Nikko

I have a Super Power!!

Family!!!

How are you? I know I am writing this pretty early, it is 5:30 here. My companion wants to start getting up really early from now on so she can read the bible and other books before her mission is over. So the reason that I am writing right now instead of later. I hope you are all doing well. I may have time later to check back and read your e-mails but for now I will just assume that everyone is doing well.

So this last week has been long and fun. On Monday we didn't have the lesson with Priti. Instead we had it on Tuesday and it went really well and we came to understand what he meant in his e-mail to us. He thought the whole book of Mormon was about a dream (Lehi's dream) and that it is through dreams that prophets speak to God. Whew! That was a relief to hear. We still kept to our plan though and taught more about the Book of Mormon and the spirit. He was very curious how God can speak to him and what it will be like when He does. He asked us if we could give a time frame for when it would happen. We of course said that we could not because it is between him and the Lord and it takes work to constantly be searching the spirit. He needs to try to recognize how the spirit speaks to him and and the different ways that it happens. I told him about how I am still finding different ways the spirit speaks to me and I always have to be searching for it. The lesson went really well but the best part was towards the end after we talked more about the origin of the Book of Mormon and how it came to be published. I bore my testimony of the Book of Mormon and said that it is a true word of God, a perfect word, and it is through the Book of Mormon that I have come to my Father and Christ. I told him that he too can have his prayers answered and come to the know the Father if he only reads the Book of Mormon prayerfully. After I bore my testimony he looked at me with wonderment and said, “I can't understand it. Your faith and the way you speak about God and your relationship with Him even though you have never seen Him. It is like a super natural ability. It passes my understanding. I want that.” That's right my testimony is a super power!!! hahaha I never thought of it that way before or my faith. We of course told him that it is very possible for him to have the same ability. I was so grateful for the opportunity that I had to share my testimony of the Book of Mormon. The spirit was strong when I was and I felt so happy telling him what I know, what I have found out for myself. That is what I am here for.

On Wednesday we went over to Ishizawa's house (a member) and she had a friend come over and teach us how to play a taishookoto, a Japanese instrument. There is a picture in the previous e-mail of me playing it. It was so much fun to learn and the three of us (me, Sister Lundy and Sister Ishizawa )will be performing together this Saturday at the music concert that the ward is having. It should be really fun and the song we are doing I have become pretty skilled at playing it. Haha But then again it is a pretty easy one.

Thursday we just had weekly planning and then went and visited another member with Ishizawa shimai. The member we visited (Moro shimai) has the most beautiful garden I have yet seen in Japan and an amazing beautiful house. She is such a wonderful home maker. She makes these really cute dolls and makes delicious home made jam that she gets from her garden like fig jam and raspberry jam.She also made for us the best yakisoba I have had. Yakisoba is a Japanese meal that I have come to very much like and I am determined to learn how to make it while I am here and come home and make it for everyone. Apparently it is really simple to make which makes me happy. I like simple. The visit with Moro shimai was so much fun and I loved the opportunity to get to know her. The members here in Oyama are seriously wonderful. They give the missionaries so much help and are such wonderful examples of being missionaries themselves. I love them!!

Also on Thursday at the music night I taught a small lesson to one of our investigators by myself. Her name is Kaori and she is the sweetest thing ever. She comes to music night every week and will be performing at the concert as well. Anyway, we had plans to teach her about Prayer that night and at first I was worried we wouldn't be able to because the time was coming soon to when we would need to return home. I prayed to have an opportunity to teach her and to my delight it was answered. I was telling her about transfers and how I might be leaving after this week. I told her I would love for her to write to me if she could. I pulled out a meshi card of mine and wrote a quick message on the back. While I was writing a thought came to also give her a little prayer card that a member always gives us that goes through the steps of prayer really simply. So after I gave my meshi to her I told her that I had something else for her, a special gift that I feel is important. I then started teaching about prayer. Who we pray to, how we pray, what we pray for, etc. I then asked her if she would pray and she said she would. I had so much fun teaching her about prayer and felt so happy doing it. Prayer is the way we communicate to our Father. It is so important and so simple. Its so wonderful!

On Saturday we went to Nikko again. This time we went with two of our Eikaiwa students, Tanaka and Fusako, and this time we saw different parts of Nikko. The famous lake and waterfalls they have. Tanaka was really nice and drove us there instead of just taking the train and buses which meant we were able to see and do more. The trip there was about an hour ½ to two hours so the car ride wasn't that bad. I loved driving through the mountains, it reminded me so much of home. The first stop we went to was a waterfall named Ryuzu Falls and Ryuzu is a dragon and the falls look like his head as he moves his head towards heaven. It was beautiful!! And we were really lucky because the weather was really nice in that part of Nikko so it just made it that more pretty. It was a nice 15 or so minute walk to the top of the waterfall but the whole time it is flowing past you. We also saw Japan's most famous waterfall which is called Kegon falls. It is 92 m. tall (I have no idea what that is in feet). It was breathtaking. It truly made me in awe of Heavenly Fathers creation and to see His wonderful artistic hand. We saw a few more things and the trip over all was wonderful. It also made me excited because I found things for Dad, Justin and Jared. The two boys is hard to find things for. I want something that is fun for them and something that they can enjoy but also have something that can last longer then just a year or two. I will just continue keeping my eye out.

Sunday the Elders had another baptism and it was a wonderful experience. I felt the spirit so strongly and as he was getting confirmed a member of the church and receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost I could see Christ with the biggest smile (3^rd Nephi 19) on His face and could feel His love and happiness for Tommy. It made me start crying and even deepened my desire to see our investigators get to that point and have the Savior smile at the them and have Him be proud of them. It was wonderful.

Well, this week is the last week of my training. I will have been here for two transfers. We get calls on Saturday morning about who will be going and who will be our new companion. Wow. That time went by slow and fast all at the same time. It is weird how time does that. I am really hoping that my next companion will be Japanese, that way I will be able to learn Japanese quicker. I am actually jealous of those who have had only Japanese companions because now their Japanese is really good.

I am still having some struggles with my companion that I have now. I never realized how hard it would be to be with someone for 24/7 who is completely different then who you are. It has been hard because I have sometimes been a totally different person, someone I would rather not be. But through the experience I am being given my weaknesses on a silver platter and recognizing how much I need to improve. Sometimes I wonder if I am even a good person since I have so much that needs to be improved but nonetheless I am grateful for the opportunity to see what I need to improve on and make myself better. Even if it is really really hard.

Well, that is all for this week. I am happy because tomorrow we are going to the Temple again and you know how much I love that. How was the dedication by the way? I am very grateful for Temples and that because of them I have you guys for eternity. It makes being away from home easier.

I love you all with all my heart and don't worry about me. I am doing just fine.

As always all my love,

Kenzie