Week 79 - The Last Email

Dear family and friends.

And then comes the strange day when you're sitting in church and
realize ... you will no longer be craning your neck in a 360 looking
to see who came to church, checking the phone for last minute
cancellations, going over the to-do list of members to talk to at
church, etc. etc. the typical chaos of Sunday as a missionary ... and
it's a really bittersweet thing.

President Budge calls this morning. "Sister Willden, you're being
transferred to Sado." Wouldn't that be something. "Actually, we will
just ship you across the ocean." And then I cried a little inside.

It's been eighteen beautiful, crazy months, and I wouldn't give this
experience back for anything. As I ponder on the things I have learned
in this span of time, it's hard to really articulate it into anything
coherent, but I'll just leave it at this: God is real, the Atonement
is real, and the plan is perfect.

1. God is real. We all know that faith precedes miracles (Ether 12:6)
but miracles do not produce faith. However, in the millions of
miracles I have seen thus on my mission, there is no way under heaven
could ever deny God's existence or the reality of His power. Lives
changing through the gospel of Jesus Christ. People finding something
beyond themselves that brings an unimaginable joy.

2. The Atonement is real. From my first transfer to my last, I have
become incredibly aware of my flaws. And oh how they abound. But, in
those moments that I couldn't do it on my own, and even in the moments
that I could do it alone, I think of the Savior and of the magnitude
of His sacrifice, and suddenly there is a power far greater beyond us
that carries me to new heights.

3. The plan is perfect. The gospel of Jesus Christ is simple. Faith in
Christ, repentance, baptism, gift of the Holy Ghost, endure to the end
= eternal life. It's the happiest way. It's the only way. (2 Nephi
31:20).

One of my best friends is getting baptized tomorrow. Cindy moved here
months ago from China, no sort of religion or belief in God, for that
matter. One day she saw the church steeple and decided to take a
different route the next day so she could see it. That day she met the
missionaries. I couldn't ask for a huger miracle. How lucky I am to
end my mission this way.

Except it's not over yet. I will not stop being a missionary after I
return home :)

I am so grateful for all of you. The prayers, letters, emails,
surprise packages, thoughts. They mean the world to me, and I'm so
lucky.

See you on Friday.
Love, Sister Margaret Willden

(Monday, December 15)

Week 78 - Going Home Next Week

Dear family and friends. 

Well, it was a busy week. We were running back and forth to Tokyo for meetings and such and Sister Dopp and I would collapse on the floor every night at 9:31 after nightly planning BUT I am nevertheless thrilled to be what I am doing and am embracing every minute of it. Also I am pretty sure there are people in this world who are busier than I am. 

I attended MLC for the last time in Tokyo and was feeling overly sentimental about it all. There's an incredible spirit at those meetings and it's incredible getting to be part of planning for the mission. As I pounded out the mission song on the piano for the last time, I was just felt so blessed to be part of such a work, and so blessed that God trusted me enough with the chance to share such an important message for eighteen months. The message is perfect, even when I am not. Thank goodness people can get past that sometimes. 

Earlier this week we're on the rapid back from Tokyo, and Sister Dopp sits next to a lady. "The sky is pretty, isn't it?" she says. The lady realizes Sister Dopp is not Japanese (how many times have I heard, "I thought you were Japanese until you opened your mouth ... "), sees the missionary tag, and begins telling her whole life story, including the part where she went on a ski trip to Utah and read the Book of Mormon in English. "I came back to Japan and couldn't find the church. Where is it?" It's a Christmas miracle! 

You might also remember King Benjamin lady who I referred to last week. Well, we were finally able to meet her this week. We walk into her darling home with handmade quilts from her 104-year old mother, and she says, "You're here to teach me. I want to learn about how to find true happiness. Teach me." She's pretty incredible. 

I was filled with an overwhelming sense of gratitude this week. Gratitude for the members who go far beyond to help the work of the Lord go forth like one of my best member friends who picked us up for Indo curry and bought us cake, ice cream, and 杏仁豆腐 because she was sincerely worried about our body weight, or the bishop's family who tells us to bring investigators for dinner literally any day of the week. Gratitude for a companion who is unendingly patient with my flaws and quirks. Gratitude for a family and an incredible mother who thinks of the tiniest details. 

Gratitude for the Savior, because of whom all things are possible.

