Life as a Sister: Month 5!

New companion: Ito Shimai

March 31, 2014

by a pond on the way to church

Hello! I didnt even realize I was on month 5 until I got all these emails today! What in the heck?? I am almost 1/3 done with my mission! I think it is so crazy because I forget the MTC was part of my mission! Alas, it was, and I have to use every minute of this mission the best I can because before I know it, it will be over! Life with a new companion is going good! Ito Shimai is great!! She is a transfer 9. So she has been out for a while. She didn't know English before her mission, but she has had american companions and as a missionary, she has to study English during language study time! So her English is actually pretty good!! We communicate in mostly English. I just have to make sure I talk slowly and simply, and she replies in half english half japanese. She is great! I am going to learn so much this transfer! I already have learned a lot! She is from Nagoya, and plays lacrosse, volleyball, and softball. She is 24, and is an elementary teacher! She was less active for about 8 years, and came back to church about 1 1/2 years ago, so she is such a good missionary because she truly understands the importance of this gospel!! Yes, there are 6 of us living in the apartment right now. it is SO FUN! IT is super crazy, there are suitcases all over the apartment, but the other 4 will be moving out this week to Nakagawa! Nakagawa is still part of our ward, but it is a bus ride away, and they are opening the area! It is so exciting because me and Flake Shimai went finding there a couple times the past 2 transfers to try and get it open, and the work payed off!! So yes, the apartment is quite interesting. There is a companionship; Sister Lyles (from Washington) and Sister Jeffery (from Provo) they are both half asian and speak 100% in English. Then there is Sister Higashi and Sister Takahashi from japan and they speak 100% Japanese together. Then there is me and Sister Ito, and we speak 1/2 and 1/2 in broken-caveman speech! haha it is so funny during planning sessions because there is so much going on! Our planning always takes a little long trying to explain things to each other, but it is so fun!

No, I do not have to hang my clothes to dry. As Fukuoka Princesses, our washer is a washer AND a dryer, so we just put our clothes in one machine for 3 hours and they come out done. It is pretty nice!

The city of Fukuoka, Japan

This week was so good, we were able to help feed the homeless, it was so fun! You dont see very many homeless people just on the streets, but we fed them curry, a HUGE pot of rice and curry, like HUGE like up to my hip. Then with the left over rice, they added these spices things and made them into rice balls that they gave them as like a "sack lunch" they're called onagedi's, well I am not sure how to spell them, but we eat them all the time. THey are like the sandwiches of Japan kind of hahaha.

This week I bean dendoed! Which means I took out a new missionary all by myself! I got a sister that used to be here, but went home because she was sick, but she came back out! We got to teach to practice lessons to members, and went streeting. It was scary, but it was fun! I definitely couldnt say everything i wanted to say, nor could i understand everything, but it was a great learning experience, and it was fun!

I need to send pictures now!! I hope you all have a great week! Thank you for all of the love and support!

Sister Messer