Members are amazing!

Dear mama and papa,

I wasn't trying to write an epistle, I just wrote about what happened
during the week, and there was a lot, so it ended up being long...
They were probably just shocked due to the difference between wills
emails and my emails, though I would think they would have gotten use
to that by now... ;) and I will just keep writing what happens, and so
it will probably continue to be long.

It is weird to eat raw fish, but so far it has only been shrimp, I
haven't tried the raw fish on rice yet, though I have a feeling it
won't be long now... But we will see... The food in Japan is actually
really good, and I love it, the only problem is that when members feed
you, the serve you so much food! Course after course after course, and
then they send more food home with you! And they are always so nice,
and we constantly are saying the equivalent of its fine in Japanese,
because they always apologize that they can't give us more food, or
other things.... I'm probably going to get fat here, because they feed
me so much... But ah well, just have to bike a lot... Which we do,
because this area is big... And if we were to bike to the top of the
area, or the bottom, it would take about 5 hours either way, so we
have yet to go that far. One time a member apologized, because they
couldn't pay for our train ticket back from having dinner with them,
and I was relived, because it would be totally unnecessary after they
showed us so much kindness, and I wouldn't have let her, probably...
But it just proves how nice and kind and polite he Japanese are, they
don't want to make anything an inconvenience for their guests, and go
out of their way to inconvenience themselves in order to make it less
inconvenient for you... So different from America, but that's ok, I
knew it would be, and I like it for the most part, though I don't like
having all the roads backward, because you drive on the left, not the
right. Also the roads are very narrow, there is barely enough room on
most roads for two cars to go right next to each other, sometimes not
even that, and then you have bikes and pedestrians... So it is a
little freaky, but because everyone is so polite, it all works out.

The rain is fairly warm, though it is cold, it really just depends,
but I'm doing all right, i dry out fairly quickly so it all works out.
The bike riding is fine, and the funny thing is my trainer has to keep
up with me, instead of the other way around, which is the norm... So I
tend to lead, and just watch over my shoulder for her a lot, make sure
I'm not going to fast... The one thing is that my skirts like to get
caught it my tires by the brakes... I've figured out away to prevent
that, but it is definitely inconvenient, and so I was wondering if you
had any good skirt tucking techniques I could try, it's funny, because
I was worried about my skirts not being flown enough, but they may be
too flowy, though I think it is just the type of bike... My skirts got
a couple small holes once or twice when they got caught, but I was
able to fix them, and it is all in the back bottom, so that's all
good... Most of the time when I hadn't figured out a way to tuck them,
they didn't get holes, but they did a couple of times....

The ward really so just awesome. There are some that want to be with
us all the time helping with lessons, and other are figuring out
people for us to teach, so they do a lot of work for us... They all
just participate, and are really helpful. They are also very
protective of their sister missionaries... Which is kinda cool, they
don't want to lose us, since they have been wanting sister
missionaries for a long time. There is a man who lives in Kurashiki,
who has some mental issues, and just isn't really safe to be alone
around... He is a member, but got baptized in Okayama, because he
didn't really need baptism, but didn't like that answer when the
missionaries here told him that, so he went off and found other
missionaries... Anyway, last week at eikaiwa, he asked my companion
and I if he could take a picture with us.... We didn't feel good about
that, so we said no, and that caused a bunch of problems, since he got
upset over it, and was saying stuff that hinted to suicide, which
freaked the elders out a bit, because he was messaging them... Anyway,
the next night, we had ward correlation meeting, and we talked about
what had happened... The bishopric and everyone, were against letting
him take a picture to resolve the problems, and so was I, cause i
didn't feel right about it, (and the Okayama sisters have had trouble
with him in the past... ) and so then we came up with a solution, and
a reason to give him as to why we couldn't, so that was good, and we
haven't seen him yet since then, so it is all good, and I don't think
it will be a problem... The reason I share the story, is because it
just shows how awesome the members are, they want to help, and they
want sisters, and they are going to do whatever they can to help us,
and keep us safe... It is very comforting.

I'm glad to hear that things are going well for the family. Has
Danielle already moved up to Logan then? I bet she is excited to get
back to school! I hope things continue to go well for her and the rest
of the family. I had a touch of homesickness one morning his last
week, but I was able to pause and allow myself a couple of minutes,
and then get right back to work, which in that case was studying... I
just love you all a lot, I just am not going to let that distract me.

