We have figured out where the best places are to see cherry blossoms and we take those roads when we are traveling around. It's so dang pretty. Just one is pretty, but when you have like 200000000 of them together, it's really pretty. On our way to General Conference at the infamous church on top of the hill, we made it to this beautiful park.
It had so many trees together. Really pretty. I took so many pictures. I'll see what I can mail you this week. The pedals are starting to fall down, so the roads are white. Now, I always thought cherry blossoms were pink. Apparently there are a million different species of cherry trees. I could try to explain them to you in words, but I'll just mail a picture.
After the two conference sessions on Saturday we had the senior missionary couple drive us down to the Eki, where we jumped on an express train to go to Miyazaki. This train was really cool - it was a Shinkanzen (bullet train) but on the normal tracks. It didn't have the super-intense bullet nose like you see in the pictures (that's the really really fast one) but you could tell it was a newer train and such. I spent the time (before I got too train sick) looking at all the food I could order if this was a real Shinkanzen. My dream is to transfer to Hiroshima. Because it's on Honshu and not Kyushu you have to take the Shinkanzen over the really really cool bridge. Anyway, transfers were delayed for a week. Here's why.
So, because of the giant massive earthquake that destroyed so many places, Tokyo and Sendai will probably not be open for a while. Our mission is PACKED. But we were planned to have 21 more missionaries come this week. They first decided to delay them a transfer in other missions or in the MTC, to make room for them in the other 4 missions of Japan. Well, the apostle meeting in the temple every week, they talked about what to do with Japan, and they decided to send the missionaries over anyway. We have room, maybe. But they are delayed a week... I think they probably canceled airplane tickets, and now they have to find them all again, but I'm not sure if that is true.
So now we have 24 more missionaries coming into our mission. The mission office has been trying to find apartments and such for people.
We think our apartment could become a 3-some. 4 would be impossible - one would have to sleep in the closet. So we got word of that Wednesday night. Then Thursday at lunch the mission president called. When the mission president calls you know something is up. He never calls just to say hi. He talked to Shaver Shimai. She dies (goes home) in May.
He said that he got an email from his leaders saying that if he wants he can send people home a transfer early to make room. So he called everyone that is supposed to die in May, and gave them the option. My companion freaked out for about an hour. To go home a transfer early, or not to go home a transfer early.... that was the question. She finally decided to stay. I've heard of at least one person choosing to go home early. But he's in my zone, so that's why I heard. There are probably a few others. So now president and the APs are figuring out transfers. Transfer announcement is in a week and 2 days. This is the special 7 week transfer!
Anyway, so we went to Miyazaki on Sunday for a Junkai. That's code for I wanted to see the baptism of Hiragushi Takako Shimai - someone that me and Harada found in Miyazaki. Takako Shimai got baptized on Sunday right before conference. There were so many people there. Probably like 60 or more. It was two branches.
Takako Shimai is a totally different person. When we first met her she was all sad and stuff. Now she is saying stuff like 'Why didn't I get baptized earlier. Then I could have found happiness faster.' and 'I think we met in the pre-existance'. Eh? What happened? Well, apparently when me and Harada Shimai left she really felt like something important was leaving from her life. How nice! Now she is chugging through the Book of Mormon, overcame the Isaiah wall in 2nd Nephi, and is in the first half of the book of Alma. I was so surprised to see how much she had changed. This gospel of peace and hope can really change a person from the inside out.
Nothing else really excited happened this week. Thanks for the Easter present in the mail. People here only know Easter as a flavor at Baskin Robbins. Even the Japanese members get mixed up. Isn't that when Jesus dies? Um, no, that's why he gets resurrected, my friends.
Ha ha. It's hardly a holiday here at all.
Until next week,
レモン姉妹
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| Surrounded by cherry blossoms |
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| 200000000000 blossoms |
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| Hiragushi Mami Shimai, Me, Shaver, Nakano, Tomura |
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| Hiragushi Mami Shimai, Tomura, Nakano, Hiragushi Takako Shimai, Me |
My son, Elder Tipton, is in the MTC, waiting to go to Fukuoka. He was told last Tuesday that they are still going but delayed one week, until April 18th. Your blog gives me good "inside information". Thank you for that. I can't wait to see how things turn out.
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