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!