July 30, 2012
Dear Family-
I ate eel today. It
was really good actually. There's a picture attached, as well as other various
pictures.
This week was really
amazing. Kuwahara Shimai and I are pretty different people. She had an idea to
fast together on Wednesday and it has made all the difference. I can feel the
Lord helping me be a better companion to her and to let go of little things
easier. We are having so much fun together! She's pretty patient with me.
This week we've had
various experiences that have reminded me that this work is not mine but the
Lord's. I don't have time to tell them all but here's just one: A lady who came
to English class3 weeks ago and then had a first lesson with us agreed to come
to church, but was booked for the next 2 Sundays. I was a little disappointed
because she showed tons of interest in strengthening her family, and I wanted
her to come to church and start learning as soon as possible. Yesterday was the
day she was able to come and guess what sacrament meeting was about? Becoming
united in your family. God for sure knew which Sunday she needed to come to.
I love the work we're
doing right now. It hit me last week that this is the home stretch: if there's
something I wanted to do on my mission that I haven't done, now's the time to
do it. Comfortingly, I can't think of anything besides the things we are
already doing. It feels good to realize how important everyone here is to me.
Next week is the last
real P-day I have - the next 2 are mission-activities. So, this is the
last call for any requests of things you'd like brought back from Japan. I am
clueless as to what any of you would be interested in, so please say something.
I love you!
Latest and greatest
scripture: Mormon 9:27. It's apparently ok to ask questions, but not ok to
doubt. President Budge recently said: Doubt your doubts and believe your
beliefs. Amen : )
Love, Sister Waite
Mom and Dad-
Thanks for the
invitation to do the tough mudder! I'm flattered, and also hoping it's ok if I
just cheer everyone else on instead of actually participating. I love you!
Love,
Sister Waite
July 23, 2012
Dear family-
I lost my SD card. I think I left it
in a picture-printing stand at a convenience store that I went to last
Saturday. It has all my pictures on it... so, except for the pictures on the SD
card I sent you and the ones I've e-mailed you, all the rest are gone. Can
you pray for me to be able to find it? I'm kind of sad about it.
Tamae brought her mom to church on
Sunday. It was great! Her mom is as neat as she is. The mom is doing square
dancing most Sundays so she can't come next week but said she would come again.
This week we went to visit Ayaka
Ishida 3 different times and were able to talk to her for a little each time.
Usually we can't do that because people are gone or busy, so that was really
good. Keep praying for her.
Other people to pray for: Mayumi and
Alex, Nagano, and Keiko.
Ok, I just want you all to know I
love you. I know the gospel is true. Good luck this week with all that's going
on.
LOVE,
Sister Waite
PIX: 1- all the missionaries in
Urayasu ward, 2-all of us eating watermelon after it was broken (A tradition
here in Japan is to take turns hitting a watermelon with a stick
while blindfolded. It's pretty much the same as a piñata, only on the
ground.) 3- Me and Sister Kuwahara at a big park we went to on Sunday
night.
July 15, 2012
Dear Family!
It's the first day of my last
transfer, and I have a new companion: Kuwahara Shimai! Ono Shimai went to
Kanagawa, the first area I was in when I came to Japan.
Latest and greatest from the Book of
Mormon: 3 Nephi 17:15-18. Christ has appeared, taught the people and then
healed them. Then He prays for them. These verses describe the joy they all
felt when He did that. When I read the end of verse 17, I just thought about
how if they felt that much joy when He prayed for them, how much more joy will
we feel when we stand before God at the last day and He testifies of our works.
I hope by then I've done everything I can so that actually happens.
Another cool thing: 3Ne 15:13-18 ~ I
hadn't ever realized that the fact that there were people living in the
Americas had purposely been kept from those in Jerusalem. How interesting.
I show our family picture to people
all the time when we first meet or first have a lesson. Every time I do I just
think of you all and how much I love you. Everyone is always really really
impressed that there are so many of us in the picture and that we actually look
genuinely happy to be together. I love showing it to people.
Tamae, Abe family, Ayaka, and Mayumi
and Alex are all still about the same as last week. That's not bad, but we need
to get some things done this week. Ganbarimasu!
President Budge is my new hero! We had training from him
last week and it was so neat to see right off a few of the differences between
him and Pres. Albrecht. I kind of wish I could be here for longer just to have
him as my President more and keep learning from him. He is a little more quiet
and also a bit more laid back than Pres. Albrecht. Yet, when he teaches it's
obvious he applies the teachings of Christ to himself.
