Leaving my Heart in Hachioji 八王子‏

こんにちわ!

This has been probably the most emotional week I have ever had, my heart hurts to think that this is the last email home. Choosing to serve a mission has truly been the best and most incredible journey I have ever experienced. As I have reflected on my experiences I have been filled with so much gratitude and love for my family and the sacrifices they have made on my behalf and the support you have given and also for my wonderful ward family and the constant love and support and encouragement they have given me. I am eternally grateful for my friends that have become family here in Japan, from companions, to members and investigators, each person I have met here has changed my life for the better. I am truly grateful for the miracles and experiences He has blessed me with and the beautiful people he blessed in my path.

This week sister Yano and I have been riding trains for days but the one day we didn’t have to go anywhere, we had no idea where to go so said a prayer and started walking it was freezing but while housing together we met this sweet man named tori. We literally talked to him through his barred window the entire time but he listened intently as we taught about God and prayer. He had never really thought about God but was very interested as we explained more about how he loved and cared about each of us. We taught him prayer, a completely foreign concept to him and after we prayed and he prayed we asked him what he felt and he said he felt a mysterious warmth. We explained that what he was feeling was the spirit and it was God communicating to tori San that he loved him. Tori San was so baffled that someone he never met could love him so much he couldn’t seem to understand why or how he could love him so much. After bearing our testimonies of God and the reality of him and his love, we left. I walked away from this experience marveling, 1. That god’s timing is absolutely exact and he guides our paths to find Those of whom are in need of this great message we are blessed to share and 2. God loves each of his children individually, I’m grateful that as a missionary I can feel a portion of that love he has for his children and help them come to the realization of that love.

This week in between running around from the mission home for my last interview with president wada (president wada is amazing, one of my heartbreaks of going home is not being able to talk and see president and sister wada, it was like talking with my dad, always joking but at the same time being straight up and honest with me about what he thinks) and then training the new sister training leaders we made our way down to one of my favorite places of Tama and went on splits with the sisters. Sister Yano worked with sister Watson while I went with sister Norris and visited junko shimai who is preparing to enter the temple very soon. It was good to see her and bid her farewell. After sister Norris and I taught a lesson to my dear friend sister ichikawa. Sister Padelsky and I taught ichikawa for the first time a year ago at about this time, through gods guidance we were able to meet her with the help of a sweet member. A year ago sister Padelsky and I helped her get a priesthood blessing and then we’re teaching her in the middle of a food court in a mall and to see the change and events that have led her to this point is astonishing! It has been a year of her studying the gospel and preparing to follow the example of the savior, she has had various roadblocks but I have seen her overcome these challenges and difficulties and her testimony has been strengthened. It was so nostalgic to teach her again one last time before her baptismal service on Sunday. She was so humble and excited, I have witnessed a mighty change of heart within her as the gospel of Jesus Christ has enlightened her life. It has been a year but what a humbling experience for her to at last enter into the waters of baptism and follow the example of our savior Jesus Christ. I was not able to attend the service but  was overjoyed for her and this next step of her life!

This week we also went caroling with the missionaries in the stake and it was great to talk to people about the real meaning of Christmas. I was great!

ThIs Sunday was hard but my heart was so full! My sweet friends lee, an chan, Hiura and Teraoka San came. It’s been a hard realization to have to say goodbye to the people I have come to love so deeply. Shimizu shimai also for the second time came to church she has not been to church in ten years and came and I saw as the spirit touched her heart from the first hymn to reconnecting with all the members who still love her and have prayed for her over the years. It was the most beautiful experience to see all the people I love together. I cannot accurately describe the things I saw or the way I felt but it was the greatest most I describe able joyful feeling I have ever had. The restored gospel of Jesus Christ truly unites us and I know that only through Jesus Christ and his atonement can we experience the greatest happiness. I have loved every experience here and am so so thankful for the sacred experiences I have had with this beautiful people. I wish I could accurately explain and show how truly beautiful the people of Japan are. I love this work and will continue to bring as many of my brothers and sisters to the knowledge of the savior and the restored gospel. I love being a missionary and grateful for this wonderful experience to serve in the Japan Tokyo south mission. I love this work. I know it is the work of the lord. I’m grateful for all my friends and family that have played an important role in helping me on my mission. I love you. 心から愛しています

“He has brought them into his everlasting light, yea, into everlasting salvation; and they are encircled about with the matchless bounty of his love; yea, and we have been instruments in his hands of doing this great and marvelous work.” -alma 26:15

Sister Natalie Wilson

ウィルソン姉妹

Two girls who have changed my heart through their simple but powerful testimonies of Jesus Christ. I love Kanon and Yuna 

Last stake presidency meeting in good ol machida.

Literally how Japan sees us……

My best friend<3 I thank god he blessed me with an incredible last companion who has taught me to truly love others and see them as God and Jesus Christ see them. I love sister Yano. She has been one of the many tender mercies of my final transfer.

My favorite family and my Japanese grandparents

目から鱗 (Me kara uroko)‏

Konnichiwa!!!

