Japan Tokyo Mission: August 2015

Tuesday, August 11, 2015

We had Niigata Zone Interviews and were able to visit most of the missionaries in the zone's apartments and take a photo with them. We were unable to take photos with the Joetsu and Nagaoka Elders, but we love them very much! All the missionaries did a wonderful job of keeping their apartments clean! We arrived at the Sanjo Elder's apartment very late, so please excuse their clothing!

These 7 missionaries are returning home to go to BYU. They have worked hard and we love them and will miss them very much.

First Returning Missionaries

These 20 wonderful missionaries are the first missionaries we have had to go home. Although our time together was short, we are so grateful for them and have come to love them.

The Meaning of "Divide by Love"

"Divide by Love," the theme chosen by President and Sister Nagano for the Japan Tokyo Mission, has a number of meanings. As missionaries and Disciples of Jesus Christ, we divide the blessings we have received out of love. When we divide our blessings, instead of our portion decreasing, our blessings actually increase, just like when Christ divided the two fish and five loaves.

In tennis, love stands for zero. One cannot understand infinity without understanding zero. In an equation, we can take any number and divide it by zero. The answer will always be infinity. As we serve the Lord with no guile, working no deception, no selfishness, and withholding nothing (giving it our all), He will take what little we can give and multiply it.

"Divide by Love" also helps us avoid comparison. We, as humans, are given different talents, strengths and weaknesses from the Lord. He knows what is best for us and what we need for our growth. We may feel that our contribution is small, but when divided by zero it will become infinity. As long as the denominator is zero, the value of the numerator is not relevant.

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Tuesday, August 11, 2015

First Returning Missionaries