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
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