HAPPY BIRTHDAY BRIDGIE! (Sorry I missed it, but I bet you had fun! It's totally WEIRD that you're all grown up!)
Hi family!
Thank you for sending all the fun pictures! It looks like you guys are having a blast! I'm attaching a few photos of me and Facer Shimai from the last two weeks. (All the photos are hers; I haven't taken any yet---I'm such a bad tourist!) Featured here are our four futons in the apartment, us at Baskin Robins, and then us soaking wet after forgetting our jackets and getting caught in the rain across town!
Also, thank you to everyone who contributed to my birthday package this week! It was exciting to get so many messages from kids in the ward. I loved the shirt and sleep in it now. Thanks Mom C:
For my email home I decided to just copy and paste my president's letter. Every Sunday night we write to our mission president about the week, and this week I wrote about ten fun but little miracles we saw. Japan is totally amazing and I love it, you guys!
(I think I caught all the missionary lingo but I may have missed some! Just let me know.)
1. Two new nonmember moms came to our Kids Eikaiwa on Tuesday morning. We always teach how to pray and share a message from the 3 ways to a happier family book, and they both seemed to like it. I love sharing that book because the principles can help anyone have a happier family, and they are all based on Christ's teachings!
2. A production of the Messiah is happening here next month so we use it in our dendo as much as we can. Tuesday night, we housed an ancient obaachan who used to be a professional singer and even sang in the Messiah once. She wants to come and even bring her son! She was so nice and there's a good chance she'll be interested in taking missionary lessons.
3. On Wednesday we had a great lesson with an eternal investigator. We weren't sure how much she really believes in Christ, but we studied from the Book of Mormon and she made a comment like, "Jesus Christ must be so busy because He's everyone's best friend!"
4. We got to read from the Book of Mormon with an investigator who sings gospel music at another church. She can't really understand because the music is all in English, but she talks about how good she feels when she's singing about Jesus. She says she feels the same when she's with good Christians like us. I'm so grateful for the Spirit helping us testify and teach!
5. The longer I'm here the more current investigators I get to meet! They are all so sweet and really want to have good families and be good moms. On Thursday morning we had a lesson with one about how following Jesus' example helps us be good examples for our children.
6. Every week we mogi with two sisters who are preparing to be missionaries; we teach out of Preach My Gospel and practice applying principles from it. We're especially focusing on teaching skills, and this week was Listening! I love talking to Nihonjin saints because I learn something new every time.
7. The Shimai Taikai (Sister Conference) on Friday was so fun and helpful! The things we learned really helped my companion and I set goals to be more healthy, more positive, and more Christlike.
8. On Saturday we got to help with an Institute Dendo Blitz (big missionary activity) here in Kichijoji. I paired with an extremely shy 20-year-old shimai and we streeted. We had some training too, and I learned a lot about showing love to Nihonjin by praising them and showing sincere interest in what they like and do. My little companion left with such an admiration for missionary work and said she wants to love the people as much as we do.
9. We were invited to the Nakano Halloween party with our investigator and it turned into such a good BRT (building relationships of trust) experience. She loves and trusts us and so is becoming more and more receptive to the message we know can bless her life.
10. Tonight during some bike dendo we stopped a woman who spoke English with us and said she was Catholic. We talked about how God wants us to be happy and will do anything to help us; we offered to teach her how to understand more about how to strengthen her relationship with Heavenly Father so she can feel His love. Ultimately she refused an appointment and settled for a pamphlet, but it was really faith-building talking to her. The more I bear testimony of how happy and peaceful the gospel makes me, the more I really believe it, and the more I want to share it with everyone!
2. A production of the Messiah is happening here next month so we use it in our dendo as much as we can. Tuesday night, we housed an ancient obaachan who used to be a professional singer and even sang in the Messiah once. She wants to come and even bring her son! She was so nice and there's a good chance she'll be interested in taking missionary lessons.
3. On Wednesday we had a great lesson with an eternal investigator. We weren't sure how much she really believes in Christ, but we studied from the Book of Mormon and she made a comment like, "Jesus Christ must be so busy because He's everyone's best friend!"
4. We got to read from the Book of Mormon with an investigator who sings gospel music at another church. She can't really understand because the music is all in English, but she talks about how good she feels when she's singing about Jesus. She says she feels the same when she's with good Christians like us. I'm so grateful for the Spirit helping us testify and teach!
5. The longer I'm here the more current investigators I get to meet! They are all so sweet and really want to have good families and be good moms. On Thursday morning we had a lesson with one about how following Jesus' example helps us be good examples for our children.
6. Every week we mogi with two sisters who are preparing to be missionaries; we teach out of Preach My Gospel and practice applying principles from it. We're especially focusing on teaching skills, and this week was Listening! I love talking to Nihonjin saints because I learn something new every time.
7. The Shimai Taikai (Sister Conference) on Friday was so fun and helpful! The things we learned really helped my companion and I set goals to be more healthy, more positive, and more Christlike.
8. On Saturday we got to help with an Institute Dendo Blitz (big missionary activity) here in Kichijoji. I paired with an extremely shy 20-year-old shimai and we streeted. We had some training too, and I learned a lot about showing love to Nihonjin by praising them and showing sincere interest in what they like and do. My little companion left with such an admiration for missionary work and said she wants to love the people as much as we do.
9. We were invited to the Nakano Halloween party with our investigator and it turned into such a good BRT (building relationships of trust) experience. She loves and trusts us and so is becoming more and more receptive to the message we know can bless her life.
10. Tonight during some bike dendo we stopped a woman who spoke English with us and said she was Catholic. We talked about how God wants us to be happy and will do anything to help us; we offered to teach her how to understand more about how to strengthen her relationship with Heavenly Father so she can feel His love. Ultimately she refused an appointment and settled for a pamphlet, but it was really faith-building talking to her. The more I bear testimony of how happy and peaceful the gospel makes me, the more I really believe it, and the more I want to share it with everyone!
This transfer really has been a turning point in my mission. I'm having so much fun, I feel so much love, and I feel like I'm really helping. Thank you for all your support at home! I love you guys!
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