Sister Crofts-Called to Serve

May 5, 2014

皆さんこんにちはお元気ですか？

HAPPY MAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Is it not unbelievable how fast this year is going by? After about 7 months (5 transfers) of being in Kariya, I am being transferred. I am, to say the least, SO SAD. I don`t think that words could properly express how much I have loved this area, my companion, the people we are teaching. Saturday morning, I got a call from President Yamashita before transfer calls even started (so I was super surprised) letting me know that I would be transferring to Yokkaichi to be the Sister Training Leader with Sister Kawai. She is so sweet, such an awesome missionary and I am really stoked to work together with her! President Yamashita is trying to get 2 sister training leaders in every zone with the zone leaders, so we will be in an area of 6 missionaries again. The Sister Training Leader is responsible for training in zone meetings and doing companion exchanges and calling all the sisters every night. It is the only sister calling in our mission, so I am super humbled to be able to serve these sisters. I was really sad on Saturday, but I don`t think it felt real. Then I walked in to the Kariya ward, saw one of my favorite members, handed her this card with some of my favorite pictures we had together and memories and what not and I just started bawling. I was absolutely not expecting it to hit me that hard, but I honestly don`t remember the last time that I have cried that hard. I went up to bare my testimony and I honestly just couldn`t even speak because I was so sad to say goodbye to everyone. I gave almost all of the members little picture cards that I made for them. I seriously loved this area so much. Sister Nomura was crying so bad when we said goodbye. I was really surprised that other people cried that I was leaving. Gahhh... That was honestly the hardest day. But I will come back to Kariya for sure!

These last few weeks have been super busy! We have been visiting the cutest less active girl (Madoka chan) for the past few transfers and she is learning the missionary lessons because she really doesn`t know anything about the church. So last week when we visited, she was honestly glowing and just said how excited she was to see us because she wanted to tell us something. So she said that in the morning as she had been studying the scriptures before we came she found herself having so much fun and she couldn’t stop to read and study! She said that she knew that we are supposed to read the scriptures, but she never knew that it could ever be fun and she could enjoy herself. Ah she is so cute and it is unbelievable how much she is changing.

Saturday we went to a fireside with President Yamashita with one of our investigators! We were so stoked to go, and I played the piano and Aso Shimai, Ishida Shimai, and Takahashi Shimai sang this beautiful song. The spirit was so strong and it was awesome to hear many people`s testimonies. Brother Nomura also came and he bore his testimony. It was the very first time that I had been able to hear things from his perspective, and wow... I was just blown away. He talked about how after he went to church he felt the spirit so strong and later that night after we had taught him he just started to cry because he realized how he needed to be a better father and he wanted to change. The gospel completed the hole he felt inside his heart. Since he has been baptized, he has felt so much closer to his family and he has felt even more so how much God loves him. He had never really thought about God before that... WOW. That was such a blessing to hear before getting transferred. On the way home, we were driving in the car with our investigator and she talked about how amazing the testimonies she heard were and how she felt like it was directly for her. But then she started to talk about this meditation training she had done that morning and how it was exactly the same as what President Yamashita said about just praying from the bottom of your heart. She said the whole time she just felt "okay God, I get it!!" but then she said at her meditation training that they had been learning to tune into the inner black hole in your heart so that you can experience/control your feelings of happiness... sadness... comfort.... and you just have to connect with the black hole. She said that "your Jesus/Holy Ghost is like the same as what I do! And when President Yamashita said to pray from the bottom of your heart like Enos, well! It is the same!" Oh boy.................. anyway. Me and Sister Aso honestly were at a loss for words. Hahaha we always try to receive the guidance of the Spirit as we teach, but I was so shocked that it was truly one of those "I have nothing to say" moments. I think it will take a while for her to understand... She is going to India in June.

There was a super crazy storm last Tuesday and me and Sister Aso just pushed through and rode our bikes out super far to visit some people. We went about an hour and a half out, and then returned back to Kariya and then rode our bikes out another 30 minutes so that we could go somewhere else. By this point, even though we had rain coats we were 100 percent soaked and it was so cold. But whatever, it was fun. I took my raincoat/pants off and was just drenched. We went into a restaurant with one of our recent converts and members and we were quite the sight for sore eyes. I love my mission.

I am super sad to leave Kariya, but I am excited for a new part of my mission! I did my very best, made lots of forever friendships, gained a solid 15 pounds, and grew so much to love my Savior, Jesus Christ. I am seriously so grateful to be here.

愛

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