5/20/2012

Hey family,

Wow, I can`t believe its already been a week since I last talked to you over the phone! Way quick, but this week was a good one for us over here in Toyooka. But I am really glad to hear that all of you guys are doing well. Know that I`m praying for all of ya!

Goodness gracious, it baffles me to think that May is almost over! I`ve been doing my best not worrying about time and just working but it always catches me off guard when P-day rolls around and I`m emailing you guys. Maybe I should just not email you guys from now on! ahaha I kid, I kid. But I`ve learned from experience that you don`t need time to start succeeding or changing yourself. All you need is faith, desire, commitment and the will to attack all opportunities that come before you.

The work is moving forward here in Toyooka. It may not be in large or dramatic scales but I know that it is indeed moving forward. Toyooka is a place where you can`t just use brute force or skill to produce results, I`ve learned that the hard way. But I know that the key to success in areas like this is patient but persistent work. Small, insignificant acts can produce great results in the long run. Just like how sand thats blown in the wind can shape canyons all the way down to the smallest crevasses can. I know that my work here won`t be fruit-less. But I did have a very spiritual experience this past week. After a long prayer with the man upstairs, I think I`ve finally come to an understanding of why He kept me in Toyooka for this long. Its because there are people in this area that only I can influence and I`m going to do everything I can to help them come unto Christ.

Well, I`ve gotta go now! Oh yeah, I might buy a cheap suits if there are any at Aoyama or Haruyama...so be careful bank account. haha

I LOVE YOU GUYS SO MUCH!!! Make this the best week ever, okay?

Mucho Love,

Elder Saito

5/13/2012

5/6/2012

Dear Beloved Family,

I can`t believe that everything is coming to an end...this is going to be my last call on my mission. Also, this Wednesday is going to be my last zone conference so I will be giving my dying testimony. I`m honestly scared beyond reasoning because I never thought in a million years this day would actually come. I don`t know how to explain it...I have so many mixed feelings running through me right now, but I`ll try my best to express them over the phone next Monday.

Anyways, can`t be moping around about not having enough time. I can still see many miracles with the time that I`ve been blessed to work with! Great men seek for opportunities, not time. I`m telling you, you don`t need time to see miracles. All you need is faith and works and the Lord will provide the rest. For example, we had an amazing miracle this past week. Our recent convert who went to jail recently was released this past week! The best part about it is he kept his faith strong while he was in prison and he read the Book of Mormon and the Bible everyday. As a result, his cell mate noticed his faith and showed a lot of interest in the church and the gospel. And last Sunday, he came to church with our recent convert, loved the experience and now is currently working towards baptism! I swear, you work your tail off in Toyooka and right when you think nothing comes out of your efforts, the Lord provides. It was an extremely faith building experience I tell you!

Well, I don`t know what`ll happen with these next two months but lets expect miracles! Just like Nephi and building a boat. If God had command me to do all things I could do them! We just need to have enough faith to trust that the Lord knows what he is doing. Please, if you can, continue praying for our investigators as well as the members within the Fukuchiyama zone. This is a time of trial and I think if we can get out of this, we`ll be able to see miracles unfold in front of us!

God lives. I know He does. I can just feel it as I gaze through miles and miles of rice patties or look at the formations of the mountains here in Toyooka. I can recognize all of the times I`ve seen His hand in the work throughout my mission. I can feel His love and influences through all of the bonds and friendships that I`ve created on my mission. Now its my duty to savor these things and go and preach these truths to all my brothers and sisters in Toyooka.

Well, I gotta go now. Can`t keep my companion waiting for much longer. Know that I love you guys! I`m excited to talk to you guys this next Monday.

Oh by the way, I`ll probably be spending some money buying protein this week. I`ve lost 4kilos here in Toyooka and I need to gain them back! Thank you!!!

Loves,

Elder Saito

 

4/29/2012

Hey Family,

Well here it is, my final two transfers out in the field. Like you all know, I`ve got myself a new son! Elder Shinohara from Sendai! Actually, he`s from Shizuoka but he is seriously the best thing that has happened to me since who knows what. I seriously love this kid with all my heart! He`s a way talented missionary and it feels like he`s already a zone leader worthy so it helps me out a lot while I`m fulfilling the role of a single zone leader.

Honestly, I don`t really have time to write much because I need to jump on a bus to Kobe...so this will be extremely short. Just know that your son/little brother is alive and well in Toyooka. I`ve become very accustom to Toyooka, I already know more than half of the people in the town. I guess thats just what happens when you stay in an area for longer than two transfers. But I know that the Lord had left me in Toyooka and paired me up with such a great missionary for a reason. I know that the Lord lives and knows each and every one of us very well...I was able to experience that very personally this past week.