This week I found the theme for my mission and basically my whole life. In Japanese they have a saying, 目から鱗 (me Kara uroko) the translation means to have the scales fall from one’s eyes or in other words to see the light, to be awakened by truth. We had multiple meetings this week (mission leadership council, zone conference, district meeting, and a returning missionary fireside) and this message seemed to resonate in my heart and at first I wasn’t sure why until Yano shimai and I were dendoing one afternoon. So this past week has literally been bombarded with meetings and when Yano shimai had the opportunity with actual time rather than the in between time of running from meeting to meeting to dendo we wanted to make the most of our time. We had decided to visit a less active who lived relatively close to us and as we were walking to her house we passed an apartment building that sister Watkins and law and I had housed and the only woman that opened was a woman who told us we could come back and teach her, well we came back multiple times and she was never there and so after we never returned. But as we passed this apartment remembering how many times we went back and she was never there, I felt like we should check one more time, we hiked up to her place and rang the doorbell and no answer, rang it one more time and K San finally came to the door, a little stunned she looked at us and remembered, she apologized for not being home before and felt horrible that we had visited her before and we weren’t home. We began talking and taught her about God, whom she had never even thought about, we taught her about the happiness he desires for all of us and how we would like to
continue studying with her, and she became completely silent, not sure
what she would say, we waited and she asked if it was possible to have
her husband join in on lessons. She has just recently gotten married
and would like to learn as a family. I mean of course! We had a great
first meeting and we felt the spirit very strong with her. It was a miracle that I’m sure God wanted us to experience, I’m grateful he was able to help me remove the scales from my eyes and not pass the apartment and to look past the times when we were not able to meet k San and by the grace of God we met her in his timing.

After this experience that night sister Yano and I reflected on our
mission how there are countless times that we do not remove the scales
from our eyes and we walk in blindness not relying on God and rather
relying on our strength, seeing only surface level and failing to
recognize there is so much more unseen, so much work the lord is doing
for us, for our friends and family, so much work going on beyond the
veil but we do not know because we have not removed the scales from
our eyes. On my mission I feel like I have had moments of removing the
scales from my eyes when I was in my first and second transfer and
didn’t have a clue what was going on but I met a woman named shimada
San and we had a lesson and I had no idea what was being said, all I
could do was bear testimony of the happiness of the gospel in the
broken Japanese and it helped her continue to keep taking lessons, I
feel the scales fall when I lived in Tama and I met yuka, a 29 year
old who had the purest soul and heart of a three year old and was able
to help us invite the spirit that would work in junko shimais heart
that would lead her to choosing to follow the savior, the scales fell
from my eyes as I worked with the youth of Tama and saw the their
commitment to be witnesses of God at all times and in all things, the
scales fell from my eyes as i moved to Hachioji and my companion and I
were dendoing wondering if we were finding those who needed the gospel
and then a spastic 83 year old woman called and changed my life and
taught me what it meant to have a close personal relationship with God
our eternal father, the scales fell from my eyes as I trained new
missionaries and I saw the strength and power of their faith and how
that coupled with obedience brings marvelous miracles, the scales fell
from my eyes as a humble mother of two beautiful girls returned after
14 years of separation from church, members, and friends to the only
place that she knew contained true and everlasting happiness, the
scales fell from my eyes as we pieced the pieces of a crazy round
about puzzle and were able to teach with a member hundreds of miles
away on the other side of the world and help my good friend nakamura
shimai enter into the waters of baptism.the scales continue to fall
from my eyes each day that passes, I truly know there are no
coincidences in life it’s merely us being able to perceive gods plan
being laid before us. I am truly in awe at how incredible gods plan
is, this week a man named imanaka San was baptized, he bore a sweet
testimony of how before he met the missionaries his life was pretty
plain, but after he began meeting with missionaries his life was
changed and the darkness from his life was lifted and a new light
entered in. Miracles really do happen, junko yamauchi my friend from
Tama who was baptized last year is preparing to enter into the temple,
and her husband mashiko has committed to be baptized this month on the
25th after a year and a half ish….so crazy! Also ichikawa San a
woman who was found over Facebook by a member and sister Padelsky and
I started teaching will be baptized this weekend, God knows his
children individually and prepares the way for them to return to him.
I am so grateful for this sacred calling and the many miracles I
experience in my life as I choose to take away the scales from my eyes
and see things through gods perspective. My mission has helped
enlighten my mind and has given me perspective that although my full
time missionary service comes to an end, my responsibility to continue
to proclaim the gospel to every nation and people will not end. I’m
grateful for this incredible experience and the love and support of
all of my friends and family!

愛しています
Sister Natalie Wilson
ウィルソン姉妹

Mission leadership council with the girls who came to Japan with me (
Gazdik, eyring, and kaizaki shimai)

Mission leadership council
My favorites (gazzy and cook shimai)
My first and last companion sister Yano and my trainer sister nakamura
Me and my two besties!
Went to a Christmas concert and was blown away!!!

 

So one time we were housing….and we ran into the elders inv who is
in love with sister Yano and has been sending her presents which I
happily accept and then we left and went down a different neighborhood
and he comes chasing us down minutes after to give us treats, we were
terrified cuz he’s slightly crazy but so nice….

Eikaiwa class…..we taught them directions and made courses for them to talk people through
My trainer came bearing gifts….she made me bread just like she used to when I was but a bean….

Yano shimai

 

Sister Bennett drew this pic for Christmas

 

When the going gets tough….GIVE THANKS!‏

My last temple trip:(

Konnichiwa!

Sister Yano and I created a theme for this week, “soft baptismal invitations has brought hard rejections”this week we invited two of our investigators to follow the saviors example and be baptized and and they both shut up us down pretty hard, but we are both positive and realize that our calling is to give people a clear choice and invite others unto Christ and it’s their choice to come or not. In one lesson one of our investigators from Malaysia insisted that I teach her in English even though her Japanese level is far better, but desires to learn English and wanted the lessons done in English. She persisted and we explained what our purpose as missionaries is is to spread this message to others….but she would not let up so we had to be forward and use what president wada calls the bold and loving scale and tell her straight forward, I did not come all the way from America, and be separated from my family, use my family’s money to teach people English, but am here for a greater purpose, to help others come unto Christ and bring greater happiness to their lives through his gospel. She was finally quiet and let us continue the lesson in Japanese. It has definitely been a learning process and we are just trying to understand gods will for these people, which is gonna need a bit more cultivating and nourishing their seeds of faith.

