Christmas is Coming!

Hello everyone! Have you all seen the new Christmas video, "he is the
gift"? If you haven't, then I would be very surprised. Haha I
recommend you watch and share it with EVERYONE! It is a great video
and a perfect and nonthreatening way to share the gospel. Give it a
try. We have been working on using it in our finding.

This week was great. We had zone conference and we talked a lot of
great ways to find people to teach and also things we can do to
accomplish our Christmas miracle. It was a great zone conference and I
learned tons like usual. We also had a great Christmas concert to
invite investigators too. It went really well. A referral we have been
trying to contact came! Her name is Ai and she just moved from the
Fukuoka mission. Ai is her Japanese name. She is actually from
Vietnam. Her Japanese and English is really good. She actually might
be passed to the Tokyo 2nd ward. It was so great to have her there.
She doesn't have a huge interest in church things right now, but she
said she likes how she feels when she comes to church activities and
when members are around. She is a great person.

Well, today is the start of my last full week on my mission. It is
going by so fast! A little too fast, but it had to come sometime. This
week we have a lot of finding time, but we are ready to see some
miracles. Sunday was my last regular church day because next week is
stake conference.. This week is also my last Eikaiwa. They moved
transfer day up a day because so many missionaries are going home this
transfer. Sad! My last Eikaiwa!

It is good to hear that everyone is doing well and enjoying the
holidays. That is exciting that courtney is graduating! Congrats soap!
Have fun at the Christmas party too! Please take some pictures. I want
to see! We have a Christmas party this Saturday too. I am pretty
excited for it. Also, karina, good luck with your ACT! Don't stress.
Haha

Well, I actually better going. Thanks for the email. Love you!

Sister Ivory
アイボリー姉妹

With the kawamura family this week. Arisa is the one under the three little boys

With Ai after the Christmas concert

Enjoy Thanksgiving!

This week wasn't the best. we ended up trying some new places out in our area, and discovered that they aren't places worth going again. It is to bad we had to find out the hard way. Haha. After Arisa shimai's baptism last transfer, it is back to the finding. This whole transfer, Sister Nash and I have been talking about how we are expecting to see another great miracle this transfer. So far, we haven't seen anything and it is kind of getting me down, but I am just looking at it as Heavenly Father testing my Faith. I need to exercise more faith and just keep working hard no matter what happens, and trust that Heavenly Father will make something of the things we are doing. It will take a lot of work to see the miracles we want to see. Success is not simple.

This weekend, we had exchanges with the Nakano Sisters. I worked in Nakano with Sister Edwards. It was fun meeting so many people. We had a great exchange with a lot of great lessons. Oh, and Yesterday, we saw a great miracle. after an unsuccessful time of finding, sister Nash and I tried to visit a less active that lived near where we were visiting. For the past couple of weeks, we have tried visitng and no answer. It has been hard to meet for a while. But this time, she was there! We were able to meet with her and her three kids. She has a strong desire to come back to church, but her mother is hantai and she is scared of going behind her back. We were able to have a talk with her, then read from the Book of Mormon with her and her three kids (ages 20,15, and 3). It went so well and we were able to set up a way to visit her when she is available. Heavenly Father played a big role in having us visit at the right time. 

Today was zone Pday. We went to yoyogi Koen (park) and played capture the flag. It was nice to run around everywhere. The weather today was great. There was also a volleyball. It has been so long since I have played, and I loved it. I miss volleyball. Ready to play again soon.

That is great that you carbon beat Morgan. Way to start the season off with a bang! Keep playing hard. Everyone enjoy thanksgiving too. Eat some turkey and potatoes for me. Also, enjoy Black Friday too. Haha 

Thank you for letting me know about my homecoming. That will be fun to have karina and her friends singing. Also, have fun at the birthday party! I am looking forward to the pictures! Everyone, please have a great week. Stay safe and enjoy the snow. Love you!

on exchanges making new friends

With two of my companions. Ruplinger Shimai and Nash Shimai. They
were in the same MTC district

discussing with the team while playing capture the flag

Making it Count!

This week was pretty great. Sister Nash and I have been working on our
finding skills.... Haha. My whole mission, I have never really
streeted people before. But now that I am in the city, that is the
best way to Dendou. However, Nash Shimai and we are both pretty shy
when it comes to stopping people on the street, but we figured
something out that worked for us. We have also been getting our
areabook more organized and cleaning up some bad entries that other
missionaries left behind. I have learned that it is very important to
keep a good areabook because it makes it harder for other missionaries
when it is not organized. Anyway... So we have been working through
that and trying to find people from there that has interest.

This week we also meet with the Kawamura family. Arisa kawamura is the
one that just got baptized a few weeks ago. We read from the
scriptures with them and it was so fun to see everyone read together
as a family. They were all so involved too. It was cute! The kawamura
family is amazing.

This week we had zone meeting. We learned a lot of great things. One
training that was given was about how to use Facebook. It was great.
Basically, we learned how to be Facebook stockers to find people to
teach. Haha jk. But it really opened a new way of finding.

