LAST WEEK!!!

I can't believe that this is really the end! GAAAAAHH! But it has come and I am full of strange emotions. Mostly stress, but some excitement and a lot of sadness for leaving Japan and not being a full time missionary any more. But I look forward to being home! This e-mail is really just going to be the highlights since I have to walk to the station with a heavy suitcase.
Mon
Went to a flower park with a member and his less active wife. Beautiful flowers and very warm weather. Stood up by investigators. Bought last presents.
Tue
Rain. Some members offered to drive us so we accepted. Made a PI into an investigator.
Wed
Rain again. Had last eikaiwa for advanced students. As we went to a member's house with the elders, I crashed. I now have matching knees. At least it's a set instead of mix matched. Then we biked to another member's house an hour away. Then back to Fukuroi area and taught an investigator. Made her little sister into an investigator. Some less actives came to game night.
Thu
Last grocery shopping in Japan so I took pictures of the store. Then we went to eat lunch with some members. They also bought me a present. Yay. We went with them to see some more flowers. Then we ate takoyaki with a member. Didn't turn out so nice looking, but still tasted fine. Last Eikaiwa. Many people came. Lots of interesting and embarassing things said by the students on accident. One man tried to hug me since it was my last time. There was an akward moment as I did a side step.
Fri
Last DTM. Testimony meeting. Then I packed up my stuff. Then we went to an investigator's. Stood up, so we went back and made dinner and then met with some new investigators. The lesson went well. Found a cockroach in the church about the size of a Texas Praline.
Sat
Transfer calls. I'm transferring to America, Indiana, Indianapolis. Don't know who my next companion will be. Then we baked cupcakes for the party in the evening. Then to a member's house. Her sewing machine was broken so I tried to fix it with what limited knowledge I have. In other words, I fiddled with knobs until something happened. Then back for the party. A success I think. Took pictures with the elders one last time.
Sun
Taught a lesson with the elders to an investigator who is too good to be true. He agreed to be baptized. Stood up by investigators so we went to a park to take pictures and see if we could talk to anyone. Then taught a less active. She agreed to come to church.
Mon
Woke up at 5:30 and couldn't go back to sleep so got up and took a shower and wrote notes to people.
See you soon!
Sister Hodson

Week 63!!!!!

This is the start of my last week of my mission. I just went through my sent e-mails looking at the pictures I sent you. I can't believe how fast it has been and how much I have experienced. I am so amazed at what this experience has been. Here goes the last week!

Mon

We thought that we would have a fairly normal P-Day. Go visit a member in the afternoon and then go teach an investigator in the evening, then have the rest of the day to ourselves. Little did we know that it would be raining the whole day. So we rode an hour in the rain to the member's house to discover that she had no place to put our bikes, so we had to leave them and our rain coats outside. Then we talked with her for 3 HOURS. Wow. We tried to explain the meaning of Easter, but she got really confused over eggs. So we decided to drop that subject and try to teach her how to view conference on her own. Thankfully, during that time I dried out. Unfortunately we had to go straight out into the rain again. Our investigator wasn't home, so we decided to take pictures in our rain-soaked state, eat ice cream, and then go home. 

Tue

We met with some members and watched President Monson's talk on charity with them. Then we dropped by an investigator's house. She was leaving for the holidays the next week, so we were able to set up another appointment with her. It was guidance that we did go by because otherwise we probably wouldn't have gotten another chance to talk with her before she left. Then we came home and had roll-over P-Day time since we spent a large chunk of it at that member's house un-planned. I used it to take a nap. Wonderful things, naps. Then we went out to see if we could get a hold of a former investigator. Not home, so we housed.

Wed

Very beautiful view up to a member's house. Then eikaiwa and then to a member's house with the elders. The members live very close to the ocean so...see picture. Then game night. The kids were all over the place. We tried to organize them into doing a formal game, but they wouldn't all participate. 

Thu

Companion Exchange! I went to Hamamatsu with Sister Anderson. She caught a cold, so she and I walked places instead of biking. Nobody home, so we went to the Primary president's home. When we walked in, the first thing I noticed was a Nauvoo brick! So we talked about Nauvoo and church history for a while. We ate at KFC for dinner. Too much chicken. Bleh. Then to Eikaiwa. They are practicing singing Let it Go from Frozen. They showed me the clip of the movie of that song. I look forward to knowing how it fits into the rest of the film. Sister Anderson gave me Reese's Puffs cereal! I was so happy.

Fri

Reese's Puffs cereal for breakfast. Then DTM. Then curry for lunch. I didn't want to have curry, so I got a kind of Indian ramen for lunch. Not something I would get again. Then we hurried back home to teach an investigator. Just as we were testifying about the Book of Mormon, a bunch of her kid's friends came over and we lost it. So we set up a next appointment and slid out the door. As we were coming home, we passed this bridge with many carp kites for Golden Week. We stopped for a moment at home and then flew to the train station to go to another investigator's. They agreed to be baptized on the 25 of May if they recieve an answer. Let's pray they do. We had an appointment with another investigator at the train station which was 25 min away by walking. We had 15 min to get there. So we ran. We got there on time, but they were late. We didn't really have much time to talk so we set up another appointment and got home on time.

Sat

11 new kids and 5 new parents came to Eikaiwa! We were so suprised. There wasn't enough room in the room for everyone. We invited them to game night and to come back next week. Then we went home and planned and called people and did office-type missionary work. At night, we planned to visit some PI's, but no one home. So we start heading to another PI's house. We were stopped at a light when we look across the road and lo and behold it's them! We asked them where they were going and they said they were going to a festival just down the road. So we parked our bikes and went with them. A lot of food. A LOT of people. We actually met a member in the crowd, funnily enough.

Sun

After church, we went to a PI's house and had a barbecue with them. We have three families now that could become investigators. I had pig tongue for the first time. Seemed just like a piece of beef. We came home, took a brief rest and a drink of water before heading out to a Less Active's house to teach her niece. Her niece became an investigator! YAY! 

