Week Thirty-two.

I HAVE A NEW NEPHEW!! Congratulations to Bailey and Chad!!!!!!!! He is so cute and I cant wait to meet him in a year!!!

That is such wonderful news! Welcome to the world little Oliver!

So you are probably all wondering how my interview with Elder Aoyagi went. It went really good! It was pretty short and it was half in Japanese and half in English. We can understand both languages okay so we just kinda spoke in both without really thinking about it! He asked me simple questions about like where I was serving and how my mission was going and stuff like that. He was really really nice and he told me that I was a wonderful missionary and that he loved me! When I came out of my interview, Pres Rasmussen was standing right there and I gave a recap of what Elder Aoyagi said to me and President R started crying. He is a real softy but he just gets so happy when he sees his missionaries happy! There was another time during Zone Conference when I participated in a discussion in Japanese and after I spoke Japanese I guess Rasmussen Kaicho gave a fist pump behind the podium. Tui Shimai said she saw it and she said it was like he was a proud father. I dont know why he likes me so much but it makes me way happy that he does!

Zone Conference was really really good though. Elder Aoyagi gave training on why the spirit is important, how to get it, and why we sometimes dont have it. It was exactly what I needed. In my interview with him I asked him why more often than not I feel darkness and temptation moreso than the Holy Ghost and light even when I am trying to do good. So he gave a way good training on the Holy Ghost. Pretty much everyone just needs to repent everyday all the time, not just at the end of the day. He said that if you recognized you have sinned while you are walking down the street or something, repent right there, and repent when you are eating, and repent when you are studying. We need often and daily repentance if we want the spirit. He also gave a good training on finding and how to find effectively and different ways you can find. Sister Aoyagi committed us to practice our smiles with our companions every morning and every night because a smile can make a difference in finding!

On our way home from Zone Conference we had to take two buses. The first bus was from Yamagata to Sendai and we accidentally got off on the wrong stop so we had to take the subway way fast and run to catch our other bus. When we got on the other bus about half way through the trip I realized I didnt have our cell phone and thought that I must have left it on the other bus with the rush of things. I searched all my bags and stuff and pockets and my seat but I couldnt find it anywhere. I got really stressed out because this isnt the first time I have lost a phone on a bus before! I prayed so so so hard that Heavenly Father would allow a miracle to happen and that we could get our phone back somehow. Well just as we were getting off the bus in Aizu I lifted up my bag and the phone was underneath the bag! When I searched my bags and seat I swear I didnt see the phone anywhere but then it was just there! I am not kidding it was a true miracle. You know how in the scriptures people get transported away by the spirit into mountains and stuff? I think that happened to our cell phone! Ha ha I dont know for sure but I do know that is the biggest MIRACLE I have ever seen! God answers prayers!

I suppose you are also all wondering about transfers. Well my time in Aizuwakamatsu is coming to an end! I am being transferred to Akita in the Morioka Zone and my new companion will be Tuttle Shimai. I have heard wonderful things about Akita and everyone keeps saying I am really lucky. I am sad to leave Aizu but since this is my first transfer it is kinda excited I think! I have a lot to pack and I am realizing that because I had to buy so many winter clothes and shoes and coats, I do not have enough room in my luggage. And I dont have like a carry on to pack clothes in while my other clothes are being transferred and stuff. So I am going to have to buy a suitcase today. Sorry that I am spending so much money!

Oh I want to report on the funeral I went to last week. It was the strangest/coolest culture experience ever. When we entered the funeral place the lady from our ward was wearing a traditional black kimono and all the guests were wearing full black, no exceptions. At the front of the room was a big giant gold memorial shrine thing with the deceased mothers picture in the middle and there were various trinkets and offerings surrounding the picture. When the family of the deceased mother walked in the first thing they did was bow to the audience and we all bowed back then eventually this monk looking guy of some sort came in in royal purple robes and such. He was pretty fat too. He went up to the memorial and sat down and began grunting and making weird noises then eventually his grunts turned into chanting and humming. I think he was saying maybe some prayers of some sort? But while he was doing this he was also waving sticks and other things in the air and then setting them down, i think. I couldnt really see because I was in the back. But after that went on for like 20 minutes or so the guests were allowed to go to the shrine and pay their respects. I go up there and in front of me there are 2 trays. One tray had like tiny rocks like sand in it and the other tray had the DECEASED MOTHERS BONES. I had to bow and pick up some sand and put it on top of the bones a few times then bow a few times then sit down. It was so weird. Then the purple guy chanted some more and then we watched a picture slide show then it was over. It was quite strange.

Here is another story. I told one of our english students that I was probably going to be transferred and that I wouldnt see him at eikaiwa the next wednesday so in order to see me again he came to church on sunday and he brought me a present! He is an artist and so he drew me! And it looks just like me! it is so awesome! The guys name is Tom. He is Japanese but I guess spent some time in France painting and doing various artist things. He is such a free thinker and he looks like a greaser from the movie Grease. Hes so cool. Ill have to show you the picture when I get home. Its framed and everything!

Thats it for this week. Thanks for your updates and letters and love everyone!

Love Sister Robertson

(this is the letter from mindy to dad)

I forgot to write about our investigators! Scottie has been sick and not up for visitors lately but we want to visit her again before I get transferred. I transfer on Thursday. We havent heard from or seen Harumi the grandma in 2 weeks. It is hard to visit with her because we have to go through a family in our branch and they are really busy.

I thought fasting was two consecutive meals? Oops.

I have done a few 24 hour fasts before. It surely does feel good to show that you can conquer the natural man and our natural appetites.

I love you dad!

Love Miranda