Today was a fun Pday. We went to asakusa. It is famous for its temple.
There are also tons of souvenir shops. I finished my Christmas
shopping. :) I am excited for everyone to see their gifts. Ha

Well, it is nice to hear that everyone is doing well and things slowed
down a bit. That is so crazy that Brynn is turning two. The last time
I saw her, she was so small! Kids grow up so fast!. Haha thanks for
the update on robin and coach stew. I sent Brent and robin a letter. I
hope it gets to them.

Before I go, I will answer some questions.. Japanese is still hard,
but I feel like I have a little more confidence than I did before.
Man... It has been a long time since I have dendoued in Japanese. It
is a little weird, but I have really missed. The old Japanese women
are my favorite. It is starting to get a little chilly. I hope it
doesn't start getting to cold before I go. I don't really want to have
to deal with it. Haha it isn't to bad though.

Anyway, I better get going. Thanks for the updates and everything.
Stay safe and have a good week. Love you!

Love, sister Ivory

At Asakusa

My last transfer! :(‏

Mom, dad, why are so many people Passing away? Last week kaleb sent me an
email with a list of like 4 people that passed away or were in such
bad accidents. It is so sad to hear. I am so thankful for God's plan
for us and the knowledge that we have of it. It is a blessing to know
that they aren't gone for good.

I am glad you had a good break from sports and tried enjoying the rest
of your week after cousin Ronald's funeral. The MTC activity sounded
way fun. Oh, and good luck with basketball tryouts karina! Enjoy the
season! Just have fun!

It is so great that you are so involved with so many church activities
and events. It is a good way to strengthen your testimony and also
strengthen relationships with our heavenly siblings. As a missionary
and spending so much time with members, other missionaries, and
investigators, my testimony of how we are all a brothers and sisters
have grown. Being with all of these people, I have come to love them
like a family and they are all so special to me.

This week was way good. It was sad saying goodbye to sister herring
because she went home is week. Sister Hubner and I visited quite a few
people to tell them about the transfers. I am still in this area and
get to know what is going on in the Tokyo 2nd ward. It is also nice to
be back in to Japanese Dendou. My Japanese is a little rusty, but I
realized that my confidence in speaking is better. I am not as afraid
to open my mouth now.

My companion is sister Nash. She is from Ohio. We have been in this
area for the same amount of time. Her Japanese dendou.p, and me in
English. Now we are together, so this we be fun. She ca,e to Japan the
same time sister Ruplinger did. We are excited to see some big
miracles together this transfer. I plan on working hard to the end.

Anyway, I better get going. Everyone, please have a good week and stay
safe. I am going to try and send a letter to the brays. I hope it gets
to them in time. I Just want to let them know that they aren't alone
in this. Love you all!

Sister Ivory

P.s.
I sent a package. Please DO NOT OPEN IT! Or it will ruin the Christmas
surprise. It should get there sometime in December.

Also, how is coach stew doing?

November Already?!‏

I can't believe it is November. Time is flying! Today I started my
last transfer. So sad!

This morning, we received our transfer call. Not too big of a change.
Haha I am actually transferring to the Senzokuike ward. That is the
Japanese ward in the Same building as the Tokyo 2nd ward. So, I am not
transferring too far. Just moving my stuff to a different desk. Haha!
That is a little less stressful. But, here is the thing. So, I am
basically staying, just going back to Japanese Dendou. I am pretty
excited to end in Japanese. It is great too, because I basically
already know some of the ward.

Senzokuike ward just had a baptism yesterday and I was able to see it.
Now I get to help Arisa with her AB lessons, it will be a great
experience helping them to continue to progress in the gospel. I am
excited to get to know the ward members more. They already seem so
great.

This week was fun. We had a Halloween party at Eikaiwa and the ward
also had a party. For Eikaiwa, we dressed up as Snow White and the
seven dwarfs. I was Snow White. The elders dressed up great, but the
sisters couldn't dress up to much because at would have been
considered cross dressing.... Haha. I put a bow in my hair though.
Then, at the ward party, I went as Mickey wearing a red spotted dress
I had with a big bow. It was fun. I will send pics of the elders. They
were great.

Yesterday, we went to phillipine FHE with the phillipine members in
the ward. It was so fun. I love to see people from different places in
the world being so strong in the church. It was a fun night and I am
glad I got to know them.

Sorry, nothing to exciting happened this week. Just trying to stay
focused and get everything done. I am really looking forward to this
transfer. Let's hope my Japanese isn't too bad.

That is to bad that carbon lost out of the tournament. I remember
losing out my junior year. That was terrible... Way to survive the
year. Remember to just have fun. You are only in high school once.
That is fun that the martindales came too. How nice!

The pref pictures look way cute too! It is fun that they all wore
suspenders and now ties. I like it. Haha cute!

That is sad to hear about cousin Ronald. The family is in my prayers.
Kaleb gave me some terrible news about people in price. So many are
passing away. It is so sad. I am thankful for the knowledge that we
have about the plan of salvation.

Thank you for the pics and doing my social security number stuff too.
You guys are awesome. Please have a great week and stay safe. Love
you!

Sister Ivory.

After District Lunch

4 of the 7 Dwarfs

Me, Hubner Shimai, and Chyna. Love her!