Konichiwa subarashi Kazoku (Hello, wonderful family),
I can't believe it has already been two weeks since I have been in Japan. It is still wierd to think about. Sister Lundy who has been here for 8 months even always says to me, "We are in Japan!!! Can you believe it!!" haha And I don't think I have even sweated so much in my life. It is so HOT!!! We come back to the apartment at the end of they day basically soaking wet because it is just so hot and so humid. But in a wierd way it is not that bad. Riding bikes there is always wind and it is always a cool wind so it feels nice. Plus I always think back to that first real day when I didn't have a bike and I didn't have my backpack because it was with my luggage so I just had my shoulder bag and we were out walking all day long. After experiencing that and thinking I was going to die the heat isn't that bad. haha But it will just continue to get hotter as we move into August and September. This last week it was in the low to mid 90's. Ya, hot!! :
Ok so this last week. Let's see where should I start? Well last week we kind of split p-day into two days, monday and tuesday, because we just had so much to do. On Monday we went to Eikaiwa and then afterward we met with a less active member who took us out to lunch at Denny's (and just so you know the menu is completly different. No breakfast items at all). She is the funniest lady ever. She would tell sister Lundy that she needed to eat more and that I needed to eat less if I wanted to look like a japanese person. haha I know that sounds rude but the Japnese people are like that and the way she said it was just hilarious. Afterward we went over to her house to do a mogi (practice lesson) and during then she told us her conversion story. I of course couldn't understand a word of it. I could only get things here and there. But then Sister Lundy filled me in on the rest after we left and her story is amazing. I wish I had time to tell you about it but that is just a story that is too long and powerful. I guess it will have to wait till I get home. I don't know why she is less active. I think it is just because she is sick and doesn't make it to church everyweek.
On Tuesday we did some more dendo (mission work) before we continued with our p-day. We went by a neighborhood where a member gave us a referral but they were not home so we did some housing and talked to this one man that sounded like he was interested and wanted us to come back but when we did go back a day or so later he wasn't interested at all. Anyway, on the way to the house we passed this house where I saw a mother with her two children playing in front of their house. We didn't stop but they were in the back of my mind. So when we were returning from the referrals house I was hoping they were still there and they were but I kept riding by but I got this strong impression to go talk to them. It was basically saying "go back, go back, go back." So I asked Sister Lundy if we could turn around and talk to them. So we did and talked to the mom for a little bit and told her how our church families are very important and just talked to her for a little bit. She said she just moved here and didn't really have any friends. Right now she isn't interested in Religion but she is always looking for activities to take her children. We told her about how this saturday at the church there is a summer festival party. She said she would like to come and we also gave her an Eikaiwa flyer. I really hope they come on Saturday and that we will be able to eventually teach them.I like to think that I got that prompting for a reason.
Wednesday I had my first real breakdown. I tried talking on the phone to someone and I couldn't and I just felt so miserable. I was just feeling like I wouldn't ever get the hang of this language and be able to help people. I also felt bad because when we have long conversations with people and I can't understand my brain takes different turns and starts thinking about other things and I always try to refocus but it just keeps happening. I felt like I was being a terrible missionary because of that. But as always the Lord provides comfort to those who seek it. I was flipping through my scriptures and stopped on some highlighted parts and they hit me so hard because I knew that I was being watched over and I just need to have faith that I am where I need to be right now and even though I can't speak that well right now, I can still make a difference to people. The scriptures were Alma 26:36-37.
Thursday is weekly planning which takes 3-4 hours and then on Thursday nights we have music night. so we don't dendo all that much but music night is really fun and some potential investigators come and also members so it is a great way to get to know them. Also this last Thursday I experienced my first earthquake. It was a little one lasted about 2-3 sec. but the ground still shook and afterward I felt like I was on boat and the earth was still moving. It was an interesting experience.
Nothing much happend on Friday. We had a zone conference so I was able to meet some more missionaries and some of us went out to lunch afterwards. Then that night we went with two elders from another area to see some of our potential investigators. They came with us because they speak spanish and our investigators are either from Brazil or Peru. You would not believe how many Latino families are in Japan. These two elders mission area is bascially devoted to the spanish/porteuguise people. That is there mission. Interesting huh? We are hoping that they can really help the families we visit and help them progress.
