Well, this week was cold...oh, it got way cold and now there is a blanket of snow outside...sigh. It was wet and cold and it went right into your bones! Last weekend, because it snowed, it was difficult to get around so we walked most places and it takes so much of our time!! As the week progressed, parts of our area started to melt but other parts still had more snow, so we couldn't get to certain people.
Every Tuesday we get to serve our lovely old people at the old people's home and play cards with them for an hour. Today I'd like to share with you what happened this particular week which pretty much happens every week and gets funnier every time we go. We showed up just a few minutes early this time. Nakano San calls us over to do exercises with her and the rest of the obachan and ojīsan Tachi (grandmas and grandpas) after it's over everyone greets us and they say welcome back and hello, they are all so happy to see us but only like four of them play cards with us every week. There is Nakano San, Achan, Okasan (that's what we call her because we don't actually know her name ) and me and Laxton Shimai are Ne chan. When we started Nakano San asked an old man (I call him mustache man because he's the only Japanese man with a mustache in Japan and its big:) if he wanted to play cards with us and he just sat there for a moment and then said, "This jacket," pointing to his jacket, "is warm...and white...so no," and Nakano San being sassy said, "that has nothing to do with playing cards? Kankei nai wa!" After that he walked away. It was pretty funny though, she turned to me and shrugged her shoulders. So then we were playing a game that's like go fish but not...anyway it was Okasan's turn to take a card and she got severely confused and she started shuffling her cards for the next person to take. We told her no, that she needed to take one and she wouldn't listen and it was so ridiculous that Nakano San stood up because she couldn't handle it. We were laughing so hard together and then Okasan realized and she said I'm sorry, I'm stupid! (In Japanese its not as mean sounding. It was pretty funny!) Later we played a game called sevens (translated) where we lay out all the sevens and okasan slaps down a 3. She's feeling pretty confident about that three and then we told her that it isn't a seven and she looked at it and said....wow...and picked it back up and said I don't know where that came from it was a seven before. Everytime it is her turn to lay down a card she shouts...paaaaaaassssuuuuuu ja nai wa! (Ja nai turns pass into its opposite...) and is like passss, nope wrong I can play! Yes! They are cute old women. They make my world happy!
Tuesday is just service day. At Eikaiwa we had so many people come. We were able to play a game called do you love your neighbor? We ask people the question and if you say yes, your neighbors switch seats and if you say no then you say something you do love and those people who have that thing switch seats and the person in the middle tries to sit down. It's fun crazy and full of laughs. Omae Kyodai likes to dive for his seat and it's super scary because at one point he and I were trying to get to the same seat. As he was coming towards it, I tried to sit down but I freaked out and pushed him over, he fell and because I felt bad I let him have the seat. Our branch president and was like "Wow, tsuyoi ( Interpretation meaning "strong" but it didn't feel like a compliment more like he was making fun of my mistake, pushing over and old man...who in actuality is a child! I love Omae Kyodai, he came and had fun with us! It was good time. One time a student asked "Do you love me?" instead of "Do you love your neighbor?" The whole class died.
Wednesday we were actually able to use our bikes. While we were housing this one house, no one answered and so we left a flier and started walking away. As we did I suddenly didn't feel any ground under my left foot. It happened so quickly and next thing I know I am down for the count. I fell in a hole. It was huge and it came out of no where! It was actually a sewage drain and so it smelled really bad! I have a bruise on my elbow and knees now but man it was so surprising! I can't believe I fell in a hole! Realizing that I'm not a magical plummer I picked myself up and walked with my smelly boot for the rest of the week. (?!)
Friday we had Zone Training Meeting in Yonago like an hour and a half train ride but whateves. We learned about our new English program that will actually help students learn the English they need for their tests! Yay!! Effective! I'm just sad that I can't help more with it with the lack of time and all. At the end of the meeting (the zone
leaders called earlier in the week and asked me to sing at ZTM) I sang the closing hymn. With the help of Yamamoto Choro playing violin, I sang "I Know That My Redeemer Lives." The first two verses were in Japanese and the the last two English. The first three were with the violin but the last verse I sang with out. The words were my testimony. I had the opportunity to sing it slower and with more
feel
He lives! All glory to his name!
He lives, my Savior, still the same.
Oh, sweet the joy this sentence gives:
“I know that my Redeemer lives!”
He lives! All glory to his name!
He lives, my Savior, still the same.
Oh, sweet the joy this sentence gives:
“I know that my Redeemer lives!”
As I sang this last verse I felt in my chest a burning sensation I've never experienced before. The warmth was over whelming. I felt as though it moved through my whole body and the spirit was just so powerful. He is your Savior. And He lives, nothing can change this fact nor the joy that you feel because of it!
Later on that day we were able to have a great lesson with Kiyoshi San! And Misa Shimai was able to doseki for us! She doesn't have a job right now and so she has been our best member for lessons! It's awesome!
Saturday! We had a mochitsuki!!!! We pounded rice into an old hallowed out log and made this white goop that is called Mochi.
It is so delicious with sugar and this brown powder stuff! It's so good! And fun! Then our branch, being awesome, shared a video about missionaries and what they do day to day. It was really an awesome dendo tool! That night we visited Natsumi and Kyoko Yamamoto. We taught them about the Plan of Salvation and Nataumi is so ready and just wants to learn more! We invited them to church and mom (Kyoko) said she was busy but that if Natsumi chan wanted to go that she could. We offered a ride through our church members and the next day...THERE SHE WAS! We had gone with Misa Shimai and picked her up! She loved church and the members loved her! Our youth were right on top of it, fellowshiping, helping her adjust! She brought her Book of Mormon, she said she liked the class that she got to learn with the other youth. She also asked, "Is church every week?" And we're like yup! "Well then I'm coming next week!" YESYESYESSUUUUUU! , "Of course you can come next week!" She is so cute! She is such a smart 12 year old! I love her so much! She has found what she didn't know she was looking for! Really and truly!
I know that this is Christ's true and Restored church upon the earth!
I love the Book of Mormon because it contains the truth! It is full of knowledge that I crave and I cannot get enough of this gospel!
I love this opportunity to share what I know is true.
I love you all, take care! I'll be home soon!
Love, Oswald Shimai
Mom my companion called tata a tator Ta Ta...we were talking about him
and then about sonic later so some how it came up in conversation.
Tuck-N-Roll
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