Your missionary will be returning on Friday, Dec 19 2014.
(Wednesday, May 14)
on the sandwich and a steinway: wanderlusts and meanderings through all things lovely
Wednesday, May 28, 2014
Week 51
Hi everyone!
The first half of the week was spent in the hospital, the second half
spent in Tokyo, so dendō time was limited but oh-so inspiring.
I had my second official hospital visit this week (not including that
one time I was born). Sister Mondano and I were the only ones in the
waiting room under the age of 70 and was quite the 6-hour adventure.
[Hospital paperwork takes ten million times longer when it's all
written in kanji]. We were also pleasantly surprised to find that
while getting your blood drawn they play the theme song from "My
Neighbor Totoro" to mitigate the queasiness, or something.
This week we also had the AMAZING opportunity to go down south to
Tokyo to visit the temple and attend a two-mission conference to hear
Elder Cook and Maynes speak. The Niigata missionaries (30 of us) got
on a bus and drove all day, thanks to one very nice Japanese bus
driver man (who did not get away without receiving a Book of Mormon).
A little miracle ... We arrived at the temple early so Sister Mondano
and I decided to go talk to all the foreigners on the street (she
served in the English-speaking Tokyo 1st Ward for three transfers and
only talked to gaijin during that time). We walked through a park,
jumped on some lily pads, and talked to a Filipina whose family
happens to be very Mormon while she is not yet. She agreed to meet
with the Tokyo 1st sisters next week. A miraculous fifteen minutes.
We some 200-plus missionaries gathered in Kichijouji and heard from
Elders Cook, Maynes, and Whiting (of the area presidency). All in all,
the theme was "You are the ward and branch builders, not the Church's
marketing force," and people are prepared to hear the gospel
everywhere, even in a non-Christian nation. All the talks were much
more eloquently put, but the sentiment is the same: God lives, so
don't be afraid and tell everyone you meet. [This applies to both
full-time missionaries and member missionaries].
Well that's all I've got. Read your scriptures, say your prayers, and
go to church and all will be well. Love you all!
Love,
Sister Margaret Willden
(Monday, May 26)
Pic 1: 6 hour bus ride, yummy 7-Eleven salad with some chopsticks.
Pic 2: Somewhere in the mountains of Nagaoka.
Pic 3: It's been too long!
Pic 4: Tokyo Temple, Hiroo.
Pic 5: Sister Christensen, my lovely second transfer companion. My trainer.
Pic 6: My craving for Indo curry for the last 5 months is finally
satisfied, thanks to our friends from Nepal and naan twice the size of
my head.
The first half of the week was spent in the hospital, the second half
spent in Tokyo, so dendō time was limited but oh-so inspiring.
I had my second official hospital visit this week (not including that
one time I was born). Sister Mondano and I were the only ones in the
waiting room under the age of 70 and was quite the 6-hour adventure.
[Hospital paperwork takes ten million times longer when it's all
written in kanji]. We were also pleasantly surprised to find that
while getting your blood drawn they play the theme song from "My
Neighbor Totoro" to mitigate the queasiness, or something.
This week we also had the AMAZING opportunity to go down south to
Tokyo to visit the temple and attend a two-mission conference to hear
Elder Cook and Maynes speak. The Niigata missionaries (30 of us) got
on a bus and drove all day, thanks to one very nice Japanese bus
driver man (who did not get away without receiving a Book of Mormon).
A little miracle ... We arrived at the temple early so Sister Mondano
and I decided to go talk to all the foreigners on the street (she
served in the English-speaking Tokyo 1st Ward for three transfers and
only talked to gaijin during that time). We walked through a park,
jumped on some lily pads, and talked to a Filipina whose family
happens to be very Mormon while she is not yet. She agreed to meet
with the Tokyo 1st sisters next week. A miraculous fifteen minutes.
We some 200-plus missionaries gathered in Kichijouji and heard from
Elders Cook, Maynes, and Whiting (of the area presidency). All in all,
the theme was "You are the ward and branch builders, not the Church's
marketing force," and people are prepared to hear the gospel
everywhere, even in a non-Christian nation. All the talks were much
more eloquently put, but the sentiment is the same: God lives, so
don't be afraid and tell everyone you meet. [This applies to both
full-time missionaries and member missionaries].
Well that's all I've got. Read your scriptures, say your prayers, and
go to church and all will be well. Love you all!
Love,
Sister Margaret Willden
(Monday, May 26)
Pic 1: 6 hour bus ride, yummy 7-Eleven salad with some chopsticks.
Pic 2: Somewhere in the mountains of Nagaoka.