Saturday we met an eternal investigator. She has been meeting with the missionaries since 1995. Crazy right!! She is such an amazing woman. She knows the book of Mormon is true and she shared a powerful testimony of it. We asked her bluntly why she wasn't a member yet and she didn't really answer just said it is hard changing when everyone in her family is buddhist. But the thing I am learning about Japan is that people always say they are buddhist but if you ask them about it they don't know the teachings or anything. It is more of a family tradition thing. We asked her if she didn't have her family to worry about offending would she be a member and she said she would probably. So sister Lundy and I feel really good about teaching her and we feel that we need to try to get her husband converted and then she can. We met him briefly as well and he seemed like a nice man. Well actually I know he was nice because he gave us fans to have and I spoke to him a little bit about softball. :) We are hoping that his heart will be softened and that we will be able to finally get this woman, Sugiura, into the waters of baptism.
I don't think I talked about Sundays and church here. So the members are the greatest people EVER!!! They are just so kind and they all have the dendo fire. They love the missionaries and are always willing to help us. The members in our ward are about 80 people so it isn't that big. It is still hard to understand what is going on but I still feel the spirit. My first sunday, last week. they had be go up to the pulpit and bare my testimony. Then for Sunday school we went into a gospel principles class that investigators and recent converts go to. None of our investigators come but some of the Elders came and the teacher Sister Adachi is amazing. She taught a very simple lesson about prayer and just went over the basics but it was powerful!! Then yesterday I felt the spirit strong during the whole three hours and received revelation for myself that will help me and sister Lunday and I, since we didn't have any investigators went into the English class. There are 5 american women here who are teaching English so we went into their class and it was a wonderful lesson.
Sister Lundy is such an amazing companion to have. She is very patient and kind to me and has such a love for this gospel and the Japanese. We have a lot of fun together and she has come up with a nickname for me. It is Ariel because I love the water, when I was young wanted to be a mermaid, and I have red hair of course. She is so funny. She also wanted me to name my bike so last week I came up with the name H iHi (heehee). The first Hi means fire and the second means princess. So her name is fire princess because she makes by legs burn. She is helping me to trim down. haha :) I love riding a bike.
Ok, now about last night. Last night we went to a summer festival and they had fireworks. Now Oyama is famous for their firework show and I can see why. They are nothing like I have ever seen before. America has nothing compared to this and I know that the 4th of july fireworks will never be the same. I took a lot of video of these fireworks and some pictures. I am hoping to upload one of the videos and see if that works. We went with two members, Hasagawa and Tomita, and also two women who are potential investigators and we want to teach them so bad. They are Fusako and and Tanaka. Fusakosan is the one who invited us to the festival and then Tanaka brought us there and also brought food. They are the best ever and they would be perfect members. So with those four it was just so much fun. I LOVED IT!!
And I want to quickly mention a small miracle we had today while we were out. We were on our way to visit a family and we were on a street corner waiting for the light when this man came up and asked if we are to preach. We said yes and to do service. He said but you are not nuns. Ane we said no we are not. He said ok I want you to come to my house and preach to me. But is that ok because I am a single man and live by myself. We told him we have Elders who can come and teach him. He was just like ok ok. But I am a very busy man, don't have much time. Well if you have 10 to 15 min. then we can teach you a short lesson. Oh really ok then that is ok. I am free only on Sundays and Mondays. I will give you my number and I will call you but not a lot because that is bad because I am a man. (Short note, he was speaking english that is why I could understand him and he is from pakistand and here for work)
Can you talk about WOW!!! We got his name and number and talked to him for a minute or so and told him we would call him. Sister Lundy and I just stared at each other after he left and I asked, "did that really just happen? I mean really!?" She just nodded her head and we were both screaming inside and so excited. Talk about some who is ready and prepared. We really hope this will turn out well. But we feel so blessed from the Lord and it just made us so happy and excited. We are going to pass his number to the Elders and the first visit we will probably all go together but then it will be up to the Elders.
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