Hello Everyone!
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| Warmth or safety. How about both? |
The temperatures are dropping and central heating isn't a
thing in Japan, so all us missionaries are just bracing ourselves for the cold
winter. Not going to lie, I'm kind of excited because I've never really
experienced winters in Japan before! We'll see how I actually feel when it
happens.
This past week, I've thought about all the people I've been
able to meet so far on my mission. Everyone from my companion, other
missionaries, the ward members, investigators, even the people we talk to who
want nothing to do with us... I can honestly say that every single person I've
met so far has influenced my life in one way or another.
Here are some from this week:
Sister Abe
Abe Shimai loves cats and is a huge Beatles fan. She's not a
member of the church, but she loves being referred to as "sister".
Despite having a learning disability, we have the wonderful opportunity of
meeting with her every Thursday to teach her a lesson. She's attentive and asks
the most interesting questions like, "Did the Nephites have pillows? How
did they sleep without pillows?" or, "Did the Lamanites have air
conditioning?" She also walks to church every single week and attends all
three hours. If I could just have a portion of Abe Shimai's character I'm
pretty sure I would be set for the Celestial Kingdom.
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| The most tenderest of angels - Abe Shimai |
Sister Jun
Sister Jun is a less active member who loves meeting with
the missionaries. We always "totsuzen" her, meaning we show up
unexpectedly. However, every time she seems to know when we're coming. When we
visited her yesterday she told us, "I had a feeling all weekend that you
would be coming today (Monday)." She was right! And she even had a meal
prepared for us. She is a sweet individal and still has a strong testimony.
Sister Bean
My companion obviously.
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| When you and your companion are separated by a red light. #adversity |
Random person who told us to stop proselyting
We housed into a man who told us to stop doing what we're
doing because the police will come after us. We told him we wouldn't stop
because we were called as missionaries and were legally allowed to proselyte. He
was not happy, but maybe he'll come around when the next set of missionaries
knock on his door someday :)
Sister Karube
For the past month, Sister Bean has dealt with bug bites and
a cold which resulted in many sleepless
nights for her. But despite being tired, she continued to work hard and we were
still able to get out every single day. Sister Karube came to our rescue and
brought us a smoke bomb to kill all the bugs in the apartment. It worked
because we've hadn't had problems with bugs since then!
These are just a few of the many amazing people I've met so
far. And to think I still have so many more to meet:)
If we think about it, every single person we cross paths
with in our life is a miracle. The fact that we get to share a sliver of time
with one person, out of the billions and billions of God's spirit children, is
valuable opportunity.
Let's not take one another for granted. EVERY person you
meet is someone you can teach or someone you can learn from.
Church is true.
Love,
Matsuura Shimai
D&C 90:24
Who did it best?
Me and Sister Bean's impression of President
Sekiguchi's Facebook Profile picture!
