So I got transferred!! I am now serving in the Fukutoku ward in Nagoya city,
and I absolutely love it! I've only been here for 7 days, but I already love it.
I am just a city girl and I finally get the opportunity to be in the city. The
area is pretty small, but there are so many people to talk to and we have so
many investigators!! I think we will always be busy. I haven't even finished
unpacking yet!
My new companion is Sister Aoki. She is 21, Hawaiian with Japanese
ancestry, and is so very nice. She's super easy going, I have a feeling we won't
have a problem getting along at all (until I break her....hopefully that doesn't
happen). She is very quiet though, and for those of you who know me, you know
that I am pretty much deaf, so she said she would speak up.
Our apartment is pretty small by other missionaries' standards. In fact,
when I told missionaries that I was moving here, they all told me good luck with
the smallest apartment in the whole mission. I don't think it's too small, it's
just perfect for the two of us, and we really don't spend that much time inside
anyways.
This week just went by in a blur, and I cannot believe that yesterday was
Mother's Day. I remember after my Christmas Day call feeling so homesick that I
counted the days until Mother's Day. Now Mother's Day has come and gone, and
I've got even longer until it is Christmas again. Sometimes the life of a
missionary can seem very hard...
Anyways, I had the opportunity to call my family yesterday and speak with
them for an hour. It was so wonderful to see their faces again, I just know the
second I hop off the train when I finish my mission I'm going to hug them and
never let go. But, as I read on some paper somewhere, "A missionary is someone
who gives up their family for two years, so that others can be eternal".
I think the funniest moment of the call for me, was when some kids passed
by in the background behind me at church, and Lucy asked me if all the friends I
had made so far were under the age of 10...She was right. I just make friends
with every one who is shorter than me, and we have fun talking about school and
drawing pictures. Kids are really awesome that way, they don't care if you talk
funny, or if you don't quite understand what they're saying. Haha maybe it was
the fact that Mother's Day was coming up or something, but lately I have been
more baby crazy than ever.
In fact, just the other day, we were taking a recent convert (from the
Philippines) to the hospital for a stomach ache he had. While we were there I saw
so many mothers, it was crazy! There were mothers with 2-year-olds, there were
pregnant people, and sitting next to us was a mother, her father and her
three-week old son. The new grandfather was holding his new grandson and telling me
all about him. I could only sit and stare, I wanted to hold that baby so bad!!
But as missionaries, we're not supposed to hold children, so I just contented
myself to watch him. I guess the grandfather read my mind, because in the next
minute he stood up and put the baby in my lap!! My face just blushed as I tried
to tell him that I was not supposed to... and then I noticed the cutest baby on
my lap. The elders just turned around and started laughing, and my companion
tried to explain to the man that we were not supposed to hold children. He must
have figured it out, because he laughed and picked up the baby. I was just left
in shock. After a couple of seconds I just turned to my companion and said "that
was the best sin I ever committed!" (the elders thought that was pretty funny).
My Disney reference would have to be Baby Mine this week, because it
reminds me so much of my own mother. Partly because when I first saw it on
Dumbo, I ran crying to my mother asking her never to go to elephant jail, and
the other part is because I learned to play it on the piano. One morning I was
playing it on the piano, while I thought everyone else was asleep, and she came
up behind me and gave me a big hug. She told me good morning and told me she
loved me. She doesn't know this, but while I was playing the piano, I was also
recording the sound on my computer, so I have this recorded. It was such a
precious moment to me, and I'm so happy I captured it forever.
Momma, thanks for being my Momma. I love you.
