Sounds like you have had a crazy week - lots of going back and forth to Phoenix! Otsukaresamadesu. Sorry, doesn't really have a good english translation - literal translation is you are a very hard worker - but it makes a lot more sense in japanese. Anyway, I'm glad all of the allstate things went well for you! I am sure it is a huge relief to finally be done with all of that. I can't believe there have been 2 arizona temples dedicated since I left - I am excited to go and see them!
As always we had a great week that was really really busy. We're teaching about triple the amount of lessons each week this transfer that I've taught in some past transfers. It's nuts - we are always dashing to appointments or housing or contacting on the street and basically don't have any time to breathe but it is so good. Gazdik shimai is a really hard worker - we are having a great time together. Some exciting news -when we met with Nakayamasan, our investigator with the date for 12/21, we were able to move her date up to 12/13! She is progressing really well. We taught her the word of wisdom last week and even though it is hard (mostly coffee and tea) she is trying her best and keeping it! We were excited to move it up and she was as well. A little part of me is sad that I will be missing it by a week but it is a-okay - the important part is that she will be getting baptized!! We are so excited for her. Fujimotosan, our cute grandma is really making leaps and bounds of progress as well. She is a bit stubborn, and was struggling a bit with some things with her prayers and scripture study, but we were able to discover her concerns and overcome them and now she is praying twice a day and reading 3 pages a day! When we asked her to set her own baptismal date last week, she said she could get baptized november of 2015. We asked what she would need in order to be baptized before then, and she said courage. We're working on building her faith, and will be moving that date up just a little bit :)
Last exciting news as far as lessons go is that Watanabe san is doing quite well. She is really smart, really intense and has wonderful questions. I love it. I love meeting with her. It is so fun! Gosh being a missionary is really just the best. We get to teach people about something that has made us so happy, and when we're not teaching we are out talking to strangers about that same happiness! We meet the most interesting variety of people every day. I realized the other day that I have been here in saijou for a while. When I first came here, one of the elders had been here for about 9 months or something and he knew some people by name on the street that they would pass. I thought that was crazy -- until it started happening to me. We will stop to talk to someone and I will realize I've talked to them before, sometimes multiple times. Too funny. Speaking of - I had my 18 month mark last week. Crazy, right? It definitely doesn't feel like it has been that long. I still feel like I just got here. To celebrate, we went to a really good panya ( bread store? bakery?) right by our house that we've been wanting to try. I got a couple of dessert ish bread things, then ordered the lunch special which comes with endless plain breads like croissants and rolls. Funniest thing ever. When I ordered those things togetbher, the lady at the cash register told me You know this comes with endless bread, right - pointing to the bread things I was buying. I told her I knew that, and would like them both. She just gave me a funny look that seemed to say well she's american - of course she would want all that bread. We were laughing for awhile about that one.
Last bit of news - yesterday was crazy! I taught sunday school again, and right after church we booked it on over to hiroshima for hayashi san's baptism (one of the elders investigators) - and I was asked to speak at that too! luckily it was the same topic I had just taught for an hour on in sunday school and one that we talk about all the time - baptism!
Right after the baptism we hustled on home and took off for another lesson and visiting a referral and pi. Loads of fun - Saijo is the best! Love being here! Lots more happened but not time - maybe next week!!! LOVE YOU and have a great week!
AI shite imasu!
Flake Shimai
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