May and Golden Week

おはよございます︎ 元気ですか? How is everyone doing this week? So guess what next
week is... Mother's Day!!! I am excited to talk to everyone.

This week I went on exchanges in Sanjo. We had some fun and were able
to visit a less active in their ward. She was a super nice lady. I am
glad I had the opportunity to meet her. I like meeting people that
other areas are working with it is fun. This week Brown Shimai and I
visited a former investigator. Her name is Irita (入田) San. She is a
super sweet old lady, I think 85ish. Snow Shimai, from my MTC
district, taught her and she was so close to baptism, but she got
nervous because she feels bad that she can't remember everything that
they teach her. Some of her friends also told her that associating
with Christian church's is a bad idea, so she stopped meeting with the
missionaries. Well, after four months without seeing the missionaries,
we decided to visit her. It took some time to find her house, but we
found it. She was so surprised to see us and she invited us in. Since
neither of us has met her before, we talked and got to know her a
little bit. She even said that recently she has thought about church
things, but she doesn't remember it all. We invited her to come to
church, but she said she was too embarrassed because she can't
remember stuff. So, we asked if she remembered how to pray and she
can't remember that either. She felt so bad. So instead, we just
prayed with her. It was such a great experience and the spirit was
there. You know.... She may not remember everything right now, but she
will one day. She has the desire to remember. She asked us to write
down our names so she could remember. I look forward to meeting with
her more and helping her remember. I was surprised that we even
understood everything she said, because she was using really
polite/old Japanese. The Lord was really guiding us that day.

At district meeting this week, brown Shimai and I gave a training. It
was about what we do when we have investigators at church. We used the
example about how it feels to join a new club or tryout for a new
sports team at school. It is always scary for the new person. So our
plan is to encourage the members to help them feel welcome. Become
their friends and help them understand what kind of things we do at
church. There are many things that we do in our church that our
different than other churches. I encourage people to take that step
and talk to that new person or investigator that comes to church. Just
a simple greeting will even make a big difference.

I have been talking to brown Shimai about times when we were in
college and some from high school. There are so many fun things we did
and things we regretted doing. Then we think.... "I am never going to
experience that again." I have also been thinking about my mission a
lot lately. I only have 8 months left!! Where is the time going. I
have been reflecting on my time in Takasaki and I am starting to
forget things and I have to go back to my journal and look things up.
It is crazy how fast the time passes. So now I am thinking that I
only have 8 months left and I better make the most of it. "I am never
going to experience this again!" Haha I read the talk "Your Four
Minutes" recently. All I have got to say is that, our life is short
and we need to do our part before our four minutes on earth our up.
Anyway... Sorry about that rant. Ha

Don't put on the blog....
I received an email from the ward today about how things are going in
the ward. It was really sad to hear that the youth aren't being very
involved with things and that their iPhones are getting in the way. In
nagaoka, there are no youth. Actually, in many Japanese wards the
youth groups are very small. There is much importance in the youth
programs. We have an 18 year old investigator and there are no youth
to welcome her to the ward. We are doing our best to become friends
with her and help her feel the love from the gospel, but there is only
so much we can do to help her since we are a couple years older than
her. I plan to write the young women a letter to share my experiences
on my mission. If I send it home, will you give it to them for me?
ありがとうございます︎

Alright mom and dad, I have another request. For Mother's Day in an
email, I want you to tell me one of your favorite stories about your
mom and dad. That way I get to learn about them more. Courtney, Rissa,
and Karina can do the same but about you. Haha

So I am glad that the business is slowing down. Sounds like carbon did
good at the buy meet. Go Garrett! Haha that is awesome. Karina too. Ha
way to jump far. We dendoued near a track meet the other day and
sometimes we walk by there while they practice. It makes me miss
track. I am glad the team did well though.

Well, I better get going. I love you and will talk to you next week.
Have a good safe week!

Love,
アイボリー姉妹