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

October 22, 2012

Dear Family and beloved friends,

TELL me this child does not look like an Asian version of Elora. I even showed her a picture of Elora and she agreed. I was dying. She reminded me SO much of her!

This is me sword fighting with one of our investigator's children. These kids are INSANE. They run around tirelessly literally 24-7. I love them.

This is a picture of some of the shimai brushing our teeth at the mission home when we stayed there the night before the all sisters conference.  

Today I taught a group of Jehovah's Witnesses the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It was cool. It is so true that people can contradict anything you say but nobody can contradict a testimony. I love that. My testimony is something NO ONE can take away from me.

So on Friday we had an All SISTERS Conference. Where all the sisters in the mission came and we had lots of fun being girly. It was so nice. Sometimes I feel like I am drowning in a pool of 10-21 year old BOY. My companion and I along with some other sisters who live far from the mission home where the conference was to be held came in the night before to have a sleepover at the mission home. It was SO fun!!!! We helped Sister Budge prepare things for the next day and we talked and laughed and practiced our musical number for the next day. Then we went to bed and woke up in the morning and a few of us went jogging together. While we were jogging we saw a park so we went to it. Just in time to find a park full of senior citizens (and we're talkin Japan so some of them were well over 85 years old) and they were all doing what is called "radio taiso" which is a little exercise program that people get together and do in parks ALL over Japan at around 6:30 every morning. It was so adorable I was dying. Obviously we joined them for the rest of their workout. Then we went back, got ready, and had an amazing conference complete with an exercise class to none other than jazzed up hymns. Those kill me. We also had a testimony meeting at the end which proved to make me become a hot mess. One of my companions is going home after this transfer (Stevenson shimai)  and then the next transfer another one (Mano shimai) and then the next transfer my MTC companion (Edstrom shimai) and then I go home! AHHH! It just kind of hit me when they were bearing their testimonies that I don't have much time left and it is gonna come quick. I just love it here so much I am terrified of going home. I LOVE being a missionary.

Okay so yesterday we were housing and inviting everyone to our Eikaiwa Halloween Party that is on Wednesday. We knocked on one lady's door and started talking about God and Jesus Christ and her life and such. We taught her about how through Jesus Christ we can overcome ALL. Then before we left we asked her if we could sing her a song. We sang her I am a Child of God and by the end of the hymn she was literally sobbing. She for SURE felt the spirit. Then I testified to her that she was feeling God's love and she is never alone. I really could feel His love for her. It was amazing. She just like fell into my arms crying. It was a really awesome experience. We are going to meet her again next Sunday. There are too many people in this world who don't know that they have a Heavenly Father who loves them. THAT is why I am on a mission. Just one of the many reasons.

Next week: Look forward of a recap slash pics of me teaching the Thriller to the Eikaiwa students. (thanks to my babygurl allycat)

LOVE YOU ALL!

LOVE,

xoxo

gg

Ariel

Pictures

Here are some more pictures Ariel sent home from October!

"Here is a glimpse of what missionaries indulge in when they get a very rare opportunity to go to costco. I now eat something with a tortilla almost daily and I'm LOVIN it."

"This is a picture taken when we went grocery shopping. A completely normal thing to find in every single grocery store and sometimes even convenience stores."

"Japanese people haven't quite gotten the jist of what Halloween is all about I guess. Bless them. They'll get it sooner or later."

"At the conference broadcast. From left to right: Me, Champenois shimai, Tsujigo shimai, Ogita shimai."

October 15, 2012

Hello familia, (that's Spanish)

 

Var generalkonferencen saa vidunderlig at det fik jer til at kaste op over det hele? That's Danish for: Was conference so wonderful that it made you throw up all over the place? (I love my companion) But seriously conference was THE BOMB!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I LOVE conference so much!!!! We watched it in a little room for people who wanted to watch in English. It pretty much consisted of only missionaries and like 2 other members and a couple investigators. An overlying theme I noticed about conference was about BEING disciples of Christ. Like we study, pray, go to church, go to seminary, institute, other activities, etc all to learn about Christ but if we aren't taking that knowledge and going out and doing what the Savior would do, what good is it for? Nothing. As I write this email I look into the eyes of the picture of Christ I have on my desk and I see all the love and kind word and deed from the creation of the world and I think, how lucky am I that the Savior of all mankind knows ME. He loves ME. And I can honestly feel that love. Everyday. Despite my weaknesses, He loves me. That ROCKS. And how bout the fact that every single person who has ever lived will have the chance to know that very truth for themselves? that ROCKS too! I feel so lucky to be a tiny little part of helping someone, anyone, know that divine truth. Kinda like in the Book of Mormon where it says in Alma chapter 26 vs. 30 "and all this, that PERHAPS we might be the means of saving some soul." I work my hardest every single day that PERHAPS even ONE soul might come to know that they have a Savior who loves them. And it feels good!

