22 May 2012::

I love you so very much. I am glad that i was able to read your email today. I cant believe all that is happening at home. I cant beleive that Bug is in his final year of High School. THat is so weird. No more kids in High Skool for you. I was telling everyone how you are an AMAZING Mom!!! Everyone thinks the same thing.

 

I am very happy for Nick and him going through the Temple. I love the temple so much. I actually get to go on the 29th as a mission. Its not the same though as going with the family because there are so many people but it is still fun.

 

So my week was good. Tuesday was a really good day. We went to Tokyo for a All mission Conference with a member of the 70. Elder Clarke. He was super enthusiastic and sarcastic. It was way funny. Definalty different than what i thought General Authorities were like. He gave great advice that i want to pass onto Bug and Nick when i get home. I then went on splits with my Zone Leader Elder Miura. Ya he is japanese but i lived with him when i first came to Japan. SO it ws super fun talking with him and seeing how his mission has gone and stuff like that. I also got to sleep on a bed. 1st time in over 5 months. I was suepr happy.

 

Wednesday after splitting back we had a lesson with Sister Suzuki. We taught her aobut the Restoration. It was such a spiritual lesson. She told us she just didnt understand and went on like that for like 5 minutes. Then another 5 minute pause with nobody saying anything. THen i was able to testify to her just about how that is all how it begins. In order to grow, we dont and cant konw. If we already knew, then we wouldnt grow. It was amazing. Really good Lesson. After our English class we had about 15 minutes. I usually go in but i felt like we needed to keep going. Good thing i did that. WE found a referral for another area. He was suepr nice and wanted to learn.

 

Thursday was probably the hardest day in the week. I was super sick. My throat hurt, my nose was clogged, and i had the biggest headache ever. Despite all that we still did work. I have a thing, if i am healthy enough to exercise and do stuff i want to do, then i am healthy to do the Lords work. It was still hard though. We made flowers for the Bishop and our Mission Leader adn then took it to them. I think they liked that because on Saturday night, our Bishop brought us donuts, Krispy Kreme too. We streeted pretty much all day on Thursday and didnt find anyone. THat is what made it hard. Elder Chen really likes talking about Kess and really wants me to talk about it with poeple alot. Well after he tried to get me to talk about it with somebody who had no interest, i told him i didnt appreciate him sharing my life expirences. I said that if i feel i need to share it, i will. It isnt his expirence to share. Well i think i could of handled it alot better than i did, with more love you know. Well i really didnt feel the Spirit anymore and thats when the day started getting hard. I apologized like 2 hours later because i felt way bad and i knew i needed to.

 

ON friday we had planned going to the temple with Panda to do baptisms for the dead but the temple only does it at night and Panda has work at night. So instead we went to a all you can eat meat place. It was super good. I didnt eat that much though. I got full fast. I aint complaining. It as fun though. We then streeted for like 3 hours and visited a member who just had a baby. It was fun. We didnt find anybody to teach though. I went on splits with a young missionary too. I think he really enjoied. it. I hope he had fun but worked hard too. I really believe in having fun but working hard. He told me his thoughts aobut me were way different. He thought becasue how successful i have been in Yamate that i was a missionary who was just work, work, work. Like 15 minute lunch and dinner, no breaks, strict, etc. WAY WRONG!!!!! I like having fun. We have to be ourselves right? I do what works for me and apparently he liked it too.

 

Saturday was way busy. We had a lesson with a gator who i havent seen in 2.5 months. He saw us on friday and told us he wanted to meet today at 1. We jsut pretty muched talked and asked how he had been. (reading the BOM, praying, etc). He is way good. He wants to meet us once a week and we are going to start reteaching him everything. Then we had to go and meet a Korean who we called. He took us to get Udong, super fat noodles. It was pretty good. We split back and me and elder chen had dinner, then went to chinatown because there was something going on. Chinese holiday. It was a pretty fun day and i enjoied it.

 

SUnday was a miracle. My testimony for sure grew. THis is why it grew.  

I fasted because we dont really have anyother investigators expect for Suzuki shimai. I really dont want to be transfered and leave Elder Chen with nothing either.  SO I fasted so we could find some new ones. The testimony builder is I know fasting works. Today we were doing a kubarikai at Yamate eki and a chinese girl came up to me and we just started casually talking about where english class is and why its free. That got into me talking about me being a missionary. I told her that I am a missioanry for our church and we believe everyone is sons and daughters of God. She was fasinated. She just kept saying how cool that was and so on. Then she asked if I am a missionary where do I get money. SO I told her about tithing and of course how I saved. She was once again facsinated with tithing. She kept saying how sweet and how awesome that is that the money we give to God helps the poor and needy. She then really wanted to come to church and see. She knew there was lots of churches where our church is and asked why. SO I told her we have a great message that can answer that exact question. She wants to hear. Elder Chen heard she was chinese and came over and just started bearing his testimony and how his life has gotten better from coming to church. She soaked up everything better than a sponge. She asked Elder Chen if she became a member, would she have to come to church everyweek. Well of course Elder Chen said ya and she told him that she will start coming. I then started talking to her about Eternal Families. She was just agreeing with everything i was testifiing about. She is awesome. I really feel that she is so prepared by God. OF course I have a lot more things I wish I could tell you aobut her but that would take so long. At the end of the conversation her friend came up and long story short is now planning on going to go to Kamiooka's eikaiwa and meet the missioanries. That was my testimony builder. How great is that? I really feel like one of the missionaries out of the Book of Mormon. Prayed and Fasted much. Her name is Lee shimai. She is a very AWESOME person and our newest friend. God really does see our faith and will bless us. It was an amazing expirence for sure. THe only bad thing about Sunday was Lili didnt get confirmed. I am trying so hard to get her to be confirmed but she doesnt come. Please pray for her.

