Wow, I've been out for a long time. On the 22nd of this month I will hit my
6month mark...Ohhh weird...yikes. I only have a year after that!!! NO!
Well over all it was a pretty interesting week. With New Years, everything got crazy. Let's start with Tuesday.
We go to the church because we have interviews with President Welch about our Bible challenge to read Matthew through John. We talked about what we learned and how we can use to in dendo (missionary work (it's so much easier to type dendo then missionary work so just learn this word okay!)) it was awesome and I love talking about Christ because there is still so much to learn and I only get an hour to study each day....wow...never thought I say those words, but really all you lovely cream puffs have so much time to do so many things!
Well over all it was a pretty interesting week. With New Years, everything got crazy. Let's start with Tuesday.
We go to the church because we have interviews with President Welch about our Bible challenge to read Matthew through John. We talked about what we learned and how we can use to in dendo (missionary work (it's so much easier to type dendo then missionary work so just learn this word okay!)) it was awesome and I love talking about Christ because there is still so much to learn and I only get an hour to study each day....wow...never thought I say those words, but really all you lovely cream puffs have so much time to do so many things!
Anyway skipping over the fact that I just
called everyone a cream puff, while we wait for our turn to talk to the
President we can sit and talk to Sister Welch. I love her so much. She always has a smile on
her face and a testimony like no other! As I was talking to her I mentioned that
Makin Shimai and I have a lesson at the church with a JW (Jehovah's Witness), and
she pipes in and asked, "Do you want me to doseki (member present lesson? (why
is English so long?))" Yup, that's
right we had the mission president’s wife help teach our lesson with the JWs. So Welch Shimai can't actually speak Japanese
and she's lived in Japan for at least 13 years now...lucky our JW can speak
enough English. The lesson was
going...good...and we talked about life after we die and Sister Welch asked if
they thought they were going to heaven, and they almost shouted No! In
English. Wow, we calm down and Welch Shimai turns to me and says,
"Well I'm going to heaven," I almost lost it. It was so funny and so unexpected, the JWs were so confused at my sudden change in simple
smile to I gotta hold this laugh in face. In English, Welch Shimai told them her simple
testimony and she kinda stopped them for a moment. After awhile the other woman that our original JW brought opens her Bible and then starts going through scriptures and such and Welch Shimai types something on her phone and kinda glances it towards me, "You should
testify and close this Bible bash" and at the right moment I did bare my testimony of the love of our Heavenly Father and how I knew that we could live with him again, and I thanked them for coming. Note to self: don't ask to pray with JWs. They freak out because we don’t pray to Jehovah. They said that that name is the name of God, which is true but the God of the Old Testament is Jesus Christ. That was another like ten minutes trying to sort it all out. Did you know that they watch someone else take the sacrament once a year! They don't even partake of it! How sad is that! Anyway we finally finished, Welch Shimai turned to us and we all kinda gave each other a look of, 'well that just happened.'
We all learned that the spirit is so important in lessons, praying for it to guide us is so important, the only time any of us felt the spirit was when we testified of the truth!
Wednesday we met a Korean guy who came up to us and said, hey I'm Mormon! It was kinda surprising and turns out he served his mission and is now in Japan for internship but he was so nice! Then we had English class and two people came because everyone is on holiday for New Years. But it was fun all the same.
Thursday was weird mainly because all we did was plan and map people out that we have never heard of before. You think you have a huge number of less- actives where you are? Try almost 1000 less or in-actives. Yeah, we have a lot to do. (Not even joking on this number.)
2016!!!! What did you do for the New Year? For me my district and I got up at like four in the morning, took a train to Kyoto station and went to Kyoto tower for the first sunrise of the year! We were all squished together trying to see the sun but I'm short and couldn't see at all so I had a nice man in front of me take pictures for me. Eventually I got pushed to the front and got to see when the sun came over the mountain! It was so beautiful! We then went to McDonald's for breakfast (first bad choice of the year) then went and had district meeting, and after that went and got buffet pizza (second bad choice of the new year). After wards went back and we separated from the Elders. The Elders were on a exchange and so we had Smith Choro with us instead of Gosney. Those two are insane and after we left they went and ate more food! Then we went through the Jinja or shrine and they had set up tables and stands to buy food. We bought more food (bad choice numbers 3-7) so far not doing so hot on the New Year’s resolution. It was delicious, but it kind of reminded me of the merchants selling and trading in the temple in Christ's time. It was an interesting thought. You thought Thursday was done! Nope then we went to bishop’s house and had make- your own sushi! Let me just say I love salmon and tuna raw better than cooked. So good! (At this point I've lost track of my bad decisions and decided to embrace food because I love it),
We got home and I didn't want to ever eat food again....the Elders told us the next day they gained 3 kilos from the day before! (For you Americans that's about 6 pounds). Then for lunch our 'group' consisting of mission leader Sam, Hohaia kyodai, Gi kyodai, Shogo, the Elders and us went to an all you can't eat buffet but for the senkyoshi we didn't really eat as much and everyone thought we were strange because we are known for eating haha. But then we went to this Game Center afterwards and we had a good time playing pool and air hockey. Then later that night we all got to get her again for our weekly Ping Pong night. I don't actually suck anymore and can play an actual game and it was a lot of fun!
Sunday was good. We were standing by the door greeting people and walking to the church was...TOMOKO! I was so surprised, concerned and happy all at the same time. Turned out she came back from Hokkaido to visit home and I was so happy to have seen her because she was going to come back probably after I left Shimogamo. She is such a sweet heart.