"19 And he who receiveth all things with thankfulness shall be made glorious; and the things of this earth shall be added unto him, even an hundred fold, yea, more." --D&C 78:19

See you next week! Love you all! 

Love, Sister Margaret Willden

(Monday, December 8)

Pic 1: This is the Christmas tree from our Eikaiwa student Jimmy,
balloon maker extraordinaire.
Pic 2: I LOVE HER. (Sister Mondano, my former companion of six months on the Sado Island!) 
Pic 3: The Yoshida Family from Chiba came to Togane for church. Happy
1-year anniversary on her baptism!
Pic 4: I don't really like vending machines, but the vending machines
in Japan are a thing to behold. I am clutching my new favorite, "Weird
milk that tastes like pudding."

Week 77

Dear family and friends. 

It's December. CAN YOU FEEL CHRISTMAS IN THE AIR? Last night, lying in my futon, I could hardly sleep I was so excited. No, really. I sat there for about two hours, did a little bit of yoga to try to fall asleep, counted things, did weird relaxation techniques I learned in Performance Psychology 259 at BYU, but to no avail. I LOVE CHRISTMAS. 

And oh how the Christmas miracles are swirling. 

On Tuesday we were standing on the train ride home, trying to talk to a Chinese lady who happened to speak neither English nor Japanese. An 50ish year old lady walks up so us, looks at the Chinese woman and says, "Where you from?" No answer. She looks at us. "Where you from? Utah?" We tell her we are missionaries. She looks at the Book of Mormon Sister Dopp is holding and says, "Who's that one king in the Book of Mormon? Oh yeah, King Benjamin. I love King Benjamin." KING BENJAMIN? Oh my gosh. This lady loves King Benjamin. She hands us her address and gets off the train. It was the craziest 30 second exchange of my life. We are going to visit her soon. 

On Thursday we went and visited some referrals that we had visited a million times but could never get in contact with. Sister Dopp and I have been trying to make use of the "He is the Gift" video that the church recently put out (if you haven't seen it, click here and please do so: http://www.mormon.org/christmas?cid=HPFR112814529). 

The lady we want to meet is just getting out of her car with her husband and a million dogs and looks like she is in no position to talk to us, so we awkwardly debate what to do and begin walking down the opposite flight of stairs to make a game plan. Just then, another lady is walking UP the stairs and stops and smiles at us widely. I mumble, "Hi nice purse." (My favorite conversation starter). She immediately engages us in conversation. Turns out she met the missionaries at work one day. She serves food at funerals. We show her the video standing on the staircase. Her face softens and she shares of the peace she felt. She runs into her apartment and gives us cake. She tells us to come back another day. The Light of Christ has a true and undeniable effect on people. Missionary work always has its perks, but the strawberry vanilla cake was a marvelous added bonus. We'll be back for dog lady. 

Sunday. We attended a baptism in Urayasu (home to Disneyland) for an eighteen year old girl who moved here from TWO WEEKS AGO. Our friend C---- came with, and the baptism and confirmation was all conducted in Chinese and it couldn't have been more perfect. Even more perfect, we had the help of President Budge, Elder Lee (an elder in our Ward from Hong Kong), the very recently baptized friend, and the Chinese recent convert who baptized her, all testifying to our friend of the blessings of the gospel in Chinese (with the exception of President Budge ... a mixture of Japanese and English). I'm almost motivated to learn Mandarin now. 

Last Tuesday I gave my departing testimony in zone conference. Every missionary gets up and states the cliché "I never thought this day would come ..." and well ... I always knew this day would come. I pretty much just stood up in front of everyone and bawled in unintelligible English about how much I love being a missionary. Because nothing warms your heart more than getting to share with people how much you love the Savior. 

I read this the other day. Says Elder Holland: "You can’t separate Bethlehem from Gethsemane or the hasty flight into Egypt from the slow journey to the summit of Calvary. It’s of one piece. It is a single plan. It considers ‘the fall and rising again of many in Israel’ [Luke 2:34], but always in that order. Christmas is joyful not because it is a season or decade or lifetime without pain and privation, but precisely because life does hold those moments for us.”

Christmas is not a season, but almost an attitude of sorts. To be had in our hearts all year long. Are you sharing the gift of our Savior? 

Love you all. Thanks always for your thoughts and prayers. I'm praying for you too. 

