Hey Family,
I am glad that everyone is doing well. Boating sounds like it was really fun for everyone. It was very random but fun. haha :) That was kind of Jason to take you out on his boat and I can just imagine the movie quotes that were flying around with you and Kristi there. haha oh our family and the good times we have. That can be something hard being here. I say movie quotes sometimes and people don't understand what I am saying and there are even times when I really want to say a movie quote that I know you would understand but I can't say it because I know people might take it out of context. I can't even really be sarcastic. The Japanese people don't understand sarcasm or jokes and the same is with my companion. She sometimes thinks I am being completly serious about something or that I am judging her, etc. Which of course is completly not true so it is hard to pull back a lot and sometimes I don't feel like myself but I figure maybe those are things that need to be worked on so I am working on them. :)
This last week was hard not going to lie. I have never been so exhausted in my entire life. I sometimes wonder how I will be able to finish 15 months let alone a day because sometimes it can be a struggle to finsih just a day. But I have found that it is usually those days that the Lord blesses me the most by giving me the oppurtunity to meet someone new, or something that will boost my mood and help me to continue on. Plus you know how I am. I push myself beyond the limit because sometimes I can't see my limit. Remember softball? or Brighton? Ya, I kind of do the same thing here. But the work is just so important I don't want to stop and I acutally feel really bad when I am weak or exhausted and feel like I can't go on. But one of the missionaries at the conference told me that being weak either physically or spiritually is a sure sign that you are a great missionary because that is who the Lord calls. The weak and the simple. Who did he call for his apostles? Fishermen, not noblemen. So I just always have to remind myself of that because I feel very weak sometiems and I am trying to work on having trust and belief in myself. I do not doubt the power of Heaven and know that the Savior will help me but it is me I don't have the best trust or belief in. Like the Language for example. I wonder how I will ever learn it. I speak english way to much. Because my companion is american, there are a lot of japanese people who want to learn english and so wants us to speak in english and there are american members. So I am not learning that well. But the Oyama members are awesome and are going to start doing something that will really help me because they know that my japanese is struggling. They are going to get the members to invite us over to mogi lessons (practice lessons) so that I can work on my japanese and become a better speaker so I can help the investigators better. We actually have one tonight. I am nervous but really excited. I haven't had many oppurtunities to teach yet either. So I believe this is an answer to some prayers. :)
Friday was the full mission taikai (conference) and I loved it!!! I was able to see Sister Vail again and talk to her. We actually stayed at their apartment the night before and seeing her was so wonderful. I really missed her. I love my companion and we are becoming closer everyday but Sister Vail is a really good friend and we can relate to each so much more since we are both so new. I also saw Gabe Ribiero and that was really fun. He still looks the same if but a little older and he doesn't have an accent anymore. He sounds completly american. He graduated from High school in Brazil, worked for a little bit then got his call to Japan and is now here. His mission ends the very beginning of Janauary and he is flying straight to Hawaii to go to BYU there. The last mission president, President Albrecht, is on the board there or something and gave Gabe a scholarship so those are his plans. All the sisters in the mission were very nice and welcoming to me. I felt so much love and support from them. And being surrounded by so many missionaries strengthened me. I have support all around me and it is great to actually see that not just know that. Sister Budge wrote a mission song for us and we sang it for the first time there and it is an awesome song to sing when all 180 missionaries are together. The workshops we had were great, I felt the spirit strongly and I just had so much fun. I think I will always look forward to the taikias now. They happen every other month or so. Oh and President Budge told us that the mission now has a blog. it is japantokyomission.blogspot.com and I think a video of us singing the song and a mission picture will be on there. Also ways that families back home can help and be apart of the mission. So check it out! :)
Nothing really happend this week that is really exciting besides the conference. It was a long week. But I am doing well. It can very hard sometimes but I am slowly and gradually growing and becoming better. Figuring things out. This week is week 5 since I have been here and so I almost done with my first transfer. Crazy huh? It seems to be going fast but at the same time very slowly. But all the missionaries say that the first transfers go by slow and then they just start picking up. I guess we shall see. I am looking forward to this week though because Friday is a New Missionary Training so I can see the Elders that I came with and hear about their experiences and also on saturday we are going Niko. The place I told you about last week. And next week going to the Temple. At the end of each transfer we get to go to the temple which makes me so happy because I love the temple and get rejuvinated when I go so I am excited about that.
Sorry this e-mail is kind of wierd this week. This last week was wierd. haha But know that I am safe and doing well. and Know that I love you with all my heart and miss you. You really are the greatest family ever!!
Love you,
Kenzie