Love you all,

Leah

Week 62

So I already wrote you about Monday, so

Tue

Ring making! See picture. We made rings out of this special kind of clay that when baked becomes solid silver. I'm not sure how. It was less fun than I thought it would be but not a waste I think. We went to eat katsudon (breaded deep fried pork) afterwards. Elder Chiba wanted to have ramen but we all outvoted him. For our dendo time, we went to an investigator's house with every belief that she wouldn't be home because she has flaked on every other appointment we've made. In fact, when we first got there she wasn't home. But as we were standing on the doorstep, she came around the corner and invited us in. We didn't have a plan ready (our mistake) so we taught a really jumbled up lesson 1. She set up a next appointment though. 

Wed

We talked about spring cleaning with our Eikaiwa friends. They didn't really like talking about cleaning, but they did learn useful words I think. Afterwards we went to an investigator's house because we heard that her son was sick. We didn't really have anything good for sick people, so we brought chocolate instead. When we got there, we met the daughter and a group of her friends. I didn't get around to inviting them to listen to the gospel, but I think someday we will meet them again and then they will become investigators. A part member family came to game night, which made us super happy. The grandma was very good at red light green light. 

Thu

We went to visit a member when unexpectedly, her non-member niece was there. She participated in the lesson and agreed to meet with us again. Unfortunately, she lives in the Tokyo mission. She comes to visit her aunt and mother about once a month. Perhaps she will become an investigator eventually. We had a new person come to Eikaiwa! Yay! Now for more people to come...

Fri

We had DTM where we fit four sisters into one of my skirts. That was funny. The air in front of us became a wall of cameras as the elders all took pictures. Then we went out for sushi. Yum yum. They had train like delivery plates kind of like pizza king, but with sushi instead of pizza. Then we went with the elders to our investigator's. The mom only speaks Spanish and a little Japansese, so we went with an Elder who can speak Spanish to teach her. It helped resolve some of her questions. I felt validated when the elders gave the same answers as I did to her questions. The daughter of the family said that she wants to be baptized! We haven't set a date yet, but we hope to when we meet them again. We encouraged the mom and the dad to pray about baptism. Hopefully they will get baptized as a family. We planned on going to volleyball to see if we could meet some PI's that sometimes come, but both of us felt like we shouldn't go, so instead we studied Japanese (and gave each other back massages). 

Sat

We finally figured out what the bushes all over our area are: tea leaves. See picture. In an attempt to show some love to a less active, we heart attacked her mail box. We would have done her front door, but the curtains were all open and she seemed to be home. So we did her mailbox instead. On the way back we stopped at a little park. I slid down the slide once and walked on a foot massage rock thing. It hurt but afterwards my back didn't feel sore, so I guess it works somehow. We helped some members make stew for the linger longer on Sunday. They just left it on the stove! No refrigeration for a whole day. Then we went with the elders to visit a person they found housing. Not home. So instead we went to some of our PI's. They weren't home, so we decided to house. We knocked on one door and someone very obviously not Japanese answered the door. He didn't speak much Japanese so I threw in all 3 words of Spanish that I could remember. That got mixed in with Japanese anyway. In the midst of me struggling to talk, he asked if we spoke English. In very good English. We all laughed really hard at the irony. He moved to Japan only 3weeks ago so he still doesn't know much. We offered to help him learn Japanese and show him the ropes of living in this area. He was cool.

Sun

Two of the elder's investigators came to church. Both seem very promising. After church we had the food party with the day old stew. So far, no one has died that I know of. It was supposed to be a return party for a member who has been doing volunteer work in Africa for two years. But she wasn't at church that day. So they went ahead and had the party without her. Then we took chocolate cupcakes to our investigators for Easter. Afterwards we housed some, found one person who listened to our door approach, only to have our hopes dashed by the fact that he comes home around midnight every day. Busy people! Then to a less active's house. We talked about the meaning of Easter, but we got side tracked by the Easter Bunny, chocolate, and other holidays that are celebrated in ways that make no sense. Why are oreos always dunked into milk before you eat them? How did clovers get associated with St. Patrick's Day? Many questions unanswerable without google. 

Love you,

Leah

Week 61 Takoyaki Party

So, as to why I'm writing a day late...We have a special District Activity today where we are going to a glass factory where we can make our own glass creations. It isn't open on Mondays so we got special permission to change it to today. I'm excited!

Mon

We went shopping with the Hamamatsu sisters. I bought an outfit that fits me. Everyone (including me) was surprised at how I look with clothes that actually fit me. Guess you'll have to wait and see. ;) Then we came back and visited a PI. We housed and then watched the General Women's Conference. Guess what? Sister Yamashita was in it! Sister Oscarson talked about a Japanese woman who taught the missionaries how to make oragami mouths. Well that was Sister Yamashita and she taught us how to do it too. I still have mine. 

Tue

We were heading to a certain part of our area, so we specifically planned to be there a little early so we could eat at a sushi place that we had heard good things about. It was crowded, but we got in pretty fast. At conveyor belt sushi places, the food you order comes around kind of like at Pizza King on a plate that comes to your table. But if you don't take it, it keeps on going. One plate came to our table, but I wasn't sure if I had ordered it because it looked kinda strange. But then the waiter came back around with the plate and said that it must be ours and we just missed it. So I ate basil cheese octopus sushi. Not bad, but not something that I would get again. We ding dong ditched some chocolate strawberries for an investigator and then went to a member's house. We had lettuce roll ups (not bad, especially since it wasn't heavy food and we had to bike home afterwards). Our next appointment canceled so we went to visit a former investigator. We actually saw her face to face, but she said that she was in the middle of making dinner, so no time to talk. Another lady spoke to us for about five minutes straight in nothing but Portugese. We just sort of smiled and nodded and made noises that made it seem like we were listening. Then we went to the store to get some ingredients for a...

