I'm sitting on a wooden stool in a 7-Eleven in the middle to Shibuya
and it's a beautiful thing. (Also, 7-Eleven's soundtrack consists of
"Girls just wanna have fun" and "Under the Sea." It really sort of
weird). Sister Sticht and I may have grown up around more cows than
skyscrapers, but I love the city in spite of not actually liking to
talk to people that much. Sister Sticht and I did some venturing into
the city and a bit of retail therapy at H&M and Zara, and I think I
felt more at home than I should have. Not exactly culturally
enriching, but entirely satisfying.
Speaking of feeling at home, this morning we went to the Tokyo temple
for our once-a-transfer trip and it was glorious. I always walk out
feeling like I can do a little better, but not in a down-in-the-dumps
sort of way. More like, we all have a lot of potential and it's pretty
much great when you remember you've got God on your side. Yes.
On Thursday Sister Sticht and left Togane for the day and did a little
blitz-ing in Chosei. We arrived early in the morning and set a goal to
find ten new people interested in learning more. We said a lot of
prayers, and I headed out the door with my old MTC companion, Sister
Cheney. It was strange because throughout the day I didn't feel like a
whole lot was being accomplished, but when we took a look at the day,
we realized we had run into exactly ten people who were interested in
the gospel. WHOA. It was one of those moments where I realized that
Heavenly Father is probably dumping a lot more miracles and blessings
in our laps than we realize, and we're just too dim-witted to pick up
on it. So I'm going to work on that.
Also, on a side note, we have a pretty great zone. We told the zone
leaders we liked avocados and ice cream and they put it in our bike
baskets the next day to give us a little pick-me-up as we headed out
for Chosei. If everyone walked around putting avocados and ice cream
in each other's baskets, it would be a pretty fantastic world.
Also, on another very unrelated side note, Sister Sticht and I like to
compare the mosquito bites on our legs. I think I won this week.
This week I was just feeling very humbled and so grateful for the
incredible faith of people everywhere. Yesterday we went to go visit a
member and prayed with her before we went housing in the area, and as
soon as we say "AMEN" she gasps and says, "Oh my gosh I have some
friends down the street I want you to meet." She proceeded to go put
on a frilly cute blouse and hobble down the street with us for the
next two hours introducing us to the entire neighborhood and telling
them they should listen to us. It was kind of great. She had recently
injured her leg and couldn't really walk but her desire to share
something that was so precious to her overrode the pain. Sister Sticht
and I wanted to cry (oh wait, we do that a lot anyway, ha).
I never know how to end these letters. Due to my lack of creativity
I'll just end it with someone else's words (though I'm not sure who
that someone is). "If today, you are a little better than you were
yesterday, then that's enough."
Wise words. The Atonement is real.
Until next week. Farewell. LOVE YOU ALL. Yes, you too.
Love, Sister Margaret Willden
(Monday, September 15)
Pic 1: Possibly one of the last times I go to the Tokyo Temple before
I head back to America ... Rumors swirling ... I hope I'm wrong.
Pic 2: Old friends. Longer hair, probably wider waistlines, but just
as happy as ever.
Pic 3: Avocados and ice cream. Blessings of the gospel.
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