Persistence….it saves lives :)

愛しています!元気ですか?

This week was exciting.  So exciting that it's all kind of a blur.  If I don't have my planner I can't for the life of me remember what has happened.  More things happen in a day on my mission then I had happen in a year in high school.  Busyness, Miracles, Co2 leaks, investigators, crazy housing experiences.  I just can't keep up with it all. 

Our apartment is near a school and the school children have been practicing all week for a summer festival.

• I LOVE teaching!  We had lots of really great lessons this week.  It is interesting to have the perspective of a missionary and constantly be talking with people on the street about God, eternal families, what happens after we die, etc.  More people than you would think have questions about these things.  We are getting in to "Oboun" a Buddhist holiday week here in Japan and it involves worshiping their ancestors that have passed on before them.  It has given us the great opportunity to testify and to teach about the Plan of Salvation.  It was been really wonderful! 
• I am learning the Bible better!  :)  In Japan not many people have a Christian background so as missionaries here we are not faced with a lot of Bible and Book of Mormon questions.  But this week we had the opportunity to teach one of our Filipino investigators who is Catholic.  He was asking us lots of good questions about resurrection and if Christ currently has a body.  We were able to talk about the passage in the Bible when Christ's apostles had the same question and doubts and Christ ate fish and honeycomb in front of them.  Our investigators face just lit up.  He was so excited to find answers in the Bible.  He just didn't know where to search.  Then we shared some of the experiences from the Book of Mormon when Christ visits the Americas and how the people felt His hands and feet.  The Bible and Book of Mormon work so well together and I am so grateful for church programs that taught me about both. 
• We had a Co2 leak in our apartment this week.  A little scary to have our alarm go off during personal study.  We called the Assistants to the President and they had us call the fire department.  Luckily we had Hirata Shimai (Sister Hirata-she is Japanese) there so she could explain what was happening.  My vocabulary when it comes to C02 leaks is limited :) The fire department thought the alarm was just malfunctioning so they gave us another number to call.  But I learned from Dad that you just have to be stubborn to get what you want :)  So we got back on the phone and I have bad enough Japanese that I think they felt obligated to come over immediately.  Ha! We got it all worked out.  I wanted to make sure we weren't going to die!  So they got the leak stopped.  All is well :)  Persistence.  It saves lives.  
• Gathered all of our investigators that we could and brought them to the fireworks show we had this week!  It was lots of fun and our investigators got to meet some members.  I sent a couple of pictures.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• We played tennis for preparation day today with a cute 80 year old member in our ward.  He is adorable and reminds me of Grandpa Herb!  It felt great to smash something :)  

It has been a great week.  I am so happy.  I am beyond exhausted.  And I am really grateful to have the opportunity to love and serve the Japanese people!  日本人が大好きですよ！

Have a great week!

McKenna