Wind, snow and spirit!

This week has been amazing, but oh sooooooo cold! Way cold here, and I
think it beats utahs cold, got down to -4 Celsius, and then you add
the wind chill, which Kyoto is apparently famous for, didn't know that
until I came here, but at least in Japan, Kyoto is famous for the wind
that cuts right through you, and is pretty powerful, and really cold!
But I am staying warm for the most part, and also surviving, so it is
all good!

Monday after pday ended, which we just had a relaxing pday last week,
we did a lot of phone dendo, more than we were expecting, because
things happened, and so it became hard to contact people, but we
texted a lady in the phone book, a former investigator, and she
responded really quickly, unfortunately she is actually in America by
now, but she said she would come to eikaiwa when she came back, so it
is all good.

Tuesday we taught Inoue, and we were able to help her commit to
reading a verse a day, and she understood Moroni 10:3-5 when we read
it together, so I think it is more that she has decided that she can't
understand than that she really can't understand, but we know we can
help her, and a member who went to Tokyo to go to the temple recently
was awesome, and stopped at the Deseret book there and got her a Book
of Mormon stories in Japanese, so that she ca nave that to help her
understand, members are so willing to help investigators, especially
the ones that are improving, if they aren't they struggle a bit more,
but they are still great. We also had game night, and even though New
Years has basically ended now, the tests have begun, so not really
anyone came, but we turned it into a member lesson, and it was really
good, it is important to build relationships with the members so that
they can trust you!

Wednesday was freezing! It snowed basically all day, and so the main
things we did was crane dendo prep, aka making a bunch of cranes to
hand out to people, and we have also started writing a scripture and a
testimony on the inside with our contact information, so we can make
it even more effective, and taught eikaiwa. It was good, and we have a
new potential investigator, she is in the advanced class, so we didn't
really have a chance to talk to her, but the elders ended up basically
teaching her the restoration, and she accepted a Book of Mormon after
eikaiwa, so that was awesome! She is about to become Protestant, which
is rare in Japan, so all we need to do is convince her that this
church is the right church, the true church, and it will be awesome!
She is also really sweet, but we need to ask her name again... Right
now she is in our area book under the nickname phone cat lady, because
she has a cat phone case, legibly, it is a stuffed animal cat on the
back of her phone, and we don't know her name, so there is room for
improvement!

Thursday we watched the special worldwide broadcast for missionaries,
it was so amazing, but for those of you who didn't get to watch it,
don't be jealous, it was so focused on missionaries, that while you
might have learned something for it, you wouldn't have gotten the same
things as I did, because it pertains to exactly what I am doing right
now! It was powerful, I forgot to bring my notes, so I can't mention
everything, but the work is moving forward, and I am a tool in the
lords hand to make it happen. The spirit is the teacher, we should
rely on him, and recognize that though we can teach these people the
truths we know, we can't help them know it f or themselves without the
spirit. The work is changing, and miracles can happen, every
missionary can have lots of success, and can see miracles, we just
have to go for it, and find those little miracles in our day.

Friday was even more amazing, so we had that awesome devotional, which
was the highlight, though it got interrupted by phone calls, and
people we needed to help, but that is ok, so that was awesome, and
then today we got up early and traveled to Abeno for the mission tour!
Elder Choi of the Asia area seventy toured our mission, and took three
days to do so, because we can't gather all the missionaries to one
spot, cause the mission is too big, and that is both not safe and too
expensive, so we went to Osaka, and it was an all day adventure, but
so amazing! We learned a lot. We know have a goal to get a temple in
the Kobe mission, and also Welch kaicho feels that we can baptize
weekly, we are going to need more investigators for that, but it is
true, if we are working hard enough, Heavenly Father will cause the
work to explode, and that is a fact. Not one baptism per week for the
mission, but for each companionship. Also we learned about recognizing
our talents, and changing our mindset, if you don't like it, like it!
I don't know if you remember Choi choro from my emails earlier, but I
met him before, and he is literally awesome, but his wife is even
better. She talked about how my generation was the front line in the
preearth life battle against Satan, and that we need to remember that
and work our hardest, and prove that we are worthy of the trust we
have been given.

