Week 39: Prayer Works!

Hello Everyone!

This week was crazy! To be honest, it was so jam packed that it feels like I was writing home yesterday... The speed at which time flies scares me a bit!

Anyways... Some of the stuff we did this week...

First, we are teaching a man from France! He seems pretty interested, but as a college student learning Japanese, he is pretty busy. It's way crazy to have to practice some of my French again... Sometimes Japanese words come out, and sometimes it comes out in Japanese grammar... Which does not work at all en Français. Haha.

Aside from that, it was transfer week, so I had a chance to work with younger missionaries, and work with older missionaries as well (we became the companionship for the random odds and ends that did not have a companion while their companions were transferring). In short, got some good feed back, and was able to help a "younger" missionary (he has 5 or so years on me, but recently came to the field) set plans for Japanese study and learn some new teaching skills. Helping other missionaries is probably one of my favorite things to do - and it is a good motivator, because without striving yourself, you really can't help anybody.

Well, aside from that, we started visiting a long list of less actives. Most of them were converts in their teens, and are now in their 70's, so most say something like "what church?" Or "oh. I'm Buddhist now." And then there are some that moved. So we basically just talk to everyone on the way to make it effective.

Most people we talked to weren't interested. However, while we were biking home yesterday, it just struck me - if God wanted to put someone in my path he could. So, I prayed that a prepared person would be put in my path, and, the next person we talked to was a couple that wants to learn about how families can be eternal! Hopefully we can meet with them again soon! So, prayer works! It gives us direction, help, strength, and blessings, so make sure you pray over EVERYTHING you do this week (Alma 37:37). It works. I promise.

Stay Awesome!
Hurrah for Israel!
Elder O'Reilly

This is my "I don't think I have taken a pic in 2 weeks" face. Haha.
Oops. I'll have to ask the other Elders in the apartment for some good
pics. :P I'll take some today after we email, Mom. Don't worry. I
promise. Haha.

Week 38: Happy Easter!

Hello Everyone!

SOOO much happened this week, I don't even know where to start!

I guess the first thing is, one of the people we started working with wants to be baptized! First he wants to make sure our church is the true church, but I really don't feel like he will have too much of a problem with that. He moves to Shibuya for school on Thursday, but I'm still excited for him, especially since I know some of the Elders in Shibuya.

Up through the week, he read various parts of the Book of Mormon with us and on his own, along with reading a pamphlet to prepare for each lesson. He basically just asked us questions about the deeper stuff he didn't understand - like about the fall of Adam and Eve, etc.

Then, during one of our lessons, we felt prompted to ask him to read 1 Nephi 3-4, where Laban is killed by Nephi. He asked a TON of questions about it in the next lesson... But the chapters really caught his interest, and he ended up committing himself to reading the whole Book of Mormon! God really knows His children a lot better than I do - I would have never assigned that chapter, but reading the whole Book of Mormon, and getting his own personal concerns out with us before hand, will definitely help his progress! I'm glad I am not alone in this work!

As for the other people we met with, one seems pretty interested, but is sucked up in gambling, and I am not sure we will be able to meet... The others were just a little curious in who we were, or coming and seeing church once, etc. I think bringing someone to church still helped us gain the trust of the members though and we found some more PI's, so things are starting to get moving. In addition, the man that came to church has a professor who studies with professors at BYU, and said that he loves the Mormon people! We got his contact info, and we will see how that goes this week!

Well... It was fun teaching so many people this week... got me pumped to find some people this upcoming week!

Yes, Mom, I have played the piano while I've been out. I actually just played the piano in a talent show yesterday! I will find you there my friend. I also played at a funeral, and a few times during Priesthood and such.

One of my favorite things to do this week was testify of Christ and tell people what Easter is - most people haven't even heard of it here! I am glad to know I have a Savior, someone who makes up for my short comings everyday, and loves, cares, and plans carefully for each of us!

Hurrah for Israel!

Elder O'Reilly

No pics this week, but here is a video of the end of the last District Meeting - three of these missionaries go home this transfer, and they wanted a recording of us singing the old mission song, so here it is!
The missionaries going home are the Elder in only a white shirt (no jacket or sweater) and the two sisters in the center of the Sisters, if that makes sense.

Week 37: The Arm of Flesh

Hello Everyone!!!!