Pic 3: It's been too long!
Pic 4: Tokyo Temple, Hiroo.
Pic 5: Sister Christensen, my lovely second transfer companion. My trainer.
Pic 6: My craving for Indo curry for the last 5 months is finally
satisfied, thanks to our friends from Nepal and naan twice the size of
my head.
Monday, May 19, 2014
Week 50
Hi dear family and friends!
Here's the week in pictures.
[pic 1] I got a surprise package and was so happy I could die.
Celestial seasonings and Quakes oats, two things I love about America.
My lovely sister-in-law's mother Mickey went to America and brought
all this back for me. She's the best! Sister Mondano and I have been
having a non-caffeinated tea party after our daily planning session.
[pic 2] We went to my grandparents house for a delicious meal of
gyoza, pumpkin potage, and huge slices of bread covered in Nutella and
homemade strawberry jam. Grandma's kitchen is a wonderland. And then
we talked about the Plan of Salvation for an hour about how awesome it
is. (See http://www.mormon.org/beliefs/plan-of-salvation for details).
[pic 3] We had the Niigata sisters come to Sado for an exchange, and I
got to spend the day with Sister Jones. All our friends wanted a
picture with a "real, live American" because I don't really make the
cut. People audibly gasped when we went housing because no one was
expecting to see a blonde blue-eyed girl show up on their doorstep.
[pic 4] On Sunday we said goodbye to Sister Lin, who is moving back to
the Philippines with her two little boys. The branch is so sad to see
her go, but we know it's for the best!
[pic 5] Our post-church 食事会 (literally means dinner meeting) to say
goodbye to Sister Lin and her family. It was a lot of food. And very
oishii.
[pic 6] My two favorite kids! (Next to my little brother). We gave
Hikaru the Book of Mormon picture book and the next time we came he
told us he read the story of Laban getting his head chopped off and
loved it. Go figure.
There's currently some sort of cycling marathon going on in Sado so we
are constantly competing with 40-year old men wearing spandex whenever
we go bike anywhere. People stand on the streets and cheer them on,
and then stare at us really weird when we pass. We love it. There's
one man who wears devil horns and has a pitchfork strapped to his bike
who we've spotted a couple of times. I wish I had a picture of it.
This morning, I was rereading one of my all-time favorite talks, "Of
Regrets and Resolutions"by President Uchtdorf
(https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2012/10/of-regrets-and-resolutions?lang=eng&media=video).
I first heard this talk when I was at BYU playing the piano, a little
[a lot] stressed that my Chopin étude and Bach Toccata were not yet
perfect. Yes, it was my major, and yes, it was important, but other
things were falling to the wayside, and this talk shifted my focus for
the better.
President Uchtdorf reminds us to be happy NOW. "Life is not meant to
be appreciated only in retrospect." Furthermore, he reminds us to not
forget what it is that we are here for. "When it comes to living the
gospel, we should not be like the boy who dipped his toe in the water
and then claimed he went swimming. As sons and daughters of our
Heavenly Father, we are capable of so much more. For that, good
intentions are not enough. We must do. Even more important, we must
become what Heavenly Father wants us to be." I feel like if everyone
remembered / knew this, the world would be a lot different.
And there it is. This week we are headed to Tokyo for a conference
with a real, live apostle, Elder Cook! So I will hopefully have some
interesting tidbits to share next week.
Love you all!
Sister Margaret Willden
(May 19, 2014)
Here's the week in pictures.
Celestial seasonings and Quakes oats, two things I love about America.
My lovely sister-in-law's mother Mickey went to America and brought
all this back for me. She's the best! Sister Mondano and I have been
having a non-caffeinated tea party after our daily planning session.
[pic 2] We went to my grandparents house for a delicious meal of
gyoza, pumpkin potage, and huge slices of bread covered in Nutella and
homemade strawberry jam. Grandma's kitchen is a wonderland. And then
we talked about the Plan of Salvation for an hour about how awesome it
is. (See http://www.mormon.org/beliefs/plan-of-salvation for details).
[pic 3] We had the Niigata sisters come to Sado for an exchange, and I
got to spend the day with Sister Jones. All our friends wanted a
picture with a "real, live American" because I don't really make the
cut. People audibly gasped when we went housing because no one was
expecting to see a blonde blue-eyed girl show up on their doorstep.
[pic 4] On Sunday we said goodbye to Sister Lin, who is moving back to
the Philippines with her two little boys. The branch is so sad to see
her go, but we know it's for the best!
[pic 5] Our post-church 食事会 (literally means dinner meeting) to say
goodbye to Sister Lin and her family. It was a lot of food. And very
oishii.
