt like we should stop and a dropped investigator's house. We were able to meet that investigator and found out that he has been trying to read the Book of Mormon and wants to

meet up to talk about it. We exchanged contact info and ran the rest of the way to the station where we met several more people who were really interested in our English Class. We finally got back to the apartment and ended the day. It was an awesome Sunday full of meeting prepared people. I am so grateful for our Heavenly Father and for His work that I have the blessing to be apart of. I'm excited for another week of 伝道. Have a great week!

愛しています！

Elder Allred

Volunteering at the 餅つき

English Class Senseis

The Allred Family Code of Arms (Found on Family Search)

Me and Hashibou

Week 72 Sennan: ごめんね 😬

This week I unfortuately have no time to send a nice well thought out email, so I will describe my week using pictures...

We cleaned the apartment!

We did a family history survey at the train station.

We organized a kid's English class!

I got my hair cut:)

Last District Meeting of the transfer!

I became a man this P-Day at the Japanese Coming of Age ceremony

Week 71 Sennan: あけましておめでとうございます！

あけましておめでとうございます！

Wow, I cannot believe that another year has passed by and that it is already 2018. My mind is blown at how quickly the number of transfers I have been out is rising. I read in my journal the other day about what I was doing this time of year last year and it was crazy to see how the difference in how much I knew language wise and Gospel wise. I was humbled to see how even though I was very scared and nervous at that time, the Lord was shaping me into the missionary I am here today one year later, and I know that he is yet shaping me to grow and progress and repent so that I can come to rely on him more each day. I love my mission so much and I cannot express enough how grateful I am for the places I have served, the companions I have had, the friends I have made, the language mess-ups I have performed, the trials I have faced, the prayers that have been answered, the miracles that have been seen, and most of all the Love that has been felt, from the Lord, towards the Lord, and towards others. I have realized that the more I learn the more I realized that I can't do this on my own. It is not me who performs this work. My responsibility is but to allow our Heavenly Father to work through me by being obedient and seeking His will. I have been blessed to work among so many incredible examples of love, leadership and diligence and I hope that this next year I can continue to rid myself of pride and humble myself ever further before my Savior and King.

It was a great week and we were able to meet with one our investigators several times and have some great lessons. He is progressing so fast and I really hope that he receives an answer to his prayers soon and decides to be baptized and follow Christ. We also met a couple cool new potential investigators. One of which was a high school kid who's name is 海風 which literally means Ocean wind. He is pretty cool. He is a High School kid who lives alone as a 16 year old. When we saw him he was dressed from head to toe in red, including his hair. You can imagine how I approached him. I called out to him and said, "Whoa, you are all red! I am also Allred." He then looked at my red and black jacket and said, "No, you are half red." We laughed and started a conversation. He told me how his favorite color is red and laughed when I told him mine was green. We talked about questions of the soul and finding direction in life through Christ and he gave us his contact information and said that he would be interested in meeting again. It was a fun contact, and I look forward to meeting him again. We met many more cool people this last week too. It is so fun being able to meet so many different people who have never thought or cared about Christ, and then getting the opportunity to be the first person to tell them how important He is in their life, and how He is their Savior. Being a missionary is the best. I can't wait to continue to be one going into 2018. I love you all and hope that you have the greatest year of your life this year. Make it the best.

 

良いお年を！

Elder Allred

New Years Dinner with Hasegawa Kyoudai

Christmas KFC

More Pictures from the Christmas Party

 

 

Week 70 Sennan: Merry Christmas

I'm sorry this email didn't send last week and all of the text got deleted. So here is my week in a picture collage

Ward Christmas party Madness!!

Caroling

My part in the Ward Christmas Party

Week 69 Sennan: Christmas Gifts

Happy Holidays Everyone!

Man I love this time of year! Everyone just has an amazing spirit of giving. We were able to meet with a couple of investigators this last week and have great lessons. One of them named Yoneda we taught the

Restoration and he was really into it. He has been praying and reading the pamphlets and Book of Mormon lately and is saying that he is feeling like it is important for him to search for God at this point. We are hoping that he accepts the invitation to be baptized really soon.

Besides that we have just been doing a lot of contacting and sharing of the Christmas Light the World video. It is so fun to show people who know nothing about Christ the video and watch as they feel the power of His love that he had for others and then have them tell us that they know that Christ is good. And although many of those times those people do not want to learn more, but their hearts are being prepared and they are taking steps towards Christ even if they do not fully recognize it yet. I love being a missionary and being able to tell these people that they are children of a Loving Father in Heaven even if they don't believe me, I have faith that someday each and every one of them will know. Christmas time is the absolute best! Serve others and find ways to light the world this season! I love you all and hope that you have another fantastic week!

あなたがたは世の光である。

Elder Allred

If I dendo like this I wonder if we will find more investigators?

Me and my new mate Elder Cotterall

Here is me and my companion Elder Cotterall and the guitar that our investigator Yoneda San gave to us.