So,
This week while riding our bikes to and from places I keep getting the opening theme music from MAN FROM SNOWY RIVER stuck in my head Hahahaha. Sometimes it's so bad I almost run into the back of Tsuchida Choro. Whoops. Since then I have been working on staying focused on the purpose even while riding my jitensha (bicycle). Still, pretty funny that something so random popped into my head this week. Sure did love those movies.
Danielle congratulations on the beautiful little Avery. Love the small tribute to mom in her name too:) Warms my heart.
This week was of course, as you can imagine, nuts. We have taken in the whole area between us two and the north and south Matsudou zones combined so now everyone's area is bigger. We got soooo many people from the other elder's area book and have been trying to contact them all while taking care of our own mikomi kyudoshas (investigators). On Thursday, we had a SIX HOUR WEEKLY PLANNING SESSION. We sat down and went through all of the names in the other elder's area book, and talked about each one, dropped some, called some, and made plans to contact and get to know them. By the end of it poor Tsuchida Choro was pooped out. He works so hard, and he is taking his responsibility as trainer/district leader seriously, which is great. He is always genki (cheerful) though and ready to take on the days.
Our apartment seems so enormous now with only two elders living in it, no more studying in the genkan hahaha. It's so quiet too. Tsuchida Choro is the classical, incredibly polite, show no emotion kind of Japanese person. Since his mission started, he has really come out of his shell so it's good now, but we both aren't super loud people haha. It's been nice to breathe a little in the apartment and not have six lines of laundry hanging all across the kitchen and tatami room as well.
Last Friday we had a lesson with one person, who talked for an hour straight, about what, I have nooooo idea. It was super windy from the OTHER typhoon coming through and I was sitting on the other side of Tsuchida Choro on a bench, so I basically looked at nature and prayed for an hour straight. A little frustrating, but nothing could be done about it.
On Saturday we taught eikaiwa (English class) which is always fun. I love hearing nihonjin try to pronounce English r l and v sounds hahaha. So awesome. It is exactly how you would expect it to be. They are great and work hard and participate which is nice. A lot of the time I can't really explain things in Japanese so I just say it in English and hope for the best, luckily for me they are so patient and appreciative that it is free. That night we had a dinner appointment with the Matsumoto family who took us out my first night here in Kamagaya. They ALWAYS are finding referrals and most of the time they don't pan out, but they understand how it is and just keep feeding us people. It's great. So we biked forty minutes to their house and ate with an older man. While talking we found out that he chain smokes and loves osake so he may be a tough one. He was friendly though and loved our message about service. He said next time he gets out to work in his garden he will invite us. So it was a success, his Japanese is so hard though, even Tsuchida Choro had a tough time understanding him. We will see how that one pans out.
Sunday was great. My brain exploded as usual, but I am more used to it now and just try to soak it all in hoping that I am really learning. At church we met this kid from New Mexico who is studying here for a year through Dartmouth, he is a genius. He has a full ride and they pay for his travel and housing and food while out here. Anyway his schedule is not so bad so he may start coming to help us with eikaiwa which will be good because we are short handed now. Nice kid, and active in the church as far as I can tell.
This past week we had a Skype lesson with the same man, Tomita San, we always do. We talked about prayer and helped him understand the people and civilizations in the Book of Mormon. He was gracious as ever and tried to praise us the whole time. I am so nervous about him loving us and not the gospel that we ALWAYS are so careful to just give all credit for who we are to the gospel and what we have learned. At the end we invited him to pray and of course because he is Buddhist he refused kindly. I then felt impressed to tell him that he is too good a person for God to let go, and God will not give up on him, so we won't either. I said it may take a long time, but that I truly believed he will come to know these things are true. To that he said if I keep that attitude we may just help him change, whatever that means. Anyway he knows it's true, and feels the spirit, he just doesn't want to change. We will keep working on him for sure. After the lesson he said today was the best lesson he has ever had, which was awesome because he has been meeting with missionaries since Christmas. Pray for him.
Tsuchida Choro and I seem to be getting better at working together. There are times where I can't understand or speak much, but those times seem to be much less frequent. Still a long way to go yet of course, patience is the bane of my existence hahaha.
Sorry these are so random, but Sunday night we had another dinner appointment with the Saito family. They had a super adorable super hyperactive five year old girl and the ward mission leader came as well. It was really great. Dad I don't know if this was your experience but dinner appointments in Japan take way too long. In the white handbook it says no more an an hour, and we are often there for two and a half. Simply put THEY DONT LET YOU LEAVE. There are times I want to lean over to Tsuchida Choro and say we should be out working, but it's just different here. Instead I try to wait patiently and pick out words I know in the conversation. Mostly unsuccessfully Hahahaha. Anyway when we finally were allowed to share our lesson, we talked about the restoration, the Book of Mormon, and how it has blessed our families. As soon as I introduced the lesson the room became so peaceful. Their tiny apartment was filled with the presence of the spirit. Even the little girl sat there staring at us with her huge brown eyes. We had each person explain their conversion story and how they knew the Book of Mormon was true. It was so awesome. Tsuchida Choro does such a good job of channelling the spirit and love of Christ into what he says.
I can't say enough how wonderful it is to have this be my purpose all day every day. What a wonderful calling to study share and teach about the word of God. When I see and hear people talk from their soul, honestly, about things that too often go unsaid it fills me with so much hope and joy for their future and mine. In this country in particular, no one speaks with very much honesty, out of politeness or to hide any "weaknesses" they feel they may show. It truly is heartbreaking, but there are special times when those cultural barriers are broken down, and you get glimpse of their spirit and soul. It is such a precious and sacred thing to me.
This past week I talked to one man at an eki who listened well to what I said. When I offered him a Book of Mormon, he refused. Looking at him I knew there was something wrong, something he wanted to talk about but was refusing to. I prodded and tried to find out what was wrong asking him if he was okay, and he seemed to be having a mental battle as to whether or not to talk to me about what was in his heart. I saw and felt his struggle, not sure how, but I did. And I felt so much empathy for him. All I wanted was to hear what he was thinking about, and help him with whatever that was. Unfortunately he only buried it all deeper. I continued to think about him all night. I'm not sure what I am trying to say, I suppose it is that I am grateful to be doing what I do with the help of the spirit.
What else..I'm not quite sure.
Tell Rachel I am so happy for her an Shaun. And tell Todd congratulations for his mission call, that's such great news. Jessica your story about the Dutch oven was awesome Hahahaha. Natalie sounds like you had quite an adventure for girls camp, those things turn into really great memories I promise haha.
Things are difficult of course, but I do love it. Sunday it was one hundred degrees with ninety eight percent humidity, so I was soaked through with sweat hahah, but I could care less. We had a great day finding yesterday with the little time we had and that's all that matters. I'm excited to continue to learn and grow and change, I only hope I CAN change, and not remain so stubborn and weak all the time.
Dad I hope you find a home for the trailer and thank you for the words of encouragement! You better be brushing up on nihongo, I'm gonna run tracks around you come Christmas time.
Love everyone so much.
Viehweg Choro
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| At Matsumoto |
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| Ramen |
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| Garden plot form apartment |
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| Sunset scene |
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| Sunset from church |
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