Saturday we taught some members at a nabe party, and invited them to
work with us, and help their friends, it was sooo good. We also had a
lot of fun at ping pong night, and laughed a ton, because we always
end up not really playing ping pong, but still hitting it when it hits
the ground, and just laughing, basically trying to be silly, and those
who come love it, so it is a good thing, right?

Sunday we had church, and Inoue San came! Totally surprised, but
that's ok, because she came, and could feel the spirit, and we will be
meeting on Wednesday, and it is so good! We also got to talk with
members, and follow up about referrals, and so far nothing, but we did
get a less active referral, so we will try to help her, and work from
there! So it was a pretty good week!

Today we went shopping, and I relearned that shopping is dangerous,
but I got the most gorgeous kimono ever, and for a lot cheaper than it
would've normally cost me, because I don't know if you knew this, but
kimonos are normally expensive, but they were having a flea market
type thing, and they were a lot cheaper! Mine was about $48 dollars
for the kimono and the obi, and that's the most important things, so
that was awesome! I have a kimono.... I just have to figure out how to
fit it in my suitcases..... There was also a stuff the bag kimono
sale, $4 dollars for and many as you could stuff in a pretty good
sized plastic bag... That was sweet, I need to not go shopping, it is
dangerous especially Japan, because they have lots of awesome stuff
for cheap, though some stuff is ridiculously expensive, and I am
better at resisting that!

That's about it for this week! I love you so much, you are the best!
Thanks for you're support and for being the best, it is true! Love
you!

Love, Sister Makin

A four hour lesson and paper cranes galore

Dear family,
This week was so much fun, and I now know how to make paper cranes...
More details as this email goes.

So Monday we had youth FHE again, and we played more card games, and
then finished with the Mormon message gods greatest creation... They
don't have it in Japanese, but all the people who came this week could
speak English, so we went for it, and then I got to explain it in
Japanese, because the English was pretty complicated to understand,
and I don't know how it happened, but I was able to do it! And it made
sense, I love when that happens. First we had had them make some
origami, which was a cool activity, and then we tied it into the
video. It was an awesome FHE. Though we are moving it to Tuesday's
from now on, so not really FHE anymore.

Tuesday we used paper cranes to contact people. It actually works,
kind of. It is a good ice breaker, but we are still struggling to keep
a conversation going, and to tie cranes to the gospel, we have an ok
connection, but it made lots of people smile, and made some people's
days, so that is all that is really important. But it was a lot of
fun. We also taught a less active, who isn't really all that less
active anymore, she just loves meeting with the missionaries, and
needs some support. And then we went to the yoshioka's for dinner, and
it was so good! Lots of food, but delicious. Yoshioka kyodai makes
kimonos, the really expensive hand painted kind, but they are
beautiful! We had to book it back home though, because it took too
long, and we ended up being late, but we turned a normally hour and a
half bike ride into about 40 minutes, and we were safe, so it was all
good!

Wednesday we taught inoue, and Itatani kyodai came as a member present
for the lesson. It was pretty good, we taught the entire plan of
salvation, but she is old, her less active friend who is always the
with her is old, and they just want to talk about anything and
everything, so it was hard to keep the conversation on track, but we
managed fairly well, and Itatani kyodai helped, since he actually
fully understood the Japanese. And we also had eikaiwa, with a new
student whom the elders met, he had really good English, and we played
pictuonary with them, which was lots of fun.

Thursday we had a four hour lesson. We did some housing and crane
contacting first, and then we visited our recent convert with the
elders. She wanted a blessing, though she didn't mention it until the
elders had to leave for another appointment, so they ended up coming
back after that, and we taught her about missionary work, patriarchal
blessings, the temple and a lot of other things during that time. It
was such a long lesson, but she loves speaking in English, and is
actually pretty good at it, so it wasn't that bad... Though it just
sucked up our day!

Friday we had district meeting, which was sooo good! And I realized I
need to be using PMG so much more than I have been. And we also did
SKK, and called and made some appointments, and checked on some people
that we haven't been able to meet recently. Sadly that is the case
with almost all of our investigators. They have been so busy because
of Christmas and New Years, and New Years so still going on. In Japan
it is the entire month that they celebrate, only the first few days
are actual holidays, but there are more activities and things
throughout the entire month, it is crazy!

