#54 "Once Upon a December"

Thiiiiiis week. This week? This week. What happened this week? I don't remember. Let me grab my planner and check!

Oh yeah! I had another one of those fantastic weeks! I'll just tell you my favorite part though. This week I had the opportunity to do a companion exchange with a certain Sister Ishida. Does she sound familiar? She SHOULD! She was my TRAINER!! 

Back Together with Sister Ishida (Oct. 2014)

It was a wonderful day with her, and I felt like I was a Bean again...except I can speak more Japanese...no that's a lie, I still can't speak Japanese, haha. We switched companions at around lunch, after we went out together, and then we trained back to Inuyama, only to grab some exercise clothes and head out to go work in a member's field for service. We spent the entire train ride out there talking about the wonderful members of Komatsu ward, and all of our crazy and lovely investigators we met out there. We shared inside jokes and phrases we used to say to each other to make us laugh. I absolutely loved working out in the fields of Japan again. I didn't dig ditches again, but I got to pull weeds and to bring in all the vegetables from this summer season. I also came face to face with a spider who's abdomen was about the size of a quarter-sized round super ball. Other than him, I had a blast being back in the dirt again. I loved working on the fields of Komatsu, and being on the fields of Inuyama, with my trainer... It was just wonderful.  

The nights have been getting cooler too, and with the large rainfall from the typhoon that's just come in, I've been reminded over and over again of my days and cold, rainy nights, of my Beanhood in Komatsu. It feels strange knowing that a year ago, I was preparing to come here. Once upon a December, right? It feels strange to know how much I have grown, and changed, since then. But at the same time, I have loved how I've changed, and I'm so grateful I've got a couple more months to grow much more. 

#53 "Everybody Wants To Be A Cat"

 

I've realized since becoming a missionary that this truly is the best two years of my life. Sometimes, I feel like every one should want to be a missionary, 'because a [missionary]'s the only cat who knows where it's at!' But at the same time, it can be pretty hard to understand how and why missionary work can be so incredible; it seems that not 'everybody's pickin' up on that feline beat'.  

Recently our Mission President has been asking us to use 'The Power of Everyday Missionaries' by Clayton M. Christensen (it really is a fantastic book, and I highly recommend it to those who have not read it). He asks that we study this book with members to invite and encourage them to continue in their missionary endeavors. So that's what we've been up to lately! When we're not in lessons or visiting people, we've been introducing this book and starting to study it with members. And so far they love it! 

We were recently with one member who has a love for missionaries, and we were going over to teach her neighbor. She knew the neighbor didn't have interest when they had become friends years ago, but about four months ago, she said we should visit the neighbor just to help her daughter move back home. I wasn't here yet to help with the move, but when I came, my companion took me to introduce myself, and also to introduce our English program that we teach. The neighbor was so excited, she couldn't wait to get started! She was so receptive to our message too. We taught her about the Restoration and the Plan of Salvation. We had invited her to pray - and she did! We invited her to come to church - and she did! We invited her to be baptized, and although she turned us down, she said that she may change in the future, so that we should not give up. She is so open to our message, it's amazing. 

Well recently, I had trouble setting an appointment with her, she had gotten so busy! I was worried that we had scared her off, and that she had closed her door to us, but now that I have a new companion, I figured I may as well introduce her! I took Sister Peterson over by her house and we were able to set up another appointment! I was so thrilled. Sister Peterson said we should try to get a member to the appointment to add another testimony to the truths we would share, and I instantly thought of the member who had first introduced us. We called her up and she said she would. When it came to the minutes before the appointment, the member told us she was nervous, but since I knew the neighbor was so open, I told her it was all okay. We went in, taught our lesson, and invited her to General Conference, to hear the Prophet speak. She marked it on the calendar and told us so was so excited. When we left, the member was in complete shock. She had no idea that her friend had opened up to the gospel, and was willing to hear our message. She was so encouraged by it, that now she wants to invite others to hear our message as well!! She told us she was nervous, and that she struggled to invite, but then we naturally introduced the book and told her how it can help her with these problems. She was so excited!! She can't wait to study the book, and we can't either. I love this sister so very much! She's incredible!!

#52 "Open the gates and seize the day! Don't be afraid and don't delay!"

Hey YOU! You know the story! We'll tell the whole wide world this is Jesus territory! 

Haha sorry, sometimes those cheers get stuck in my head, but I just turn them Jesus-style and it makes missionary work a lot more fun!! 

Speaking of fun, my companion is fun! She likes to go OUT, all the TIME! But it is so good for me, because I like to be IN! But she says she wants to go out, and whenever she says that, I just feel like 'Yeah! Let's go!!' It's a very strange and new feeling, but I like laying down at night and feeling exhausted, knowing that we talked to so many people today, and invited as many as we could to hear our message about Christ. I love it! 

Recently we've gotten in the habit of picking a direction and biking for about 5 or so kilometers, visiting members out there, and talking to every single person that we can. It takes a while, to make sure we don't get lost, to find the members, to talk to every one we can, but I love it. We just wake up every day, energized and ready to go. 

It's amazing to me to think that I've come from being so tired and afraid to being energized and wanting to go. It reminds me of Newsies, when the boys on strike get tired, and one boy just starts singing;

"Open the gates and seize the day! Don't be afraid and don't delay!"

Sorry this one has been short, but I'll write you next week!