Photos From Japan

July 30, 2018

Email July 30, 2018 – Elder Jackson Kunzler Burton

Hey Everyone!

                  This week was great! The highlight happened yesterday, we met this college student couple on the street who was super interested, they'd actually been to a different Christian church once and they agreed to come to our church this next Sunday! We told them a little about why there are so many churches and about the Restoration and gave them Books of Mormon. It was one of the best conversations I've had on the street since being in Japan. It was also cool because our daily goal for finding new people to teach is usually one, but yesterday we decided to go for two, and we got it! It was a huge blessing, I'm really excited to see them at church next week. Coming to church is one of the biggest challenges for a lot of the people I've taught, if this couple comes it'll be the first people I've had at church since my second transfer so I'm really hopeful. We also had a few other good lessons this week, one with an English student, Yuu, who's interested, which went really well and one with Hamamoto who we've been teaching for a while. He understands what we're teaching and likes it, and is totally up to do personal commitments like reading the Book of Mormon and praying, but he doesn't want to come to church for some reason so we're trying to help him over that hurdle. We also had a festival on Saturday which was way fun! It was for the community around the church, so the missionaries and a few members volunteered to help with the food and set up. It was way fun, and they had fireworks afterwards too which was super fun. I'll send pictures. In other news we've had a less active member who we visited come to church for the past couple weeks which is awesome. It's good to see people come closer to Christ, whether it's coming to Him for the first time or coming back. I know God loves all His children and He will always be happy when we turn to Him. Love you all! Have a great week!

Love,

Elder Burton

July 23, 2108

Email July 23, 2018 – Elder Jackson Kunzler Burton

Hey Everyone!

                  So to start off, I didn't transfer! And neither did Elder Ramsey so this will be my first time spending two transfers with the same companion, I'm excited! It also means there's a good chance I'll be in Ebetsu at least one more transfer because this is Elder Ramsey's last transfer. So I'm excited, I love Ebetsu! This last week there were some ups and downs. We had three great lessons on Wednesday, but on Thursday, Takafumi, who we had one of the lessons with and was progressing really well, messaged us and said he had looked up our church online and now doesn't want to get baptized because he doesn't think he can live the standards members have to live. And because he's busy he doesn't want to keep meeting. However, he did say he would keep reading the Book of Mormon and we can still talk over LINE, so there's still hope. I'm just really hoping the power of the Book of Mormon will be able to change is heart and  help him realize why this gospel is so important. Later in the week we met a college student on the street who goes to a Christian college nearby, and we set up an appointment for yesterday. We had a member come and had a really spiritual lesson that I thought went really well. But when we introduced the Book of Mormon and asked him to read it, he just kind of stared at it as if he was thinking really hard. We waited, and when he still didn't respond we tried to explain and testify more, but after a while where it looked like he was kind of debating in his head, he said no, and ended up not even taking the Book of Mormon. He wouldn't say why he wouldn't take it or read it, but I got the feeling that someone, probably a teacher at his college, had told him to stay away from the Book of Mormon or something along those lines. I think he was fighting between what he had been told and  what the Spirit was telling him, and sadly he chose the former, but hopefully he'll get another chance in the future. I know he felt the Spirit so if he remembers that feeling, when another chance comes, he may decide to act on it. I was sad that he didn't accept our message, but I still feel okay because I know we did everything we could to help him. I know God is still aware of him, as He is aware of all His children, and will continue to prepare him for the right time. So that was my week. Today for P-day we tried out the massage chairs at an electronics store which was way nice. Also, because the number of missionaries in our mission is decreasing, our mission went from 5 zones to 4, so Hakodate zone, the zone I was in for the first 6 months of my mission is now gone haha. Anyway, I love you all! Have a great week!

Love,

Elder Burton

July 15, 2018

Email July 15, 2018 – Elder Jackson Kunzler Burton

Hey Everyone!

            This week was interesting, we had a lot of appointments fall through which was disappointing, we also had to stop teaching Togawa, our investigator who had a baptismal date, but we're pushing through. There should be some good things happening next week. This week has had some good points too, we were able to work with members a bit which is awesome, we visited an older couple where the wife is a member but the husband is not(yet) and we were able to give a good message, and the husband definitely felt the Spirit. It was cool because they hadn't been visited by the missionaries in quite a while, but when we left, they gave us some Hi-chews that the husband had bought just recently because he knew the missionaries love them. It's those small miracles that really help you know you're doing the right thing. We're hoping to be able to keep working with him and help him act in faith to find out for himself if what we're teaching is true. Another highlight of the week was yesterday, we had yakiniku (a barbecue basically) at a members house and then roasted marshmallows, it made me feel like I was back at Camp Loll again, mosquitoes and all haha.

            In other news, this week is transfers! We have a new system for transfers in the mission now, we don't get our transfer call until Thursday, the same day we transfer. So it'll be interesting, I have no idea whether I'm going to transfer or not but I know I'll be where God needs me whatever happens. I know this is God's work; as a mission there have been a ton of miracles lately, and I know it's through God that they're happening, not us. And I know as we strive to become more obedient we will see even more miracles in the future! I know this church is true, I hope each of you know that individually. If not, pray to know for yourself, I promise God will give you that answer. Love you all, have a great week!

Love,

Elder Burton