こんにちは、
I can't believe I'm writing yet another weekly email! It seems like just yesterday. Time is seriously flying!!! I have a month until I go home, and well that's insane. It's getting pretty freezing here in sanjo... it's been raining everyday and snowing as of yesterday. Lots and lots of layers! :) well anyway...
I can't believe I'm writing yet another weekly email! It seems like just yesterday. Time is seriously flying!!! I have a month until I go home, and well that's insane. It's getting pretty freezing here in sanjo... it's been raining everyday and snowing as of yesterday. Lots and lots of layers! :) well anyway...
The future of Niigata:
A few months ago, Elder Choi, of the seventy, came to the niigata zone for a conference. He told the missionaries and members that Niigata will have its own temple and mission one day. Well ever since then, the members have been absolute fire. We have a conference call with the sanjo branch every single morning at 7am where we say a prayer together. All of the Sanjo members get in the call and we say a prayer to help us with missionary efforts and so that we can see a temple in niigata. Every single morning, without fail, the members get on the call. After church on Sunday, the members wanted to go out and do missionary work! In the freezing cold and rain! They got a stack of fliers for our English class and asked if we wanted to come with them! We broke up into little groups and then we went and handed out fliers for our English class. I love these members so much. 20 of the most solid members in the world. :)
A few months ago, Elder Choi, of the seventy, came to the niigata zone for a conference. He told the missionaries and members that Niigata will have its own temple and mission one day. Well ever since then, the members have been absolute fire. We have a conference call with the sanjo branch every single morning at 7am where we say a prayer together. All of the Sanjo members get in the call and we say a prayer to help us with missionary efforts and so that we can see a temple in niigata. Every single morning, without fail, the members get on the call. After church on Sunday, the members wanted to go out and do missionary work! In the freezing cold and rain! They got a stack of fliers for our English class and asked if we wanted to come with them! We broke up into little groups and then we went and handed out fliers for our English class. I love these members so much. 20 of the most solid members in the world. :)
Yui:
Yui is part of a part member family. Her husband's family are members, but he is actually not, so she technically married into a part member family. She hangs out with them all the time and she comes to church events all the time so she has a ton of potential. We've been wanting to bring up the gospel, but weren't exactly sure how to since she's been around the missionaries so much. Well she came late to an activity and there were no other women there so we decided to go into another room and study. We were reading the book of Mormon when she came in. She asked us what we were doing and then how we studied the book of Mormon. One thing lead to another and we ended up teaching her the plan of salvation!! She has a ton of interest, she's just super busy with her baby. She ended up coming to church on Sunday and she even dressed up for it and cut her hair for it!! So excited for her! She's going to be the key to getting her husband baptized as well :) on top of that her baby is absolutely adorable.
Yui is part of a part member family. Her husband's family are members, but he is actually not, so she technically married into a part member family. She hangs out with them all the time and she comes to church events all the time so she has a ton of potential. We've been wanting to bring up the gospel, but weren't exactly sure how to since she's been around the missionaries so much. Well she came late to an activity and there were no other women there so we decided to go into another room and study. We were reading the book of Mormon when she came in. She asked us what we were doing and then how we studied the book of Mormon. One thing lead to another and we ended up teaching her the plan of salvation!! She has a ton of interest, she's just super busy with her baby. She ended up coming to church on Sunday and she even dressed up for it and cut her hair for it!! So excited for her! She's going to be the key to getting her husband baptized as well :) on top of that her baby is absolutely adorable.
Lol of the week:
My companion and I went to go visit this less active that lived semi close to us and the church, but she wasn't home so we decided to house around the area. We rang the doorbell of this apartment (note: in Japan you ring this doorbell that is connected to a speaker think so you can speak back and forth through that, and then the newer apartments even have a video with it so they can see you, but you can't see them) and a man answered. We told him that we were missionaries and since Christmas is coming we wanted to share a short video about the real meaning of Christmas. We asked if he had 5 minutes to watch the video and he did what no Japanese person usually does, he said yes!! We asked if we could share it with him on his front step, but he told us that he wanted to watch it from right there (through the video camera). Well when you're a missionary you do what you gotta do, so I pulled out the video and held it up to the video camera. I felt pretty dumb, but it was for a good cause. Fast forward to after the video and we end up asking if he wants to learn more about Jesus Christ. Then he said that he is already learning about Jesus Christ! We thought he was a kinjin (golden person). We ask what church. He says the Mormon church! We thought he was the elders' investigator. We ask his name and the speaker thing cuts out.. Then the door opens. It was the elders!!! We accidentally housed into the elders.. Welp. There's that.
My companion and I went to go visit this less active that lived semi close to us and the church, but she wasn't home so we decided to house around the area. We rang the doorbell of this apartment (note: in Japan you ring this doorbell that is connected to a speaker think so you can speak back and forth through that, and then the newer apartments even have a video with it so they can see you, but you can't see them) and a man answered. We told him that we were missionaries and since Christmas is coming we wanted to share a short video about the real meaning of Christmas. We asked if he had 5 minutes to watch the video and he did what no Japanese person usually does, he said yes!! We asked if we could share it with him on his front step, but he told us that he wanted to watch it from right there (through the video camera). Well when you're a missionary you do what you gotta do, so I pulled out the video and held it up to the video camera. I felt pretty dumb, but it was for a good cause. Fast forward to after the video and we end up asking if he wants to learn more about Jesus Christ. Then he said that he is already learning about Jesus Christ! We thought he was a kinjin (golden person). We ask what church. He says the Mormon church! We thought he was the elders' investigator. We ask his name and the speaker thing cuts out.. Then the door opens. It was the elders!!! We accidentally housed into the elders.. Welp. There's that.
I'm loving every freezing day here in Sanjo. Stay warm (spiritually and physically) my friends.
愛しています、
Wunderli 姉妹
Pics:
1. Yui's baby!!
2. Facemasks with comp. It's become a ritual.
3. Grateful for hot chocolate in vending machines and that theyre on every block. Needed.
4 and 5. Scenic bike rides.
6. Book of Mormon study club
7. Zone pday. We went bowling. They had the two dying missionaries (soon to be returning missionaries) sit on the two stools in the front. Yup it's me and Kema shimai. Cool. We felt special.
We had a special stake conference yesterday where Elder Stevenson from the Quorum of the 12 spoke. He said that one great way for us all to get involved in missionary work was what he called the stair-step method - one step at a time. He said that the first thing we could do is pray for the missionaries. The next step would be to pray for missionaries by name. Then we can pray for the investigators and then pray for them by name. The step after that would be to invite the missionaries over for a lesson so that they can practice - kids often have lots of questions so it will keep the missionaries on their toes. Then we can invite the missionaries and have them bring an investigator. Finally, we can invite the missionaries and a friend who isn't a member.
When he talked about praying for the missionaries, I thought of all the support that Jordan has been getting from your prayers and we really appreciate it. Please keep praying for 4 more weeks. :)
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