One Year

Friday, May 29, 2020

こんにちは！

Hey everyone! It's been awhile. And it's been a while since my missionary journey started. It was one year ago, May 29th, that I entered the Missionary Training Center in Provo, Utah, in preparation to serve in the Japan Tokyo South Mission. You'll notice this is not from my missionary account. I was officially released as a missionary, and this time for good because of my asthma and the whole coronavirus situation. I miss Japan, the experience, the food, the culture, and the people. And I miss being a missionary in Tokyo. But I know that I will be able to return, not as a missionary, but under different circumstances, and I will be able to experience it in a different way. Thank you guys for all the support you've given me over this past crazy year!

I'm excited to go back to BYU in the fall, whatever that will mean. I'll be continuing my major in Genetics & Genomics, as well as a minor in Japanese. I'm looking for housing in the case that we're allowed to go in person and it's not online, so if you know of any good places, let me know! I'll be continuing my major in Genetics & Genomics, as well as a minor in Japanese.

I'm waiting for a new SIM card, but my phone will soon finally be up and going so shoot me an email (or a message on facebook or instagram) if you want to trade numbers.

Here's some throwback pictures!

Hannah Snarr

More pics

Friday, March 27, 2020

• At least I got to see 桜 (sakura= cherry blossoms), even if it was out the window on the way to the airport
• We went over the rainbow bridge!
• More bus ride views
• Our going to the airport group
• Airport

Home

Friday, March 27, 2020

 

こんにちは!

Many of you probably already know this, but I have returned home from 日本! I got in very early yesterday morning (darn you, delayed flight) and I'm starting get over the jet lag.

*everyone make sure to read the *** below

Spiritual Stuff:

The past couple days have been filled with lots of prayer and scripture study. I've also read my patriarchal blessing several times, and it's given me a lot of comfort. I know that no matter what ends up happening, whether I get to go back to 日本 or not, I will be able to fulfill my mission in this life. And fulfilling it might look a little different from others, but it is possible. 

Daily Life/Fun Stories:

On Saturday morning, as we were studying, we got a message from President Esplin calling everybody to a mission conference call, for which we were to cancel all previous plans. Our hearts dropped when we were told that all foreign missionaries would be returning to their home countries. He told us to pack and clean immediately and be ready to leave at a moment's notice. We then spent most of the next few days preparing to leave and saying our goodbyes. Tuesday morning, we got a message telling everybody to get the 本部 (honbu= mission home/office) as soon as possible. 

We were driven up by a member (thank goodness, the trains with suitcases would've been a nightmare) and arrived as a group of missionaries was getting sent out. Absolute chaos. Itineraries came in on the hour, and once they came, the missionaries called would have less than 5 minutes to start running to the bus station. And you had no idea if/when you would be called. Slightly nerve-wracking. My name and an elder's name got called in the middle of a mini devotional, and we both left and starting dragging our suitcases out only to be told nevermind, you're going tomorrow. That was the point at which the flights started being for the next day, Wednesday. 

Tuesday actually ended up being way fun, mostly because almost the whole mission was there, except those who left already. For dinner, President Esplin sent out 2 日本人 (nihonjin= japanese people) with $1000 to buy everyone インドカレー (indo karee= indian curry) which was amazing. Then we had a movie night and, squashed into a living room, we watched the movie Totoro in Japanese with English subtitles (for those who just got to 日本 and don't know anything). In President Esplin's own words, "as far as I'm concerned, Totoro is a church movie. It was pretty great. 

All of the 姉妹たち (shimaitachi= sisters) ended up sleeping at the 本部 together, and it was wall to wall 姉

妹たち on the floor. Basically a party. Except for the fact that nobody slept well, for various reasons. And when we woke up, it was time to say goodbye. So sad. And 30 hours after I left the 本部, after a 2 hour bus ride, waiting, 12 hours in a plane to Detroit, more waiting (6 hour layover plus a delay), a 45 minute flight to Rochester, and a 20 minute drive, I was sleeping in my bed at home.

The travel was made a lot less boring by the fact that for most of the time I was with other missionaries headed home, several not from the same mission. For example, on the 12 hour flight, we moved seats because there weren't that many passengers and sat together. Those of us in the same row watched several movies together by pressing play at the same time, which was so much fun. And don't worry, we had permission. In President Esplin's own words, "this is going to be the longest flight of your life, go ahead and watch some Disney movies." So we did. And I have to say, I very much enjoyed Frozen II and the new Aladdin. 

