August 7, 2012

This week was literally the bomb!!!!!!

 

Okay so we have an ivestigator named Chou san. She is the bomb. This is her story... My companion met her a few transfers ago on the street. She came up to my companion, saw her nametag that it said Jesus Christ and said to her "Jesus Christ, amen!" and then told my companion she wanted to learn and they exchanged numbers. Since then we have been trying to get in contact with this woman. We would call her ALL the time and she either wouldn't answer or couldn't understand a thing we were saying because she is Chinese and can't speak Japanese very well at all (don't doubt before my mission I thought Chinese and Japanese were like the same thing too). So we got one of our Chinese members to call her and even then it took a few weeks before we could finally get a meeting with her. So we met with her and our Chinese member and it was like a Japanese to Chinese to English translation game. We told her our purpose was to help her come unto Christ and asked if she wanted to meet again and she said yes but she would call our Chinese investigator when she wanted to meet because she is really busy which usually means "call you never".

BUT we had hope and patiently waited a couple of weeks until..... she called Qiu shimai!!!! (that's our Chinese member's name). We were by the train station one day about to get on our bikes to ride to visit a less acive and some potential investigators when we got a call from Qiu shimai. She told us that Chou san called and wanted to pray together so she was coming to Qiu shimai's house. She asked us to come over and of course we hopped on our bikes and got there as fast as we could. (despite my directionally challenged self which is a whole nother story in itself). So we get there and are soaking wet not from rain but from sweat and we wait. Well Chou san ended up not being able to make it but she told us she could come to church the next day when before she said it was too far!

Fast forward to the next day... we went and got Chou san from the station for church and she was literally giggling with excitement. We got to the church and sang a few hymns together before it started and she LOVED it. The first hour of our church is Relief Society so we started there and Chou san understood with the help of Qiu shimai translating for her. Fast forward to Sacrament Meeting. We were sitting down waiting for sacrament meeting to start and Qiu shimai taps my shoulder and is like, Chou san wants to get baptized! She said she wants to become a member of our church. She says she has been searching for a church since she got to Japan 5 years ago and today she feels like she found it. Of course this is literally the thing every missionary wants to hear. She started asking like who she needed to pay and exactly when she could get baptized, like how soon. Anyway we went on with sacrament meeting and it was fast and testimony meeting and the spirit was SO strong. Chou san was literally balling. After it was over she wanted to make a day to be baptized so we told her we had to teach her the lessons and stuff first and she was like okay I'm free whenever. Teach me. So we set up a lesson for almost every single day of this week and proposed for her baptismal date to be in 3 weeks and she was like no, I want it sooner. So, we have a baptism with Chou san in a week and a half!!!!!! We had her first lesson on Monday and Qiu shimai ended up not being able to come so literally by a MIRACLE we were able to teach her the first lesson. Ahhh!!! I wish I had time to tell more but obvi our schedule kinda filled up this week so we didn't really have time for p-day. I will tell more next week but just know that God is in the details!!!! I AM OBSESSED WITH THIS WOMAN!!!!!

 

I love this work!!!

I love my Savior!!!!

 

 

love love,

xoxo,

gg

Ariel

ps if you didn't guess the picture is of my companion and I with Chou san. The room that we are in is our church's chapel. That was the night we taught her her first lesson. She was like jumping up and down excited.

July 30, 2012

Yep, that's right I totes wore a kimono this week!!!! In the summertime in Japan they have various summer festivals all over the country. We went to one with a couple of our investigators and they let us wear their kimonos!!! So kimonos are like a pbd. Like it takes at least 20 minutes to put it on. There is a very specific method of putting them on and a lot of times you have to be specially trained to know how to do it. So it was an amazing opportunity for us to be able to experience!!! It was 1000 degrees of Japanese cultural fun!!! I will never forget it!

 

So the other night we were housing, (knocking doors) and it was about 7:30 at night and we were not too far from our apartment. So our neighborhood is super dark and doesn't have very many street lights. It is also right next to a huge park that is very jungle-like and had who knows what kind of creatures living in it. Hence the reason there are so many mosquitos eating me on the daily. So we were doin our thang and we get to a less active member's house. We get to the porch and I stop DEAD in my tracks. I could not move. I could bearly get out the words "what. is. that?!" It was a GIGANTIC like bigger than I have ever seen in my entire existence even on animal planet SPIDER. Terrifying. So then we get to another apartment complex and walk around the side to see a cockaroach literally as big as my palm. My companion had to help me through this one. I ran as fast as I could past the mutantly huge creature and safely made it to the other side. Lesson learned: Japan has giant bugs that I am not too fond of. That was kind of a pointless story but whatevzzz.