[pic 6] My two favorite kids! (Next to my little brother). We gave
Hikaru the Book of Mormon picture book and the next time we came he
told us he read the story of Laban getting his head chopped off and
loved it. Go figure.
There's currently some sort of cycling marathon going on in Sado so we
are constantly competing with 40-year old men wearing spandex whenever
we go bike anywhere. People stand on the streets and cheer them on,
and then stare at us really weird when we pass. We love it. There's
one man who wears devil horns and has a pitchfork strapped to his bike
who we've spotted a couple of times. I wish I had a picture of it.
This morning, I was rereading one of my all-time favorite talks, "Of
Regrets and Resolutions"by President Uchtdorf
(https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2012/10/of-regrets-and-resolutions?lang=eng&media=video).
I first heard this talk when I was at BYU playing the piano, a little
[a lot] stressed that my Chopin étude and Bach Toccata were not yet
perfect. Yes, it was my major, and yes, it was important, but other
things were falling to the wayside, and this talk shifted my focus for
the better.
President Uchtdorf reminds us to be happy NOW. "Life is not meant to
be appreciated only in retrospect." Furthermore, he reminds us to not
forget what it is that we are here for. "When it comes to living the
gospel, we should not be like the boy who dipped his toe in the water
and then claimed he went swimming. As sons and daughters of our
Heavenly Father, we are capable of so much more. For that, good
intentions are not enough. We must do. Even more important, we must
become what Heavenly Father wants us to be." I feel like if everyone
remembered / knew this, the world would be a lot different.
And there it is. This week we are headed to Tokyo for a conference
with a real, live apostle, Elder Cook! So I will hopefully have some
interesting tidbits to share next week.
Love you all!
Sister Margaret Willden
(May 19, 2014)
Week 49
HELLO!
Happy Mother's Day to my dearest mother, as well as mamas all over the
world. You're the best! Last night Sister Mondano and I were
reflecting on the week and thought, "A lot of stuff happened this
week." (AKA we are sort of tired, but tired is good, and we could
always be more tired). So here is the lot of stuff that happened:
On Thursday and Friday, we were in Niigata for exchanges and a zone
training meeting. (Did you know H&M has come to Niigata? The sign of
true civilization). Sister Amituanai, my lovely friend from Australia,
was my companion and we taught the Restoration to an 85-year old lady
sitting on a curb, and a 30-something year old lady with a cat and a
bright pink beanie, and fed us the newest flavor of Calpis (melon!).
Lady with the beanie says that life is a movie and that the church is
true in our movie but not in hers. (A very original way to say no
thank you). But I read a talk today that said for every 1,000 people
talked to during tracting, 1 person joins the church, so I guess we
will just talk to 998 more people.
On Saturday, we had 2 baptisms! [see picture] The branch building is
not exactly equipped with a built-in font so we blew up a pool and
stuck it in the kitchen. Which meant no one could use the bathroom
unless someone picked you up and threw you across the pool. Literally.
Anyway, meet our friends Lin and Hikaru, who we met barely two months
ago. One day we were sitting by the side of the road waiting for the
bus, a little bummed that a lesson had fell through. We saw her across
the street and she called out to us, "Filipina ka din ba?" (Are you
also Filipino?) Sister Mondano calls out, "Opo, pinay po ako." (YES.)
We exchanged contact information, made an appointment to visit her,
and the rest is history. SHE'S AMAZING. She has a testimony of gold.
And we are forever grateful that the lesson fell through that day.
To keep with the theme of baptism, here is an excerpt from Elder
Bednar: "Just as a cucumber is transformed into a pickle as it is
immersed in and saturated with salt brine, so you and I are born again
as we are absorbed by and in the gospel of Jesus Christ. The spiritual
rebirth described in this verse [Mosiah 5:7] typically does not occur
quickly or all at once; it is an ongoing process--not a single event.
Line upon line and precept upon precept, gradually and almost
imperceptibly, our motives, our thoughts, our words, and our deeds
become aligned with the will of God. This phase of the transformation
process requires time, persistence, and patience."
I'm still no pickle. But I don't get too bent up about it, because
it's all about BEING pickled, and there is always hope that we can get
there with the gospel. Love you all!
Love, Sister Margaret Willden
Quotable quote for the week: To believe in God is to know that all
the rules will be fair, and that there will be wonderful surprises.
-Ugo Betti
Pic 1: It's a Filipino breakfast sort of day. Eggs, rice, and chicken
that is dyed red.
Pic 2: Companions for a day!
Pic 3: Happy baptism day! Note: find Hikaru some smaller pants.
