Kenzie Says "Kon'nichiwa": June 16th

Weekly review:
Tuesday: we got all our study time in and were way productive. We met
our goal for 25 meaningful conversations! We made really cute handouts
for our progressing investigators to encourage them to read the Book
of Mormon or prepare for their baptism :)
Wednesday: my 6 month mark as a missionary! Can you believe it?! kokan
with Tada Shimai! She doesn't know any English and doesn't really like
Americans but it was really fun. :) we taught a lesson to a recent
convert and then had a lesson with Amy! We started teaching the plan
of salvation and Amy loved it and wants to learn more!
Thursday: we had a way inspiring zone meeting. Our mission has a new
goal: in addition to having at least 10 meaningful conversations daily
and trying to make contact with less active members, we are to teach
15 lessons each week! This will be really hard because we really only
teach 5 on a good week, but the lessons will include those to
investigators, less actives, recent converts, members, and role plays
in zone meetings and companion studies. The mission is also starting a
program called the 10 week turnaround where we will have 2 hours of
role plays each week training on 10 different aspects of the work. I'm
excited to receive more training and improve my language and teaching
skills and improve as a missionary! My favorite part of the meeting
was thinking of our missionary activities as a rain cloud. Things like
the language, companion problems, getting new investigators, talking
to everyone, etc. are the rain drops. The cloud is love. If love is
our focus, then everything else works out and falls into place. We
went out to work after the meeting and that one point made such a
difference in everything. Our conversations with others went smoother
as we focused on loving them individually, being ourselves, and
getting to know them rather than focusing on inviting everyone we see
or trying to get a specific number of contacts for the day. We visited
some less active members homes and then went to sports night. I was
assigned as the new sports night photographer but don't worry I still
participated. We had an all girls team for volleyball and I made
contact with the ball so many times. #teambarbie #mostimproved
Friday: Friday the 13th :)
We went to Facebook training with our zone. We learned how we can use
social media, technology and online resources to focus on our purpose
and hasten the work. It started pouring rain after the training but we
biked home anyway... And got soaked! We decided to take the bus
instead of bike to Yamamoto shimai's house just in case it started
pouring again. It never rained but we felt like the people we met on
the bus and by foot were in our path for a reason. Our contacts were
all really natural and meaningful!
Saturday: kokan with sister Merstrand! Seriously the best day ever. We
had a lot of fun at kids eikaiwa... Our friend Natsumi taught me how
to do origami and we helped Koharu chan make a Father's Day card for
her dad in English. We used maps and found Tanabu shimai's and the
Sato family's house and left notes! We met the most amazing people
too.. This girl at the park had been to church with her lds friend
before and we met a family who had been to the open house of the
temple in Tokyo. President Wada taught us that it takes on average
about 8 contacts with the church or with missionaries before people
usually accept the invitation to learn more. It is fun to be one of
the first of those contacts. We were so happy and felt so successful
as we talked with so many people and were able to show our love and
testify of our purpose and of God's love. Sister Merstrand set off a
super loud alarm in the bathroom as she was trying to flush the
toilet. It was hilarious!
Sunday: pinko came to church! She apparently doesn't know Chinese
either and doesn't have a language that she speaks fluently so we
aren't exactly sure how we can teach her but we love her so much! She
has such a kind heart and such a desire to follow Christ. Her son has
a baptismal date for next month. She still doesn't understand the
priesthood and why she would need to receive baptism again but she
said she would think of being baptized on the same day as her son. We
did a role play lesson with a member after church. She is so strong
and faithful... She is the only member in her family and really wants
to share the gospel with them. We taught the plan of salvation and
asked her to pretend to be her little sister as we role played. We
challenged her to give the lesson pamphlet to someone in her family.
Today: zone p day! We went bowling in Fuchu and I didn't get last
place. My score was 60... Beat more than one elder! Woop! Our friend
Mizoe came and had lots of fun :)
And... We got transfer calls! Ahh! I'm transferring! I'm opening an
area (Hibarigaoka sisters B) and finishing training a transfer 2
missionary! Her name is Sister Bryson. :) I'm really excited and also
really nervous to be opening an area and have a teaching pool of zero
and be a senior companion. But the Hibarigaoka ward is apparently
amazing! And I will have a Japanese sister in my apartment who can
help me read kanji ;) haha
President Wada really believes I can do this! I'm scared, but he says
he is always on my side and always a phone call away.
I love y'all! Happy Father's Day :)