Saturday we went to the relief society activity, a mochi tsuki, rice
cake making, which was fun, but not the traditional way of doing it.
But we still had fun, and then we made more cranes as we strengthened
the same less active we met earlier in the week, and also our recent
convert. Oswald Shimai, my companion, hasn't been feeling too well, so
she wasn't up for much more, and it was a good use of our time since
that was the case. We also had ping pong activity that night, and the
building was packed, because the stake high priests were also doing an
activity, and so were the young women, but it was ok, we made it work.
The high priests were talking about how to work with the missionaries
better, and from what we heard, it was a really good meeting.

Sunday we had to meals with members, the first was for lunch, and it
was the entire ward, having a luncheon at the church, there was so
much food, and it was so good, they had something similar to your
Danish dessert mom, just without the fruit, and the crust wasn't as
good. But it was still good, and then we hiked up the hill again to
visit the misoguchis, that was definitely a workout, it was so cold
outside, but I was so hot by the time we got up there. And we taught
them about reading the Book of Mormon with a purpose, or with a
question, and that when we do so, we invite the spirit, and will
receive an answer to our question. I know that that is true!

I am so grateful for the opportunity to be a missionary, and to be
serving the lord. I know that he protects his missionaries, I have
seen it all the time. I had another small bike accident coming home
last night, because it was slippery, and had just started raining, but
I was able to land so much better this time, slash mainly jump off my
bike, and then hop right back up, and catch up to my companion who
didn't see it happen. I am 99% fine, just scraped my knee a bit, but I
know that as we do our best to serve others, the lord will look after
the things that worry us. We are so blessed, each and everyone of us,
and the only thing we need to do is look for it, and we will not only
see the blessings, but we will see the love of the lord in our daily
lives.

I love you and miss all of you, and hope you are all doing well!

Love, Sister Makin

Little miracles, and the fun of Kokans!

This week has been a blast, especially the last half of the week!

Monday we had another game night, which was lots of fun! We played
scum again, and we got to meet a Chinese girl named lily, who was so
sweet! New potential investigator, cause she really liked the
spiritual message at the end.

Tuesday was the hardest day with my cold. We visited with a less
active, and shared a message with her, and tried to visit some others,
with no success, but then I just couldn't do anymore, and since I
looked pale, we decided to head home, and I took a nap. I ended up
getting a longer nap than I had planned on, because the lesson we had
had was canceled, and so my companion didn't wake me up because of
that. But that really helped, and then Wednesday I felt so much
better!

Wednesday we heart attacked a couple of members, and also had a lesson
with inoue San. The elders were also present, and that was both good
and bad. Their Japanese is more advanced, so they kind of took over
the lesson, but they did help her, so that was interesting. I
understood a lot of what was going on, but I couldn't respond as fast
as they were, and there were also two conversations going on at once,
because her friend Karahashi Shimai, a less active, was also there,
and so that made it a bit difficult. We also had eikaiwa, and at the
beginning I was so excited, because our class had doubled in size, but
I found out later that they were regulars that had missed the past
couple of weeks due to the holidays, but it was still good that they
came.

Thursday we went to lunch with a member, which was sooo good! And then
we did a bunch of finding, and then taught the recent convert that got
baptized a little before I got here, and who is down from Hokkaido,
the top island for the month. She works up there. It was such a good
meeting, and she is super sweet!

Friday we had an amazing ztm, which was so led by the spirit, and the
coolest part was that I received an answer to a question that I hadn't
even realized I had! That was awesome. We also began our kokan, and
went to fushimi. They had ping pong night, so we confused their
members, and played ping pong.

Saturday was the main day of the kokan. The sister who I went with,
madden Shimai, and I left studies early, and went up a mountain to try
and visit an investigator they haven't been able to see all transfer.
She wasn't at her guest house, but we decided to try her actual house,
managed to find it, and she was there, and they have a return
appointment! And we also bought her flowers on our way up, and bought
her favorite color by chance, they were super cheap, and it totally
made her day. And then when we got to our bikes, I struggled to find
my key, and then we got stopped at a light for a long time, even
though we pushed the button, which normally works immediately in
Japan, but we got to meet a dad and his little girl, which was
awesome, actually met them twice. The second time was while we were at
the cafe of another investigator they hadn't been able to meet this
transfer, and so we just saw a lot of little miracles, and had lots of
fun! And then we went home, did most of SKK, and had our ping pong
night, all in all lots of fun!