Love, Sister Margaret Willden 

(Monday, December 2)

Pic 1: Last temple p-day ever. I wanted to cry. 

Pic 2: A family showed up on our doorstep at 10pm on Thanksgiving night with homemade turkey and potatoes. Apparently she had been working on it all day for the missionaries and had a little mishap "but wanted the missionaries to have something American to eat." This is the same family that left cake on our doorstep last week. We don't deserve such kindness. 

Pic 3: Today I had the intention of splurging on something in Tokyo. I spent a total of thirty dollars. So I splurged on a pumpkin crepe instead from a stand in Harajuku. A worthy purchase. 

Week 76 - Hey, It Was a Miraculous Week!

Dearest family and friends. 

It's Thanksgiving week, and though I highly doubt I will be eating turkey or mashed potatoes, I feel 110% overjoyed with life because HUGE things are happening in Togane. The Christmas miracle is real! 

This week the miracles just kept on pouring on in. Yesterday, 9 of our friends came to church. I was running around sacrament meeting like a chicken with my head cut off making sure everyone had someone to sit by, but everyone seemed to really enjoy the Primary program and realize how important families are to our church. It was pretty miraculous. 

We had an incredible lesson wit C---- on the gospel of Jesus Christ, and she left completely glowing, saying for the first time ever in the six months of meeting with her, "I think this is all true." She's going to pray tonight about what day she should be baptized. It was pretty miraculous. 

We were able to teach more member-present lessons than I have in my entire mission thus far, though I feel like none of it was due to my efforts. People in ideal circumstances just falling into our laps. It was pretty miraculous. 

I made a cake out of tofu and sugar. And made up a cream cheese frosting to go on top. It feels like it shouldn't taste good. But it did and was the richest, most delicious thing I have ever tasted, if I do say so myself. Also miraculous.

Wednesday was freezing. A member saw us biking in the icy rain (I must have not been smiling when he passed us ... I should try more) and we came home to a box of cake on our doorstep. Delicious miracle. 

We had dinner with our friends M--- and K-----. We showed them a picture of SLC temple and Kazuki says, "I've been there!" Turns out her host family in America took her to temple square years ago. She started talking about "a weird bathtub for being cleansed"--baptisms for the dead! Cue segue into the gospel of Jesus Christ and invitation to be baptized because it's super important (rather, a commandment from God). We told them about eternal marriage in the temple, and they chimed together, "HOW ROMANTIC." Pretty great is what it is. Miracle. 

As we all know, things do not always go perfectly, however. Our friend fed us some persimmons. And I am always grateful for warm hospitality. I love persimmons, but as I started eating it, my lips swelled up really weird and my throat closed up and I thought I was dying (exaggeration). This was just as I was trying to explain what faith in Christ meant. Fortunately she gave us some spicy crackers next. We kind of mumbled our way through and excused ourselves. We walked out of the lesson and Sister Dopp says, "Does your chest burn?" And I said, "Do you feel terrible?" Fortunately we were able to book it to Seven-Eleven and were saved by the hot cocoa. Lesson learned: be careful what persimmons you eat. 

This entire past week I've been having those moments of just pure cheesy missionary love, where I just feel "AHHH I LOVE MISSIONARY WORK SO MUCH I JUST WANT TO SQUEEZE EVERYONE I SEE." Most weeks I am feeling the joy of the work but this work it was particularly there. This is accompanied by moments where I am on my bicycle, alone in my thoughts, when I start thinking about how much I am going to miss it all and tears just start welling up in my eyes. And then, I came to the realization that missionary work does not end in a few weeks. 

Sister Dopp and I have to be going home soon. We are training on member missionary work, recent convert retention, and less active reactivation and have some prepping to do. In preparation I was studying the Spirit of Elijah this morning. (Small side note: did you know ... the parentage of Elijah is unknown. Ironic, considering he held the keys for sealing power and is generally who we always tie family history work to. I love the Bible Dictionary). 

Ahh, it's everything's so great! I love missionary work. I love the gospel. I love my Savior Jesus Christ. Happy Thanksgiving!

love, sister margaret willden. 

(Monday, November 24)

Philippians 4:16 

Pic 1: cake on our doorstep. 

Pic 2: latest culinary adventure. Sorry I sent pictures of nothing but cake this week.

