Guess what came in the mail last week? My death letter.
(Death letter: A missionary term referring to a letter that is typically sent to a missionary who has 6 months remaining. It consists of a reminder that the mission is winding down, along with a request not to get trunkie -- the actual term used in the letter -- and to instead sprint to the finish line and work hard. It also includes some paperwork asking about flights home and what airport we want to go to and if we want our parents to remember about us and pick us up.)
There is nothing like a death letter to get one's head OFF of missionary subjects. I think I am recovering well and doing okay by simply forgetting about it and continuing on, but now sometimes when I look at a store and see something interesting a small voice whispers, "Hey, would that fit in my suitcase?" Still, I still have 6 blooming months. That's a long time, so whenever that small voice suggests souvenirs I can still strangle it down.
Today my companion and I went with a good friend we made in the ward to the temple. It was an absolute blast, and afterward we celebrated with Mexican food in a restaurant that does pretty passable fajitas. Since this member was the one who initially introduced my companion to Mexican, and since this is her last week in this area (90% sure as it's her first area and it's been 6 months. Oh, and the President already told us) we simply had to celebrate.
The temple itself was amazing, as usual. It has been far too long since my last visit, and I was very grateful to be able to afford to go. It was a bit humbling to consider the Saints who sacrifice much much more for the same experience. I doubt I shall take the temple for granted again. It truly is heavenly.
Next week is transfers, and many people I know are going home, some of whom are going home rather unexpectedly -- I did not realize how old they were! I shall miss these missionaries a lot and I am glad I have a chance to say goodbye at transfers before they go. Next week I may well be in a new area, although again, I'm 90% sure that I will stay right here, so I will write again -- same time, same place.
Did I mention the awesome Sister who had a great experience and decided she needed to come back to church? She came back to church. It had been about 7 years since her last visit. She enjoyed it, but said it also hurt a little; she felt sorry she had been away so long. We hope she will be able to come back next week and every week; she really has changed into a brighter happier person since we started meeting with her.
And she gave us awesome mini-hats to commemorate her return. I wish I could upload pictures, they are so cute. They are about the size of a mini-CD and clip into your hair. She also told us how to make them.
This weekend we also had a BBQ. That was fun with a few bad-drama-cheesy-twists. That is a story for another day. The BBQ itself and the ward were both really wonderful.
It continues unbearably hot and we are trying to find various measures to ensure that we are not outside between 11:30 am and 4:30 pm. Seriously, people are collapsing and little children are dying in Osaka* (or so I hear. I do not actually have access to the news, so I have to go off of what people say). It is HOT.
I am gonna go now. I don't have much fantastic news...I still don't like humidity, I am still attractive to bugs, I still have a dendou baby** and the world is still big and missionary work still awesome. Love you all and thank you for your prayers.
*Presumably from being forgotten in cars. I can't believe it's boiling-blood hot just from the sun.
**Pot gut. Lots of Japanese missionaries get 'em. It's because we only use our bikes, and that doesn't work the stomach much at all, so if you don't do ab workouts in your morning exercises you are DOOMED.
P.S. I forgot to mention the big earthquake! There was a big earthquake!
Well, in terms of earthquakes it was pretty small. I mean, nothing even fell over, but it was big enough to wake both me and my Japanese companion (who sleeps through anything), and it felt like we were riding in the back of a truck on a bumpy road.
Our room is totally not earthquake prepped. There are no nearby doorways and the outside wall is entirely glass. I shall simply have to rely on faith and the Holy Ghost should a larger earthquake decide to hit Tokyo/Chiba.
Also? I love studying Japanese poetry. I found a hilarious one the other day. Nestled between an ode to snow and a description of summer is a beautiful poem lamenting that an ex-girlfriend hasn't yet been punished by divine will. It was gut-bustingly surprising and I love it.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
'Twas a good week
Sorry my post is so late this week. We had a ridiculously busy Tuesday and yesterday was my companion's birthday so we used it as an excuse to meet with people. More on that in a second. I have some quick announcements:
NAKKI: AISHITEIRU YO! GANBATTE NE.
