One of Sydney's best friends is due to arrive home from her mission tomorrow!

This is Sydney's mom. One of Sydney's best friends is due to arrive home from her mission tomorrow! I have kept up with her through her blog posts, and wanted to share her last one. I am humbled and grateful to witness the blessed maturity and growth that these young souls go through as they live a 1 1/2 - 2yr "Lent on steroids" - giving up everything that is meaningful to them besides Christ and his gospel. They do not go out to baptize. They go to "pay back" a small portion of what they've been given, by proclaiming the good news of the Gospel to all who will listen.



BECCA'S FINAL UPDATE FROM HER MISSION...

The internet makes it possible for you to look up your house on an online map. By zooming out, you can see a whole neighborhood, but your own house looks smaller. The more you zoom out, the more you see how your little house fits in the picture of the state, the continent, the planet. But by that time, you are also convinced that your house is infinitely small. You can no longer see it. It is barely a cell in the whole mass of what you see.

Coming to the end of this week has made me think about my offering, about everything I covenanted to do, and made plans to do. There's always those thoughts... "I wish I had worked a little harder... appreciated everything more, given more!" But I think I did everything in my human capacity. Despite all my weaknesses, my natural selfishness and pride, I have spent a year and a half in the Lord's service. I kept all the commandments, I was obedient to the rules, and I overcame the natural man when I was tempted to put either aside. My offering, in the end, is just a widow's mite.
As a missionary, I have learned about the Savior's merits and Atonement. As that understanding has grown, my perspective has increased. I see just how completely and totally insignificant I am, and how tiny my impact is. Except that He, the Creator of everything, would call me important, and would pay an infinite cost for me.

I'm sure there are thousands of moments in the past year and a half, when I could have consecrated more my thoughts, focused more on my work, used time a little better, and had more courage when I testified of Christ. In my weakness, I have made millions of mistakes. I am infinitely far from my perfect potential as a daughter of God.

But in spite of all of that, I have seen many miracles. Obviously, they were nothing to do with what I did. But the Lord is merciful. He put up with me, worked the miracle of feeling my heart, and other's hearts become more converted to true discipleship and devotion to Jesus Christ.

Because of that, I can look back with "no regrets". Not because I never regretted anything... often it was corrective hindsight that helped me understand what I needed to do to improve. But I don't feel the sting of those mistakes anymore. I'm not harrowed up by my faults. I know that He was the source of all my blessings, and all my success all along. There is no "would have been". He was at the rudder all the time. My weakness was accounted for in His plans, and made up for in His sacrifice. The most extraordinary miracle of my mission has been, and is the Atonement of Jesus Christ. That the knowledge of my own "nothingness" can coexist in my heart with peace, and a blazing hope that one day I will account to my Lord face to face.



I am so grateful for my missionary experience.

Senmin do exist!

3/4 金

We brought Ai Shimai with us to ZTM today, and on the way from the
Yamato-Koizumi station, we saw a kind of sketchy looking guy and a girl
squatting by a combini (small/convenience market), smoking.

We took the most natural course of action and struck up a
conversation. He has an interest in English and religion. So, we
invited him to that day's ZTM (zone meeting). He accepted that as
well as an invitation to do the 30/30 program. :DDDD

So around comes ZTM, and in he comes. All the missionaries in the
room, no enryo (self-restraint), just gawp, fish-eyed at him. As E. chourou
went to open the door, we're like, "Hey, by the way, that's your new
investigator."

So we had an AWESOME ZTM, and when we asked him (H was his name) how
it was, he was like, "Saikou." (translates to: highest/supreme/most) :B

A;LDFKJROHKAEWJJFIOAFJKLJKLVIOAFM,

They do exist! Senmin do exist! I was wondering if it was just one big
joke that only I wasn't in on. And his missionaries are B. and
E. chourou, so he's in really good hands :D

So we went home and, on the way, said hello to a guy we saw that
morning. We had walked with him and talked a little bit, and he
thought that it was really funny that we greeted everyone we talked
to. On the way back, when we met him, he was like, "Do you like
coffee?"
Us: We don't drink coffee.
Him: Juice?
Us: No, that's okay. *trying not to impede*
Me: *second thoughts* *not wanting there to be any confusion with the
Mormons* We drink juice, but we're--
Him: Okay, come on. *waves us over to a cafe*
Us: *come* *sit down*

Somehow... We ended up getting cake instead of juice. ("Because you
always ganbarou (do your best)") Not that I'm complaining. He also agreed to come to
church on the 13th because M. Shimai and I are singing :D

Last thing. On the way home, M. Shimai contacted a cute girl who
brought us to her house with her four friends and we talked, exchanged
numbers, and made an appointment. We also were given
melon-coconut-flavored Vietnamese candy :D

Five new investigators!

