Monday, September 24, 2012
September 24, 2012
Hi family,
It sounds like you've had some exciting things going on this week! You guys sure are busy! Thanks for sending all the fun photos and forwarding Tanner's email. It makes me appreciate Tokyo a lot more when I compare my experience to cold showers and hot dogs every meal and living with 3 natives! I bet he's doing great though.
This week was hard for me, like usual, but thank you all for your encouragement! I really appreciate every bit of "Hang in there" and "Learn from this" because I need all the help I can get! One thing that's really helped is this week we got to hear from the Asia Area Seventy (first counselor I think?), his wife, and our mission presidency. The mission president's wife, Sister Budge, gave an AMAZING talk about studying our patriarchal blessings to gain counsel and insight. I wanted to share her study suggestions with you:
1. List specific gifts, talents, and tools, especially spiritual gifts. Which ones help you become a better missionary?
2. List counsel, warning, and anytime it says "Remember..."
3. List promised blessings.
4. Based on your blessing alone, who does the Lord tell you you are?
5. What is your role in your family?
6. What is your role in the Lord's kingdom?
7. What does your blessing teach you about your personal ministry?
8. What does the Lord tell you will help you reach your goals?
9. What doctrine are you taught?
10. What items are repeated?
11. Is there a theme?
12. What life events are foretold?
13. Are there patterns or formulas?
14. Can certain phrases be interpreted differently at different points in your life?
15. Pray to receive the Lord's interpretation of your blessing. It's okay to pester Him about yourself!
16. Pray to strive to fulfill the promises.
17. Memorize your blessing.
18. Treasure its words, ponder them, and live worthy of them.
Up until this week I'd read my blessing dozens of times but probably never actually STUDIED it. I learned so much! It really helped my blessing become personal scripture and trust more in the Lord's guidance, especially that first study suggestion. In my blessing, the Lord specifically lists my talents, and when I studied this week I noticed that every single talent listed can help me in my missionary work. It will help me with direction to focus on as I'm developing my skills here in Japan teaching these people, and of course all that I do will help me be a better person throughout my life. My blessing promises that too---that my mission will help me improve my character. So far I don't think it's worked much but maybe little by little I'll get Christlike by the end. You're right, Mum, I am struggling with my purpose here. Like, specifically, why Japan? Why Matsudo? I don't have the answer yet but I'm working diligently to find it. As we teach our investigators how to find answers to their own prayers, I learn a lot about how the Lord will answer mine, and it's the same way: scripture study, church attendance, and sincere prayer. Heavenly Father loves us and will answer.
I hope everyone has a great week! Stay out of trouble (ahem cough LACEY cough) and choose the right! Let's make it to the celestial kingdom together!
Lots of love,
Long Shimai
Sunday, September 23, 2012
September 20, 2012
Hellooooooooo family,
Konnichiwa! I was really excited to hear about the new flooring in the house! I bet it looks way awesome. You guys work so hard.
I have some more photos for you this week, especially of food (as expected).
1. We met an Eikaiwa student to give her a tour of the church, and at the end she unexpectedly gave us some treats! I thought they were hilarious---each one is shaped like a little old Asian face. They're cake-like on the outside and on the inside there's anko (a slightly sweet bean paste). Giving storebought desserts to friends is way more common here than it is in America. The Japanese have a long history with giving fancy gifts.
2. One of the members of Matsudo ward runs a business in her home teaching housewives how to bake bread! We visited her this week, had a practice lesson, she fed us, and left us with some amazing homemade bread. Even storebought bread in Japan is SO GOOD. How many times have I emailed home about the bread now? Eight or nine? I really can't even describe it. It rivals the bread we ate in France.
3. There's a less-active member of the ward whose husband owns and runs a bento shop next to their home. Bento shops are like fast-food restaurants here in Matsudo (and probably most of Japan). They have a variety of lunches to choose from and the workers assemble it quickly. Typical bentos have a ton of rice, meat or fish, and pickled stuff. Anyway, we've been trying to visit the less-active sister every week this transfer but she's hardly ever home, so we usually buy bentos from her husband while we're there. This particular bento has rice with umeboshi (a sour pickled plum to preserve the rice, plus it's traditional), mystery pickled things (tasted okay), hamburg (basically like meatloaf), french fries, and spaghetti underneath the hamburg if you can believe that.
4. After a particularly itchy day, I took a photo of my mosquito-bitten pale legs! Also make sure to enjoy the fabulous tan line I'm developing on my feet. At least there's always purple nail polish.
5. I continue to use my drawing to do missionary work, one of the few things I can actually do well in Japan. Since our ward is so big, I spend a ton of time making birthday cards and thank you cards for members. I feel like in Japan there's an obligation to make my drawings extra cute-sy.
6. and 7. The long-awaited JAPANESE TOILET PICTURE! (This one is for you, Julianne.) This particular toilet is in our church building, but most look like this. You can probably understand now my apprehension to press any of the buttons. Not only can I not read any of the kanji, there are graphic icons that show what might happen. One of these days.
8. Mano Shimai and I went to take more purikura with one of our investigators! Her name is Noriko-chan and we probably won't be able to teach her much because her mom belongs to a different church, but she's way cute and loves God.
I hope everyone is doing great at home working hard, studying the scriptures, and building love. Tanner goes to South America like tomorrow right? That's crazy! I bet he'll be great.
Love you all~
Long Shimai
Monday, September 17, 2012
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)