Wed

TAKOYAKI PARTY! Takoyaki is one of the most delicious foods here and I (happily and luckily) got a takoyaki maker from Sister Brady and Sister Anderson as a goodbye present at ZTM. We made so much takoyaki. See first picture.Everyone went away full. It did help that Sister Oda and I went to a bread making activity with the Relief Society sisters before the Takoyaki party. We then took some Easter chocolates to members and PI's, then came home, had a small dinner (still full from takoyaki) and then went to game night. Amazingly, one of our PI's came with her daughter. We played card games with them while the elders played soccer with the kids outside. They came back in very sweaty. At least the kids had fun.

Thu

Interviews with President Yamashita. My last one before the final one. President Yamashita thanked me and told me to have fun and work hard these last few weeks. I said I intended to. We came home and did a practice lesson with a member, then went to Eikaiwa. We talked about the ocean. Elder Naylor was in the Coast Guard before his mission, so he knows a lot about the ocean. As such, there were many vocab words. I think a little too much. We had a new person come. I was a little afraid that it would be too much for him, but when he opened his mouth, he could speak almost perfect English. Turns out he lived in Washington for most of his youth. Hopefully we can get more people here.

Fri

President Yamashita came to District Meeting! I think everyone was a little nervous. We talked about getting investigators to church and working the Lord's way. President Yamashita said that I understand his thoughts perfectly. He said that if anyone had a question, they should ask me, not him. Then we went to an investigator's. We taught the Word of Wisdom. The mom and the daughter agreed to keep it. The dad smokes and drinks coffee so it will be hard for him, but I know that he can do it. 

Sat

General Conference! My last one in the field. I liked the one Elder (I don't remember who) who talked about communication. He said something like "it doesn't matter who is more right. It matters if we hear and understand the other person's feelings." That's especially true when working with members I think. We ate a lot of junk food during conference. 

Sun

More General Conference! I especially liked Elder Ballard's talk, President Uchtdorf's talk, Elder Corbrige's talk, and Elder Aidukaitis's talk. The last two were especially applicable to our investigators I think. During the middle of conference, two neighborhood kids ran inside the building. We asked them what was up. They said that they saw the door open so they thought that they could play. We said no, but they could play on Wednesday at the Game Night. After Conference we went to a less active's house and talked about conference. She also liked Elder Uchtdorf's talk. 

Mon

Rode out 45 min to one part of our area to visit some investigators and members. Then we did a practice lesson with one of the members and rode back to Fukuroi to meet up with the elders. The elders were on companion exchanges so an elder who can speak Portugese was in the area. We had planned to go to a Portugese investigator's appointment with them, but, they canceled. So instead we rode back to the place where we were and talked with PI's instead. We had udon and tempura for dinner and then we came home for some study time. I was so tired by the end of the day that I was in bed by 9:30 and out before Sister Oda even came into the room. Thankfully the Lord has blessed me throughout my mission with enough energy to get me through each day at a time. By the end of the day though, I'm OUT. 

Love you lots,

Leah

Week 60 Spring Kimono

Mon

We went to Kasuisai, a huge shrine in our area. It was incredibly beautiful. We felt like were in some fantasy video game where if you explore you can find all sorts of treasures and secret places. There were many places that we found in the compound, including a graveyard. Since I'm dying (my mission is ending soon) We decided to take a death picture of me (see first picture). We also took a picture in front of the fish pond guardian (see second picture). Elder Chiba had to run very fast to make it into the picture. After that we went to teach some investigators.When we got there, they were just getting ready to go out. They had forgotten that we were coming. So we set up another appointment and then housed around the area. We knocked on one door and a lady popped out and said, "I know who you are! I want you to teach my kid English. Can I have your number? And a pamphlet?" We gladly turned them over to her. 

Tue

We went with a member to an investigator lesson. The investigator said that because of things that she read on the internet she has a hard time believing the Book of Mormon and Joseph Smith's experience. We encouraged her to read for her own opinion. She said that she wanted a month of not meeting with the missionaries. Then, during that month, she would read the Book of Mormon. At the end of this month we will meet with her again and see. The member made home made eggrolls (I watched to see how they're made, so we can try to make them when I'm home) and then we had to go to another member's appointment. We were expecting to just talk, but we got fed a lot of food. On heavy stomachs we had to ride our bikes from one side of our area to the other to teach some investigators. Almost as soon as we started the lesson, the mom asked us about Joseph Smith. She had been reading the pamphlet. We watched the restoration video with them and gave them a Book of Mormon. 

Wed

The lesson at Eikaiwa was on slang. Our students were very happy to learn, but they still have trouble using it because they are used to textbook English. Sister Oda wrote a conversation in textbook English and in slang. It was amusing to see them side by side. We went out to visit PI's, no such luck. So we came home, had dinner, and then went to Game night. There were fewer kids, but we were the only adults there. We taught them duck duck goose. The kids then turned it into duck duck bunny. I couldn't get good traction in my shoes so I slipped and got rug burn on my knee. 

Thu

We bought materials for an egg dying activity and for an egg hunt activity. Namely vinegar, food coloring, eggs, and chocolate. We wanted to do a practice lesson with a member, but it turned into the member practicing teaching us. She has a huge desire to share the gospel. She is awesome. Then at Eikaiwa, we had a new person come. He is studying medicine and he wanted our help for a presentation in English that he is giving at the end of the month. He wanted a native speaker to read over what he wrote, correct any mistakes, and then read it out loud so that he could practice pronunciation. There were many medical terms that were hard to read, but we tried our best. Most of the students liked the deviled eggs we made out of the Easter egg hunt eggs, but one student tried one, pulled a face, and refused any more. 

Fri

Zone Training Meeting. I was asked to translate for the Japanese missionaries. It was hard to make myself heard without overbearing the people who were speaking. The people speaking were WAY TOO FAST. I could not keep up at all. I feel sorry for the Japanese missionaries and my poor translation. Not only could I not keep up, I didn't know some of the terms in Japanese that the English speakers were using. Plus I had to simplify a lot of stuff. Afterwards, we went to a Japanese food buffet. They had good tempura and chirashizushi and good pudding. Unfortunately our appointment canceled on us so we had to make some changes in our plans.