Sunday we had a really good meeting, and a couple of less actives
came, which was super good! And then we finished SKK. We also had an
awesome ward council meeting. One of the bishopric counsellors had
gone all out and made really organized folders for ward council for
everyone. All that we have to do know is translate it into English,
which should be fun, yay, language study!

Today for pday we went to a movie samurai village, which was lots of
fun. It was really cool, but way expensive to do any of the things we
really wanted to do, it was already a bunch to get in, so we just had
fun with the free stuff. There was so much Japanese, and I really
didn't understand a lot of it, but it was really funny from what I
understood, and also from what I got from an Japanese elder who was a
part of the group I was in. Basically I had tons of fun! The hard part
was this morning when we had to choose between the samurai village or
Mochi, rice candy basically, making, but we had lots of fun, so it was
all good!

That's about it for this week! I love you all so very much! Thank you
for all of your love and support! I love and miss you!

Love, Sister Makin

Akeome! I managed to lose weight, instead of gaining three kilos i n one day like the elders!

Akeome! Or happy new year! The formal was to say it is akemashite
omedeto gozaimasu! But I learned that with friends, you just shorten
it to akeome, which is so much simpler. This was definitely a fun
week, but definitely interesting.

Monday after pday, we had a youth family home evening, which we are
going to continue from now on, I think, and also which was mainly a
group of investigators, potential investigators and recent converts,
which was just so awesome, strengthening them, and helping them make
friends. It was lots of fun?

Tuesday we had interviews with Welch kaicho again! I learned so much
from him, including a reminder of the fact the Christ was a master
finder! And that he never missed an opportunity to help another, and
teach the,pm, and help them receive the joy that the gospels brings.
No matter what situation he was in, he found others to help, and he
reached out lovingly, and never left one helpless, and hurting, but
healed all that were brought into him. We also taught a lesson to the
jehovahs witnesses, and Welch Shimai helped us with the lesson as a
member present! It was an amazing experience,can't just watching as
she lovingly, but boldly testified of the truths that she knew, and
didn't let the beliefs they were sharing phase her, really
strengthened me. One thing I didn't love was the jehovahs witnesses
interpretations. Welch Shimai testified in English, and since one of
them understands English really well, she would translate for her
friend, and as a listened as she quietly and hurriedly translated, I
realized what she was doing, so I took over translating for Welch
Shimai, because even though my Japanese is not perfect, I didn't take
the testimony out of it, and the Jehovah's Witness did. She turned it
into hopes and wishes, instead of pure testimony, which was sad, but
just being able to share what was truly being said, was a powerful
experience for me. The one who didn't speak English was not at all
interested today, and was constantly trying to turn it into a bible
bash, but we didn't allow that to happen, we just shared testimony,
and ended, but that was definitely a new experience, and I am so glad
that Welch Shimai was there. Another missionary who was at the church
for interviews started playing on the piano, a fun song, and the funny
thing was that both Welch Shimai and I were relieved, because it helps
us end the lesson, especially cause the way they were talking just
made us feel a bit uncomfortable!

So that was Tuesday, and that was also the day I got my Christmas
package! Thank you so much momma! I haven't eaten all of it, yet, but
I loved it, and I have already finished the toblerone... I wasn't very
patient! I also loved the notes from my family, and I send my love
back to you all! Thank you! It was perfect! And having my favorite
cereal for breakfast is just wonderful! They have good food in Japan,
but there is a reason I have my favorites, and I have missed some of
them!

Wednesday we did something......
Well what we actually did was teach eikaiwa, which was lots of fun,
and we also did a ton of finding, which was fun, ish, people were kind
of rushing to get ready for New Years, and the people we talked to
didn't stay for long, one even awkwardly edged away from us as we
talked, but that is ok, they were still friendly. We also taught a
less active, and that was lots of fun, but we are kind of stuck on how
to help her, she is technically a member of another ward in Kyoto, but
like the missionaries here better, so she meets with us, sad, but a
thing.

