Elder Aoyagi

Hello again Family,

Has it already been a week?? I can't believe it. The weeks are going by quicker and quicker. And it is wierd to think that in 2 weeks I will be done with my training and will be getting a new companion. I can't believe it has almost been 12 weeks since I have been in Japan. Say what!!?? Sounds like you enjoyed yourselves Mom and Dad, having the house all to yourself. It will be wierd when I get back to be the only child left at home. so wierd. Tell Eric congratulations from me and tell Ann Marie thank you for the invitation of theirs. They looked really cute in their picture and I am happy for them. Also to quickly update you on the condition of Gabe. Last Friday he had surgery on his arm and he would be staying in the hospital for 5 days after that. They say he is doing well and staying postive and that he just really wants to get back out and work. So if he would be in your prayers as well that would be appreciated. Needless to say that no arm wrestling has become a new mission rule.

Ok so on to the week. It has officially cooled down and I love it. It has rained like none other this week which makes riding in a bike super fun. Yesterday, Sunday, was the most rain. It rained all day long and it was cool rain. Usually it is hot and humid rain but this rain I liked. It is supposed to get cooler as we head into October which makes me excited because I love fall and the cool weather. :) Which reminds me, Mom I hope you are keeping your eye out for a good winter coat. I will keep my eye out over here as well and will let you know if I buy one. Next week I will be buying some boots because of the rain. I have come to the decision that I need them.

On Wednesday we had another lesson with Priti and we taught him the Plan of Salvation. The Elder joined us as well as Adachi Shimai. Having everyone there was really good. We were able to get through the whole lessoon and answer Priti's questions because he was confused on how God could be just if 1. He let his beloved son die the way he did and 2. if he wouldn't send people who did really bad things to hell. He was confused a little bit on the Kingdoms. But with everyone pitching in we were able to help answer his questions. I was even able to tell him the debtor story. Priti has a strong desire to learn more about christianity and gain more knowledge but sometimes I worry that is all that he wants. He doesn't really want to follow Christ. This morning we got an e-mail from him. Sister Lundy e-mails him every other day or so about some sort of topic to help him progress. Yesterdays e-mail was about committments and why we ask him to read the BoM and pray. In his e-mail this morning to us he said that he believes the book of Mormon is a dream and that prophets are the same. That is how christianity was established. Based off of dreams. They were never real, the things in the book of Mormon never happened. And that to him there is no difference between christianity and islam. They believe in the same things. He did says that he admires our faith that we have in Jesus Christ even without knowing his life history (what he did as a teenager, where he lived, ect) because it passes his understanding. To him he wants to know EVERYTHING about the person he is supposed to follow. He has some more questions for us and so we will be meeting with him tonight and we will be talking more about the Book of Mormon. It is difficult. I really want him to accept the gospel but yet he is being very stubborn and hard and I don't think he is praying or truly reading the book of Mormon with the right intentions. So it is hard becuase I don't know how far to go. At what point do you get to when you say "ok I have taught you everything that I know. If you won't accept then we will have to stop meeting." I don't like doing that because they are still children of God but they do have their agency. It is dificult. I pray that the lesson tonight will go well and that his heart will be softened and will feel the spirit.

Thursday was a wonderful day!! Elder Aoyagi of the seventy and second counselor to the area presidency and his wife came and trained us so we had a 3 zone conference. It was wonderful! Everything that they talked about, including President and Sister Budges was exactly what I needed to hear. It was what I wanted to know so that I could become a better missionary. President Budge talked about faith, desire and belief. And how when we have all three and we do all that we can we will see miracles happen. And how desire comes through the wonderful gift of repentance. So we must repent everyday. Sister Budge talked about Patriarchal blessings and the importance of studying them. of pondering them. She talked about how every missionary should have theirs memorized by the end of their mission. That isn't a problem for me because I have read mine so many times since I got I basically do already have it memorized. Sister Aoyagi talked about how to study for our investigators and stressed the importance of practicing, doing role plays. Finally Elder Aoyagi told us of his conversion story and talked to us about relying on God more. We need to come to realize that He is walking besides us and will help us if we do all we can. If we have desire and faith. If we act on what the Lord tells us. He expressed the importance of repentance and the atonement. He asked us to really rely on the Lord, have faith and love the people and the prophecy about Japan will come true. This is the time of the great reaping. Ahh, such a good conference. The spirit was so strong and it was what my heart and spirit needed to hear. I am so grateful that I was able to hear from this great man. He and his wife were trully inspired with the things they needed to say. Isn't the spirit great!!?!

