Hello My wonderful family,
So this week I have probably missed you more then I ever had before. Just with calling you and be thrown into the mission work made me really miss you and made me want a hug. But I am fine and I love you!!
I am here!! I am finally in Japan and I still can not believe it. The plane ride was looong!!! 12 hrs is a long time, especially when you can't sleep and you can not watch movies. But it was really funny because we were surrounded my little chinese children and we had disney movies going all around us and I also saw a few watching Hunger Games. It was loooong and we were all super happy to finally land in Japan and get off the plane.
At the airport we met President Budge and the AP's and they drove us back to the honbu (mission home) where we met the two office missionaries Brother and Sister Galbraith and Sister Budge and had dinner (taco soup). After dinner we all went upstairs and crashed. I was so tired, I felt like I was on a boat you know, that floating feeling. So I slept really well. But it could have also been because since I was the only sister to arrive I was given the general authority room which had a king size bed. Ya baby!! I loved it!! :D I did wake up a few times though 1) because of jet lag 2) because here in Japan the sun comes up at 4 in the morning and is super bright. YAY!!! haha
So on Wednesday I met my companion - Sister Lundy - and she is really fun. She has been in Japan since December and this is her first time training. She is from Colorodo. She is really sweet and patient with me and is just a wonderful companion to have as my trainer. Her Japanese is really good and she has such a deep love for the Japanese people. So I am sure you are dying to here where my first area is at well it is in.....Oyama!! Oyama is considered the country side of Tokyo but it not the countryside you would think of. It still has a lot of buildings. There is just Sister Lundy and myself and two elders. Elder Tauchi and Elder Tauchi and yes they are related. They are brothers. One is towards the end of his mission and the other just started his three months ago. How fun is that they are companions. And they are great elders. The younger is sooo funny and just full of energy and happiness. I love working with both of them. But I love Oyama and the Japanese people in general. They are so kind and the members are just amazing. They love the missionaries and are always willing to help them. Anyway back to Wednesday. So after we went through some orientation stuff Sister Lundy and I grabbed my carry on and started walking to the train station where it would take an hour to get from there - Nakano - to Oyama. The train was super crowded when we were in the main city and if you heard any rumors about people having jobs to puch people in the train they would be true. But it was really fun. During the train ride sister Lundy and I started talking to these two women (well mostly sister Lundy since my Japanese is so so). One of them got off but we were able to get her number and gave her ours (little meshi cards which are like business cards) and about that time the train was pretty empty so me, sister Lundy and the other girl whose name is Narumi sat down with Narumi in between us and we just continued talking and she actually spoke a little bit of english. Sister Lundy told her that we are volunteers for our church and she asked what exactly is that we do. I explained to her (in Japanese) that we have a mesage we want to share with everyone about Jesus Christ. I then asked her if she has ever heard about Jesus Christ and she said no so I explained that Christ is Gods beloved son and it is through christ that we can all return to live with God again. I asked if she believed in God and she said sometimes. I then explained that we believe that we (everyone) are God's children and that he really loves us and wants us to be happy. He has given us a plan so that we can receive that happiness and help and that is through Jesus Christ and through Him we can return to God. She then told us that when she was in the Phillippines she read a little bit from the Bible. I then started telling her about the Book of Mormon and how is like the bible in how is talks about Jesus Christ. I also happened to have one in my backpack that I bought at the bookstore for such a purpos and had her look at it while SIster Lundy said it was a book that testifies of christ and about a people in the americas (indians). I gave her that copy to keep and we then told her about Eikaiwa (english classes, which is our service every week) and she said it sounded interesting and she might come. Oh she lives in Oyama. That was my first contact as a missionary in Japan. Not too bad right?!
This week has been long and I have been thrown into the fire, literally. Thursday I didn't have a bike yet so we had to walk everywhere which to give you an idea the church building is 40 min. away and then we were trying to find an investigators home and kept walking in circles. I didn't have sunscreen so I got burned. Right now my face and arms have a nice but the back of my neck and upper shoulders is burned and really red. It is really funny when the Japanese see it because they are not used to it. haha I also have been a feeding ground for bugs. Right now I have 11 bug bites (mostly on my legs) and I have one on my arm just below my wrist and right now it is better but it did swell up doing that thing when I sometimes get bug bits and they swell up to the size of a baseball. O and on Thursday night we were able to borrow one of the Elders bikes until I get mine and I crashed it. I didn't get hurt much just got a nice colorful bruise on my thigh other than that I am fine. And I don't want you to worry I am alive!! haha
The last couple of days I have been getting pretty frustrated with the language and wondering if I will ever learn it and be able to speak it but the members and my companion are really nice and tell me that my japanese is really good. Some of the memebers have even been surprised when I tell them that I just arrived in Japan last week. They think my japanese is really skilled. Now I just need to start believing it.
I did finally get my own bike yesterday (sunday). Another sister in the mission was selling hers because it was too small for her and she was willing to sell it to me for $100. It is a really nice bike and today was my first time riding it. I was seriously blessed for it. And I love riding a bike. It can be really hard, my legs burning, but it is really fun and after walking on Thursday in the hot sun I will take the bike.
Even with the frustration of the language and my body going through the ringer I am really happy to be here and I feel so blessed. I know the Lord will help me as long as I put my trust in him and do all that I can. I know He lives and is walking beside me, picking me up when I am down. He is there for you too. I know that no matter where I go I always have a friend, a brother, a savior near by.
I love you all and I miss you. I am glad everyone is doing well!!
Until next week,
Mackenzie
