Sister Harris in Japan!: BARA BARA....That Means Scattered. All Over the Place. That`s How This Week Was.

Bara Bara.

That means scattered. All over the place. That`s how this week was.

It was a pretty good week. On Monday, after Sister Scheffler and I killed off Walker and Koizumi Shimai, we headed back to the apartment. Then we went housing for the day, and went to the ruins Sister Walker and I tried for so long to visit! We were looking for one site when a nice older guy, who spoke a little English, came to help us and led us back behind some ropes that we were definitely not supposed to go behind. It was really fun. But when we said we were missionaries and tried to invite him to Eikaiwa, he disappeared into the jungle.

We then headed back up to Fushimi the next day so Sister Scheffler could pack and get things wrapped up before heading to her new location. Fushimi was a different experience. We had one lesson with her favorite investigator and with Allred and Daniels Shimai as dosekis. (Daniels Shimai and Allred Shimai are super fun by the way. It was a party at that apartment. A missionary party of course, but a great deal of fun.) It was really cool to watch Allred Shimai. She did a great job. She was able to reason with the investigator and testify really powerfully. I hope I can become that good of a teacher someday.

Watkins Shimai is a sweetheart. I`m better at speaking than her, but she`s better at understanding than me. Hopefully, I can learn from her.

Except for C****** and her family, our area is struggling. H***** has just baaarely started to believe in God. Her baptismal date is on the 19th, though, and she can`t meet until the 13th, so that can`t happen. However, I`m so glad that she IS progressing, and IS starting to believe in God! Hopefully, it will be a little bit easier for her to progress now.

The C*******`s family is doing pretty well. We`re still struggling on getting them to church though! If we can get them to come to church (we`re teaching the sacrament lesson next) and get them to meet a little more often, we could see them baptized this transfer! That would make my life.

Other than that, it`s just housing here. Which is...kind of scary, since I have no sense of direction. I suppose I always took Walker Shimai`s innate sense of direction for granted. The fact that we ever make it home is a miracle! Haha.

This week, I also got a TRUCKLOAD of Christmas cards! Thank you so much to everyone who sent me one! I loved the beautiful cards, seeing your gorgeous families, and hearing the updates about what`s going on in your lives! You all made my week!

I don`t remember if I said this last week, but it`s been my theme throughout this week too: gratitude. It`s so easy when things aren`t going perfectly to not be grateful for the things around you. God is really involved in every detail in our lives, and it`s our responsibility to find what he has given us! When we recognize his many blessings, then not only are we able to thank the Lord for the blessings we have received, we become happier regardless of our circumstances, and the Lord is more willing to bless us.

President Eyring quoted this poem in a talk in 1989:

`Some murmur when the sky is clear

And wholly bright to view,

If one small speck of dark appear

In their great heaven of blue:

And some with thankful love are filled,

If but one streak of light,

One ray of God’s good mercy, gild

The darkness of their night.`

If we can remember this, if we can be the second sort of people, then, as comes from obedience to all commandments, we will be blessed.

“And behold, I say unto you that if ye do this ye shall always rejoice, and be filled with the love of God, and always retain a remission of your sins; and ye shall grow in the knowledge of the glory of him that created you, or in the knowledge of that which is just and true.” (Mosiah 4:11–12.)

The most wonderful thing to be grateful for, of course, is our Savior Jesus Christ! President Eyring also said, `To the Lord Jesus we owe an undying debt of gratitude, for he bought us with a great price. It is impossible for us, weak mortals as we are, to fully comprehend and appreciate the sufferings he endured on the cross that he might gain for us the victory over death.`

It`s true! And it`s my goal to remember that always, especially during this week. So my goal is to say at least one prayer of straight up gratitude every day this week.

I love you all!

The church is true!

The book is blue!

The work is great. :)

Love, Sister Whitney

Me and Sister Walker with the Japanese style aprons the ward gave us!