New Companion

Monday, October 28, 2019

こんにちは!

My new companion, Takatori姉妹, is so cute and fun and we've been doing lots of running. And it's not because both or even one of us likes to exercise... Read below for more!

Spiritual Stuff:

On Saturday the mother of three we're currently teaching came to our branch Halloween Party with her kids, and they had a fantastic time! The kids played with the members' kids, and the mom talked with a lot of the members. Towards the end, Takatori姉妹 asked the kids if they were coming tomorrow (Sunday), and after a simple explanation of church, they got super excited and left asking their mom if they were coming, repeating over and over the time (10-12). We knew they most likely wouldn't be able to come, but we're so happy that they enjoyed themselves enough to start having interest in coming to church! Please include their family in your prayers.

(stealing this week's thought from my Facebook post) 

Recently I've been thinking a lot about part of Alma 30:44... 

"...all things denote there is a God; yea, even the earth, and all things that are upon the face of it, yea, and its motion, yea, and also all the planets which move in their regular form do witness that there is a Supreme Creator."

I truly feel that "all things denote there is a God." I especially feel so every time I'm out biking through rice fields, or riding the train through the mountains. I'm so grateful I have the opportunity to serve in this beautiful country. I'm also very grateful that I am able to serve in Odawara, with its ocean and mountains. I can't think of a better place to start my experience.

Daily Life/Fun Stories:

Last pday Ogata姉妹 and I went with the zone 姉妹たちto Enoshima, and while there I got umeboshi ice cream. Japanese pickled plum ice cream. Apparently not popular with foreigners because after I ordered and paid for it the lady leaned out the window and asked, "umeboshi?" And even when I responded to the affirmative, she still said, "not strawberry," to which I could only say "はい" (hai= yes) while suppressing my laughter. 

On Tuesday we spent 3-4 hours packing (Ogata姉妹) and cleaning. I spent the entire time scrubbing at the tape residue on our windows from when we taped them for the typhoon... It's still not clean .

Wednesday was transfer day, a whole mix of emotions. Really weird and sad, but really exciting. 

Saturday was our Halloween Party, and it started off with an eating contest. We ate a bun with a pile of whipped cream on top and it was actually pretty fun. I won the group I participated in lol. First and probably last time I'll ever win an eating contest. I was dressed as a ninja (sort of) so they kept saying I was fast because I was a ninja lol. As for other activities, Takatori姉妹 and I were on face painting duty all night, but the rest of the attendees (including English class students and members' friends) had fun with pumpkin carving, a first for almost everyone. 

Yesterday we went to visit an inactive member who we've visited multiple times (or at least tried to). We always know they're home because we can hear them, but they never open the door. As we stood before the door, before we could do anything, Takatori姉妹's tablet started very loudly announcing directions. We frantically tried to silence it while also trying to stifle our laughter, but it was too late. We started casually (super not casual) walking away when we heard the sound of the locks moving. The door didn't open, however, so they probably were locking it... We came back after housing a few doors and, as expected, the door didn't open. We left them a note and left, as we've done before. Walked away again stifling our laughter as we remembered the panic and awkwardness of a bit earlier. 

So, as for the running... We rode lots of trains because Takatori姉妹's bike didn't get here until yesterday, and we had to run to almost every single one. Made most of them, but several times we sprinted in only to watch the train pull off without us...  

New Foods:

-grilled fish, Japanese fish grill style (nothing added and grilled in the fish grill installed in every Japanese stove). Couldn't believe how good it was

-beef from fukuoka given to us by some members, which we cooked in taco seasoning with onions. Best beef I've ever had, not tough at all. 

-sagebrush/mugwort mochi. Tasted like general herb, with the usual anko (japanese sweet red bean). The more I ate it, though, the more I liked it... 

-umeboshi (pickled plum) ice cream. Yum. 

-enoshima senbei. Squished octopus in a very thin rice sheet. As in, they literally put the mix and a whole octopus in a press and squish... Delicious. 

About the Pictures:

• That mochi
• The vending machine hot chocolate is coming out now that it's getting cooler (sort of) 
• A picture Takatori姉妹 took of me after we watched that 3rd train pull off without us... 

• Turns out you CAN see Fuji from Odawara area... You just have to take the train out a ways to see it between other mountains
• Our Halloween loot
• Me and Takatori姉妹 in front of the Halloween whiteboard sign we drew for the party
• We're proud of this sign (it was mostly Takatori姉妹 though, lol) 
• Yes, I was a ninja. Sort of. 
• Japanese pancakes are a whole other level
• Enoshima with Fujisawa Zone 姉妹たち! (see other email for more) 
• What you have to expect as a missionary in 日本 (while writing the note for that family) 

愛してます!

-スナ一姉妹