My
dear wonderful family,
So I am transferring up to Hachinohe! It is snowing today just
to prepare me for it!
Sorry, that was probably anticlimactic for you. I really tried
to think of a more interesting way to say that but I couldn't think of
anything. :D One cool thing is I get to learn Japanese sign language!
We had a great week! We were able to meet with Sato-san and it
was an amazing lesson and she is progressing!
Tuesday we had the Christmas Zone Conference!! My notes on it are
currently in my suitcase which is hopefully on it's way to Hachinohe but we
four sisters sang O Come [O Come] Emmanuel as the special musical number, we
got presents, watched lots of Christmas videos and learned about Jesus Christ
and letting Him reclaim us. Made me so grateful for my Savior and want to talk
to more people about Him!
Wednesday we had chirashi kubari [flyer distribution], Japanese class,
District lunch at an awesome sushi restaurant (kurazushi), planned
and taught Eikaiwa [English class]. At Eikaiwa I got your packages!!! Thank you
so much!! The Taylors drove us home with them since they were so big. :)
Wong-san came to Eikaiwa and went to the Taylor's class (advanced) and we set
up an appointment to make lunch together with her and her husband!!
Thursday we did hand massage volunteer with Okumura shimai [Sister
Okumura]. Came back and set up the church for our Christmas Open House. Then we
stapled Ward Christmas Party flyers together with Sister Abe and then posted
them in the tsunami victim housing close to the church. Then we came home and
had companion study to prepare for our lesson with Sato-san but we were having
the hardest time trying to figure out what to teach her; we had all these ideas
of what we needed to teach her but couldn't figure out how to organize them
into a lesson plan, so we went into the lesson with only a commitment
invitation written down. But our District members were praying for us and the
Spirit was there and guided the entire lesson adn [and] everything we had
thought about needing to teach her came up!! The spirit!! We followed with Book
of Mormon reading and prayer (she said the opening prayer) and she said pryaing
[praying] isn't hard now and she feels like God exists. She called Him
"Heavenly Father" all the time now. And she read up through Chapter
11 in the Book of Mormon!! She is understanding--not so confused about it
anymore. We asked what parts she liked and she liked 1 Nephi 10:10-11 (about Christ's
baptism) and so I asked her who it was talking about there and she figured out
it was Christ and she asked why is Christ called the Lamb of God? We explained
that its because of the Atonement (something we'd felt when we were planning
that we needed to teach her about)--he offered himself as a sacrifice for us.
She understood super well and was able to explain it back in her own words.
Then we explained (L3 [lesson 3]) how because of the Atonement Christ can
cleanse us from sin as we live the Gospel of Jesus Christ so we can get back to
God--and that her commitments are helping her with the first 2 steps--faith
and repentance. By her reading and praying she is showing faith and
repenting. We recommitted her to Book of Mormon reading and family prayer and
committed her to daily personal prayer.
So grateful for the Spirit!!!!
Friday as we studied I was thinking about how wonderful teaching people
about the gospel is and how I want to teach more and I really felt "If you
want to teach more you need to talk to more people." At first I thought--I
already talk to a lot of people! But then I decided if that's what the Spirit
specifically said to me and I need to do it. Recommitting to talk to everyone
at all times as prompted by the Spirit. Then we had lunch with and shared a message
with Sister Hanzawa. Then we had a lesson with Sister Obuchi (less active
[member]). We talked about "Filling the Earth with Christ's Love". She said:
Oh, the world really does need the gospel. I know it. Then she explained an
article she and her husband read in the newspaper about a boy who died in Japan
and she started crying as she talked about the article (opened up
like I've never seen her open up before) and she was just so sad and I wanted to help her so much and I wanted to
comfort her so much, it was so strong. I felt like I should share a scripture
with her about God always being with us and first I shared D&C 84:88 and
then I remembered Carr shimai [Sister Carr] and [I had] found a scripture about
that earlier so I had her share it Isaiah 41:10 and they seemed to comfort
Obuchi shimai [Sister Obuchi] and she said she would share the Isaiah scripture
with her friend and invite her friend to the ward Christmas party.