Pic 4: Post baptismal service: the army-pool-turned-baptismal-font.
Whoever invented air pumps, I thank you from the bottom of my heart.
(Monday, May 12)
Happy Mother's Day to my dearest mother, as well as mamas all over the
world. You're the best! Last night Sister Mondano and I were
reflecting on the week and thought, "A lot of stuff happened this
week." (AKA we are sort of tired, but tired is good, and we could
always be more tired). So here is the lot of stuff that happened:
On Thursday and Friday, we were in Niigata for exchanges and a zone
training meeting. (Did you know H&M has come to Niigata? The sign of
true civilization). Sister Amituanai, my lovely friend from Australia,
was my companion and we taught the Restoration to an 85-year old lady
sitting on a curb, and a 30-something year old lady with a cat and a
bright pink beanie, and fed us the newest flavor of Calpis (melon!).
Lady with the beanie says that life is a movie and that the church is
true in our movie but not in hers. (A very original way to say no
thank you). But I read a talk today that said for every 1,000 people
talked to during tracting, 1 person joins the church, so I guess we
will just talk to 998 more people.
On Saturday, we had 2 baptisms! [see picture] The branch building is
not exactly equipped with a built-in font so we blew up a pool and
stuck it in the kitchen. Which meant no one could use the bathroom
unless someone picked you up and threw you across the pool. Literally.
Anyway, meet our friends Lin and Hikaru, who we met barely two months
ago. One day we were sitting by the side of the road waiting for the
bus, a little bummed that a lesson had fell through. We saw her across
the street and she called out to us, "Filipina ka din ba?" (Are you
also Filipino?) Sister Mondano calls out, "Opo, pinay po ako." (YES.)
We exchanged contact information, made an appointment to visit her,
and the rest is history. SHE'S AMAZING. She has a testimony of gold.
And we are forever grateful that the lesson fell through that day.
To keep with the theme of baptism, here is an excerpt from Elder
Bednar: "Just as a cucumber is transformed into a pickle as it is
immersed in and saturated with salt brine, so you and I are born again
as we are absorbed by and in the gospel of Jesus Christ. The spiritual
rebirth described in this verse [Mosiah 5:7] typically does not occur
quickly or all at once; it is an ongoing process--not a single event.
Line upon line and precept upon precept, gradually and almost
imperceptibly, our motives, our thoughts, our words, and our deeds
become aligned with the will of God. This phase of the transformation
process requires time, persistence, and patience."
I'm still no pickle. But I don't get too bent up about it, because
it's all about BEING pickled, and there is always hope that we can get
there with the gospel. Love you all!
Love, Sister Margaret Willden
Quotable quote for the week: To believe in God is to know that all
the rules will be fair, and that there will be wonderful surprises.
-Ugo Betti
Pic 1: It's a Filipino breakfast sort of day. Eggs, rice, and chicken
that is dyed red.
Pic 2: Companions for a day!
Pic 3: Happy baptism day! Note: find Hikaru some smaller pants.
Pic 4: Post baptismal service: the army-pool-turned-baptismal-font.
Whoever invented air pumps, I thank you from the bottom of my heart.
(Monday, May 12)
Monday, May 5, 2014
Week 48 - We have two baptisms this Saturday!
Hello mina,
Today I ate some pig lungs. Sister Mondano didn't tell me what it was
until after because she wanted me to finish what was on my plate. But
I have eaten enough things in my life to know that what I was eating
was not meat. Happy P-Day to us.
Anyways. In brighter news, WE HAVE 2 BAPTISMS THIS SATURDAY. The zone
hasn't had a baptism yet this year so we are so thrilled. More details
to come next week.
This week I have been feeling a particular sense of ... urgency, I
guess is the word.
Earlier this week I got a letter from a dear friend. She wrote, "Some
people say life is too short to be Mormon. But I say that eternity is
too long not to be." Half-joking, 100% the truth. Life is too short to
not be living the way that we should be. #pardonthesermon
This was also the theme of Mission Leadership Council this past week.
The clock is running, but what are we doing about it as missionaries?
Or just normal people in general? (Not that missionaries are not
normal people but you get the point). Are we seizing the opportunities
we have and living up to our potential? As Sister Mondano always says,
"We can always be better..."
This morning I was re-reading the talk from this past conference,
"Your Four Minutes" by Bishop Gary E. Stevenson. "Whatever it may be,
do it now. Don't wait. Your four minutes will pass quickly, and
you'll have eternity to think about what you did in this life."
