A New Building :)

Happy Monday from Okinawa.  Right now I am sitting in our new church building!  It is the nicest building I've ever been in and it has produced many miracles this week!  This Sunday was our first Sunday to meet here.  It was so nice to have a podium, working sound system, space and PEWS!  I think Sister Takei and I have decided to move locations and just set up a tent in the outside courtyard in the middle of the building.  There are 7 bathrooms here.  Seven!  Wow!

Zone conference….the "trio" reunites!  Sister Coles, Sister Capener and I with our new companions!  Notice the nice new gym floor  in our new building :)

My friend for 6 months.  She takes the English class that we teach!  

Sister Takei…."American day"!  I fed her Macaroni and Cheese and smores….what is more American than that? !      

This week was a blast!  Lately I've felt like I've been working extremely hard, trying my best and seeing no results.  My favorite is when we knock on the door and they open it, take one look at us and slam it shut.  It takes all the patience in the world for me not to stick my foot in the door and say something :)  Patience has never been my strong suit!  But this week was INCREDIBLE!  New church, 6 new investigators and a new companion.  It doesn't get better! 

Let me preface this with the well known fact that I am directionally handicapped.  I can't read a map or figure out where I am to save my life.  I'm sure Shayla, my BYU roommate knows this well.  Mom you too.  How many times did I call you to say I was lost... in Manson.  Embarrassing!  Well that shortcoming actually blessed us this week!  As we were biking around helpless, I knocked on a door hoping that this house was the house of a former investigator. Well, turns out it was!  But not the investigator we were searching for though.  A woman answered the door and with one look at us said that her husband would want to talk to us.  She asked us to come back that night and he would be home.  I was a little nervous.  I didn't know if that was a good thing or a bad thing.  But after finding the investigator we were initally seeking we went back and met our mystery investigator.  He had met the missionary a year ago but they both transfered and he hadn't been able to see or meet them again, until now!  It was such a neat miracle.  He excitedly invited us back. 

We also had 3 new investigators come to church and 10 less active members!  We average maybe one investigator a week and one less active.  And for the first time Sister Takei and I were able to go to all 3 branches and wards this Sunday, because with the new building they all met in the same location.  It meant 9 hours of straight church.  I will never complain about just going to just one sacrament meeting again!  :)  It was exciting though to be there. 

Something that I found interesting this week was that most people in Japan have never seen a picture of Jesus Christ or God.  That had never crossed my mind before.  It has been so fun to be able to teach these people that I love.  The Japanese language is becoming less of a burden now and I am beginning to understand more and more.  Finally!  I've still got a long way to go, but I am improving which is a huge relief.  I love serving a mission.  It is one of the most rewarding things that I've ever done.    Being on a mission has really strengthened my testimony that if we are dilligent and keeping the commandments the Lord will place people in our path who are willing to listen. The longer I've been on my mission the more I realize that finding has less to do with our own capabilities and more to do with faith, hard work and preparation.  I love my area, I love my companion (who couldn't isn't she so cute!) and I love being on a mission!.

Have a wonderful week!  Don't worry about me in Japan :) 

Love,

McKenna

P.s.  Sister Takei is going to cut my hair today.  Cross your fingers it all works out :)  Bald is beautiful right?  Haha love you!

New Beginnings :)

I'm glad you guys had a great New Years!  For some reason, I wasn't expecting New Years to be that big here.  Christmas was small.  Everyone went to KFC and ate Christmas Cake.  But New Years here is a huge event!  Everyone's family comes into town and the day before New Years they eat soba and for the next couple days they just have a big party.  Every shop was closed and no one would answer their doors.  Sister Capener and I set our alarm for 11:58 and rang in the New Year which included taking a picture.  It was so eventful that I honestly can't remember it happening.  If it wasn't for the picture on my camera, I would have thought we slept through our alarm.

Happy Birthday Syd!  I can't believe you are 14!  You are so old!  I told my companion that it was your birthday except instead of saying "younger sister" I said "daughter".  Oops!  She was a little surprised to find out that my daughter was turning 14!  I've been super tired!  I can't believe you guys haven't had any snow??

So to fill you in on transfers!  We got our transfer calls unusually late on Tuesday night, which is rare.  Typically we get them around noon and this transfer news came around 8 pm.  Which meant the whole day I was so nervous I felt like I was going to throw up.  We finally got the call and I found out that I was staying in Okinawa.  At first, I wasn't sure how I felt about that.  I've almost been here longer than some of the members it feels like!  But I love these people and we have a lot of good things going on here that I am excited to be apart of.  And then Elder Yamanashi, the Assistant to the Mission President, told me that I would have a new companion.  My heart dropped then.  I've been with Sister Capener for so long!  We've stayed together longer than some marriages. :)  We also work incredibly well together.  But when I heard that my companion would be Sister Takei, I was so excited.  I had no idea who she was, but I was still incredibly excited!  Then I got to meet her and I was even more happy!  She is great!  She doesn't speak any English.  She can introduce herself and that is it.  She has a really hard time understanding it too.  I don't blame her though, English is a hard language!  Its been challenging and a huge blessing.  Its hard because we work with the military.  I've had to do a lot of that on my own.  But it is helping my language skills an incredible amount.  I translated all of church for her and in our apartment we only speak Japanese.  She is a super hard worker too.  I couldn't

