So I think this week I'm going to start off with the Disney reference, and
then every thing else will all make sense. This week's is from the Little
Mermaid. Do you all remember that song "Poor Unfortunate Souls"? If you don't, I
don't blame you, I was hiding under my blanket when it came on. To summarize,
Ariel, the little mermaid, wishes to have legs so that she can be with her
prince. The sea witch promises that she will, if the little mermaid will give
her voice in return. At this request, Ariel is slightly confused. she asks how
she is supposed to make her prince fall in love with her if she doesn't have her
voice. To which the sea witch replies "you have your looks, your pretty face!
And don't forget the importance of body language, ha."
While I'm not a little mermaid and I'm not trying to "get a man", I do have
this little itty bitty problem that I cannot speak Japanese for the life of me -
I don't have my voice. I do, however, remember the advice my Grandma gave me in
her first letter she sent to the MTC: "smile". I have my body language, I have
my face and I have my smile. In every way I act, I can try to express this love
I have for the people here. I can express my desire to help out in any way I
can. I can smile.
Chiyo san is a widow who lives by herself about 30 minutes by bike from our
apartment. We try to visit her every Thursday, but she lately she has been sick.
I finally met her for the first time this week on Tuesday. We came in her entry
way for a minute or two to ask how she was and to introduce the new missionary
to the area. I introduced myself in the two or three sentences that I know how
to say and then just stood and smiled while my companion explained more about me
to Chiyo san in Japanese. After a while she said "yasashiso", which means she
seems nice (silent high five for body language!).
On thursday she texted us and told us we could visit her. We came over and
as we took off our shoes in her entry way, she proceeded to tell us that she had
told her friends about us. She told them that when she opened the door and saw
me smiling on Tuesday, she thought I was smiling and glowing. She thought I was
an angel! After we had left that day she said she went into the other room and
felt her eyes fill with tears.
No, I'm not an angel - and my little sisters will tell you that I'm quite
opposite. But the one thing I do know is that I can smile.
Don't underestimate the power of a smile.