Not gonna lie this week was a little rough one of the sisters I am an STL for had to return home early and our heart broke to see her leave. She has been an outstanding missionary and has served so faithfully, sister Yano is very close with her and they worked closely together and she took it hard. It was hard to see her leave so soon but we were able to bid her farewell. After we left the sister, my companion sister Yano was heartbroken and she could not shake the pain of this sister leaving and was distraught. The lord really works in mysterious ways, that morning I had been reading in alma chapter 15, in this chapter it talks about alma and amulek and amulek is a bit shaken up by the hard things he has encountered as a missionary, but in verse 18 it says, “18 Now as I said, Alma having seen all these things, therefore he took Amulek and came over to the land of Zarahemla, and took him to his own house, and did administer unto him in his tribulations, and strengthened him in the Lord.” I remembered this scripture and remembered how happy baskin Robbins makes sister Yano. So before heading home I told her we were going to get some ice cream, it was the cutest thing her eyes lit up like a child and was so excited. We ate some ice cream and talked about how it’s hard to understand gods plan and why things happen, but we must never doubt and move forward with faith. We left the shop ready to work and we were able to talk to some really nice people on the street and invite them to church. It was a good lesson to me of sometimes we need to stop, put this into perspective and proper focus and get back out and go to work.

This week has been a week of thanks despite setbacks and rejections sister Yano and I have reflected and have been able to see God’s hand and guidance so greatly in our dendo and we know we have so so so much to be grateful for. One of the miracles I was grateful for was, as sister Yano and I were walking to church after one of our appointments was cancelled and skipping lunch, sister Yano turned and abruptly asked me what I was thinking right then, so I was honest and told her I wanted a bar of chocolate, so she said lets get it. We retracted and bought some chocolate at a local convenience store and as we walked out we said hello to a very sweet woman who introduced herself as agawa San. She was very nice and we talked about our purpose as missionaries and she was intrigued by our life which then turned into the purpose of life and how sometimes we have trials but through these we are able to grow and we learned that she believed many of things we believed. She talked about Christ and what a great person she thinks he is. We then felt like we should introduce the Book of Mormon to her we explained what it was and how it had blessed our lives and how we wanted to share it with others, we offered her the book twice and she refused but continued to talk, we finally promised her that it would bless her life and she would find answers for her life through it, and she finally accepted it. It felt as though our conversation was about to end, but then we felt like we should share the message of the restoration. We continued talking and she started talking about how there are many churches in the world and it is hard to understand which is true and we told her about a young man named Joseph smith who had questions just like her. She was amazed by this young mans experience of seeing God. We then asked to pray with her, she was very eager to pray and it was strange right as we were praying the street we were teaching her at became much louder, sirens started going off and people were yelling but we prayed as fervently as we could. As we ended the prayer agawa San said how she had never felt anything like that. We told her she could pray on her own and always feel that same warm feeling. She was one of the many miracles God gives us each day. I’m grateful for the power of the gospel and the spirit and the power it has to drown out the noise of the world and helps others to feel God’s infinite love.

I am so grateful for so much in my life, I am especially grateful for a loving Heavenly Father who knows and loves each of us individually and infinitely. Grateful for a loving savior, brother Jesus Christ who has demonstrated what it means to have love and charity. Grateful for a gospel that gives me hope, peace of mind, and direction in a dreary world. Grateful for a wonderful my Tokyo south mission family that I am blessed to enjoy this remarkable journey with. I am grateful for my beloved eternal family and all the love and sacrifice they give on my behalf. I am grateful to be a small part in the Lord’s great and marvelous work. I love this gospel and the people here in Japan Tokyo south that I am blessed to meet each day. Love you so much!

愛しています

Sister Wilson

ウィルソン姉妹

Sushi!!!!!!!

Kids eikaiwa!

Happy thanksgiving!………this is the closest thing to a turkey….

my last kitahara family shokuji

My bestie 大好き️️️️️️️️️️️️

Merry Christmas Japan!!!

Our friend Miyata kun

That moon tho…..

She’s a simply happy person.

The simplest things make her the happiest. I like it.

This is a Japanese anime of Nephi and Lehi’s family, a friend sent to me.

BYUH mates…Elder Pratt

My baby girl number thre…..so sad to leave her

Love my wattie!!!!!!

 

 

Fasting Miracles…

 

 

My FavKonnichiwa!

This week has been a special one for the Hachioji district. We fasted together with a couple of ward leaders and as a result saw some incredible miracles. Sister Yano and I started off the week of fasting and we decided to visit a lady who told us we could come back. To our dismay, she was not home so we decided to house around her area. We were trying our best to get people to listen to our message but people were quick to turn us down, but sister Yano and I decided instead of telling them about the happy message we were sharing, we would show them and help them to feel the happiness. So we happily knocked another door and without looking too creepy turned up the happy meter and finally an old man came out to talk to us instead of talking to us through the sound boxes everyone was rejecting us through. He was a typical Japanese man and we simply told him we wanted to share a message of happiness with him. He looked at us very skeptically and asked ‘are you actually happy?’ We happily replied yeah we were, we told him we were so happy we wanted to tell him about how much God loves him. We began teaching him and he seemed to shoot down everything we said, but as he shot down everything, the strangest thing happened, we didn’t feel upset or get angry or frustrated with him, we simply continued to teach him about God and how he loves each of us individually. Slowly he began to listen more intently and we could feel the spirit. Finally we asked him if we could pray and after teaching him at the front door he said it got cold, after he had been talking to us for an hour, we asked him again and again he said no with another excuse that we didn’t have the same God. We told him he can feel gods love as we prayed with him he was still skeptical but agreed. We prayed together and we asked him if he had ever felt gods influence he said he thinks he did but after praying he said he felt something. I know that that day of fasting we were able to focus more on helping feel the spirit more in our dendo and in this small encounter with yamamoto San we were able to help him also feel the spirit. The power of fasting is a real thing!