Week 75 - Home in a Month!

Dear friends and family. 

It's gotten pretty cold here. I wondered if it was a bad idea to ship my winter coat home early but then I remembered that I only have a month left and then I get all worked up about that snd forget that I was cold in the first place. It's horribly exciting, and excitingly horrible, all at the same time. The going home part, I mean. 

We had lunch with a lady who we met on the street the other day. Her uncle had just recently died and was sure that our meeting was a sign from God. I think so too. Over some delicious eggplant bacon pizza, she told us how she didn't really know much about Christianity except for those "two really handsome foreigners from Salt Lake who wore name badges. Do you know that church?" It was a miracle sent from above. She came to church with us on Sunday and was half confused why Sister Dopp and I were not wearing habits, but she enjoyed it all the same. She also thinks Tom Cruise is really handsome. 

Also, there was the day our recent convert informed us she was almost going to skip church next week to go on a date with a man from the Japanese mafia. But then she decided against it when the Relief Society President informed her it would be better to marry someone in the temple. That was a close one. Forever families are a really great thing. I just realize how incredibly much I love my family being separated by the distance. 

Per the recommendation of a most wise mission president, I was directed to Elder Neal A. Maxwell's talk, "Content with the Things Allotted unto Us". While it, in true Elder Maxwell fashion, contains far more literary references and deep doctrine than my brain can grasp, it reminded me of several things. 

ONE. Be content with what I have. 

TWO. Don't fall into apathy and be content behaviorally. 

THREE. Being content is not a state of being, but rather, a participative action. 

"The Lord knows our circumstances and the intents of our hearts, and surely the talents and gifts He has given us. He is able to gauge perfectly how we have performed within what is allotted to us, including by lifting up some of the many surrounding hands that hang down. Thus, yearning for expanded opportunities while failing to use those at hand is bad form spiritually.

What we could and have done within our allotted acreage, therefore, is known perfectly by the Master of the vineyard."

Click here: https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2000/04/content-with-the-things-allotted-unto-us?lang=eng&query=Content+wi 

Heavenly Father's got some pretty big plans for us. Sometimes we just get in the way. 

Anyways. That's all I've got. Thanks for all your love. I'm praying for you! 

Love, Sister Margaret Willden

(Monday, November 17)

Pic 1:  We are so happy.
Pic 2: Today I ate some vegan food. It was magic and we became best
friends with the owner.

Week 74

Dear family and friends.

I wrote an email earlier but somehow it got wiped.

So. Take two.

When I look back on this week, it felt like a lot of meetings,
meetings to plan for more meetings. I enjoy myself a good meeting
every once in a while, but I decided that I get antsy as a missionary
when I'm not on the street getting to talk to someone about the
gospel. A strange, but somewhat rewarding realization / revelation I
had about myself today.

I made the mistake of looking at the calendar today (who's counting)
and realized that I have exactly 40 DAYS left in the field. I often
feel urgent, but today it was kind of reminiscent of "I have to give a
concert in two days and I haven't touched that Chopin étude in 3
weeks" kind of urgent.

Fortunately, I can be a missionary for the rest of my life. Problem solved.

I've been also having these moments of intense cheesy missionary
love--where I love the work I'm doing, love the people I'm working
with, love the awkwardness of loving people who don't really love you
back, just LOVING LOVE. Almost to the point of tears. I've never
considered myself a terribly sentimental person, but I've become so
incredibly aware of how love is at the core of the gospel, and if
everyone just had a little more love in their beings, the world would
be a more beautiful place.

Anyway. About the work. My favorite moment of the week: we had made a
jar of scriptures written on little bits of paper for one of our
friends. I'm normally not the cutesy type of missionary that takes
cues from Enrichment Night but ... you do what you gotta do. We show
up to the lesson, and she has a scripture from the jar pulled, with
REPENTANCE ENOS 1:4-8 written on it. And I felt squirmy. Sometimes
missionaries struggle with "bold but not overbearing," but it's a work
in process. I was hoping the first scripture she would pull would be
sort of "rainbows and smiles" type of scripture ... So ... Anyway, she
sits down and says, "I've been feeling lately that repentance is
really important. I've never thought about this in my entire life but
I just think it's really really important and I want to do it."

