July 6th

{I'm so so very sorry that I've been so neglectful of this blog! I know you all are dying to read more and see more pictures!}

After 10 week training in Tokorozawa

At Shakuji Koen

Mariya and me at the Relief Society thing. 

Hey y'all,

Things are going well! It's interesting being a brand new area....
Just starting from scratch. I imagined that we would be spending all
our time finding finding finding and having nothing else to do but
find. But... We have actually been way busy with so many other things
that finding is something we do "on the way". And It's actually way
more natural that way! We have some fun potential investigators we
should be meeting up with this week and we have one investigator who
is progressing and two brand new investigators. It's way exciting to
witness God's miracles each day. We are so incredibly blessed. Every
night, sister Bryson and I write down the miracles we have seen that
day in our journals. It's incredible to look for His hand and
acknowledge him. This is a habit I want to keep up through out my
life! All that is good is a gift from God!

This week my testimony of the Spirit was really strengthened. For a
couple days, we were feeling a little off. And I was having a hard
time feeling "inspired". We didn't know what we should do or where we
should go to find investigators and we weren't feeling super
effective although we were working hard. I realized that if we don't
have the spirit with us and we aren't listening intently for his
whisperings, we can't be lead. It's such a testimony to me that this
work is not our own. Nothing good that I've been able to accomplish
here is because of me. It's because of God. I literally can't do this
without him. It's incredible to me that God puts his trust in me,.. A
young, 21 year old girl, who is hardly fluent in Japanese. He trusts
me and gives me the power I need to serve Him and accomplish his work.
I'm grateful for the spirit in my life. Without it, I would not have
the peace and comfort that I feel. I would not understand Gods will
for my life and I would not know which direction to turn.

We rode our bikes so so so much this week! We joke saying we are
training for the Tour de France. But seriously. We were able to visit
one LA in particular and invite her to come with us to the stake
relief society meeting in Kichijoji and she came! And we went out to
dinner together afterwards. She is way fun... Close in age to us too.
She lives on her own in a dorm and goes to acting school. She recently
attended a single adult conference and started thinking about going on
a mission. Maybe she will come out and work with us! We also tried
visiting another family who's address is impossible to find. Basically
we got really lost and it was dark and raining but we made it home
alive! Also... We are the northernmost area in our mission. I didn't
actually know the mission boundaries but I checked out the map when we
got home that night.... Uhh... We think we may have biked into the
north mission.

We had a few way good mogi lessons with members this week. We are
improving our teaching and really feeling the spirit as we teach. We
met with a member yesterday after church and she was SO sweet. She
just gushed over how great of missionaries we were. She was shocked
that we are young missionaries. She said not only was our Japanese
good, but we taught and testified like missionaries who would be going
home tomorrow. We know we aren't perfect... At all, but the ego boost
really helped us gain some confidence so we can invite our friends to
take lessons and know that we are qualified teachers. That's something
I've really relied on recently. I may not be fluent in Japanese or be
the best teacher but God has called me to be a missionary for him. I
have the calling and duty to preach his word. He knows i can do it and
he is strengthening me to be able to do it. We have a power that just
any old member who can speak Japanese way better than we can doesn't
have. I may have no idea what my investigators are saying to me but I
am blessed with gifts and talents and a calling as a representative of
Christ to do and be and say what he would. I am so humbled and so
grateful.

We are so busy and having lots of fun! Please pray for us to have more
teaching opportunities. The mission goal is 15 lessons per week per
companionship. This can include lessons with investigators, members,
LA, youth, other Companionships, etc. But with opening a new area this
goal is quite the challenge! We know as we are obedient and meet this
expectations, we will be blessed in our finding and other efforts.

Thank you for your prayers and love.

I don't know tons about this tradition because it was explained to me
in Japanese by people who didn't really want to talk to me but... It's
really cool. Everyone writes their wishes/requests on paper and ties
it to the trees. We were able to start really amazing conversations
with people by asking them what they had requested... Happiness, love,
peace, etc.

 

We always eat fun and interesting things for lunch! 

Looking cool in our rain suits! 

Elder Crandall and Elder Menzawa 

"DO THE SHEREM"