Continuing with the week of miracles we set out to visit a really less active woman which we knew nothing about, but another member asked us to visit her. As we went to her house, she was not home and so we looked through our area book to see if anyone was within a close distance that we could follow. My attention was directed to a name I had never heard before, after being here for nearly six transfers I knew all the active members and most of the less actives we worked wi or know fairly well, but one name caught my eye that I hadn’t heard of. Ishikawa shimai was about a five minute walk, a name I didn’t recognize so we prayed and felt good about visiting. Ishikawa shimai answered and was amazed that we knew where she lived, she had recently moved and didn’t tell hardly anyone but invited us in, but we were quickly hustled out. She wanted to talk to us but due to her family’s struggles she couldn’t talk inside her home. We went to a nearby park and she told us of many struggles and trials she had  been having, she said she missed church and wants to return but with her family she has other important obligations and she cannot leave her home ever, today was a rare case in which she could leave. She cried and we shared scriptures to strengthen her and left with a prayer. It was a great experience to know that sometimes we think we are following a plan, but when our plan averts and leads us another direction and we follow, we are aligning our plan with the lords. On this day we nought we needed to visit one less active, but God needed us to visit an entirely different woman. I know gods plan for each of his children is exact and he guides us at the exact moment and time that he needs us to help another.

So recently the investigators we have been working with have expressed that their desire to learn English is stronger than their desire to learn the gospel and has been a trial of patience for sister Yano and I. We have been praying to know how we can help them and because of this great week of fasting we received the guidance we needed. With one of our investigators we decided to listen with love and help her to feel the power of the spirit through prayer. She expressed a lot of struggle and pain due to discrimination of her children, we explained to her how we belong to gods family and always have a place and identity in his family and as she listened and didn’t focus on her desire of learning English, she prayed fervently and felt the spirit so much she cried, it was an answer to our prayers. With another investigator she refuses to talk in Japanese with us even though her Japanese is a lot better than English. But we taught with our all star member sister kitahara and she told her beautiful conversion story in English and our investigator sato San was astonished. As we taught her about the restoration my amazing companion is shy about her English even though she is amaZing she felt the spirit and bore a beautiful testimony in English and shared the whole first vision in perfect English, the spirit was so strong! Yano shimai is my hero, she doesn’t let anything stand in her way not even language barriers and she bore a beautiful testimony of the restoration and the true message we share, I know her testimony changed sato sans heart. After she bore her testimony I was reminded of this scripture d&c 42:6, “6 And ye shall go forth in the power of my Spirit, preaching my gospel, two by two, in my name, lifting up your voices as with the sound of a trump, declaring my word like unto angels of God.” I’m grateful for this special experience to do the work of angels with my wonderful amazing companion sister Yano. Grateful for the power and happiness this gospel brings to all of his children especially those in the land of the rising sun! Loving and living this wonderful missionary journey! Thank you for all the love and prayers!!!

愛しています

Sister Natalie Wilson

ウィルソン姉妹

Best friends ❤ did a training together and wanted to be in sync with the spirit and win clothes lol

Machida west zone

Taught Yano shimai how to bake cookies, she was amazed that we roll them into balls and they come out flat, it’s the little hints that make me never want to leave this place. It was the cutest thing in the world!!!!

 

 

 

Who’s plan are you following?

Run in with Tsuya! *Love my lil companion sister Yano, we realized we had the same dress, but flipped…twinning at church +Dinner with one of my favorite families!!! Tsukada shokuji and Bishop akazawa and family

こんにちわ愛する家族へ

This week was great, we went on exchanges with the kofu sisters, but this time I stayed in hachiouji and got to work with sister B. She is a wonderful missionary and I learned a lot from her. We had a couple of lessons but had the rest of the night to dendo so we decided to go housing, this particular day sister B expressed a lot of worry and stress about working in her new area and how she was tryin to find her purpose for working in this new area. I prayed fervently that we would be in tune with the spirit to see miracles to strengthen this sisters faith. As we housed, it seemed as though the more and more we talked the faster we were getting shut down. We decided to pursue our course and were determined to find those that were ready to receive us. It was getting later about 8 pm after about an hour and a half and still no one was willing to listen, at this point we were filling a little desperate, we knocked on one door and were greeted by a bright face and as sister b invited her sincerely to hear our message the woman, hagiwara San,told us she was busy, thinking she was about to shut us down and close the door, we decided to ask if she would be willing to listen another day, she cheerfully agreed and promised to meet her the in two days, we were elated! We went to the next floor and were thrilled when anger woman happily accepted to hear our message and let us teach her right there at the door. We were taken back a little but shared and testified about the savior and how we can become eternal families through the plan of salvation. She was surprised and said its been awhile since she’s heard anything about Christ and told us we can come back anytime. I’m so grateful the lord hears prayers and is ready to answer and give us exactly what we need at the exact time that we will need it. Sister B and I both marveled at how god is so exact in his plans for each of us.