I still don't know if/where I'll be reassigned, or if I'll be released because of my asthma and allergies, but we'll see what happens over the next 2 weeks I spend in self-isolation. 

***just so you all know, my phone died right after I left so I just have a tablet. If you want to message me, it'll have to be through email or Facebook lol

About the Pictures:

• The wall above my desk in Atsugi
• Watched the sunset for our daily walk one day
• So glad I got to see a bit of spring
• Already missing the churches in 日本
• インドカレー! 
• Got to see Augustus姉妹 (unfortunately don't have pictures I took with other 姉妹たち right now) 
• Me signing the quilt every missionary that leaves under President Esplin gets to sign
• Picture with President and Sister Esplin! Love these two
• 同期 (douki= people you came to 日本 with) minus Wilcox長老 who already left
• Almost everybody in the mission (about 20 had already left) 
• Movie night! 
• Figuring out how to fit everybody 
• Tuesday lunch
• The view out of the 本部's front window

愛しています!

-スナ一姉妹スナー姉妹

More Pics!

Monday, March 16, 2020

• More walk pics
• The muffin-making process
• We were sad it was just rain when we looked outside (some people saw the actual snow, though)

Calming down...?

Monday, March 16, 2020

こんにちは!

Things are starting to calm down in 日本, toilet paper and other goods are back on the shelves. There's still a mask shortage, though .

Spiritual Stuff:

Last Thursday we had zone conference! We used the app Webex, and it was way good, despite the fact that we weren't there in person. President Esplin told us that last week as a mission we found 81 new people, which is almost half the number we found at the same time last year. So good to hear we're still finding and teaching and progressing! Also, I got called on suddenly twice... Not to mention that I said the opening prayer... 

Elder Choi of the Seventy and his wife suddenly did a mission conference with us on Saturday morning over the app Zoom. It was great to hear from them, and also see the angel Moroni on the Tokyo Temple behind them! They have amazing testimonies and conversion stories.

We've been able to do a lot of もぎs (mogi= roleplay/practice lessons) with the Relief Society members this past week, and they've given us a ton of feedback. It's also a great opportunity to ask them about their conversion story, because almost all of them did not grow up in the church. The members in 日本 are so awesome! We did a testimony meeting over Zoom on Sunday and it was good finally seeing a lot of their faces.

During one of our lessons with Gunさん this past week, we started talking about grace, following up on his reading of Ether 12:27. Somehow, he ended up asking a question about the Holy Ghost. In explaining it, the scripture we had planned to share with him next perfectly answered his question and we were able to take another step forward with him. We walked out of the lesson like "whoa," because the lesson had started off in a completely different direction than we thought, and yet somehow, what we prepared ended up being just what he needed, despite the fact that it wasn't really related to what we were talking about. 

Daily Life/Fun Stories:

Our daily walks keep us sane lol. We had a day this past week where we got to wear just short sleeves! We used our 30 walk time to check out some early 桜 (sakura= cherry blossoms). Happy day! And then it was 34°F and freezing rain... Reminds me of Rochester haha.

We had a lot of fun figuring out how to make muffins from this muffin mix we found in our apartment. Without muffin tins. Or an actual oven. Take  some small loaf pans, tinfoil, a toaster oven, and some milk, and they actually turned out pretty good!

On random news, I've discovered that my leg muscles have developed into a suspiciously rectangular shapes much like my father's... Darn it, biking. Maybe they'll start to naturally get rid of themselves during this self-isolation lol.

New Foods:

-Those betty crocker muffins

Coronavirus Update:

Not much to say this week. Like I already mentioned, 日本 seems to be calming down. The number of sick people is still going up, but at a slower rate. We can buy what we need at the grocery store without having to go as soon as it opens.  We still can't meet people face to face, but we're doing ok. Honestly my hometown is probably worse off haha. They're just getting started.

Last week there was a rumor going around the 長老たち that the coronavirus kills more men than women and makes them infertile, and I quote:

"this is scary now"

Zamudio姉妹 and I just about died laughing at them. On another note, one of the 長老たち in our district packed his stuff because we might get reassigned (we don't think so, though), but also if we don't he'll have to transfer again someday, so win win.

About the Pictures:

• Rainy day walk (different day from the 34° one)
• Our zone conference (you can't see everyone because I couldn't figure out how to fit everyone on the same screen...)
• Behold. Weird spaghetti.
• Walk pics!

愛しています!

-スナ一姉妹