Today... was exhausting. We also got four dousekis, played dodgeball
(I played a bit of ping pong with At, but he got fed up with my
incompetence and we stopped pretty fast XD), eleven lessons, and most
importantly, listened to the spirit.

Today... was exhausting.

Holy cow. Did any of that really happen?

Mr T's aunt and yukatas

3/3 木

WOW. Today two pretty incredible things happened today.

First, we were going to the church, and had not taught as many lessons as we do most weeks. I saw a couple middle schoolers and felt a mental nudge, "Talk to them." I was being a pill and decided, "Okay, I'll stop and talk to them if they say 'How are you?'" I rode past, and instead of shouting out "Konnichiwa!", I shouted, "How are you?" to which, bless their cute souls, said "How are you?" back. Now, I almost kept going, but I thought "You promised" and turned back.

We had a fun conversation, and skipped a couple lights to keep talking to them. Finally, we invited, they turned us down, and we hugged and said goodbye. Just then, a big guy and a cute little nihonjin woman ride by, like "Missionaries?"

Turns out they're the T kazoku, a pair of LA's that we haven't been able to get into contact with the entire time I've been here. But Mr. T aunt was the one who wrote the letter to Spencer W. Kimball asking about blacks and the priesthood. He was like, "Man, there was an article in the Liahona, but I'll have to give you the meat and potatoes of it, later."
Us: Great, when can we meet?
Numbers were exchanged, appointments made, and I realized why I needed to stop and talk to those two kids.

God works in mysterious ways.

Also, today, I learned something very important about life: How to get yukata (summer form of kimono) from strangers.

1.) Go eat soba (noodles)
2.) Talk to a passerby
3.) Receive yukata

We decided to splurge even though we were poor and get soba :D On the way home, we were walking by a lady and said hello. We struck up a conversation, in which she said she was helped by Americans forever ago, and she's allergic to churches, and concluded it by offering to swing by Sunday before church and give us her daughter's old yukata.

Me: *explodes from disbelief and happiness*

Also had a meeting with the bishop. He wants E to be interviewed by the ZL's, but he's otherwise A-okay for the baptism. 3/13. :D

Sweet treats from sweet people

3/2 水


This week is really the week of receiving.

Today, we caught 'em all. Unfortunately, there were only three cute
Disney princess mint cases to be had :\ Cinderella, Rapunzel, and
Elsa. Super cute, though. We went down to visit F. kyoudai,
finally. and on the way, we passed Nagai Kouen. There were a couple of
policemen standing on the street corners, so we asked them what was
going on. It was a soccer game between Japan and North Korea. My
companion, a soccer fan, said it was probably a friendly to prepare for
the Women's World Cup. I was like, "Cool." She exercised some serious
self-discipline, and didn't let it distract her.

Unfortunately, F's house was...unfindable, so we ended up going back
to Nagai Kouen to dendo, and as we were about to head out, we saw a
guy and talked to him. His name is AS kyoudai, and we taught a really
solid lesson and committed him to pray and meet us again. I'm excited.

We went back to the church to teach Y Shimai. On the way, we bumped
into S kyoudai, who stopped me (M. Shimai ran inside to greet Y. Shimai)
and he was like, "It's hinamatsuri ("Girls' Day") tomorrow, and you guys gave me chocolate
for Valentine's Day, so I put something for you two in the fridge. Be sure to
get it, okay?" We gave him a big thank you and rushed inside, where Y
Shimai gave us bread. We had a solid, if a little long, lesson with H Shimai.
Y shimai's really changed.


Also, day before, A Shimai gave us macadamia nut Kisses and really
delicious brownies :D They were the best pre-packaged brownies I think
I've ever eaten.

By the way, we took home the food in the fridge, and it was this
beautiful 4x4x4 inch white box with a red ribbon. Beneath it was
another, slightly larger box. Inside it were two ADORABLE hinamatsuri
themed cupcakes--both with little disc-shaped, painted white-chocolate
figures of the main couple of the hinamatsuri. Super cute. I don't
want to think about how much it probably cost, but it was beautiful.
In the box beneath were four disc-shaped hinamatsuri-themed
(assumedly) white chocolate (it's colored pink and yellow).

