Maryandra and Sister Tall actually look like real sisters!

 

Wednesday:

. . .

So, we made our way by bus to the station, and

met with sister Brown and the other Machida sisters to wait with them. We sent off sister Foutz after a few minutes of saying goodbye to the elders who were transferring. . .

We went back to wait for the new companions who were

coming. We had to wait a few minutes, but it was all right. I was so nervous the whole time I waited for Sister Tall to arrive. I knew nothing about her, and the only picture I'd seen of her was the Mother's Day picture she'd sent with her trainer, sister Merstrand, to sister Wada, and it gave me nothing to go off of. I was such a worry wart that Gappmayer Shimai basically told me to calm down. When she finally walked through the gate, she was talking to two ladies at once. . . and she's one of the cutest people I've ever met, and as soon as we started off for food shopping with the other sisters, we hit it off, and I realized she's not scary at all. She's so cute. She has been the easiest companion up to now. Sometimes I wonder why I had all these other companions up till now, or why we didn't get put together sooner, but then I realize I wouldn't have appreciated it as much as I do, having had all the experiences I have.

Maryandra appreciates all the art, both on the big buildings, and on the humblest of doors!

 



Sister Tall and Sister Miller

 

Maryandra noticed that the forget me nots are out already!!!

 



 So are the soggy sister missionaries that like to dance in the

warm rains of typhoon season!

 Sister missionaries with mustaches!

 

 

Tuesday:



. . . So, the typhoon came tonight instead of tomorrow, and by seven or so, it was raining pretty hard. We were greeted by the other sisters in a very interesting manner. They opened our door, and we saw a sopping wet, barefoot Gappmayer Shimai. We all aligned a bit, and they came in for a little while. Later, we visited them, and in the meantime, we all were fascinated by how hard it was raining. It was so crazy! Gappmayer Shimai, on a whim, suggested that we go and run outside and play in it. I agreed, and so we ran out into the pouring rain! We got soaked within a matter of seconds, but it was warm, and it just kept coming! We played in the street for about ten minutes, and we weirded out both the delivery man, who came out of the apartment, got on his bike, put on his helmet, and looked at us like he wasn't really sure what to do, as well as the teenage boy who poked his head out a window and asked "aren't you cold?" And watched us for a good five minutes. But we didn't care, it was sooooo fun! I haven't done anything that impulsive or childish in years! It was the best thing ever! And it was a major stress reliever! Yeah!

 

Wednesday:
Well, we just had a pretty long earthquake at about six this morning.
It woke me up, and I hear the walls creak, but it wasn't a terrifying
one. I kind of just laid there, and waited to see how long it would
take. Interesting. 



(So different from how Maryandra responded to her first earthquake!)

 

 

Friday:

. . . On the way there, as we

walked out of the train station, I got the most nostalgic feeling, mixed with a sense of déjà vu, because the street we walked down looked al last exactly like just street that leads up to the St. George temple and visitors center, that we used to go to all the time. The houses were built like they are in southern Utah, and the trees looked the same, and the smells, the colors, even the sloping hill of the rode just smacked me in the face like "ST. GEORGE!!!!" Which I found odd, because why would it be St. George, of all places? But it felt like home, and it was the coolest thing ever! I felt like I was floating on clouds as I walked Down memory lane, of all the times we got to go to St. George before.



 



 The fun Machida district missionaries!

 

Monday:
Haha, whoops, it's transfer day, and I haven't had time to tell you
what my last transfer call is yet. Well, I'll just tell you what
happened on Saturday, and then get caught up to today. So, we went to
the church at about eleven, and got our transfer emails. Sister Foutz
is transferring to Zama, and will be with a sister Roth. I will be
staying here in Machida second ward, and I will be receiving a new
companion. My new companion will be sister Tall. She will be a
transfer two as of today, so I will be doing her follow-up training.
It should be interesting,.