 

So this picture is of some squid pasta I ate today. You may wonder why it is black. Well that is simply because they use the ink to make the sauce of course! yum! Actually it was pretty delicious! It just made my whole mouth black. The lady we came with had it too and her entire mouth, teeth, lips, the works were BLACK. It was very hard for me to focus on anything she was saying. You know you are a missionary when you find yourself eating squid pasta because the lady you are with insists upon you trying out the Japanese cuisine. We are missionaries. We can't say no.

 

So my companion and I are opening an area, like I said in last weeks email. We have been working to get some new investigators and last night we went and visited a family who are potential investigators and we were able to make an appointment for them this week! woo!

 

Okay so I just remembered this story and I thought it was funny so imma write about it. Maybe probably you had to be there. ANyway,,,,,,, We were at District Meeting this week and we were all choosing which Christlike attribute we wanted to work on as a companionship. Then we were going around and sharing what we chose. Ok so first you have to know that my companion when you first meet her seems like this quiet, sweet, tender little lamb who would never even think of sarcasm. Also keep in mind that we are both new to the district so nobody knows what my companion is like. Also we are the only sisters in the district. Anyway we get to the District Leader and his companion and he explains that he and his companion decided they have no virtue so they were going to work on the Christlike attribute of virtue and my companion goes, "Do you need us to leave the room to help you out?" hahahahahaha there was a 5 second complete silence like, uhhhhh what's that, shy girl from Denmark? hahahhaha Then I had to explain that my companion seems harmless but she comes out of nowhere with these sarcastic comments. I thought it was funny. I hope you did too. Sometimes I worry that my stories don't register. If they don't, wait till I get home, they will for sure be funny told in person.

 

Okay love you!!!!!

 

LOVE,

xoxo

gg

Ariel

October 10, 2012

愛する兄弟姉妹、

 

CONFERENCEWEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Like I know that probably no one reading this email is as excited as me about this butlike I LOVE CONFERENCE!!!!!!!!!!!! I also know that you have all already watched it since in Japan we have to wait a week for it to get all translated and stuff. BUT let's just say excited in an understatement. And yes, I already heard that ELDERS CAN LEAVE AT 18 AND SISTERS AT 19!!!!!! Cool. tell us that 3 years too late. haha but that is really exciting because I think a lot more people will go on missions now! Even though I didn't think the elders could get any more fetus then they already are. This will be interesting. You would think that is the biggest news I have this week but NOPE you are wrong! I feel like SO MUCH has happened I just don't know where to begin! Let's start with the reason that I am emailing on Wednesday instead of Monday. Well, my companion and I got a call on Friday morning of last week thinking that the mission office was just going to tell us that we are both staying in our area and staying companions. Usually when you are training you don't transfer so you can train your companion for their first two transfers. Well our mission president calls and and he is like, well Sister Swainston you probably think since you're training and stuff you won't get transferred right? I was like yes..... And then he was like, well you're WRONG! You are getting transferred! And then I screamed. Yep full on in my Mission President's ear. I apologized for that later.. anyway, turns out BOTH my companion and I got transferred out of our area to open a new area where sister missionaries have never been. We call it "white wash" in our mission. So not only did I have to transfer and leave my beloved people of Hodogaya and say goodbye to my friends (pictures attached are of us saying goodbye- one of them is of the single adult girls and one of them is one of the young women in my ward whom I LOVE) and get the area ready for two elders to come in who know NOTHING about that area at all, but I had to teach my first transfer missionary companion how to transfer and all the procedures and stuff and then we hopped on a train to go to our new area called Yachiyo. We got here and were welcomed with open arms! Apparently this ward has been begging for sister missionaries for a long time. Our bishop met us at our new apartment (in his white hummer) and then took us and the elders in this area to COSTCO!!!! I was dying. I got tortillas and costco rolls and I am in heaven.

 

Also I forgot, the day before we left Hodogaya we had a lesson with a CUTE little 16 year old girl that we are teaching and we made a baptismal date for her for next month!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! She is on the bottom right hand side of the last picture that I attached. I fully plan on going back to Hodogaya for her baptism!! I love her!!!!  

Well, there are I think 1000 more things that I am missing but I think that is the biggest news for the week. I am in a new area, brand new apartment, (it's yellow) and still Sister Champenois as my companion. Kickin it. Well, gotta go! We are going to go visit a Potential Investigator we met housing yesterday! Livin the life!!!

 

LOVE,

xoxo

gg

Ariel