I'd like to say one more thing about the cranes that I received for Christmas! Those notes from all who wrote one, made me smile, laugh, and tear up a little, I really do love all of you at home and I know that Heavenly Father cares and watches over you for me! To the Young Women and Deacons who wrote me thank you so much!!! To answer the questions of Teagen Bowman, yes they play soccer, there is this cool place that sells soccer jerseys from teams from all around the world and Japan is flippin awesome and Brandon Lui, the priesthood is awesome! I can't believe you can pass the sacrament that makes me so happy! And also keep watch over my car for me! Maybe if you ask Brother Oswald he'll let you ride around in it :)
As always I love you so very much and I hope for the best for you. I pray for you constantly!!!
testimony and she kinda stopped them for a moment. After awhile the other woman that our original JW brought opens her Bible and then starts going through scriptures and such and Welch Shimai types something on her phone and kinda glances it towards me, "You should
testify and close this Bible bash" and at the right moment I did bare my testimony of the love of our Heavenly Father and how I knew that we could live with him again, and I thanked them for coming. Note to self: don't ask to pray with JWs. They freak out because we don’t pray to Jehovah. They said that that name is the name of God, which is true but the God of the Old Testament is Jesus Christ. That was another like ten minutes trying to sort it all out. Did you know that they watch someone else take the sacrament once a year! They don't even partake of it! How sad is that! Anyway we finally finished, Welch Shimai turned to us and we all kinda gave each other a look of, 'well that just happened.'
We all learned that the spirit is so important in lessons, praying for it to guide us is so important, the only time any of us felt the spirit was when we testified of the truth!
Wednesday we met a Korean guy who came up to us and said, hey I'm Mormon! It was kinda surprising and turns out he served his mission and is now in Japan for internship but he was so nice! Then we had English class and two people came because everyone is on holiday for New Years. But it was fun all the same.
Thursday was weird mainly because all we did was plan and map people out that we have never heard of before. You think you have a huge number of less- actives where you are? Try almost 1000 less or in-actives. Yeah, we have a lot to do. (Not even joking on this number.)
2016!!!! What did you do for the New Year? For me my district and I got up at like four in the morning, took a train to Kyoto station and went to Kyoto tower for the first sunrise of the year! We were all squished together trying to see the sun but I'm short and couldn't see at all so I had a nice man in front of me take pictures for me. Eventually I got pushed to the front and got to see when the sun came over the mountain! It was so beautiful! We then went to McDonald's for breakfast (first bad choice of the year) then went and had district meeting, and after that went and got buffet pizza (second bad choice of the new year). After wards went back and we separated from the Elders. The Elders were on a exchange and so we had Smith Choro with us instead of Gosney. Those two are insane and after we left they went and ate more food! Then we went through the Jinja or shrine and they had set up tables and stands to buy food. We bought more food (bad choice numbers 3-7) so far not doing so hot on the New Year’s resolution. It was delicious, but it kind of reminded me of the merchants selling and trading in the temple in Christ's time. It was an interesting thought. You thought Thursday was done! Nope then we went to bishop’s house and had make- your own sushi! Let me just say I love salmon and tuna raw better than cooked. So good! (At this point I've lost track of my bad decisions and decided to embrace food because I love it),
We got home and I didn't want to ever eat food again....the Elders told us the next day they gained 3 kilos from the day before! (For you Americans that's about 6 pounds). Then for lunch our 'group' consisting of mission leader Sam, Hohaia kyodai, Gi kyodai, Shogo, the Elders and us went to an all you can't eat buffet but for the senkyoshi we didn't really eat as much and everyone thought we were strange because we are known for eating haha. But then we went to this Game Center afterwards and we had a good time playing pool and air hockey. Then later that night we all got to get her again for our weekly Ping Pong night. I don't actually suck anymore and can play an actual game and it was a lot of fun!
Sunday was good. We were standing by the door greeting people and walking to the church was...TOMOKO! I was so surprised, concerned and happy all at the same time. Turned out she came back from Hokkaido to visit home and I was so happy to have seen her because she was going to come back probably after I left Shimogamo. She is such a sweet heart.
I'd like to say one more thing about the cranes that I received for Christmas! Those notes from all who wrote one, made me smile, laugh, and tear up a little, I really do love all of you at home and I know that Heavenly Father cares and watches over you for me! To the Young Women and Deacons who wrote me thank you so much!!! To answer the questions of Teagen Bowman, yes they play soccer, there is this cool place that sells soccer jerseys from teams from all around the world and Japan is flippin awesome and Brandon Lui, the priesthood is awesome! I can't believe you can pass the sacrament that makes me so happy! And also keep watch over my car for me! Maybe if you ask Brother Oswald he'll let you ride around in it :)
As always I love you so very much and I hope for the best for you. I pray for you constantly!!!
John 6:
33 For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world.
34 Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread.
33 For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world.
34 Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread.
35 And Jesus said unto them,
I am the bread of life: he that cometh to
me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.
It is only him that we can have eternal life!
me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.
It is only him that we can have eternal life!
 |
| Me, Zhou, Tanaka, Smith |
 |
| Pizza! |
 |
| Ran into Misato while trying to get to the Bishop's house |
 |
| This beautiful thing was at the bishop's house and I want to take her home with me! |
 |
| Ran into this lovely member |
 |
| Top of Kyoto Tower and First Sunrise of the Year |
 |
| Shot Two |
Below, Christmas Entertainment
No comments:
Post a Comment