Saturday we studied and made pie for Wong-san and her husband
(Chen-san) and then went up to her apartment and made and ate lunch
together. It was so good! We asked them if we could pray before we ate and they
said yes and then during the meal we were able to talk a lot about the church.
Not an offic[i]al lesson but I think we--and the Spirit--were able to do enough
groundwork that they may be open to lessons soon. They are an incredible
family. I pray for them so much!!
Then we came back and got transfer calls and then got everything
ready for the Christmas Open House. It was kind of a musical fireside kind of a
program with LOTS of musical numbers and scriptures and Bible videos about the
first Christmas including He is the Gift. We sister missionaries sang The First
Noel, O Come [O Come] Emmanuel and Silent Night by ourselves and sang 3 other
Christmas songs with a YSA choir. Many ward members and Eikaiwa students came
and the other sisters' investigator Endo-san came. Some of Eikaiwa students
expressed how touched they were--good potential!! We had lots of heavenly help.
Sunday we had a member of the 70--Elder Otohara--there so he and
President Sugawara (stake president) spoke. President Sugawara said he printed
50 pamphlets with the words to the church videos "Because of Him" and
"He is the Gift" and is giving them out to all his neighbors for
Christmas--I love that idea!! I want to get one of those pamphlets. The ward
announced our transfers in sacrament meeting and allowed us 4 sisters to sing O
Come [O Come] Emmanuel--it was so nice to sing as kind of a bye-bye to
everyone. Elder Otohara heard Sister Morgan was going home and said to her
"The Lord recieves your work and will bless you for it for the rest of
your life." Then he talked about the Loving kindness of God. Amazing and
inspiring. During Relief Society they teacher had the missionaries lead 4
discussion groups about how to explain what Christmas is to those who don't
know--I love the dendo [missionary work] fire in Nagamachi!!
Then we had dinner with the Furusawa family.
I got up waaay early this morning and just barely finished
packing at 8 o'clock for the shippers to pick up my bags today. I will be sending
home a box of clothes and things that I can unpack when I get home and a
smaller box for you all for Christmas. It's not anything amazing but I put lots
of love and hugs and kisses in it for you! There is a lot to get done
today--warm clothes, a ukelele case, a lesson with Sato-san and many other
things so pray it all goes well and we can get all we need accomplished!
I got your boxes and sent them up to Hachinohe for me to open
them! I'm so excited!! Thanks for coming to Japan Dad! Is Dad still
not finding out what the gender of the baby is? I'm glad Kelsea is doing
well! Did Where is Jeremy? How is Maria doing?
I will find out more about skype when I get to Hachinohe. I
don't think I personally can do google hangout but if you can
use it while you're using skype--like I think you did when I skyped you in
Izumi--then they should be at least able to hear and see me even if I can't see
them. Wow does Candice have her cello already?
Well my dear family, I [am] just so filled with gratitude today.
I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to serve here in Nagamachi. I love
the people, the members, the investigators, the missionaries, the people we
meet on the street. I love the area and the beauty and the hills and the
bridges. I love our Sister Carr and Sister Nishikawa and Sister Morgan and our
Bishop and Ward and Stake Leaders and the Obuchi family and the Sato family and
Sato Nobuko shimai [Sister Sato Nobuko] and the Furusawa family and the Wong
family and the Japanese class and the Eikaiwa students and the Taylors and the
Yamada family and the Shingaki family and I could go on and on and on. Watching
videos of the Savior this week and studying about Him has strengthened my faith
and my desire to ever be more like Him. I hope to be able to more fully follow
His example and be a true disciple. I love this work! Thank you for all your
support. You are a wonderful support. My favorite cheerleaders! Thank you for
your letters and emails and pictures. I love you so much!
I love you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Love,
Your missionary,
Bellows shimai :)
P.S. Mom, can you email me your Sams and
Walmart shopping lists? I want to compare them to my Japanese shopping list. :D
No comments:
Post a Comment