Later that week, my companion Yano shimai and I went back to visit
hagiwara San, but it seemed as though everything we had planned for
that day was falling through, we were determined and both felt that We should go visit her, we were running late and were quickly trying to meet hagiwara San at the time she set with us when we came to a stoplight and a woman turned around and looked strangely familiar, she saw me and came running up to me and asked if I remembered her. I knew I had met her but to be honest at first I couldn’t remember where, but then it dawned on me where I had seen her, I had taught her English in Tama. She was a devout Buddhist but said how she respected the church and the good it teaches. As we walked a short while together she began asking me if I remembered the nativity scene we had reenacted at our Christmas eikaiwa party last year and she began saying how she will never forget the experience and the fun she had learning about Jesus Christ. Our talk was brief but as we parted, we gave her a simple pic of Jesus Christ and testified that he is gods son and through him we can be better happier people. As we parted and went to visit hagiwara San it was a half an hour past and she wasn’t home. I was a little disappointed we didn’t get to visit hagiwara San but sister Yano and I talked about how for some reason God needed us to talk with an old eikaiwa student. If we had left earlier or if every plan before had went through there is no way we would have met up with tsuya San, my old eikaiwa friend and share a little bit about Christ.

As sister Yano and I talked about this week we realized how all of our plans had changed, and talked about as missionaries almost all of our plans have changed it is a very very rare occasion in which I have done exactly everything on my daily schedule and when I was a younger missionary I thought if we did not accomplish and doing everything wrote down on our daily plan how I felt like we had messed up, but I have come to understand that despite our weaknesses and faults as humans when we don’t follow the plans we have designed for ourselves and instead follow a greater and grander plan created by a perfect being, God himself, we are doing everything exactly right. Sister Yano and I have had so much learning more about gods greater plan for us and sharing it with all of our friends here in hachioji! God truly directs this work and our paths to find and meet all of his beloved children who are ready to listen to his great plan of happiness. I love being a missionary here in the Japan Tokyo south mission and being a small part of the greatest plan ever known to man! Thank you for all the love and support!!
愛しています
Sister Natalie Wilson
ウィルソン姉妹

 

Family Reunion というか…..‏

My sweet comp Sister Yano shared this wonderful scripture with me. It’s simple but I want to ponderize this scripture this week. This life is meant to be lived joyfully. Rely on the Savior, rejoice, and most importantly acknowledge that it is by God’s grace that we are blessed in abundance. I love this gospel! 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Sweet Sister Sanchez from Argentina; My two babies, only missing Sister Demoss! #proudmommy they grow up too fast!!! Baby girl reunited!!! The Japanese crew

愛する家族,こんにちわ!

Transfer week has been quite the marathon but we have had some great experiences! So this past Tuesday, the new missionaries arrived from the MTC. My companions and I had the privilege to go to the mission home and dendo with them. We were paired up and my companion for the short couple of hours was a sweet sister from Argentina ( shout out to the baby bro serving his heart out in Argentina Mendoza). Sister Sanchez was called to Japan and was so shocked by her call, but little did she know that she would come in to assist in the Spanish branch they have started here in good ol Tokyo south mission. She was wonderfully exuberant and was eager to talk with everyone, we were able to talk to some wonderful people who knew about church and were so stunned by this sister from Argentina and wondered what this sister from Argentina is doing all the way in Japan, so it was a great opportunity to explain that God loves each of his children and he is mindful of all of them and makes it possible for all of them to feel his love through the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. Working with Sister Sanchez I was reminded of Alma 26:37 “Now my brethren, we see that God is mindful of every people, whatsoever land they may be in; yea, he numbereth his people, and his bowels of mercy are over all the earth. Now this is my joy, and my great thanksgiving; yea, and I will give thanks unto my God forever. Amen.” Before my mission my vision was so small, but throughout my mission I have come to see how vast and great gods love is for all of his children and he truly does number them and sends us missionaries to bring them back into his light and remind them of the infinite love God has for them. I am so grateful to be apart of something so much greater than my self.

My new companion sister Yano is the absolute best, I am learning heaps from her she has such a pure countenance and love for all people and radiates Christlike love to all that meet her. I am so excited for this transfer with her, she’s such an obedient hard worker and I’m excited for the miracles and experiences that lie ahead! This past Sunday our sweet Chinese friend lee came to church. The language barrier has been a bit rough but the spirit has spoken louder than words to her heart and it is slowly opening her heart to the gospel.

After church we had a bread party and sister Yano and I didn’t have
breakfast so we were pretty famished and we’re excited to eat with
lee. We talked and lee said she wanted to talk more about the Book of Mormon so we agreed to get some bread and then have a lesson. After one piece of bread lee said I’m ready lets go, a little shocked we asked her if she was sure she didn’t want more and she said no, I’m ready to learn, so we left the bread and started our lesson with her. As we taught her about the restored gospel and about the powerful experience Joseph smith had and about God and his prophets and the Book of Mormon I felt an impression that lee was spiritually starving and unlike the bread that we offered her earlier, the gospel satisfies our spiritual starvation and causes us to never have to feel that emptiness or spiritual starvation again. I was stunned by this lesson that through less example I was able to learn from the spirit. We truly do live in a spiritually starving world, the world offers temporary satisfaction to this kind of starvation and will never be able to appease this hunger. Through Jesus Christ and his restored gospel our hearts become full and our search for spiritual truth and nourishment are over, we are continually fed and nourished by the good word of God. I am so grateful for all that this gospel offers us and the spiritual strength and power we receive from it, this gospel is truly incredible and I’m blessed to share this good news with all of my dear friends here! Thank you for all the love and prayers!

