こんにちは!
On Wednesday afternoon, I will no longer be called "bean-chan" by everyone I meet! As in, my training period will be officially over! Crazy.
Spiritual Stuff:
This past week's been kind of rough for the 2 people we teach regularly, for reasons I think are probably too personal to share in this email, so unfortunately not much to report there. However, one of them has been having several small experiences, which we're so happy for. She really liked our message about the Sabbath, and since we basically stole it from one of President Nelson's talks (2015), "The Sabbath Is a Delight," I figured I'd share some of it with you all!
"I first found delight in the Sabbath many years ago when, as a busy surgeon, I knew that the Sabbath became a day for personal healing. By the end of each week, my hands were sore from repeatedly scrubbing them with soap, water, and a bristle brush. I also needed a breather from the burden of a demanding profession. Sunday provided much-needed relief.
What did the Savior mean when He said that “the sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath”? I believe He wanted us to understand that the Sabbath was His gift to us, granting real respite from the rigors of daily life and an opportunity for spiritual and physical renewal. God gave us this special day, not for amusement or daily labor but for a rest from duty, with physical and spiritual relief."
For missionaries, our Sabbath is always spent helping others feel that relief, usually by visiting them and sharing a message tailored to their unique circumstances. It's always a delight for us, and we try to help people see that it can be a delight for them. It can be a delight for you, too!
Daily Life/Fun Stories:
On Wednesday I'll get a new companion! Ogata姉妹 is transferring to Kofu and will be companions with my MTC companion, Olson姉妹, which is crazy. My new companion's name is Takatori姉妹. Yes, I get another 日本人 (nihonjin= japanese person) companion, which I am so happy about! Good food and fantastic language practice, what more could I ask for? I'll miss Ogata姉妹, but I'm excited for this new chapter of my missionary experience! I'll also be area 先輩 (senpai= upperclassman/senior, but used in more situations), which is a bit daunting but also exciting.
So usually Ogata姉妹 is the one to decide and make food (if it isn't leftovers, cup ramen, or instant curry), but last week she looked at the sliced white cheddar cheese I'd asked to buy at the grocery store and was like, "what do you do with this." So we made a kind of fancy grilled cheese with the super thick, fluffy Japanese bread and chicken with taco seasoning. Plus tomatoes and onions. Ended up being way good, actually, and I'm kinda sad I didn't take a picture. I was pretty proud of myself.
Preparations are being finalized for this Saturday's ハロウィーンパーティー (harowiin paatii= Halloween Party), which the branch mission council thingy (no idea what it's actually called in English) is in charge of. Meaning, the branch mission president and missionaries are doing all the planning and preparation. Look forward to hearing about it in next week's email!
We did a lot of service this week, most of it outdoors, as we helped people clean up a bit from the 台風 (taifuu= typhoon). Outdoor service is always a nice break from the routine. Although, the weather was actually quite chilly, as in we wore jackets. Also wet. The chilly part is unusual for 日本 (nihon= Japan). Apparently it's what the weather is like in February, so I'm very much looking forward to a winter not nearly as bad as Rochester.
New Foods:
-persimmon
-seafood pasta with hotate (japanese scallops. Best seafood I've had in a long time.)
-carbonara
-vanilla ice cream with olive oil and salt on top (sounds weird, but it was good like caramel and chocolate are good with salt)
-mochi and pork okonomiyaki
-squid and pork okonomiyaki
-pickled konbu salad (don't know what it's actually called. Konbu is a kind of seaweed)
-japanese sweet potato (just peel the skin after it's cooked and eat. So much better than American ones)
-salmon sashimi
-japanese sweet potato salad
-yakitori
-kusamochi (grass flavored mochi filled with anko, Japanese sweet bean. Tasted like the inside of an Asian market in America.)
-mabodofu (Fried Tofu. Quite possibly the best thing I've eaten so far)
About the Pictures:
- What we do when we're doing service but still want to have fun
- First time at an okonomiyaki restaurant!
- That vanilla ice cream with olive oil and salt (plus raspberry sherbert)
- We love our members. This isn't even everything, she brought out the sashimi and yakitori after I took the picture.
- Double rainbow right as we finished up service!
- Grass mochi
愛してます!
-スナ一姉妹
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