Friday, March 27, 2020
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