[heart starts racing with anxiety]. Luckily, we have the gospel of
Jesus Christ, so we don't have to play scientist and experiment with
what we should do in this life.
Reading the talk made me think of auditioning for entrance to music
school my senior year of high school. How you have exactly 8 minutes
to prove whether or not you are worth the school's time, but you've
had the past 18 years of your life to prepare. The faculty can tell
within just a few moments if you've been doing your scales and
arpeggios religiously for the past decade like you should. Yeesh.
As I was just jogging along the beach this morning, listening to all
the frogs croaking and seagulls flying everywhere. And I had the
thought, "Oh my gosh I'm twenty-one years old already and what have I
done with my life until this point?" I know that's not actually that
old, but anyways. It just sort of struck me funny. I have been on
mission exactly 11 months today (happy anniversary), and there's still
so much to do. I guess what I'm saying is, missions are short, life is
short, so seize the day and do something good. Or carpe diem, like all
those preppy schoolboys in the Dead Poets' Society.
Sorry if this was too preachy for you. I guess that is what
missionaries are sent to do. Preach repentance. Thanks for reading.
Love you all!
Sister Margaret Willden
PS: For some extra enlightenment, click the link below. "Your
potential, your privileges." I weep for the little man on the cruise
ship every time I watch this.
https://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2013-01-001-your-potential-your-privileges?category=mormon-messages/mormon-messages-2013&lang=eng
Sent from my iPad
Pic 1: All our friends at Mission Leadership Council. Thank goodness
for technology.
Pic 2: I just couldn't help myself.
Pic 3: Genji Pie, the pie that is warming the hearts of people all
over Japan, including mine. We recently discovered the chocolate variety and couldn't be more pleased.
Today I ate some pig lungs. Sister Mondano didn't tell me what it was
until after because she wanted me to finish what was on my plate. But
I have eaten enough things in my life to know that what I was eating
was not meat. Happy P-Day to us.
Anyways. In brighter news, WE HAVE 2 BAPTISMS THIS SATURDAY. The zone
hasn't had a baptism yet this year so we are so thrilled. More details
to come next week.
This week I have been feeling a particular sense of ... urgency, I
guess is the word.
Earlier this week I got a letter from a dear friend. She wrote, "Some
people say life is too short to be Mormon. But I say that eternity is
too long not to be." Half-joking, 100% the truth. Life is too short to
not be living the way that we should be. #pardonthesermon
This was also the theme of Mission Leadership Council this past week.
The clock is running, but what are we doing about it as missionaries?
Or just normal people in general? (Not that missionaries are not
normal people but you get the point). Are we seizing the opportunities
we have and living up to our potential? As Sister Mondano always says,
"We can always be better..."
This morning I was re-reading the talk from this past conference,
"Your Four Minutes" by Bishop Gary E. Stevenson. "Whatever it may be,
do it now. Don't wait. Your four minutes will pass quickly, and
you'll have eternity to think about what you did in this life."
[heart starts racing with anxiety]. Luckily, we have the gospel of
Jesus Christ, so we don't have to play scientist and experiment with
what we should do in this life.
Reading the talk made me think of auditioning for entrance to music
school my senior year of high school. How you have exactly 8 minutes
to prove whether or not you are worth the school's time, but you've
had the past 18 years of your life to prepare. The faculty can tell
within just a few moments if you've been doing your scales and
arpeggios religiously for the past decade like you should. Yeesh.
As I was just jogging along the beach this morning, listening to all
the frogs croaking and seagulls flying everywhere. And I had the
thought, "Oh my gosh I'm twenty-one years old already and what have I
done with my life until this point?" I know that's not actually that
old, but anyways. It just sort of struck me funny. I have been on
mission exactly 11 months today (happy anniversary), and there's still
so much to do. I guess what I'm saying is, missions are short, life is
short, so seize the day and do something good. Or carpe diem, like all
those preppy schoolboys in the Dead Poets' Society.
Sorry if this was too preachy for you. I guess that is what
missionaries are sent to do. Preach repentance. Thanks for reading.
Love you all!
Sister Margaret Willden
PS: For some extra enlightenment, click the link below. "Your
potential, your privileges." I weep for the little man on the cruise
ship every time I watch this.
https://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2013-01-001-your-potential-your-privileges?category=mormon-messages/mormon-messages-2013&lang=eng
Sent from my iPad
Pic 1: All our friends at Mission Leadership Council. Thank goodness
for technology.
Pic 2: I just couldn't help myself.
Pic 3: Genji Pie, the pie that is warming the hearts of people all
over Japan, including mine. We recently discovered the chocolate variety and couldn't be more pleased.
(Monday, May 5)
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