JTTF: Hey, I have a long letter for you, but it sounds like you are moving...tomorrow? I want to send it off but I am sorta waiting to hear about your new address. Until I hear a new addy I will just keep adding to this letter until it becomes a SUPER letter, mmkay?
Okay now for a cool story. I've been avoiding religious stories since this is a public blog but the more I think about it the more they are AWESOME and frankly, I am a missionary. If I avoid topics of religion it narrows what I can talk about greatly.
Wednesday was my companion's birthday. We celebrated by visiting a Sister in the ward who is presently not attending church. When we first met her she wasn't doing anything religious, and she was deliberate and decided in her decision not to attend, but she was happy to have us over. We met with her a few times, and as our meetings continued she was gradually admitting that she was once again praying, reading the scriptures, etc., but she still wasn't ready to come back to church. All fine and well, we'll just keep giving her little spiritual boosts now and then.
So, this Wednesday we have a birthday party at her apartment. At the end of the party we share a brief message about how we can turn to Christ whenever we are having struggles, and through Him we can become happy again one way or another. After we bore testimony about the truth of this scripture (D&C 68:5-6, I think) we asked her if she had ever had an experience where her faith helped cheer her up.
She then shared with us a story of how she was currently friends with a friend from a very different church. They were getting along very well lately and...
(At this point I was a little nervous. Was she about to tell us she was leaving our church forever?)
...when they were talking about what this friend believes, the Sister realized that what they believed was temporary, and since truth is eternal...well, they just couldn't mix. She asked about why the church was changing their beliefs and the friend didn't know. The friend didn't know a lot of the whys and wherefores.
Then the Sister realized that she believed the Mormon church was true, but she had forgotten some of the whys and the wherefores. She wanted to have that sure knowledge again -- she wanted a stronger testimony. We were pleasantly surprised. Then she said:
"So I think I better come to church on Sunday."
We looked at each other and then looked at her. "Yes, that would be a good idea. Would you like to sit with us?"
"Oh, yes, that would be nice!"
So, there you go. A great story and I didn't even do anything.
Oops, we gotta go! More next week, or possibly the week after! Love you all lots!
NAKKI: AISHITEIRU YO! GANBATTE NE.
JTTF: Hey, I have a long letter for you, but it sounds like you are moving...tomorrow? I want to send it off but I am sorta waiting to hear about your new address. Until I hear a new addy I will just keep adding to this letter until it becomes a SUPER letter, mmkay?
Okay now for a cool story. I've been avoiding religious stories since this is a public blog but the more I think about it the more they are AWESOME and frankly, I am a missionary. If I avoid topics of religion it narrows what I can talk about greatly.
Wednesday was my companion's birthday. We celebrated by visiting a Sister in the ward who is presently not attending church. When we first met her she wasn't doing anything religious, and she was deliberate and decided in her decision not to attend, but she was happy to have us over. We met with her a few times, and as our meetings continued she was gradually admitting that she was once again praying, reading the scriptures, etc., but she still wasn't ready to come back to church. All fine and well, we'll just keep giving her little spiritual boosts now and then.
So, this Wednesday we have a birthday party at her apartment. At the end of the party we share a brief message about how we can turn to Christ whenever we are having struggles, and through Him we can become happy again one way or another. After we bore testimony about the truth of this scripture (D&C 68:5-6, I think) we asked her if she had ever had an experience where her faith helped cheer her up.
She then shared with us a story of how she was currently friends with a friend from a very different church. They were getting along very well lately and...
(At this point I was a little nervous. Was she about to tell us she was leaving our church forever?)
...when they were talking about what this friend believes, the Sister realized that what they believed was temporary, and since truth is eternal...well, they just couldn't mix. She asked about why the church was changing their beliefs and the friend didn't know. The friend didn't know a lot of the whys and wherefores.
