My dear wonderful family,
We had a great and busy week!
I'm a little short on time, so I'll be very quick this
week. :)
This week:
Monday, I did a 30 minute training by myself in District Meeting
on working with recent converts and less actives and Iwahashi shimai [Sister
Iwahashi] said to me afterward that she really wants to visit more less actives
now so I think it went okay! Elder Moo asked if he could have the pictures I
used too so maybe it went well.
Tuesday we visited 2 LAs [less-active members] who were both
sick so we went housing and then went to Eikaiwa chirashi kubari [English-class
flyer distribution]. Then we visited another LA for the first time. She lives
pretty far so it was dark by the time we got there but she was very nice and
talked to us for a little bit and said we can come back.
Wednesday we had a lesson with Sugiura shimai [Sister Sugiura]
(RC [recent convert]) about prophets and then we to Japanese sign language class
together. (First time for all of us!) So fun! Learned names and
self-introductions. Then we did Zone Training Meeting prep. Then visited
another less active but she wasn't home. Then we went to the church for our
lesson with RC Shion-chan (high school student) and she had invited Sae-chan
(her friend from high school, and our Eikaiwa [English class] student/PI
[potential investigator])!! We did a lesson about Eternal Marriage and FHE [family
home evening] and it was so fun! They loved it. It was right up
their alley. It was perfect for them. Then we had Eikaiwa.
Thursday we got up at 5 and left the apartment at 6:20 for our train to Aomori. Got to Aomori around
9 and walked a long way through the snow to get to the church. Piles at least
one-story tall--probably taller. And the locals said most of the snow had melted!
Then we had Zone Training Meeting at Aomori Church.
· Our Training: Obedience. Motivation: Love. 4
obedient people in the Book of Mormon (Abinadai [Abinadi], Lehi, Nephi,
Stripling Warriors). Their common characteristics. All had different levels of
numberical [numerical] results but that's not how their success is measured.
Video: Mormon Message-The Will of God (Hugh B. Brown and the currant bush). We
asked Elder Ito to share an experience and he talked about when he was a new
missionary they really struggled to see numerical success and that was really
hard for him but he learned to see success in different ways and that has
helped his whole mission and helped his numerical success to increase as well.
Successful missionaries are obedient and do their best. Commitment: Report to
the Lord your day's work and obedience in your evening prayer
· Zone Leader's Training: Conversion Triangle
and Gathering Israel. Planning/Goals/Using our experiences. Commitment: Set
goals first, plan with Recent Converts first, connect doctrine to daily life.
From the meeting, one impression I had was to ask myself: Am I, personally, receiving revelation through church, prayer,
Book of Mormon (not just my investigators)?
After that we had a feedback meeting with the Zone Leaders and
District Leaders. Lots of good ideas. I learned so much. One thing we learned:
We (us and the Zone Leaders) weren't sure if we should have the training in
both languages or just in Japanese so Iwahashi shimai and I decided to do all
our training in Japanese and just have a translator (into English) for the
missionaries who needed it. The Zone Leaders decided to do one person speaking
English and one speaking Japanese. After the meeting finished we felt like it
was better to do Zone Training Meeting all in Japanese or to reduce the amount
of material we train about (the ZLs [zone leaders] had to take out one of the
breaks because it was taking too long to say everything in both languages). I
also learned a lot from the discussion the Zone Leaders had about helping
people become progressing investigators and come to church. Lots of good ideas!
Discussions are a great way to learn I think. I learn so much by talking about
things.
Then we had lunch and study and then went to the Aomori Sister's
apartment and listened to their mogi [roleplay] and planned for our splits.
Friday Sister Hayashi (12th transfer) and I dendoed [did
missionary work] in Aomori and Iwahashi shimai and Hyodo shimai [Sister Hyodo] (new
missionary) dendoed in Hachinohe. We started with personal study and then met a
member and her friend at her friend's house for a mogi lesson. I had a neat
experience during personal study. I was really nervous about the split so I
just prayed and prayed and prayed about it--and during the whole split I just
felt so much love for Hayashi shimai [Sister Hayashi] and saw so many of her
good qualities and felt the Spirit and such a good relationship of her where
she trusted me with her thoughts and feelings. Really amazing. Anyway, we the
mogi appointment was challenging because they were both speaking the Aomori
dialect so it was incredibly hard for me to follow the line of the conversation
(it seemed so jumpy to me because I was only getting 4% of what was being
said). But we did manage to pray with them, explain God, and read from the Book
of Mormon together. The friend wasn't very interested but did open up more and
then we ate lunch together. Then Hayashi shimai and I went back to the
apartment and studied and then went and visited a RC and her investigator mom
and did a lesson on repentance in their genkan [entryway]. They are so
awesome!!!!! Manase-chan is so cute and strong in the gospel (ex: I learned
this thing the other day about repentance and I think I want to do this better
and I just realized I probably should've done family history before I go to the
temple to do baptisms tomorrow!) and has such a good relationship with her mom
and testified so much during our lesson to her mom. So cool! She is such a good
example to her mom. I learned so much about repentance from that lesson--from
what they said and from what Hayashi shimai taught. Repentance is so positive
and happy! Changing all our mistakes from weighing us down to being lifted up
by the help and merits of Christ in our full-partnership with him. I love it!
Then we came back and did our split review. Wonderful experience! I love
Hayashi shimai and Hyodo shimai!
Saturday we got ready and walked 30 minutes in the falling snow
to the eki [station] and took the train to Misawa to meet and trade back
companions. Almost didn't make it because the ticket I had was for a different
train than Hayashi shimai's and the ticket-man didn't want to let me go, but
then Hayashi shimai couldn't meet up with Iwahashi shimai and Hyodo shimai
because they already on the train! But we finally were able to persuade him and
by running we made it in time for them to catch their train back to Aomori!
Small miracles to help missionaries stay together!! Then we (Iwahashi shimai
and I) came back to Hachinohe and had a lesson with Kato shimai [Sister Kato] (RC)
about repentance, baptism, and proxy baptisms. Asked her if she wanted to have
a temple recommend interview and she said not yet--too soon (she's not
confident). Then we had Family English Program with the Ishita family about
Eternal families--so cute! Then Eikaiwa!
Sunday President and Sister Smith came to church in Hachinohe so
I translated for Sister Smith for sacrament meeting (translated President
Smith's talk for her--pretty fun!). Then Iwahashi shimai and I taught gospel
principles (about Pre-Earth Life) and an Eikaiwa student came!!! Then we went
to Young Womens with Sae-chan (she came to church!!) and so I translated again
for Sister Smith. Then we went to Shu wa [sign language] with her and Sae-chan
(again, I translated--way hard to learn new things and translate at the same
time!). Then we had our interviews after church.
We gave Sae-chan the parental permission from to take the
lessons. Please pray that we can get permission to teach her!!!!!
Good luck with your tests Candice!
How much water should someone drink every day?
It sounds like you are doing well! So glad to hear it!
There is no happier work than to be busy in doing the work of
the Lord!!
I love you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Love,
Your missionary,
Bellows shimai :)
[No pictures this week. Sorry!]
[No pictures this week. Sorry!]
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