HAPPY OCTOBER π! So put the title to the tune “Do you
want to build a snowman?” Also, I'm
doing this thing where I type something out every night on my iPad so that the
next P-Day I can copy and paste, also so I don't forget things throughout the
week. I'm calling it “Hints to Mom.” It’s
kind of like my journal and blog.
Our district leader and his comp are here in Kitarokko with
us. Very nice, both American but with Asian descent. We went to the store today and it was so good!
I love the 100 yen shop. I might lose
all my money their...haha just kidding. They sell this cute tape. Yes, tape I have now piΓ±ata fiesta tape and anchor
tape. On Monday we met an old woman we found tracking and she walked with us
for 30 mins or so just talking. She kept
repeating things and questions and she told me I didn't look American. Not sure if it was a compliment or not haha.
Finding at night is more stressful because people are either
more annoyed or say they are eating so we have less luck. The moon was insane
and this one woman stopped us the obachan, grandma, and another woman to look
at it. We all talked about it and how
it's very Halloween like. More and more
each day I speak nihongo to my companion. I'm proud of myself but at the same time I
know I can do better. The only time I go full nihongo is when I talk to our DL.
It's nice and I don't have to talk
simply. He's a funny guy.
Tuesday we taught a lesson with four shimai, one of which is
more or less less active. We had Mexican food which was strange but still
delicious because it was the freshest thing I've had in months. Actually all the food here is amazing so....anyway. They
were amazed at how much salsa I put on my taco, like I took two spoonfuls. They
were going to watch a movie/documentary before our lesson so we went finding
while they watched. We first went and
heart attacked the bishop’s house with cut out hearts and put it all over the
front door.
We met this ojisan (older man/grandpa) that was outside
working on his garden. When I mean
garden I mean supa market that grows outside his house. He had corn growing green beans, Japanese
berries, some purple fruit but it wasn't eggplant, it grew on a tree. We talked
to him for a long while actually (well my companion talked I just attempted to
listen and nod and laugh at the correct times to do so).
He told us he hates religion and then proceeded to give us
vegetables.
He gave us a whole bag like filled with fresh red tomatoes. We call him veggie ojisan. He also gave us the purple hanging fruit
vegetable thing but we didn't know what it was so we gave it to Nishikawa
shimai. She knows a little of English
and is also an artist. She became a member in England when she was 20 or so.
Afterwards we taught our lesson. It was about charity and Christ and God's love
for us. It was awesome and very filled with the spirit. I could actually say something that they could
understand. We shared Moroni 7:45 and we had them switch the word charity for
Christ's name. It was a good, good
lesson. Afterwards we taught eikaiwa, the learn free English class.
Uchida shimai and I taught the children's class. That was
fun :D I love kids and I love teaching
my two favorite things! We taught the colors and how to say my favorite color
is _______. There were a few all-star students and that could really understand
and speak English which made me happy! At
the end I asked them as they left what their favorite color was and then gave
them I high five. This besides tomato
ojisan was the highlight of this very long day.
Wednesday was an even longer day. We did a lot of bike
riding and my butt is finally getting use to the triangular seat....again not
sure if this is a good thing or a bad thing. We had three possible
investigators that we tried to visit today and each one was always bad timing. One was about to leave for work, one was
harvesting his rice and another told us she didn't want us to come back. Stumped we tracked for the next 4 1/2 hours. We were in a part of Kitarokko where there are
houses and rice fields as just part of the neighborhood scenery. We also walked past a Buddhist temple and I
wanted to go look at it so bad but we couldn't because we are
missionaries.
We walked some more and
more. We rang door bells and no one was
home or they said “I'm okay.” I ran into
Jehovah's witnesses today too. Met some
green frogs and really having not much luck. (But having a good attitude along
the way) we finally had some good luck and met Tsubota San. She's 18 and we talked to her about Christ and
shared with her a video about Christ. It was sooooo good!!!!!!!! This is what
we have been waiting for all day! We got
her number, it was awesome! So we were
biking home and we bike on the road with the cars and it's only nerve racking
when you brush past brush and bushes that stick out. So for the last 3 days these bushes have left
these green pods on my skirts. It only
happens to me and not my companion. Lovely.
