Has it really been six weeks already? My dear tomodoachi to kazoku, it feels like it has been a day since I left. We plan every hour to a T out here, and the time is flying so quickly!
Takusan hitobito wa watashitachi no nihongo ni tsuite shitsumon ga arimasu! A lot of people have questions about my Japanese :) Well when it comes to words in Japanese it is really one by one. I pick out words that I know in a sentences and try to understand on context. `Watokinzu shimai no nihongo wa jozu da subete no kyokaiin to imashita.` Every church members says that my Japanese is really good, but they are really nice haha! Really though, I learn more every day. I know that someday I will be able to speak Japanese really well, I know that God has a hand in this work. There is absolutely no way that I could have learned even this amount of Japanese without divine help. I know this work is true!
This week was so wonderful! I can`t even begin to describe what an amazing week it was. My companion and I have been working really hard to help people come to church. But most people here do not have work off on Sundays, so it is difficult. This week we had quadruple the amount of investigators that we have ever had at church. I cannot even begin to describe how amazing that felt yesterday!
Oh, and my birthday was absolutely fantastic on Wednesday. I felt so loved! As usual, I had my Eikaywa class (free English class) with the ward members and people from around Sennan. What I didn`t know before hand was that Brother O. had a special event planned for me... It was hilarious.
After Eikaywa, we had this Native American ceremony where I was asked to repeat everything that O. Kyodai was doing. I had to tap this plate and rub my face. I was a little confused. But after I learned that the back of my plate had a bunch a paint on it, and that my companion and I had drawn all over our faces with black paint. It was hilarious.
After that, they threw a surprise party for me!!! O. Shimai made a huge, gorgeous,. fruit filled cake. It was so amazing. My students even had presents for me. The people in this area are so generous and nice!
(How did they know it was my birthday?) All the missionaries from this ward have little plaques with information about them on it. And so I guess they had read my information and planned accordingly. It was a fun surprise :)
The investigators are doing great! Tomorrow we have three lessons. The average amount of lessons in a week in the Japan Kobe mission is five. Something special is happening in this area, and I know that it has nothing to do with me and everything to do with the fact that God is preparing the hearts of the people here in Japan. This time is truly the best 18 months for my life. I cannot wait to see you all again and tell you everything. The culture, the food, the people, my incidents with chopsticks, the mall that my companion and I went to on pday that is the biggest mall I have ever seen in my life. This is an intense place... I love it! The people here are hard workers. They don`t give in and they don`t give up. I know this is where I am supposed to be right now.
You are all so great! I truly wish you the best always. I would like to end by sharing a little bit of my testimony in Japanese. Ready for this?
Saikin watashi wa Kamisama no subarashii ai o kanjimashita. Lately I have felt God`s wonderful love. Kami sama wa honto ni ikeru to shitte imasu. I know that God really lives. Kami sama wa watashitachi no ai ni michita Ten no Otosama desu. God is our loving Heavenly Father. Kami sama wa watashitachi o ai shite iru node Kare no Onko Iesu Kirisuto wa kono chijyou ni okuraremashita. Because God loves us, he sent us his son Jesus Christ. Iesu Sama ni yotte, watashitachi wa Kami sama no mi motte ni moduru koto ga dekiru to akashi shimasu. I testify that through Jesus Christ, we can return to live in God`s presence. Kono Fukuin wa shinjitsu to shitte imasu! I know this gospel is true! Kono messeji o wachiau tame ni watashi wa subete no koto o gisei shimasu. I will sacrifice everything in order to share this message.
Minasan wa saiko desu! Everyone is the best! Stay strong!
Watokinzu Shimai.
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