Dear family and friends,
Needless to say, Japan is way hot in the summers, and then you add the
extra dose of humidity. I have a love hate relationship with the
weather here, and I just happened to go to one of the hottest places
in the Japan Kobe mission for summer. But that's ok, it is weird
though to drink water on fast Sunday. Because of the heat and
everything we have to drink at least half a gallon of water every day,
even fast Sundays. Otherwise, I think we would not survive.
But anyway, there are way cooler things than the heat.
Monday we had pday, and since there is basically nothing to do in
toyooka, so we get the stuff done at the apartment, and then we chill
at the church all day, emailing and doing other random things. It was
a lot of fun. That night we had to figure out going to Kobe for the
hospital, and then we went to a matsuri, and tried to dendo. It was
not very successful, because everyone was watching the dancing, but
the dancing was still way cool to see.
Tuesday we had our study, and then we visited satake Shimai, a cute 88
year old less active, who can't really remember anything anymore, but
who just is happier because we visit her sometimes. We then had to
pack, and go to the church, and then leave for Kobe, so that we could
go to the hospital tomorrow. My companion gets really sharp stomach
pain whenever she eats or drinks, period, and it has started to get
worse, so she is finally willing to figure out what it is. She was
hoping to be able to make it home to America before it got to that
point, but she needs to be able to eat without it hurting. The train
ride was nice, just worked on some random things, and then we got into
Kobe and went to the sisters apartment and slept over.
Wednesday we went to the hospital. We called Tuesday to make an
appointment, but they told us to just come in, so we did. That was a
mistake, because we were literally there for five hours. There is
nothing obviously wrong, just some big gas bubbles in her stomach that
aren't going away. They gave her some pills for that, and if they
don't work she is going to have to get a scope. Unfortunately the
hospital took so long, that we missed the train we were planning on
taking back, and since trains are not common going back to my area, we
got permission and did a mini kokan with the Kobe sisters. That was
both fun and not fun. Had to deal with some major emotional drama, and
I'm not even sure what it was about, but also got to teach a sweet
investigator, who likes to sidetracks the lessons, but really has a
desire to get baptized. She just wants to know everything.
Thursday we finally got back to our area, and that was a good day. We
met a new investigator that was referred to us by the elders, we
passed one of our investigators to the elders, because we felt
prompted to do so, we read from the Book of Mormon over the phone with
a less active, and went to sushi roll with a sort of recent convert
who wants to build her testimony by meeting with us weekly. The
highlights were working with members. We got to hear the less actives
testimony a little bit, which was way cool, and we also got to support
this member who is just starting the journey.
Friday we had zone training meeting, and it was awesome. All the way
in fukuchiyama, but that is ok. That is the normal here. The only
reason it was hard was because we had already been out of our area a
lot this week, but it was awesome. I got to tesitfy about how much of
a difference one day, one lesson makes in the way you feel when you
leave an area. If I had been called to leave Nishiwaki at any other
time, it would've been so much harder, but I left as Nishiwaki was
starting to rise, and I felt good with the work I had done. That night
we met with Yamada San, and she is amazing. She is starting to
recognize God, and she has been praying. We taught her about the
spirit today, and she started to understand, it was a little hard for
her, but we connected it to the good feelings she had had when she
prayed.
Saturday we went to a fruit parfait shop with a member and her
daughter, the only active young woman in the branch, mako chan. The
fruit was amazing, and the owner was super nice and gave us some free.
Pineapple from the Philippines. The small bowl would have probably
cost about 6 dollars normally, fruit in Japan is ridiculously
expensive. And he is now a p.i., because the member started teaching
him for us, and he wants to at least come to eikaiwa, so that is a
start. We then met with Youko Shimai, and discovered that she has a
desire to share a mission, but has yet to tell her parents about the
church, let alone the fact that she has been baptized and is a member.
We are hoping to build her courage so that she will be able to do
that, and we are praying that her family won't be hantai (opposed).
Sunday. Yamada San came to church! It was just for a little bit, she
was late to sacrament, and had to leave right before the end, but she
came, and she said she liked it, and she is still praying. So much
potent ion for her. We also have a new member in our ward, they just
moved into the area. The crazy thing is that she is American. Her name
is Amy McGreevy, and she is super nice, she served her mission in
Sendai, and is now back in Japan teaching English. Got a chance to
talk to her, and she started filling us in on normal life. It was
weird, so glad I'm still a missionary and not surrounded by the chaos
of the world as much. We then tried to visit a bunch of people and no
one was home, except for one less active, who told us straight up that
she won't be coming back, which just really hurt my companion, because
she had really gotten to know her, and she had been progressing back
to the church not that long ago. They of course have their agency, but
it is hard to see people reject salvation.
Despite the heat, despite the rejections, I truly am so glad that I am
a missionary, and I have the opportunity to serve here in Japan. The
church is true, the gospel is the key to our eternal happiness, and no
matter what problem you may be facing, it can definitely be solved
through the atonement of Jesus Christ. He is there for you. Turn to
him. Walk with him. Of the truthfulness of this gospel, I testify In
the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
I love and miss you all.
