Konnichiwa!!!
Hello!! How is everyone doing? Yeah so today is a big day for the mission (as well as tomorrow) so Ill explain why.
Today the 80 missionaries from the japan Hiroshima Mission will be performing a Christmas Concert at the Hiroshima Rail Station (Its about the size of a small airport due to the Bullet Train line that stops there). Apparently it will receive attention from NHK (the Japanese news agency) and its going to be huge. Were hoping to use it as a huge finding tool and kind of introduce ourselves to the community in a more direct and effective way. Then tomorrow is Mission Conference. And because there are missions so far from the Mission Home that its not viable to have them travel both ways, well have 8 other Elders in our apartment - its going to be crazy! Its already been a headache but its going to get even worse I think.
Thank you everyone for your letters and the packages!! You guys are awesome!! This week has been interesting. We pretty much told an investigator that unless she keeps commiments and comes to Church we wont be meeting anymore. Well, she likes meeting with us so she is kind of trying to do better but in Japan the sin of omission is huge deal. People just wont do stuff, even when they feel the Spirit and know that it is right. But, to our surprise she came to the broadcast session of the First Presidency Christmas devotional!! It was great, and now she is a little more excited to come to Church.
And, we met with a Former Investigator (from a couple of years ago) last week and we picked him up as an investigator again!!! Weve been seeing so many blessings, and its awesome to see the work progressing as we try to follow the Spirit and really strive to help people thorugh the Gospel. Well see what happens with him, but on Saturday we had the Ward Christmas party and 18 nonmembers came!!! Albeit, some of them were kids, but the adults (probably around 9) really liked them, and most of them are already friends with the members, so thatll be awesome!!! Were really excited for the next little while, but its kinda sad that Japan just doesnt get the meaning of Christmas, so its kind of hard to talk to people about it. Most days just end up being normal days, with no real Christmas feel. Its pretty depressing. Oh well, the work goes on!! Well, so thats it, I gotta hurry today, but thank you everyone for your love and support. Ill continue to pray for all of you, and I hope all is well. Ill send some pictures next week, and Ill fill you in on how the week went! I love you all, God bless you all!!
Love
Elder Mourao
Konnichiwa!!!
Alo!! Como esta todo mundo? E entao hoje e um dia grande pra missao (assim como amanha) entao eu vou escrever porque.
Hoje os 80 missionarios da Missao de Hiroshima Japao vao fazer uma apresentacao de Concerto de Natal na Estacao de Trem de Hiroshima (e mais ou menos o meesmo tamanha de um aeroporto pequeno por causa do linha do Trem Bala que para lah). Aparentemente vai receber atencao do NHK (a agencia de noticias Japonesa) e vai ser enorme. A gente esta esperando que podemos usar como um instrumento pra achar e meio que nos introduzir pra comunidade em um jeito mais direto e efetivo. Ai amanha e Conferencia de Missao. E porque tem missaos tao longe da Casa de Missao que nap e viavel pra eles viajarem, a gente vai ter 8 outros Elderes no nosso apartamento - vai ser maluco! Ja tem sido uma dor de cabeca mas vai ficar pior eu acho.
Obrigado todo mundo pelas suas cartas e pacotes!! Voces sao maravilhosos!! Essa semana tem sido interessante. A gente falou pra um investigador que a nao ser que ela mantenha compromissos e venha pra Igreja a gente nao vai se encontrar mais. Bem, ela gosta de encontrar com a gente mas ela esta meio que tentando fazer melhor mas no Japao o pecado de omissao e um negocio enorme. O pessoal nao faz nada, mesmo quando eles sentem o Espirito e sabem o que e certo. Mas, pra nossa surpresa ela veio pra transmissao da sessao da Primeira Presidencia de Natal!! Foi otimo, e agora ela esta um pouco mais feliz de ir pra Igreja.