On the way back from the conference I was able to sit next to this older lady on the train and talk to her. It is really convenient being a foreigner because then when I start talking to people they ask me if I am a student here and I say no and explain why I am in Japan which is a great segway into the church. So that is what happened when I was talking to this lady. I told her that I have a mesage that brings so much happiness to me that I want to share. It is about Jesus Christ and how through him we can find peace and happiness in this life and have eternal families. She asked me some questions but it took me awhile to understand some of the things that she said. Unfortunately the train ride was short and we both had to get off to catch different trains but I was able to give my meshi card. As we said goodbye she took my hand and squeezed it and gave me a smile. So who knows maybe she will investigate the church or something. But it was still so much fun talking to her about the gospel, even if I did struggle with the language.

After the conference we went to Music night. Kaori, one of our investigators came again and she was able to practice for the concert that is coming up next Saturday. She is singing a really pretty song that I was actually pleasently surprised that I know. Kaori is soo sweet. I love her so much and I am so glad to have met her. She is really busy with work so usually doesn't have time to meet with us so we try to teach her lesson at music night. This last week was hard because she needed to practice but the week before I was able to talk to her. Her and I talked about the Book of Mormon and she said that she has been reading some of it. I encouraged her to keep reading it even though it may be hard. It is really worth it. I then bore my testimony about the Book of Mormon. I am praying that we will be able to meet with her more often and teach her the lessons because I just know she would accept it.

On Friday we went over to a potential investigators house to help her write letters in English to people in Australia. Her son(15) recently got back from a home stay there and she wanted to write letters saying thank you and please come and visit at anytime. Sister Lundy wrote from her perspective, her name is Ikeida, and I wrote from her son's. She is the funniest person ever and I fell in love with her from the moment we walked in the door. We were able to meet her son as well and he is very nice and we had so much fun with the both of them. When we called her again a couple days ago she said that she wanted us to come over again and help teach them english and her son wanted to be friends. That made us happy because then when we start going over there we can start teaching them. I am really excited about that!! :) They are such a wonderful family.

Saturday we went over to a members house to do some service for her. We weeded her garden and we actually used a sickle to do it too. It made weeding easier because there were A LOT of weeds. It has been so long since I have weeded. It took me back to those summer days when Mom would have to drag me outside to do it. haha We had fun though and we were also able to meet the rest of her family who are not members of the church so it was good brt (build a relationship of trust).

I can't tell you how much I love the members in the Oyama ward. They are so sweet and I am becoming such good friends with them. There are a few who I am becoming really close to and will be sad when I leave when I won't be able to see them anymore. But I will make sure to give them my meshi card and write down their address so I can write to them. :) The same with some of our investigators.

Guess what!? I am speaking Japanese. I was reading in my journal yesterday about how during my second or so week I had a breakdown because I couldn't talk to people on the phone and understand them. Well now I am always talking to people on the phone and e-mailing them in Japanese. I still can't understand everything that is being said but I am slowly learning. YAY!!!!!! That makes me happy! And I am praying that my next companion will be Japanese that way I can learn even quicker. But it is amazing to stop and realize that I am really starting to speak this language. I can! WAHOO. hahaha

Well that is all for this week. I love you so much guys. You have no idea how much I miss you and love you. I am so happy that everyone is doing well. I pray for you everyday and I am so grateful to have a family like you. :)

Love you,

Kenzie

POP goes the....

Hello Family,

 

Sorry that this letter is a day late. We were really busy yesterday and so made today our P-dad which is a very sacred day. I hope this doesn't make me sound selfish but I need pday. It helps me stay focused and have energy for the rest of day. It is a good day. :)

 

So first off.....GO UTES!!!!!!!!!!! That makes me happy to hear that they won and conquered the cougars. Especially since we won't be playing them for a few years. Back to back years that is what I am talking about. I can't believe that BYU had three chances to tie the game and failed everytime. That makes it even a little bit better. haha

 

