I've been thinking about the legacy we create and add to as we progress through and ultimately out of life. I'm grateful to have been born into a family with a legacy of faithful followers of Christ, and to see that continue in my parents and siblings. I'm grateful to add to the legacy of people graduating from Sanderson High School, attending Vanderbilt University, growing up in North Carolina, all of it. We as individuals are in large part defined by who we become, and we become who we are through contributing to our own communities. Those communities then become defined in part by who we are.
My English is bad. But hopefully I sort of conveyed the idea. My dad likes to call it the "Ja-network." Truly by living in Japan for a little over a year now, the Japanese people, individually and collectively, have become part of the "Ja-network." That being said, I was especially moved this week as I realized that I am part of a much bigger work, that is the work of the Lord in Japan. We had the privilege of visiting a member family's home for dinner Saturday night. As we were eating the huge dinner they had prepared for us, we watched a three-minute picture slideshow of the growth of the church in Sasebo over the past fifty years. As you might expect, the branch started from a few faithful members, one of whom is still around, and, with a lot of faith and prayers grew steadily into the still small but strong branch we have today. I noticed the presence of missionaries in most if not all of the pictures - they were sent here to strengthen the church in Japan and members continue to love us for it. I just feel honored to serve among the saints of Japan, a people whom I love so much, who love the Lord and want to be faithful and reach out to others. For them, I will happily bike up every mountain in this area and knock on every door and smile at every person who tells me no. Because the members know it's true, I know it's true, and even if each week does not result in the baptizing of hundreds (not that it can't), I can feel pure joy knowing I am working towards bringing others unto Christ. I am part of the legacy of the church in Japan. That is worth more to me than any amount of money, any degree, any world travel opportunities I could possibly obtain.
This week, we dropped all of our investigators and are starting out fresh. I'm so excited for zone training meeting, in which we will train on consecration and the doctrine/importance of baptism. I love my companion and the other missionaries SO much. The members are amazing. The people we talk to every day, like the dad who will let us come back and visit if we don't talk about religion but just be friends with/good examples to his daughters...I love them all! There will be no counting down to come home, but just continuing to love each and every day, and the blessings I see in my life from faithfulness to the gospel of Jesus Christ. It's true and I love it.
Have a great week! Enjoy Labor Day, hopefully tropical storms aren't too bad. We had a typhoon pass through this weekend - nothing bad, just a lot of trash on the road around here.
Love you all!
The Sasebo Burger. There is a little burger icon on the map in our apartment at every place that sells these. :)
Sister Janette Jorgensen
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