Happy Birthdays!

It's Megan's Birthday in America and Suzuki Choro's Birthday in Japan!  Happy Birthdays!

It was a slower week this week, but we had some good celebrations. I had a kokan with Elder Perkins and I shared with him a scripture I found in D&C 94 that talks about everything working for our good. We had a good heart to heart and I think we both learned something new.

Uematsu Kyodai, a less-active member, has been doing fantastic with the word of wisdom this week! He loves Elder Suzuki and Elder Suzuki is able to help Uematsu Kyodai a lot. Uematsu Kyodai came to all three hours of church yesterday in his suit and tie, too! He's also reading the Book of Mormon and praying everyday. He is recognizing the help he gets from Heavenly Father to overcome his addiction to tobacco too. His countenance has completely changed as well. When we visited this week, he said he was, "Genki, genki, genki," meaning "I'm good, good, good," and did this cool fist pump thing. The Gospel is true!

Ogasawara-san is really loving the Book of Mormon. She is enjoying it for more of it's story content rather than spiritual applications, though. She is reading between every visit and she keeps her appointments every week. There is a former investigator here in Fuji named Tomiko-san. She got really busy recently and couldn't meet with us, so we had to drop her. On Saturday morning and at lunch, I tried to call her, but there was no answer. Then in the afternoon, she called us and thought that she might not know who we were because the missionaries may have changed. I told her it was still me and she promised to come to Eikaiwa starting in April. I invited her to church after explaining briefly about Easter and she said she would come to church if she could. Unfortunately, she couldn't make it, but she's back in the pool of PIs.

I also was able to conduct the baptismal interview for Minaki-san this week. If anyone was prepared for the Gospel, it was that man. I asked him if he was willing to obey the commandments and make the baptismal covenant and he said, "Doryoku shimasu," which translates to something like, "I'll give it effort." I was filled with the Spirit and promised to him that that is all our Heavenly Father asks of us, our effort. When he said the closing prayer, he also prayed for protection and said, "Heavenly Father, I want to serve thee." He was baptized yesterday, Easter Sunday.

I got the other package with more shirts in it. Thanks! We also have a district activity today in Fuji and we're gonna look at the Cherry Blossoms and play games. I'll send pics next week.

He is risen. We had a good session of church yesterday. I was drawing the garden tomb on my electronic dictionary yesterday and the when I wrote the words "He is Risen" I felt the Spirit testify to me the reality of the Atonement and of Jesus Christ as my risen Savior. I had those words come to my head a bunch of times yesterday and the Spirit just kept burning in me telling me the truth of this Gospel.

Love you all.

Love,

Elder Sanderson