Just a Snippet (July 11, 2016)

What up! I know I said my farewells all dramatic and whatnot, but here's my next attempt:) Seems like I can send messages okay, just receiving them is a little spotty and they disappear, so if I've missed a message or not responded, I apologize, that's my excuse;)

Lemme just tell y'all about one of my favorite parts of the week. We're working with a less active sister who is so, so cute. Due to health issues and past experiences, she is mentally pretty young and she LOVES the missionaries. We visited her and shared a message about prayer and that Heavenly Father always answers our prayers, like a parent who answers the cry of their frightened child at night. We agreed that we would all pray for her to have the courage to come to church this week, and we touched base with her a lot, prayed over the phone together, and did whatever we could to help her. However when we called her on Sunday morning, she said that she wasn't feeling too good. She cut the phone really fast before we could say much else. We went to our morning meeting a little disappointed, but when we walked into the chapel for sacrament meeting, she was sitting on the bench closest to the door with the biggest smile on her face, because she had surprised us by showing up. She had to leave right after sacrament, but being able to watch her pray and partake of the sacrament was one of the sweetest things ever.

The organist didn't make it to church on Sunday, so they asked me to step in last minute, I had a great vantage point to be able to watch the ward (and that sister) as they renewed their covenants with God, and even though I still don't know everyone's names yet and although I don't have a personal relationship with them all yet, I love Kamisugi ward and their desires for righteousness. It is so evident when people are trying to do what's right. It touches our hearts. It is my hope and prayer that we will ever be striving for truth and right.

Haven't taken many pictures recently (we got work to do!) but here are some from last week (sorry, parents, recycling;).

It is so humid here, we've been above 90% a few times (and here I was thinking missionaries don't swim!), but the 紫陽花 (あじさい = ajisai = hydrangea) are way, way pretty.

I'm pretty too, but no one ever says anything. (That's a joke, please don't respond to that or I'll just feel uncomfortable. *Laughs awkwardly like someone who's lost all social skills, which is actually pretty accurate.*)

P.S.

Just a silly story from this week

This week, we housed this apartment complex, and no one answered the door. We got to the last door where the post was overflowing with flyers, but rand the bell anyways. Right when we were giving up--Sister Burton was starting down the stairs--the door popped open and out of nowhere is this white dude in a luxurious navy bathrobe. I was so startled that the only thing that successfully made it out of my mouth was, "Uh, you speak English?" He answered, "Yeah! You speak English?" and it was obvious he wasn't American. Ends up he was European, and he had heard of Mormon missionaries before, but "Alas! I'm not interested," because he has some Mormon friends and knows "it's not for me." (We speculated that he probably likes drinking too much because he's from Bristol. OBVIOUSLY a drunkard.*kidding*)

Anyway, just a silly little story from this week:)