Hello from Kitarokko headquarters! Have I ever told y'all
how much I love bananas?! I do and they are so good!
Monday. Monday was
great. It was good when we went on a
hike and met these awesome old people. We did the radio work out (a workout
that plays on the radio) and since I couldn’t understand anything I just
followed what everyone else was doing.
And then Satan really tried his hardest to literally kill me today. While biking to the post office my skirt got
caught and I made it across the street before I came to a halt. A nice man came and helped us get it out. Then
not 10 minutes later I biff it (more like tripped while on my bike) lost my
shoe, jolted forward and now my back hurts like no other. Yippee! No, other
than those two instances today was great. I got to take a nap. That is seriously the
only thing I wanted to do and I did it!
We were walking around doing tracking also, and we passed a
house and from inside we heard this scream! It kind of sounded like someone being hurt or
something. It was dark and so we stopped and then it went again. And again. We were both kinda stuck, literally where we
stood, because it didn't sound good and we wanted to do something if someone
was actually getting attacked. At one point to me it sounded like a dog but I
still am not sure. We both felt bad like the heavy, unpleasant, bad feeling you
get of just darker purposes. We walked away finally and said a prayer. As soon as we finished our prayer I felt so
much better. I don't know what it was but the spirit told me not to go over
there. It felt wrong and not of the
spirit. I love the spirit.
Even if it was nothing, I love that he could comfort me and
my companion and tell us to keep moving forward. In other news about Monday....it's flippin
cold.
Ricciardi letter. I’m
sending it with this email. It is so
good. Read it. "Just swing," "I fear no man" phrases from
this letter. I laughed out loud and felt the spirit so strong. I had a nice glaze of water on top of my
eyes. Read it!
Okay y'all words that
you need to try to explain just for fun, then you'll see how much fun I'm
having with explaining in japanglish.
1.) On 2.) goof off 3.) definition 4.) have 5.) Chapstick,
she thinks I say chopstick she calls it lip cream and I think it sounds like
whipped cream.
Ohhhh these pictures!! Sawyer!!! Ahhh Emma is absolutely
beautiful! Gorgeous porcelain doll. Liam. Oh my lanta. The hair. The face. That
boy is trouble, so good looking. And mom....I’ve missed your face. I started to
tear up when I saw it. Maybe it's because I've been gone for so long but y'all
are a good looking family, and we have some good looking genes! Thanks Nonnie,
Grandad, Grandma and Grandpa! The trees!!! Anywho!
Today was the day my legs decided that they would give out.
I thought here was something wrong with my bike but no... it was my legs
refusing to work. Now they hurt. I was so slow today and it was so much harder.
I wasn't going to give up but on the inside I wanted to throw my bike and just
cry. We biked a lot today to visit a
possible investigator. Sometimes we bike long ways just for one person and they
aren't there or they say I'm busy, comeback later. Well today that didn't happen. We talked with
Kim for little bit and we have a lunch date with her this Thursday. She's
interested in God which is great but...she is married and has a boyfriend.
We'll have to work on that one. But guys this is really the first investigator
lesson so wish me luck!!! Thank you for sending me talks they get me so pumped
to do the work. I have also found the
more excited I am to work the harder my day becomes because Satan is seriously
trying to get under my skin. He won't
win because I'm stubborn. The truth is the truth is the truth, and I need to
tell.
Today (Wednesday) we did a mogi (role play) with a member,
Suzuki Shimai. She served her mission in
Sendai. She was so nice to us and helped us with our lesson which is for Kim
San, tomorrow. Speaking of which, I'm half way through the first transfer!
WHAT?! Crazy! So I've taken up the challenge to ponderize a scripture a week
and so far I love it. Put the scripture
where you'll see it every day. I'll tell
you mine each week and you tell me yours! Yay scriptures!!! Well, I never
thought I would ever say that sentence but there it is. [Mosiah 14:3-6] Also
another reminder if you want emails from me (this is to the general public) you
must email me or email me back, hint-hint.
Well, today was an interesting day. I'll start with the
"lesson"/lunch date we had with Kim San...and her boyfriend. They
both were really nice and bought us lunch and we had a good time. Everything would be great but today Kim San
told us she didn't believe in God when two days earlier she had an interest.
Afterwards it was like, what just happened?! I felt so bad like I was in on the cheating ....ughhhh!
*shudder* we still talked as much as we could about the
gospel. To make up for the strangeness
of today, we were walking our bikes up a hill and we passed a woman and I said
hello and introduced ourselves and she said "I’m sorry, I can't help other
people." It was a sad response and
as she walked away I just wanted to hug her. We began to walk away and I just
wanted to turn around and I looked at Uchida Shimai and we both had the same
thought. Let's go back! So we did! We just talked and she was so kind. I'm so glad we went back. She listened very politely and asked us questions
and I just love her already! Hopefully we can meet her again.
