First off, where is Hobby Airport anyways?! Is it close to Fulshear or Katy at all? Or is it further than the Houston International Airport? Yeah isnt it crazy that I will be getting home so late? Hey... I know this is a lot to ask for ha ha but if we happen to pass a Sonic on the way home from the airport, I know its late but.... I just really want to eat a blue coconut cream slush... so can we maybe, you know, stop for a sec? Ha ha.
Wow I thought I would get released the day I got home, but nope! I guess I will be a missionary for even LONGER until the next day! Can I really sleep in, or does that mean I have to follow the rules and wake up at 6:30 one last time?? Ha ha. I think I set the record for longest sister missionary... because I was a missionary for like 3 whole days before I even left on my mission, right?
Mom, I am sorry to hear that you will have to stop training for the half marathon. But once you heal, then we can start training together and then I will run one with you! I want to get back into running. I have missed it a lot. Is dad still on track for his race? If I am getting released the next day... wont he be running a race at that same time?
Oh hey dad, yeah I totally want to help plant the garden when I get home! That sounds fun!
Another question... what even is this job that I will be doing? Will I be visiting Idaho before I start, or after? Probably before, right? Oh and mommy, did you fill out my application to get into the Dietetics Program at ISU? Or is that something I will need to fill out when I get back? I just cant think about it right now.
Okay now on to the busiest of all weeks EVER!
Ill break it down for ya.
Monday- district P day! We played cards and ping pong at the church. I love just hanging out and playing games. It is seriously one of my most favorite things. Then we ordered McDonalds and had it delivered to us at the church. It was the best.
Tuesday- We went to a place called Miyagi-Dai! We visited some referrals and less active members with Nagaoka Shimai. Do you remember her? She was the sister that had some issues that we talked about in the car on the way home one night and we just cried together. I love her. And she is a great missionary... she has been introducing so many people to us lately!
We also had Family Home Evening with the YSA and friends this night. We played, "Do you love your neighbor?" and it was pretty fun. Lots of new faces came! Unfortunately I wasnt able to get anyones contact information.
Wednesday- The busiest and kind of the worst day ever. It was just not a good day at all. We were busy ALL morning preparing for a lesson we had planned that day, which made us late at leaving the apartment to try to get to a members home for a lesson. And well on the way there, I was trying to ride so fast but then kinda got lost and we ended up being 30 min late and I felt so bad. But then we didnt have very much time to even visit or do a lesson so we just kinda taught something really short and it was terrible and unplanned and then we had to leave and we totally used up that members time, and a Less Active member was even there and we just ugh.. we failed that appointment. I felt so bad. But we ended up being late to our next appointment right after that as well. This appointment was with Oyama Shimai- a recent convert. We taught her about the word of wisdom but I was so frazzled and busy that I forgot to like follow up on the last lesson and I didnt even give a commitment and Bullock Shimai didnt know what was going on anyways... so that didnt go very well. But at least she got a little refresher on like what is okay to drink and what isnt okay and stuff. But then seriously RIGHT after her lesson 2 english class students walk in and we had a lesson with them! That also wasnt super planned. We planned to teach about families and the importance of them and how we can be with them even after death... but with Bullock Shimais limited vocabulary and understanding she kinda was going off and unrelated things or using hard church words and ended up bring up a lot of different topics making the lesson really scattered and confusing. I tried to fix it and pull it all together but lots of ends were left open and those two girls just left confused and scared. Ugh. Oh and since we had that lesson, we had NO time to prepare for our english class. So we winged that. And I was so stressed. But it worked out. And then this same day I was freaking out because I needed to find a piano player for the musical number that the missionaries had the coming Sunday, but all the members were saying no and we were running out of time and no one wanted or would help us and ahhhh why do Japanese people have to be so BUSY AND "SICK" ALL THE TIME! (I seriously think they fake sick sometimes with their little doctors masks that they always wear....) So as I am trying to figure this out, and talk with the English students after class, Sugawara Shimai (the stake presidents wife and our English Class Coordinator person) was rushing us out of the building for some reason so we leave in a hurry and once we get home I realize I forgot the freaking phone at the church! So we had to go back and get the phone. Then do daily planning which lasted FOREVER. And I also had to figure out bus times and things like that for our plans for the next day (shout out to my friend Kousuke who totally helped me a lot on that one. THANK YOU.) ANYWAYS. Wednesday was FINALLY over. Yay. But on the bright side, at least we HAD appointments and could actually teach for once.
Thursday- We went to Miyagi-Dai again and like decorated this little cups with a lady named Kikuchi san. She was so nice! It was her first time really talking with Americans before and her first time even seeing missionaries. We had a good time and she really liked us! We will probably go out to lunch or something this week with her again and I want to talk more about the church and families with her to see if she might have interest in hearing our message. I will show you the little cup I made when I get home in less than 2 weeks. HOLLA.
