Yay I hit my 6 month mark! On Feb 6 it will be my ONE YEAR LEFT mark! Wow I cant believe I made it 6 months! I never thought I would get to this point.
This last week I saw a baptism!! 2 of the elders in my district had one of their investigators get baptized. His name was Hattori san. Elder Palmer was the one who baptized him. Elder Palmer is from Utah and he goes home in April I think and it was his first time seeing a baptism on his mission. Almost 2 years in Japan and it was his FIRST time! Im tellin ya, missionary work is something else here! It was a great experience though. When Hattori san got baptized it was so wonderful. I couldnt understand the talks very well at the baptism but I still felt the spirit. After the baptism a member drove us back to Aizu (the baptism was in Koriyama) but on the way home we stopped for dinner. It was a fun time, but I was very frustrated because I couldnt communicate with anyone because I couldnt understand them.
My Japanese has improved from the MTC but I am realizing that it probably should be better than it is. A couple weeks ago my district leader called me and told me he was concerned about my progress in the language so we had to have a talk about Language Study Plans and different ways I can learn the language. It was embarrassing! My companion and I just laughed and had to make fun of the situation so I didnt feel so bad ha. But I do know I need to try harder. It is difficult to study from books. I can get my point across usually and I can teach lessons in Japanese but understanding is still a big struggle. I never understand church. Never ever! And I cant understand our missionary meetings when we plan things or have district meetings or we have to report to the ward mission leader. I always have my companion relay the information to me after the meetings. She helps me a lot. She can understand quite a bit. So thats how that is going! Sometimes I get frustrated and just end up quitting and not talking or I just do something else. Hm I dont know if I am behind schedule or doing okay. Ive been on my mission for 6 months now and still not anywhere near comfortable in the language. I guess I will just have to be patient more and work harder.
This week we didnt find a new investigator but we did find a Potential Investigator! It was a member referral. Her name is Shoko. She is 19 and has a lot of interest in learning English (oh imagine that!) and so we are going to start the Free English Program we do. Her mom is a Less Active member so we are hoping that through these lessons she will have an interest in the gospel too. She knows that we are missionaries and that we teach about church stuff and she seemed to be okay with that so maybe she will have a greater interest than we think. Our appointment is on Tuesday. As for the Arai family and Hirano san, they are drops. We will teach them when they ask us to do a lesson but we are not making appointments with them.
Besides that, yesterday was the transfer announcement! Sister Tui and I are staying companions in Aizu. Sister Morita (my trainer) is being transferred to Morioka and we are getting a new sister in our apartment named Sister Gass. I will miss Sister Morita so much. She has become one of my best friends. Last night we were talking in our beds about all of our memories just crying and crying! I will miss her a lot.
Thanks for the wedding pictures that you sent! Everyone looks so nice! And thanks for writing letters. Dad, I got your letter and I am writing you back today!
It is so so so so so so so cold here. There is lots of snow and we cant ride bikes right now. It is very slick even to walk so sometimes we slip and fall and its embarrassing but oh well! I heard that February is worse for the winter but by the time March rolls around it starts getting warmer.
Thanks everyone for all you do! I love you all!
Love Sister Miranda Robertson
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