Hey Hey Family,
I am glad to receive e-mails from everyone. Jen, thank you so much for your e-mail with your pictures. Your family is sooooo cute and I can not believe how big the boys are getting. They must stop growing. I am not going to recognized them when I get home. It is insane. This Friday marks my 6 months being out on my mission. There are some days that I can not believe it is 6 months already because it has gone by so quick and then there are other days that I feel like I have been out forever. It is so weird how that works.
So I don't think I have really told much about my companion, Nishihara shimai, or how much I love her. She is from Hokaido (which is a pretty famous spot in Japan, it is in the sapporo mission). She has been out on her mission for a year and 2 months. She returns home in the middle of February and her and I are both hoping that we can be companions together here in Shibuya until then. She really is amazing. She is very patient with me and always willing to help me with Japanese. To be honest with myself, my Japanese really has become sooo much better within the last 3 weeks with being with her. I try to speak Japanese to her as much as I can. She is very creative with how she teaches. Always making little pictures to go along with the lesson. But then again a lot of the Japanese are like that. I LOVE HER!! I invited her to visit me after we are done with our mission just so you are aware Mom and Dad. :)
This last week has been pretty amazing and I feel very blessed especially after how it started last Monday. Before we went to a dinner appointment we decided to do some streeting/passing out flyers for Eikaiwa. During that time we chose two different sides of the street and started. I couldn't do it. I only talked to maybe 2 or 3 people or so. An overwhelming fear came over me. Before we went to the appointment and then after I bawled. I felt like such a terrible missionary and wondered how I could ever help the mission if I couldn't street. I felt like crap. I felt like I was letting down the Lord by having that fear and therefore not having a lot of faith. But I got better through out the week and received some answers that have helped. Plus seeing many little miracles.
The following day (Tuesday) while we were doing personal study I felt impressed that we needed to do call people from the area book and see if they were interested in hearing more of the gospel. So we planned to do that on Wednesday because we were busy that day. We went to the Congo embassy because on the Relief soceity list from the English branch it said that it was a sisters birthday that day. Neither of us knew who she was but we went anyway. Turns out that she hasn't lived there for 5 years or so. I found out later from another member who she was and that I have actually met her parents the previous Sunday. Their name is the Mwanda's and their story is really incredible. I will have to tell you another day when I have time.
Anyway, on Wednesday we did area book dendo and called around 10 or so people. One person, Yoshie, that we called told us that she would come to church this last Sunday (but she ended up not being able to because of work but she still really wants to meet with us) Another person Wuan, said that she would have time this next week to meet with us. It made me really excited. Maybe now is the time that they are ready to except the gospel into their lives. I have a lot of hope and I am excited to see where things go. Also on Wednesday, after area book dendo, we had exchanges. I was with Sister Kai and she came with me to here in Shibuya. She is awesome! She is very very very good at streeting and so I was able to learn from her. Her and I did a lot of streeting on Thursday.
Thursday during streeting when we were at the park across the street from the Temple we met a girl from Malaysia who is Christian and she said that she has been looking for a church recently to go to. We told her a little bit about our church and she was interested in learning more. She gave us her contact information and said that she would try to come to church on Sunday. That made us super excited. MIRACLE, a prepared person. We also visited Sochiru again and we were able to share with her a scripture during our visit and she said after wards that she would like for us to always share a scripture with her and that after she becomes better she would like to learn more about the church. Especially about prophets because that is really interesting to her. I love her so much and she is very very ready. She has a lot of faith. I pray for and her baby everyday.
Friday we met with an investigator who previously when she was taught would argue about everything and would ask really random, confusing questions and is Christian but believes that churches have bad people in them. But during our visit she said that she wanted to study the Book of Mormon and accepted Joseph Smith. She said that she was like Joseph seeking wisdom from God. And in her prayer she asked God if she could find the truth in the Book of Mormon. She is another prepared person. Which really surprised us. Especially Nishihara shimai because she knew her from before. The Lord has been softening her heart these last few months. It is so incredible.
I love working in Shibuya. It is a very busy city and very hard but I am learning so much. I feel so blessed after last Monday, seeing so many miracles. And I also realized that even if I don't ever become very skilled at streeting there are other strengthens that I have that have value on the mission. I am slowly starting to recognize those and seeing why the Lord called me. It is really hard and exciting and I love it!!! Missions are hard and very very tiring. I was surprised of how tired I would be. But I am growing so much. It is amazing. Megs you are in for a wonderful adventure. And I am so excited to share it with you even if it is only for 3 or so months. :D
Well that is all for this week. I love you all!!! Take care this week!!
Love,
Kenzie
P.S. A really good missionary CD that my companion and I listen to all the time is called The Work by the nashville tribute band. It is very good and recommend listening to it. :D
