November 26, 2012

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!!

Let's start with my Thanksgiving. Well, the day before we had Eikaiwa and I had all the students (which was only 4 this week for some reason) make turkey hands and write what they are thankful for on each feather. Then the next day on the real Thanksgiving we had our activity called Outreach that we have every week. It started at 6:30. We waited until 7:15 until someone finally came. Yep only one person showed up but we made turkey hands anyway! Then my companion and I thought, this can't be what our Thanksgiving consists of! So we went to a nearby grocery store slash mall and ate a nice fast food Japanese meal at the food court. Then searched the grocery store for something that resembled pie. So that explains the pictures. One of me and my apple pie fritter thingy, one of my companion and I on Thanksgiving at the food court, and one of our Eikaiwa class and their Thankful Turkeys. All in all, it was a pretty good, very missionary Thanksgiving. And I am grateful. Since it has been Thanksgiving week we have been going out and talking to everyone as usual but we have been asking them what they are thankful for. (after taking the time to explain what Thanksgiving is because they have absolutely no clue). It has been pretty interesting to hear all the different answers. Some people look at us like what!? I have never thought of that before! Most of them say things like, family, the fact that I am alive, the fact that I am healthy, the fact that I have a home to live in.. etc.. Then we ask them who is to thank for those things and if it is important to say thank you. That is when they really are befuzzled and don't know what to say. Then we teach them about God. I feel really grateful to know that there is a God above who is to thank for all of these amazing things we are given. I am also grateful that every single day, many (and as a missionary especially I mean MANY) times a day I go to Him in prayer and thank Him for all that He has given me. I love Thanksgiving!!!

Now that it has become the holiday season, we have started to go caroling and sing Christmas hymns for people! That is my FAVORITE part about being a missionary during the holidays. On Sunday after church we gathered as many members as we could and went down to the nearest mall, stood out in front of it and just sang all of the Christmas hymns while a couple of people handed out fliers for the Christmas Party that we are having in our ward to people passing by. While we were singing I thought, can you imagine this happening in America? Like picture the missionaries after church one day going around to all of the members and being like hey, do you have time right now? we want to go sing Christmas hymns in front of the Galleria Mall, you down? Because that is 100% what we did and a bunch of members came too! Needless to say, Japan is a little different than America but I dunno maybe you should call up your local missionaries, see how they feel about going and doing that... Another thing that our Stake is doing that I have never heard of being done in America: they call it the 40 day fast and it is literally just that. Every single day for 40 days someone or some people in the stake fast for missionary work. So for 40 days straight there is someone fasting for the work in the area. Along with that, the missionaries send in emails every night of the miracles they are seeing and then every single morning at exactly 7:29 am (why that time? idk) the stake president sends out an email to the whole stake writing about the miracles the missionaries saw and the testimonies of the members who were fasting and their experiences, etc. HOW COOL IS THAT?!?!?!?! Like I know this is horrible to say but I certainly did not think about the missionary work in my stake that much at ALL. I've repented don't worry. haha All I have to say is you would be AMAZED at how involved the members are in missionary work here. Especially in this stake.

Also with the Christmas season well on it's way, my companion and I took the liberty of buying a tiny little tree for our apartment. It is not much, but very festive and we love it.

Happy holiday season!! Take this time to spread the joy of our Savior even more than normal!!!!

maybe start by sending this: http://mormon.org/christmas amazing link to someone you love!

Love you all!!!!

love love love

xoxo

gg

Ariel

November 10, 2012

Greetings all,

 

One foggy morning in Japan. This usually happens the day after it rains. It was especially foggy this day though. I took this picture when we went outside in the morning for exercise.

Some of the sisters whom I LOVE, We went to the temple today! We didn't make it into the missionary session because there were already too many people so they put us into the brides room to wait. Don't doubt I took that opportunity to do my companion's hair in a 90's prom up-do. It was fun. anywayZZ.. TWO of my previous companions are going home next week. I can't even believe it. It was so sad to say goodbye to Mizoguchi shimai because she lives in Japan and I won't be able to see her as much as my American companions. I totes cried. but you could have guessed that without me saying it.