Ok so on for this week. Last Tuesday we had a mini zone conference here in Oyama. What that means is that my whole zone gets together and President Budge and the Assistants come and talk to us and we do interviews with President Budge. It lasts for the majority of the day. This particular conference will not be forgotten because of a certain accurance. So after President Budge spoke to us for a bit it was the assistants turn to talk to us and they started it off by wanting to do an object lesson. They asked for two Elders. One elder was from my District - Elder Ige - the other was Elder Ribeiro (Gabe, you remember him right). They asked them to arm wrestle and they only had one rule. That they had to win three times in 30 seconds. The assistants said go and they started the match. They were both equally strong, the arms were still in the middle and their whole bodies were shaking. We didn't know who would come out the victory when all of the sudden in the quiet everyone hears this very loud POP! The wrestlying match stops and Gabes face turns into a look of shock as he looks down at his elbow and says, "I think you broke my arm." At this point everyone has gasped and all of the sisters have their hands over their mouths in disbelief and some of the missionaries even looked close to passing out. Immediatly someone got an ice pack and had him sit down and Elder Corpus (my previous DL who is a trained EMT and former marine sniper) got up to take a look. They got the car and took Elder Ribeiro to the nearest Hospital in Oyama and then returned and retrieved his things because they were taking him to Tokyo. We didn't find out how he was doing until the end of the Conference when President Budge got a call from Sister Budge updating him on the situation. His bone was broken and it was done by his own muscles. They were debating on whether doing surgery or a cast. And last I heard he was still in the hospital and didn't want to do surgery because it was risky and obvously a bit more expensive. I will update you when I find out more. So that is why this conference will not be forgotten and has probably been told through out the mission. Lesson learned - no arm wrestlying matches.

 

Thursday I was actually in a car for the whole afternoon and mid evening. A member, Ishizawa shimai, took us all around Oyama to ward members homes so we knew where they were and could put it in our phone. It will be very helpful now. We also were introduced to her friend who isn't a member but is the sweetest lady ever and told us to please come to her house again. So sweet!! After we went everywhere that we needed to go and before we went to music night (that happens every Thursday) Ishizawa shimai took us out to dinner to a chinese resturant. And I need to tell you right now Chinese food in Japan is AMAZING!!! So declicious. I got shrimp that had a hot/spicy red sauce over it that was oh so good. And this particular resturant gives you A LOT of food and it is cheap as well. We put the resturants location in our phone as well. We really want to go back to that place. And I would also like to mention that if we had a car we could be doing so much more work. Oyama is a big area and it takes awhile to go to places on the bike. That day we went to two cities, Mamada and Kogane. Both of those cities are about an hour away by bike. Don't get me wrong I love riding my bike but it would be convenient for a place like Oyama that is inaka (countryside) to have a car.

 

Friday night we went to Koga to meet the Elders there and to see Kana again and this time she brought a friend with her. We all had so much fun. We went out to dinner to have Yakiniku. It is this type of resturant where they have a grill in the middle of the table and you fry up your own meat. It is quit tasty. I have had something similar to it before but it is a pot and that is called shabushabu. Both types are very good and I very much think America needs something like this. Though this night I did have something interesting to eat that was accidently ordered. Pig intestines. I wouldn't recommend it. It isn't that tasty but the rest of the stuff was very good. Kana is seriusly amazing. She is so nice and so ready to hear the gospel. Both her and her friend. She really wants to come to church with us and we are happy for her to come but we also want her to try to go to the one in Koga. Sister Lundy was able to teach both of them about Prayer during dinner and show them how to pray. When Kana was taking us back to the train station she said that she was very happy to learn about how to pray and that she would do it. WAHOO!!! I love her so much!! I think she added me on facebook so you may want to watch out for her Mom as well as anyone else who may add me. :) I also loved spending time with the Elders. Elder Corpus and Elder Ige are really funny together and Elder Corpus has always been an interesting missionary. This is his last transfer. We all wonder what we will do without him. haha

 

I am doing fine. My Japanese is very slowly slowly coming but it is coming. It has been hard lately, my own little mind battles. Sometimes it has been hard being with my companion and so there have been times that I have felt alone with no one to talk to, no one to help me. Last night was really hard for example because I didn't feel any support from my companion and felt very judged and alone. I cried so hard to Lord for help. And I did so again this morning. With everything going on around me, with all the pressures last night and this morning I seriuosly questioned if I could do this. And the answer in my head was no, I can't do this. I can't be a great missionary. So I poured out every bit of my heart to my Father, pleading for help. Pleading to feel peace and love. To know what to do. And during Personl study today I recieved some answers that have helped me. One was first talk to Sister Lundy. I was able to talk to my companion and let out all the tears and frustrations I was feeling and after I did that I felt so much peace. She was able to understand how I was feeling and apologized. I felt the wieght lifted off of me and I could breath again. I have no doubt that it will still be hard sometimes these last few weeks to be her companion but I am not dredding it. And I am not saying that I wish I wasn't her companion. I have learned a lot from her and we do have fun together but it has been hard. But it is through the hard times that you learn and grow.