Then the Sister realized that she believed the Mormon church was true, but she had forgotten some of the whys and the wherefores. She wanted to have that sure knowledge again -- she wanted a stronger testimony. We were pleasantly surprised. Then she said:
"So I think I better come to church on Sunday."
We looked at each other and then looked at her. "Yes, that would be a good idea. Would you like to sit with us?"
"Oh, yes, that would be nice!"
So, there you go. A great story and I didn't even do anything.
Oops, we gotta go! More next week, or possibly the week after! Love you all lots!
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Randomness
Not a lot of time (what else is new?) so I am just copying from an e-mail I wrote earlier commenting on random facts about Japan. Most of this I think has been mentioned at one point or another on one blog or another, but just in case you forgot, here's some random facts about Japan!
Traffic
Bikes are incredibly typical and may actually outnumber the number of cars on the road -- although they ALWAYS ride on the sidewalk and are considered pedestrian traffic. Therefore it is safe to ride your bike, even at night, because cars know you are there and know to look for you. Bikes are also expected to go very slowly so that they could stop on a dime (so as to avoid hitting old people, actually) and thus speeding Elders racing along still manage to get into bike accidents -- albeit rarely. Bikes are the main transportation for missionaries, to the point that sometimes people we stop on the street ask if a bike is actually part of being a missionary for our church (these are people that have seen us riding around before).
Cars drive on the left side here. Cars are pretty small, and leg room is not really a high priority. Sometimes this frustrates me, but their gas consumption is amazing, so. Parking lots are packed and often several stories high (you park in the bottom and a lift carries your car up to the respective floor and puts it on a little shelf) and people are able to back into a parking spot that is exactly the width of their car. It terrifies me when they do this and I always have to close my eyes when they do it. The other day I saw a parking lot that was 6 stories high, which was a first for me. Up until now the most I have seen was 4. This isn't a parking lot where you drive up to the respective floors, but the elevator kind. There are also plenty of normal typical parking lots, too, although there is never enough parking and it's usually pretty far from where you want to really be. People are used to walking around here -- a 20 minute walk is considered pretty typical to get from store to train station or from bus to home.
Living Quarters
Do you remember that reality show thingy they showed at the MTC? The District or something. Do you remember looking at that apartment and thinking, "Geez, that is as big as the house I live in now."
Yeah, Japan is the opposite.
All Japanese houses have a Genkan, or a...front...area? A place that is usually lowered where you put your shoes. You ALWAYS take off your shoes at the genkan -- wearing your shoes in the house is simply unthinkable. The rest of the house is raised slightly, so you step up to go inside. People will generally wear slippers around the house. These slippers do NOT go into the bathroom -- you take them off. There is sometimes a pair of slippers for you to wear while you are in the bathroom so that you don't have to touch the floor.
The bathroom is a weird setup; if you don't know about it remind me and I will explain next time.
The flooring is not wooden; it's tatami. Tatami is like tightly woven dried grass. It's not very comfortable (don't lie down directly on it; it is kinda sorta itchy?), but it is slightly cushion-y. People sit on this all the time. They sit in a position called seiza, which is basically kneeling as if you are going to pray (sit on your ankles). You take off your slippers before entering a room with tatami. Most people have a wooden floor kitchen and a tatami for most of the other rooms. Our apartment is pretty western. The only room with tatami is our sleeping room.
Did I mention we sleep on the floor? I desperately miss beds. We sleep on a futon, which is about the width of most simple blankets and use a...I dunno how to spell duvet (DOO-vey). We use that for a blanket.
---
Japan is really humid and REALLY hot right now (yesterday was what, about 95-100F?). I feel bad for the Elders on Sundays because suit coats are required. They always greet members drenched in sweat. All well, at least being drenched in sweat is pretty standard in Japan and in the summer no one really comments on it. Still, it can't be pleasant for them.