Sat

We went with a PI to a tiny little festival in the northern part of our area. She dressed us in kimono's and drove us up there. Then we rode in a rickshaw! (I'll send the pictures in another e-mail.) We got a lot of comments and a lot of stares. (Two foreigners in kimonos in this tiny town?) I bought a hand carved model of a shrine. We also bought pita pockets. Go to a Japanese festival and buy Pakistani food. Go figure. I was fine walking in the geta (the special Japanese sandals) but Oda Shimai was dying so we went to a cafe so she could change. We got tofu meatloaf. It was surprisingly good. Then we had to rush to the church to meet with a member. We watched legacy with her and talked about church history. She has been a member for only 3 years, so she still has many questions. Then we got a call out of the blue from our investigators asking if we would come over and make chocolate with them. We of course said yes, but we were already running late for our next appointment. We get to a less active's house half an hour late, and then she makes us wait half an hour while she finishes up some bill paying and then starts talking to us. We talked for a short while and then we blasted out of there to get to our investigators. We made chocolate truffles and then reviewed what we had talked about last time. The amazing part is that the dad was home that time and he came in of his own volition and talked with us. He had many questions about the Book of Mormon. We encouraged them to read it as a family and to pray about it as a family. When we left, we felt the joy and satisfaction that comes of missionary work. Oh to feel like that all the time. I got my flight plans. It was sad to read the letter. I kind of don't want to think about it but I know that I'll have to do so some time...

Sun

A man showed up at church just wondering what the inside was like. We gladly took him in and talked with him. I think the Elders were a little too excited because he expressed some feelings of pressure. He said that he loved the music, especially Jesus Wants Me for a Sunbeam (as sung in sacrament meeting). We were about to go out after lunch to visit some investigators when I got a call from another sister who was in emotional distress. I talked to her for a while and encouraged her to call President Yamashita. We visited our investigators, not home. I made omelette rice for dinner (fried rice with an egg on top). Very satisfying after a day of fasting. Then we went to a less active's home and watched Legacy (two days in a row) with her. In the middle, her niece came over. Her niece expressed a desire to learn English and we said that we would gladly teach her. Potential Investigator, wohoo! 

Love you,

Leah

Week 59

We went with the Elders to a park and took pictures and played on the rafts that go across the little lake (see pictures). We had to cut out early because we had an appointment. We rode out there, it went well I think, but on the way back, in the same place that Oda shimai got a flat tire the day before, I got a flat tire. It was around 6:30 pm so it was dark in a part of the area that we don't really know so we don't know where a bike shop was, let alone if it was still open. I asked a couple walking their dog if they knew where one was. They said maybe their friend would know. So we went to their friend's house. Their friend's son and the husband of the couple that we first talked to put my bike in the son's car and drove it to a bike shop. In the meantime, we went into the house of the friend and talked with her and the wife of the first couple. We talked a little about what we do as missionaries and what they think about God. Then they came back and the man of the house came home. We talked with them some and they invited us to come back and have dinner with them sometime. By the end of the night, we had 5 potential investigators! Not bad for one flat tire. Perhaps we should do that more often...:)

Tue

We taught an investigator the end of the Plan of Salvation and invited her to be baptized. She said that she still isn't sure if Joseph Smith is a Prophet or if the Book of Mormon is the Word of God, so no. We encouraged her to continue to pray and read and come to church. The member who went with us to the lesson fed us some very American like soup. Yum! Then we taught a member how to make a Mormon.org profile because she wants to share her testimony more. By the end of that, Sister Oda wasn't feeling so great, so we went back home, but not before we bought ice cream. Very important for when you aren't feeling well.

Wed

A little rain. Which actually means it rained all day. We visited a member and his less active wife. We tried to engage her in conversation, but every time we asked a question, he answered. I wish that we could talk to her on her own, but oh well. She wrapped up pocky in aluminum foil and made us take it home. I gladly accepted the pokcy. We had another game night. Because it had been raining all day, the kids were cooped up all day, which meant that they were too full of energy. I think they mostly just wanted to run, but because it was raining outside we couldn't do that. Hopefully this week we'll have nice weather on Wednesday so the kid's will be a little better behaved. 

Thu

Two of our investigators canceled their appointments. One didn't give a reason, but one had to go to the dentist because her tooth broke. (I'm secretly hoping that the dentist will tell her that she can't drink coffee for her dental health). So we did planning and made chocolates to give to our investigators and potential investigators. After Eikaiwa, we talked with two of the students about the first lesson. Both of them listened very politely. At the end, both of them expressed that they feel good around us and in the church, but that they are on their own path and that so long as the path is pointed towards God it doesn't matter which path you are on. Not the answer we were hoping for, but then again it was the first lesson. We will continue to work with them.

Fri

The elders were on a companion exchange, but there was three of them, so they needed an extra bike. We let them borrow one of ours because we had appointments at the church and places within walking distance. When they came back, we rode out to the same investigators that we went to on Monday. We gave them and the PI's that we got on Monday chocolates. Then we went out to see a Less Active family. They said very clearly that they did not want to meet with us. Sad. On the way back, Oda shimai got a flat tire. Again. In the same spot. It seems like whenever we go out to that area, we get flat tires. I'm not sure why because it is the same terrain as other parts of our area. We were most of the way home, so she pumped it up again and rode it back.

Sat

Fixed bike. Kids actually came to Kid's Eikaiwa! Yay! Then we went with some members to a nearby shrine. The members wanted to hand out flyers, but we were a little hesitant since it says in the white handbook to not proselyte near places of worship. Perhaps it would have been a more successful activity if we hadn't been dragging our heels. In any case, it was very beautiful. It is sakura season again! I'll send some more pictures in other e-mails. We went to a nearby river with lots of sakura and talked with the people there. We met a member on the way to the grocery store as we were going. Then we went with the elders to visit a Former Investigator who accepted meeting with us again! Then we went home to prepare a lesson we were giving on Sunday.

Sun

No investigators at church. But I gave a testimony about missionary work during sacrament meeting and the combined lesson was given by us about missionary work. I think the members may be fed up with us now because it was all "member missionary work! missionary work! members do missionary work!" It was raining like a typhoon during church, but thankfully about an hour after church ended it stopped so we were able to dendo in clear weather (but with lots of wind). Two PI's became investigators! We then did some work on our area map and finally got all the members up. Sister Oda also decorated my planner. I feel like I can't throw it away now.

