Transfer Calls. Our Hearts Broke. We At Donuts.

So, I spent about a million years sending pictures, so this email`s going to be a little shorter than usual.

THE WEEK

Monday: 

Transfer calls.  Our hearts broke.  We ate donuts.  Then went to the Amano`s house and made OKONOMIYAKI, these fantastic little pancake like things with vegetables and meat in them.  Apparently, gut okonomiyaki is pretty popular too, but luckily that wasn`t on the menu.

Tuesday: 

We had our last lesson with K*** Shimai.  She made us a beautiful lunch with salad and meat and a yummy sauce and it was just all around delicious! She`s very Buddhist.  We felt like we should teach about faith and Jesus Christ.  We turned off the lights.  This is life.  We feel like we`re in the dark sometimes.  We can`t see our way out.  We don`t know what to do, or how to be happy, or any number of things. We`re in the dark. But God knew this, so he provided a light.  We pulled out a flashlight, and shined it on Doctrine and Covenants 11:28--   `Behold, I am Jesus Christ, the Son of God. I am the life and the light of the world.`   Through Jesus Christ, we can make it out of the darkness.  We can find happiness and peace and safety, no matter what happens.  We bore our testimonies with our whole souls, saw K*** Shimai feel what we were saying, desire the same, and then heard her say she was quitting the lessons.  I can`t say I`m surprised.  I feel like it`s been a long time coming. She knows it`s true deep down, but she refuses to let herself believe. Usually when something like that happens, and my heart breaks some, I question whether it was my fault, whether I did something wrong.  But I know that on Tuesday that was not the case.  We were led by the spirit and testified by the spirit, but she used her agency to not accept the things that were taught. It was sad, but I can`t give up hope that one day, she might just accept it.  3 Nephi 18: 32,  Nevertheless, ye shall not cast him out of your synagogues, or your places of worship, for unto such shall ye continue to minister; for ye know not but what they will return and repent, and come unto me with full purpose of heart, and I shall heal them; and ye shall be the means of bringing salvation unto them.  Even though she isn`t accepting the message right now, I know that through meeting with Derksen and Hall Shimai, and even just during the transfer with me, K*** Shimai grew closer to the Savior.  I can only hope that one day she will decide to fully come unto Him.

Then we had a lesson with N*************!  She`s a fabulously genki (healthy, energetic sort of word) 82 year old obaachan, an eternal investigator from the past who has been taught everything. We looked her up again last week. She cracks me up, and even though she`s an eternal investigator, I think that she has a lot of potential!  She likes the Book of Mormon and loves coming to church, and seems to want to know if God is really there.  We`re going to start at the beginning with her, and I think it will be good.  

We went to go visit S******* Shimai, who was very clearly taken aback by the fact that Derksen Shimai was transferring.  She started rushing around her yard cutting flowers and sprigs of things from random trees and bushes, going back again and again and finally getting us a bag that I put in the front of my basket.  This lady has so much energy.  She even LISTENS with energy. 

Then, our final Eikaiwa with the other three missionaries here.

Wednesday:

We went to Coco`s with S***** Shimai, which was fun and delightful as always.

We had a final little visit with M********* Shimai for Derksen Shimai to bear her goodbye testimony.

We taught S******** a little lesson on God.  

We visited a couple of people, and were getting ready to go have a lesson with A**** when we got a call from the Zone Leaders saying we had to go to F********** two hours later and spend the night in order to make it to the transfer spot in time the next morning.  That was an unfortunate call. We had A****`s lesson, and Derksen Shimai wasn`t done packing, and all the things!  However, they luckily found us a train that left just before 9, so we were able to have a short little follow up with A**** and go out to ice cream before making our way to the train station.

Thursday:  

We woke up at 3 to leave at 4 to walk to the train station by 5 to get to S******** by 9.  (I was real tired.) I got to socialize with some of my favorite missionaries, said goodbye to my little Derksen Shimai and sent her off to become senior companion  and took Broadhead Shimai back with me.  I must say, skipping the whole awkward getting to know you stage of the companionship is great!   It`s going to be a good transfer.

Friday:  

We went to go teach M*****, a Filipino we found last week.  We watched the Restoration DVD, and she agreed to begin reading the Book of Mormon.

We also taught N************* again.  We taught about God, and while she still says, `No sank you` to baptism, she now believes and understands that commandments are for our happiness!

Saturday 

Taught S******* Shimai.  Then taught S***** Shimai about the Chart.  She was just astounded by the idea of baptism. She was like, `Baptism? I`ve never heard of baptism before! And I need it to gain eternal life? Ah, I`m only on step two! Your church has a baputesumakai next month? That`s wonderful! Write it down for me so I don`t forget!` Quite an eager acceptance indeed. But then she asked if it was okay if she`s still a member of the Christian church she already goes to. ... We have a little ways to go with her. But it`s going to be good. :)

Sunday

Church!  A**** and N************* came!  Did some housing and stuff.

And that was the week.  Lots of miracles, little and big, not the least of which is me so far being able to find my way around this place!

Well, I sure love you!

The church is true!

The book is blue!

Sister Whitney

Us at the A*****!  Our `3 missionaries are transferring, goodbye` photo.

We made Okonomiyaki at their house which was DELICIOUS!

The feast K*** Shimai made us for Derksen Shimai`s `farewell`.

The super adorable yochien (preschool kindergarten thing)  It`s just so cute!

Super cute pictures on the yochien.

The bag of flowers S******* Shimai gave us when we told her Derksen Shimai was leaving.

What my lunch at C***** with S***** Shimai looked like.

It`s pretty.

More perdy area! We took lots of pictures since Sister Derksen was leaving.

 

Us and the T******* and F*********sisters the night before transfers!  We had to have a sleepover at F********** in order to make it to the transfer spot on time the next morning.

                                                     

 Plus, then there was me and Derksen Shimai at the transfer spot in S********.

Me an Daniels Shimai.

 Me, Scheffler, & Broadhead Shimai!  They were companions in the MTC, and now I`ve been companions with both of them!　（Well,kind of for Sister Scheffler.  We count it.)