愛しています
Sister Natalie Wilson
ウィルソン姉妹

Kenji
My faves they cray
This bunch of elders just left to go home solid guys
Bye bye to my trio
Baby girl.....been too long!!

“If you can’t run from it, you might as well run with it.” -McCall Padelsky‏

In this mission we sprint to the end, don’t slow down, and serve the lord with all our heart, might, mind and strength! I wanted to ponderize two scriptures since I missed last week.

Each of us is in a race and that race we must run towards salvation and lay hold upon it, each of us is on a journey, as we look to Christ to lead us through our race we feel finish safely and be able to enjoy the greatest happiness, even salvation!

My favorites️

Church with kouen she loves her Chinese Book of Mormon!

And the transfer calls are in…………..I will be spending my last transfer here in 八王子Hachioji!!!!! Yay! So relieved when I read that and my new companion will be sister Yano!!! Double the joy! Sister Yano is the cutest and sweetest nihonjin sister you will ever meet, I am so excited to work hard with her!

This week we focused a lot on finding new investigators and people to teach, sometimes it can feel discouraging and you’re not sure where all your efforts are going into when it doesn’t seem like people are ready to listen, but I’ve come to realize in the greatest times when my faith is tested, God blesses us to find those that are prepared to listen. This week I went to a mission leadership council meeting at the mission home and my companions worked in our area, when I came home they were thrilled to tell me that they met a man who was genuinely interested in the gospel, and said he would come to church. As missionaries we spend everyday inviting people to come and go be honest the majority of the people don’t show up, but this time, he came and since we don’t teach men, we got him set up with the elders which they talked for a few hours after church and gave him a copy of the Book of Mormon and a set up a time to meet again, it goes to show there are prepared people waiting to hear this joyful message!

As we have been trying to seek inspiration and understand where the Lord needs us to labor, we received a call from a woman who was seeking to learn English, we told her we could teach her half English, half gospel lessons, she agreed. We met with her not really knowing how the lesson would go, but as we met, we discovered she had met with missionaries previously and had many questions about God and prayer. It ended up being a great lesson and she even offered to pray at the end.

Happy Halloween!!! We had a spectacular Halloween party with the ward, about 130 people attended and a good 3/4 of them were not members so not only was it a good dendo opportunity for us, but for the ward too! It was so great to see our eikaiwa students and ward members mingling, they were able to help invite many of them to come to church! It was a hit!

His past Sunday, our good ol Nepalese friend Bishnu came again to church and had a great time! And then our Chinese friend kouen also attended and the elders investigator who is half Japanese half Sierra Leonian came to, so we had a nice lil mixture from all over the world It was great and such a blessing to see that the lord truly is mindful of all his children, no matter where they are from! At night we had a meal at the kitaharas and we invited Bishnu to come and he came with two of his Nepalese friends and it was probably the most interesting night of my mission. Between all the Japanese, Nepalese and English being spoken it was so interesting to see everyone mesh together. The Nepalese were speaking in Nepalese screaming “bindas” which means it’s all good every other minute, the elders eighty something year old investigator is speaking some super hard old Japanese, and another random man who found the elders looking for a thanksgiving feast and talking about American politics all night was quite the party…..literally I cannot even explain in words how funny and interesting it all was, but God makes it work and we were all filled with kitahara shimais cooking and nourished by the warm spirit they had within their home that night.

As I begin the first week of my last transfer here in Hachioji, I remembered some wise words one of my favorite companions taught me, when I talked to sister Padelsky about how she felt when she was in her last transfer here, she said, ” you can’t run from it, might as well run with it.” Sometimes I want to live in denial and pretend that my time here will never end, that I will get to continue my life of bliss bringing others to the knowledge of their savior, meeting incredible people who change my life on a daily basis (companions, members, investigators, less actives, random people on the street), learning more about he potential God has for all of his children, there is so much that I don’t want to ever end. My heart hurts to ever think of the day I will have to leave these wonderful people, so I’m not gonna lie to myself and say that my time here will never end, instead I will work hard and witness of a loving Heavenly Father and his beloved son Jesus Christ and sprint to the end sharing with the people of Japan of the divinity and truthfulness of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ! I know for myself this gospel is true and offers everyone a never ending happiness if we will but open our hearts and come closer to Christ. I love being a missionary in the Japan Tokyo south mission, I’m grateful for each day of learning and growing and coming to know my savior better. Thank you for the prayers and love!
#DoItForThe伝道 #伝道OrDie

愛しています
Sister Natalie Wilson
ウィルソン姉妹

Part of the group I came with….

Elder Moa goes home.

Happy Halloween from Japan!!

31 Flavors on the 31st

The Nepalese…deepak, kumar, and good ol Bishnu

Namaste

Striving to be exactly obedient brings about miracles…Bishnu and Deepak came to church…‏

नमस्ते (Namaste) family!

This week I went on a split in Kofu with sister Shitami, a sweet nihonjin sister from Hokkaido, up in the north where my trainer is from. So kofu is literally half our mission it’s a massive area, so after a two hour train ride we went on a two and a half bike ride to visit an investigator, she is 87years old and can’t retain all the information she learns. We were only able to meet with her for about 30minutes but in such a short time we told her how much her Heavenly Father loves her and she beamed, I’m sure she felt something, so I hope she can retain what the sisters teach. It was a short time in kofu, but Im always grateful for the time I do have, it’s so peaceful and I always learn new things about dendo and how when you slow down and can take the time to make lasting impressions and connections with people, it changes the entire atmosphere. It’s so different from the city life of Hachioji, everyone is literally running from one place to the next, so it’s nice to get some variety when I visit the countryside in kofu. 幸福kofu literally means happiness.

