Baputesuma

Omedetou!!!

Guess what? Natsumi-san is getting baptized on Saturday!!! What with the new transfer, Sister Uchida coming and not really knowing the area, and Natsumi-san`s impending baptism, this week was a little bit stressful, but everything has just been miraculously working out. Sister Uchida has really been able to bond with our investigators and with the members in a very short amount of time, which was really important, especially becaues Natsumi-san has also been feeling a little anxiety about her baptism. I have never held a baptismal service before (Sister Uchida and I were in the same MTC doki so we were both pretty new and inexperienced), so it has been fun figuring everything out. We pulled out the baptism clothes that our ward has stored in the missionary closet and the dress was about twice the size of me...and Natsumi-san is about a foot shorter than me...hahaha. Were still ironing out all the kinks and trying to get things ready. She is having her interview with the Zone Leaders tonight. Fun fun fun!

I almost forgot! We recieved a referral from a ward member last week for a woman named Nariko-san. She is a former investigator and apparently wanted to be taught by the missionaries again, so we started teaching her last week. On our second visit we scheduled a baptism date! It seems like she has been really prepared this time around to really internalize the message. She is currently following the Word of Wisdom and doing really well reading the Book of Mormon. She is this really sweet older lady who lives alone and has recently had multiple deaths of very close loved ones-so we are trying to help her really understand the Plan of Salvation and help her let the atonement heal her heart. We are praying that everything goes well and that on August 13th she will be baptized. Whenever we go visit she has a bundle of bananas for us to take home because she knows I love them :).

Sister Uchida is such an amazing companion! We are struggling and learning a lot together this transfer. We dont have our trainer `moms` to help us do everything now, so everyday is definitely a hilarious adventure. We were really excited yesterday because we received a phone call from a woman wanting to meet us at the mall up the street from the church. We raced there all excited (it is very rare to have someone call us up and want to meet out of the blue), only to find out that she wanted to dendo(do missionary work) to us instead, haha. She started teaching us about this book written by a Japanese man about Hotokesama (still not completely sure what that is).

I always enjoy being housed by the Jehova`s Witnesses and talking to other missionaries, so I didn`t really mind. We ended up being able to teach her about the Restoration just standing there on the sidewalk in front of Starbucks. It was funny because at the end she tried to hand us two of her books, but we said we couldn`t take them....so we tried giving her a Book of Mormon and she said the same thing...and then we all just cracked up for a second and said farewell. Missionary work is so fun!

I just want to leave all of you with this scripture that I read this week. This is exactly how I feel this transfer working alongside Uchida shimai. Alma 26:11-12. My joy is full, my heart is  brim with joy! I know that I am weak but the evidence of God`s work through us can be seen in the change Ive seen with Natsumi-san and others we teach. I can tell you all one thing; none of the miracles I have seen in my mission so far have been my doing.

I love you and wish you the most joy and happiness that this world and the world to come has to offer! There is only one way to gain that joy. Only through Jesus Christ!

Have a good week!

Love, Tingey shimai