TSURUOKA

Alright. about the area.
You could probably Google it and find more about it than I could being in it.
We live by the other ocean, other the west side of Japan, so we get
some crazy winds from Russia and stuff. It hasn't stopped raining or
snowing (hailing) since I've been here. Okay, that's a slight lie. It
stopped for like two hours once the second day I was here.
(today's not actually too bad)
The wind is what gets me. My umbrella ripped apart. Apparently all of
it's fancy spring action couldn't take the Tsuruoka wind.
The branch is daitai the same as Ishinomaki. The members here are very nice.
Every Thursday two of the Elders go to Sakata, which is a town that's
closer to the ocean, to meet with investigators there. The Sakata
branch closed because they didn't have enough Priesthood holders to
maintain it. (There are about 30 that come to church in Tsuruoka, and
about 200 (or so) less-active members.)
So, here's a little dendo keiken. (mission experience)
So apparently Boden Choro and his trainer Fiddler Choro were housing
pretty close to their apartment and they found this obaachan
(grandma/old woman) named Murakoshi san. They gave her a Book of
Mormon, and she offered them money for it, but naturally they refused.
They taught her a genkan lesson and gave marked some places in the
Book of Mormon to read. (she told them it was okay for them to visit
again)
It was Boden Choro and I that visited again.
She let us into her genkan, and we started teaching her. She had her
Book of Mormon with tabs sticking out everywhere. I shared my favorite
scripture, and she carefully circled it and put a tab there so she
could study it later. (She was so quiet. So gentle. Mostly silent.) We
asked her if she had a chance to read. She said she hadn't read
everything we asked her to, but she started at the first and read four
chapters. WHAT!! That's amazing!!!
I was crazy excited. We testified of Moroni's promise and the Spirit's
power, and I taught her how to pray. I asked her if she would. And she
got nervous. She said "Me?... You want me to pray?" I said she could
keep her eyes open and read the steps from the pamphlet if she had to.
She did. She prayed a sweet and beautiful prayer.
I told her how amazing it was and she got embarrassed. I asked her how
she felt, and she told me she felt peace, just like she felt every
morning when she prayed to Buddha and her ancestors every morning. I
challenged her to pray to God every night...
We'll deal with the Buddha thing later.
Praying to Buddha every morning, and God every night... Man.
Before we left she scurried into the kitchen and grabbed a bag full of
sweet bread. She told us, "Because you won't take any money for the
book, I've got this... Even though it's not very much, please take
it."
She's amazing... I felt God's love for her though me.
Moroni says we must pray for Charity- and that's something I try to do
often, because I'm prone to judge, and hate- but though Christ we can
love where the would be none. That's the scripture I shared with her.
Moroni 10:32... I LOVE IT!
Though Murakoshi san is pretty easy to love, there are always people
that are harder. Love your enemies. Love those who love you is easy.
Anyways, not a super profound insight- but one that's pretty simple. I
don't normally like the basic things that everybody already knows, but
I don't think the Atonement of Christ ever boring, because it
applies to everything. (that was ill-worded)
Anyways, Japanese is improving, things are looking up. I love you all.
I got the package a couple of days ago. Haven't opened it. Does it
have boots? cause that might be nice now. My feet are freezing.
I bought one dollar tiny Japanese gloves. :) they're cute.
Take care everyone