People are kind, and my bike builds character

5/10


Friday was a koukan (companion exchange) with my dear companion's
previous trainer, S. shimai. It was a blast and a breather.
Probably the most laid-back koukan since L. shimai. It was really
fun. After Zone meeting, we went to Sushiro, and I had a bunch of
sushi. We were treated by the amazing N. couple, who are
wonderful and incredible, and at the very last week of their senior
mission. Everyone will be super sad to see them go, even though
they'll be right next door in Osaka from next week out. They were also
our ride back to Niihama, so we went with them to stop by the
A's--the Area Authority's house where we did pottery. It's in this
secluded little pocket of countryside. They only have 18 neighbors in
an hour or so's radius. It looks like a cross between a movie set and
a Japanese fairytale. There, we ate ginormous grapefruit-like mikan
and used a genius little Ehime invention called "Muki-chan." I think
I'll see if I can't bring one home with me.

Afterwards, we went to an investigator's piano-teaching studio, and I
got to watch S shimai play the violin for forty or so minutes. It
was really cool, and the lesson afterwards was fun.

S., we taught a DARLING little golden investigator. She's really
cool. It made me really want to find a golden investigator. Or, like,
seventy.

Afterwards, we came home and I made mashed potatoes for the first
time. SUCCESS!! ACHIEVEMENT UNLOCKED! I felt so proud of myself. I
might become independent yet. Regardless, it's certainly a step up
from miso soup.

That being said, I really do like miso soup. Also, we had some
vegetables in the fridge (not on the koukan, this was earlier), so I
cut and fried them, boiled noodles, and mixed it with some tomato
sauce. BAM! Borderline healthy dinner! ACHIEVEMENT UNLOCKED! I'm
leveling up all over the place. *pops collar*

It should also be mentioned that I got to enjoy a regular bike seat
again for the first time in a long time. My mamachatti's pretty
rockin'--it really builds character. The seat is woven from 90% moral
fiber and 10% tough love. I love my steel blue steed, but it's nice
once in a while to sit astride a more luxurious means of
transportation. Also, the Niihama bicycle had a whole six gears. I
really felt privileged to ride on fifth gear for the first time this
transfer.

All in all, the koukan was a very wonderful vacation. Not because we
did anything less than we normally do--we actually got a lot
accomplished, but it reminded me that Christ never ran anywhere. I can
be as good of a missionary on third gear as I am on sixth gear. (And I
mean third gear on a normal bike. My bike's highest gear is three, and
I think that it's tougher than gear 6 on a normal bike...)

Saturday, we contacted a bunch of people. A bunch of people who were
all very wonderful people. Imabari is really just filled with
wonderful people. We'll see if any of them have interest in learning more.

Sunday. Sunday was very interesting. Right after church, I waited for
my family to Skype me. When I reread the email Mom sent me, I realized
that she thought we were speaking on Monday (Sunday in America). I
waited a little while longer, getting more and more impatient. Then I
remembered a moment in the MTC where I was feeling very much the same
way. It was around Thanksgiving, and, long story short, I decided to
change my attitude and my day changed. So I decided to change my
attitude again and see what happened. We finished what we were doing,
I closed out of Skype, and we shoved off.

We were visiting an investigator (not home :( ) and, on the way, met a
woman who was watering her flowers. We stopped and talked with her for
a while. I was wondering how to introduce our message and then this
cute little obaa-san rode up on her bicycle and said basically "The
weather's nice. Who are you?"

Us: Oh, we're missionaries.
Woman on the bike: Oh, how nice. You're both so pretty. *rides off*
Woman watering flowers: Oh. I met some gaikokujin (foreigner)
misisonaries a while back. They gave me a little book and introduced
it and talked a little about it. It was about a year and a half ago.
Us: Oh really? *look at each other*

They might not have been Mormon, but we talked about God for a while
and made a return appointment before shoving off.

After we discovered our beloved investigator was inai (not there), we
began returning home when I saw a family holding a little barbecue out
in their yard. I had actually seen them before--when I first came to
Imabari--maybe the first or second day there--and I didn't talk to
them. I really regretted it, and promised that if I saw them again,
I'd speak to them. And there they were. God had given me a second
chance, so I said, "F. shimai, I want to talk to them."

FS: Oh, good. I've seen them a lot, and I wanted to talk to them, too.

So we talked to them (rode up and said "Hello! Your family is so cute
that we just had to come up and talk to you." First time I actually
went out of my way and approached someone on a bike) and the father
practically invited us to eat with him right there. We asked if we
could return next week with a dessert, and he was like "What time?" So
we talked a little about our message and invited them to stake taikai
(meeting), then shoved off.

They were all such kind people.

God has very certainly blessed us this week. Hopefully, we'll be able
to bring the spirit to these wonderful people and keep meeting people
who are willing to hear the message.

My challenge to all my reader is to be aware of how you're feeling
this week. Believe it or not, most of your feelings are under your
control. God has given you the incredible gift of agency--you can
either act or be acted upon, so choose to act this week. Choose to be
happy! In the words of my very best friend in Ventura, California,
"You are a millionaire!"

I love you family! I love you, friends! Please take a moment out of
this week to be happy :D Live the gospel joyful.

Love,
サンズ姉妹