That was pretty much my week in a nutshell. Alot better than the week before. This week i hit my 1 year mark in Japan. I cant believe that i have been away from America for 1 year. CRAZY!!!! I love you so much mom. I am so excited to get to call and find our where bug is going for his mish. My quess is here in Japan. I can totally see him here. I hop that you hve a great week. SOunds like you are goign to have a busy one. We are going to dinner wit Jenny on friday and i think they are goin to do something special for me. THey were tlaking in chinese about it. Elder CHen has something up his sleeve. I have something up my sleeve for him too. We have a base couple here and i am going to get Elder Chen 2 12 packs of AW Rootbeer before i leave. I think it will make him happy. I only have 2 weeks left here. Time goes by so fast. It really does. I will be calling for Christmas in no time at all. I love my family so much. I cant wait to see and hang out with them all again. I love you mom and dad. THanks for all you do. I gotta go but you have my prayers and my love.

Love ya. . .

07 May 2012::

I am so jealous. I really want to go to the cabin so bad. I hope that there is still some stuff for me to do when i go there. I really want to help restore it. I hope there are now fires either up at Graham this summer. Ill be praying for the rain here to go to AZ.

 

So what part of CA is Nick Keels going? YOu didnt tell me. I am so going to visit him upon my return to the USA. GO AMERICA!! I am so excited for him. He is going to get fat. Missionaries who go state side get fat becasue they get fed all the time haha. He better run and stay in shape haha. I am so happy for him. I couldnt be mad today because of this news.

 

I am so excited for dad about his weight. He was telling me that he was feeling really good about it. I am tryign to loose weight as well. Or at least my love handles. I really want them gone. But i dont htink as a missionary i will be able to do that. I will tell you why. Because i go out to eat with people to much. All you can eat's are cheaper than most restraunts so that is where people take us and i eat my moneys worth. IT is horrible. THis week was my worst week by far. I will tell you later why. But i need to get away from this city and go to the countryside where there is no all you cna eat. I am managing to maintain somehow though?

 

Bug is going to GRADUATE!!!! That is so cool and he is going to get his mission papers. I am so excited for him. He is so going to come to Tokyo Japan. I am going to train him. It is done. There has to be someone in the family i can communicate with in Japanese. I am praying for

 

Talking about calling home. 6 or 7 is really early in the morning here. Last itme i called it was like 10. Ya if i call at 10 A.M. it will be 6 P.M. Sunday night for you guys. You have my skype name so you should skype me first. But i really belive that i need to skype you on my monday morning at 10 AM. We shall see. But i am looking forward to it too. I really want to talk to Kelly and her kids too. So please help me out with taht.

 

Ok my week was pretty crazy. Ill start off with the details. It was raining all the way up until friday non stop. I HATE THE RAIN. It is so hard to do anything in the rain. NO one wants to listen to you. NO ONE!!!! It makes it so hard. Well, Tuesday we had interviews with President Albrecht. I love that man. I am going to miss him os much. I really love him so much. It was my last interview with him until the new president comes. He told me that i was going to be transfering. (no duh, i have been here for 6 months) BUt he gave me a papaer to read when i go home. It is jsut a bunch of stuf he tells returning missionaries. That was that day. Kinda bitter sweet day. Oh, I had to translate for a couple missionary. It was really hard. But it was my first time and i did it. I translated from Japanese to English. It is super hard because Japanese is backwards than englsih. FOr example, we say the dog went to the store. In japanese you would say, the dog the store to went. Its kinda like Yoda from Star Wars. I will be able to understand him way better when i get home. But i thought that was cool. I alos got a new Japanese Grammar book. I thought i would neveer be happy to say that but i am. It has so many helpful grammars in it. I am way excited. But it cost 60 bucks to buy. That is the only downfall. It should help alot wehn i come home though.

