January 9, 2012

Ok so it is 2012! Weird! One of the families in our Japanese ward had us over and showed us some legit Japanese New Year traditions! It was so fun! The little girls were all in kimonos and we had a tea ceremony and wrote kanji with paint brushes and then had a traditional Japanese meaLl! Definitely a time I will never forget. THE MEMBERS ROCK HERE!

Today is a holiday in Japan so all the streets were blocked off in the main part of Shibuya and they had street performers and stuff everywhere. it was really cool!! there were a gajillion people everywhere! I went shopping with my companion and I loved it. No mission is going to change my love for shopping! Haha. The other week I got asked to participate in a musical number for when Dallin H. Oaks comes to the mission to speak to us missionaries so obvi I needed a new outfit! haha (yes, I am still the same ol same ol Ariel. Just missionary Ariel)

In other news... Funny story: So we were on the train on new years eve and we met this girl from china. She freaked out that we were christians and loved it so we got her information and later called her up. We set a time to meet her and we were SO EXCITED!!! So we were at dinner, talking, teaching, and it was all going great! We were so excited, we set up another appointment to teach her and it was awesome. Obvi this is all in Japanese so I didn't fully understand. We get back to the apartment and that night our district leader does the nightly call and I am telling him about our new investigator. I was like yeah she is so cool and her religion is called Ehovana Shonin. What is that in english? and he goes oh! She's a Jehovah's Witness. HAHAHAHA I was like.... oh. hahahahaha this is going to be interesting. SO she had told us earlier that she wanted to share with us her religion too. THIS WILL BE FUN. HAHAHA ohhhh the joys of not understanding Japanese....

HA! Anyway... that's my story for the week! There are really awesome things happening in Shibuya! We are getting really good relationships with the members and it is paying off. I love this people so much. I am seriously going to sob whenever I get transferred.

LOVE YOU ALL!!!!!

xoxo,

SwainstonSHIMAIgossipkitty

January 2, 2012

AKEMASHITE OMEDETO GOZAIMASU!!!!

(that is what everyone has been saying all weekend idk....)

hhahaha jk it is like happy new year.. anyways the picture attached is pretty self explanatory. but dont doubt it was 100% my idea. If you look closely it is written in Kanji as well (obvi my companion did that part) You get creative when you are on a mission.. haha So for New Year's eve we went to the bishop of our Japanese ward's home and had some traditional Japanese food! It was awesome! I am really starting to like Japanese food. (although I still crave mexican food like its my job) Today I made my companion a quesadilla for lunch and she was amazed she didn't know what hit her. anyways, like I said in my last email i think, New Years is a PBD here. So things pretty much shut down from the 31st of December to the 4th of January. It is weird to walk around and not see 6gajillion people everywhere. It also makes dendo (missionary work) hard because everyone is gone and or extra busy with parties and visiting the shrines and stuff so they won't listen. BUT last night I went to one of our investigator's homes and we had a cereal party (also my idea) and a lesson. It was definitely how I would have chosen to spend the holiday. My investigator is married to a church member and they are like my family here. I love them so so so much and can't wait until the day I can see them be sealed in the temple FOREVER!! Don't doubt I will do everything in my power to be there! (first he needs to get baptized though.. don't worry I am working on it!). Let's seee.... There was a pretty big earthquake yesterday. It felt big to me but it was not a big deal to everyone else. We were at our church building which is ancient so it shook pretty hard and went on for at least 30 seconds which is pretty long. Anyway, I can't really think of anything else except for I believe I spent like 20 minutes over lunch the other day trying to explain to my companion the meaning of "hot mess" it was next to impossible but I was like crying laughing the whole time. OH! And yesterday one of our other investigators came to church and she hasn't been drinking coffee for like 4 days! THIS IS HUGE!!! We are really excited about her too! She is unique beyond measure and I am obsessed with her. Well, happy holidays!!! I love all of you! I love my Savior and I know I am where I am supposed to be finding my friends in Japan!!

xoxo,

gossipgirl

(I still love putting that at the end of my emails... doesn't get old..)

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