New Years 2014

Sister Takei and I :)

She is leaving for home :(

A reunion…I got to see Sister Lewis my companion from the Missionary Training Center (5th from the left)

The daughter of our investigator….she is going to BYU-Hawaii

When Sister Takei arrived :)

have gotten a better companion.  Did I mention she is not even 5 feet tall!  She is adorable.  Our latest English accomplishment was learning the words "awesome" and "dude", the phrase "I don't care" and how to pray in English.  She is awesome :)  

Our investigators are doing really well.  Especially Takizawa San.  She loves how happy the gospel makes her feel.  Her husband hasn't caught on to her enthusiasm, but is supporting her to come to church which is great.  The members here are really wonderful as well.  They are helping us out in every aspect of the work!  I am so grateful!  I love Okinawa.  It is currently t-shirt weather!  I have the world's best companion. I love you!  Have a great week!

McKenna!

Happy New Year from Japan!

A children's book that I have used to help me learn kanji (Japanese symbols).

An investigator, myself and Sister Wedekind

Time is racing by.  I have never been so tired at the end of each day.  I could fall asleep at a moments notice.  

The furniture is in the new church building!  I am so excited!  We won't meet there until January 12th though which is a bummer.  Today we should get our transfer call.  It's 3 o'clock and we still haven't gotten a call.  I'm nervous, but excited.  I love these people.  These members in the military branches are so strong.  Everyone is employed, engaged in missionary work and self sufficient.  They love missionary work and are excited to help.  I am one blessed missionary to have the opportunity to spend so much time here in Okinawa.  

I got some great advice from our Military District President's wife the other day.  She said that if you're not having fun you're doing something wrong.  I love that!  The other day I was outside with Sister Capener in the rain and wind for 5 or 6 hours.  It was miserable weather, but all I could think about was how happy I was.  I love Okinawa.  I love these people.  I'll take any chance I have to serve them.  And while I'm at it I might as well have a huge smile on my face.  You can't help but love the people you serve. 

I am so grateful for everyone who sent me a package, letter or email.  Thank you notes are on there way out as we speak!  

Mom sit down for this.  I went to a sushi go-around the other day with a member and her friend and guess what?!  I not only ate sushi, but I liked it.  This is coming from the kid who wouldn't eat anything slightly unusual or green before her mission.  It's a miracle!  

What?!  A sushi bar!

My friend and I at the sushi bar.

I had a great Christmas.  I really felt Heavenly Father's love.  I stayed super busy.  Even Christmas day, Sister Capener and I were visiting investigators and less actives.  However, on our way home Christmas Eve to our apartment I was thinking about home.  I was thinking about you guys and real beds (although I have nothing to complain about futons) and maps where I can read and understand the instructions.  I said a silent prayer to Heavenly Father that I would be able to be happy.  That I could have a good attitude and feel loved.  I looked up a minute later to someone waving frantically off the side of the road.  It was one of our sweet members from the Japanese ward (congregation).  She had seen us biking home so she grabbed some hot chocolate for us.  I barely had time to say thank you before she was gone.  It was my Christmas miracle :) Heavenly Father heard my prayer and sweet Sister Aiko answered it.  I am so blessed!

The Cochrans and I on Christmas Day.

A gingerbread building contest.  Sister Capener and I won.  The Elders just didn't have what it took to beat us. :)

Acting out the first Christmas :)

When I first got on my mission, I was in awe when my senior companion (usually the missionary with the most experience) would hear someone's situation and then pull out a scripture that went perfectly with how they were feeling.  I remember seeing her doing that and thinking someday I wanted to be able to do that.  Well, the other day we knocked on a door and much to our surprise a man opened the door really upset.  He had been crying.  He told us that his best friend had just passed away.  My heart went out to this man.  I reached for my Book of Mormon and shared one of my favorite scriptures with him.  Alma 40:11-12.  http://www.lds.org/scriptures/bofm/alma/40?lang=eng  He thanked us and invited us back.  As I walked away from his doorstep, I had a flashback to my first week in Japan and remembered my silent thought that I wanted to some day be able to do that.  It was so neat.  It was definitely Heavenly Father's inspiration, but it was still cool! 

Lastly, on a funny note.  We played soccer this morning on base.  We had tons of  non-members and members there.  Soccer is not particularly my sport (some of you may already know this).  My feet have yet to be able to catch up with my head.  I'm working on that.  Anyway, I miraculously got the ball all by myself.  I headed up the field totally excited.  I must have had a huge grin on my face.  Well I forgot that there would be a goalie there to halt my progress.  Long story short, I didn't score but I did full on tackle that poor man.  It was a football move more than a soccer one.  Totally embarrassing!  

Well I hope you have a wonderful week!  I love you!  

Wishing you a happy New Year from Okinawa (or where ever I get transferred! :)

Sister Hawkins