Love you lots

Leah

Week 58 Last Transfer!

Starting from today, this is the beginning of my last transfer. It mostly feels weird because it feels just like any other transfer, but at the end, I am not going to go to another area in the mission, I am going home. WEIRD!

Mon

We did our dendo in the afternoon and rode out to our very far investigator. On the way we found a PI. Yay! Then we stopped by the biggest mall in our area for the remainder of our P-Day. The mall is on top of a giant hill. We were riding on the sidewalk of the switchbacks to get up this hill when we discovered that the sidewalk went into some trees and away from the road. I had had this kind of experience with Vincent shimai, so we decided to get off the sidewalk and ride on the road with the cars. We finally made it to the top and spent our day wandering around in the mall. I bought a button down shirt and a pair of jeans that fit me. Sister Oda bought much more than me. We went into a design T-shirt shop because they had some comfortable looking dresses. When I put it on I felt like I was wearing a house dress, but Oda shimai looks great in them so she bought two. 

Tue

Companion exchange with Fuji sisters! I saw Fuji. See picture. We taught an investigator lesson 3. Just as we were wrapping up, her mom (who is a member) came home and asked us if we had talked about the law of chastity today. We said no, but we would cover that sometime down the road once she had gotten God and Christ and faith down first. Her mom then gave us bread soaked in butter with thick bacon on it. Not exactly the most healthy, but not exactly bad tasting either. 

Wed

Sister Brady and I traveled about, no one home, so we went home and got takoyaki and okonomiyaki and a chocolate shake from a small stand by their house. I ate so much! The shake was really good. Then we met in Shizuoka station so that I could do companion exchanges with the Shizuoka sisters. Sister Ward and I heart attacked a member, talked to some people in a park, and then went home for dinner. I was still full from lunch so I didn't eat any thing. Then we taught an investigator and challenged her to come to church. Sister Ward has been having a hard time so I think this exchange did her good. At least I hope so.

Thu

Rain. We road to an investigators lesson at a college campus about 45 min away. I got soaked even though I was wearing a rain coat and rain boots. By the time we got there, I could take off my boots and tip them over and water would splurt out. The place where we talked was not heated so I was shivering by the end. I hope that the investigator took it as the Spirit. Thankfully I did not get sick. I felt bad for Sister Obayashi because she had to wear the rain gear after me. I took my shoes off and put my stockinged feet in front of the heater on the train to try and get a little bit warm if not dry. When we got home I changed into dry clothes and immediately felt warmer. We were able to teach a lesson about the Book of Mormon after Eikaiwa because of the paintings in the church. Hooray!

Fri

District Meeting in Hamamatsu (see picture). I think that Satan has been trying hard to get people down in our mission. I shared my testimony during DTM and people were crying left and right. I thought of some scriptures that I haven't ever really thought of and shared them with everyone. It gave me a testimony that God does really give you what you need in the very moment you need it. After wards we went to eat at a Chinese restaurant. We bought a course meal because if two people pay for it then it's cheaper. Little did we expect the amount of food that came out. I made it through everything to the last course. Then I had to give it to the elders because I couldn't finish it. We then got on the train to come home, got on our bikes to go to a member appointment, and immediately ate dinner. I know that God was working some miracles in my digestive system to handle all that food. We read the 3 simple ways for a happier family pamphlet (highly recommended) with them. We encouraged them to read it as a family again and work on one thing at a time. 

Sat

The only day this week that I was actually in Fukuroi all day! (Mon P-Day, Tue Fuji, Wed Shizuoka, Thu half Shizuoka, Fri Hamamatsu) We went to an all you can eat Italian place with an investigator. In Japan, all you can eat Italian means pizza and spaghetti. The spaghetti was too salty but the salad bar and ice cream bar was good. I literally ate until I was in pain. I finished my spaghetti and felt full, but then I got ice cream. Then Oda shimai made desert waffles and couldn't finish it so I had to eat some. Then our investigator wanted more but no one else was eating so I got soda. By the time we left, I had to hold my self stiff. Everytime I put my foot down it hurt. I couldn't laugh because it hurt. Oh so painful. So we walked around the mall for a while until I felt better. Sister Oda bought a skirt while we were out. Transfer calls came. We're both staying here in Fukuroi, but I'm no longer a sister training leader. President Yamashita has been trying hard to make sure that everyone in a leadership position doesn't die that way so that they end as a normal missionary, completely dedicated to the work. I know that the sisters who have been called need this experience. I'm a little sad because I won't be able to go to the spiritual leadership councils and see my friends and because I can't call my beloved sisters in this zone. I feel like there is still a lot more that I can do and that I can give. But all callings come to an end at some point. We finally saw a referral from a member face to face. Up till now we had only talked to her on the phone. 

Sun

Our investigator came to church! Her kids were so well behaved! I was very impressed at them. We taught the Plan of Salvation. It seemed to go over well. After church, we went to another investigator's house which is about 45 min way. They weren't home, so we tried some less actives and other PI's in the same apt complex, but no one home. By the time we came back for our bikes, we the mom of the family came around the corner and said that because the weather was so nice they had gone out but that they would be home tomorrow at 4. So we are going back. On the way home, Sister Oda's bike went flat. Since it was the Sabbath, she, being a former cross country runner, decided to run her bike to the elder's apt so they could fix it. So she ran for an hour, pushing her bike. She had to use the bathroom really bad, so she picked a field by the side of the road and... Then my chain popped off when I was changing gears, so my hands got seriously black putting it back on. The elders made us apple pancakes and fixed the punk. Then we went to visit PI's together. We met with a Less Active and I think I finally understand what's keeping her from church. Hopefully we can see lots of miracles in this transfer!