This week was incredible. We found SO many people to teach this week - to the extent, that we can't fit in all our appointments tomorrow. And then from Wednesday we become a threesome companionship with the Zone
Leaders because one of them is going home for school (one week before the end of the transfer). They also have a lot of teaching appointments... So our week will probably be filled with teaching this week!

Now, if I were to say the main difference that happened this week, it would be the difference between relying on ourselves and relying on God instead. When we started this transfer, we were so confident that we knew what we were doing. We were told by our leaders that talking to 100 people would find us 1 new investigator, and out of 10 new investigators, one would be prepared enough to be baptized, so we went out and talked to a lot of people - and saw no success.

This week, instead of focusing on just what we thought we should do - going to people filled places and stopping everyone - we really prayed about what He would have us do. As we sought His will, we didn't talk to as many people, but we found more people that listened! In one day, we found 4 people that wanted to hear more! One is particularly interested in baptism, one is interested in learning how to use the Atonement, one wants to hear about the Book of Mormon, and one is just curious in who we are. And those are just the people we found in one day! Plus, everyone that dropped off the map before I got here started calling us and wanting to meet. It was as if someone just came and lit our area on fire!

One experience that stands out to me in particular was on Thursday. We were looking for some less actives with little success - the addresses have like no pattern in Japan, and not even Google maps can get it right. We realized that with the time we spent lost, we wouldn't have enough time to complete all our plans, so we prayed to seek direction. Previously, perhaps we would have just shot out to work and find people, but, we felt that we should just get back to the apartment a little early. Such a thought would have never come to me, but the first kid we talked to was interested in learning about Christ!

So, if I learned one thing this week, it was not to rely on the arm of the flesh. I did everything in my power for 4 weeks, and then we strove to do it God's way for one day and had more success then all the rest of the transfer combined. God is certainly a God of miracles, and can do His own work if we will let Him! So seek His direction
through prayer this week, and then really listen for His direction! I can promise that He is waiting to bless you, you just have to let Him!

Stay Awesome!!!!
Hurrah for Israel!
Elder O'Reilly

When I looked up Thomas's address on google, look what I found... haha!

Eating Ramen as an apartment. Ramen is SOOO good in Japan.

Played frisbee and soccer in the rain with the YSA and the 1 youth in the ward :)

Week 36: A Better Way

Hello everyone!

Well... If I were to sum up my week briefly, we talked to A LOT of people! Always way fun. Wave down a bike and say, "Excuse me! Excuse me! We're teaching people about how they can become happier and find peace through Jesus Christ, are you interested?" And we found some people that said yes this week! So, we have a couple appointments, and we'll see how they go.

As for teaching this week, we decided to drop the last person we were really meeting regularly... He didn't want to accept anything besides the bible, so there just wasn't much we could do. Man. I wish I could just make people see this the way I see things! But I guess it doesn't work that way. God wants people to walk by faith, because that is the way people grow.

That can be pretty easy to forget sometimes - even when we do have the Gospel. To be honest, I asked myself a few times this week, how come I can't find people to teach? Couldn't following the Spirit be easier? Why can't I just know exactly where I should go, what I should do, and what I should say? But, walking by faith, not knowledge, is what makes people grow. When I think of the Saviors example - His wisdom as He taught the woman caught in adultery, His love as He forgave the Jews as He suffered on the cross, His strength as He performed the Atonement, His humility as He said Thy will be done - I feel grateful for the opportunity to grow. Even though sometimes I want the easy way, when God grants me a glimpse of His way, I am grateful that He knows a better way. I hope that some day it will lead me to do, serve, and love as He did!

Loving everyday of this awesome work!
Love you all!
Hurrah for Israel!
Elder O'Reilly

The Beach! Niigata is the most beautiful place in the world!

My companion being a beast... he ripped his pants making this picture...haha.

Me, trying to be as cool as my companion.

Selfie with a dolphin! Went to the aquarium as a zone today.

Some questions answered for Mom this week:

Q. How is the language coming along? 

A. When I try hard and I'm not tired, it comes very naturally, and it is actually pretty fun. Listening, especially to old people can still be pretty tricky. :/ Praying for the gift of tongues definitely helps though! :)

Q. Do you feel like you can understand more now? 

A. Depends on the topic. I can talk about the Gospel and understand most of what is going on, particularly when reading the Book of Mormon. Airplanes? Wedding photography? Other random topics that come up as we talk to people? Not so much. Don't have enough vocab for that yet...

