I'm.....Training???

Well, everyone.....I have news.

I'm TRAINING!!!

Ahhhhhhh!!!

I honestly don't know why Yamashita Kaicho thought that would be a good idea, hahaha.  I still feel like a bean-chan!

Everyone else who is training is at least Transfer 7, so I already feel bad for my bean-chan....  But, well, I suppose I will do my best and pray hard!

My mind keeps on telling me to be panicked, but I actually feel pretty fine about this, so I'm guessing that this is the Spirit telling me that I will probably get a 25 year old Japanese companion or something, haha (;  (Our mission has a few older Japanese sisters)

Good-bye, Sister Hansen!

Whether she's American or Japanese, please pray that I at least won't mess her up and that she won't be too disillusioned by having me as a trainer.  (Yes, I know, I have low standards.....←)  I'm still on transfer 4!!  Ahhh!!

Ok ok, putting that aside....

We had a pretty good week, I think.

On Monday we went out to meet a Brazilian less-active, Sheyla.  She was baptized in a different city, and I don't even think she realizes that she is actually a member of our church! haha

We had heard from the Elders that she was reeeeeeally disinterested with religion, but she actually told us a lot of cool things about some experiences with the Bible, and she was totally fine when we shared a scripture with her.  She even had her own experiences to share, and she was super nice the whole time!

Initially, I wasn't sure how to work with Sheyla, but I really really want to teach her more now, if she will let us.  I kind of see her as a potential investigator, even though she is less-active (:

Former Companion, Sister Watanabe is going home  too.

On Tuesday we went to institute, near Nagoya-Eki, to listen to a famous "super (return) missionary" from Kariya ward (Chikano-shimai).  A sister in our ward raves about Chikano-shimai's lessons, and now I know why!  It was so spiritual.  I want to go back and learn from her, how to teach with the Spirit, so powerfully.  We studied Hebrews 14-15 (I think?), which is also super cool and I didn't even know those chapters existed, so that was awesome (:

(マミ―高掘姉妹とはインスティチュートで会ったの)

Also, on our way back from Nagoya-eki, we ran into a Peruvian woman and her American husband who needed help finding the post office!  We took them to the post office, and it turns out that they are living in Maryland and the wife, Lucy, is working in Arlington!  Super cool!

Lucy told us that they were just super lost, and she was praying that someone would help them when we biked by!  I love being a missionary!!

I didn't have the chance to ask when we met them, but I want to email them and ask if they would be interested in learning about our church at all.  We'll see what happens (:

So, after meeting Lucy and Ken, I prayed for another experience to help someone in need.  Well, I guess in an answer to my prayer, as we walked past the church Wednesday morning, I saw someone that I didn't recognize standing outside the door.

It turns out that this woman has a lot of problems (emotionally and with her job?) and she wanted to talk to someone about it and receive counseling.  I told her that missionaries don't counsel, but I gave her the number to LDS Family Services (which is for members only, apparently?  I didn't know....) and she told me about her problems for thirty minutes or so.

I have noooooo idea what we're supposed to do with this person, but she actually came to church yesterday and is going to Stake Conference next week.  Crazy, right?  I hope she doesn't become a burden to the ward, but she actually wants to learn about the Book of Mormon and about the church, so I think we will try to work with her little by little.

On Thursday, we met at the church with our investigator Ayano and made pizza together!!!  Essentially, we had an unofficial good-bye party for Hansen shimai, because it was the last time Ayano and Hansen shimai would see each other.  We had the elders and four other members over, and Ayano talked with all of them and made friends!  Yay (:

We were a little worried about making it a spiritual experience because there were so many people and we were cooking and playing ping-pong, but we decided to pull Ayano off to the side after we finished eating, and asked if we could perform something for her.  (Hansen shimai was asked to sing on Sunday, so we had been practicing the song on all of our investigators)  We shared a scripture to preface the song, and then sang for her.

It was really crazy in the background because the elders and their investigator were playing ping-pong and talking and laughing, but as soon as I started playing, I could feel the Spirit come to our little corner in the chapel.

As we finished the song, we looked over at Ayano and she was crying.  I was super surprised because none of our other investigators had reacted like this.  When Hansen shimai asked her what she was feeling, Ayano said, "I think I believe in God now."  We told her about the Spirit and how it feels, and that she was feeling the Spirit, and we also invited her to invite her parents to listen to us.

Simply put, it was so simple, and such an amazing experience.  Ayano has so much faith, such a desire to believe.  I love her so much!

Something that I realized after performing the same song for several different people, is that Heavenly Father is the one in control.  He will give spiritual experiences to those that are ready for it, and it's not necessarily a reflection on us.

When we performed for two of our other investigators, it was just kind of a nice song, nice experience.  When we performed for Ayano and Sheyla, though, it was so obvious that the Spirit was in the room.

It has been a great comfort to realize that, if I do my best, Heavenly Father is in control and He will do what He wants to have done.

I'm running out of time!

On Saturday we met with Rena and had a great lesson and great dinner with her (:

On Sunday, we were at ward council discussing the lady from Wednesday and a recent convert for an hour and a half.  That's when I realized that group discussion and group brainstorming is terribly ineffective.  Don't do it! haha

After church we had a ward FHE that was awesome (:  The Elders did a great lesson about Fathers and Priesthood holders, and I made a relay race based on fathers and priesthood holders.  The best part of the relay race was phase two of the missionary section, where we had them eat weird American food, because American missionaries coming to Japan have to eat weird food too, haha.  I gave them cinnamon ice breakers, and they hated it! haha  It was super funny.

Hansen shimai also sang at the end of the FHE, and Sheyla came to listen!

After FHE

Afterwards, we went to a member's house for dinner, and the member invited Sheyla on the spot!!  So, Sheyla now has friends in the ward and it's awesome.

OK, I'm out of time for real!

I love you!  Please pray that neither I nor my bean-chan will die!

Sister Michelle Papenfuss