Thursday was New Year's Eve, and SKK day, we had a wonderful SKK. And
really planned very well for how to help shimogamo, and just
strengthen the members hers, and also help our investigators! I am
very grateful for the lord, and for the chance we have each week to do
SKK, (weekly planning session, Japanese abbreviation), and just
receive guidance! SKK is great, and it truly amazes me the was we
learn things through the spirit in behalf of those we serve.

Friday was New Year's Day, and we got up extremely early to go see the
first sunrise of the year, which is a great tradition in Japan, and
talked to people at the top of Kyoto tower, and watched the sunrise!
It was beautiful! We also had district meeting, which was lots of fun,
and then we did some finding, part of which was as we looked around in
shimogamo shrine, and then went to the bishops that night for dinner.
Homemade sushi, it was actually pretty good, though as they were
preparing all the toppings, it took me a moment to realize what we
were having. The next day we found out that the elders had gained
about 2 pounds, or 3 kilos from all the food they gained that day, but
I actually lost weight, I guess I just don't follow the norm.

Saturday we went to a cheap but really good buffet place with members
and investigators, and built up some really good relationships, we
also did some finding, and had our ping pong night. We challenged
everyone to keep a gratitude journal this year, and also challenged
ourselves in so doing, it is really a great idea for all, and it helps
us to be able to see the hand of God in our lives more clearly.

When I woke up Sunday, I discovered that I had decided to start the
new year off right.... By catching a cold. Church was difficult, and I
understood less than normal, because I rediscovered how hard it is to
concentrate when you are sick, and that when I can't concentrate, I
can't understand the Japanese, but it's ok. We learned some great
stuff about a place we will be able to use for free for activities,
which is awesome, and we also got some assigned stuff that Oswald
Shimai needed to so for her iPad done, and then we went home, and I
took a nap, I'm still pretty sick, but I think I'm getting better, it
just puts s damper on what we can do for pday, but that is ok.

So that was basically my week! I am having a harder time remembering,
cause I'm sick, and my brain doesn't want to focus, but it really was
a good week, just a bit slower, cause Oswald Shimai was getting over
having a cold, and I was getting one, but it was still good.

My scripture for this week is Mosiah 23:10- Nevertheless, after much
tribulation, the Lord did hear my cries, and did answer my prayers,
and has made me an instrument in his hands in bringing so many of you
to a knowledge of his truth.

I love you and miss you, and I am so grateful for the opportunity I
have to know all of you! And for all of you support! I love you!


Love, Sister Makin

I forgot a cool experience.

One more thing I forgot to mention about Sunday. We had a lesson with
an investigator, and just before she had told me that this was going
to be the last lesson, since she feels she has learned everything
there is to learn from the missionaries, since she has been meeting
with them for over a year now. I was like no! And we made sure to get
a doseki for that lesson, which turned out perfectly. We weren't able
to stop her from dropping herself, but we were able to give her a
challenge that will keep her strong. She is going to keep coming to
gospel principles class, which is at least something, but not
sacrament, cause she got offended by some members, which is just so
sad! She knows so much, she just needs to take the few steps forward
to baptism, but at this point she loves her guru just as much as
Christ, and doesn't want to change that. She is awesome, and hopefully
as she reads the gospels, she will feel the spirit more fully and have
that desire to change. We won't be having official lessons with her,
but we still have the opportunity to help her, and I think she will
change, hopefully soon, and hopefully members don't offend her anymore
by not liking her guru. But, it was cool, because we went in, not
knowing what to commit her to, and as we went, the spirit prompted me
to give her the challenge we had gotten to from our mission president,
which turned out so well. Thank you spirit, and also the amazing
member who helped us with the lesson. (Doseki means member present by
the way)

Love, Sister Makin

The blessings of obedience, and Christmas

This week has been so crazy, but also so much fun!

Monday we went to fushimi, another area in the Kyoto zone, and
practiced fan dancing... For the Christmas conference, it was pretty
hilarious. I will send the videos next week, since they are on my
actual camera, and I forgot to bring that to the church this week.

