22 September 2014 Sanjo
This is an old picture, but it was so pretty, I wanted to include it
Next week we have transfer calls! WHAT?! Where is time going?
Next week we have transfer calls! WHAT?! Where is time going?
I wore tights almost the entire week.
The ocean is close so there is an ever present breeze that is quite
chilly. Nitta shimai was pretty bundled up all week. She broke out her
winter jacket and has been talking about
getting gloves. The nihonjin find us pretty funny. They don't think it
is cold at all, because they have winter to compare it too!
This week I'm sure we did lots of great things...but I'm having trouble remembering them. I think this might be a rest of my mission problem...so I apologize in advance. The days are just blurring into weeks and the weeks into months. Weeks feel like months and things that happened a day or two ago feel like it was done in prior weeks. What a strange experience!
This week we contacted so many less active members. Wow! Ogura Shimai and oono shimai are really progressing! We had some really awesome lessons with them this week. We were also able to meet a less active who hasn't been visited in a few transfers. She was very excited to see us!
This week I'm sure we did lots of great things...but I'm having trouble remembering them. I think this might be a rest of my mission problem...so I apologize in advance. The days are just blurring into weeks and the weeks into months. Weeks feel like months and things that happened a day or two ago feel like it was done in prior weeks. What a strange experience!
This week we contacted so many less active members. Wow! Ogura Shimai and oono shimai are really progressing! We had some really awesome lessons with them this week. We were also able to meet a less active who hasn't been visited in a few transfers. She was very excited to see us!
There were
lots of little miracles happening all around. We also found a few less
than excited to be found less active members, and one who had passed away
years and years ago! But, finding both were miracles in their own way
too. We went with a church member, Nakagawa shimai to find them. They
lived in an older part of Kamo so the addresses and houses make no sense
at all. Their town was at the bottom of a mountain and it was like
stepping back into time, and into a jungle. Everything was green and all
the shrines and cemeteries were mossy and had little waterfalls from run-off
water, the houses were all a little crooked and had these beautiful and
very wild gardens and plants growing. And the people spoke their own
kind of Japanese! We wondered around for a while until we finally found
who we were looking for. If we hadn't had Nakagawa shimai with us I
don't know if we would've found either of them though!
Is week has been quite the week! I started the week off planning to find more joy in the work and ended up becoming a little more miserable each day. Funny how that works...but, after a much needed talk we my wonderful companion I can say I am really happy now. I've found a little more joy. And I feel reconnected to my purpose. And we are more united too. We both had gotten pretty caught up in the fact that we don't have a lot of time left as missionaries and we aren't where we want to be at all. So together, we are working on that. I'm so grateful for Nitta shimai. She is a blessing. And together we get to help Heavenly Father get things moving here in Sanjo. And we've been able to watch it happen! In little ways now, big ways are yet to come..
Is week has been quite the week! I started the week off planning to find more joy in the work and ended up becoming a little more miserable each day. Funny how that works...but, after a much needed talk we my wonderful companion I can say I am really happy now. I've found a little more joy. And I feel reconnected to my purpose. And we are more united too. We both had gotten pretty caught up in the fact that we don't have a lot of time left as missionaries and we aren't where we want to be at all. So together, we are working on that. I'm so grateful for Nitta shimai. She is a blessing. And together we get to help Heavenly Father get things moving here in Sanjo. And we've been able to watch it happen! In little ways now, big ways are yet to come..
My nihongo has taken off this week! Wow! I feel like i understand soo much more. I kept having these moments all week where I would either walk away from a conversation or be in the middle of one and just be hit with this "wow! I know exactly what is going on! " feeling. It's great! But, don't be too impressed. This morning our gas man stopped by and I had no clue what he was saying...haha little steps. My speaking is also slowly getting better. Nowhere near where I want it. But I'm getting there.
Yesterday in church I shared an experience in Young Womens. I started talking and my nihongo came out faster than I could think! I was so shocked I was silent! And then everyone else was silent cus they thought I had more to say. But I just didn't say anything..the teacher was very kind and finished the thought for me though and me and the young women got a good chuckle out of the whole thing. Well. More than a chuckle; we were all snickering pretty hard about it.
The other day Nitta shimai and I were talking about how our mothers eating things that have gone bad. I told Nitta shimai that my mom drinks milk after the expiration date! Gross! Well, the next morning I grabbed my milk out of the fridge and noticed it was expired. Darn! I opened it, sniffed it and decided it was ok and drank it. I found the irony in that moment too funny not to share.
Sorry, another short letter. I love you all!
Here is a video to make up for it. It's
the newest one. And a much needed message for a lot of people out there!
You never know how much good you really do. I love it. Can't wait for it
to be translated into Japanese!
