March 2

This week in Japan was amazing! It was Zone Conference! We got to hear from Aoyagi choro and shimai. Aoyagi choro was converted when he was 17 through eikaiwa and meeting the missionaries. (English conversation class) It reminded me of why I love Eikaiwa so much... Sure it`s fun and Japanese people love to speak English, but mostly it`s because of the impact they have when they meet missionaries and members through service. They are able to see the light of the church, and want to know more. And if they don`t they will still love the church and their image is changed. The thing about Japan is that people are mocked for believing in Christ. So it takes a lot of courage for people to associate with the church in any way. The Japanese people truly are amazing. During Zone conference I got to have a 15 minute interview with Aoyagi choro. We spoke all Japanese and I understood! It was a miracle. Truth be told I thought long and hard about questions to ask him... but nothing came to mind. So I gave some generic questions... and got some generic answers... HOWEVER! we talked a little bit more and he ended up bringing up something I`ve been thinking about for a while but didn`t say. It was about loving the area, he knew I was new to aomori... so he told me to love the area. I love Japan but I`m not sure I truly love Aomori yet! it really was an eye opener. After that I began to work on my love, and life has gotten better ever since. He shared with us an experience he had on his mission. Mostly about not being able to open his mouth to talk to people.  he was challenged by his father (non member) to think of those people like they were his family... so then when he was doing missionary work he would call out to random people like `Hey brother!` or `hey mom!` people stopped and talked to him after that. XD

After that our only investigator came to the fireside to hear the talks. She`s been an investigator forever... 2 years? so she`s mostly just into friends and English, but I think she loves the church... So I`ll do my best to help her. Without love you can`t really do anything.

My old Nagamachi DL is going home this week. (he was in my district again in aomori)  ( Time is still flying by before my eyes! yikes... I only have 5 transfers left. That`s all of my last two areas! SO SHORT!) So for his goodbye shindig I made him a poster with all of his areas and a message and gave him one of those mini music boxes, `let it be` by the Beatles. For him that is actually a very special song that ties with a Less active he helped in Nagamachi. He was thankful. After his generation leaves the mission... I`ll be one of the oldest missionaries here. How odd....

 

 I had the opportunity to visit a にゅいんしてmember in the hospital last week. I think he had a stroke... I couldn`t understand the medical Japanese. I`ve never met him before because he`s been in the hospital the whole time. So as 4 shimai, we visited him. I was going to play my violin, but the hospital wasn't sure I could, but after he talked with them I was able to play. We sang `the spirit of God` for him and I played my violin. He is very sensitive to the spirit. He bore his testimony to us about how he knows that God is watching over him, and that this church is true, even though he was against it before he was baptized, he knew that the change in his heart made him a better person, and how he was so thankful to be alive. Seeing the members here really do strengthen my faith. He prayed for us for the ending prayer. Very powerful prayer. (ちょっと怖かった）

 

Hope everyone is doing great this week! My companion is doing good! She is always singing and thinking of others. It`s fun teaching her English as well. She can`t really speak it at all, but wants to learn.

 

oh also, I`m learning how to play the guitar at the moment. Our Mission leader loves music, so he steals my violin sometimes.

 

YEP! 皆さん！愛しています！また来週！手紙と愛ありがとう！

ーお金姉妹