26 lessons and utterly exhausted!

Dear family, this week has been crazy! We have been finding all week,
and really working to try and up our teaching pool, but so far we
haven't had much success, though there have been some great
experiences.

Monday we went to kiyomizudera and bought the rings that are famous
across the mission, I decide to get a gold ring, and when we got back
to our apartment that night, what should I happen to think of but lord
of the rinds, and the one ring... Yes I'm a bit of a nerd, but then I
turned to my companion and told her, and she had been thinking the
same thing! It was crazy! We get along so well, and sometimes the way
we think is so similar it is kind of freaky, but I love it! We also
found out that a lady we met on the train and got her number is
officially moving to Kyoto, so we will begin teaching her soon, we are
way sited for that!

Tuesday we went out finding and taught about five lessons in an hour
or so, and it was great! No numbers, and no investigators from it, but
we are determined! We are also so excited, and it is fun working so
hard! Major changes are going to be happening soon in Shimogamo! We
also had game night, and it was the elders recent convert Gis, last
time, since he went home to China for Chinese New Years, and then will
be headed off to Cambodia to do volunteer work, he is literally so
awesome! It was a great lesson, and we taught prayer using a hamburger
example, and it was so good. Remember the meat of any prayer, are the
words from your heart!

Wednesday we were going to have a lesson with inoue San, but both her
and Karahashi Shimai were way sick, so that wasn't able to happen. But
we didn't let that phase us, and went out and did some more finding,
and taught five more lessons, still no results, but I knew it can
happen!

Thursday we had a planned lesson, and that fell through, so we called
a potential investigator, got a lesson scheduled, asked our ward
mission leader last minute if he could participate, which isn't the
best way to do it, but he was willing, so it was awesome, and then
when we got there, they canceled, something had come up. So we got
advice about using dosekid from our ward mission leader, and then
taught him a lesson on the street. That kind of kicked me down a bit,
all the cancelatiions, but we decided to walk our bikes home for
dinner, and talk to people as we went, and we were able to do a couple
more finding lessons, so that helped boost my spirits, just in time
for SKK! Which went really well!

Friday we had ztm, and it was powerful! We talked a lot about our
goals, and using pmg, and how we can do it! And it was awesome! I am
way pumped, and I know that the miracles are going to start pouring
out as we continue to work super hard. We went to indo curry
afterwards, and it was so good, but I ate way to much, but we still
got out and went finding, and we handed out 2 book of Mormons! Which
was great, one guy said he would read it after he was done studying
about early man, so hopefully he does! He had seen elders three years
ago, so maybe it is his time now! Couldn't get his number, but that is
alright! The struggle to get numbers is real, people just don't want
to give them to you, it is a lot easier to get names, but still a
struggle. We also had family home evening at the friends home, a
members extra house, and it was really good, not very many people
there, but lots of fun!

Saturday we got back out on the street, and though we tried some
housing, it really just didn't work... Not terribly effective in the
city, so we did some more streeting, and I got the opportunity to play
a plastic trombone! I sounded terrible, compared to when I played it a
year ago and was learning, and I've forgotten a lot, but that's ok!
The girl we met who was playing it was so sweet! I connected music to
the gospel and she loved it! She also loved that we believe we are all
family, but was a little embarassed after she had called us older
sisters, but then found out we were younger than her... But that's ok.
She was super sweet, and we gave her a Book of Mormon, and our number,
but both my companion and I felt like we shouldn't press her too hard,
so now we are praying way hard that she will read and give us a call
so we can meet with her again, it would just be wonderful!

Sunday was fantastic! The members must've heard from the members in
DCS how well we did, because they were way engaged, and we got asked
for a ton of meals during this week, but we will not be letting that
slow us down! We are going to get even more lessons this week, even if
that makes us even more tired! The members are so ready to join in on
missionary work, and I think them seeing us kick butt to work hard,
just makes them more excited! So this week we had a grand total of 26
lessons, and inoue San came to church! It was great! But I was way
exhausted. Church was a little hard, because I was so tired, all of
the missionaries were, and we were sitting down the whole time. I
fought hard core not to fall asleep, and I made it, the my attention
wasn't always what it should of been, but that is ok! I will adjust to
working harder than I have been before, and I will be ok. The elders
taught 29 lessons this week, and so we have decided that this week we
are going to try and surpass them! I know as we continue working our
very hardest, and keep improving, the lord will give us blessings, and
we will be able to accomplish his work, and we will find those people
that he has prepared and begin to see weekly baptisms! I know it can
and will happen! And I am so excited to be apart of the work in Japan
at this time! I love you all and miss you! Sorry there isn't too much
to report at this time, but I do have some pictures I will send, and
they are worth more anyways! I love you all! Stay safe, and ganbate!

Love, Sister Makin