Merry Christmas!

HELLO EVERYONE! I hope you all had a great Christmas! :)

This week was really fun! Unfortunately we do not get to teach much around the holidays because everyone is so busy... especially this week with the new year coming up. The Japanese LOVE the new year. It is a really big deal here, way bigger than Christmas. 

So for Christmas Eve, Bowman Shimai and I got to go and have temakizushi, where they have a ton of raw fish and stuff and you make your own sushi. Believe it or not, it was SO GOOD. I actually really like sashimi... who wouldve thought? It definitely surprised me. But yeah, we ate at the Branch Presidents house. He just loves me because he is such a goofball and knows that he can tease me in Japanese without me understanding him. It is pretty funny.

On Christmas Day, we went to a non-members house, a potential investigator, for lunch with the elders. It was so much fun. The elders bought recorders from a dollar store and were determined to play them for us. It was quite hilarious. They are the best Zone Leaders ever haha.

So we met with this nonmember and she became a new investigator! Yay! She is so awesome and is now reading the book of mormon for the second time! How crazy is that? She is the perfect investigator. I am excited to see where things go with her. 

 

 

Later that day, we met up with 2 PIs, the cutest girls I have ever seen. I just adore them. They are so interested in the church but are scared what their friends will say. But we are hoping that things progress with them. We went out to dinner with them and just talked about Christmas. It was awesome.

The day after Christmas, I GOT TO TALK TO MY FAMILY!!!!!!!!!! It was the best thing ever to be able to skype my family. Oh, how I miss them. It was so great to be able to talk to them. Later that night I really, really missed home. But it is great to know, without a doubt in my mind, that this is where I need to be. I know that with 100% assurety. I feel so lucky to be a missionary! 

My favorite christmas gift this year, was definitely talking to my family. But after being homesick, Heavenly Father knew that I needed to get focused, so he allowed for a way for us missionaries to play basketball on saturday! It was so much fun (and a miracle that we found a free place to play at). It was nice to be able to run around and play the sport I love with other missionaries and be able to meet other japanese people in the process. It was so awesome and exactly what I needed. I did realize though that my skills have gotten really bad haha but that is perfectly okay. Missions are way more important than basketball! :)

Yesterday we had FHE and one of our new investigators came. It was awesome. At one point, we went around the room and shared our goal for next year. His was to meet with the missionaries more and find out if it is true! How awesome is that?! He is the perfect investigator and I cannot wait to see what the Lord and the gospel do for him as we continue to teach him. 

Something funny about FHE is that everyones goal was to get married..... except for mine. HAHA it was pretty funny. 

Sorry this week wasnt too interesting :( I hope you all had a great Christmas and that you enjoy your New Years! Make a great New Years Resolution this year. Mine is to draw closer to my Savior and let him change me this next year. This is one of the best times of my entire life and I know that this year is going to be full of life changing moments. I cannot wait to experience them. New years is crazy here, they even shut down the hospitals! Stay safe and know that I love and miss every one of you. This is the Lords work, and I know that to be true. 

I love you! I love this gospel! I love my Heavenly Father and His son, Jesus Christ. I love the Book of Mormon. I love my family. I love Japan! I LOVE being a missionary!

Ai shite imasu yo!

Kasteler Shimai