 

Anyway yesterday during church we were sitting there minding our own business and all the sudden we got a new ward mission leader!! I know you hear that and are like.. so what? But that is a big deal to missionaries. We had absolutely NO idea. BUT we are excited to work with our new ward mission leader!

 

Speaking of new, with our new mission president there has come a lot of new ideas, methods, themes, etc. It has opened my eyes a lot and made me think deeper about why I am a missionary and what this is all about. Something that I have been thinking A LOT about lately is how desperately these people, and everyone for that matter, need Jesus Christ. My purpose as a missionary is to help others come unto Christ because that is what happiness is all about. Christ is where all true, pure joy stems from. It is through Him that we can be happy despite ANYTHING. I have just thought a lot about how I want to become more Christ-centered in my life and truly emulate the qualities He has. I know it is a lifelong pursuit but I wouldn't want to pursue anything else. I love my Savior so much. I know he died for you and for me and for every single tiny little Asian I meet every day. His love surpasses anything and everything. He is beckoning and wants us to rest in His glory. I am so grateful that I KNOW that. I am so grateful that no one can take that knowledge away from me. No huge hill or mutant bug can stop me from trying to tell others the good news of our older brother Jesus Christ. I love it!

 

Which brings me to my next point, I love it so much that I have decided to extend my mission! Now they only let us do that for an extra transfer so I will be coming home in March instead of February but I can't think of anything else I would rather be doing than serving the Lord for an extra 6 weeks as a missionary in Japan!

 

I love all of you! My prayers are with you!

 

Love love

xoxo,

gg

Ariel

July 24, 2012

hellooooooooooooooooooooooo

 

 

the first picture is a picture to remind you all that yes, I am still me. annnnddd furthermore I am rubbing off on all the asians whom I ADORE.

the second picture is a JUNGLE that we rode through yesterday and is the cause of the over 30 bug bites I have all over my body currently. It's awesome.

third picture... You know you're a missionary when on a rainy day when you didn't wear your rain shoes you resort to tying plastic bags around your shoes so they don't get wet. That is our apartment in the background and yes a field of who knows what to my right. Cats are always fighting in that field. It is quite eerie.  

 

So kinda funny story, the other day we were at this lady's house and she was being so kind and brings us some sweet potatoes from her garden to eat. Sweet potatoes are a pbd here by the way.. they are delicious too. Anyway she sets them down in front of us and we start eating them of course because you have to eat every morsel of food that is set in front of you in this country or else it is extremely rude. It started out fine. I was happy to have a break from sipping on the wheat tea that had a little bug floating in it and I believe a few of her dog's hairs. The first few bites were delicious and then... it happened. The next bite I took was full on ROTTEN. I couldn't describe to you the taste in words even if I WANTED to make you throw up upon reading it. It was rancid. And its like, there is nothing we can do, we have to finish it. So the lady walks away to go get us some more delicious wheat tea and we both look at each other and are like, what do we do what do we do we CAN'T eat this!!!!! We look around and spot my companion's backpack. Well before we could do anything she comes back! So we had to keep nibbling on the rotten potato. Well luckily, she left again and don't doubt as fast as we could we shoved it all in my companion's backpack. It was quite traumatic. Obviously if you know me at all you know that I am making this more dramatic than it needs to be but hey, it's funner that way!

 

Well, that's my story of the week... Let's see...

 

Welp... I got nothin!!!!

 

The Church is true! We have the TRUTH!!!! The ONLY way to true happiness!!! I feel so blessed!!!!

 

Love you all!

 

Love love love

xoxo

gg

Ariel

 

July 17, 2012

Greetings from a whole lot of heat and humidity!!!!

 

Let's start with the first attached picture. Yes ladies and gentlemen THAT is a GIANT cockaroach that was found in my apartment last night. We came in, turned the lights on, and my companion spotted a giant black thing scurrying accross the kitchen floor. It ran under our fridge and I was NOT having a large, alive creature crawling around ESPECIALLY when we sleep on the floor. So, I went and got our futon beater which is used to beat all the dust and stuff out of the little mats that we sleep on. It sounds ghetto I know, that's because it is.. Anyway, I got the beater and stuck it under the fridge to coax the little deamon out from under it. (mind you my face was very close to the ground). The giant BEAST comes running out from under the fridge for sure trying to kill me and I used my killer instincts (thanks dad) and whacked it dead in it's tracks. The picture is the aftermath.