Thursday it rained. It
rained a lot. And the wind was insane. It was cold and wet and my shoes were soaked
through. Thursday was hard. I think because
one, I'm used to Thursday being my P-Day and two I'm still so tired and
sleeping feels like 5 minutes long. We
have lots of potential investigators but not really at all and everything seems
to be bad timing. But you know what? I have a good companion and she takes care of
me. I have the gospel. The only thing I can say in Japanese is I am Jesus Christ’s missionary and my
testimony and even then it's simple, but that’s okay. I'm not here for me. I'm here so that I can give the knowledge to
someone else, I'm here to be a servant of the Lord of the vineyard (Jacob
5:72-75), I'm here to plant the seeds so that either I or another may reap the
good fruit.
My companion and I had a
good day on this day because we had fun with each other I had to explain what
goof off meant...that was harder than explaining sarcasm. But it was good. She knows all of the classics: Singing In the Rain, Oh, What a Beautiful
Morning, The Sound of Music, and other good movie music that every human being
should listen to at least once in their life.
I love my companion because even
though the communication is difficult, I can laugh with her and she can laugh
with (and sometimes at) me, we can share important spiritual experiences and
enjoy the same good book(bible/morumomsho) and both learn. I have never been so happy to read church
magazines and pamphlets in my life but it's still good because there is so much
to learn and not enough time to learn it. In other good news I got the new iOS 9 update
and now you can draw in notes, my comp and I are excited. Did I mention she likes art and can draw?
Ahhhh, it was meant to be. Now that I
look back Monday feels like forever ago...there are seriously a dangerous and
alarmingly amount of sp-I-ders in Japan!
Friday we went back to Kobe for district meeting. It was nice to see other senkyoshi. For those
who don't know, my previous companion and I are in the same district. Jeo
Shimai was at the hospital this morning. She got this really bad cough and she says it
hurt so bad that she was crying when the doctor tried to straighten her back
out because of the pain. I gave her a
big hug when I saw her. Turns out that because her lungs are so used to a dry
climate that coming to nihon and the humidity just created this big infection. I can do as much as I like to help her, but
that girl has the biggest and strongest testimony of anyone I know. Constantly
Satan is trying to beat her down, trying so hard to go against her. But she keeps going, she will keep going and
keep fighting for this gospel even if it kills her. I love her so much. On this day we had a joint
lesson with the chorotachi. It was at a member’s home and we taught the sister
and the elders taught her grandson? Or son? I'm not sure, who was 9 or 10?
Things that I learned on this day from my district
leader: The reason why you chose to
serve a mission doesn't matter. You are here now, and what matters is why you
stay. And even then that reason changes constantly. Why I chose to come doesn't
matter because I am here now and I am ready to find that person who needs me!
Ah!!!!! I love this gospel sooo much!!!!
Saturday! Today was good but to be honest I don't remember
much from of it. We went housing after our morning studies and climbed some mega
hills. It has been cold in the mornings
and nights but the sun is still hot during the day. The breeze made it nice. I can't imagine summer yet so glad I came in
the fall season. It is still strange to
see the steering wheel on the right side of the car. I find myself whenever we are driving with a
member or on a bus, that I lean to the right because we are on the wrong side
of the road. It hasn't bugged me too
much except when we take crazy sharp turns and a car comes the other way. You know how in the mountains there are
switchbacks, well here in Kitarokko they are everywhere.
Anywhoo. Around three we went to the church to watch General
Women's Conference. For Japan they do it a week later. I watched most of it with Nishikawa Shimai. She has never watched conference in Japanese
and so I lucked out and got to watch it in English with her, my comp and I
doing temporary (and authorized) splits. Nishikawa Shimai gave me this candy
that is like the tootsie roll pops but without the stick and orange flavor. It was so good! It was just the two of us watching GWC it was
nice. But I had to leave half way
through because we had an appointment with a less active member. We shared with her the scripture, John 6:35. If you don't know what it is go read it now! I testified of Christ and it was a total open
your mouth experience. I just said what
I knew but the spirit was so there!