Can't think of much else right now. There is a shrine next door to our apartment that is pretty big, and they have a festival tomorrow and the day after. Our entire neighborhood is lined in rope and twisted paper like Christmas lights. I can't remember the point of the paper; I think it welcomes good spirits, chases away bad spirits, or marks the land as spiritual, not sure which it means and it might be all three.
-----
So there are your cultural facts for the week. Life is going well for me as a missionary. We had a mini zone conference yesterday that focused on finding people. We went out determined to find lots of people and got turned away all day -- most people wouldn't even stop or look at us, they just walked around us -- but we weren't sad because we were trying hard. Today we got a totsuzen (sudden, unexpected) member referral and two people we have been having trouble getting ahold of called us and set up appointments. I guess we get blessed in different ways, and the Lord really is paying attention to our efforts. That's how I felt, anyway.
Love you all lots!
Traffic
Bikes are incredibly typical and may actually outnumber the number of cars on the road -- although they ALWAYS ride on the sidewalk and are considered pedestrian traffic. Therefore it is safe to ride your bike, even at night, because cars know you are there and know to look for you. Bikes are also expected to go very slowly so that they could stop on a dime (so as to avoid hitting old people, actually) and thus speeding Elders racing along still manage to get into bike accidents -- albeit rarely. Bikes are the main transportation for missionaries, to the point that sometimes people we stop on the street ask if a bike is actually part of being a missionary for our church (these are people that have seen us riding around before).
Cars drive on the left side here. Cars are pretty small, and leg room is not really a high priority. Sometimes this frustrates me, but their gas consumption is amazing, so. Parking lots are packed and often several stories high (you park in the bottom and a lift carries your car up to the respective floor and puts it on a little shelf) and people are able to back into a parking spot that is exactly the width of their car. It terrifies me when they do this and I always have to close my eyes when they do it. The other day I saw a parking lot that was 6 stories high, which was a first for me. Up until now the most I have seen was 4. This isn't a parking lot where you drive up to the respective floors, but the elevator kind. There are also plenty of normal typical parking lots, too, although there is never enough parking and it's usually pretty far from where you want to really be. People are used to walking around here -- a 20 minute walk is considered pretty typical to get from store to train station or from bus to home.
Living Quarters
Do you remember that reality show thingy they showed at the MTC? The District or something. Do you remember looking at that apartment and thinking, "Geez, that is as big as the house I live in now."
Yeah, Japan is the opposite.
All Japanese houses have a Genkan, or a...front...area? A place that is usually lowered where you put your shoes. You ALWAYS take off your shoes at the genkan -- wearing your shoes in the house is simply unthinkable. The rest of the house is raised slightly, so you step up to go inside. People will generally wear slippers around the house. These slippers do NOT go into the bathroom -- you take them off. There is sometimes a pair of slippers for you to wear while you are in the bathroom so that you don't have to touch the floor.
The bathroom is a weird setup; if you don't know about it remind me and I will explain next time.
The flooring is not wooden; it's tatami. Tatami is like tightly woven dried grass. It's not very comfortable (don't lie down directly on it; it is kinda sorta itchy?), but it is slightly cushion-y. People sit on this all the time. They sit in a position called seiza, which is basically kneeling as if you are going to pray (sit on your ankles). You take off your slippers before entering a room with tatami. Most people have a wooden floor kitchen and a tatami for most of the other rooms. Our apartment is pretty western. The only room with tatami is our sleeping room.
Did I mention we sleep on the floor? I desperately miss beds. We sleep on a futon, which is about the width of most simple blankets and use a...I dunno how to spell duvet (DOO-vey). We use that for a blanket.
---
Japan is really humid and REALLY hot right now (yesterday was what, about 95-100F?). I feel bad for the Elders on Sundays because suit coats are required. They always greet members drenched in sweat. All well, at least being drenched in sweat is pretty standard in Japan and in the summer no one really comments on it. Still, it can't be pleasant for them.