Friday- We had interviews with President Smith! Which was good, but also I didnt like it ha ha. So like... I dont know. Maybe I am just prideful (which I actually know is so true) but I felt like he just didnt really give me any time to explain myself or talk. He instantly just started giving me advice and kinda some chastisement and talking about my relationship with Bullock Shimai. He was assuming that it was bad and that we arent unified or something like that. If he would have listened to me, he would have known that our relationship is fine and we have companionship inventory every week (that where we sit down and talk about our relationship and any problems we have) and that we laugh and cry together and hug each other and help each other all the time. But no, he just kinda chastised me instead. And assumed we didnt do those things because sometimes in my emails to him I talk about Bullock Shimais growth and yeah maybe I have mentioned a few times that she isnt really doing good with the work or getting the hang of things very quickly and that we are sometimes late for stuff because she is kinda slow. But it wasnt because I was trying to pick out her faults or anything.(Which is what he thought I was doing). It was just because I am worried, and honestly I feel like it is ME. I am failing her. If she isnt able to do something by the time I leave, its not because she lacks the skills or strengths, I feel like it is MY fault because I am her trainer. Its an issue within myself, not about her. But whatevs. I just took what he said and wrote it down anyway. But you know I do know that President just wants to help me and all the missionaries here be better missionaries and also better people. And I know I am prideful and need to take advice and stuff like that more willingly. The first step is recognition, right? So I will work harder on that.
Saturday- it was a way weird day. Random appointments kept getting put into our schedule and it was kinda bothering Bullock Shimai because she didnt like that we had to keep changing the schedule, but sometimes you just do and things like that come up. So we kinda got in a little tussle, bit it was only for like 5 seconds. Everything is fine now. I just had to explain thoroughly and slowly how this kinda of stuff happens sometimes and we just have to go with it. And that it will happen in her mission a lot and to just trust me. Ha... so its all good now.
We went out to eat some sushi with a less active member that is my age and she is so awesome and funny! I love sushi! Can we please please pleaaassseee eat some in America SOMETIMES? There is a place in Texas somewhere that has good sushi right?! I hope so!
Sunday- WAY BUSY DAY! We had to be at church way early to practice our musical number (I found a pianist by the way! Yeah!) and then we had to practice this skit that we had to do after church in front of the members about like missionary work. So we were practicing all morning, and then we had church! Oh fun fact, our recent convert, Oikawa Shimai, has Alzheimers but she REMEMBERED to come to church! And she even remembered to come EARLY and shake peoples hands as they came in! I have to introduce myself to her every time I see her which has been over 50 times... but thats okay. At least she remembered church!
The musical number went... good I guess? I messed up so bad! I was so nervous! But I just shook it off and didnt get all depressed and sensitive about it like I used to back in the day... but I am glad it is over!
We also had a big luncheon thing after church and thats where we did our skit. It was about baseball and diligence. It was good. Then we ate. Then we were going to teach Oikawa Shimai, but she forgot ha ha. So we didnt, and we studied instead! And thats it.
Now it is Monday again and pretty much we have no P DAY. We have a lesson today right in the middle of the day but Smith Kaicho is all about exact obedience so even if we have a lesson on P day we have to also work from 6 pm on. With Pres Rasmussen, if we had a lesson or something with a member or something during the day on P day then we could use our time after 6 for P day and just kinda switch the times. Just as long as we had 3 hours of dendo. Thats okay though. I will be home soon and then every day will be P day! Yay!
As for my spirituality these days, I feel like I definitely have grown a lot. But I also feel like I am not the person I hoped to be by the time I was finished with my mission. I still feel like a prideful, heartless person. And I dont know if I am just too hard on myself or what, but I just am always feeling sad like I am not living up to my potential and like I am letting everyone down and letting God down too. Maybe its because in Kamisugi there are a lot of people my age that we do a lot of activities with, and I try to get their information and teach them but they never have interest but we dont want to just STOP talking to them just because they dont have interest in our church. But then our time ends up just like "hanging out" with people that dont have interest and I feel like I am just failing or something! I should be teaching, right? But we have like NO investigators. I just feel like I am not being a missionary. Like I am not focused and that I am living a displeasing mission. Or something. Maybe it is just Satan making me think this and in reality I am actually doing a good job. I dont really know. But I just know I could be a better person and think better thoughts and make better choices. I just want to live a happy, peaceful life! And not be SO aware of all my weaknesses and sins so much! Its killin me! Like.. a mission is very happy, but it is also kinda depressing sometimes ha because you are so in tune with the spirit that it is easy to tell when you dont have it or how just doing the tinest tinest tinest thing like waking up a little after 6:30 can ruin your whole day because it isnt being obedient to the mission rules and stuff like that. Like.. its driving me crazy you guys! I wanna be good but I just fall short and then I get to the point where I just dont wanna try anymore! Ah! I just need to be out in the nature and just lay in some grass and be a little free for awhile! Ha ha... okay now that I got that out of my system... I will just try a little harder to be a little better.
PHEW. Okay well, next week is the final email.... what should I say in it?! Hmm... I will have to think about it. Ah, next week is my last week. The luggage people come and pick up my stuff in a week from tomorrow actually. Crazy. I love my mission, but to be honest, I miss my home. I miss you mom and dad :( I missss youuuuuuuuuuu alllll sooooo muccchhhh!! But I will see you soon, yip yip! :)
Love you!
美蘭田
(Miranda)
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