Love, Sister Makin
Needless to say, Japan is way hot in the summers, and then you add the
extra dose of humidity. I have a love hate relationship with the
weather here, and I just happened to go to one of the hottest places
in the Japan Kobe mission for summer. But that's ok, it is weird
though to drink water on fast Sunday. Because of the heat and
everything we have to drink at least half a gallon of water every day,
even fast Sundays. Otherwise, I think we would not survive.
But anyway, there are way cooler things than the heat.
Monday we had pday, and since there is basically nothing to do in
toyooka, so we get the stuff done at the apartment, and then we chill
at the church all day, emailing and doing other random things. It was
a lot of fun. That night we had to figure out going to Kobe for the
hospital, and then we went to a matsuri, and tried to dendo. It was
not very successful, because everyone was watching the dancing, but
the dancing was still way cool to see.
Tuesday we had our study, and then we visited satake Shimai, a cute 88
year old less active, who can't really remember anything anymore, but
who just is happier because we visit her sometimes. We then had to
pack, and go to the church, and then leave for Kobe, so that we could
go to the hospital tomorrow. My companion gets really sharp stomach
pain whenever she eats or drinks, period, and it has started to get
worse, so she is finally willing to figure out what it is. She was
hoping to be able to make it home to America before it got to that
point, but she needs to be able to eat without it hurting. The train
ride was nice, just worked on some random things, and then we got into
Kobe and went to the sisters apartment and slept over.
Wednesday we went to the hospital. We called Tuesday to make an
appointment, but they told us to just come in, so we did. That was a
mistake, because we were literally there for five hours. There is
nothing obviously wrong, just some big gas bubbles in her stomach that
aren't going away. They gave her some pills for that, and if they
don't work she is going to have to get a scope. Unfortunately the
hospital took so long, that we missed the train we were planning on
taking back, and since trains are not common going back to my area, we
got permission and did a mini kokan with the Kobe sisters. That was
both fun and not fun. Had to deal with some major emotional drama, and
I'm not even sure what it was about, but also got to teach a sweet
investigator, who likes to sidetracks the lessons, but really has a
desire to get baptized. She just wants to know everything.
Thursday we finally got back to our area, and that was a good day. We
met a new investigator that was referred to us by the elders, we
passed one of our investigators to the elders, because we felt
prompted to do so, we read from the Book of Mormon over the phone with
a less active, and went to sushi roll with a sort of recent convert
who wants to build her testimony by meeting with us weekly. The
highlights were working with members. We got to hear the less actives
testimony a little bit, which was way cool, and we also got to support
this member who is just starting the journey.
Friday we had zone training meeting, and it was awesome. All the way
in fukuchiyama, but that is ok. That is the normal here. The only
reason it was hard was because we had already been out of our area a
lot this week, but it was awesome. I got to tesitfy about how much of
a difference one day, one lesson makes in the way you feel when you
leave an area. If I had been called to leave Nishiwaki at any other
time, it would've been so much harder, but I left as Nishiwaki was
starting to rise, and I felt good with the work I had done. That night
we met with Yamada San, and she is amazing. She is starting to
recognize God, and she has been praying. We taught her about the
spirit today, and she started to understand, it was a little hard for
her, but we connected it to the good feelings she had had when she
prayed.
Saturday we went to a fruit parfait shop with a member and her
daughter, the only active young woman in the branch, mako chan. The
fruit was amazing, and the owner was super nice and gave us some free.
Pineapple from the Philippines. The small bowl would have probably
cost about 6 dollars normally, fruit in Japan is ridiculously
expensive. And he is now a p.i., because the member started teaching
him for us, and he wants to at least come to eikaiwa, so that is a
start. We then met with Youko Shimai, and discovered that she has a
desire to share a mission, but has yet to tell her parents about the
church, let alone the fact that she has been baptized and is a member.
We are hoping to build her courage so that she will be able to do
that, and we are praying that her family won't be hantai (opposed).
Sunday. Yamada San came to church! It was just for a little bit, she
was late to sacrament, and had to leave right before the end, but she
came, and she said she liked it, and she is still praying. So much
potent ion for her. We also have a new member in our ward, they just
moved into the area. The crazy thing is that she is American. Her name
is Amy McGreevy, and she is super nice, she served her mission in
Sendai, and is now back in Japan teaching English. Got a chance to
talk to her, and she started filling us in on normal life. It was
weird, so glad I'm still a missionary and not surrounded by the chaos
of the world as much. We then tried to visit a bunch of people and no
one was home, except for one less active, who told us straight up that
she won't be coming back, which just really hurt my companion, because
she had really gotten to know her, and she had been progressing back
to the church not that long ago. They of course have their agency, but
it is hard to see people reject salvation.
Despite the heat, despite the rejections, I truly am so glad that I am
a missionary, and I have the opportunity to serve here in Japan. The
church is true, the gospel is the key to our eternal happiness, and no
matter what problem you may be facing, it can definitely be solved
through the atonement of Jesus Christ. He is there for you. Turn to
him. Walk with him. Of the truthfulness of this gospel, I testify In
the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
I love and miss you all.
Love, Sister Makin
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