 

 

This week I got a letter from a girl who I met in my first area. I believe I talked about her a long long time ago she was less active for a while.. She is one of those people I met in Japan and just KNEW that we told each other "see ya later!" in the pre-existence. BUT  Anyway, she sent me a letter and SHE IS GOING TO SERVE A MISSION!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Literally sobbed upon receiving that letter. I LOVE HER!!!!! I am so happy for her! AHHH!

 

Anyways... so two days ago we had our ward PRIMARY PROGRAM and if you know me, you know I look forward to this ALL year long. I have been waiting a year to hear a primary program with Japanese little children and boy did it prove to be everything I ever hoped for. Hilarious. I was dying and I really wish that I could share with you some of the funny things that the little kids said but it just would not be funny in English. Let's just say children are the same all over the world. They scream sing here too.

 

This email is so lame but we never have time on transfer weeks or temple day. Today was temple day. Please forgive!

 

Exactly 6 weeks until Christmas!!!!!

 

LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!!!!

 

xoxo,

gg

Ariel

 

p.s. I found this quote on a gift bag in a convenience store today: actually I just attached the pic but in case you can't read it it says, "We're sleepy." then on the bottom it says, "but if you like having a good time wake us up. You lead us a fantasy world." that is what I like to call Engrish. it's the best.

November 5, 2012

OKAY so today for P-Day we went to a Japanese temple so I legit have no time to email. Please forgive me!

First things first. I would like to request the CD Popcorn Bopping. Remember that one? I got it before my mission to jam out to but then didn't take it. But this just in, we are allowed to have it for morning exercise. I would like to teach my angel companion some sweet moves so if you would be so kind, please send that gem of a CD! :)

Next item of business, jkjk this isn't a meeting. But I'd like to explain my subject line (True Life: I Need to Learn to Speak Spanish). So our area has a gajillion Peruvians and Brazilians in it. I don't know why, but it's true. So we have a bunch of Spanish speakers in our ward and we meet Spanish speakers all the time. Even though I took Spanish in high school and all, since learning Japanese I have forgot most everything. I know, sad. Well one of the elders in my area is from Brazil so he speaks Spanish and Portuguese. So today the elders asked us to participate in their lesson with a Peruvian girl that one of the members in the ward referred. Needless to say, I didn't understand much. I felt like I was on my first transfer again just sitting there and smiling and nodding my head. The cool part is, even though I didn't understand the language that was being spoken, the spirit was SO strong. Like I didn't know what was really happening but I was literally trying my best to keep from crying. I didn't say a word but towards the end of the lesson after the elders extended a commitment to baptism she turned to me and asked me if I too would promise all of the blessings they were promising. After the Spanish speaking elder translated the question, I could just say, "si" and then I started CRYING. I was dying. Then the elders were like, you can say whatever you want, we will translate it. So all I could get out was that I don't know her very well at all and we don't speak the same language but I could feel SO MUCH love for her. Then I said "te amo". Haha But lately I have been praying to more understand the pure love of Christ and my prayer was CERTAINLY answered through that lesson. Prayer ROCKS. I love it. Also I asked my mission president if I could study Spanish too. Caleb, Melissa, Lynnette, any ideas?

Halloween: Didn't do anything Halloween-y. Except eat candy the elders gave us.

This week we did splits with another area and I went to a place called Kiryu. When I was there I met a Japanese version of CALEB. I was dying. Personality and all. THE SAME. I told him. He wants to meet Caleb. We took a picture together too. He served in California on his mission, Riverside. In the "ghetto" as he put it.

Today is Lexi's birthday. I realized it when I looked at the date this morning during personal study. Shout out to my babygurl!

On this past Thursday we started an activity in our ward called "outreach" where we have pretty much and FHE type thing and play games and stuff. It was our first time doing it and it went SO well! So many people came! And it was one of the little girls in our ward's birthday so I full on got to do her hair and make up. It was so fun. Who knew those kinds of talents could be used on a mission too?!!

Anyway,

LOVE from the Land of the Rising Sun

xoxo

gg

Ariel