The wind has changed

After a pleasant winter, after we came back from the temple on Saturday night, we realized that something was different. The winds had changed. It literally happened all at once. As we were riding our bikes around town to find seeds for our faith-is-like-a-seed lesson, we noticed something different. Rain is normal (we're right next to an ocean) but this rain hurt when it got into your eyes. And it turned our clothes gray. And it tasted like dirt, but it never dissolved in our mouths. GROSS.

The ash has come.

Sakurajima explodes several times a day, sending tons of ash into the air that the air now pushes towards us. Suddenly I'm a lot more aware of Sakurajima, or when you can't see it because of the immense ash in the air. Crazy! Anyway, it washes off pretty easily, but it's just on everything. Even when Sakurajima isn't exploding, the ash is still in the air because the cars and such push it all back up. It just makes everything gray. In Japanese, ash is *hai* and color is *iro* and the color gray is called *haiiro*. Suddenly it makes so much sense now!

My contacts have proved to be impossible and I've been wearing my glasses when I can stand it. I really hate glasses. It just makes the world all curvy and such. And my ears hurt from holding them in place. Ha ha.

Anyway, I know it sounds like I'm complaining, but it really is just too cool. Think about it. There is ASH falling on me EVERYDAY. It gets on my bike, so I have to wipe down the bike seat and such even if I only leave it for a quick trip into a store.

That's so cool! And in a few more weeks the winds will even bring the ash over from the big volcano that just popped up in Miyakonojyo. I haven't quite heard the name of that volcano yet, but I hear the ash is darker or something. And probably tastes different when it flies into your mouth. Gross!

Besides that, this week we went to Miyazaki on a companion exchange thing. I got to see a lot of my old investigators and such. It was fun, because some of them aren't any different, and some are getting baptized in a couple of weeks. Yep, I was a part of that... then I transferred before I can see their baptism. That is the life of a missionary right there.  My favorite was visiting this member, Kamemaru Shimai. Her son is really active and always helps the elders, but she only comes to church sometimes. It's just the two of them living in the smallest house you've ever seen in your life.

Once before I asked her if she can remember when she has felt the spirit.  She said that she honestly couldn't recollect a time. So we made her a Spiritual Journal and told her to use it. I followed-up at the Stake Conference and she just kinda laughed and didn't say if she had used it or not. Well, when I visited her this past week I just asked right out, in a way she couldn't avoid. She has been using it, and she has been remembering when she felt the spirit, etc. Yeah! One more soul saved.

The Kamikawa kids are doing okay. We have plans to visit them tonight. I think I explained last time, maybe?, about the test Shion-chan has to take to get into middle school. Depending on how she does at this test, it will depend which middle school she goes to, which will better prepare her for a better high-school, then college, etc. So she may just be 10, but this test may start a series of choices that will decide her life. So basically, because of that I don't think she will be prepared for the baptism date that was set, but she will definitely be baptized in March.

What I have learned is that all children are Golden Investigators. You tell them *this is God.  Believe in him. This is Jesus Christ. Believe in him too* and they just simply believe. Then you say *this is tithing. Will you follow this law* and they're like *sure, no problem*. Now I finally get the scripture that says be more like little children, or you can't go to God's Kingdom.

Think of all the other stuff that has been put into our heads by other people who don't really know what they're talking about (hintJayhint). <3

There is also Yamaguchi san, who is the sister of a member. Every time we invite her to do things like pray and read scriptures, she simply says *oh, I've already been doing that*. Well, great! So get baptized! She doesn't like all the 'little rules' that we have. I don't know what the big deal is about our rules. They're just basically saying *will you be a good person and not kill, or steal, or be dishonest?*

I guess it's the other rules like tithing, no coffee or tea (everyone knows tobacco, alcohol, and illegal drugs are evil - don't even get me started on how there is nothing good in the world about tobacco or alcohol and it's stupid... that's a soap box you don't want me started on) that are the problem, maybe? You know, the ones that take a good person and make them a great person.

Anyway, so Yamaguchi-san said in Gospel Principles class (which was about prayer) *well, I haven't gotten baptized yet, but I think prayer is important because...* She said yet. She's totally thinking about it. It's just a matter or time now.

She also started bringing her mother to church, to whom we have to explain that the little objects she prays to in her shrine in her house can't help her in her life, but God can, so she should pray to him.

By the way, Japanese grandmothers are the single cutest thing in the world. Recent medical researchers have discovered that the stuff in green tea can cause serious osteoporosis (thank you spell checker for that one), which is why these grandmothers are practically in a fetal position as they walk down the road. The mother, Higashikawa Shimai, has definitely been drinking green tea.

This week is transfers, so I don't know where I'll be next email.

Considering we have 3 baptism dates, they probably won't bring in two new sisters. And considering my companion has been here for 3 transfers, she's probably leaving, or we're staying the same. I don't want to transfer now because we just got a whole bunch of stuff from a widow in the branch who is too old to live by herself, so she's going to go live with her son. There is a giant wooden bear, carved from a single piece of wood. Then a Okinawan girl playing the traditional instrument that looks like a banjo. There are also two big sewing things that are two sided. The fabric is transparent, so you can see through it. Then you turn it and it's still beautiful. Those are going to be hard to transfer with. Anyway, if I can figure out how, I want to mail that sort of stuff to America by boat. I think I can do that, but I'm not sure how yet.

Okay, well, until next week!

 レモン姉妹


one of the toys I got from that widow I talked about.  If it wasn't made of paper, and was super fragile, I would probably try to take it home.  It might just stay in the apartment.



found this while housing.  I don't quite know what it is.

Yuya-kun.  He's 14.  We visit him, his sister (16) and the dad (Tabata Kyodai, of a indeterminable age) every week for Family Home Evening.  He thinks the missionaries are the bomb.