 

 I have also realzied that I need to do better at being exactly obedient. There have been times that I haven't that I regret and shake my head at myself but I have made the turn around and I am determined to be obedient to everything. Not that I have gotten over this bump and have new goals and new ways I want to do things I will be able to quikly progress and move forward. Becoming a better missionary and teacher for the people that I meet everyday. I want to help my brothers and sisters so bad. This gospel is trully the only source of real happiness and peace and I am constantly reminded that everyday as I feel Heaven near, helping me. :)

 

I am doing better now so you don't need to worry about me. Thank you for your love and support. Sometimes it is what helps me push through knowing that everyone believes in me, even when at times I don't believe in myself. So thank you!!! I love you with all my heart and I am so happy that everyone is doing so well.

 

Love you,

Kenzie

"He Watches Over Everything We See.."

Hello dear, wonderful sweet family of mine!!

 

I am glad to hear that everyone liked the gifts that I sent them and that they arrived there safe and sound. I was really worried about them, especially since it contained my memory card and flashdrive. Hopefully you'll enjoy the pics and videos. There were a lot. I look forward to the time that I can sit down with everyone and expalin about each picture. :) Mom I still haven't recieved the package that you sent me. I am hoping that it will get here soon and that it didn't get lost or anything. Justin, thank you for the video of Charlie. That was such a fun video to watch and made me even more excited to meet him. It made me smile so big Jen when you told me that Jackson will just start talking about me and my mission. That is so adorable and I am so happy that he isn't forgeting about me. Mom, Dad, your trip sounds amazing. It will be fun to go back there as a family. That last trip was one of the best. I am glad you are having fun at college Megs. It is just so wierd to try to picture you there, on your own, being an adult. When did that happen?? haha And way to call it Mom and Dad about Corey being the next Bishop. The bishopric sounds like they will be awesome and really help the ward become a home. That is great.

 

So my first news for today. I BOUGHT A NEW BIKE!!!! Yay!!! My old bike, the one that I got from another sister, quite francly, sucked. I am surprised that I made it through a transfer on that thing. It was killing my legs and knees. It was bad. But today we went with Sister Adachi to the bike store and got myself a new bike. Oh and it is heaven. It is nice and light and the seat is super comfortable. I don't feel like I am pulling a train just to go. I am really excited and now dendo (mission work) is going to be a lot more fun because I won't be dieing. Yogatta (I am happy).

 

Ok, now on to this last week. So Monday (just to warn you I am slipping into elder calhoon when I tell about Monday ;) ) we did some area book dendo. We called and we calle dpeople. Some of them were from as far back as 2004. So we call and we call and guess what? nothing. I think only one person answered. So we call some more. One person picked up, but it was the wrong number so nothing. The last person we called was aman form the Phillippines who has wife and 2 children and spoke english. Sister Lundy spoke with him and shared with him how we have a message about families. He didn't seem to understand so she invited him to church. and guess what? He said he would come and bring his two children with him. Yay, we obtained 3 new investigators. We were so happy and excited to be teaching to a family. But wait, what is this? They acutally do not come on Sunday. They call us from the train station and tell us they will walk to the church and meet us there. But when sacrament was about to start they were still not there. We called to check where they were. And can you guess where they were at?? At a catholic church. He thought we were from the catholic church and that is where he went. Turns out he is catholic. So they did not become our investigators after all. But we will not give up that easily and will call him again this week and ask if we can share about our church. (ok, end of callhoon speak haha)

 