Tuesday we had three planned lessons, the first with some jehovahs
witnesses... Yep, I am actually teaching some now, and they are trying
to convert us over, not working, and they are nice, but I honestly
don't think they will be investigators for much longer, because they
are missionaries to. I don't really understand why missionaries try to
teach other missionaries, but they do, and I just don't see it
working, but anyway, so that was entertaining. We then met with a less
active, and that was more of a shopping trip, because Oswald Shimai
had set it up, and hadn't fully understood, but we were still able to
help her, so it was all good. And then we taught one of our
investigators. Her name is Rie, and she is sweet, but very old, very
lonely, and loves to talk. She is apparently really famous, but
doesn't like going outside anymore, because she has ptsd, sad, but she
really loves praying, so we may be able to help her.


Wednesday we had Christmas taikai, which was so much fun. I sang and
played angels we have heard on high and away in a manger arranged
together, which turned out pretty well, and also did some fan dancing
as before mentioned... We had tacos! And they were so good, the welchs
went all out for us missioanries, literally making a miracle happen,
of delicious food. By the way, a can of retried beans in Japan, close
about five dollars, though it is probably bigger than the ones you
buy, mom, that is still super expensive.

Thrursday we went 'window shopping' which was actually just finding in
a place with a bunch of stores, similar to a mall, which was lots of
fun. We were with the elders, and that was actually pretty effective.
But all we did Thursday was eat, because besides the window shopping,
we met with a potential investigator, and we had just eaten, but we
ate again, ah well the life of a missionary. We also played some ping
pong, which was lots of fun!

Friday was Christmas! And Oswald Shimai called her family today, and
we also had district meeting, which was lots of fun, but also kind of
weird. We had lunch at a Thai place... It was good, but I expected
better from the way Oswald Shimai raved about it, but it was food, and
that's all that matters. We also went up to a touristy place, and did
some Christmas finding there with the elders and a member, it was a
lot of fun, but a very long bike ride out there.

Saturday I got to call you guys! I loved getting to hear from you
guys, and it was such a blessing that we had FaceTime and were able to
make it work! As we were trying to get it set up, I was getting no
information, really, and I just wanted to talk to you... My companion
suggested I email, because in her opinion it was fun, but I didn't
agree. I decided to say a prayer, and just ask Heavenly Father to help
with the technical problems so that it would work out. When I
finished, my companion was about to email you with my email herself,
but I said no. I put my foot down, put my trust in the lord, and knew
that he would make everything work out. Emailing really is only for
pdays for a reason. It would be so nice to email you guys all the
time, but then I would be distracted, and if I can rationalize it
once, then it becomes easier to do it again, so I refused to do it.
Yes skype didn't really work all that well, but I was still able to
see your faces, and talk to you, and it really did all work out. I
knew that if I did my part, and was patient, he would provide a way,
and he did. I'm grateful that I didn't give into the temptation to
bend the rules like that, and chose to be exactly obedient. To be
fair, my companion said that my district leader, and zone leader (they
are one and the same right now), would have approved it, but it just
didn't feel right, even though he probably would have if i had asked.
How grateful I am that I got to see you and joke with you, and just
feel your love. I Love you guys so much, and I loved your jokes. I
especially loved Dennis's comment about my bike accident, and
Japan'knees' I repeated it to my companion later, and it took her a
while, and some charades, but she got it, and thought it was funny
too.

Sunday we had a baptism! The elders investigator got baptized, and
that was so cool! We last minute sang abide with me, tis eventide as a
musical number, and I played the piano... Actually turned out pretty
well. We also went and visited a huge member family, which was lots of
fun, and I had to do the 'new missionary ritual' aka sing a hymn by
myself, I chose the lord is my light, and my voice decided to
cooperate, so it actually turned out really well. Getting to the house
was a struggle though, it is literally uphill all the way, and up a
fairly steep hill, so that was definitely lots of fun, but hard as
well.... I started out cold, but by the time I got up there I was so
hot!

So all in all I had an amazing week, and I my testimony of how
important obedience is was reconfirmed, how grateful I am for my
savior, and for all that he does and did for you and for me. He lives,
and he loves! How grateful I am for the opportunity I have to be out
here, and serving him! I love you all and miss you as well! Happy new
year!

Love, Sister Makin