October 6, 2014

Minasan konnichiwa!! 

It has been another great week with its fair share of unexpected and awesome. At the beginning of this transfer, I really prayed that I would be able to have a greater understanding of the Savior and His Atonement before I go home. That I would be able to more fully appreciate what He did for me. So with that as a start, let me tell you about my day on Tuesday. I had another fun kokan with Samowitz shimai and we talked to people all day trying to find people to teach!  It was really great and we found this one lady who had lived in America and met the missionaries, but didn’t really understand them so she cancelled the lessons. She was really excited to learn more again in Japanese!! Awesome how much God prepares people to accept the gospel. The missionaries in Takabata are in charge of planning the young women’s activities there, so we played night games at the church. We played ghost in the grave yard and.. well I am a missionary in Japan and I haven’t really gone through anything scary in a while. We turned out all of the lights and then went to go and find the person who was it, my heart was racing because I was so afraid. hahaha Lucky me, I found her, but she scared the living daylight out of me and I started to run away. My shoes were falling off, I couldn’t run fast enough, and then what do you know. My foot hit the doorway, sending immediate pain and shock up my leg. I couldn’t move my foot at all. They wanted me to go to the hospital immediately, but I was an hour away by train in Takabata and wanted to go in Yokkaichi because then I could follow up there. So the next morning, I had to walk all the way to the train. Walking is probably the hardest and most painful thing to do because when I walked it put pressure on my toe and sent shocking pain up my leg with every step. It was far and quite honestly the most pain I have ever experienced in my life. There were tears coming down my face because I wanted to just make it to Yokkaichi, but it seemed impossible to make it there. As I was walking. wait scratch that. gimping to the eki, my mind was caught up as if I was in a different place. I looked over to my left and I saw our Savior, Jesus Christ, with the cross on his shoulders; blood dripping down His face, crying out because of the pain He was going through, but smiling at me. He was walking too, but it was to a different place. He was walking to Calvary where He would be crucified for all of our sins, our sufferings, our weaknesses. I walked with Him, and realized that my pain wasn’t too bad in comparison to what He was feeling. He understood the pain and when I realized that, all I could feel was gratitude and reverence to Him. I know that the Savior walks with my every day, and I feel Him strengthening me every day, but that was different.  He truly carried me to the eki where I was able to make it to the hospital. The elders and Tachi shimai came to the hospital to help make sure we could understand exactly what it was. We had quite the party there. It turns out it was fractured.  He pushed it back into place and that was just sheer agony. But I knew that my Savior was there with me. I received a blessing from Elder Yamada, and it said -your mission is not over. You are close to the end, but your work is not finished yet. God has work left for you to do. Your physical pain will not prevent you from doing the work that you want to do and the work that God needs you to do. You have relied on the Savior before and you can rely on Him again. When you go home, your next mission begins. You will have no worries-.## It was seriously beautiful. Everyone has been telling me to just rest and to take it easy to the end, not ride my bike, not walk, not work, but that is something I can’t do. I know that every day, even though it hurts, that this is what God planned for me. This is strengthening my testimony of the Savior; this is exactly what I needed. Of course, not the answer I was expecting.

 I love my companion. I love my mission!!! 

Crofts Shimai

My fractured toe.  On the left is the initial break that is displaced and on the right is after it was reduced

I had to wear slippers to get in the hospital even with a broken toe that was displaced. Oh Japan.

The little toe isn't supposed to stick out like this

My support group at the hospital

I'm too young to walk with a cane

My foot after my toe was reduced

Oda Shimai took me shopping in a wheelchair to buy big shoes that would fit my foot

Plastic bag to keep my broken toe dry

Nishino Shimai got baptized. So happy for her.

Happy to be with my companion

Silly photo after a double zone conference

This nihonjin grandma was so tiny. I am a giant here. Oda Shimai laughs at this picture almost everyday.

Sunset in Japan

Splits with Samowitz Shimai

Crabs found by the kids