Missionary Exchange (Week 52)

Dear Family and Friends,

Well, it's official--I'm going home on August 11th.  Well, probably actually like August 12th.

Everyone who is going home in June got their "trunky papers" this week and I didn't get mine....  Actually, everyone who entered the MTC on the same date as me is going home in August, so I promise that it's not my fault I'm coming home in August! haha

This week was pretty exciting, with two kokans! (companion exchanges)  I stayed in Meito for both of them, and my bean-chan went to Kasugai and Nakatsugawa to kokan with 2 transfer 2 missionaries!  It sounds like they had a good time on their bean kokan, and they even found a new investigator in Nakatsugawa (after housing for 4 hours)!  (Sister Romney's first new investigator! (: )

Anyways, I don't know if I mentioned this last week, but we've been trying to contact more less actives with no avail.  But last Sunday I had a mini-revelation that I ought to visit the members more and get to know them better, so we've been trying to visit members when we have time and that has been going much better.  I try to get less-active-referrals whenever I visit members, so I feel like we're killing two birds with one stone (: Yay!

We actually were able to contact a couple less actives, but the less actives in Meito are hard!!  I feel like in my previous areas, especially Shizuoka, the less actives were usually appreciative of us coming by, even if they didn't want to come back to church.  It's harder here, though.  Maybe it's because sister missionaries haven't been contacting them regularly or because someone pushed too hard, but no one seems to be willing to talk with us!  It's so weird!  I always feel some sort of tension when I talk to less actives here.  Ahhh, I don't know what to do!

Some highlights of the week:

   We went out kind of far on Wednesday and OYMed on the way and met some cool people!  Sadly we didn't find any new investigators, but it's alright!  We talked to one lady who was about to go on a run, and her friend came over while we were talking to her so she called to her friend to come over and listen to a message about Jesus.  It was so cute!  haha

   The same day we met someone who had been looking for a religion many years ago and had studied with the Jehovah's Witnesses.  She decided not to meet with them anymore because of the giving/receiving blood issue.  Again, she didn't become an investigator, but we taught her about Joseph Smith and I felt the Spirit really strongly!  She's studying English, too, even though she's 70!!  We know that she walks on that street on that same time every week, so hopefully we will be able to meet her again? (:

   We finally met with Sister Gathright (Japanese recent convert, married to a Canadian) on Sunday and we made a goal to finish the After Baptism lessons!  (She got baptized last May but the missionaries had only taught her twice after her baptism!!)  She and her husband really really want to get sealed as a family (that's why she got baptized in the first place), so we talked about getting ready for the temple! (:  I'm so excited to get to teach Gathright shimai!!

Ok, I think that's it for this week (:

I love you all!!!

Sister Michelle Papenfuss

Cunha Shimai

Campbell shimai!