Anyway, I had a lot of good experiences this past week. We visited the
takata family on Wednesday, and shared a short message with them over
dinner, and got to know them. Which was awesome, and then the next
night, takata kyodai took us out for dinner at the best restaurant in
Kurashiki, which was super nice of him! I ordered a jumbo, I'll send a
picture, and of course it was too much, but I ate all of it! Never
getting a jumbo again though, my eyes are just too big for my stomach,
so I need to work in that... I love meeting with members, because it
is a great opportunity to practice my Japanese, and they are just so
helpful. The takatas go every second and fourth Thursday of the month
with the missionaries to visit less actives, which is just a great
thing! Takata Shimai is the relief society president here, and she is
really engaged in her calling, all the members are, it is kind of
fantastic.... Actually it is super fantastic.

Also Friday we met with another family, the yanais, and had dinner
with them. They are really wonderful, and we have a pretty solid
foundation for a relationship... They want us to come back and teach
their children that are less active, and awe have also been asked to
work with one of their daughters, who might serve a mission, but that
is kind of up in the air... She is the young women's president, though
really young, which is kind of crazy, she is only a couple years older
than me...

Sunday we met with another sister, Ono Shimai, whose daughter served
with one of my sensei, Crandall kyodai in Tokyo/Tokyo south, cause it
was during the time that the mission split... Her daughter was also
there, so we shared our prepared message about how the scriptures can
help us, and why we should read them. They then fed us dinner, and I
yet again had too much to eat, but I'm getting to used to that... You
can't leave a single grain of rice on your plate in Japan, it is
rude... You eat every single one, so I just eat it, and hope I don't
burst from all the food.

The busy days are the best!ci love coming home exhausted, but I have
to be careful.... Saturday I had pushed myself too hard, and so got a
bit heat exhausted, and had to take a break, but I'm good now, and I
will be more careful, and I'm drinking a lot more water, because i
don't want that to happen again... I don't like taking breaks... Cause
I want to be out working, but it is necessary sometimes, because it
is just so hot!

We finally met the bishop yesterday, he was out of town last week, I
think, and we also met the stake president. They are both so nice! One
is natively American, but has been living in Japan for many many
years... His Japanese is very good.... The bishop also has really good
English, better than my Japanese, but like all Japanese people, when
we compliment him on his English, he says he can't speak it, but they
really can... I try to speak Japanese as much as possible though,
because it is apparently unusual to have so many English speakers in
your area, and I dame here to speak Japanese, not English... It is
very helpful though for learning to be able to ask them how to say
something, and they can help me, since they speak both languages...
Occasionally my trainer can't, because she knows what the word means
from Japanese, but doesn't know in English... So she can't explain,
which is just funny, but ah well!

I think that's about all for this week love and miss you!
Love, Kathleen

P.s. Speaking of epistles, there was a talk given at some point in my
MTC stay about becoming a living epistle to the lord... It should be
in one of the notebooks I sent home, feel free to look up my notes on
it, cause it was so good, as were all he talks in the MTC. love you!

First week in nihon!!!

Dear mom and dad, and everyone,

I have loved this past week in Japan, though I will admit to it being
very crazy here. Tons of things have happened, so I don't even really
know where to begin. Had a fun adventure getting to the Osaka
airport... Because I lost my boarding pass from Tokyo to Osaka shortly
after getting it, and didn't realize it until I was at security, at
which point my companion had already gone through, which was a little
awkward... But oh well... So I go back to get a new one, wait in a
very long line, and then I get to practice my Japanese skills, and try
to explain to the lady that I needed a new one.... Luckily I happened
to learn how to say find in the mtc, so just made that negative, and
it all worked out. Turns out someone had turned my boarding pass in,
so that was a relief, but I had to rush to make it through security
and such on time to board my plane... But it all worked out. Never
losing nothing like that again! It is too stressful! But it all worked
out, and I am now safe in my area. I too wished that we could have
talked in Portland, and there was time... We had about an hour, but
they were already boarding, because they board for an hour for
international flights, and my 'companion' was against not boarding
immediately, so that was that. But it all worked out. I say
'companion' because you don't really have a companion while traveling,
you just have to be with someone at all times, and I was with ,y first
mtc companion, cause my second one went to Fukuoka earlier that
morning... Anyway, so that was traveling to Japan.