Love

Leah

And the Countdown Begins Now

Countdown Clocks

Week 57

Mon

We went to the bird park again, but this time as a district. Elder Ottesen got pooped on. I went into the emu pen this time and fed them. They are so big and powerful that it's kind of scary but if you don't have food they kind of ignore you so it's fine. They are very coarse, not smooth like geese or ducks. We also fed pelicans this time. They are big birds. Then we visited some members. We tried to do a role play with them, but the grandma didn't seem to get the purpose of the role play so it was funny. We were trying to get them to practice using church words wherever you go. The situation was at the grocery store and the clerk asks you why you are buying that brand of herbal tea (hopefully you answer something along the lines of the Word of Wisdom) but the grandma only said "because I like it." 

Tue

We had a member present lesson which went pretty well. We taught a recent convert using PMG. She pulled out her copy and it was covered in notes. I was so impressed with her. We dropped by the Relief Society President's house to say thank you and we met her non-member daughter. She is very funny. We talked for a long time with her about gospel things so I think that she will become an investigator soon. 

Wed

We had planned some people to visit, but the weather was so nice that we changed our plans so that we would go visit some people far away so that we could ride our bikes in the sunshine for a longer time. They weren't home, but it was still a nice ride. Then we had a game night. it went spectacularly well. Over 15 of the neighborhood kids, 1 investigator, 3 PI's and 1 member came. Two of those PI's became investigators that night! YAY! We hope that as time goes on, more people come and more investigators are made. 

Thu

Companion exchange with Aoki shimai, my granddaughter. I had planned to work with her in Hamamatsu, but last minute I changed my mind and asked if the two of us could work in Fukuroi. She agreed and we rode around in the rain to member's houses and got sushi and hayashi rice and cookies and clam chowder and nori and hot chocolate and spinach. Then we went to Eikaiwa. One of the ladies was packing up her stuff and was going out a little later than the others when Elder Chiba said that as missionaries we teach Eikaiwa but we also teach about God. We taught about half of the first lesson right there. I shared the first vision. She accepted a Book of Mormon. I think that she is someone prepared by God for us. 

Fri

We had another spectacular DTM and then we went to another member present lesson. We taught about the Word of Wisdom. She said that she would try but she couldn't make promises. I hope she does. We went from there to another member's house and thanked him for his efforts in the branch. Then we went to a member's home for dinner, but we had the spiritual message first, so we only had about 10 minutes to eat before we had to leave. We made it 15 minutes because she brought out birthday cake, but then we had to book it back to Fukuroi because we had an appointment with the two girls that became investigators on Wednesday. They brought their friend with them. According to Oda shimai, they were talking to each other with their eyes the whole time. I didn't notice anything. Just as we were about to leave, one of them said that she wanted me to go with her to a seminar in Nagoya. But it costs $950. I said that I'm not made of that kind of money plus I can't leave my area. But they did agree to listen to the lessons. I'm at a complete loss as to what kind of seminar it was. It could be some debutant pageant. It could be a religious fair. It could be giant speed dating. It could be some sinister cult where they sacrifice pure and innocent sister missionaries. Who knows.

Sat

No one came to kid's eikaiwa. AGAIN. So we packed up and went home, planned for the week, and then went out to visit some less actives. Didn't find any of them, but we did find a family of investigators so it's all good. We knocked on their door and said we teach about God. Is it ok if we come back? And they said yeah, come back on Saturday. Can we have your number? Here's our number. We are looking forward to meeting them again. But no dinner.

Sun

Our investigator couldn't come to church because her husband was hung over and couldn't drive. She doesn't have a licence so she can't drive herself. Boo. The ward council decided to have a talent show. We are trying to scrounge up people to perform in it. Visited lots of PI's, no one home. Housed, no bites. But I did get to go to bed a little early.

Love you lots!

Leah

Week 56 FIRE! FIRE! FIRE!

Mon

Sister Oda's desk finally came! Sister Oda bought a new (more expensive) rain coat and rain pants since the one that she has isn't very good. Mine isn't that great either, but I figure I've only got a little bit of time left so what the hey. In the store they played regular radio music. It was really weird to hear it. I have become a lot more sensitive to lyrics. Then we spent a little bit of time at home before we had to get on the train to go to Nagoya. We met up with the Nagano sisters in the station and had dinner together before we went to Yokkaichi to spend the night.

Tue

Leadership Council. I took the time before hand to write down some questions that I wanted answered and I seemed to get more out of this one than I have for a while. We thought it was going to end at 2, but it turned out to go till 3:30. Thankfully this time we were able to ride the less expensive train instead of the $50 one. As soon as we got off the train in Fukuroi we got into a member's car to go visit a part member family. We talked about prayer with the member's daughter and asked if she'd like to meet with us again. She said no, but I think that it was still a good chance to meet her. 

Wed

Rain. A lot of it. We had left our bikes at the train station because the member drove us home the night before, so we walked to the station and rode our bikes back. Then I made 7 layer dip because at advanced Eikaiwa, we held a birthday party for all the March birthdays. They were all very impressed by the dip. They thought it was salad though. Then we went home and Sister Oda just sort of curled up and died because she wasn't feeling well. So I worked on our map until some members came to pick us up to go out to eat. Lots of delicious food! And interesting drinks. Unbeknownst to us, it was a birthday party because last of all a birthday cake came out! We still have some left over in our fridge. 

Thu

Zone Conference. President Yamashita and Sister Yamashita came. They said that my part of the presentation was perfect and that I spoke slowly and clearly enough for everyone to understand. I felt rather pleased. When President Yamashita was speaking about the power of the Atonement, a warning saying that his laptop was almost out of battery. He exited out and continued speaking. He was in the middle of saying "through the Atonement you can recieve any power" when his laptop completely died. He said "but I just lost power." We all laughed really hard. I got a package from the honbu with various languages of pamphlets. It was big and heavy and couldn't fit in my bike basket properly so I was off balance going home. I finally just got off my bike and walked it home since steering was too crazy. 

Fri

Companion exchange! We met with a member referral with a member. She said that she'd be ok with baptism! She has a lot of questions though. I think that with time and learning they will all be answered though. We ate ramen with the member and then we rode home to get on a train to switch back. Then Oda shimai and I went out and visited some less actives and PIs. We finally were let into a PI's house and were able to teach her a lesson! Yay! We are hoping that she comes to the game night on Wednesday.