Tuesday was probably the hardest day yet on my mission. We had a mogi lesson (practice lesson) with a member and we did plan of salvation. I have yet taught about agency and the fall of adam and eve in japanese so I gave myself that challenge. But the time was very short to prepare and so during the lesson I couldn't say anything and was getting confused and just saying things over and over again. I was sinking lower and lower through the lesson. I wanted the day over and done with. But after the lesson the member gave us feedback and told us what we can do better as teachers. It was good advice but he only focused on the things that we did wrong so it brought me even more down. So by the time we got home that night I was spent. Emotionally, spiritually and physically. I did the only thing I knew I could do. I knelt down by my desk and poured out my heart and soul to Heaven. I have never cried so hard while being on my mission. I needed help, I wanted to become the best tool ever in the hands of the savior. I wanted to really help people. I felt like a failure. I even started wondering why I was sent to Japan. Why not some english speaking mission. I was that down. But the next day the Lord slowly started blessing me. He showed me things on what I can improve on in my studying, he gave me peace and comfort and always reminds me that I have only been here for 7 weeks. It is ok. So I have been feeling A LOT better. Sure Japanese is still really hard but I am getting there. I am starting to have more patience for myself and doing better at studying. He is watching over me!! :)

 

One of the blessings He has provided me this week to help make me feel better and know that I can do this was giving us a wonderful investigator like Priti. Friday night we stopped by his apartment to give him a Bible. and we ended up doing a mini lesson in the parking lot. So far it is one of my favorite moments. Here we were on a cool summer night, sitting in the parking lot and I became a tool, a vessel for the spirit. Priti said that he really wants to know all the important things that Christ did for mankind. The most important things and he was saying that it doesn't talk about it so far in the Book of Mormon. I opened my mouth and told him that yes it does. It talks about the most important thing that Christ has ever done, the Atonement. From there the spirit took over. I gave no thought to the words that I would say or how I should say them. I just looked at him in the eye and spoke about the atonement and what it means to each individual and bore testimony of it. The spirit was powerful. O so very powerful. I could see it working inside of Priti. I was so grateful to have become a tool in the Lord's hand. And He granted me that blessing the next day as well when we had a real lesson with Priti. The spirit led the discussion and made things clear to Priti, such as faith and prayer. And Priti told us that he wants to be a member of baptism!! That made us so excited!!! That was the committment we wanted to leave with him. We tried to pick a date but because of his work schedule the next sunday that he is free is October 7 and before someone can get baptized they need to come to church twice. We will think about it some more and there are still a lot of things he needs to know and have. Like a testimony of Joseph Smith. But it has been so amazing to see him changing. This is what mission work is about and I am so happy to see it. We hope to see him baptized on October 7. We will even talk to President Budge and explain to him about his work problem. But no matter what happens, He is watching over everything.

 

That is all I have I have time for today. Sorry the e-mail isn't longer. But know that I love you with all my heart and miss and pray for you everday.

Thanks for being the best family this world has ever known!!! :D

 

Love,

Kenzie

 

p.s. On thursday night for music night that happens every thursday we did Karaoke. That was really really fun!! :)

O There You Are Peter!

Hello Family,

 

HAPPY 30TH ANNIVERSARY MOM AND DAD!!! I hope you have a wonderful time in San Diego as you celebrate your 30 years together. You are the best parents ever and I am so glad that you are mine!! :) I am happy for Brittany and tell her congrats for me!! Her wedding sounded like it was really fun and I am sure that she looked beautiful! Charlie sounds like the sweetest and best dog ever. Always playing wiht him and taking him on play dates with other dogs. Wow!! We weren't able to do that with our other dogs. He just sounds soooo cute!!! I want to play with him and cuddle him. I miss having a dog around. Cuddle and play with him for me please!! I can't wait to meet him.  How is Jackson liking pre-school? Does he like it or does he hate going? How are you likning him going to school Jen? Does your days not seem as hectic?haha :) I miss my two little boys. 

Everytime I picture Sean I see him as he was when I left. It is so wierd to see the pictures and see him so big. Make sure he knows me!!

 

So today marks the first day of my second transfer. I made it through my first!! halleluijah. And I will be honest and say that I will remember my first transfer as the transfer through hell. I had a good time I love being here it was just very very hard. Losing yourself can be like that. And then there of course was the language ability and getting used to a new companion, a new lifestyle. But I was finally able to find me. "O there you are Peter!" And ever since then I have found so much more joy and excitement for the work. Don't get me wrong it can still be hard but is easy now too. If that makes any sense. And like I said last week I was able to get through and become this way through the atonement. I have learned a lot and I think I have grown a lot as well. So even though it was hard and I seriously questioned sometimes how I was going to make it through, I am very grateful for it. I learned to lean even more on my Savior and become close to Him and use the atonement. I now know to be the person who the Lord called before I started my mission. It is that person He needs and He is shapig and refining her to be the best tool He can use. That is the greatest blessing I can recieve. Just like how it says in Alma 26:3. I am so happy to be here in Japan and to be going through these frustrations and hardships. Through them I am learning and growing and it makes me excited to see who you will meet when I come home. :)

