バプテスマ

Well the past few days have been crazyyyyy

Thursday we had Zone Conference. During President Nakatsukas workshop
he asked us to pick a picture from our iPads that we could relate to a
gospel topic. I picked a picture of my dad hugging me before I entered
the MTC and tied it in to how God is our Heavenly Father and how he
loves us. I showed Nakatsuka kaicho and he said "that is a perfect
picture. People will see that and feel something without you having to
say anything" I looked at the picture again and realized how much my
dad loves me and then I realized exactly how my Heavenly Father feels
about me. And then I cried a little. I was really praying that week to
know if God loved me. I knew he loved everyone else but I wasn't sure
if that worked for me too. That moment answered my prayers. And then
President asked me to bear my testimony in front of the whole zone and
then right after we sang "Love at Home" so basically I was just a mess.

This week us and the elders in our area formed a band and went on a
mini tour around Sapporo. We sang at zone conference in Atsubetsu, the
ward music concert in Shinoro and tonight were singing at Nakatsuka
FHE in Oyachi. So if you're looking for some good entertainment at
your next event just hit up the Shinoro Senkyoushi.

SUNDAY UENISHI SAN GOT BAPTIZED!!!!!!!  It was so awesome. Her
daughter is a member and her grandson baptized her and it was so sweet
to see how grateful they were to see her get baptized! I asked her how
she felt after and she said "really really warm and happy"

Today we went ICE FISHING. because ya know... frozen chosens and all.
It was sooo sick and the sun was out!!! And I got SUN BURNED!!! Yeah
life is good.

愛しています!
リグビ姉妹

🌨🌨🌨

Heyoooooo

ひさしぶり! 

Last pday we went to Toyohira for zone activity and had another snowball fight. Things got pretty intense but blue team (my team) came out with the win #back2back. After I got to pie my companion since she's going home this transfer... video to come :)

One day this week we were walking around and I looked up and the sky was blue!! Really really blue. That doesn't happen often here so I had this moment where I almost cried because I'm just so grateful God made the sky blue and not gray! That might sound stupid but you have to remember I'm from a place where the sun shines 364 days a year...It's the little things... The sad news is at Eikaiwa this week we were talking about seasons and I said hey it's almost spring right and they all looked at me like I was crazy and said "spring doesn't come till May" my heart broke a little but がんばります...

This week has been pretty hard. I've been a little homesick but today I got to go to the temple. I loveeee the temple. It's like going home.  

Elder Holland came to Japan this week and gave a devotional that was broadcast to all of Japan. Lucky for you lafaele Shimai took notes:) 

I Think I'm Turning Japanese!

こんにちは!

This week we saw soooo many cool little miracles and met a ton of awesome people! It was another cold and really windy week. To the point that the muscles in my face froze. You know when you go to the dentist and they numb your mouth and you can't move your face for a few hours? That's what it felt like.  I had to sit by the heater and massage my face just to be able to eat. 

Wednesday I got to go to Toyohira on splits with Hackett Shimai it was the best EVER. We both have Japanese comps right now so 24 hours of straight English was Heaven. We taught Eikiawa and I went on splits with Conover choro and Blackely choro and helped them teach the advance class. I got to pick my favorite "I'm a Mormon" video so naturally I picked Chad Lewis and we talked about surrounding yourself with greatness. It was very motivational:) "I believe one of the most important things I can do in my life is surround myself with greatness. I believe that through great challenges, great things can happen" 

I'm officially Japanese because I now like mugicha... (The burnt popcorn drink). 

We met with Uenishi San a few times this week and are finishing up getting her prepared for her baptism February 25! Yesterday we picked out her baptism dress:) 

Having a Japanese companion is a lot of fun because you get to teach them things like "I got a pickle, I got a pickle, I got a pickle hey hey hey hey" and what leprechauns are and fun things like that :) but the downside is my English is awful.... it's just gonna get worse from here so I'll just apologize now! 

Japan is starting to feel like home and I'm super excited for this year! Today we are heading to Sapporo for Yuki Matsuri!! (Snow festival) it's the biggest event of the year so I'm PUMPED!! ️️️️️

愛しています!

リグビ姉妹

Apparently there's a holiday here where you throw beans at demons and eat these things(I forgot what they're called) 

Splits, we may have gotten lost in Sapporo Eki for an hour.....

Zone Conference

The Coldest Week

THIS WAS THE COLDEST WEEK OF MY LIFE!!!!! 

I thought I knew what cold felt like but then this week happened...I can honestly say I have never been so cold in my entire life. You know you're a frozen chosen when you breathe and the inside of your nose turns to ice, your companion has frostbite and your fingers and toes are permanently numb. But we're still working hard and seeing miracles!!! 