Family update response.... So, As you are reading the Book of Mormon
together, you should have a question in mind, something you want
answered and then mark everything that you read that applies to that,
or that stands out to you. It is great way to receive personal
revelation from the Book of Mormon. I learned that from Elder Bednar,
and it sire ally very awesome. I'm glad things went well with moving!
And I want pictures! I have my iPad, so if you would send me pictures
that would be awesome, cause then I can just have them right on my
iPad!, which is cool. I am a little jealous of all the fresh veggies,
but that is ok, they have plenty of those in Japan as well, just not
usually homegrown. It is sad to hear that lots of people are getting
sick/having health problems, but hopefully all will be well. I always
loved having family reunions, they are fabulous! I am glad you got to
talk with people!

Anyway, as for Japan... It is hot, very hot here. Everyone carries
around sweat towels, to wipe off the sweat... A little gross, but
necessary. Japan is awesome... And now for the news you have all been
waiting for. I am in the half town, half countryside (which is
awesome) area of Kurashiki! And my trainers name is Mills Shimai. She
is a gem, and so far we get along very well together. Funny thing, one
of the very first things she said to me was that she is weird... It
made me laugh a bit... Because I come from a family of weird.
President and Sister Welch are as fabulous as everyone told me, and
just so loving, and I love them too! I am excited to get to know them
better over the course of my mission. So Kurashiki is a new area for
sisters... So I am opening an area my first transfer. There are four
missionaries now who serve in this area, same ward boundaries (two
elders and two sisters) one of the elders is the district leader, and
the only one of the four of us who knows where he is going, so we are
often all together. The district leader is also training, so two of
the four of us are brand new, and just trying to figure out what is
going on. My trainer is really good at Japanese, and is very helpful,
so that is great! She has been here for a year. We apparently have the
nicest apartment in the mission, and it is actually pretty big, they
could easily house four sisters in the apartment.

There has been a lot of just getting to know members this week, and
such, because we are trying to buildup the area, and we haven't been
able to access our area book, cause it is on the iPad and the iPad is
having problems, so we can't receive the referrals from the elders...
It is hard, but it is so much fun! Went and bought a bike on Friday,
I got a fairly nice bike, but I got one of the cheaper ones. Which
wasn't really that cheap, but comparatively it was. They have bikes
going up to about 1,000 dollars here, and mine was only about 300. So
that's good. It makes it so much easier to get around when you have a
bike. The members here in Kurashiki are amazing! They are so helpful,
and just ready to serve, but just don't seem to know what they need to
do, some are planning on working with members a lot. We had dinner
with the oosugis Saturday night. They are members, but the
grandparents aren't. We only had time to give a short message, due to
time constraints, because they live quite far away from us, and they
were eager to show us the festival that was going on, but we did share
a short message about eternal families, and were able to set up a time
to return... Though it's not dry soon because they are busy, but we
will be prepared for a full lesson this upcoming time. It was a great
experience, just sharing that short message. We knew it was coming, so
we prepared, and my companion had me take the bulk of the message, it
was nerve wracking, but I did it, and everyone keeps telling me that I
a very skilled at Japanese... Which is very nice of them. Hopefully
are area book works soon, because once our area book is accessible, we
will have a couple of investigators from the elders, but we have to
wait for it to work.

I'm very happy to be out of the mtc. Nothing against the mtc, but I
had learned what I could there, and I really just needed to be thrown
out into the middle of the ocean... Literally, though luckily there is
an island on which I reside. I am grateful for the teachers and people
that I met there though, and the experiences that I had, they were
absolutely fantastic! And life changing as well... :)

Basically Japan is awesome, I just wish I could speak their language
better. Especially, because I have to learn the dialect, and the all
use casual Japanese, and I mainly learned formal, so some of the words
are a little different... I just look army trainer though,and she
starts explaining, which is great. The ward mission leader is
fabulous, and really into the work. Every time we have seen/met with
him, he has a family in the branch that he wants us to visit, which
should be helpful in building branch ties, and finding people, because
we need to find a lot of people.

It poured rain today. The rain here is torrential, and there was very
strong gusts of wind. My skirt got drenched, but my companion luckily
had two raincoats, so I wasn't completely drenched... But we are going
to go buy rain gear today, because that is absolutely necessary, and
very helpful to staying dry.