Can't think of much else right now. There is a shrine next door to our apartment that is pretty big, and they have a festival tomorrow and the day after. Our entire neighborhood is lined in rope and twisted paper like Christmas lights. I can't remember the point of the paper; I think it welcomes good spirits, chases away bad spirits, or marks the land as spiritual, not sure which it means and it might be all three.
-----
So there are your cultural facts for the week. Life is going well for me as a missionary. We had a mini zone conference yesterday that focused on finding people. We went out determined to find lots of people and got turned away all day -- most people wouldn't even stop or look at us, they just walked around us -- but we weren't sad because we were trying hard. Today we got a totsuzen (sudden, unexpected) member referral and two people we have been having trouble getting ahold of called us and set up appointments. I guess we get blessed in different ways, and the Lord really is paying attention to our efforts. That's how I felt, anyway.
Love you all lots!
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Albino Paradise?
Why is it that in America everyone likes being tan and in Japan everyone wants to be white/pale? Is it just because it's hard to do? It's really easy to get a tan here in the summer and I was terribly pleased with myself the other day when I looked at how pronounced my tan line was getting where my watch rests, and STILL people will walk by me and say, "Ah, what a pale person!" in much the same way we would say, "Ah, how beautiful!"
I am not objecting, mind you. Not at all.
I had a few curious events happen this week, including one definite miracle, which I will save for last (read as: scroll down for the awesome bit).
First, I would like to make an addition to my growing list of reasons I am not a fan of skirts on bikes. I do not know if I have made this list yet, in which case I will start now!
Why I Don't Like Skirts on Bikes
The last addition I only discovered this week, when I got into a bike accident. Not a bad accident, mind you; it was a collision between me and the ground, see. Now, I'll admit partial blame, but really I think the ground ought to take some responsibility for all of this.
It happened when I was getting on my bike in a parking lot. I was wearing a skirt I was not used to and my spare shoes, so it wasn't the best combination. My shoe got caught in my dress as I was raising it over the frame bar, and instead of my shoe coming down nicely on the pedal it remained caught somewhere near the bike seat. The bike, however, was expecting a foot to push down on the pedal to get things started, so when no foot came down it hesitated, tapped a slight bump and fell over. Naturally it fell over directly onto my jutting knee.
I will not lie: it hurt a LOT.
So now we have a collapsed bike, a surprised companion, and a missionary in pain. Worse yet, we have a ruined pair of nylons. There was a HUGE hole in the knee! I was stuck with hole-in-the-knee nylons and a good trek away from a new pair. It was most distressing.
Seriously. My knee still hurts and I'm limping still, but I am most upset about the nylons. I have yet to find nylons my size in Japan which means I have to make do with what I brought. A hole in mandatory irreplaceable clothing is a big deal!
Anyway, I'll get over it. At least it was an older pair of nylons.
The bike is fine, by the way. I haven't checked in with the ground's family but I believe he's fine.
--
Second, I wanted to wish everyone a happy July 4th! This is not a holiday in Japan for some weird inexplicable reason. Still my companion and I celebrated by getting 'steaks' (minced meat shaped into a rectangle beef patty) on Saturday night. It was actually pretty neat; they brought the meat out done "medium" with a tiny little hot plate about 2 inches in diameter and told us we were free to cook the meat to our desired doneness. It was a neat trick although sadly the hot plate got cold about halfway through the meal. Still, I liked the idea and enjoyed the meal. It was the first trip to a restaurant this transfer!
--
The next trip to a restaurant was a district lunch at Popoki. Popoki is a tiny little restaurant (barely enough room for the bar where you sit) crammed full of amazing souvenirs from all over the world. The owner has these souvenirs because he has BEEN all over the world -- he takes a vacation once a year and he and his wife travel like demons. The restaurant can only sit 10 but it is a lot of really good food at a really good price, so naturally he recognized missionaries on sight. It was a yummy lunch and I am amazed I had not been sooner.