 

This last week we went to the Temple and I loved it. I have really missed going and the Celestrial Room in the Tokyo Temple was very very pretty. I feel so at home in the Temple and I feel so much peace there. It is a place where I can leave my troubles and concerns at the door. Everyone should go to the Temple as often as they can. It is so important!! It is missionary work for the dead. And it is place where we can visit the Lord because it is His house. Who wouldn't want to visit the Lord? And living in Salt Lake I don't think people fully realize the blessing they have of having so many temples around them that they can go to. So go!! If you don't you are missing out on wonderful blessings from Heaven. Make time to go. The Lord blesses those who make time. That is my advice for the week. :) Go to the Temple!!

 

After we went to the Temple we had companion exchanges. Sister Lundy went to Machida where she was companions with Sister Wylie for a day and Sister Takei came with me to Oyama. I had so much fun. I really loved the exchange. And now after being with Sister Takei, who is Japanese, I really hope and pray that my next companion is Japanese. It is so much easier to talk to them in Japanese and is easier to learn from them. I also like ti because when you visit japanese people you cna have a real conversation with people and really get to know them. We went over to a less active families house for dinner that night and just shared a short message. It was a blast!! I think I will like exchanges during my mission. :)

When we switched back the next day I put Sister Lundy and myself on the wrong train and we went to who knows where and it took several trains to get back to Oyama. I felt so bad because we were late for Eikaiwa and spent more money on train fare. I need to work on my train map reading skills apparently.

 

On Saturday we saw Narumi again. She invisted us over to her house and her mom made us Lunch and Narumi taught us Calligraphy. Her mom is so sweet and she was really excited to meet us. Took a picture with us and everything. :) That is gaijin (foreigner) power for you. Calligraphy was so much fun. The first time I did it was bad but I was able to slowly improve. The picture of me and Narumi is a calligraphy she did that means eien tomodachi (eternal friends). Then the picture with just the paper is Dolan in Kanji. Our name means Bold, Majectic flower. (ran is a type of flower here in Japan). After we did calligraphy we were able to teach her a little more about the church. I really enjoyed it because it was done in a natural setting and the spirit was felt strongly. We talked about many different things - the BoM, Joseph Smith, Jesus Christ - and so on. I love Narumi and am so happy I met her. I really want to see her progress and I really hope she does what we asked and reads the Book of Mormon. She is going to switzerland on Thursday and will be gone for 3 weeks so it will be awhile till we see her again but when she gets back we are going hiking. :)

 

Yesterday there a baptism for the Elders investigator. It was a beautiful service and both Narumi and Prit came. I was so happy that they did, especially Priti. Last week he e-mailed us saying that he has been thinking a lot about baptism but still has some curiousity about some things and wants to look both ways before he enters. I really hope that seeing the baptism has helped him and will help him have that desire.

 

We also got 2 new investigators this week which made us excited. We are becoming really really busy with so many people to think about and try to set up times with. It is insane but the Lord is really blessing us and we are really optimistic about seeing hour investigators enter into the waters of baptism. They are ready, we just need to help them see that.

 

There is a couple in the ward, Adachi, who are the coolest people ever and are such amazing missionaries. We had a lesson with Sister Adachi as our joint this week and she was awesome. There are a lot of words that we use in the church that the Japanese people have never heard before and so she was able to explain very clearly. I feel so blessed to know her and her husband. They are so kind and they visit Utah a lot apparently. They are like my parents here in Oyama. They always make me feel so loved and welcoming and they are amazing examples of how to be a member missionary. And Sister Adachi makes amazing Lasanga. ;)

 

That is all for this week. I love everyone so much and I miss you. Thank you for your love and your support and I shall talk to you next week!!

