Hello everyone!
Well to start with some good news, we have a baptismal
date!! We still have to teach the commandments, so we aren't are still trying
to be hopeful, but not cocky! I think I forgot to mention this though, we
didn't whitewash into this area, we actually opened it. So it has been fun
seeing the blessings from just going out and finding all day. Sometimes it is
really long, and even if it is really cold we have to stop and eat ice cream
just for our sanity, but it is fun being able to teach lessons. We taught 5
member present lessons this week, which is the most I have taught my whole
mission! They were all with Akutagawa san! His baptismal date is for December
20! Please pray for him! He really has that desire to change, and even called
us and said he wants to be baptized fast! We are teaching Word of Wisdom
tomorrow (it might be hard to teach about a commandment I seem to have some trouble
with on my mission..... ;) ) and we are scared that will be the hardest!
Japanese people LOVE their tea! Oh mom, you asked if they were Buddhist. OF
COURSE!! EVERYBODY IS BUDDHIST! So we start out really basic, teaching about
God because they don't even believe in God! But I love being able to introduce
them to God and our Savior Jesus Christ. You can just see a change in people as
they show that effort to follow God! A mission is amazing!
Bad companion story of the week: this week in English class
we were teaching "figment of your imagination" to our advanced class.
They were so confused. So I decided to do an example, so I think on my feet,
and go up to Doi Shimai and say, "WOW! Doi Shimai, you look good! You look
skinny, have you lost weight?!" then I realized that was a bad example
because Doi Shimai just grits her teeth and says, "nooooooo.... it's a
FIGMENT OF YOUR IMAGINATION!" Poor thing, had to call herself fat! hahah.
-sigh- I love fat jokes.
So everyday we have "standards of excellence" as a
mission. It is 20 contacts, 3 sudden lessons on the street, give out 1 Book of
Mormon, and 1 Baptismal Invite, this Saturday we were having the hardest time
to get people to listen. We had talked to 54 people and had only taught 4
lessons, with only 1 baptismal invite. It was aweful!! It was 3 minutes before
we had to go home, so we decided to make a deal with God. We told him our
desire to meet standards, and how we wanted to knock on just this one apartment
that had a light on inside. If we could hand out this Book of Mormon, Doi
Shimai would pass off a lesson mastery (a program we have to get our Japanes
better) and I would practice a lesson on her since I have already passed my
lesson mastery off. We make the deal, knock on the door and the guy says his
tub is filling up, so he has to go. But we just pulled out the BoM and told him
if he read this by himself he can learn more about our message. HE TOOK IT! He
took the BOOK OF MORMON! We were so excited, we were on such a high! it was
amazing! Don't worry, we kept our end of the promise as well! God always keeps
His promises if you have good desires!
Well I love you all, I will probably email next Saturday so
I can go to the temple, so it will be earlier than usual! love you!
xoxo
Messer Shimai
My wonderful roommates! |
Making rice balls at ward activity |
Playing with children at ward activity |