Sunday, May 31, 2015

Fwd: Transfer Six Week Two

From: Lindsay Sanders <lindsay.sanders@myldsmail.net>
Date: May 31, 2015 7:18:59 PM MST
Subject: Transfer Six Week Two

Transfer 6 week 2

This week we had Zone Training Meeting! We took about a 40 minute bike ride up to Nagamine, and we ran into the Elders on the way, so we rode with them! They ride so fast. I thought I was in decent shape, but then they were zooming up this big hill, and I was doing pretty good (not sweating too much) and then my basket fell off my bike! In the middle of a busy road! On a hill! So my basket goes tumbling down the hill, and cars are swerving to miss it..... And we stop moving after riding really fast, so I just start sweating like crazy. It was disgusting. This humidity is just crazy. Anyways, I was the last one in our caravan, so luckily no one got hurt... And they didn't know I stopped... So here I am, on the side of the road, my bike is unfixable, and I am sweating like a pig. And I am all alone except for the angry Japanese drivers scowling at me. So I dodge some cars and gather all my stuff, and pull my bike away from the road a little bit so the cars can go around me. I was pretty upset. I said a little prayer just asking God to help me stay calm while I figure out what to do. I end my prayer, and I see a lady and her dog walking towards me. She had been out walking and saw what happened. She looked at my basket and we were trying to figure out how to reattach the basket well enough so I could get to where I needed to go. Eventually we figured it out, and I thanked her for being so kind. She told me that she sees the missionaries all the time, and once they helped her carry her groceries home. She told me that her son is a  member in close city... And I asked her if she ever had any interest. She said she did, but she had to respect her husband's beliefs. I thanked her again, and promised her that someday the time will be right for her to learn about the Mormons, but I encouraged her to talk to her son! The missionaries had noticed that I was gone, so they back tracked and found me. We all rode safely to the meeting together! I am so thankful for that sweet woman and her kindness. I know that God sent that woman to me. God is so good.

At the training, the Zone Leaders gave an amazing training on changing ourselves. I will send it in another email! Seriously, it'll change your life! I get really frustrated when so many of the trainings are about numbers. Let me tell you something: I really don't care about numbers! I count because I have to, for accountability's sake, but really, I am not a "numbers" driven missionary. This training focused on making ourselves into better people. They encouraged us to write down our strengths, talents, and weaknesses, especially using our patriarchal blessings. Then they asked us to make a vision of who we want to be. Then they asked us to make a plan and goals in order to become that person. I have been waiting for this my whole liiiiiiiiiiiiiiiife! Haha! So that is what I have been working on this week. I really want to come home being a better person. My vision for myself is to have a stronger testimony, be more willing to sacrifice time/ effort to help others, be more diligent, and to be more positive and optimistic. I know that if I work to change myself, I can be more sincere when I ask my investigators to change their lives. I know that with God's help, I can become the person He wants me to be. God sees beyond the now. He knows our potential. We are a work of art, each unique and special, and at different stages of completion. If I trust Him, the picture He paints will be so much more beautiful than anything I could do by myself.

I really like Sister Popham! She is way cute. She is from a little town in Utah and she is an amazing missionary. She loves the people so much! I have been learning to be humble... And letting her take the lead is hard sometimes when (I think) I know better....I am grateful she works so hard though. She is a good example . She makes me want to be a better person and try a little harder. It's gonna be a good transfer. 

I realized just how fast my mission is going. I looked ahead in my calendar , and I realized next transfer is my birthday, the next one I hit one year, and then after that is the start of the holiday season, and then I come home at the beginning of March. What the heck. Where does the time go? All of my friends are starting to go home, and half of the missionaries from Fukuoka go home in the next couple of months. We are getting a new mission president. I realized that I don't like change... But Heavenly Father is giving me lots of experiences to help me get over that, with me getting new companions and new areas all the time. Seriously, it is so unusual to have a new comp every transfer and so many areas. It made me kind of worried.... Like, am I a bad missionary? Do my companions secretly hate me? I was being super paranoid. So I prayed about it, because that's what you do when you need an answer... And I asked God why I had to go through so much change. The answer I received was very specific, and it came to me in a thought: that I am meant to grow into something much greater than I am. Every companion helps me grow and helps me to be humble. Every area I go to also humbles me and helps me learn how to love all kinds of people. I don't know how this is going to help me in the future, but I feel a lot more peace about how things have been. 



Here are some cool kids we met at a park... We are going to ask them to play in our talent show! Junpei and Kosuke

Me and Elder Christensen in the ward newsletter... I actually like my picture this time, yay!!!
Yep, that was my week! I hope everyone is doing great and loving life :) thanks for all the love and support! 
Have a great week!
サンターズ姉妹

Sent from my iPad

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