#45 "GUESS FOR YOURSELF AND EMAIL ME BACK THE ANSWER!"

Well this week has been crazy full of activities!

On Monday we cleaned up our apartment and packed everything up, and then on Tuesday we moved apartments, unpacked everything and cleaned up. We didn't transfer, just moving to a newer apartment in our area. It was about time, this last apartment was so old that drinking water from the tap was dangerous. SO needless to say, I'm much happier in our new apartment.

On Wednesday, we taught Tsuchida-san, and talked about the different beings in the Godhead; God the Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost. It was interesting for her that we know them to be separate beings, but one in purpose, Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost reporting to the Big Man in the Upstairs. After our lesson, we hung out with a less-active girl, Rie. She's 17, and other than her older sister who is currently serving a mission in Sapporo, she is the only member in her family. She's struggling a bit with her faith, and hasn't been coming to church since about last year. I know that when I talk to her, though, all she really needs is love. When you give her your love, she opens right up. So she and the sister missionaries have a good relationship, but the ward has yet to connect with her to help her out.

QUICK DETOUR; a couple weeks ago, I learned that it was going to be Girl's Camp (the bestest camp ever) soon for our stake, and I had asked the leaders if anyone had talked to Rie. (Surprise, surprise) None of them had. So I asked them if we could invite her. They told us to go for it, but that she would probably say no because she has no friends at church. One of the leaders even made an off-hand comment that if we wanted to help, we could come with her. I know she was joking, missionaries can't stay overnight. But I heard her say that and thought to myself...challenge accepted.

I got permission from my Mission President, and sure enough Sister Abe and I headed up into the mountains of Gifu on Thursday for a day at Girl's camp. We had invited Rie, and she came for the whole thing (three days long). She was really sad to see us go at the end of the day, but we promised to text her if she ever got lonely (she pretty much had only been talking to us the whole time). I haven't said such sincere prayers in a while as I prayed that night for someone to be Rie's friend. I prayed she would be able to have fun, to make friends, and to feel the Spirit. I just needed her to 'remember who she is; God's daughter, and as such, a one true queen'. (Does that sound familiar to anyone who has watched a Disney movie?)

Friday was pretty normal, and Saturday was transfer calls. That evening I called Rie; she was exhausted but said she had fun. Maybe I can talk to her more later.

Sunday was crazy. I was sick in the morning, so I slept as much as I could and had to give up when it came to that evening's activity. We had a huge dinner at the church with some investigators and church members, that soon got very out of hand. But all in all, it seemed like the investigators had fun, and the members did too, so I'm content.

Exhausted, but content.

Oh yeah, transfer calls... Sister Furukawa decided to go home, so she left, and now Sister Aoki is being transferred to Suwa, in Nagano. So now it's just me and Abe.

And then there were two...

#44 "Home Will Be Where The Heart Is"

Inuyama Castle July, 2014

Sisters: Johnson, Furukawa, Abe, Aoki, Maughn, Urling (front to back)

Do you all know the Disney musical Beauty and the Beast? if not, you should come to Japan. It's playing all over the island, and the posters are in every single train station. This week, as with pretty much every time I ride a train, I was reminded of the musical and in particular, with the song 'Home'. This is the song that Belle sings as she is left alone in her room after she has decided to stay with the Beast forever. The song is actually super pretty, and way fun to sing when you're coming home on your bike from a looooong day. In the song, Belle sings "Is this home? Is this where I should learn to be happy? Try to find something good in this tragic place?". The song continues and she comes to the conclusion that she is not home, because 'home will be where the heart is' and '[her] heart is far, far away. [So] home is too."

Recently in our apartment, Sister Furukawa has been struggling with homesickness, illness, and stress. It seems like she just can't get on top of things. Remember that water-skiing analogy? How you have to just keep holding on, despite the water in your face, and eventually you end up ontop of the water? She's still in the water, holding onto that rope, but she just needs to grip it tighter. Her trainer, Sister Aoki, has tried everything she knows how to do, and has sought so much help from leaders, but after all the advice is said and done, the decision to grip that rope tighter is Sister Furukawa's.

She reminds me a lot of when I first came out on my mission. I was so very homesick, and even sometimes considered going home. But I remember thinking of this song, and how home will be where the heart is. I remember thinking that going home was just not an option for me, I was not going to quit, I need to be here. I then came to the conclusion that I needed to put my heart here, in my area, and then home would surely follow. It's taken some time and patience, but I've found it to be true. Although Belle is right, home is infact where the heart is, I've learned that we have the choice of where we place our hearts. Whether we give them to other people such as family and friends, or put it in things such as cars and houses, our hearts are still ours, and we have the ability to move them and keep them with us.

Home will be where the heart is, but we have the ability to chose what, where, or who, our home is.