Q. How are you doing with your companion? And all your apartment-mates? Are you all getting along well?

A.  Elder O'Connor is pretty laid back, fun, and super hard working guy. All the Elders in my apartment are good missionaries. The other companionship are the zone leaders.

Q. I'm glad you are being so greatly taken care of in the food department by the kind members there! How are you liking the food? Do you like everything? Have you found anything that you don't like? 

A. LOVE the food! I LOVE everything. There are some things that took longer to love, like Nato, but I actually plan on having that tonight for dinner in my apartment. It is a good, healthy, cheap meal.

Wow! Lots of questions! Haha. I'm doing good, Mom. :)

Week 35: Slippery Ground

Hello everyone!

So... This week we met with a few investigators! It was the weirdest thing. Both of them had a background with the bible.... I've never had to teach out of the Bible! Certainly a test of my scriptural knowledge. More than that, learning to rely more on the Spirit to guide me to scriptures that I definitely could not remember otherwise.

One of them came from New Zealand. He has been meeting with the missionaries for a while, but loves the bible and isn't super interested in the Book of Mormon, though he is willing to read if we assign something. Best part is that he wants to be baptized! Unfortunately, he doesn't want to join a church. He feels it would separate him from other people of other religions. He pulled out the part of the Bible where Christ says those that aren't against us are for us, and basically said any Christian church is ok. Not sure how to help him see that there is truly one faith and one baptism... (Yes, I tried showing him that scripture).

The other has already been baptized, but not into our church, obviously. He doesn't see why he needs to be baptized again. He wasn't happy when I told him that his previous missionaries didn't have the priesthood, but we'll work with him to start reading the Book of Mormon. He's busy with work and school, but hopefully he can find
enough time to get an answer.

Now, the one thing that stood out to me from my study today was the importance of building on a firm foundation. I read from 3 Nephi 11 (in Japanese during language study, and I actually understood it decently!). It talks about how if we don't build on a firm foundation, when the floods come we will be washed away.

Later today, we were playing frisbee in the park (yes, Mom, I actually started taking p-days. And it does feel pretty good. I guess I have realized the importance of actually relaxing for a bit - especially when you have a companion. Haha). It rained this morning, so the ground could be pretty slippery. This was fine, as we were just standing and throwing the frisbee back and forth. However, I can't throw a frisbee to save my life, and my companion had to make a quick move to catch the frisbee... Which you can't do on slippery ground. He quickly fell and was unable to catch the frisbee.

Now, my companion is fine, and in reality, it was still plenty of fun. We moved to drier ground and continued. However, I was thinking that it is the same in life. Sometimes, we tell ourselves that we don't need a firm foundation. We choose to stand on slippery ground - after all, throwing a frisbee back and forth isn't that hard, right? But when the smallest thing happens, we fall. This is why even in good times, we MUST stand on good ground. You never know when I could be the one throwing the frisbee. ;) There is only way to guarantee no falls, and that is building our life, desires, and happiness on our Savior Jesus Christ.

So build on Christ this week!
Stay Awesome!
Elder O'Reilly

Visited this man this week! He is a rice farmer and has a HUGE 100
year old house!

This shrine thing is IN his house!!!

Niigata Zone Conference
(taken from facebook... the mission president's wife is so great to
post pictures and videos... I love to hear them sing! -- Thomas's mom)

Week 34: Small and Simple Things

Hello Everyone!

This week was interesting... We met with missionaries from two other different religions (they were curious about our church, but we probably won't meet with them again), and people that were interested in English (started to teach about the Gospel, but their expectations for meeting with an American were different....). We were going to meet with some investigators, but plans fell through and people were difficult to contact. So basically my week was waving down every person on the street (which is actually WAY fun. Everyone seems to like Americans. And I am pretty much the only one in Niigata, besides my companion who most people seem to think is Japanese. I actually have had some people walk up to me and try to speak some broken English), and as far as real solid lessons this week, we had a few with some less actives.

The first is only not coming to church because he has work on Sundays. That is tricky, but he is working on changing it so that he can come. He thinks that he should have a break on a Sunday in about 2 weeks. Basically the only problem is when he got his job, he didn't realize the importance of the Sacrament. Taking it every week made it seem less important, and now he regrets not going for a job that he could get Sundays off more often. However, he has been working hard, and he should be able to switch that soon. The Sacrament is SO important! It is the perfect time to align ourselves with our Father in Heaven. I don't know what I would do without the weekly reset. God knows too well how forgetful I can be.