Okay, so, here's a few updates! I'm ALIIIIIIIIVEEEEE!!!!! I'm more alive than I've ever been since.... I can't remember. Transfer six, maybe? I looooooooove sister Tall! Get this! She is into doctor who, Sherlock, Zelda, Celtic music, she loves hanging out with her family, like I do, and she's sooooooo super genki and nice and sweet! I'm sooooo excited for my final transfer! I can't believe it!

 

We had an awful lot of fun on our Skype with Maryandra!!!

We actually got to talk to her for over an hour!!!

We hope we weren't breaking too many rules by that!

She had a pretty good week, too.

 



Sunday:
I liked the meetings during church
pretty well. I just wish we hadn't ended up skipping lunch for
contacting, because then we had a good hour bike ride before we arrived
at a member family's home for dinner with the elders.
Anyway, it was so fun. It was
the very first dinner appointment I've ever been to, of any sort,
since coming to Machida a month ago! 

Then Maryandra found out that that member is the son of her
daddy's mission president in Sapporo over 25 years ago!!!  Here is
Maryandra and a bunch of missionaries at the that members' house!
During the Skype, her dad mentioned he remembered that this brother
was about 16 when he entered the mission field back in 1990!

Maryandra says this is her quote of the week!!!

Maryandra didn't send many photos this time, but she and her companion did make it to the temple!  It seems that a lot of sickness is going around, and Maryandra even has a cold or sore throat as well.  Here is a little from her e-mail:

Wednesday:

Wow, we had like six kids at kids eikaiwa this time, which was

loud. It made my ears hurt more than usual. And by usual, I mean that my ears and nose are full of yuck, and my throat is sore, so I can't swallow, hear or smell without feeling some small discomfort. But it's good that kids eikaiwa went pretty well.
Friday:
Foutz Shimai kindly let me go to bed a little early, and I slept in some this morning, too. I think I feel a tiny bit better. My throat doesn't hurt quite so bad. But my head kind of does. All that nastiness being stuffed up in there, all that yuck. Well, I'm excited for splits today!

I get to go to Tama again, only this time, I'll be

going with Dansie Shimai! She's one transfer ahead of me,
which means that she was in the MTC with me for a few weeks,
So, we were at the station by about 12:30 or 12:40 or so, and met the
Tama sisters. After talking for a bit, we separated, and I went with
Dansie Shimai to Tama. It's kind of funny, because I started feeling a
tiny bit better almost as soon as we separated. I still don't feel great,
but I was at least able to talk to people today without feeling like I was dying,
unlike yesterday, where every person asked if I was okay, because I was
coughing so much.

Sunday:
Well, hopefully a former investigator should be coming to sacrament meeting today, and meeting with us for a lesson after church. She randomly called us yesterday to ask what time church services were again, and to say that she would probably be coming. That should be good, then, right? Yeah! I'm looking forward to it! She seems like a nice lady!...

Well, not only did she come to church, but she also brought her daughter and two of her daughter's friends. Even though the particular things we learned in church today are a little hard to understand even for life long members, they seemed to have a good time, for the most part. We sat them all down after church with two of the elders as well, and taught a group lesson, each one putting in a part here and there. I wasn't feeling super great, so I couldn't do more than testify at the end, but I felt good about he little I was able to say.

Foutz Shimai asked her to say the closing prayer. As she did, she started crying, and everyone felt a peace as she prayed. It was such a sweet experience! I'm glad that a rather hectic church block ended on a good note. She said, when asked if she would study again, said that she knows she needs God in her life again. The only thing that
keeps her from coming to church every week is how busy she is. But she
said she needs Jesus Christ. She and the others all left happy, and so did we.
Tuesday:
Okay, so while I wait and get ready, I'm just gonna send this off, so that when we pass by a place with accessible wifi, it'll automatically send. I'll tell you more about the temple and stuff later! Love you all! The church is true, and being a missionary is an awesome, awesome thing to be! I love it! Bye!....