Salmon..... Oh no.... :)

Dear family, 

I also didn't think that the pictures looked very gory, but my companion did, and there were multiple times during the whole process that she couldn't watch... I guess she just doesn't handle stuff like that very well.... So since that has been what I was around, that was the opinion I made of the pictures. They just look funny to me mainly. It is kind of hard to believe I typed 4 pages... I knew my letter was long. But I didn't know how long. As for the manner of typing, my left hand just darts all over the keyboard... Since I use it so much, I am actually getting pretty used to it. The mobility of my fingers is mainly being able to bend them, so that they don't get weak, but the cast is fairly big, and in the way, so mostly I just use my left hand for everything. I am hoping to be at least slightly ambidextrous by the end of this... :) 

I love the people in Japan, they are just so amazing, and kind. Even if they aren't interested at all, they always see very polite as the say no, and it is almost crazy how considerate they are. They are really just polite, and that is how they make the narrow roads here work, because often there is only space for one car, and little areas for call to pull over so that others can pass them, and it just so work very well... The crazy thing is that though Japan really doesn't have enough space for the people who live here, they don't take up as much space. They are very good at conserving space, and so they don't need as much. My apartment is fairly good sized, probably one of the biggest in the mission, like a three bedroom, but most apartments are only half that size... Do I am kind of being pampered at the beginning of my mission, though I won't complain.

I am glad that things are going well, and that everyone is getting settled. I too have a hard time believing will returns in just a day, but I bet everyone is super excited, and you will definitely have a crazy house if everyone is going to be over... Have fun with that! ;) I am also happy to hear that they have mango milk! I love that stuff so much... Though real mangos are much better.... Fresh ones I mean, do I am enjoying that. 

This week was not as exciting as last week, but it was still great. Monday continued without any serious incident, which I was glad for. We want to have an activity for the ward members to invite their friends to, so that we can get some investigators, and activities are always good for that effort, plus we have some talented people in our ward, so we are working on planning something with the elders and with the ward, hopefully before transfers in a couple of weeks. Tuesday we went back to the hospital for some hand rehabilitation, cause I don't want to lose the muscles in my hand, so I basically have to be moving my fingers constantly... Not fun, cause occasionally it hurts, but it is all good.

Tuesday at eikaiwa we split into two classes, and mills Shimai and I taught the beginners class. We started out reviewing introductions. Which they seemed to enjoy. Found out that the reason one of the class members introduces himself as double 7, is because he is 77 years old! Though he definitely doesn't look anywhere near that old. We then asked them why they wanted too learn English, both to gage where we wanted to go from there, and so we would know for future lessons. They all responded with different reasons, but everyone of their reasons tied into traveling! So we spent the rest if class teaching directions and how to ask for directions... Though the funny thing was, they are all actually really good at English, so they basically ended up teaching us directions in Japanese, but we had fun, and it helped us to gage their level.

The interesting thing we did Wednesday was attend institute to build our relationship with some members, and also with a member who is planning on a mission, that the ward mission leader asked us to work with. The lesson was good, what I understood... But I felt like I had been transported back to my primary days, because we were coloring and cutting, and gluing... Well everyone else was, I have a hard time down such things with only one hand... But it was fun, and definitely an interesting experience. We also went to a class for language study, where they teach us one on one how to speak Japanese... Which is really cool, but for some reason, they taught me and my companion together... And it was good, but she is at a completely different level than me, do I just got lost sometimes, and then they would ask me a question, and it would take me a few minutes to answer, because I was trying to catch up in my brain. 

Thursday I had my first interview (besides the one when I arrived) with president welch! At first I just thought it was a nice conversation, we just talked about something's, including the Book of Mormon challenge we are doing as a mission (which is really great!). I really enjoyed the conversation, but at first it was just a nice conversation. As a had some time to think about it after though, I realized that the things we had talked about were the exact things I had needed to hear, and that he was really answering questions that I didn't even know I had! It was awesome! And I didn't even realize how awesome until after the fact!

The next experience I had that night shocked me... And I am sure, for those of you who know me, that it will shock you as well... We went to the bishops house for dinner that night, and shared a lesson with him and his wife. And guess what we had for dinner... Among other things we had salmon. SALMON! I was super nervous because I don't like salmon, but I was a brave girl, and ate some... First. IT WAS DELICIOUS! I love salmon, it was so good, and I was just super shocked! I want more salmon now, just thinking about it, crazy right? Anyway. So that was a fun experience. 

Friday we had ZTM. it was so good, and I was left with a lot of things ponder deeply about, despite the fact that we had to leave early to go to a doctor's appointment that I had for my hand... :( it was a very short visit with the doctor, though the waiting was literally around two and a half hours for the whole thing. When we saw him, he looked at the X-rays that they had just taken, said, it looks good, keep doing your rehabilitation, and keep those fingers mobile, and come back next week. Which took less than a minute, but we had to go to the rehabilitation center after as well... Fun! 

We then had a companionship exchange with the sister training leaders for our zone! They are literally amazing! I love them so much! I was with Robertson Shimai, and since we couldn't travel very far away, do to the fact that I can't ride a bike, we just went finding around our apartment, and it was great! I learned a lot about finding, and also just missionary work! Robertson Shimai was seriously inspired with some of the things she said. I love kokans! (That is exchange in Japanese, sorry,it is just weird to call it an exchange, because it is a kokan... And that's what i know it as. We also had fun, because all four of us were in kurashiki during the 24 hour kokan, so we had fun, and just laughed together. There is the awesome place in kurashiki, missionaries call it a samurai village, but it has tons of little shops, and restaurants, and one of our potential investigators has a restaurant there, do we went to investigate, but it is very big,Mel we couldn't find it, but we got to try finding there anyway.

Saturday after the kokan ended, we went to the ward mission leaders for dinner, and got to know him better. Because of timing, we had to awkwardly wait outside his home til his wife got home, but it was all good, and lots of fun! He is very excited to do missionary work, and to have sisters in kurashiki, and I just kept on getting more and more excited this week to find people.

Sunday we called some numbers that are former investigators. They are just in our phone, but we have no record of them... So it was kind of a shot in the dark, but we felt like we should. And we had success... Lots of the numbers were disconnected, but we have an appointment for Wednesday with one of the people we called, and two more who want to meet with the missionaries again, we just have to set up appointments with them! We were kind of in shock, but I am super excited for that lesson. The lady actually asked us to teach her more about the Book of Mormon when we come to visit, so I am just super excited and hopeful for her! Sacrament meeting was wonderful, I was very tired, but I just focused on he members testimonies, and tried to understand... I didn't fully understand, but I got stuff from their testimonies, so it was all good.

Besides that I just had another wonderful, and exciting week here in Japan. And happened to discover that I do like fish... Fresh fish, because that is so good, and doesn't have a super fishy taste. I am just super excited for this next week, because we have at least 6 lessons already planned with investigators and less actives, and we haven't even filled the whole week yet! 

Love and miss you! Have fun welcoming your son home tomorrow!

Love, Sister Makin