Week Fifty-nine.

Yo yo yo! What up?

I am doing so good everyone! My health is fairly good, but I did go to the hospital this week :O I will explain later! Hmm, dad asked me a ton of questions about my health and stuff so I will just let you know that I am doing pretty good emotionally and spiritually, too. I have my ups and downs and some days are better than others but in the big picture I am doing all right! Oh and last week I ate terrible but this week I am going to stay true to my diet and eat good. I WILL LOSE 13 LBS BEFORE I COME HOME. It WILL happen. Ganbaro!

So first thing is first. Maybe this isnt so important right now, but just so I can have a little peace of mind, will you please get online or call ISU or something and find out when the application due date is to get into my program? 2 years ago it was in the beginning of February and seeing that I come home Feb 6, I might need to get started on that on my P days (not for awhile of course but I wanna know!) Also just to double check, can you make sure the pre requisites I already did are still all okay and they didnt add any new requirements? If they did, that means I need to come home in December which means I need to tell my president now-ish! I will give you my ISU log in information stuff so you can check my transcripts and what not. Arigatooouuuu!

So last week we went and visited the Shuto family! N san (the husband) is like 77 years old but so genki (happy)! He has lots of interest in religion and so he is studying all sorts of religions right now. He told us that after the tsunami he stopped believing in God though so he isnt practicing anything right now, but he likes learning. Tsan (the wife) is so so so nice. She is my mommy in Japan. She always cooks great food and feeds me and Sister Kanno and she always wants to help me. While we were at their house me and Sister Kanno played their piano and sang songs for them like a mini concert and everyone was just so genki together! Also we shared a short message on the Book of Mormon and T san was so honored and pleased that we would share something so sacred with their family. N san started reading it immediately asking all sorts of questions about who Moroni was and what a Lamanite was. We explained the introduction to him and he understood the history of the Book of Mormon sooo good. And then from that we were able to naturally teach the restoration to them, but mostly N san. T san was preparing dinner so she didnt participate but she heard everything. It was cool though. It was like I was just talking to my friend having a regular discussion and it wasnt a "lesson" setting at all. It was nice. We are going over to their house tonight to celebrate the moon or something, I dont really know ha ha. But they are feeding us! And guess what! I bought a Yukata last P day and T san is going to teach me how to put it on and wear it and stuff. I will take lots of pictures! Love that family. So glad they became investigators!

We did service at U Shimai`s house and it was so fun/gross! Her bathroom hasnt been cleaned once I think in all the years she has lived in her apartment. Im telling you, it was bad. The dust and mold was probably and inch thick and that is not an exaggeration... we were wearing gloves and masks and stuff while cleaning and its a little bit cleaner but honestly the walls and floor just need to be replaced. But she was really grateful and said, "all these years I have been needing help with cleaning my bathroom but I was too afraid to ask. Then you sisters offered and it was like a burden was lifted off of me. Thank you thank you thank you" It just goes to show that sometimes people are suffering inside and they actually DO need help. You just have to ask and then keep bugging them if they say, "nah, Im okay!" Service is good.

So the hospital... for awhile now my right eyelid has been super dry and really red. I had the symptoms for about a week and I thought it was just weather related or something and that it would go away eventually because I have had something similar happen to me before but it wasnt going away. And it was really stinging too, so we decided to go to the hospital. Now when an American hears the word hospital they usually think that there is a big problem, but hospitals are all they have here.. they have big ones and small ones and I just went to a small one. I guess I could just use the word "doctors office" but they just have one word and that is "hospital". So yeah... anyways... the doctor said that I probably just rubbed my eye too hard and he gave me all this medicine to fix it. I have to take 4 pills every morning and night and rub this cream stuff on my eye!!! All that medicine for such a small problem!!! But hey, its been like 4 days now and I am basically all the way healed. So I guess the meds are working.

Other than that, things are going good. I hear from people all the time about peoples marriages and things like that and it makes me wanna get home faster and sharpen up my dating tactics and get myself hitched but I still got 5 months left so I have to wait a biiiit longer. Still kinda homesick, but it doesnt compare to where I was when I first got to Japan. I can find ways to deal with it now and usually I forget about it after awhile, so everything is okay.

Love ya!
Miranda

PS- Nah we only got like 12 lessons this week but we found out that the whole 20 lessons goal isnt a requirement or anything actually. Its main purpose is just for us to practice our Japanese and teaching skills. If we dont get 20 lessons, then oh well not a big deal, but the promise is that if we do get 20 lessons, we will be happy missionaries. That is what Elder Ringwood said and promised us. We will keep trying but now I dont have as much stress which is good!

PPS- LESLIE IS THE CUTEST. This is my reply to her

Dear Les,
Thank you for your email! I will come home and see you in 5 months. I am excited for your letter! Are you excited for school? How is it? It sounds like Baileys house was really fun. I want to play babies and kill some monsters with you! Who did you play with? Your garden sounds very good. I eat a lot of vegetables and fruits in Japan. I eat a lot of weird food like octopus and cow tongue too! But it tastes good! Isaac is a silly boy.  I want to be your best friend! I love you Leslie!!
Love Mindy