This year for Christmas, Mills Shimai, Mackenzie Shimai,
Mitsuyama Shimai and I received a surprise telephone call. Or rather, Mackenzie
Shimai and Mitsuyama Shimai received the call. As of December 24th, our
apartment of four will become an apartment of two. Mitsuyama Shimai and
Mackenzie Shimai are transferring to Kyouto and Mills Shimai and I
are whitewashing Takatsuki and taking over both wards. So, we have become the
Sisters for both the Ibaraki and Takatsuki wards....hence making us the
Ibaratsuki Shimai. That phone call ended with a lot of tears on all of our
parts, it is really sad for the Takatsuki Shimai to be leaving for the entire
ward, and the apartment will be really different with just the futari. It is
slightly overwhelming to be learning our way around two areas at once, since
Mills Shimai and I are still learning our way around Ibaraki....and also
learning all of the member’s names in both wards, as well as adopting the
investigators from the Takatsuki Shimai. But, the Lord has a way of stretching
our comfort zones and showing us that we can accomplish more than we think we
can when He is on our side.
It was a really weird week though...we didn't know when the
Takatsuki Shimai would be leaving until Saturday night because we kept hearing
lots of different things from mission leaders...but it was finally decided that
the Takatsuki Shimai would be leaving on Christmas eve. So, I have re-decided
that transferring is a very sad thing...even when I am not even the person
transferring!
On a happier note, we had a fun ward Christmas party this
week! And we had a few of our investigators come and they all loved it a lot.
Also, two missionaries from Ibaraki finished their missions and just came
home...which was incredibly exciting because they are really excited about
helping the missionaries do missionary work. The members here are really wonderful
and super loving especially at Christmas time. They are just such an amazing
group of members and they always do so much for us at Christmas time. After
church yesterday they gave all of the missionaries a large box of presents for
Christmas and it was the sweetest thing ever. (Japanese church members really help you feel super loved all of the time :)
There is nothing quite like being a missionary at Christmas,
especially at Christmas time. As a missionary, Christmas just pops up way faster, for whatever reason. And I
have decided that it is because we are focused on "Christmas" every
single day for this 18 month period. And the Christmas season just makes it
even more wonderful to share why we are out here talking about Christ, every
single day - on Christmas there is a light brought into our work. I found this quote
on lds.org and I really liked it.
"When we keep the spirit of Christmas, we keep the
Spirit of Christ, for the Christmas spirit is the Christ Spirit. It will block
out all the distractions around us which can diminish Christmas and swallow up
its true meaning."
The Spirit of Christmas is the Spirit of Christ, and we may notice it more at Christmas, but we can keep this spirit with us at all times.
Merry Christmas everyone!! I love you all :)
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