こんにちは,
Long email this week everyone. Sorry, just so many great things happened this week!! I love being a missionary! Fill free to skim through or just skip to the pictures.
Long email this week everyone. Sorry, just so many great things happened this week!! I love being a missionary! Fill free to skim through or just skip to the pictures.
OGI
Ogi is a town in Sado, about an hour and a half bus ride from our apartment. It's so gorgeous there, but it's a ghost town. We went to this hotel to talk to the workers there about our English class we offer, and there is only one person who works at the hotel! Yeah, didn't have much success there. Our hope with going to more "touristy" parts of Sado is to help them with English so they will be more successful.
Ogi is a town in Sado, about an hour and a half bus ride from our apartment. It's so gorgeous there, but it's a ghost town. We went to this hotel to talk to the workers there about our English class we offer, and there is only one person who works at the hotel! Yeah, didn't have much success there. Our hope with going to more "touristy" parts of Sado is to help them with English so they will be more successful.
We went into this bike rental place and rented rocket-powered mamacharis (granny bikes) and we biked through all of Ogi on them; it was fantastic. The guy who works at the rental shop was really good at English and he put our flier up in the shop!! We saw some way pretty scenery there, but didn't have any luck as far as people being interested in the English or the gospel. But wait for it... we got on the bus to go back home and before we get the chance to sit down, the bus driver says to us, "I want to learn English, teach me English!!" Might I add, he said this in perfect English. I was so ecstatic! I told him okay and that we had a free English class every week. Boy was he excited. At every stop, he would turn around and talk to us. He would say things like, "I love American music. I love the Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, and the beach boys." It was so funny and he was such a nice man. Heavenly Father is always preparing people for us!!
RYOTSU:
Ryotsu is another town in Sado, only an hour bus ride from our apartment. We had the same mission as we did in Ogi: talk to the store owners and more touristy places about Eikaiwa (English class). This time it was so successful. We talked to about 30 shop owners and had such good conversations with all of them. None of them came to Eikaiwa this week, but hopefully some will next week. I know that as we keep showing our faith and building good relationships with people, we can build up Eikaiwa.
Ryotsu is another town in Sado, only an hour bus ride from our apartment. We had the same mission as we did in Ogi: talk to the store owners and more touristy places about Eikaiwa (English class). This time it was so successful. We talked to about 30 shop owners and had such good conversations with all of them. None of them came to Eikaiwa this week, but hopefully some will next week. I know that as we keep showing our faith and building good relationships with people, we can build up Eikaiwa.
So obviously a miracle happened in Ryotsu too. We were waiting for the bus and this lady is standing next to us. So we obviously have to talk to her!! (This time in Japanese). We introduced ourselves. When we said "Jesus Christ," she told us that she went to a Christian school and that she believes in Him! She doesn't live in Sado unfortunately, but we gave her a pamphlet and told her that there were missionaries where she lived too. We all got on the bus and then when we sat down I realized I had a Japanese Book of Mormon in my bag (this was the first time I had ever carried around a Book of Mormon, usually it's just pamphlets and fliers). I pulled it out and went up to her and testified that this book had the answers she was looking for and that it would make her so happy. She looked so excited as she grabbed the book from my hands!!
Yoshiko San's Mother-in-law:
We tried to meet up with Yoshiko San this whole week, but she was always busy and never at her house! We went to her house when we went to Ryotsu and her mother-in-law was there and told us that Yoshiko San was somewhere else (not quite sure where). We asked if we could come back tomorrow and she told us yes, of course, and then held out her pinky finger and made us both pinky promise that we would come back (this might have been the cutest thing ever). We came back the next day as promised, but Yoshiko San still wasn't there so we ended up talking to her Mother-in-law again. She absolutely loves us!
