The Brooklyn Bridge

Hello and HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my Daddy! He is 55 today, but still has all the energy of the 19-year-old missionary magician inside him! Love him a lot! He taught me a lot of the things I am trying to be here on the mission. I hope to become as bright, joyful, and fun as him someday! Speaking of learning things, I learned some things this week! That's a side effect of missionary work. Hooray! This week Sister Takaku and I just went about our business trying to build the blessed Kingdom of God here in Okazaki. It was fun, exciting, disappointing, exhausting, challenging, and spirit-filled! You know, all those wonderfully normal things you will read in all the missionary e-mails you read today. I think you hear those things and sometimes admire missionaries for the things they do. They testify of how hard it is but then most of the time express joy and how it's totally worth it. Which it is! Being a missionary has by far been the most joyful experience of my life so far, and I am st...

Behold, Transfer Two has commenced! Whoo! My new companion is Sister Takaku from Ibaraki! Her Japanese is so crazy good! Probably because she is Japanese. That helps. I was so sad for Sister Kartchner to go but Sister Takaku is the most adorable lil sister you have ever seen! Way too much fun. Trying to plan lessons and plans and breakfast in 100% is definitely hard, but I am so blessed because I know my Japanese will improve a lot! Heavenly Father knows exactly how to help us become the missionaries He needs us to be! This week was a whirlwind of meeting people! Our investigators are doing well but need that extra push to commit to the glorious growth of baptism. :) Please pray for their faith! I love them so much and I know the integration of the gospel into their whole life and family will bless them now and eternally. Keep smiling and keep being missionaries my friends! It is indeed His work and His glory, and it is a blessing to be a part of it. I would love to hear from yo...

WAIT WHAT?! Today is the last day of my first transfer! I don't about you, but that went very fast from over here. I just packed Sister Kartchner away into a member's car and that was kind of sad! Oh my goodness! Elder Schmeil my awesome district leader is also being transferred. Missions are certainly full of goodbyes! That is okay though because I get to stay in OKAZAKI and tomorrow my new companion SISTER TAKAKU will come! Hooray! She has been in the mission for about 6 transfers I think. I better learn how to speak Japanese! Ha ha I mean...I am...always. ぺらぺら. I still feel like such a bean chan. On Wednesday we had しまいたいかい！ Sisters Conference! It was really great! This member from Toyota came a spoke to us. She served her mission in Okinawa and baptized like 350 people literally. Cool huh? I ought to work harder! We also at delicious curry and had  lil talent show! two sisters did a beautiful song in Japanese sign language, two more did a violin/piano duet of Come Thou...

Happy New Year! This week it was pretty tough to get much dendo done  on account of everyone having two weeks off and therefore not being home slash hibernating if you are Brazilian because snow kind of scares them. It snowed on New Years Eve! Hooray! I am a little floored at how fast this year as gone. 2015 does not even sound like a real year ha ha! We did get to teach Lesson 1 to a member's college friend.  The Lesson We Taught: They are two super cute girls and its way fun since we're all around the same age. She was really interested in the message and seemed intrigued by the Book of Mormon! I love her and hope she accepts the full gospel! It is amazing how much Heavenly Father loves His children. Being a missionary is an immense blessing, being able to feel a bit of that love He constantly showers upon us.  Food I Ate: This week the Stake President invited us to his house in Gamagorri for a MOCHI lunch! I am so lucky I got to experience that! So the r...