New Years in Miyazaki

First of all, I got the package, and I opened it at an eating appointment that night. It came on my birthday! At first I was beginning to wonder if the hombu had messed up, but it came... just slowly. Thanks for the new stuff. The Elders also decorated my door right before I got home. They gave me a Japanese flag, a recorder that I used for our opening song for companion study the next day, Hello Kitty stuff, and helium in a can. No joke. You can buy helium in a can here for fun. I haven't done it yet; I want to save it for a special occasion, but I keep forgetting about it.

me with my birthday cake.  It has lemon slices on the top.  The Japanese family thought that was hilarious



The Elders decorated my door for my birthday.  There's a lemon on it!

Dad, happy birthday to you! So your present in a Japanese obi. It's the tie thing on the kimonos. I found it in a recycle shop all the way back in Fujisaki. I thought it would be a perfect running for your little critters in your office.... I also kinda thought you would have an office by now. Anyway, you can also use it for a table runner or whatever you want. Enjoy! I thought I wrote an explanation with it, but I realize now that I forgot about it, huh? Ha ha. Sorry!

New Years was crazy. People just get together with their family and do family stuff all day. It's kinda like our Christmas, only it does last 3 days. Everyone has the day off. I mean everyone. Well, okay, not everyone, but all the normal jobs at least. The jinja (Japanese shrines) were all full. I've never seen so many people in my entire life. Basically we just did nothing for a few days. Our investigators were all out of town anyway.

Today was the mochi tsuki taikia, which being translated is the mochi making party. Mochi is pounded rice that kinda turns into a rice-flavored gum that eventually dissolves in your mouth eventually.

It's often packed with あん which is a red bean paste. To make it you hit a ton of rice with heavy hammers. The Elders had a lot of fun.

I'll send some pictures too. The kids had a ton of fun, and I ate a lot of mochi. Yummy.

In other random news, I might be able to get an old missionary's suitcase. He went home last transfer and he mailed his suitcase home, but America sent it back because it was too big. So they packed all the stuff up in boxes and mailed it that way. But the suitcase is still here. It's a nice one too. It's in the Elder's apartment. The parents want it, but can't get it to America, so maybe it'll be mine.

We'll hear in a few days. Maybe we could set something up where you can mail that family some money for all their troubles. Anyway, I'll keep you posted. Also, you mentioned that Elder Stubbs is from Kentucky too. Yeah, we met and figured it all out. He moved to Kentucky when I left for college, so we never crossed paths there, but we know some of the same people, not that either of us really paid attention to that kind of thing.

My companion is great. She's kinda a bubbly person, which is great for dendo. Lately she has been kinda down for a reason she won't really talk to me about. I think it's just the normal ups and downs of a mission. It just goes to show you that the people that are really up up up all the time also come down down down down. For the most part I've realized that I am relatively level. If you think I'm bad, you should see some other girls my age. It's crazy. She is really sweet and a great cook, so we get along great. No fears here.

We're not quite sure what is happening next transfer. One of the sister areas has to close because we don't have enough sisters, and we realized that we don't really have any investigators right now, so maybe we will close... ? That could be why we haven't heard from the hombu elders about finding us a new apartment. It all seems very much in the answer of there won't be sisters in Miyazaki next transfer.

But of course my thoughts are usually totally different than what happens, so who knows.

Well, this week we found a new investigator. She broke her foot and was placed next to Tokutome Shimai in the hospital. Tokutome Shimai talked to her about the church and Minamimura-san (it's that a
mouthful) wants to learn more. We also stole one of the Elder's investigators, Miho Shimai. Her family is all ready to get baptized except for her. She has some misgivings and unsure feelings about a lot of things. So we're doing some one-on-one teaching with her to help her figure it all out. Someday she will get baptized, for sure, but we just don't know if it will be sooner or later. Well, we'll see!

Okay, that's it for this week. Now I'll send some pictures.

Love,

レモン姉妹