 

Picture number two: I am not proud of this. Yes, that is from a long day of preachin the gospel on the streets of Japan. Did I not really know what to do with myself because I have NEVER gotten burned like that? yes. Is my hair in one straight up french braid? yes. This is what happens when you get whiter than you have ever been and then it becomes summer. Let's just say when I take my shirt off it still looks like I'm wearing a shirt. Apparently I need to get better aquainted with sunscreen. Also in case you were wondering I still get ITCHY bug bites every day. Just in case you wanted to know.

 

Welp we had transfers and my companion and I are both staying in Hodogaya!!! This will be only the second companion that I have had for more than one transfer. We are excited to still be companions! I love her! By some wonderfuly blessing from God, every single one of my companions and I have become legit BESTIES. (btw I learned legit in Japanese the other day.. yes, I am still learing.. slow and steady wins the race) Anyway, the Lord has CERTAINLY spoiled me with my companions. That being said, we will see what happens.. haha

 

This week we had a conference with our new mission president President Budge. It was so good to meet him and have an interview with him and get to know him. It was really cool as he was giving us a training and introducing his vision for the mission and his family and stuff I just felt an overwhelming confirmation that I was supposed to be here in this mission at this time to be able to serve with President Budge. They say you don't get called to a mission, you get called to a mission president and I know that there are many reasons President Budge is the new mission president but one of them is especially for me. It is times like this when I just get another little witness that God has a specific plan for me and He specifically knows me and loves me. I LOVE THAT!!! I feel lucky to be able to say that I KNOW there is a God in heaven who knows ME and loves ME.

 

Anyway, that was this week!!! Have a great week!!!!! Take a dip in the pool for me!!

 

 

LOVE love love,

xoxo,

gossipgirlllllllllllllllll

Ariel

 

July 10, 2012

This week has been so crazy and so hot!! Apparently it is not even hot yet here though.. We'll see!

 

Soooo let's start from the 4th of July...

We got to go to the American base in my zone for the 4th of July and went to a barbeque that the military english branch held.

Yes, that means I had LEGIT American food like from America on the 4th of July. It was needless to say, a dream. The attached

picture is of a bowl of cookies that I almost single handedly took care of myself. You KNOW how much I love cookies and to say

Japanese cookies are just not the same is an understatement. So I had some cookies, a hamburger and and IBC rootbeer out of

a bottle for America's day of birth. It was quite fulfilling I'll tell ya. Also I met a bunch of cute American children there and realized

how different American kids are from Japanese kids. I love em all alike though. A little girl I met there was like, "Hello, my name is

Josaline but my silly name is bubbles." We were best friends instantly. Also I got all the little girls from the ward to say they were

going to go on a mission when they got older. Woo!! The other attached picture is of a few of the missionaries from my zone who

came to the base to celebrate the 4th. You could say Elder Kim (the Asian who is actually Korean) had his first rack of BBQ ribs.

 

I also had the chance this week to work at an International Book Fair. This is what I get for serving in Tokyo Japan. We went to a HUGE

convention center (I'll send pics of that later) and had a booth in a book fair. It was pretty legit. We handed out Books of Mormon like

they were candy! I loved it! I also got to meet some very unique people from all around the world. I talked to this man from Pakistan

for like 15 minutes about how I need to be more bold about calling these Japanese people to repentance so that I can save more \

people. He was interesting. Anyway there are pictures of the whole thing on The Church's facebook site. It might be just the Japan

one, I'm not sure....

 

This was good.... the other day my companion and I were on the train platform about to get on a train and I asked the lady next to

me if we were getting on the right train. She was checking her phone or something and I was waiting for her when all the sudden I hear

the train doors close and turn around to see my companion on the train WITHOUT me. hahahahaha I quickly mouthed to her "WAIT

FOR ME" as in, wait at the next stop. Then the train took of with my companion! I just laughed SO HARD and the lady next to me

clearly would never be able to understand why that was so funny. Anyway, I got on the next train and my companion was waiting for

me at the next stop. It was hilarious!!! A little bit weird to think that is the longest I have been alone since last August. Pretty crazy!

 

Well that is all the recap I have for you now but just know that I KNOW for a fact that I am where I am supposed to be, meeting the

people I am supposed to meet, and growing in ways I could have never imagined. I love this gospel and I love watching people's lives

change because of it!!!

 

Have a great week!!!

 

love love love

xoxo,

gossipgurl

 

ARIEL

 

ps. please pardon my poor grammar and spelling. as many of you may know, when you learn a new language, your old one gets bad.

July 2, 2012

Please don't hate me when I say, I legit do not have much time at all to write. So, let me give you some hilights from this week.

My companion and I got haircuts today. She chopped her hair off to a bob. I got a trim. Yesterday, when we told one of our investigators that my companion was going to cut her hair off, she cried. Full on tears. Japanese people like blonde hair.