I'm pretty much rambling at this point, but basically I am doing well,
and love it here in Japan, the food is awesome... And I have already
eaten raw fish, and some octopus, and crab, and more some of which I
had no clue what I was eating, but it is all good, so,e stuff is
better than others, but I haven't gagged at eating anything yet. So
yay! But anyway, I love and miss you, and hope all is going well.
Please send pictures and ask questions... So that perhaps I an not
ramble about random things in my next email.

Love Sister Makin

I'm in Japan!!!

Mom and Dad I MADE IT! I have been given just a couple of minutes to let you know i am safe, and hot, but really loving it here. My mission president and his wife are really awesome people, and i love them already. I will get my trainer tomorrow and then the real fun begins. I am so very very excited to be here, and i am so grateful for all your love and support! I couldn't ask for better parents! Love and miss you!

--
Love, Sister Makin

I leave the MTC on Monday!

Dear family,

I hope you are happy... i can't guarantee that i will continue to address it... but i did this time! :) I definitely agree that they should record the music numbers, and make them available to the parents, because they are really just so powerful. I'm glad that you were able to have fun with your brothers and sisters, you always seemed to enjoy when you had the opportunity to do that. The weather has been so nice lately, there has been a lot of nice cool wind, except for today, and that rain on monday was fabulous. I'm glad that you took the opportunity to tease Brother WIlliams about the fast offerings... it is kind of surprising though that it happened at all. It is nice that Danielle is able to help Jennie and Cody out, though it would be nicer for all of them if that wasn't necessary. You will have to send me pictures of both of the new houses that my siblings are living in when you get a chance. I'm glad that you were able to see uncle edward, and that you had a good time visiting... do you know when Elder Brailsford will be in the MTC? or is he already in the field. It was so great to see you, though i am sorry that we have to keep saying goodbye.. i'm sure it is easier for me, because once you are gone, i have to get right back in the swing of things, and don't really have any time to think about it until nighttime... Though it was super helpful to be able to talk about things that are kind of needed by saturday, and figure all that out right there and then. Tuesday was fabulous. The choir sang be still my soul, and the thing i like most about that song is that when we sing it , we are really singing to ourselves, and telling ourselves to just calm down, because the lord is in control, and he is going to help us. Tuesday evening devotional was amazing!!! President Nelson came and spoke to us, and the entire talk was literally just mindblowing. One thing that i especially loved was when he said was "Though the work is hastening, and our tills have changed, Our Father in Heaven's goals have not changed, nor will they" I'm not sure if that is an exact quote, because i was writing quite quickly in my notes, but that was the thought. Which made me think.... I haven't been all that excited to be in an ipad mission, but they really are great tools for hastening the work, and i know that they will help me to fulfill my purpose. Another things i thought of, was that one of the tools our heavenly father has that is constantly changing are the people who are serving missions. Each missionary has something special to offer, something they bring to the table that no one else can. Each specific skill set is needed somewhere specifically, and that is where you are sent on your missions. If we were all the same, there wouldn't really be a need for callings to be inspired, because anywhere would do. But we are not all the same, we are each unique, and there is a reason we are sent where we are sent.. there are people who need us specifically to come and teach them and share our testimonies with them. I had already been thinking about this lately.. because this past week has been really stressful.. especially the day after p-day. Last saturday i got a blessing from the elders in my district, and in it i was told that there are people waiting for me specifically, for my testimony specifically to touch their hearts so that they can be brought unto Christ. I know that Japan is where i need to be, and I am so excited to get there, and give my lord my all, and do my best to serve his people, and have fun doing so. As hard as the work is, it isn't meant to be boring.. The gospel is good news, and something that really draws people to the church is how happy we are. I love this gospel, and i really love the people of Japan. I leave Monday!!! I arrive in tokyo about 4:00 p.m. (Japan Time) and leave about 6:00, and arrive in Osaka (which is the airport in my mission about 7:00. The last three times are all on tuesday, since i will soon be 15 hours ahead of you guys.. and also on basically the opposite side of the world. If there is one thing i have learned at the MTC, it is that you have to trust in the lord, and let his spirit guide you. Without those two keys, it is almost impossible to accomplish this work... It is his work, he knows the best way to go about it, and if we turn our will to his, and put forth all our effort, he will pour out the blessings of heaven upon us, and we will be able to see miracles. I may not be able to speak nihongo(japanese) very well, but my heavenly father is fluent in all languages, and the language i really need to be able to speak is the language of the spirit. It is simple, but powerful and beautiful... and when you know the language of the spirit, it doesn't matter that you aren't good at whatever language you are speaking, because he is. Lots of Love! Miss you and love you!