Later on that day we
went to go heart attack the mission leader, Naganuma kyodai's house and it's up
this huge hill. We get into the neighborhood
and his wife is outside taking kids into the house. Because it's a hill we could duck in such a
way out of her view and I put my helmet on and shout whispered to Uchida,
"come on!" I jumped on my bike and we zoomed, I mean zoooooomed down
the hill before she saw us. It was our
mission impossible moment haha :)
Ahhhh so much happened on this good Friday! Today we took
the train back to Kobe for zone conference! I love our zone! They are the best.
I learned so much I wish I had time to write it all out. Here are just a few phrases and things I
learned: "You become who you want to be by consistently being what you
want to become." We talked about judgement
and how it isn't like you have a set amount of points to get to pass God's test
into getting to the celestial Kingdom. We
as humans try to think of God in a logical state, or we put God in this box and
in order to get to that box we have to meet the requirements. Well, yes we do
have to meet the requirements but we are always trying to measure ourselves.
There isn't a check list where it is like, 'oh repentance got that down, got
baptized, check!' It's not like that. The gospel of Jesus Christ transcends our
understanding. We are constantly needing improvement. There is no way now on
this earth that we will achieve perfection. The gospel of Jesus Christ teaches a man that
he needs to become something! And so faith is essential. Faith is a choice, faith is action. Our faith in Christ and the gospel is how we
learn how to become something. Of course
there will be days that are unbearable, days when you want nothing more to just
give up. But struggle is required before
getting to the promised land. You say
okay Heavenly Father, today was hard...but I was obedient. Yes we are sinners,
yes we are in a fallen state (someone was talking to a Methodist priest
yesterday day and they talked about being sinners for all, even children) but
God gives us the ability to improve.
Also today we went and visited a potential investigator.
During comp exchange they met up with her and so we went to visit so I could
meet her. She's American from Hawaii! What?! Also she is an
illustrator! WHat?! And she teaches eigo at the middle school, wHaT?! She is
Catholic and she's going to meet with us
next week!!! Ahhhh I'm so happy! It was so strange to speak English, not that
I'm good at speaking Japanese but I've never taught or been a missionary in
English. I just want to get this right! I
want her to know the truth!
My DL told me, that I just need to use sword of the spirit,
follow the spirit. Prepare, pray, do all
that you (watashi) can and the Lord will help me and guide me!
Side note: Love Moses! I love my cute cousins! I love
exquisitely beautiful trees!
And I love your face! Whoever is reading this I love you!!!
Saturday happened...not sure what but it did. But Sunday! Oh
man! So we were housing and there was a
woman outside of her house, picking at some weeds and she starts to walk in but
she kinda says hello to us. As she did,
we (Uchida Shimai) introduced ourselves. Her name is Idogaki San and she was so
kind to us today. As we talked outside
her house we found out that she is Christian. She wanted to talk to us more and so she
invited us in to her house. Ladies and gentlemen, brothers and sisters, that
never happens, ever. It was so unusual
and no matter what happened next I was so incredibly happy! As we talked we sat
at the kitchen table and she made herbal peach tea and gave us amazing banana
bread and oatmeal cookie. She played
beautiful classical music in the background. Is this even real?! She is a mother of two and we found out that her
husband died two years prior. The inside
of her house was beautiful and it reminded me of Aunt Pat's house in Dallas.
I loved talking with her! She is just awesome! She also
studied English in college and asked me to speak English so she could practice.
(Yusss!) We had to leave for dinner with another family so
as we said our goodbyes she asked us if we could come again tomorrow so we
could help her. In my head I was like
heck ya we can! We're cutting our P-Day
a little short but that's daijyobu! It's soo good! After we were out of earshot
we shouted and did a happy dance! Oh it was so good!
THANK YOU HEAVENLY FATHER!!!
The church building is half the size length wise but three
stories tall. Bishop is so nice and so
is the ward mission leader. We are
supposed to go to ward council but don't...I don't know why. Also you mail in tithing and fast offering. The chapel is small, like a big relief society
room. It's hard to tell something
interesting because, unfortunately, I tune out for a lot of conversations which
I'm trying to stop. But the people are wonderful and so kind always giving us
food. Always. Naganuma kyodai is funny and laughs at his own jokes, he's the
mission leader.
So I love y'all and miss you! I showed Liam's picture to the
chorotachi at dinner and they thought he was 20....No! NO! Not yet!
Dad, I love you! Sooo! much! I'm glad you’re my dad! Mom, I
can't even tell you how much I love you! I'm happy to be called your sunshine!
Emma, missy, I love you to あいしてます！aishitemasu! Liam. You look
sooo steki! In Japanese that means you look classy! Love you too!
Thank you always for your letters! How is Regan? Give Bishop Gibb a high five for me! Also hug
those sisters for me and tell them I'm fantastic! Love y'all so much I can't
even handle it!
Sister Oswald
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