5
January 2015 Sakado
Happy
new year everyone! Did you all make New Years goals and resolutions? I didn't.
I've got lots of ideas but, because it still doesn't feel like Christmas
happened I feel no real urgency to make any goals... But that really isn't a
big deal. As a missionary you make goals, and adjust goals, and make more goals
all the time. So' no worries...I’ve still got "stuff" to work
on.
This
week there was basically no dendō! No one was interested! They were all busy
because of sho gatsu or the New Year. We went housing, and called all our
friends but everyone was "isogashii". Oh well, we had a really,
really awesome week despite that. The members all invited us over and we formed
lots of good and better relationships!
I
seriously love Sakado and its members. This is a wonderful area. Sister
Bettridge is lucky she got to be here as her first area. And I'm lucky I get to
be her companion! Last night, we were finishing up weekly planning and we just
ended up going on and on about how great one another is..are and we get a call
from our district leader. I'm thinking why is he calling now we still have time
before we need to call him...but we didn't! We had gone right through daily
planning time! Haha oops! Luckily the day was already planned out!
Last
Monday we had a really great lesson with Takahashi San. I just love her! She
wasn't too busy for us. She had a friend over and so we got to teach both of
them. We ended up teaching the restoration. Sister Bettridge was amazing! She
knew how to say so much. And at the end she bore her testimony for both of them
and she had their complete attention. The lesson was great for many reasons
but, it was really a good reminder that the gift of tongues is real. Sister
Bettridge who has only been here for three weeks can say sooo much, every week
she improves. I'm afraid I won't have anything to teach her next week! And I
found myself being able to say all sorts of things I didn't know I could. It's
wonderful. When Heavenly Father needs you to speak, as long as you open your
mouth, he fills it.
Tuesday we
spent the whole day finding. With not much luck. Sister Bettridge really wanted
to sing to someone. But, everyone told us they were too busy or not interested
before I could even begin to ask if we could sing. Finally it was time to come
home and right as we were leaving the neighborhood we met a lady who struck up
a conversation with us because Sister Bettidge was carrying her flute case and
this lady played flute too! We chatted for a while and were able to sing! We
sang “I Am a Child of God” and the lady and her friend, who came and joined,
loved it. We invited them to church! I'm not sure they were at all interested
BUT Sister Bettridge got her wish! Heavenly Father is mindful of each and every
one of us and grants us the righteous desires of our heart. It was a fun
day.
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| Keiko and us |
Wednesday we spent most of the day cleaning. I love cleaning! In Japan you spend the days before the New Year cleaning. You get all the bad out before the New Year. So, because December 31st and January 1st are not productive dendō days we had a mission wide cleaning day and the next day was a mission wide read the Book of Mormon day. Our apartment is much cleaner now. I'm really enjoying it. We were also taken out to lunch by Keiko. She took us to a fancy buffet. Everything was healthy and delicious. It was great! We had a lot of fun. I really love Keiko. And I just have so much respect for her! I love how much she loves the kids she teaches. She is truly concerned for each of them and wants each of them individually to succeed. Just like heavenly father! Haha lesson idea!
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| If you didn't like your fortune, you left it behind. |
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| There were fortunes inside. |
We
went to bed at 10:30. It was quite the New Year's Eve haha.
Thursday we
didn't really do much Book of Mormon reading...maybe four hours total. We had a
member take us out to a traditional Japanese lunch and a shrine afterwards. It
was soo fun. Sister Bettridge might have eaten more 'traditional' Japanese food
this last week than I have in quite a few transfers combined...or maybe I'm
just used to it now...so I need someone to announce when its traditional to be
aware of it..maybe that one. I’m really grateful for sushi. If I had to eat as
much cooked fish as we did raw fish this week, I would have been a happy
camper. Cooking fish just brings the ocean taste out in them..blah! I think the
raw fish might be growing on sister Bettridge...maybe..
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| Sea bugs |
That
evening we went over to another member’s house. We ate some crazy things! Most
was ridiculously delicious. But then, Sister Itō came out with a plate full of
bugs! Bugs from the ocean! They looked straight out of Jurassic park or Star
Wars. And yes, I ate some. Just so I could send this picture home and say I ate
it! It wasn't that bad, I liked it a lot better than shrimp for sure but I just
couldn't get over what it looked liked to eat lots and lots.
Friday we had a
mission conference. Everyone but the Niigata missionaries were there. Soooo
fun. I got to see almost all of my companions. I love them all so much. And we
watched “Meet the Mormons.” I loved it! If you haven't had a chance to see it
you should go see it! It should be playing at the Hill Cumorah visitors center
in Palmyra soon. I loved each of the characters. They each have such amazing,
and some very normal, stories. I wrote down my favorite quote...but I forgot my
notebook so..I can't share it. Sorry!
Saturday we
went to members houses too. Our dendō shuni, or ward mission leader, arranged
for us to be fed for lunch and dinner. What a great guy! We had lots of
fun.
This
week I started mixing up my he's and she's. Sister Bettridge finds it really
funny. I sound like a nihonjin. And today, we went out with members for lunch
and I couldn't translate someone back to English. I couldn't think of the word
and the members thought that was really funny. Oh noooo, my English is going..
...oh
well.
Sister
Bettridge and I were having a conversation about patience yesterday. And I told
her how one of my transfers I prayed for patience almost every day. But it
never felt like anything happened. It reminded her of a movie, in which was
said "maybe when we pray for patience God just gives us more opportunities
to be patient." There was my problem! Along with lessons on patience I’ve
learned so much this year. I can't believe it's already over! I'm excited to
see what this year brings. Maybe I'll make some New Years resolutions this
week... I'm so grateful I get to be a missionary. It's been great. Even when it
hasn't been, it's been great.
I
love you all!
Sister
Molinari