Okay, I love you guys a bunch! Thanks for being awesome all the time!!!

Loves,

Elder Saito

4/22/2012

Hey Family,

Well, transfer calls just happened this morning. I would have to say, I`m very surprised at what happened. *Drum roll please*....I`ll be staying in Toyooka! bahahaha In fact, I`ll be training a new missionary while fulfilling the position of a zone leader! It`s nothing like I imagined...I totally thought that President Zinke would`ve kicked me out of the zone leader position by now but I guess not. I`m way excited though, I`ve always wanted to train on my last two but I never in a million years thought that I would be doing it in Toyooka. Now I`m literally the only one who`ll be running this zone, no zone leader companion to support me. Its a pretty big responsiblity! But its okay, no need to worry. The Lord knows my circumstance and there`s obviously a purpose that I stayed in Toyooka. I`m positive that He left me here not to fail, but to grow into the missionary He wants me to be. I guess its like, the Lord`s helping me out so I don`t slack off on my last two transfers. It was funny because President told me over the phone in his distinctive manly voice, "It`s alright Elder Saito. If anyone can do it, it`s you!" Well, it shows that President trusts me so I need to step up to the plate.

Well, I know that the next two transfers are going to include a lot of intense prayers, scripture study and plain hard work. I have learned the hard way that doing your own thing in Toyooka yields minimal results. I need to rely on the Lord and the Spirit more fully. I`ll be praying like it all depends on the Lord and working like it all depends on me. Be prepared parents, you may be picking me up in stretcher at the end of my mission cause I`m going to get to work now. haha I feel like I`ve been working hard for the past two transfers but I need to sacrifice more. Hopefully, I don`t end up killing my new missionary.

I wonder who my new missionary is gonna be? There are actually a few new missionaries coming in this transfer. A lot of people from my 同期 will be training this transfer. Oh yeah, Elder Burns finally made his way out of the mission home and he`ll be training in his bean area for his last two transfers. About time, he`s been in there forever. Elder Jindo will actually be training too...I kind of forgot where he was gonna go but yeah.

This next transfer should be a good one. I mean, we finally have a branch president called after a month`s worth of having no real branch presidency so the work should start picking up. Life would be great if we had a ward mission leader as well but we need to learn how to work with what we got. Whatever the circumstance, we must expect miracles! Its so important to understand that most of missionary work is mental. Need to imagine success first then do everything you possibly can to achieve it. Doubt and fear will hinder your progression forward and making excuses will keep your running in circles. I must be stronger, the missionaries in my zone must be stronger, the members in this branch must be stronger. Gotta give it all.

Please continue praying for the elect here in Toyooka so they may be led to us or so that we may be led to them. Thanks for everything you guys do! I love ya

Mucho amor,

Elder Saito

4/15/2012

Dearest Family,

I would like to start my email by formally apologizing to you Mom and Dad. ごめんな!　I completely blanked last week and forgot to thank all of you guys. Yes Mother, the suitcase did come in and I am thoroughly enjoying all the delectable treats that you spent long hours purchasing and tactfully packing. You`re the bestest Mom! I finally have stuff to eat so I gained back a kilo in the past week thanks to all of the protein bars.

Oh yes and Father, thank you for all of your hard work on applying for me as well as all the rooming jazz. Honestly, I tried not to read your last email in too much depth because I thought I would be distracted for the rest of the week. I only got three-ish months left so I`m trying my best to cut myself off from thinking of things like schooling and stuff, but I guess it is inevitable to put at least some thought into it. As for my schedule...honestly, it looks like a load but I`m always up for a challenge. Hopefully, things I learned on my mission and the Lord`s grace and mercy will compensate for the fact that I haven`t been in school for over two years. I just want to hit the ground running after my mission so I don`t end up being a bum. Plus, I`ll be able to tweak my schedule if necessaryでしょ? でしょ?

Finally, Selena and Richard wrote me back. Good for them! They finally have fulfilled their role as family. I kid, I kid. But its good to hear that they`re doing well up there in the Lake of Salt. I see there`s a new addition to the family too. A cat with HIV huh...well, I guess it just fits in perfectly with that family.

Well, another week has gone by. I mean, its already the the final week of the transfer! I can`t believe it...I`ve had a lot of mixed feelings running through my head lately. I pretty much decide what will happen with the rest of my mission tomorrow in my interview with President Zinke. I feel like I`ve learned a lot about myself and this work within my time here in Toyooka. I don`t think I`ve ever felt as...small in a while, but at the same time I`ve never learned so much about Christ and about His attributes or Atonement before. Like in Ether 12:27, as man comes closer to the to the Lord, his weaknesses will be shown and those weaknesses are given to men so they can be humble. After men humble themselves before the Lord and exercise faith, that`s when the miracle of weaknesses becoming strengths happens. A year and nine months out and I still have a lot to learn on my mission. But I`m way excited to grow and become stronger with the time that I have left!

