Sorry I missed posting this last week.
Lots of funny things happened this week, which leads to the title for
this weeks email, but I will get to that later, for now, just know
Japanese people are very kind.
Not very much happened Monday after emailing you... We just went a bit
crazy doing housing, and trying to do some phone dendo (missionary
work). Earlier we went to a part member families restaurant in the
'samurai village with the elders and a member, and enjoyed some good
American tasting food... It was good, but the wife, who is one of our
potential investigators was entirely engrossed in teaching her English
class, so we didn't get much opportunity to speak with her, but we did
get a chance to build up a relationship with the husband, and he Iater
mailed (texted) us to invite us back at a time when they didn't have
an English class so that we could talk more, which will be great, we
will be doing that this week.
Tuesday at our eikaiwa class we taught them how to order food at a
fast food restaurant, and some of the jokes they were making were just
hilarious, basically puns off of common phrases, using Japanese... But
since they were mixing English and Japanese I understood! They were
definitely speaking my language. We also taught them head, shoulders,
knees, and toes and played a game with that, taking words out, or
making it faster, which they really enjoyed. Can't take credit for the
idea though, got that one from brother norawong (kyodai, because it is
just too weird to use brother), when he taught us that in Japanese. It
was very fun, and got everyone engaged, which was just fabulous!
Wednesday we met with the woman we contacted last Sunday, and she is
so nice! She fed us some authentic Japanese food, and we discussed
Mosiah 16:9 with her, and invited her to read from the Book of Mormon
everyday. She told us that she would read when we came... So we are
going to have to work on building that desire of her own, but I think
we can... She knows what the spirit is, and knows when she feels it,
and she prays over her meals, and at some other times... And she loves
the Book of Mormon and the bible... We just have to be patient with
her. Also, she lives up a mountain... Literally... We could see a good
portion of kurashiki from that view, and kurashiki is big! Huge in
fact, and yet it is countryside... Some parts are, but the main city
is definitely not from my point of view.
Also Wednesday, we helped the elders by being 'members' at a lesson
it's one of their investigators who they are planning to turn over to
us, and then hurried off to meet with a less active hom we had an
appointment with in takahashi, which is about 30 mins away by train.
There are literally trains all over Japan, so it is a very convenient
way to get around... You just have to be read kanji... No biggie. So
Wednesday was very packed, and we ran around a lot, but it was really
just tons of fun.
Thursday was also busy. We visited a less active family in the
morning, and to get to there place we also had to go to the mountain,
and it was yet again about an hour walk, but it was so worth it, and
they were nice enough to give us s rude home afterwards, which took
way less time, and meant we had time to eat lunch... Which before
wasn't going to happen. We then had another lesson with the elders,
though they were on exchanges, so that was a little weird, but it
turned out well, despite a misread text by my fellow trainee in my
district (it was in Japanese). The lady had said next week on
Thursday, but she had time, so she let us in, and we shared the
message, mainly just backing up the elders. That night we went and
visited less actives with the relief society president and her
husband. The less actives were so nice, and just super awesome. They
all commented on how beautiful me and my companion are.... But they
love foreigners, do I'm not sure that counts. One of them, the grandma
of the family we visited last told us we were bijin, which apparently
translates to drop dead gorgeous... It was funny, and since I didn't
understand at first, I just smiled and nodded, and then laughed later
with mills Shimai when I found out what had been going on.
The takatas then took all of us missionaries to a ramen place for
dinner, and takata kyodai gave us the challenge. A huge bowl of ramen,
with a bunch of sides, and when I say huge, I mean huge! I was silly
enough to take the challenge on, and No I don't really regret it...
That much. I ran out if time to finish it, due to curfew, but I still
had space in my stomach, and I was almost done, so I think I could've
done it, but we literally had no time, and I eat slower than normal,
especially cause it was left handed AND chopsticks... Which I am
actually getting fairly good at... I am Aldo getting decent at writing
with my left hand, so that is nice.
Friday we had district meeting, and we discussed what our district
leader learned from his leadership meeting that he went to this
week... Which was way cool. I love district meeting! We also discussed
that the only sacrifices God asks if us, especially as missionaries,
is our will, and also our comfort, because we don't grow when we are
in our comfort, and that God doesn't expect us to be perfect... He
just expects us to do our best, and keep improving. If you have a
moment, think about the difference between minister and administer...
If you look at that Latin roots, which i do, and so does my district
leader.. :), you discover that administers take care of businesses,
while ministers take care of people... There is more to it than that,
but that I the basics. As visiting and home teachers, and as
neighbors, we should be ministers to those around us, and look for
opportunities to help them, because we are all gods children, and the
best way to improve, in anything, is to stop focusing on ourselves,
and to lose ourselves in the work of our God.
After district meeting, I had to go back to the hospital for another
check up... This time, they changed the cast, and padding, and made me
a new one after X-rays... It didn't hurt near as much this time. From
what I saw in the X-rays, my finger is healing just fine! Yeah!
(Yosh!) I also had mills Shimai take some pictures of what my hand
looks like without a cast, and it wasn't very pretty, but not terribly
ugly either, just my normal hand with nails sticking out of it.. No
big deal.
After the hospital, we ate some food, and then headed off to contact a
referral we received from a Japanese sister missionary who has a
friend in our area. It was her birthday, so we went to try to open the
door by contacting her on her birthday... We couldn't get ahold of
her, but left a treat and a note in her mailbox. We then hurried back,
hoping to make it in time for our meeting with our ward mission
leader, but due to the train schedule, we couldn't make it... But that
turned out good. On our way home, we were contacted by this random
guy, who asked us some questions, and we turned it to our contact. We
gave him an eikaiwa flyer, and he said he would come. He also got us a
drink, water, from one of the many vending machines in Japan,
literally in Japan there are vending machines everywhere, almost
around every corner... So, ya, that was a very interesting experience.
It was also funny... Because he was yet another person who told us we
were kiide (pretty), but he looked at me after and was like, you are
very tall (big), which was funny....
Saturday was also packed. We went to takahashi again, and visited with
our investigators over there. The oosugi's grandmas lesson went ok,
but the imams was really great. Imai bishoppu is her son, so we had
him share his conversion story and testimony, and her granddaughter
also shared her testimony, the spirit was very powerful, and as we
taught of eternal families and how God wants to help us, you could
really feel it. She is still being stubborn, but I'm pretty sure we
got her thinking, and I really want to help both of the grandmas. The
Imai grandma is the only one not baptized in her family, for.
Generations, all the people they know at least, back to about 500
a.d., and I can just see how much her son and her daughter live her,
and want that blessing for her...
Sunday we were going to go visit s member, but she canceled, so we
were able to finish up our weekly planning, because due to having a
packed weekend we weren't able to do it all at once, but we were able
to review and finish due to the cancellation, which was good.
Today I ate sushi. Legit sushi, and it wasn't that bad.... I'm not
saying it was delicious, it just wasn't terrible, and I will probably
be able to eat it again... I even had some that were raw fish.... And
besides the strange texture, it wasn't really all that bad...
Anyway so that was my week! Thank you for the homecoming pictures,
will looks great, and he and joe still definitely look like twins nine
years apart. ;) glad to know everything is going well for everyone,
and as always I always want more pictures! So please send me some!
Glad to hear everyone is doing well, and that will is adjusting! Love
and miss you!
Love, Sister Makin
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