We tried to meet up with Yoshiko San this whole week, but she was always busy and never at her house! We went to her house when we went to Ryotsu and her mother-in-law was there and told us that Yoshiko San was somewhere else (not quite sure where). We asked if we could come back tomorrow and she told us yes, of course, and then held out her pinky finger and made us both pinky promise that we would come back (this might have been the cutest thing ever). We came back the next day as promised, but Yoshiko San still wasn't there so we ended up talking to her Mother-in-law again. She absolutely loves us!
Forever over-eating in Niigata:
We went to Niigata for zone meeting and exchanges this week (both were amazing). So me and Call Shimai went to the dollar sushi like we usually do in Niigata and I set my record - 14 plates of sushi. I was dying after hahaha. So worth it though. The next day after zone meeting we had zone lunch and we went out to this restaurant that had really good meat. I obviously ate a ton of food there! Then we went on exchanges and Domino Shimai and I went to a member's house for lunch and she fed us soooo much. I was dying for the rest of the day, but again, it was worth it.
We went to Niigata for zone meeting and exchanges this week (both were amazing). So me and Call Shimai went to the dollar sushi like we usually do in Niigata and I set my record - 14 plates of sushi. I was dying after hahaha. So worth it though. The next day after zone meeting we had zone lunch and we went out to this restaurant that had really good meat. I obviously ate a ton of food there! Then we went on exchanges and Domino Shimai and I went to a member's house for lunch and she fed us soooo much. I was dying for the rest of the day, but again, it was worth it.
Now for the big miracle:
YOSHIKO SAN CAME TO CHURCH! We called her Sunday morning and invited her to church. Well it turns out she knows one of our members and so we had them talk and she came!! Watching her in church talking to the members, singing the hymns, taking the sacrament for the first time, well it was the best sacrament meeting ever. It was kind of funny though because she brought her cat and he would meow sometimes in the back, but it was all good. She had to leave after sacrament meeting to go to work... but she said she felt really good while she was there. Next, were going to talk about keeping the Sabbath day holy...
YOSHIKO SAN CAME TO CHURCH! We called her Sunday morning and invited her to church. Well it turns out she knows one of our members and so we had them talk and she came!! Watching her in church talking to the members, singing the hymns, taking the sacrament for the first time, well it was the best sacrament meeting ever. It was kind of funny though because she brought her cat and he would meow sometimes in the back, but it was all good. She had to leave after sacrament meeting to go to work... but she said she felt really good while she was there. Next, were going to talk about keeping the Sabbath day holy...
Word of the week:
Word: Fuinki
Meaning: vibe, atmosphere
Pronunciation: fwainky
Word: Fuinki
Meaning: vibe, atmosphere
Pronunciation: fwainky
愛しています,
Wunderli Shimai
Wunderli Shimai
Pics:
1. 14 plates down in 20 minutes
2. Yoshiko San's Mother-in-law gave us anko (sweet bean paste) in mochi (sticky pounded rice), wasn't my favorite, but wasn't the worst either
3. Ogi!!! I love Sado
4. Sado should be in a movie
5. Halloween party pic from last week
6. Sushi 7. More of ogi
8. The little town of ogi
9. Rice fields on rice fields
1. 14 plates down in 20 minutes
2. Yoshiko San's Mother-in-law gave us anko (sweet bean paste) in mochi (sticky pounded rice), wasn't my favorite, but wasn't the worst either
3. Ogi!!! I love Sado
4. Sado should be in a movie
5. Halloween party pic from last week
6. Sushi 7. More of ogi
8. The little town of ogi
9. Rice fields on rice fields
The picture of the little town reminds me of some of the small towns in Europe that we've been to. The rain drops on the lens in the rice field picture show what she told me in her emails - it's cold and rainy. She said it's freezing so riding bikes in that weather does not sound like fun; maybe that's why they decided to take the bus to visit people. One thing to keep in mind is that there are only 12 members in the branch and even though this part of the mission has been open for 22 years, there have only been three convert baptisms during that time. As always, she loves and appreciates your emails, letters, and prayers, as do I. Feel free to comment or ask questions.
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