 

Wednesday we were planning and Lili called us. Remember, she got baptized but not confirmed. Well she wanted to go to lunhc. So we went to a All you cna eat Pizza place.  THis is why i dont think i will be able to loose my love handles as a missionary. All you can eats are way cheap here and people go to them alot. Well we wnet and 4 other members showed up too. IT was like a party. It was way cool. WE found out her problem. She is super busy with skool here. Skool here is 7 days a week. THey kill themselves. WEll she has to go to skool 7 days a week adn cant come to church for about 2 months. She said it is really hard for her. We ahd a member share a expierence about how he had to choose between God or his work/skool. He said that when we put our trust in him,He will help. I hope she accepts this. She didnt come to church this week either. REally sad. THe Ward is really trying to get poeple to fellowship her. IT is way cool to see.

 

Thursday we met with our other chinese investigator, Wang. He doesnt speak englsih or japanese. So elder chen translated for me. We met at 5 and Wang to us to a all you can eat chinese restraunt in Chinatown. Once again, this is the reason i will never be able to loose my love handles. THankfully, reall chinese food is not like American Chinese food. THey are completely different. Real chinese food is packed with vegietables. But they have one American like dish. It was all so good. I didnt eat to much becasue i didnt want to dissappoint myself when i weighed. It was fun. I really wanted to eat at a all you can eat in chinatown before i left too. So now it is done and i am happy. After that we went to the chuch adn played Ping Pong. I am happy to say that i beat a chinese person in Ping Pong. I am happy. I have gotten really good at ping pong. We are meetin him again this week. He ahs interest in church alot.

 

Friday we got caught in the rain so we housed. Upon our return, i bought a new bag to carry my stuff in. It was needed. It is really nice. But it was 40 bucks. I am feeling so quilty right now for buying it. But i know when the money gets restored i will be happy i bought it. It is really nice. We were coming home and i was saying hi and stopping people. Well i saw a guy, drinking a Jack Daniels bottle of Whiskey. I simply said hello and he called me Bakayarou!!! You can probably quess wehre  this was at. Yup. You quessed it, it was in HELL!!!! That area is just way sad. It was a good laugh for me and elder chen though. Friday night we spent calling peopel up for 2 hours. From 7:30 to 9:30. It was tiring but way good. Saturday morning we had a BBQ so that is why we were calling. We called Former Investigators, Potential Investigators, anyone. It was way good. On our BBQ on Saturday, 3 Formers showed up, 6 Englshi class students, 1 investigator. We also contacted 2 referalls. Oh, a family came too. It was great. ALl the people we got to go said they are going to come back to our eikaiwa and start learning agian. Slowly but surely we can get them to come to church. It was super good. The BBQ was good too. WE actaully had Hot Dogs. My first time in Japan. It was great. REally good day.

 

Sunday we had a normal day. I made the Mothers Day gifts but i jsut need to send them now. I hope that you like them. They shoudl get to you sometiem next week. There are eight. 1 for you, kendi, kelly, janalyn, brie, both grandmas, vicki. So please pass tehm out. We then went ot an americans for dinner. It was good. TOday was great too. We went out in the moring time to do work. AT 11:30 we met with our whole zone to go to a all you can eat Taco place. I really dont like all you cna eat anymore. Everytime i go threre it turns into a competion and i have to be the winner so i always over eat. I had 12 really big tacos. I out numbered everybody by 6 tacos. GO ARIZONIANS!!!! It was worth it. I really wanted to go tehre before i transfered too. It was suepr good. THey were homemade tortillas. So good. AFTER eating we went to the top of Landmark tower. It was fun to talk with everyone. We went running this afternoon too. I felt really fat. So i went running. BAD CHOICE. It was the most painful run i have ever been on. It was just cramps the entire time. I was determined to burn some of those taco calories though. But ya. I am trying my hardest to maintain 175lbs.

 

I have decided i need new running shoes. THe ones i have now are from 1 and 1/2 years ago. THey are trashed. My right running shoe has a whole hole in the side of it where my pinkie toe hangs out. I also need some new workout clothes. ALl the ones i am currnetly using are getting really bad and are no good anymore. Running shoes here are about 120 bucks for a good pair. I really need some.

 

Mom, can you send me some pictures of me in my senior year and even after i graduated. I really want to sow poeple what i looked like before i started the diet and lost all my weight. If you could send me my ones from Facebook. It has my before picture. That is the best. But i want some from before my diet and after my diet. That would help alot. I would love it.

 

I am doing really good. Just trying my best to be the best i can be. I hope that i am making someone happy! I could really use some prayers on the langauge. I really feel like i am not good enough at it. Or at least speaking. Please pray that Lili will come to church to get confirmed. We are trying so hard for her. I really dont want her jsut to move on without the confirmation. Please pray for her. We are going to the tmeple with Panda and Suzuki in 2 weeks. It should be fun. I am way excited to go with them. I am in pretty good shape and still working my best. I love you so much. I am so excited to talk with you on Mothers Day. I should be calling at around 10 Am my time and 6 PM your sunday night. I am so excited. Have a great week. Always remember you are in my thoughts and prayers. Stay Classy!!!!!