As for our two baptismal candidates, we will probably have to reset their dates. I feel like I`ve done everything to get them on their date...but we just can`t get everything in on time. There`s no point in trying to force things down these people`s throats just so we can get a baptism in. I need to have a larger view of missionary work and help them understand the doctrine of the gospel and have them feel the spirit so they can truly convert. Everything has their time and their season. I just need to do absolutely everything that I can within my circle influence and leave rest of it up to the Lord. But the good news is that our thirteen year old investigator is going back to school! She`s even started to get involved in tennis as well. I`m so glad that she`s back on track with her future but she needs the gospel as well.

Well, short sleeves T`s are in now. Hallelujah, praise the Lord! Spring time is the season of change. Like an old investigator in Iwade told me a year ago, the old will become new and there will be new friends and experiences laying in front of me. I`m way excited! Aight, thanks for being the best family ever. I honestly owe it all to you guys! アザイス!

愛してるぜ、

斉藤長老より

4/8/2012

Hello dear family,

Well, another unbelievably quick week has gone by. Its incredible how quickly it all goes by! Granted, most of the week consisted of me going around for trainings and and General Conference but whatever, it`s the life! We first started it off by going to Kobe early Tuesday morning, then moved over to Fukuchiyama and then finished it all off in Nishiwaki. We were able to get back into our area Friday night and start working again. I swear, I feel like a business man just going around in my suit and training people but that`s the blessings of being such an old missionary. ahah No but it was really great, I really enjoyed working with the missionaries in my zone.

Zone Leader Council was a good one as well. With President Zinke`s new training plan I can see a lot of apparent changes in him and his vision. I think he`s really getting a hold of everything and the mission is on the verge of exploding. Missionary work is so interesting to me, its something that I`ve been thinking about lately since I`ve had a lot of opportunities to train younger missionaries. There are so many elements that are included to create a successful missionary. A simple testimony, being able to work with the Spirit, desire, mental stability, social skills, proselyting techniques, etc. Its so important to understand that each missionary has their own strengths and weaknesses within the spectrum of the work and how the responsibility of leader is to help them continue to build on those strengths and recognize their weaknesses so they can work through the Atonement of Christ to improve. A true Christlike leader will help other missionaries turn to Christ when they recognize their shortcomings or weaknesses not try to do it themselves. I`ve come to a realization that I`ve been too caught up with running micro-management for the missionaries in my zone. As in, if there`s a problem within the zone, I jump in and solve it on the spot. Which may not seem that big of a problem at first, but in the long run I`ve realized that it doesn`t help the missionaries. Its the exactly the concept of giving a man a fish vs teaching him how to fish. Of course the latter on is more effective in the long run. Oh, the joys of missionary work. Right when you feel like you know what you`re doing, you realize that you are completely lost. Thank goodness for the Atonement! There is still a lot I need to do for the missionaries in my zone so I need to do everything within my circle of influence while balancing the work here in Toyooka as well.

Anyways, this week was a good eye opener for me. I think General Conference has really helped me to see where I want to go and do with the rest of the time I have left to serve. Honestly, there has been a lot running through my head lately. I felt like I`ve been trying to keep a bunch of McDonalds colored playpin balls within my arms while running. (For anyone who has experienced that can sympathize how I felt.) Anyways, with many things running through my head...I watched conference. Honestly, I couldn`t focus 100% but there was a talk that really stood out to me. I actually can`t remember who gave the talk but he talked about the Prodigal`s son and how "he came to himself." That left a large impression on me. Its not that I`ve completely apostatized or anything...but I do feel like I came to a better realization that I am indeed a son of the all mighty Father in Heaven, and that He loves and cares about me. Everything that I`m going through and trying to balance right now are simple tests that were placed in front of me to help me grow. I need to be able to stand up to these trails that I`m faced with faithfully and boldly. If I keep on using the escape excuse of "Oh, I only have three months left" my mission will be over before I know it. I need to give all now. Right now. Mainly, because I know that this is a chapter in my life that I can`t re-write and I do not want to end my mission with regrets.

There are many things in missionary work, well life in general, that won`t go the way you want it to go. And that`s how its supposed to be. Elder Holland says it best, "salvation is not a cheap experience." If life ain`t hard, you probably ain`t doin` it right! We aren`t here to get caught in the current, take it easy and get thrown around lifelessly. We`re here to fight the current and get where we want.

Anyways, I`m gonna go now. There`s a lot that still needs to be done over here. Thanks for all the emails though! I love you guys lots and hope you`re all having an awesome week!

Mucho Amor,

Elder Saito