December 27, 2011

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
I got to skype with the fam!!! It was awesome! I showed them my apartment and they met my cute little Japanese companion! My companion kept telling me that everyone at home is so beautiful! She is right! Anyway, for Christmas we had a BAPTISM!!!!!!!!!! It was the elder's baptism and it was so awesome. We had one hour of church and the baptism was right after. After the baptism we went to a member's home for Christmas dinner and they were so awesome! They took in all of the people who didn't really have anywhere to go and we celebrated together! There were tons of non members there that we got to talk to about the gospel too so it was really great.
 
So as you know my companion is Japanese and doesn't know much English AT ALL. But a cool thing happened the other night. We were at a members home with one of our investigators and the member was telling our investigator the story of Christmas. This was all in English so my companion was just sitting there and sometimes I would translate a little bit for her. I felt so bad for her because I definitely know how that feels and it is not fun. But when we got done with the lesson and were walking to the train she told me that she understood everything that the member was saying! She said it would come into her ears as English but then once it was in her head it was Japanese. Seriously awesome huh?! And I am not kidding when I say she really doesn't know English but this was definitely a blessing from God because the next day she couldn't understand a word of English, same as before.
 
So I told some of this to my family already but oh well, One of my favorite parts about the mission is teaching our English class called Eikaiwa on Wednesdays. We do an hour long class and then 30 minutes of some sort of game that helps them learn or practice English. So past week I taught all of the students the song "head, shoulders, knees, and toes" I thought I was hilarious. We had like full grown, dignified, business men singing that song and do the actions to it getting faster and faster with each time. I loved it so much I was laughing so hard!
 
Funny thing about our apartment: So we have a lot of cockaroaches that come into our apartment. We renamed them George so it doesn't sound as scary. My companion says Georgie cuz I guess that is how it would be said in Japanese but anyway.. So every night when we come in we turn on the lights and then grab our bug spray stuff and generally have to kill 3 or 4 Georges in our kitchen. I have gotten so used to them that sometimes I go into the kitchen to get a drink of water or something and George will be crawling on the wall but I just leave it..... Gotta love being a missionary!!  
 
Anyway, I hope everyone had an amazing Christmas time!!!!! People in Japan don't really celebrate Christmas that much. New Years is their big thing. We went around asking people what their favorite thing about Christmas is and they all say cakie (cake) because all Japanese people eat KFC and cake on Christmas. They think Americans eat chicken on Christmas so they go to KFC... I don't know where they got that but they are always so surprised when I tell them that is not really an American thing..
 
MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
I love you!!
 
xoxoxoxoxo,
Swainston 姉妹

December 19, 2011

Hello world and MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!

SOOOO in your first two transfers you are supposed to have the same companion and they are supposed to train you for those two transfers. Well, transfers were yesterday and yep don't doubt it my trainer got transfered. So now I am the one with the knowledge of this area and I definitely got a Japanese companion. YEP!!! You better believe it! It is hilarious!! I don't know Japanese and she sure doesn't know English!! Her name is Mizoguchi Shimai and she is from Fukuoka. We already decided that after our missions she is going to come to Las Vegas. She is so excited and by then I will be able to understand slash translate for everyone. HAHAHAHA It is quite the adventure. Nonetheless, the Lord knows what we need! And I know that this is a blessing because she will actually be able to understand our investigators! BTW Christmas is on a Sunday so we only have an hour of church and we have a baptism after! Well it is the elder's baptism but we are really hoping a bunch of our investigators will come to church and then see the baptism and then maybe hop in too! haha jk but we are praying they will come! Anyways, as usual I have no time. But, I love Japan!

OH! and i got my Christmas package, SO EXCITED!!! I will have something to open on Christmas!! We no longer have a paper Christmas tree because my former companion took it with her when she transfered but that's ok!! We still have Christmas spirit! OH and in my package was a jumprope... im not sure what my family is trying to tell me but yes, I do already have rice cheeks. When a Japanese person tells you to keep eating, you do not decline. Oh well!! hahaha

MISSIONS ROCK!!!!

xoxoxo,

ricecheeksgossipgirl

December 5, 2011

okayyyyyyyy

 

This week... hmmmmmm

 

Today I went to the imperial palace. it was huge and really cool. Sometimes I seriously still can't believe that I am a missionary and then I get on a bike, in a skirt, and then it starts raining as I am biking up the hilly streets of Tokyo, and THEN I find myself singing I Know That My Redeemer Lives in the midst of all of that (don't doubt people I ride by have told me to shhhh a few times). It is then that I think to myself, yep, im definitely a missionary. AND PROUD OF IT!! hahaha

 

A funny thing about Japan is the trains slash subways. In the morning they have rush hour but it is with people. One morning we got on the train during rush hour and it was literally so jam packed that I could have picked up my feet and have still stayed up. You get REAL close to everyone around you. And another thing, NO ONE speaks on trains! It is insane!! there are sooo many people on the train and it is silent... Probably wouldn't happen in America. I am always the loud American on trains I think.

 

Our apartment is all decorated for Christmas and I love it!! (I hope you aren't imagining any good decorations because if you are, you are wrong). It is kinda pathetic but it is Christmas nonetheless!!!

 

A member gave us REAL CEREAL!!!!!! from the military compound. MADE. MY. DAY.

 

What else.... I had so much to say but I left my planner at a member's home!! (yes, I do feel EXTREMELY naked without it) but that is where I write things down that I want to remember to email about.. Anyway....

 

Sorry this week was so short.

 

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!!!!!

 

xoxo,

tOkYoGoSsIpQT

Email!

Sister Swainston is now able to receive emails from people other than immediate family. Here is her email address:

ariel.swainston@myldsmail.com