E, a gente encontrou com um Investigador antigo (de uns dois anos atras) semana passada e a gente pegou ele como um investigador de volta!!! A gente tem visto tantas bencaos, e e maravilhoso ver o trabalho progressando enquanto a gente tenta seguir o Espirito e realmente aspirar de ajudar as pessoas pelo Evangelho. Vamos ver o que vai acontecer com ele, mas no Sabado a gente teve a Festa de Natal da Ala e 18 nao-membros vieram!!! Embora, alguns deles era criancas, mas os adultos (provavelmente em volta de 9) realmente gostavam deles, e a maioria deles ja sao amigos dos membros, entao vai ser bacana!!! Estamos muito contentes pro proximo tempo, mas e meio triste que o Japao nao entende o significado do Natal, entao e meio dificil de falar com as pessoal sobre isso. A maioria dos dias acabam a ser dias normais, com nenhum sentimento real de Natal. E meio depressivo. Oh bem, o trabalho vai pra frente!!
Bem, entao e so isso, eu tenho que apressar hoje, mas obrigado todo mundo pelo seu amor e apoio. Eu vou continuar a orar por todos voces, e espero que tudo esteja bem. Eu vou mandar algumas fotos semana que vem, e eu vou te contar como a semana foi! Eu amo todos, Deus te abencoe!!
Amor,
Elder Mourao
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Called to serve the Lord as a full-time missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Hiroshima, Japan
Map of Japan (for a complete map of where he's been, look at the bottom of this page)
Elder Victor M.S. Mourao
Called to serve the Lord as a full-time missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Hiroshima, Japan
Hiroshima, Japan
Map of Japan (for a complete map of where he's been, look at the bottom of this page)
Our Elder's address:
Elder Victor Mourao
Japan Hiroshima Mission
Tottori-ken Yonago-shi
Nishifukubara 3-6-27
Mezon Pineru 201
683-0805
JAPAN
Japan Hiroshima Mission
Tottori-ken Yonago-shi
Nishifukubara 3-6-27
Mezon Pineru 201
683-0805
JAPAN
You can write him an email at
Victor's time
Hiroshima |
Elder Mourao's favorite scripture: Alma 32:42
"And because of your diligence and your faith and your patience with the word in nourishing it, that it may take root in you, behold, by and by ye shall pluck the fruit thereof, which is most precious, which is sweet above all that is sweet, and which is white above all that is white, yea, and pure above all that is pure; and ye shall feast upon this fruit even until ye are filled, that ye hunger not, neither shall ye thirst."
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Where Victor's been!
Dramatic Growth
"Under the inspiration of the Lord and the courageous action of Joseph Smith, the first Latter-day Saint missionaries ever to serve beyond North America brought the restored gospel to the British Isles in 1837. Heading that first group of elders was Heber C. Kimball, who set a great example for all newly called missionaries. Humbled by the responsibility and fully aware of his limitations, he poured out his heart in prayer."
'O, Lord,' he cried, 'I am a man of stammering tongue, and altogether unfit for such a work; how can I go to preach in that land, which is so famed throughout Christendom for learning, knowledge and piety; the nursery of religion; and to a people whose intelligence is proverbial!'
"But rising from his knees and accepting his duty, he said, 'The moment I understood the will of my Heavenly Father, I felt a determination to go at all hazards, believing that He would support me by His almighty power, and endow me with every qualification that I needed' (Life of Heber C. Kimball, Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1945, p. 104). Surely God responded to the faith of that young elder, because Brother Kimball and his companions were endowed, 'with every qualification' they needed."
-Jeffrey R. Holland
'O, Lord,' he cried, 'I am a man of stammering tongue, and altogether unfit for such a work; how can I go to preach in that land, which is so famed throughout Christendom for learning, knowledge and piety; the nursery of religion; and to a people whose intelligence is proverbial!'
"But rising from his knees and accepting his duty, he said, 'The moment I understood the will of my Heavenly Father, I felt a determination to go at all hazards, believing that He would support me by His almighty power, and endow me with every qualification that I needed' (Life of Heber C. Kimball, Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1945, p. 104). Surely God responded to the faith of that young elder, because Brother Kimball and his companions were endowed, 'with every qualification' they needed."
-Jeffrey R. Holland