So I finally saw my first baptism here in Kita Kyushu!! Acchan was really nervous for the baptismal interview, but it went really smoothly. It was funny, after they had finished she came running out saying " I got an OK!!!" We ran up and gave her a big hug and she just started crying. She was SO HAPPY! I couldn't stop smiling. It was the same after her baptism. Seriously, she was glowing. I was smiling so much my cheeks hurt. The best part was during the service when the missionaries sang a song for her. It's called 見出そう(let us find) My Friend. It's a song about two best friends in the pre-mortal existence and how they promise to find each other on earth. In the song one of them becomes a missionary and finds his best friend and brings him to the gospel. I'm sure Acchan and I were friends in the pre-mortal existence. Now we can be friends for eternity! Isn't the mission amazing!?!?!?!As for my P-day schedule, it consists of the usual morning study, laundry, cleaning the apartment, grocery shopping for the week, e-mail, and other shopping or things we need to get done. Last week was the first time we actually did FUN STUFF on P-day. It was a BLAST!!
As for your Japanese Jokes...no I haven't told them. But there's a Japanese Elder serving in my ward that loves American jokes/pick up lines (those American Elders are teaching him weird things) For example: When Chuck Norris jumps into a lake, he doesn't get wet the water gets Chuck Norris-ed. (He thinks it's hilarious!!)
Other random tidbits, my companion made me a Natto (fermented soy bean) omelet for lunch the other day....and it wasn't too bad. You Natto lovers back home should try it out. Put lots of sugar in the egg and then Natto and cheese in the omelet. Perfect balance of sweet and stinky. It's great!(note: sister Osterloh has never liked Natto before)
As for the missionary work, I'm still working hard. It's difficult, but I've learned that as a missionary you need to learn to be patient...something I found out I need to work on. There are many things in the mission that don't go how you want them to. For example, the investigators may not be keeping commitments, or coming to appointments(we've had alot of this recently), or the ward members may not cooperate as much as you would hope they would. PMG tells us that the best way to do missionary work is through members. So we had this idea to meet with one member family per missionary companionship a week, teach them a lesson, help them get pumped about the missionary work, and then to get referrals from them. Well, apparently we can't go up to the families/members on our own. The mission leader has to set up the appointments for us. I'm trying to be patient.
When I read PMG this morning, in the chapter about Christlike Attributes under patience it talks about how patients means enduring WITHOUT getting frustrated, angry, or anxious...むずかしい～(it's hard)！！！It's something I definitely need to work on. But I'm gonna keep trying to get stuff DONE out here.
I've really learned that when you come up with an idea, you need to act on it RIGHT AWAY!!! Or else it just sits there and that idea is useless! What's the point of inspiration if we don't act on it? It's like praying for an answer, getting it, and then just saying "oh that's nice" and not doing it! So Family, DO. I think in Mosiah 4 near the beginning there's a verse that says exactly that.(I think it's 10ish)We need to not only believe and think, but we need to DO. We are all learning things everyday. Don't let it go to waste.
Sister Osterloh
