week 50: He loves you enough to cut you down
OF COURSE I rode the giant Pikachu!
こんにちは
Well this week was crazy but first TRANSFERS.... I'm staying here in Kadena and Sister Evangelista is going to Shimizu to be an STL! So amazing! She will kill it! My new companion is Sister Jorgensen. She has been my STL for a while and I knew her when I was a Bean Chan (new missionary)!
So this week we had elder Larsen's last DTM. It was really awesome and after we went to the famous Coco Currys (famous to missionaries as not good) and it was actually really yummy! We also went with different members to visit other returning members. We had a lot of fun too! We also received a referral from Hawaii! He is awesome and we had a really great first discussion and made plans for another appointment. People for us to teach are just falling out of the trees! On Wednesday we finally got permission to call the Tokyo honbu (mission home). We were first given the number for Tokyo south and that wasn't the one we needed, so they gave us the right number and then Tokyo gave us the numbers for Narita. We made plans and exchanged info with those missionaries so we could help Maria get to church while she was up there (she ended up not being able to go but the elders were so helpful!). On Thursday, we had eikaiwa but we also had a relief society activity. We did a split because a returning member was coming to the activity. So I went to relief society and it was really fun. They just taught about 3 things: scripture study, organization, and exercise (more on that later). On Friday we went to the Japanese relief society activity. It was really fun with food! Sports day was a blast...took tons of pics. Sunday I gave a talk about meekness. It was in Japanese, so I learned that word.
Spiritual keiken: Okay so Sunday there was a broadcast of the last YSA devotional. We decided to go and try to meet the YSA (young single adults) in the district. We had this awkward time between when it started and when our church ended, so we tried to visit a member nearby, but no luck. So we went back and magically (actually totally guided by Heavenly Father) a member and her friend were outside the church wanting to use its wifi. So we had a key and let them in, and ended up giving a church tour and talking a lot about Christ. It was really powerful when we ended in the chapel and talked about the importance of the Sacrament. We gave her a Book of Mormon and made plans to meet again (she is a hairstylist so she will cut our hair for free!).
Funny keiken: So, at the American relief society the activity was exercise, but I was in a skirt, so I hung out on the side watching with some other ladies. Two of them, including the returning member, were pregnant. They started talking babies and pregnancy. The returning member is having her first baby, so she doesn't know a lot of the different things that can happen when having a baby. Pretty quickly, another lady jumped in the conversation and they were all talking about all the things that happen or could go wrong after you have a baby! WOW!! Luckily the member was good, but now I'm a bit terrified to have kids. Good thing I have a while! It ending up being really good, I just didn't know all the things that your body potential goes through!
Well this week was crazy but first TRANSFERS.... I'm staying here in Kadena and Sister Evangelista is going to Shimizu to be an STL! So amazing! She will kill it! My new companion is Sister Jorgensen. She has been my STL for a while and I knew her when I was a Bean Chan (new missionary)!
So this week we had elder Larsen's last DTM. It was really awesome and after we went to the famous Coco Currys (famous to missionaries as not good) and it was actually really yummy! We also went with different members to visit other returning members. We had a lot of fun too! We also received a referral from Hawaii! He is awesome and we had a really great first discussion and made plans for another appointment. People for us to teach are just falling out of the trees! On Wednesday we finally got permission to call the Tokyo honbu (mission home). We were first given the number for Tokyo south and that wasn't the one we needed, so they gave us the right number and then Tokyo gave us the numbers for Narita. We made plans and exchanged info with those missionaries so we could help Maria get to church while she was up there (she ended up not being able to go but the elders were so helpful!). On Thursday, we had eikaiwa but we also had a relief society activity. We did a split because a returning member was coming to the activity. So I went to relief society and it was really fun. They just taught about 3 things: scripture study, organization, and exercise (more on that later). On Friday we went to the Japanese relief society activity. It was really fun with food! Sports day was a blast...took tons of pics. Sunday I gave a talk about meekness. It was in Japanese, so I learned that word.
Spiritual keiken: Okay so Sunday there was a broadcast of the last YSA devotional. We decided to go and try to meet the YSA (young single adults) in the district. We had this awkward time between when it started and when our church ended, so we tried to visit a member nearby, but no luck. So we went back and magically (actually totally guided by Heavenly Father) a member and her friend were outside the church wanting to use its wifi. So we had a key and let them in, and ended up giving a church tour and talking a lot about Christ. It was really powerful when we ended in the chapel and talked about the importance of the Sacrament. We gave her a Book of Mormon and made plans to meet again (she is a hairstylist so she will cut our hair for free!).
Funny keiken: So, at the American relief society the activity was exercise, but I was in a skirt, so I hung out on the side watching with some other ladies. Two of them, including the returning member, were pregnant. They started talking babies and pregnancy. The returning member is having her first baby, so she doesn't know a lot of the different things that can happen when having a baby. Pretty quickly, another lady jumped in the conversation and they were all talking about all the things that happen or could go wrong after you have a baby! WOW!! Luckily the member was good, but now I'm a bit terrified to have kids. Good thing I have a while! It ending up being really good, I just didn't know all the things that your body potential goes through!
New words:
にゅうわ(nyuuwa): meekness
ほんぶ(honbu): headquarters (mission home)
ぎもん(gimon):question, doubt, problem
Every transfer I learn that this work is the Lord's and He is leading it. My heart will miss my sweet companion but I'm excited for her new adventure. Missions are not easy, but they are worth it. I wouldn't have been able to meet sister Evangelista any other way. She will be missed by me and by the people of Okinawa. Our Heavenly Father guides our lives. President Hugh B. Brown tells a story of a currant bush. I highly suggest watching the story or reading it.
This is the link to the video: https://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2012-01-014-the-will-of-god?lang=eng&_r=1
If you are in a hard spot and don't know why things are happening, just remember God loves you enough to cut you down so you can reach your potential!
I love you all and miss you so much! I'm so excited to stay here in Kadena!
Love
Thompson 姉妹
Bits and pieces from family emails:
One day this week we were running late and so we biked the usual 25 minute ride to the church in 15! Be impressed!
When the choice is play sports or watch the babies, the babies always win! Don't worry, I don't hold them...that is by far the hardest rule to follow as a missionary!
Family Home Evening with the Japanese ward was just wonderful!
Elder Watanabe has secret children powers
Elders Silva, Watanabe, Smith, and Larsen
missionary lunch breaks be like...
sunsets over Okinawa are incredible,
even from our apartment balcony!
a sweet brother in ward left all this as a surprise!
SPORTS DAY OVERLOAD
Baby Aron
Eikaiwa girls joined us today
Isa and elder Watanabe
pretty much the photographer this day!
Sports days are a great way to get to the know the members,
and a great opportunity to meet new friends!
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