Sat

No kids came to Eikaiwa. :( So we took banana cake to PI's. And then Sister Oda's bike went flat. Thankfully we were close to home so we were ok. Then we went with a recent convert to a missionary fireside held by President Yamashita. His conversion story is very interesting. 

Sun

We taught Sunday school for one of the elder's investigators and a less active. Then we did planning and had a heart to heart. Just as our planning session was wrapping up, we hear many sirens very close to us. We look out the window to see the apartment building next to us on fire. Thankfully we were not harmed in any way and no one was harmed in the fire. Just the building. We thought about talking with the people there but we had an appointment so we couldn't stop. By the time we got back it was all over. Thanks to Heavenly Father for protecting us. 

Love you

Leah

Week 54

Claire's note: It turns out I skipped an email with some pretty cool pictures. Sorry folks.

Mon

SO MUCH FUN!!!!! We went with the elders to a ramen shop and the waiter/chef did a little song and dance as he stirred everything up. It was pretty good for ramen. Then we went to an aviary and got to hold and pet birds of all discriptions! I petted a duck, swan, flamingo, parakeet, owl, penguin, goose, and others. See pictures One of the geese would tug on my pants in order to get me to feed it. It was cute. There was also an emu pen where you could go in and hang out with them. Kinda scary, but no worries.Then we went out for ice cream and pizza before heading out to work.

Tue

We had an apartment check by one of the senior couples. Our apartment was clean but we still hadn't unpacked, so we hurriedly put all our clothes in the closet and our books in drawers. We were putting things away right up to the moment they came to our door, but thankfully we had just finished. Then we went out and did missionary work with the elders. In order for us to get to know the area a little better, they rode with us to members houses and we shared messages together. We left the church building at one and we didn't get back home until 8:00 at night. A headache started sending out its angry feelers but thankfully Elder Chiba had medicine and we got grape juice from a member earlier that day so I was able to make it home ok. It is very dark out here! I have to use my light on high brightness all night because there are no city lights and few highway lights. I'm glad that I got a nice light at the start. 

Wed

We went to visit an investigator, not there, so we housed some. We saw a 80 or 90 year old woman scale a wall. She was walking across the parking lot when she came to a section of a park-like area that was higher than the rest. The wall was about eye level and she worked her way up somehow. It was an amusing sight. Then we went and visited some PI's. Not home. Oh well.

Thu

We had weekly planning session in the morning and then we went on companion exchanges with the Hamamatsu sisters. Sister Anderson and I worked in Fukuroi and Sister Aoki and Sister Oda worked in Hamamatsu. Sister Anderson and I decided to go visit a Less Active couple that lived very far away because they are very similar to an investigator and her family. So we start riding out that way. After about an hour, I stop and check the map again to find out we've only gone half way. We had Eikaiwa that night, so we had to make the decision to either turn around and go back or keep going and not go to Eikaiwa. We decided to keep going. Just as we pull onto the street where they live, my back tire goes flat. This place is in the middle of nowhere, literally, and there aren't any shops for about 2 miles in any direction. We call the Less Actives, but the husband had to go to work so they couldn't take us to a bike shop. So we tried to find someone who could help us. Thankfully, a mom and her kids happened to walk out onto the street at that time and we asked them if they could help us. The dad came out and looked at my bike and declared that he couldn't fix it, but that he could drive us and our bikes to a nearby Lowe's like store that had a bike repair spot inside. We get to the store to find out that the bike repair service is only available until 5 pm. It is now around 7 pm. So we call the elders who call the members to see if anyone can come pick us up. Thankfully the branch president and the relief society president come to the rescue. Sister Anderson and I walked to the nearby grocery store, bought dinner, and then waited outside the bike repair spot until they got there. We got to the church around 8:15, just as Eikaiwa was ending. I was just glad that we got home and no one was hurt.

Fri

The elders showed us where a nice bike shop was and we left my bike in their care until District Meeting was over. There were some fantastic testimonies born. Elder Chiba's testimony in particular made everyone cry. Then we went out for katsudon, breaded pork over rice. Yum. Then sister Oda and I went to a bookstore to get a better map because we decided that the one that we had was not detailed enough. After we got that, we went to the bike shop to pick up my bike. Apparently, the rear reflector had gotten loose which had gotten tangled in the spokes which made them loose which then poked holes in my tube which damaged my tire. They had to replace the tube, tire, spokes, and straighten the rim. All said and done, $65. I like their prices. Then we went to visit a member. She offered to feed us and we gladly accepted. Then we went to sports night with a PI. Not very many people came, so we played basketball speed and crab soccer and did aerobics. Another PI was found that night, so hopefully it will develop into something better.

Sat

We taught kid's Eikaiwa and were able to give a Book of Mormon to a dad that came with his kids. Then we went with the same PI from the day before to an old folk's home to do aerobics with them. There was a lady there who is 101! Afterwards she took us to her friend's cafe where we got tomato soda. Ok, but not something I would get again I think. Then we went out again to visit some people who lived far away. After an hour of biking, Sister Oda's bike went flat. Yet again, we called the elders who called the members who came to help us. Thankfully this time only the tube was bad and not the whole tire. Twice in one week! I think as far as trials go this is a really funny one.

Sun

The elder's investigators came to church, which made them really happy. Just as church ended, a PI came to church with a box full of bakery delights for us. We tried to get her to stay but she left quickly. I have never had homemade food that is as divine as those baked goods were. We went with a member to an investigator lesson, but she wasn't there. I felt so bad for the member. But, it happens. Then the elders fixed Sister Oda's bike. I like the elder's fix-it-service, it's the cheapest:$0. We went out to visit another investigator later that night, but she wasn't home. So we housed some and came back again 45 min later. She wasn't home but her dad was home and said that she would be home the next day at 5:30. Here's hoping that we meet her! On the way home, my headlight ran out of battery. I had a small blinking light as well, so I turned that on but I might as well have had nothing on at all, for how weak it was. Riding on unfamiliar sidewalks at night with no light is not recommended. But we're safe and our bikes are fine, so all's well that ends well.

