February 17, 2013

This week... Went by SO FAST. I couldn't believe it! This week I taught the ABC's to 3 adult Peruvians, held a chocolate making activity for Valentine's day, made one million snickerdoodles for every member in our ward for church yesterday, almost got eaten by a few dogs who were not into hearing the gospel, and much much more!

 

The picture I attached is of this little Peruvian girl named Angie who is in our ward. I am obsessed with her she is HILARIOUS. I accidentally did the letters backwards on her chocolate. oops!!

 

Okay so I just want to share one experience from yesterday. So we had 4 different appointments set up for after church yesterday and every single one of them fell through so we were like uhhhh now what? haha so we wnded up visiting this lady named Mitani san who my companion found housing on exchanges a couple of weeks ago. She belongs to some sort of organization that advocates the importance of families so we brought her a copy of "The Family: A Proclamation to the World". As we were standing on her porch in the FREEZING cold and she was talking to us about her family and Ono shimai was talking about how the Book of Mormon blesses families I just felt that exquisite joy that comes from nothing else but missionary work. The kind of joy that I have only felt on my mission. I LOVE that. I was freezing cold (no joke, thought my toes were going to fall off), this lady didn't really want to join our church or anything but I still felt pure JOY. That is such a miracle to me. It just goes to show that when we are doing what we are supposed to do, being a "good girl or a good boy" as Elder Bednar says, we can feel joy! Even if we are not succeeding or physically and mentally exhausted, ther is joy in righteous living no matter what. It is because of the hope that comes from knowing that principle that I can wake up every morning, work my hardest, and then wake up the next morning and do it again. And so it will be for the rest of my life. I love this gospel so much!!! We have it all!!!!

 

Hope you all have a JOYOUS week too! You know I will!!

 

LOVE

xoxo

gg

Ariel

February 11, 2013

A new transfer! My LAST transfer..........................

 

likewhatishappeningHOWdidmymissionflybysofast?!?!??!?!?!

 

Anyways, I am still in Yachiyo with Sister Ono. Ending with a Japanese companion! WOOOOO!!!! This is my 4th transfer in Yachiyo. Longer than I have stayed in any other area. It'll have been a third of my mission once I get done and I don't hate it at all!!! LOVE it here!!

 

Today we went golfing with an Eikaiwa student and one of our other friends. Let's just say I am not a natural. There was a man golfing next to me and he saw me try once and then immediately came over to fix my form and everything else I was doing wrong. It was funny slash fun.

 

Okay so this past week we had one of my favorite activities on this planet, MUSIC NIGHT. Seriously I LIVE for these things. We had many entries and they all sang. Boy am I so excited to one day show you the videos I took of this night. Fernando, the CUTE Peruvian recent convert grandpa sang this song in Spanish and it was CLASSIC. I was actually doing everything in my power to compose myself. Then afterward we were talking about Karaoke (because Japan has these amazing karaoke places on every other block that America needs to get) and Fernando was like let's just come to the church and do God's karaoke! I guess you would have to see him to know how cute and funny it was but just know that I love this man. Also I made one of the Elders in my area sing and he sang a hymn but before it started I told him he had to be dead serious and sing it hipster but really really dramatic. Best rendition of Lead Kindly Light I've heard in a long while. Ono shimai and I sang good ol' Olive Tree. It was a great night.

 

We have been having some more interesting experiences housing. This past week we knocked on a door and this lady from Thailand came out (holla to my girl Shannon! SO wish you were there). Anyway she couldn't really speak Japanese or English (yep, tried that too) but she was SUPER nice and let us in because it was freezing outside. Once we got in she opened the door to where her husband was (he was Japanese) and he was like, what are they doing here?! who are these people?! we explained we were missionaries and he was like WHAT?! I am a different religion, you cannot be here!! and then he kinda went off on us and his wife, not happy that we were there. He was a little drunk too. So he was super mad and then one second later he was like here, here's some chocolate. Take it and be on your way.. So we took it and apologized and then we left. When we left we walked down the apartment building and we could hear her husband yelling at her. I stopped, seriously started crying as I just prayed as hard as I could for this woman, I felt so bad. But after I prayed I got the same reassurrance that I get about most things I pray about, I know that God has a plan for her. He loves her just as much as He loves me. I felt better and then went on my way. Missionary work is like that a lot. We do our best and then when they don't listen or a situation beyond our control keeps people from the gospel, we just have to pray and leave it up to the Lord. And so it is with life. God knows us. He knows everything. We just have to let it all go and let Him take care of it. I've learned that time and time again. It is true every time!!!

 

Love you all! Have a good week! Do a good deed! Say hello to a stranger! Okay imma stop.. haha

 

LOVE!!!!

xoxo

gg

Ariel