--
We finally got a chance to use the Goi Bikes! The Goi Bikes might take a brief explanation. There is a train station called Goi. It is in our area, but it is a considerable distance from where we live, and thus we don't bike there -- we take the train. Sadly, the people who live in Goi live very far apart and not at all close to the train station, so if you go to visit someone in Goi it's a day trip.
What's the solution?
Old missionaries donate their old bikes to Goi!
That's right, ladies and gentlemen, there are two insanely old bikes parked in the free bike garage (designed, it seems, with this sort of purpose in mind) that missionaries have the lock-key to and are welcome to use at any time. It's perfect! The only trouble is that the brakes are stiff, the chain and gears are shot, and oh, there are no bike seats.
Still, when you have to go to Goi, they are perfect. We finally gave them a shot and at one point were even able to achieve the daring speeds of 6 mph! We laughed and joked and were really grateful for the bikes since they turned a 30 minute walk in the hot humidity into a bizarre but simple bike ride. Woohoo!
--
I have finally, FINALLY met someone who was so happy to be greeted in the street by strangers that she burst into tears and hugged us. She called her friend to say how she had met such wonderful people and told us we had changed her life.
It was awesome, frankly.
She wasn't crazy by the way, just a little tipsy. Still, it was a fun experience.
--
Okay, I guess I should talk about the awesome wonderful miracle at some point. This blog post has gotten very long anyway. Does anyone remember me talking about a woman who wasn't coming to church very often but finally came back with her friend in tow, and her friend it turns out may or may not have already been a member from a long time ago?
Well many weeks and a few dramas later it turns out she IS a member, and we now have her record. She was so happy! She asked us to contact her family as well, so we have a referral to pass along and a wonderful story.
I'm sorry, I had intended to go into more details but I just realized a great deal of this story isn't really Internet appropriate, in that it's not something for the general public. This woman is truly a miracle who has had a very tough life. Her life will still be tough, and she still has a few problems with visas and the like, but for all of us this was a huge step in the right direction and a blessing. I am extremely excited for her and adore her, and I look forward to seeing how everything will turn out for her and her family.
Speaking of which, I need to go give the honbu (HQ) a referral, so I had best be going soon.
It is raining today. Japan is too humid for a poor lil' desert girl like me, and I am VERY MUCH looking forward to the end of the rainy season. It can't possibly be too much longer...right?
It doesn't make sense to me that rain should make the temperature hotter, but I have been proven wrong thanks to local weather.
Love you all lots, talk to you again soon!
I am not objecting, mind you. Not at all.
I had a few curious events happen this week, including one definite miracle, which I will save for last (read as: scroll down for the awesome bit).
First, I would like to make an addition to my growing list of reasons I am not a fan of skirts on bikes. I do not know if I have made this list yet, in which case I will start now!
Why I Don't Like Skirts on Bikes
- The skirt gets caught in the wind at embarrassing moments
- It sometimes reduces movement and range
- Standing at a stop light and remaining modest is nearly impossible (you have to stay seated)
- The skirt gets caught in the chain/back wheel resulting in huge and ugly black stains
- Skirts grab onto shoes during mounting and cause bike accidents
The last addition I only discovered this week, when I got into a bike accident. Not a bad accident, mind you; it was a collision between me and the ground, see. Now, I'll admit partial blame, but really I think the ground ought to take some responsibility for all of this.
It happened when I was getting on my bike in a parking lot. I was wearing a skirt I was not used to and my spare shoes, so it wasn't the best combination. My shoe got caught in my dress as I was raising it over the frame bar, and instead of my shoe coming down nicely on the pedal it remained caught somewhere near the bike seat. The bike, however, was expecting a foot to push down on the pedal to get things started, so when no foot came down it hesitated, tapped a slight bump and fell over. Naturally it fell over directly onto my jutting knee.
I will not lie: it hurt a LOT.
So now we have a collapsed bike, a surprised companion, and a missionary in pain. Worse yet, we have a ruined pair of nylons. There was a HUGE hole in the knee! I was stuck with hole-in-the-knee nylons and a good trek away from a new pair. It was most distressing.