This week was mission tour! Elder Yamashita from the 70 came and talked to us! It was sooo good. We talked a lot about opening our mouths and sharing the gospel with every single person we can. Sato Shimai and I have been doing that this week and we've already found a lot of awesome people! (Including our next door neighbor!) 

The best miracle of the week came Saturday! We met with one of our investigators, Uenishi San. She's the sweetest old lady. Before the lesson we decided we wanted to commit her to baptism but we were a little worried because she loves tea and we hadn't taught her the word of wisdom yet. Well we go in and we're just talking about her week and she goes "well I went to the dentist and my gums are bad so he told me I'm not allowed to drink tea anymore" !!! I died. Miracle. We committed her to baptism and she'll be getting baptized the end of February! YAY! 

愛しています!

リグビ姉妹 

"Even if you cannot always see that silver lining on your clouds, God can, for He is the very source of the light you seek. He does love you, and He knows your fears. He hears your prayers. He is your Heavenly Father, and surely He matches with His own, the tears His children shed." Jeffrey R Holland 

Shinkotown to Shinoro

こんにちは!

First things first... this week was transfer calls! My new area is Shinoro and my new companion is Sato Shimai!! I looveeee Shinoro. It's just outside of Sapporo and super Inaka (country). Sato Shimai is super sweet! I was really scared to be her comp because she's Japanese and my Japanese is not the best but we actually don't have a problem communicating. (which just means I'm really good a charades) The Bishop here is Ota Bishop!! He put the Angel Moroni on the Sapporo temple!! There's an awesome video about it so if you haven't seen it go watch it:) 

This morning I was watching the Mormon Message "Good Things to Come" I tend to watch it a lot because it's filmed in good ol St George:) but today I actually really listened to it and there's one part I really love "Some blessings come soon, some come late, and some don’t come until heaven; but for those who embrace the gospel of Jesus Christ, they come. It will be all right in the end. Trust God and believe in good things to come." What a blessing it is to know no matter how hard life can be, things will always gets better because that is what this gospel is for!! Better days here and in the life to come. 

I've seen so many little miracles this week and have had so many prayers answered (mostly me praying that someone will let us in before I freeze to death) it usually doesn't happen till the very last person we visit but hey "no witness until after the trial of your faith" right? Haha Heavenly Father takes care of His missionaries! 

愛してるよ！

リグビ姉妹

Basketball Champ

よよよ！

This week was 素晴らしい！Monday we had zone activity in Kotoni. We had a major snowball

fight and pied the leaving missionaries. Then we played that basketball game where you try to get the person in front of you out by scoring before them... I WON THE ENTIRE THING. Beat all the Elders and everything. I clearly missed my calling in life to join the NBA.

The next day we had zone training meeting and we found out they're changing the schedule for missionaries worldwide so now we will be out working for 10 hours instead for 8. We also talked
about how the best way for us to share the gospel is to live it. And through our example others will come to know Christ.

This week almost every person we've talked to has said "This is Japan everyone is Buddhist, you're wasting your time but good luck" literally every person. Word for word. It's been pretty frustrating. But one night we only had a few minutes left so we went down a street and knocked on 3 doors. All 3 doors were young families that had some interest in our message! It was so cool. We've been praying to find young families because Shinkotoni is 99% old people. It was a cool little miracle!

愛しています!

リグビ姉妹

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Things have been pretty slow here since we haven't been able to dendo the last 4 days due to the craziness that is New Years in Japan. We basically just spent 4 days playing monopoly and cards at the church with the elders. Gooood times.

Tuesday we had District meeting. I somehow ended up in the same district as my 7 favorite people in the mission. We can't make it 2 minutes without someone (me) on the floor laughing. And we all have ukuleles now so it's so much fun. This week we talked about testifying about things we love. It's really easy as a missionary speaking a different language to just kind of be a robot and say the same things to every person we talk too. But if we're not testifying about things we love and know to be true than that person isn't going to feel the spirit and if they don't feel the spirit than nothing we say matters.

I got to go to Kotoni for splits this week! I was with Oka Shimai and we went to visit an investigator at her store. Halfway through this 87 year old man walks in that speaks English with a New York accent and used to be a sumo wrestler/ taxi driver. He looked at me and was like "Where's your husband?" So I told him I was 19 and didn't have one and he just shook his head and said "beautiful" 100000 times hahaha it was so funny and a little weird. I think I'm going to stay in Japan forever just so I can get compliments for the rest of my life.😂

愛してるよ！

リグビ姉妹

"A deeper understanding of Jesus Christ will give us greater hope for the future and, despite our

imperfections, more confidence in achieving our righteous goals." José A. Teixeira