E-mail 3/30/2014

My dear wonderful wonderful family!!!

It is beautiful here! Sunny and windy and the cherry blossoms are budding, SO close to blooming! We are so excited. It is beautiful. It is wonderful. I love it here! I love Japan! The people and the country and the work are beautiful.

Tuesday, we took the subway down to Kamisugi again for Training with President and Sister Rasmussen (just the Izumi and Kamisugi Districts). It was so good! It was all about helping people feel the Holy Ghost in your first five minutes with them. My favorite part was when President Rasmussen said "When you've prayerfully planned your day and everything falls through, lift up your head and look for the miracle. God knows where the ready people are." Loved that! Loved seeing the Rasmussens, Orgill shimai [Sister Orgill], Smith shimai and all my Kamisugi people! Then we came back to Izumi and had a dinner appointment with the Sasaki couple--who are actually Hosoi shimai (from Kamisugi)'s parents so they loved hearing me tell them all about their grandchildren have been up to recently. From there we had DCS with Hinode kyodai [Brother Hinode] (Ward Mission Leader) and Chapman kyodai (ward missionary) and it was super fun because we all took turns translating for Chapman kyodai so I could understand everything! :D It was very comradic.

Wednesday we went to Seminary and then came back and I slept for a few hours to try and get over a bad cold (we were afraid people wouldn't talk to us because my voice sounded awful, haha) and then we visited Ami chan and had chirashi kubari [flyer distribution] and then taught Beginner's class at Eikaiwa [English class]. Oh, and Yamada choro [Elder Yamada] brought me a better bike!!!! Yatta!!

Thursday, we had Ladies' Eikaiwa in the morning and people came so we actually had a real class--my first time! Since it's not official Eikaiwa we share a spiritual message at the end--it was really interesting. Then we had Izumi Meeting (all business) and then went to drop a picture frame with D&C 18:10 Din it off at an LA's [less-active's] house and then starting housing a couple blocks away when--miracle--she called our cell phone and said "Are you still close? Can you come back and visit with me?" It was awesome! I'd never met her before and she was so warm and friendly to us and gave us cold juice to drink (since it was hot outside) and hugged us goodbye. She was super cute.

Friday, we ran in the morning at this park around a lake. Lost of mist, perfect weather, quiet, it was awesome! Then we started weekly. Then around 5pm we visited a PI [potential investigator] (mother of a family of 5) and--miracle--she let us teach a lesson and pray with her (twice) at her door. She was a little confused because she doesn't even know anything about God but she said we could come back. AMAZING.

Saturday, we had a 30-30 (English-Gospel) lesson with Ami-chan (LA)--miracle! We've been trying this whole transfer to start the 30-30 program with her and she loved it. It was amazing. Then we visited 2 LAs but they weren't home so we left notes for them and housed and then came back and finished weekly.

Sunday, we had church and one of the LAs we tried to visit Saturday came! (She said she felt so bad she wasn't come when we came that she had to come to church--and she stayed for all of sacrament meeting). In Gospel Principles we talked about how in Moses 4:4-9 after Adam and Eve left the Garden, God gave them commandments and then there were many days between that and their receiving the Holy Ghost (verse 6). So it sounds like they had a temporary time of separation from the Holy Ghost and probably felt alone. Maybe that's the same whenever we transgress. But a we change, as we repent, the Holy Ghost rushes back into our lives. He returns immediately when we choose the right.

This week a former investigator we'd visited the other week texted us and said he felt like he couldn't meet with the missionaries because he's made so many mistakes in his life. We told him, that's what the gospel is for! It is the Plan of Happiness for everyone because we all make mistakes and through the gospel all can be made right!

After church we visited former investigators and one of them said she loved the lessons she had with the missionaries and that we could come back any time.

In other words, it's been a wonderful week! So many miracles! The Lord's hand is in this work! He blesses his missionaries and he truly works miracles through small and simple things that we don't even realize are inspiration until the miracle happens. I know He lives! He is my joy and my song and I feel His love every day. How great is the calling of missionary work!

Baptisms--wonderful! Zach--nice pictures from Student Government! We're hoping to be able to see the Women's broadcast this week--and then General Conference the week after that. Have so much fun at General Conference this weekend! It sounds like we have a very full front flower bed. Zach o kiotsukete kudasai [Zach, please take care?]! Girl's camp! That will be so fun! Wow, new car. O-sha-re [fashionable?]! Tyler: What are your grad school plans? 

Congratulations Candice!!!! Oxford!! The weather has become beautiful this week! Monday, we got my tire fixed from the bike shop that is well acquainted with the missionaries so they gave us a discount. :) Sister's bikes don't transfer with them (unless you are six feet tall like Johnson shimai and need a bigger bike) but Elders' do. Oh basketball woes. Yay spring break is back! That's awesome news! I can't believe school is almost out for BYU. Good luck with finals! Hey, maybe that will mean we'll have more people coming into the Sendai Mission--tanoshii [fun]!

My dear family, I love you so much! It's wonderful to hear how you all are doing. Your emails fill me with love and I feel better able to dendo [proselyte] with all that love from you. Thank you thank you! You are doing so many wonderful things!!

I love love love you!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Love,

Your missionary,

Bellows shimai :)

[Katie didn't send any pictures this week. Sorry!]