This week we met with the Kurogi family, they have three of the sweetest little girls ever, they are so full of life and love to sing and dance. We taught hem the plan of salvation and they are 15,12,and 10 but boy were they teaching us. They are so young but you could tell their parents have instilled in them what matters most because they bore their testimonies of the blessings that come from the plan of salvation, it was wonderful. After meeting with them, we got to the train and realized we had only thirty minutes to get home, our train was about twenty minutes and our normal walk is abou twentyish minutes to walk home so we knew we had to run home to make curfew. We were so full, but thanks to our mission motto #obedienceistheprice we knew that we would has to run hard to make it home on time, so we said a quick prayer and took off running. We made it home with three minutes to spare. The lord definitely helped us to make it home on time, and although maybe it doesn’t always seem like it’s a huge deal to come home a couple minutes late, but one saying I know mom and dad always drilled in us was if you’re obedient to the small things, it will be so much easier to be obedient to the big things. I have come to understand that When obedience becomes a natural part of our instincts, I am genuinely happier because I know God is happier with me and our will’s are closer in alignment.

This past Saturday I was privileged to go with President and Sister Wada and one other sister, Sister Wright down to Hiro-o in the Japan Tokyo mission and be apart of a presentation about digital dendo. It was such a great experience, I was able to share my experience with online proselyting and how it has helped us to find those that are prepared to hear the gospel. I talked about my friend ichikawa who was found by a member through Facebook and how we used Facebook to find our recent convert, nakamura shimais Friend through Facebook and utilized Skype to help in the teaching process. Members have such a powerful influence when they invite others and utilize these technological tools as a modern day liahona to guide us and help us accomplish em lords work of salvation. We are the masters of the tool, don’t let the tool master you!….It was a great experience but a little interesting, we had to speak into a computer where it was being broadcasted to seven other locations in Sendai and he north mission. We spoke to all of the foreign wards living in Japan tokyo south stake area. Afterward I ate with president and sister wada, they are amazing examples to me and are nonstop hardworking mission parents. I’m grateful for the love and the blessing they are to all of us here in the Tokyo south mission, they truly care and pray for each of us. By the time they put me on a train it was 9:30, didn’t get home until 10:40ish, thanks to the mission schedule my body just shuts down after 10:30 so that was an interesting experience, also feels so out of place not to be with a companion on a train.

Although it was a late night, we went to church and our friend got sick and was not able to go to church and we were a little disappointed that she was unable to attend, but still prayed out of everyone we invited someone would be able to come to church, it was special to have the children’s program. During Sunday school, we got a call from our Nepalese friends deepak and Bishnu and they called telling us they could not find the church. We went out and found them and brought them to church just in time for sacrament. So Bishnu and deepak are the two Nepalese we housed into last week on Sunday and invited to church this week and deepak speaks some English and Bishnu poor thing can barely say or understand anything. But deepak always says (spoken in a Nepalese accent) “he wants to manage the learning of the Jesus.” Although they did not speak any Japanese and Bishnu not speaking English they felt the spirit through the children’s simple testimonies and songs. They were so touched that they said they will come next week. Having them come to church was such a sweet miracle! Despite cultural and language barriers, the spirit speaks to the hearts of all of gods children. I know that to be true! Grateful for the blessing of obedience and the miracles that are wrought about through it. We may not be prefect, but my companions and I have been able to see the little difference in striving to be even a little more obedient and live at a higher plane, live the higher law. Thank you all, for the love and support!

愛しています
Sister Natalie Wilson
ウィルソン姉妹

Shitami shimai and I on a long train to kofu and neatrly no one on the train

The cute Kurogi family!!!

Nothing like some curry to spice up your sabbath day

Pres and sis wada at the stake conference in hiroo

So at 10ish at night I had to take a train by myself and this is what I see as I’m sitting by myself

OPEN YOUR MOUTH!

Konnichiwa!

Today was Temple Pday, ’twas a great day in the Tokyo temple! This week was really awesome, we had a special experience to hear from a member of the seventh, Elder Yamashita and his wife! He is a powerful servant of the Lord and has so much energy and passion for spreading the gospel! He and his wife talked about our divine calling and he and sister Yamashita really emphasized opening our mouths and trusting that the spirit will help us to know what to say. Sister Yamashita shared doctrine and covenants 33:8 “Open your mouths and they shall be filled, and you shall become even as Nephi of old, who journeyed from Jerusalem in the wilderness.” He encouraged us each to prayerfully ponder what more can we give to the lord when he is giving us all he has. As we talked elder Yamashita spoke wi power when he would ask us what is the lord doing for our investigators, as we recollected and saw how the Lord’s hand has guided our investigators long before we even had the chance to meet them. Each of them has had spiritual experiences that although completely different, can all be traced back to God and him guiding both of our paths to cross for them to hear the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. I have absolutely no doubt in my mind that there are or ever have been coincidences in life, each event and experience in our daily lives has and is guided by the hand of the Lord. After our mission conference, we met with elder Yamashita as a mission leadership council. He talked with us and he spoke boldly but spoke with conviction when he told us we need to raise our vision, we can be seeing so many more miracles and even baptisms if we will push a little harder and really strive to see is work through God’s eyes. Not gonna lie, I felt a lot of pressure and a huge weight of responsibility, but I know I’ve been called of this work and a man called by God himself is exhorting us to stretch a little farther do more, and become more. Whom the lord calls, he qualifies, this truly is his work. We also then had a fireside in which we met with members of our ward and he spoke to the ward leaders and missionaries on how we can work together in accomplishing this great cause. This work does not move forward without the members help, I’m so grateful for their help and the power of faith and Christlike love they carry with them.

