February 24, 2014

Hello everyone!!! 

Another week and it is sooooooo freezing right now it is not even funny.  It is honestly to the point of pain because of the wind.  So riding our bike outside is such a treat!  Sister Aso has been here 2 weeks and the thing she absolutely hates the most is riding our bikes.  She is absolutely hilarious and we have a lot of fun together and are working hard. We always speak in Japanese and she is such a trooper and helps me so much!  I am sleep talking in Japanese all the time so she always makes fun of me...  We do a lot of gesturing and actions if we don`t understand each other so it is absolutely funny. 

This week, my interesting "open your mouth experience" was with two Japanese deaf people.  So I studied sign language before right?  So they were doing Japanese sign language and of course it is 110 percent different, but I really just wanted to talk to them.  Hahaha, so I said hi and introduced myself in ASL and at first they were reallllllly surprised.  I asked them if they could understand ASL and they said a little bit.  So then... they started to do all these signs to me and I didn`t understand a THING and it quickly become one of those awkward "we are doing all these random gestures at each other but neither of us as any idea what the other is saying" hahaha.  So fortunately, after a few short minutes of that it was my time to get off the train.  I pointed at the stop trying to say "okay it is me."  Hahaha I just gave them a mormon.org card but it was really so funny.  All 3 of us were laughing so hard because it was just an absolute fail.  I tried though? Check that off the bucket list. 

Also, one of the people we teach maybe just has interest in hooking us up with her brother in law.  This past week, we have been trying to set an appointment with her and she keeps saying "oh well I won`t be there, but you can just go and meet  my brother in law."  It seriously doesn`t end. Hahahahha, we keep saying "no, like we want to meet with you!" but I don`t know if she is understanding us.

Chikachan is doing so awesome and we went to the mission home for an FHE with President Yamashita and some of the YSA.  I love her so much.  She said that she believes all religions are good, but that she feels closer to God through the things she is learning from us than with any other religion. (Buddhism, Hindi.. etc.. etc..)  We talked about the Spirit with her and how it is the way we feel the love of God and she said "I feel that every single time I am around you!  I always feel so happy around you!"  She is absolutely awesome and she really loves learning about God. 

One of the other people we teach is so busy and it is hard for them to come to church, but she told me how grateful she is that we remind her about God because she and her husband are so busy and they need to remember. They can’t come to church right now, but learning more about God and His love for them is making such a difference and giving them hope.

One of the members brought a friend to church that we had the opportunity to teach and she is sooooooo awesome!!!!!!!!!! (chikano shimais friend)  Also, a family that hasn`t come to church for a long time (that we have visited quite a bit) came to church yesterday.  I honestly couldn`t believe it and I was so happy!  We are super busy right now and it is kind of insane actually, but we are so blessed and lucky. My companion is sooooo awesome and we are learning together. I am so grateful for the miracles that we are seeing every day and the way that God is blessing us.  The church is true! 

Love, 

Sister Crofts

Jessica, a girl we met OYMing.