The second is halfway between our church and Buddhism. He hasn't been to church in years, and the lack of Spiritual nourishment has clearly taken it's toll. He felt something good as we read Alma 5:12, watched the video of the Restoration, and discussed why he joined this church, but he was still convinced that there were other roads to happiness (which there certainly are, but this is the only one that leads to perfect, eternal happiness and growth). He says that he lets the missionaries over because he feels something that he can't otherwise. I wish that I could make him see that that is the Spirit!

It really made me think about the reason that God gave us commandments such as reading the scriptures, going to church, and praying daily. It really is the small and simple things that keep us safe! A loving Heavenly Father knew our imperfections perfectly, and provided a way to overcome them. Through the Atonement, we can overcome them day by day as we do the small and simple things. Not only that, but these things keep the Spirit in our life and make hard times bearable. Testimony is essential! It changes everything!

So my challenge for you is to remember the small things this week! You may not be able to do everything, but you can do what is necessary to always remember that your Heavenly Father is in control, loves you, and will always do what is best for you!

Have a fantastic week!

Hurrah for Israel!

Elder O'Reilly

Elder O'Connor is in the foreground, holding the cookie dough we made purely for eating.
Elder Morishita, one of the Zone Leaders I live with is in the background.

Me and my companion by a Storm Trooper. He didn't join the church.
Apparently the dark side has good cookies.

Week 33: NIIGATA!

Hello Everyone!!

I am  LOVING Niigata! There are about 50 people in the ward, and everyone of them is on FIRE. On top of that, they are the nicest people ever. They give the missionaries an unlimited supply of rice and eggs, give tons of other food, and take us out for nice lunches. I basically don't have to get groceries, which is pretty nice, not going to lie.

Their support for missionary work is shown pretty well by how kind they are to us. They are willing to work with us in anything, and are just as fired up as the missionaries! I am SOO excited to work here.

We have quite a few investigators in this area, and I am excited to get to know them all. To be honest, I have only really met two of them so far. There are 8 or so that we are working with pretty regularly, which is pretty good! I'm excited to meet all of them.

Now, to give you an image of my area, if I go to some parts of it, I feel almost like I am back in Tokyo, and some of it is totally countryside. Most of it is the countryside bit. If you look at the map, my area is about twice the area of both my last two areas combined - which happen to be the smallest, most central areas of the mission. I didn't know that before - but I guess I get to see more of the mission now! I think the reason the area is so big is because it is mostly countryside - which is why we get free rice and eggs from farmers.

Well... There are prepared people just like there were in Tokyo! We found someone named Bob - most common name ever, so I feel like I can share it - he is living in Tokyo, and is pretty interested in eternal marriage and family history. Hoping that we can meet with him sometime this week, but he seems pretty busy; we also found an 18 year old kid who wants to hear some about the church! We'll see how they turn out.

Probably the biggest miracle of the week is that the Tech Staff finally got a call through to Brother S (the investigator)! He is out of the hospital and down for meeting again. Elder Ikegami called me for info about him, and I feel confident that God blessed him because of my little brother's prayers! In fact, I am pretty sure I would have given up on him earlier if he hadn't been praying... Which would have resulted in my companion never hearing about him, and he would have been accidentally dropped (there are so many useless numbers in that phone that it would have been forever before he was called again). I suppose that shows the power of faithful prayer!

Well... I am finding more and more that this is the Lord's work everyday! I don't feel like I have learned how to be a good missionary, but I have learned that the Lord can do this great work through us if we pray to Him and ask in all sincerity to be a tool in His hands, and trust me, there is no greater joy than becoming such!

Love you all!
Hurrah for Israel!
Elder O'Reilly

Some questions/answers to his Mom this week:

companion name: Elder Thor (like, legitimately) O'Connor - Our names are pretty similar.

where is he from: Saitama, Japan. But he moved to Arkansas when he was young 

how long has he been out: 3 months? Ish? Two transfers. I've been out 5.

was he already in the area: Yes!

how is his japanese: Awesome. He is half Japanese.

how many are in your apartment: 4

how long did it take to get to your new area: 5 hours

did you travel by bus, train: Buses!

is this more of a bike area: yep. Definitely. I am exhausted.

more rural or big city: Both. Depends on where you go.

how big is the ward: 50 people

I think it is SO funny that you try to hang out with my companions families! Elder O'Connor is from Arkansas, so it will be a little harder this time. Sorry. :P

Hanging out with Elder Ikegami's sister, Alycia in Provo!