Hado.
Thanks for all your emails! I will say lots of prayers this week. I definitely pray more than I ever have in my entire life as a missionary, but that's because IT WORKS.
Let's see. This week.
So I live with another set of sisters, but we were told this week that we are now basically a foursome since three of us are so new to the mission field. It's a good time. We've just been going on lots of exchanges so that we can all learn from each other. Because believe me, I need a lot of help. Sister Nagamine is such a gem and takes care of all of us poor lost souls who feel like we don't know exactly how to do this thing / speak Japanese.
We're still super struggling to find people to teach. But we had a meeting with the Bishop yesterday and determined that our area has 10x the population of Salt Lake, so it's definitely not for lack of people. Our new favorite and most effective approach to streeting is to yell at people in English. After a bit of trial-and-error, we decided that most people are more responsive if you say it with an Asian accent, otherwise most people don't understand you (hadoooo, howww areee youuuu?). Or pretend not to, haha. But it makes people smile, so at least we can do that. I'm really trying to work on my enthusiasm.
We're teaching this super incredible family that was a referral from the bishop's wife, who became friends with the mother when she was out walking the dog. The mother texted us with her favorite scripture the other day (Alma 32!), and I about cried I was so happy. They're just so faithful. And they have the cutest little girls. They come to our kids English class that we teach every Saturday morning, and they always come in their ukatas (spring kimono?). Having the opportunity to meet incredible families like theirs makes those long days of feeling like no one wants to listen gives you so much hope.
This week was very enjoyable in terms of food. Last Monday, Sister Bagley and I were in a pinch before an appointment, so we ran into Denny's before we had to be to the next place. It was almost like being back in Provo, except I wasn't wearing a hoodie and leggings at 1am eating syrupy pancakes and was instead sitting in a blouse eating an avocado meat patty thing with veggies trying to figure out how to invite the businessman next to us to church. It was also kind of expensive. Who would have thought? Also, my baking addiction came back since finding out that the microwave turns into an oven. Some good soul left us a box of expired cake mix so I mixed it up with some yogurt and threw it in a sketchy looking pan, and voila. Happiness.
Today we went to Asakusa with our friend Ramo-chan, who just got baptized a month or so ago. We visited the Buddhist temple there and ate lots of ice cream. Ramo-chan never ceases to amaze me. We made specific plans to dendo (proselyte) on the train the entire way to Asakusa, and Ramo-chan is so pumped about missionary work. Her mother just got baptized last week, and it's so strengthening to see how entire families are blessed by the faith of a single person. Sister Bagley and I probably weren't as effective as Ramo-chan, as we sat down and said hello to some people, and they immediately started signing frantically to each other. Of course we would sit by three deaf people. I didn't really get to invite them to church.
That's all for today. We'll just keep pressing forward, and it'll all be okay. When I first left on my mission, I started making a list of the tender mercies that I see every day. It helps keep things in perspective. Some days are hard, but the gospel brings us so much hope!
Love, Magi-chan
P.S. I'll send more pictures next week. The computer is freaking out on me and I have three minutes before I become a disobedient missionary, haha. Loves!
P.P.S. While on the subject of computers, rumor has it that this mission is getting iPad's next year as part of a pilot program. Awwww yeah.
Pic 1: Sister Bagley and I went grocery shopping. Sister Christensen didn't really like it.
(Monday, August 25, 2013)
No comments:
Post a Comment