Have a happy week ok?
-Sister Waite
PS- If you want anything from Japan,
let me know... : )
PSS- The picture is all 6 of us
Urayasu missionaries and Tamae.
July 10, 2012
Fam!
I like the pix Sadie!
Highlights:
-Last Friday we went
to Tokyo's international book fair and handed out copies of the Book of Mormon
for 4 hours at a booth that the church had there.
-Today we went to the
temple and ate Indian curry afterwards. I love Japanese food, but just as much
I love all the other foreign food that's here. Real Indian curry is so good.
Oh, and even better than curry is that President Budge and his wife and daughter
came to the temple too. The daughter is 20 right now and is leaving soon to go
on a mission to Sapporo, Japan.
-We think we may have
found a FAMILY to teach this week! We talked to a lady on the street a few
weeks ago and got her phone number. Later we called her she said we could come
over - pretty unusual for a normal Japanese person. We went to her house and
her husband was there too and didn't flee the premises when we appeared
(extremely unusual). He's from Brazil and we gave them both copies of the Book
of Mormon and talked a little, and leaving we said a prayer. I'll keep you
posted, but until next week can you pray for Alex and Mayumi?
-One of the investigators that we have been working really hard with said she asked
herself the other day if she would gain anything by getting baptized that she
doesn't already have now (because she already comes to church, is keeping the
commandments, and last week started going to institute). She said she realized
she doesn't have the Holy Ghost, and knows she needs to get baptized in order
to get it. We were so satisfied because lately she seems like she's been just
satisfied with where she's at.
-We went and visited
Ayaka and asked if we could do anything for her. She hesitated and then said
that her mom wasn't home but the apartment was a mess and it was making her
stressed, so would it be too much if we helped her clean up a little. We
couldn't have been more thrilled at such a request. Ono shimai loves
vacuuming, and you all know that I love to throw things away. We cleaned with
her for about an hour and got to know her a lot better. By the time we were
done it was a place the Spirit could be in.
That's about all.
I love you!!!
Love, Sister Waite
PS- Thanks for
writing back to the letters I sent you form those little girls!
PSS- My time left in
Japan is getting shorter... I haven't bought any sort of souvenirs and can't
think of anything I want or need to buy that would mean something to me or to
very many of you. If you want me to bring back anything let me know what, because
if not I think I'll just bring back myself : )
July
2, 2012
Dear
Family-
Life
is good for me too. Today we went to Yoyogi Park as a zone and played ultimate frisbee
and capture the flag. It felt good.
Missionary
work and my testimony of it are both going along at great pace. Lately I've
been studying about and praying for charity. The results are fantastic. I've
decided that anyone (--> me) who thinks they can get along fine
without charity just doesn't understand what it really is. And then I
decided the whole gospel is that way.
Tamae
is doing great. She's coming to church every week and requesting reading
material like crazy. We just need to help her focus on gaining a testimony
rather than just getting the facts. Ayaka Ishida came home from the hospital
yesterday and is doing so much better. We are going to be able to meet her
tomorrow. Last week we met a lady named Hamasuna on the street and she said she
was interested. Three days later she walked 40 minutes to the church to have a
lesson, and we scheduled a baptismal date. The Abe family is doing good.
Sister Abe called us directly just to chat about her daughters for the first
time last week. She's really starting to trust us and know that we aren't
judging her at all for coming to church. Katagiri Shimai is doing great too.
I've learned a lot as I've focussed on how to help her husband. I've heard and
read a lot of talks lately that mention what spouses in a part-member
situation can do for their non-member family members. I've learned that it
starts by just completely enjoying the gospel yourself.
As
a result, I've been focusing on learning more about what Jesus Christ taught
and enjoying the results I see when I apply it to myself first, with no thought
of ever changing anyone else. It feels wonderful. And of course that makes it
easier to share with others too.
Funny
story about the picture: Last Thursday I went on exchanges with Sister Facer
from Utah. We went to the station to hand out English class fliers to people.
This politician who was talking with a microphone came over and tapped
me on the shoulder and asked for a flier. I thought maybe he was just curious
so I gave him one and he walked away. Next thing I know he's telling everyone
through his mike that the girl saying "Good Morning" to everyone is
teaching a free English class at a church. He went on and read the flier out
loud. More people actually started taking them. He went on like that mentioning
English class off and on for the next 1/2 hour. I decided not to
question the mysterious ways of the Lord. At the end I asked him to sign one of
the fliers and then we all took that picture.
Have
a great week. I love you!
-Sister
Waite
