Let's start with pictures this time--
Last week, we had teaching exchanges and I got to go out with my Senpai, Sister Alaverenga. She's a great missionary!!
[ Senpai = Older graduate or Senior, i.e. Sister Alaverenga was at the MTC for part of the time when Sister Parker was there, but left earlier for Japan due to entering at an earlier date than Sister Parker ]
We had a very interesting lesson on Saturday. We went with M_______ Shimai, a member, to an investigator's house and taught there which was pretty good. We have high hopes for her, O______-San. And then afterwards, we went up to Hitachi to visit a less-active named F______ Shimai.
(By the way, in Japanese terms like "Sister, brother, san, etc." go after the name of people. So my name Sister Parker is, Paakaa Shimai.) とにかく、
M_______ Shimai knew F_______ Shimai well, so when we came, they were talking the whole time, which was great! First, she greeted us with a big hug and a smile! She is so tiny, but very friendly! She showed us pictures of missionaries that she and her sister dated, while they [the Elders] were still on their mission--Very disobedient.
[The Elder missionaries are not there to date at that time. After the mission, after returning home is when they can date and marry, the Elders would've known better.] It was kind of shocking, although I've heard many things that have happened a long time ago in Japan. Now we have probably one of the most obedient missions ever. But, at the time in the early 1980's, some young ladies thought that by dating the missionaries and getting baptized that they would marry the missionaries [not the right reason to get baptized]. I was having a hard time focusing on what they were talking about at first. Before we left, I said I short prayer for her, which touched her heart. She asked that we come back again, at anytime. We shared Alma 18:32 with her:
"32 And Ammon said: Yea, and he looketh down upon all the children of men; and he knows all the thoughts and intents of the heart; for by his hand were they all created from the beginning."
She wants to come to church. I hope we can meet again this week!!
I've learned how important it is to work with the ward. We cannot do the work alone with just two missionaries. We are always asking ourselves, the Elders, our missionary ward leader, our bishop, members, and God daily how we can better strengthen the ward. Everyone is family, everyone is a child of God. As we are bringing new people who enter into the path of righteousness, the missionaries cannot always be there to support those new members. They need friends in the ward [congregation]. As we've been doing member-present lessons, it's made a big difference in my understanding of teaching.
[A member-present lesson is when the missionary brings an active member (i.e. actively attending member) of the church to visit a less-active member, and a lesson is given]
By the way, my hand has healed very quickly from my bicycle accident a few weeks ago. I had bruises on my legs too, but they are almost gone.
Well, that's it for now,
Sister Kirsten Parker
Sent from the white fields of Japan 🍲🌅
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