Melton-Japan-Mission

 Serving in a Telestial World The Lord blesses all his children who seek after him, who pray for guidance, and have faith that he will be there to support them.  Through Jesus Christ we have been strengthened in going about trying to do good and be of service. This last week we attended a dinner at the Mission President's home near the Tokyo Temple, for all the senior missionaries.  It was particularly instructive as we shared our thoughts, successes, and challenges.  We discussed how we could better support the young proselyting missionaries who, although have testimonies of the gospel, are still learning the gospel, a new language, and a foreign culture.  We all felt we have things to contribute to these young minds as part of our callings.  During the last two weeks we have completed a few projects to serve others.  Some of these have been as a support to the young Elders and Sisters who serve as the proselyting missionaries in the area.  This ...

Appreciation for People and Culture We are learning more about Japan's history and culture. With the New Year we have seen Japanese people going to their shrines lighting incense or candles and offering prayers. A Shinto shrine, called a jinja in Japanese, is a place of worship, where one or more kami (deities or spirits) are worshipped. It is a place of respect, just like a church. The entrance to a shrine, which marks the passage from the earthly world to that of the divine, is marked by a tori gate. Last week we visited the Odawara castle. It has been rebuilt and inside is a museum. there were a lot of steps and we are feeling our age more with each step. The Samurai armor collection was impressive.  During the week after New Year's Eve a lot of businesses are closed for the holiday. We had our Zone Conference on New Year's Eve and was able to pitch in as kitchen help. We stirred big pots of soup as part of the lunch for more than 50 missionaries that attended. Most Japa...