WOW. We'll give him a big thank you this Sunday.

Are you smaller than a Buddha's nostril?

This week was a lot of fun. :D Today, we went to Nara with the
shimaitachi (Sisters) from Nara,( B. shimai and B. Shimai,) and
the shimaitachi from Yamatokooriyama,( K. Shimai and H. Shimai).

ALSO! We went to the Todaiji temple and there's a gigantic Buddha

statue, and a little pillar of wood with a hole in it the size of Buddha's 

nose. All the little kids like to see if they can fit through it, but because it
was raining so hard, no one was there. So, we got to try it out.
I actually slipped through really easily :D That was exciting. I took
one look at it in the beginning and went "nope". But I fit. Easily :D
Yokatta. Also saw a couple of really cool Hindu guards outside an otera 

that we passed by.

Being in the rain was so fun. And at 7-11, we found a bunch of really
cute Disney Princess mints. Bought them.

Happy Leap Year!

3/1 火

Today we biked all the way up to B shimai's in vain. She wasn't home,
but the door was open. :\ Abunai. But Y shimai's lesson was rocking!
We brought along M Shimai, and they got along so well. SUPER cute. At
the end, they gave each other a big hug. Y shimai's really changing.

We tried to go to the zoo

Today we bought batteries for M. shimai's bike (light?)! OBEDIENCE GET!

We also tried to go to the zoo. For some reason, instead of
being closed Sundays, 80% of exciting things are closed on Mondays/ 
preparation days. That includes the zoo. Now, we wanted to go to the
zoo, so we looked it up beforehand, and it didn't show any indication
of being closed Mondays. But, of course, when we got there, it was 
closed. So we walked around and ran into two women, with whom we 
began a conversation and visited a tower in Abeno. It was really exciting. 
I think I found Barry-san's new companion. Anyways, talking with them 
was really cool. :D We then got their numbers, etc. and I really hope to 
hear from them again.

2/16 火

We went to N-kyoudai's for lunch today, and on the way, we ran into a bunch of girls on some school's badminton team. They totally fangirled  over M. Shimai and I (particularly M. Shimai), and were like "AHH!!  KAWAII! KAWAII!" (“CUTE!!”) It was really funny... we couldn't figure  out why they were so excited, but it was really cute.

Eating at N-kyoudai's. I came close to death. He fed us so much. M. Shimai and I were somewhat prepared, she came out relatively unscathed, and A. chourou was actually chipper at the end. When N kyoudai had his back turned, I offered him one of the Swedish cinnamon rolls that we had received.

Him: Nah, it's fine. I can have as many as I want back at home-
Me: A. chourou. Take. It.
Him: *takes the cinnamon roll*

Also went down to visit a dear less-active (due to health) at a "lodging home," and it was really cute. She needed love. We then went around to everyone else in the room and gave them a big hug.

Also found a really cool gal.

They totally treat us like angels, and they work so hard

2/11 木

We met the M-family today. I. LOVE. THE. M FAMILY. I love them so so
so much! They totally treat us like angels, and they work so hard. We
did some mogi's with them to practice inviting people to the gospel.
It worked really well. They were totally solid, and M Shimai was super
into it.

Also, on the way to the M, we met a pair of super sweet
middle-schoolers, who told us that we could meet if we came to their
school. Hm... We'll have to see if we can work something out.

Also met W-San again--that guy we stood up last transfer. So we
finally made cake. It took like, four hours in the suihonki. So we
were like, "GOSH DARN IT, WE WILL GIVE W-SAN CAKE TODAY."

So we went to the place that he wrote down a while back, and as we got
there, a lady on a bike pulled up and was like, "Who are you?"
Us: ...Who are you?
So turns out, he was the nice lady's neighbor. He's also the most ADHD
human I know. But it was fun.

2/12 金

Ate food at Tanaka shimai's house :D I love her. I'm glad we got over
the whole Resurrection thing together. ;)

Also had our first sports night! A single investigator came, but we
had a lot of fun with him, R kyoudai and K kyoudai. And even N
kyoudai, our dendo shuni joined us halfway through. At the end, the
chouroutachi shared a message and as we were cleaning up, Si. and
A. chourou left the room skipping. It was really cute.

2/13 土

Started SKK. :| Also had a good lesson with K Shimai! The prayer rock
works! She hasn't forgotten a day :D She hasn't been using the houhou,
but she is, indeed, praying to God. Yokatta.