Today we were giving out fliers at the train station and all the sudden appears a man sitting on a rail watching us and eating a subway sandwich (yes they have that here, not even CLOSE to American Subway) he called me over and informed me that I was "sinful" mind you, this is in broken english. Then he told me that I was sinful because I was so beautiful. He then asked me if we were messengers from Satan because we were such temptations. I of course informed him that we were quite the opposite. He continued to watch for a while and say uncomfortable things and then as he left he said "My mind was at peace until I saw you". I apoligized and that was that! I love the people you meet on a mission!!!! It's always an adventure!

Lastly, yesterday I was sitting in church and there was a less active couple that came and they were starting to leave halfway through the meeting. They went out the door and after about a minute I thought, I need to go after them and talk to them. So, I did! We went out and like chased after them in the parking lot. We talked to them for a second and the wife started crying! She told us she was touched that we would come out after her and she could feel a lot of love from us. I talked to her husband today and he asked me why we came out, why them, what makes them special. I told him that it was God's guidance. I had no idea why I was running after these people who left church early yesterday but I did it because I FELT that I should. Turns out this woman has been having a really hard trial of some sort and it was perfect timing that we just came out and showed care and love. Point is, you never know when a phone call or a hug or a hello will make all the WORLD of a difference. SO never hesitate to give a smile here or there or a telephone call to an old friend. It counts!!!

LOVE YOU ALL!

xoxo,

gossip girl

Ps. sorry no pic this week!

June 25, 2012

This week has been jam packed and action filled.

 

Firsties, the first picture is of almost all of the sisters in our mission. This was at an all mission conference we had this week. I will get to that later.

The second picture is of my companion and I at our bishop's family's home last night! Our bishop is hilarious. Don't worry I taught the whole fam what it means to brush ya shouldas off and how to do it. You should have seen it it was the best!

 

Ok so this week we had our LAST conference with President Albrecht. It was dramatic to say the least. SO SAD. Those of you who have served a mission can relate on this one, your mission president becomes like you father away from home and you grow to love and respect them SO much. So we had a conference where everyone in the mission met and we heard from President and Sister Albrecht and had REAL American Subway for lunch from the American base. (it was heaven) then we were blessed with a little musical snack from a Japanese perfoming group called Bless 4. They are a band type singing group and I am their newest, biggest fan. I was dying you know I was. They are all members, 4 brothers and sisters. They grew up some in America so they are all fluent in English and Japanese. One of the girls has a song that is super famous in Japan. It is something like Aquarion or something... From an anime I believe. Anyway, I always ask kids on trains if they know it and they say yes every time. So after our private concert we had a heartfelt last testimony meeting with the Albrechts and the missionaries going home in July (which includes my trainer Sister Derricott) bearing their testimonies. You could say I was a hot mess. I thought about how NOT okay I am going to be when I have to give my last testimony before I go home. After that, it was over! And I won't see President Albrecht until I am back in America! CRAZY! Time flies TOO FAST!

 

So lately I have been studying a lot about faith. When you are on a mission you always hear stories about insane miracles that happen and of course you want to experience them yourself. So I have been wondering if it was because of a lack of faith that I wasn't really experiencing that kind of thing too often. After prayer and study I have realized that God wants me to know and gain a testimony about the fact that it is not about that. It is about giving our best and having faith that our best is creating miracles we may not see but since we have faith, we know they are happening. After finding that peace and answer to my prayers I was filled with such hope. I knew that everything I was doing day in and day out, if I was doing it by the spirit, trusting in the Lord, with faith, I was creating little miracles everywhere I went. Then of course as the Lord always rewards our faith. I met Seino san. Seino san was found housing. (We knocked on her door) and we had our first lesson with her on Saturday. I can't really explain it but it was one of the most spiritual lessons I have ever had on my mission. It was like everything in this woman's existence aligned so that we could meet her and teach her about true happiness and the way to return home to God. Listening to her give her first prayer at the end of the lesson was sacred and something that could never be described in words. I cannot tell you how excited I am for my new friend Seino san to learn about the rest of God's plan for her and to experience her life change starting with baptism. It is experiences like this that help me know that missionary work is an exquisite joy not felt anywhere else! The best part is, we don't have to be full time missionaries with the badge to feel this joy. There are thousands of people all around us READY to hear this message of happiness. They may not even know it but they are searching for that true joy that only can be found in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

 

Needless to say, this week was the bomb!

 

Until next time,

 

LOVE YOU ALL!

 

xoxo,

mosquitoqueengossipgirl2012

Ariel