The house of the sister that we visited was this big old
Japanese traditional home. It had 9ft
well in the corner on the floor. It was
old paper screen doors and the wood is still polished like new because nobody
walks on it with bare feet or shoes. Oh I loved it, I was in heaven. Whenever we (Uchida and I) see old nihon
buildings we oogle over it.
Thing I learned/liked from GWC: it's long so I'll shorten
it, we have trials so we can learn, there isn't an quota that we need to reach
before they stop being a part of our lives. We don't know how many trials we will have
till it's over. And the thing is, we
don't know what God has planned for us, and as long as we keep going and
turning to him, he will lift us up when we can't stand.
Comments on Christine's letter: haha I forgot about the
bunnies. I'm glad she got to use Japanese:D I cringed at the cat story....I
miss my cats...please don't lose them, specifically Kate. Sawyer will never leave he's too comfortable
haha. Sis.oswaldo sounds like she's
having a great time, I'm so happy for her!!
Thank you for your letters always! Dad’s comments made me laugh and smile and
miss home all at the same time!!! I miss y'all too! Send pictures and Emma's
drawings and Liam's hair (picture, not the real thing). I'll be watching GC
next week, Japan is a week off. Also
I'm so jealous of everyone and their huge amount of investigators but that's
because I'm in Japan and not the states. I still love it here.
It's hard but it's so good. Today we tried to lean more on
the spirit. It lead us to find two men (both different places) that seem
to be interested in what we had to say. It
was the most happy I've been! We won't
get to teach them but we can refer them to our chorotachi. The church members
are the absolute best. They are so loving and kind and really strong in the
gospel. We received a ton of food from them today and it included chocolate,
candy, chips, eggs, bread, bread, oranges, bread, nori, noodles and bread. So
nice of them. If you think Japanese members don't feed the missionaries then
you are wrong. They are constantly
giving us food. Today we had dinner with
the Asada family and we ate on the floor and it was the most delicious after
fasting meal ever!They have this cute dog short and soft. It personality was
like hatchi and sawyer put together in one animal. Ahh so cute!!! Also I read
Genesis 40-45 cause I couldn't stop reading it was soo good!!
Mom, thank you for being a seminary teacher! (Psst! You can
share this with your class) Just listen to them and be their friend. The world
today, especially the youth, can't see or hear and we become confused because
it's being thrown at us all at once, garbage in song lyrics, social media, high
school, everything is set up against us.
That's why we need the gospel. It
is clear it is simple it is universal. It's hard to listen to that still
whisper that is the spirit. It’s hard
because we (youth and others) think that the spirit will come in bolt of
lightning or a fire burning with in. Whispers
aren't fires or lightning bolts, whispers are gentle breezes and sprinkling
rain and rays. The spirit is a small helm that guides us through the storm
(D&C 123:16-17). The stories we read in the Bible and the Book
of Mormon are so that we can understand the plan. Understand that we are children. Understand that the gospel isn't just
something that was discovered by one 14 yearr old boy. It was and is eternal and it is the knowledge
that we can live with our families in complete happiness and understanding.
I liked the talk that Sister Reeves gave, she said: I don't
know how many trials we will have but it doesn't matter because in the next
life we will be so greatly rewarded for how long we endured and how we endured
it.
You guys, I am so happy. I have never been this happy to be
rejected, bike huge, stupid hills, teach lessons and eat with chopsticks (while
my hand is cramping). I love it here. The people, the culture, the houses, the
hills, my companion and most of all this gospel! It is the most important thing and it is the
main reason why I love smiling and singing with my dΕryo.
Okay, real quick of what I did today, so the Bishop took us
and the elders to the Hemeji Castle (pretty sure I spelled it wrong) but it was so
cool it was really built for shorties like me. Ughh, I wanted it to be mine, soooo
bad! That was fun, we meet some other
missionaries and talked to them for a bit. We then went to an all you can eat
Japanese restaurant which I think I could explode from all the food! Sooooo good! It had a grill in the middle of the table and
you get raw meat and cook it right there. So much fun.
OKAY as usual I think I'm forgetting something. Love all of
you.
ππππππππππ
ozwaldo shimai
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