As we tried to apply elder yamashitas counsel on openi our mouths and talking to everyone, we have been blessed with some great miracles. As my companions and I went housing one day, we were getting rejected door after door and it was about time to head home for dinner and we were all pretty starved, but we saw one little apartment and decided why not. As we housed not one door answered, we decided to keep going and a woman finally answered, thrilled she said she would be willing to heart our message, she had no idea about God, but as we shared simple truths with her, we were excited when she said we could come again, it was a testimony that God really does bless us as we open our mouths, we find people who are ready to listen. Also this week we had a zone blitz and we worked with other missionaries from around the stake. one of my companions I worked with for the day was a young transfer two missionary, but she was fired up and so we made a promise that we would talk to everyone, unfortunately not everyone wanted to hear our message or wouldn’t stop, but as we met one high school aged student, we taught her about prayer and even prayed with her on the corner of a busy intersection and then right after that we met a young mom with her daughter that we found out had come to our church before and was happy to accept our invitation to come again. We put our trust in the lord and opened up our mouths and he blessed wonderful people along our path to talk to!

Last night we were housing and we housed into a couple of Nepalese that spoke little English, way crazy. They were these two kind of big guys with white tank tops and we don’t dendo guys so we were about ready to be on our way but trusted in the lord and invited them to hear our message and one of them we found out is actually really seeking to know Jesus Christ, many of his family are Christians but he has been so preoccupied but he recently felt like life is always so rushed and hard with work and everything and wants to know more about Christ and his teachings. He seemed happy to find out that that is literally our purpose as missionaries. Our new Nepalese friends bishnu and deepak will hopefully soon be meeting the elders…

This work is not easy but the joy that I have felt from being a missionary cannot compare to anything I have ever felt. I love this work and this gospel with all I have and I hope to follow Nephi’s example in 1nephi1:27. This is my ponderize scripture, as we open our mouths, the more natural it becomes to share the gospel and we are filled with The spirit to the extent that our mouths will not be shut as we declare this happy message to all. I love you all and pray for you!

愛しています
Sister Natalie Wilson
ウィルソン姉妹

These two are my favorite ️️️

My friends Kanno shimai and ichikawa San. We met ichikawa San almost a year ago when this member Kanno shimai found her thru Facebook and we started teaching her, she has continued to learn and will be baptized next month.

Kenji San the best 70year old ever‏! He is the cutest little guy ever….and is gonna be baptized on the 31st halloween!!!!!!

General Conference Weekend IS THE BEST!!!!!

My favorites, Mashiko and Junko in the back. And the pure little Yuka. I was overjoyed to see them at conference. It has been almost a year next month since Junko was baptized when sister Padelsky and I worked in Tama. It was good to see her faith is stronger than ever and even Mashikos heart is starting to soften. And Yuka was radiating with the heavenly light that always surrounds her.

Konnichiwa!!!

This week we finally were able to watch General conference and it was the best!!! Although it was sad to see three of the beloved apostles president packer, elder perry, and elder Scott not seated on the stand but was a treat to see e new apostles elders rasband, renlund, and Stevenson called. His past year our mission met elder rasband and elder Stevenson as they toured our mission with elder Ballard. So grateful for the blessing of living prophets and apostles and the opportunity we have to hear gods words through them. I love stake conference because it feels like a huge reunion all over the world and even within the stake. I was able to see so many of my beloved friends from Tama.

This conference was also extra special because our friend Lee from China came with us and at the stake center they were broadcasting it in Japanese, English, Chinese, and Portuguese so we were able to watch it with her in Chinese. It was such a special experience for her to hear it in her own native tongue. She said she felt a happy feeling the whole time and was touched by the beautiful music and the heartfelt messages she heard. She was so happy she came and met a recent convert from a neighboring ward who is also Chinese. No matter he language barrier we may have, the language of the spirit truly communicates to people’s hearts and feel of gods love. It was great to witness he power of the spirit work in lee’s heart is past conference weekend.

The lord is blessing us greatly with many prepared people on the streets and my companions and I are in awe of this incredible work of the lord. Each day has been different and has had its own individual challenges, but I am grateful to be humbled and have seen through spiritual eyes what the lord needs me to learn, what he expects of me, who he needs me to help, and giving me a glimpse of the kind of missionary and person he desires for me to become. I’m so grateful for this sacred privilege of laboring in the lords vineyard in the Japan Tokyo south mission. Thank you for all the love, support, and words of encouragement.

愛してますよ
Sister Natalie Wilson
ウィルソン姉妹

General conference in Chinese with mei mei chan and lee!!

My sweet friends from Tama. Sasaki shimai, hikaru shimai, and tomita shimai

Decided to take up elder durrants challenge and ponderize this verse of scripture. Mosiah 7:33 this week. As we trust the lord, serve him with a full and willing heart, and turn over our will to him, he can make so much more of our life than anything we could ever do. Through his grace we can be delivered from bondage, whether that be sin, personal weaknesses, grudges, whatever the pain or problem we may have as we turn our whole hearts over to him we are made whole. I loved how sister Marriott said through the breaking of our hearts before the lord and a contrite spirit we can have a whole and healed heart. Grateful that this gospel is a gospel of change and improvement that brings us closer to our savior Jesus Christ and Heavenly Father.

Finding treasures this little guy flew and stayed with me‏

Mormon helping hands with my fave Tongan toko cook shimai‏. We did service, called bike taxi. Bike old people to their homes…..struggle was real but rewarding!‏