#43 "Mother Knows Best"

Do you remember that song from Tangled, when the mother goes on about how she knows better than Rapunzel, and how Rapunzel needs to trust her? Lately these words come to my mind;

"Mother knows best, take it from your Mumsy, on your own you won't survive! Sloppy, under-dressed, immature, clumsy? please, they'll eat you up alive!" 

Partly because the lady who sings it does a really good job and in other part, although she is not (too) sloppy, under-dressed, immature, or clumsy, I worry sometimes that my Bean, my trainee, won't make it on her own. Haha lately I've had my patience tested as I've taught my best in Japanese, but realized that only so much of what I said really went in. I know I just need to take a breath and let the stress go, and realize that while our time together is going fast, I need to teach her what she needs to know. I've come to realize that what I need her to know and what she needs to know are sometimes different. A lot of the times, I find myself on my knees asking Him what she needs to know because He knows better than I do. 

It makes me laugh how they compare training to motherhood...Momma, I have a new-found respect for you. Haha Happy Birthday this week!! I love you.

#42 "You're Mocking Me Aren't You"

So my companion likes to laugh...a lot. There was this one time that we were preparing for a lesson, and I said that I wanted to "mogi" (role play) it before we go just to make sure that I knew all the Japanese I wanted to use, so I didn't have to use my (increasing-in-talent) charades. I hadn't even gotten past saying hello, when she started laughing and just could not stop. And when I say she could not stop, I mean she could. not. stop. I eventually left the room, went into the kitchen, got a snack and came back and she was still laughing...

It's now something we are working on, not laughing too much at Sister Johnson, because apparently she is always making a funny face (I had no idea...). I have to admit there are moments when I stop and, like Buzz from Toy Story, I have a moment of realization, "...you're mocking me, aren't you?". I love to laugh too, but sometimes I just want to work! We're working on finding a balance though, and I think we found one;

The other day we were starting a lesson with a member. We had the other sisters with us, so it was four sister missionaries and this one sister who wants to re-take the missionary lessons. We sat down to teach her and no sooner had I got my first sentence out after the opening prayer then the two Japanese sisters laughed and pointed at my face telling me I had a funny face. I was kind of disappointed. Here I am trying my best to be the best teacher I can be, and they just sit and make fun of me. But before I could act on my almost-frustration, I just took a deep breath and focused on the member. Eventually they grew quiet, and they listened to the message I had prepared. By the end of the lesson, the Spirit was strong. I felt so good going home that night. 

The day before that member lesson, my companion and I had taught an investigator of ours, Tsuchida san. We spent the first half of the lesson teaching English, and the second half teaching gospel. Like the story above, in the beginning, my companion and Tsuchida san as well, just laughed at me when I didn't understand the Japanese they used. They laughed when I stuttered or used the wrong word. But, as I taught them the Plan of Salvation, and shared my testimony of how I know that it is true, they grew quiet. I shared the story of how my dad strengthened my own testimony of the Plan, and how because of how he knew, and how he taught me, I know for myself, and I want to share this knowledge. Once again, as they grew quiet, the Spirit came. The investigator said that she felt 'hot inside', and I explained that the 'hot' feeling is God. After she left, my companion was so happy, she could not express it. She just kept telling me that she felt the Spirit so strongly. 

So I remember reading in the Bible that "loud laughter" was not a good thing and I remember thinking that it must not be right: laughter is wonderful! But maybe I got a glimpse this week, and in the weeks before, of what God meant by "loud laughter". I know (or rather, recently learned) that I make funny faces all the time. I know that I'm a strange person, that I like to be weird and do my own thing. I know that I can't speak Japanese.

But I do know that He's making me a better teacher. I've come a long way. I still have a long way to go, but I look back now and see that I've come a long way.

#41 "Anyone Can Cook"

So the ride in the ambulance wasn't so bad, and I still feel kinda iffy, but I'm okay. JUST KIDDING. About the feeling iffy, but I did actually ride in an ambulance. Aoki's companion, Furukawa Shimai had hives that just kept spreading so we called an ambulance and got a ride to the emergency room. She got a shot, and she's doing much better, but she was told to avoid stress...That will be interesting with missionary life. 

If there's one thing I gained from the experience, it was a nickname; "Mamma Mia". Not very original, but I love ABBA so I can't complain. I got it because not everyone has a first-aid kit the size I do, and pulls it out to help take care of another sister. Haha poor Furukawa Shimai, I was covering her in itch-relief cream and wrapping it up with medical tape. We all laughed because she looked like a mummy, but at least this way she couldn't itch!! Every time I caught her itching I'd make her stop. Apparently this somehow all ties to motherhood. 

That and maybe because of all the four of us, when it's dinner time they all look at me and tell me they're hungry.... haha that's their cute way of saying please make me food. SO I make all the dinners. I'm not so good at cooking, but hey, "anyone can cook", right? Or maybe, like Linguine, I need a lot of practice until I can fake it, haha. 

Sorry this post is a little short, but I promise next week's will be better!