🐷🙅🏻

よよよ!

This week a family fed us pig intestines. I only had one bite but it was the most painful thing I've ever endured. I'm probably scarred for life. Afterwards they asked what I liked the best so I said "oh the pig intestines of course!" And they got super happy and excited and then I remembered sarcasm isn't a thing in Japan. The food here has definitely been one of the biggest struggles-hahaha.

Last week we visited a member and I noticed a bottle of doterra in their house so I was like woah 

ひさしぶり! Then yesterday at church she came up to me and was like "did you know your mom is famous?" And whips out an article about my parents that her friend in Tokyo had sent her. Then we had a conversation about doterra for like 30 min and she taught my companion all about it. It was awesome.

Friday I got to go on splits with Lafa!!!! MTC comps back at it. We went and did shizen dendo. We

walked into a mall and sat on a bench and started talking to a girl, became besties, taught her an awesome lesson about Heavenly Father using the picture of me and my dad and got her number so we could meet again! It was awesome. Then we talked to some high school girls, I asked them where they thought I was from and one of them was like "well she's really white so I think Russia"

that one stung.. but I'm recovering. The sun will come up. Someday.

Yesterday I got asked to pray in English and let's just say it's a good thing no one in that room spoke English because nothing that came out of my mouth made sense. I think that's a good sign maybe?

I LOVE BEING A MISSIONARY

愛しています!
リグビ姉妹


Lafa and I have been together for basically everything since day 1 so here's a vid that sums up us and our missions. (I may have had to stand on a box to be as tall as her)

8 MONTHS

こんにちは!

This week was the BEST EVER! For one reason. Kudou family.

I've been waiting to tell this story for awhile so here ya go... back in the beginning of February we were walking down the street and saw a lady shoveling snow so we stopped and asked if we could help. She said no (they always do) but we talked some more and turns out she and her family really want to learn English! So we told them about our free family English program... we teach English and after share a spiritual message. We set up an appointment and we've taught them every week since for about a month! They are my favorite family in the world!!! Their kids are ages 11, 10, 8 and 3. 

Two weeks ago we taught them about the Book of Mormon and all the kids really wanted one so we gave them each their own. We went back this week and they all had been reading it and really liked it. The kids kept telling me how badly they wanted to come to church (crazy right?) so I had been praying allllll week that they would come but yesterday church started and they weren't there. I was super upset but I kept praying. Then a few minutes into sacrament meeting I get a text saying "we're coming soon!" !!!!!!!!!!!

Seeing that family walk into church together was the highlight of my life! As they were leaving they were telling me how much fun they had and how they can't wait to come back next week! I love the kudou family!!!!!

Wednesday we had ZTM. We got to watch the devotional from when Elder Holland came to Japan. Holy cow if you want your mind blown and your life changed I'd give it a watch!! Apparently it's on Facebook somewhere so I'm sure my beautiful mother will share it for you all.

Tuesday I went to a ladies house and ate octopus and pig ears.... yeah....

Oh and if any of you were wondering, it still snows everyday but it is getting warmer I think! It got

up to like 37 degrees this week!!!

And on another random note.. the Sapporo temple President makes some dang good udon! #perksoflivinginShinoro

愛しています!
リグビ姉妹

"As our testimony of Him expands and matures, we begin to care more about life forever than life today and we have no desire but to do what He needs us to do and to live as He has asked us to live." Sheri Dew

Hi ビショップ

こんにちは!

This week was transfer week! I'm staying in Shinoro and my new comp is Nakazawa Shimai from Tokyo! 楽しい。we've been super busy with transfers and meetings and what not so we've only had about 2 hours of dendo. But we just happened to have one of the coolest miracles! We were walking to visit an investigator and passed a non-active member's house and noticed all the lights were on. They are neverrrr home and if they are home they never let missionaries in. We decided to stop and visit them and see what happens. She opened the door and we talked a little and since it was Girls Day (really big holiday here) she invited us in to her home to see all her girls day doll things (I'm still a little confused on what they mean so if anyone knows fill me in) anyways we ended up talking for over an hour with her and her husband and her daughter!! They've been to St. George and they love Madeline so we became besties real fast. The dad has a ukulele so I'm gonna bring mine next time and we're going to jam. It's really cool when God leads you right where you need to be. We had no plans to visit them and I wasn't even going to turn down their street but that's where my feet just decided to go. Missionary work is the best!

愛してるよ！

リグビ姉妹

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