Love you lots,

Leah

Week 55 Our Birthday!!

Mon

The elders have an old version of Settlers of Catan that they found in their apartment. So we bought chips and soda and played from 2-5. Sister Oda won one round and Elder Chiba won the next. Then we had to go out to visit some investigators and PI's. We went housing near a PI and everyone we talked to wasn't Japanese. We met a Brazilian, Filipino, and a Peruvian. Pretty strange.

Tue

We visited one member who invited us in and then told us that she wanted to hear everything about how to be a missionary. So we started with the missionary purpose and went into prepared people. I always love it when members ask us for advice on how to do missionary work. Then we visited one member who wasn't able to make it to church the previous Sunday. Her daughter makes church related key chains for some cash. She showed us how she makes them. She sculpts the parts out of a special kind of clay and then she paints the pieces individually and then attaches them to the chain. I was impressed at how minutely detailed they were. She gave us both one. It looks good enough to eat! We tried to visit an investigator. Even though her lights were on, she didn't answer the door. We rang the door bell twice but no answer. So we started to walk away. I thought I heard the door open so I ran back up the stairs, but no such luck. 

Wed

Companion exchange with the Shizuoka sisters. Their apartment is on the first floor, which is nice. It is an older apartment, so there is a lot of stuff there left by other missionaries, including a Lion King soundtrack and the movie the Other Side of Heaven. Sister Obayashi and I went to find a PI. As we were riding our bikes around, we stopped a lady and asked her if she knew a Emi Goto. She said I'm Emi Goto. Come with me to my house. She let us in her house and the first thing I see is a spiral staircase in the middle of the room. Then lots of giant paintings. She took us into one room where she had a baby grand piano. She asked me my name and then she sang me a song in a really gravelly voice. She asked me if I wanted a Japanese name and I said yes so she then gave me the name of Yomiko, which means child of reading. She gave us a CD of hers and told us that she is home Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday mornings. We said that we would gladly come back. I walked out a little dazed at the experience. Then a member called and said I have time right now so come to the church and teach me. So we hustled over to the church and taught lesson 3. She said that it was very easy to understand and so she wanted to introduce two friends to us. We said yes we'd like very much to meet them why don't we come to your house for lunch with them. Then we visited a less active from South Africa. It was interesting hearing her accent. Then we went to a lesson with an investigator. Her grandmother gave us shiitake mushroom tea. Surprisingly good. It tasted like chicken soup broth with a mushroom overtone. We challenged her to come to church. Hopefully she does. 

Thu

RAIN. Unfortunately, because I was on a companion exchange, I didn't have a different set of shoes so my brown leather boots got soaked. Sister Oda and I rode the train home, had lunch, and then had our weekly planning session. Then we went to Fukuroi's eikaiwa for the first time. We talked about scary experiences. I thought that that people might say things like my car stalled in the middle of the intersection or a mean dog came really close. Most people talked about being in earthquakes and typhoons, but one person had an encounter with evil it seems like. Gave me the creeps. After Eikaiwa we went home and listened to hymns and talked about spiritual experiences. That made me feel better. 

Fri

DTM in Hamamatsu. Sister Oda accidentally left her scriptures on the bus. We thought that she wouldn't get them back again, but Elder Chiba called the bus station and they searched the bus and found them. YAY! Unfortunately, I left my Preach My Gospel somewhere. That's not as valuable as scriptures though. We ran from DTM to the bus stop to catch a bus to catch a train to ride our bikes home so that we could meet up with a PI to go to the nursing home and do aerobics with them. We made it on time. Afterwards, she took us to a local shrine. The toilets there were men and women toilets with open urinals. See picture. Akward. We were the only ones there except for the monks. We accidentally walked into places that were forbidden because we couldn't tell where the public spot ended and the off limits bit started. Outside the shrine building was a giant sandal and a giant shovel. See picture. Then we got ice cream. I got peony flavor, black sesame flavor, and roasted sesame flavor. All pretty good, but I think that I would get something different the next time. An appointment stood us up, so we went to the local volleyball club in hopes of meeting with a PI. No such luck. So we went home and worked on the area map. It covers half the wall in our living room. 

Sat

Sister Oda made me breakfast for my birthday, an omelette with rice. After kid's eikaiwa, we went to a cake shop and I bought myself a slice of cake. Then Elder Chiba bought me pudding and Elder Naylor bought me a banana crepe so I had a lot of food. Then we went to the church to meet a member so that we could go visit some less actives together. Unfortunately the member misheard the time, so we waited a fair bit of time before we got a hold of her and she came on her way. On the way home, she bought us strawberry daifuku, which is pounded rice over white sweet beans with a giant strawberry in the middle. Yummy. Then we went with the elders to a REALLY far mall and got sushi. My present to myself was expensive sushi. I was so full from eating sushi that I could still feel it the next morning. 

Sun

Two less actives and the elder's investigators came to church. YAY! I got chocolate from the branch president for my birthday. Then one member gave us a potted plant for my birthday. It's a marimba? morimba? Anyway, a pink daisy-like flower. Then after church we went with some members to visit more less actives. Not home, but we checked with the neighbors to see if they still lived there and the neighbors said yes. Then we went to visit PI's and investigators again. One person had an appointment with us, but they weren't there. When we tried to stop in at one PI's apartment, there was a man and a woman who seemed very much like missionaries of another church visiting with our PI. We didn't want to cause a scene so we backed out quietly. We were able to get the phone number of one PI, which is good. Then we went home and broke our fast. Curry. We thought that one Less Active was expecting us to come over, only to find out that she didn't and was actually at work. So we changed our plans and went to a PI's house. Her husband answered the door. We asked if she was home. He said wait a moment, turned around, glanced around the room, turned back and said no. Didn't even leave the door step. Pretty funny. 

Today I am expecting a package (they said they would deliver it between 12 and 2). I wonder what's in it? :)

Love you lots

Leah