Seriously. My knee still hurts and I'm limping still, but I am most upset about the nylons. I have yet to find nylons my size in Japan which means I have to make do with what I brought. A hole in mandatory irreplaceable clothing is a big deal!
Anyway, I'll get over it. At least it was an older pair of nylons.
The bike is fine, by the way. I haven't checked in with the ground's family but I believe he's fine.
--
Second, I wanted to wish everyone a happy July 4th! This is not a holiday in Japan for some weird inexplicable reason. Still my companion and I celebrated by getting 'steaks' (minced meat shaped into a rectangle beef patty) on Saturday night. It was actually pretty neat; they brought the meat out done "medium" with a tiny little hot plate about 2 inches in diameter and told us we were free to cook the meat to our desired doneness. It was a neat trick although sadly the hot plate got cold about halfway through the meal. Still, I liked the idea and enjoyed the meal. It was the first trip to a restaurant this transfer!
--
The next trip to a restaurant was a district lunch at Popoki. Popoki is a tiny little restaurant (barely enough room for the bar where you sit) crammed full of amazing souvenirs from all over the world. The owner has these souvenirs because he has BEEN all over the world -- he takes a vacation once a year and he and his wife travel like demons. The restaurant can only sit 10 but it is a lot of really good food at a really good price, so naturally he recognized missionaries on sight. It was a yummy lunch and I am amazed I had not been sooner.
--
We finally got a chance to use the Goi Bikes! The Goi Bikes might take a brief explanation. There is a train station called Goi. It is in our area, but it is a considerable distance from where we live, and thus we don't bike there -- we take the train. Sadly, the people who live in Goi live very far apart and not at all close to the train station, so if you go to visit someone in Goi it's a day trip.
What's the solution?
Old missionaries donate their old bikes to Goi!
That's right, ladies and gentlemen, there are two insanely old bikes parked in the free bike garage (designed, it seems, with this sort of purpose in mind) that missionaries have the lock-key to and are welcome to use at any time. It's perfect! The only trouble is that the brakes are stiff, the chain and gears are shot, and oh, there are no bike seats.
Still, when you have to go to Goi, they are perfect. We finally gave them a shot and at one point were even able to achieve the daring speeds of 6 mph! We laughed and joked and were really grateful for the bikes since they turned a 30 minute walk in the hot humidity into a bizarre but simple bike ride. Woohoo!
--
I have finally, FINALLY met someone who was so happy to be greeted in the street by strangers that she burst into tears and hugged us. She called her friend to say how she had met such wonderful people and told us we had changed her life.
It was awesome, frankly.
She wasn't crazy by the way, just a little tipsy. Still, it was a fun experience.
--
Okay, I guess I should talk about the awesome wonderful miracle at some point. This blog post has gotten very long anyway. Does anyone remember me talking about a woman who wasn't coming to church very often but finally came back with her friend in tow, and her friend it turns out may or may not have already been a member from a long time ago?
Well many weeks and a few dramas later it turns out she IS a member, and we now have her record. She was so happy! She asked us to contact her family as well, so we have a referral to pass along and a wonderful story.
I'm sorry, I had intended to go into more details but I just realized a great deal of this story isn't really Internet appropriate, in that it's not something for the general public. This woman is truly a miracle who has had a very tough life. Her life will still be tough, and she still has a few problems with visas and the like, but for all of us this was a huge step in the right direction and a blessing. I am extremely excited for her and adore her, and I look forward to seeing how everything will turn out for her and her family.
Speaking of which, I need to go give the honbu (HQ) a referral, so I had best be going soon.
It is raining today. Japan is too humid for a poor lil' desert girl like me, and I am VERY MUCH looking forward to the end of the rainy season. It can't possibly be too much longer...right?
It doesn't make sense to me that rain should make the temperature hotter, but I have been proven wrong thanks to local weather.
Love you all lots, talk to you again soon!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)