--
Love, Sister Makin

1000 Choir Members

After taking a closer look at the picture, i agree, but it is most definitely not what it looks like. For those of you who don't know what im talking about, im just going to laugh a little, and say that i get to have me and my mommy secrets. :) TRC is a weekly activity where we meet with a member and teach them a lesson. These past two weeks, i have been doing it over skype with real members in Japan. English speaking missionaries do TRC, but from what i understand, they don't know if it is a member or an investigator, and if it is a member, they pretend to be an investigator. Studying the scriptures in Japanese is hard, but it is also worth it. I also want to memorize some passages, but don't know if ill have time. It takes a lot of time just to figure out what words are in a scripture, so i might not have the opportunity to do so. I'm glad you were able to get to spend some time with Uncle Roy, i hope he is doing well. It is a little obvious that you are excited for him, and that you love him... You have told me what is going on the past three weeks, but it's ok, because i love to hear about it. Is Mary Lou still doing better? I really hope that things get better there, and that there are no further complications. How is the rest of the family doing? It is weird not to be there and hear all of the things that are happening right as they happen. I am so super excited to leave the MTC this next week.. We don't have our travel plans yet, but should be getting them soon... I can't believe i have already been out for almost two months! That is like a ninth of my mission, and yet some times it only feels like i have been out a week... maybe two. I really loved the poem you shared, and so did the sisters in my room, they thought it was great. I am not excited to leave the MTC though, simply because i have the best district, and the best teachers. My teachers are really good at helping me to build my confidence in my ability to speak japanese, and are simply just really awesome people who really care, and put a lot of energy and thought into teaching us. They tell us that all they ever talk about is our district, and that they will talk to each other about what they can do to better help us. Life with my new companion continues to be fabulous, though it is filled with mountains of sarcasm... makes life all the more entertaining, though sometimes i am confused as to whether or not she is being serious. Choir was amazing this week. The choir was about 1000 missionaries strong, and we sang a child's prayer, and some children solo's with us. It was beautiful. The spirit is so strong with little children, and their sweet little voices raised in song bring the spirit so powerfully, and then have 1000 missionaries match that tone, ah it was just so powerful, and i was so grateful to be a part of it. This week has had struggles, a couple of things the teachers did, in an effort to motivate us and show us what we could do, kinda resulted in the opposite for me, and instead reminded me that there are a lot of things i need to work on and improve on. One of which is learning how to use the resources that i was given here at the MTC. The resources are great, if you know how to use them, but when i was trying to use them the other day, I got more and more confused, and couldn't figure out what they were trying to teach me, which was very frustrating. I'm talking about the language resources of course, I know how to use my scriptures and preach my gospel.. :) Thankfully, I have become a lot better at relying on the Lord in such times of distress, and the best part is that i have truly seen miracles because of it in my day to day life. there have been lessons, when i felt i needed to say something, but couldn't think of the Japanese to say what i felt i needed to say. But everytime as i open my mouth, I have been able to communicate with them, in very broken japanese the things that they need to hear, and have felt great peace in doing so. The greatest blessing that i receive in my opinion is comfort, and also peace. This mission is not what i expected, and it is hard. I know that on my own, i wouldn't have even been able to make it this far... i might've struggled even more that i have. But i am not alone, no one is. I have been comforted and aided beyond my capacity, and through Christ, I am able to do my best to serve him. I can't do this alone, but i don't have to, because he will never leave me, he will never forsake me, he is always there to help me. And that is true for all of us. God is there, he will guide, he will comfort, he will protect, and he will never forsake us. All we have to do is look to him, ask him, and we will gladly aid us with our burdens and our trials, so that we will be able to bear all things that he has asked us to do. I love you, and i love the people in Japan, and i know that i have been called to the people and the place that my heavenly father has prepared for me, so that i can help his children, whom he loves so much come unto christ. I know this is the restored gospel of Jesus Christ, and i know it with every fiber of my being. And i so testify in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

I hope that all is well... Know that i love and miss you!

--

Love, Sister Makin