 

Love,

Kenzie

 

A Week of Learning

A Week of Learning

Hey Family,

Another week has passed by and this is actually the 6th week of my first transfer. Next will be the beginning of my 2nd transfer. Can you believe that I have been in Japan for 6 weeks already. For me it has gone by slow and also very fast. I don't know if I told you this but missionaries in Tokyo judge how long they have been in the mission by what transfer they are on. So Elders have a total of 17 transfers with the option of extending and foreign sister missionaries have 11 transfers. The japanese sister missionaries have 12 with an option of doing 13. So only missionaries like me don't have the option of extending. It is kind of sad.

Last week I really learned the power of the atonement. From the time that I first came to Japan till the middle of last week I wasn't myself. I felt this huge weight on my chest and shoulders. I wasn't being as outgoing as I usually am or even feeling that much love for others. I was wrapped in my own thoughts of how hard it was, the frustrations of learning the language and trying to talk to my companion. And thinking/feeling that way would just make me sink lower because I felt terrible for how I was feeling and felt like a horrible missionary. I have been praying with all my heart for help. I want to serve the Lord with all my heart and soul and dedicate everything I have to Him who has done so much for me. Last week my prayers were finally heard and that heavy burden I was feeling was lifted off of me and ever since I have felt light and been filled with joy and peace. I have been able to find myself again. I am excited and happy. I have felt an increase in love for EVERYONE. My companion, the investigators, the members, the Lord and even myself. The atonement is such a wonderful gift to us from the Savior and Heavenly Father. It can be used at anytime and for any reason. We can not go through this life without. We need it to find true joy and happiness. I am so grateful for my Lord and Savior for taking this burden away from me and having understanding and giving me the experiences I have had to help me learn and grow. He is there!!! I know it with all my heart!! I feel Him wrapping His arms of love around me every day feeling me with peace and joy and also strength. That is the best thing I have learned during my first transfer and I am trully grafteful for it!!

So this week we had 2 lessons with Priti, the investigator from Banglidesh. The first lesson we had with him went alright. He asked many questions and we answered them but he wasn't really listening to us so it was a little bit difficult.But the next day when we had a lesson with him it was AMAZING. The spirit was so strong and we all felt it. I can see the spirit working inside of Priti as his faith is slowly growing. He still wants to know everything he can know about Jesus Christ but he can believe that he is Heavenly Fathers son and that He cares for him and he wants to be able to become friends with Jesus Christ because that it what I testified about. It was truly a wonderful lesson. And the joint we had with us is the third member of the church in Oyama. She gave a strong testimony about the time when she was baptized and how she first heard about the church. When she was baptized it was done in a bath tub. She is amazing. Her name is Inabashimai. :D Priti will becoming to church next week and also a baptsim that the Elders are having for their investigator. We are really grateful that he has time to come to this because it will be great for him to see. Next time we actually see him and teach him (because we are doing lessons over e-mail for this week because he is so busy) we are going to challenge him to baptism. We are praying that the spirit will be with him and he will accept. We firmly believe he will be ready by the date we picked out for him. Now he just needs to believe it.

On Friday was the new missionary training and I loved it. I love seeing my doki (the missionaries I travelled with). We had a lot of fun and it is always great to hear from President Budge and his words of wisdom. He gave me some great counsel during our interview. President and Sister Budge really are amazing people. One thing happened on Friday that made me really happy and filled with hope. On the train coming back to Oyama I talked to two teenage girls on the train and got to know them and was able to tell them about me and what I am here in Japan for. One of the girls asked about Jesus Christ and who He is and we had a wonderful conversation. I was only able to give them my number but they do live in our area and I am hopeful that they will call me sometime. What was great about that experience was that I talked to them in Japanese, by MYSELF. Sister Lundy was talking to someone else. It made me happy and made me realize that I can do this and learn the language. Just very slowly and that I need patience.

Saturday we went to Nikko with Narumi. Nikko is a very very famous place in Japan with many things to do there but we went and visted the shrines. That is what the pictures are from. Nikko is AMAZING. It is Japan to the T!! I know that Dad and Justin would love to visit there. The buildings were amazing and it was acutally pretty cool because it was raining a lot while we were there so it kind of added to the aura of the place. I wish I could write more about it but I am running out of time. I will try to write more about it next week if I remember. I am sorry. But know that it is way cool and we had an amazing time with Narumi. We are becoming really good friends and we are praying that from there we can become sisters in the gospel.

Well I have to go now. We are waking up early tomorrow to go to the Temple. I love you all and miss you like crazy!!

Love

Kenzie

p.s. I got a hair cut. Do you like it??

A Very Long Week

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