When we met months ago I felt like our first interaction was something
of, "Hey, sure you can come over, you two little cute foreign girls."
But the interest has changed, because the Atonement is more real than
you can ever imagine.

I love her so much. She's pretty great. And loves the ward. And can't
figure out why she wants to cry in sacrament meeting. "IT'S THE
SPIRIT, FRIEND, AND ISN'T IT GREAT?" Seeing how people change through
the gospel of Jesus Christ is one of the most incredible things,
especially when the change is literally right before your eyes.

There's a lot of other great things about the week. I baked a batch of
peanut butter cookies from pancake batter and melted chocolate
truffles from last Christmas. It was a hit with all of our friends, if
I do say so myself :)

One of our friends calls us and says, "I normally don't become friends
with people I just meet somewhere random (it's okay--me neither), but
there is something different about you." It's not us; it's the gospel.
With the gospel of Jesus Christ, there's always something to smile
about.

Have a terrific week. Loves to you all.

Love, Sister Margaret Willden

(Monday, November 10)

Pic 1: look at this nice electric line isn't it beautiful
Pic 2: our friend Cindy gave us flowers from her Ikebana class at school!

Week 73

Dear family and friends. 

Well, it looks like I will be spending my very last transfer of my mission here in Togane. 18 months, three areas, four transfers each. It definitely satisfies my affinity for nice, even things. Not to mention, the work in Togane is on fire, and I'm so grateful to be allowed to be in the thick of it. 

This week was full of many good things. Too many good things. Here are some of them. Ready, set, go. 

1. President Budge just happens to be good friends with one of the main priests at the Meiji Jingu Shrine in the heart of Tokyo, so we were fortunate to take a tour of the shrine. Lately there has been a huge emphasis on learning how to relate to people in a non-Christian nation. From day one in the field  I have wished I had a "Shintoism for Dummies" to refer to and so ... last Thursday was marvelous. I suppose all the French and Polish and Japanese people in the park were wondering what 20 Mormon missionaries were doing wandering around a Shinto shrine with a bunch of headsets, but it was an invaluable look into the school of thought for so many that we teach. More than anything, I was just struck by how grateful that the gospel of Jesus Christ is so clear and simple, and makes both sense in my mind and heart, as well as a newfound appreciation for this land. 

2. Today we went to a festival at the local international university in Togane with one of our friends. I ate Polish pancakes from our Polish friends, a basil-y cheese bread from our soon-to-be Brazilian friends, fried mochi from our Chinese friends, and sipped boba as I tried to explain why we don't drink tea or alcohol to another of our friends. In return she tried to teach us about belly dancing. I'm not sure we were very good students, but it was really nice of her. 

3. And then the police called us and told us they found Sister Dopp's bike, a forty-five minute ride out abandoned in the parking lot of Avail, a retail-chain here in Japan. When the police brought it to our doorstep, we found the seat had been lowered all the way. A midget stole Sister Dopp's bike, rode a million miles, and then tried to do some retail therapy, but to no AVAIL. #pitylaugh (Japanese people really like puns. Do you?) 

4. And then there was the day we went housing and ONE DOOR opened. She comes out, let's us give our little introductory spiel, and she says, "Can't you read the door? I'm Buddhist." She points to a little sticker written in Korean. "Sorry ma'am, we don't speak Korean," we say. For reasons I can't explain, we keep talking and talking, even though she insists she has zero interest. Just as we are about to walk away, she says, "Come inside my house. You look freezing." I later thanked Sister Dopp for having the foresight to not wear tights on a rainy day. She makes us the most AMAZING drink (to this day I'm not sure what it was, other than it was NOT tea or coffee and was this almond-y mug of goodness) and begins telling us how every Christian person she has ever met has turned out to be a hypocrite. What ensued in the next forty-five minutes was an enlightening discussion on the meaning of true Christianity. 

James 1:27. Isn't this what it's all about? Also, I love the Bible. 

Have a marvelous week. Thanks always for your love and prayers. Go share the gospel with someone today. 

Love, Sister Margaret Willden 

(Monday, November 3)

Sent from my iPad

Pic 1: Good wishes from visitors all over the world at the shrine. 

Pic 2: MEIJI JINGU. 

Pic 3: Polish pancakes, courtesy of our Polish friends. 

Pic 4: My model friend Helen, enjoying the maple leaves of Togane.