Nagoya Higashi, Kariya | Week 1 T.9 :: Bringing Christmas into Focus

Feliz Natal!🎄メリークリスマス！🍰Mele Kalikimaka!🌟 Merry Christmas everybody❤

I forgot to send this email so part of it was written on Monday and part today (Christmas day in US) In case you're wondering about the time references. I got my new comp! Her name is Sister Duarte and she is from Brazil! I'm her forst non-Brazilian companion so we've been communicating in Japanese this past week. Its been good for me, I just get to SYL 24/7. ahhhh. Unfortunately my comp has been experiencing some health issues so we spent a lot of time this week at the doctors. My first time going to the doctors on my mission and he was not a nice guy, he yelled at us and almost made my comp cry for unecessary reasons. I could go on but I cant be bothered. On the bright side I now know some medical words. Also the ward members have been helping us so much and supporting her which makes me happy. I feel really bad for my comp because she doesn't know how to really express to me what shes feeling, she's such a champ tho and has been doing her best despite her pain. We had a fun and successful Chrsitmas party! 5 of the people we are teaching came, and the I was able to meet the husband of the cute young mom (Y san, T and K chan) and two kids we teach and the dad is so chill. He even told me he wants to start taking English lessons! Lots of non members came as well so it was quite the busy night. OK SO ABOUT THE 12 YEAR OLD GIRL, T san, (the one that said shes interested and wanted to meet again at the same corner by the Brazilian mart, that one) SHE CAME THROUGH! I decided to have a lot of faith, it felt kind of silly, she even came like 15 minutes late but she came. Unfortunately we cannot teach unless we have her parents permission. I wrote a letter for her to give to her parents explaining everything and with our phone number. I pray they call one day... until then she will be a mystery. I took my comp to the Brazil mart and she was so excited...it made me really happy hehe. She bought ingredients to teach me how to make brigadeiro! I saw uncle Jon from PCC again hahaha! I was just shopping at the local mall and he called out my name. It was another coincidence haha. It also happened to be the day I looked really gross bc my eyes have a rash and it was p-day so I wear my "comfy not cute missionary clothes". Good timing am I right? It was fun to see all them tho. Such a small world. I got to face time my family for the wedding of my older brother and new sister, they looked so beautiful and so happy. I'm so happy for them look forward to when I can congratulate them in person! congrats Ka'imi and Tali girl!! Love you guys! Ok so with the new transfer I've been thinking about what my goals should be, so I said a prayer last week asking Heavenly Father what he wants me to do. As I was sitting in my futon I felt a strong impression that he wants me to really focus on my companion; ( not in any particular order) 1. help her feel loved 2. help her learn English 3. Help take care of her with her health condition and 4. Help her develop her leadership/proactive skills. After experiencing this past week, I feel this is why I was put with her. We also have a new goal as a mission, to pass out a total of 50 Book of Mormons (in a Holy and sacred way of course) and to have a total of 12 attendances at church (it can be the same person more than once)! I'm so excited and also slightly stressed because its gonna push us, but thats what makes you grow so lets goooo Yesterday was Christmas for us, it was a great day. We had a zone meeting and watched the 2018 Chrismas devotional and had a potluck at the end. (My comp and I made mashed potatoes and gravy and it was gone real quick hehe) Got to see good missionary friends and ponder about the gifts Christ has given us, and the gifts we want to give him. During the 2018 Christmas devotional, our prophet talks about 4 gifts that Christ has given us: 1. Unlimited capacity to love others and be loved - even the unlovable. 2. Ability to forgive - wether it's ourselves, those who have hurt us and even those who don't feel sorry. 3. Repentance - a beautiful process that helps us to progress and feel true peace and joy. 4. Everlasting life - not just living forever, but the ability to become like our Heavenly Father one day. [The way we access these gifts are through making and keeping covenants and turning to the Savior for help.] These gifts are the reason why we rejoice and celebrate! Christ made these gifts possible. With out him there would be no hope for us. Now for this year's devotional I loved the talk "Bringing Christmas into focus" - Patrick Kearon. "...The joy we feel has little to do with the circumstances of our lives and everything to do with the focus of our lives." What can you do "to figuratively kneel at the manger, worship the newborn King, and bring our own personal gift to Him."? Where is your life focused? What gift will you give him? His invitation: "Seek for quiet, solitary moments when you can ponder, pray, and feel the loving-kindness of the One whose birth makes any joy in any life possible." This is also my invitation to anyone who is reading this. Lets enjoy and access the gifts Christ has given us, not just during Christmas time, but all year round. The Atonement of Jesus Christ is infinite. We have Christ because God loves us. Now let's rejoice and give back to Him! :) all my ♡ 堀人姉妹