This week was a week of splits and exchanges with other missionaries! We do this every transfer so we can have the opportunity to dendou with missionaries who are much more experienced than we are. They teach us so much! The sister who is over me and Yamaguchi Shimai is Hartvigson Shimai. She came on Tuesday to Hodogaya and we were able to go that day and visit a member from their English ward who just had a cancer removing surgery at the hospital. Her name is Nora and she is such a sweet spirit. ️ It's amazing through listening to her testimony and seeing her faith, you can see a stark difference between her and the other cancer patients around her. She glows! And she is so happy! She knows as she relies and puts her faith in Christ that he will help heal her and help her have the strength to serve others in the hospital too! She is so incredible that we visited her twice this week!
We saw an incredible miracle on Thursday! We were walking to the hospital and we had a bit of time before the visiting hour started. So we decided to go knock on some doors down this little side street for only 15-ish minutes. On the second door we knocked on, we met this cute college student named Yang. She is from Taiwan and came to study in Japan! 🇯🇵 She learned Japanese all by herself through talking to people! I told her, "I know exactly how you feel!" We told her we were church volunteers and I testified that through our church's teachings her family can be strengthened and will become closer. Then I added, "And I came from America to tell everyone about it because it works!" just for good measure haha! She's not only interested in hearing more, but she really wants to come to church this next week! WHAT! A miracle people!
Later that day, I had the opportunity to lead the lesson we taught to a less active member! It was seriously all the spirit. I only had guesses at what she was saying when she was responding to my questions haha. But that's when teaching by the spirit comes in handy right? It blows my mind how crucial the spirit is needed when we teach. People only learn through the spirit! So our job is to invite the spirit through prayer, sharing scriptures in the lesson, and sharing our testimony and then he teaches! I'm not near anywhere close to a good teacher, but it's wonderful to know that as I prepare and try my hardest to love and listen to the people I teach, the Lord will make up the difference in what I lack...Amazing right?
Later that night we had a member dinner with the Curtis family! Wait, your probably wondering why that name sounds so English.... It's because it is! The Curtis' are from Sydney, Australia! They all speak fluent Japanese and are living here in Japan but their main language is English. What a tender mercy it was to be able to share my testimony and talk in English! We had an awesome discussion about teaching our friends through our example, and through sharing our testimony in small ways (like on FB). I also had shepherds pie for the first time in my life! I felt like I was serving an English speaking mission in Australia!
On Friday I went on splits with Sister Cheney back in my old area! I spent the night in Yamato in my old apartment! So weird! But this time I got to sleep in a bunk bed and that was HEAVEN! Don't get me wrong, futons are pretty nice, but man have I missed sleeping in a bed. When we were getting ready for bed, Sister Cheney and I watched all of the new "His Grace" videos on the gospel library app and then I was just lying there and I totally just fell asleep! I was so tired! Sister Cheney and I decided that we are going to room together when we come home from our missions! She said that her and Sister Law are going to room and I can join too! She is going back to BYU! And we come home at the same time! She's so awesome!
Sunday was insane! We saw so many miracles! So you know how last week I said that we were trying to contact two old member referrals? Well we totally contacted one Sunday night! We had been to her house like three times, but we tried at night and she was there. Long story short, we have a lesson with her Friday Morning!!!! She wants to hear the lessons again! We went straight to the member's house who referred her to us and told her the good news! We all celebrated by drinking the Japanese version of V8 together hahaha. Ew. But wonderful!
After, we went to Tsurugamine eki and handed out Eikaiwa flyers! It was POURING! We were drenched but we kept going! And low and behold, I handed a flyer to this mom and she and her husband stopped and stared right at me and said, "Is this really free English class?" Turns out their little 12 year-old daughter had just returned from a home-stay in Germany where she had learned English, and they were currently trying to figure out how they were going to keep up her language skills she acquired! Yoshi! I told them how awesome Eikaiwa was with all I could muster, because at Eikaiwa people's hearts are softened to religion! Then I might get to teach this adorable family!
Monday morning for language study Yamaguchi shimai and I took turns singing hymns together in English and Japanese. It was the best language study ever! Not just because singing is fun, but because after language study we had the sweetest spirit with us all day!
Today we got to go to the temple! And I know your all saying, "wait, didn't you just go?" The answer is "yes!" but we got to go again! And here's why: we have a new missionary in our area named Elder Adachi. Elder Hunsaker has been training him. So we found out that before his mission he didn't take out his endowments, so we all got to go with him again this week to the temple and support him for his first time through! ️ That's what a district family is for! AND I GOT TO SEE HANDY SHIMAI!!! and I met a sister at the temple today who totally followed my blog before her mission! Woah! She was like, "hey! It's you! I followed your blog!" Hahahaha!
This week I'm am just so thankful! You don't realize how insanely inadequate you are until you come on a mission, try your hardest to measure up, fail epically in all aspects of missionary service, but nonetheless see miracles everyday anyway. God is so good people!!! He is so mindful of every single one of us! And it just goes to show you that his work will move forward no matter what. Because this missionary cause is truly the Lord's cause.
️ Sister Fordiani
1. Letter from Grandma with cat pictures attached
2. Visiting Nora
3. Teaching Shirai Shimai
4. Splits with my two favorite sisters!
5. Handing out English flyers in the pouring rain! I'm so grateful to be a missionary every day! I love the people in Japan!
毎日宣教師として働ける機会に感謝しています！日本にいる人を愛しています！
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