tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-58075814799537351002024-03-13T11:18:08.186-07:00On My Knees With the JapaneseJapan Sapporo MissionConniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363333822539454435noreply@blogger.comBlogger42125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5807581479953735100.post-49540578980552394492017-05-03T20:48:00.006-07:002017-05-03T20:48:59.261-07:00Week 47: RUN FOR IT!!!<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I can't even remember what I shared in last weeks email because the </span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">days just RUN together so, to avoid repetition, I'll just talk about </span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">today!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">WE WENT TO THAT ONE STATUE!!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">YOU KNOW THE ONE FROM THAT ONE CONFERENCE TALK ABOUT SAPPORO JAPAN?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">YEAH, THE "BOYS BE AMBITIOUS" ONE!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yeah, I went to that statue. For a district activity!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But before that my companion finally went to the really expensive </span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">brand name outdoor wear store that she has been dying to go to to buy </span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">a coat for rainy season and then it took so long to decide because </span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">this was a HUGE PURCHASE, MMMKAY, yeah we talkin' priceyyyyyy and so </span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">we were RUNning late and everyone in our district was having lunch </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">without us so we literally RAN through the underground tunnels </span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(stopped to buy fancy shmancy bread at a French-ish bakery for a bit) </span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">and then jumped on the subway where we met our district in a </span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">cafeteria, eating some good ole Mickey D's.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Then we all spent way too much money on Baskin Robins but it was on </span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">sale!!!!! If you doubled the scoop size you got a better price! We all </span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">just got our money for the month so let's hope we don't RUN out any </span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">time soon!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Then we rode in style together on the bus to the statue man.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">PICTURES</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Just look at how adorable and awkward my district leader's face is. He is so tiny.</span></div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7a8ReTcexW4/WQqjigdG8zI/AAAAAAAAAyg/y5XXXqq18skiHd6knuJ6O104xYDkcLF4ACEw/s1600/Week47.2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="257" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7a8ReTcexW4/WQqjigdG8zI/AAAAAAAAAyg/y5XXXqq18skiHd6knuJ6O104xYDkcLF4ACEw/s320/Week47.2.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">LOOK AT HER. My companion is so cute. And even tinier than my district leader...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">and here she is collecting acorns.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Well looks like I've all but RUN out of email time!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">BYE FOLKS!!!!!</span></div>
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Conniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363333822539454435noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5807581479953735100.post-28312043785852244042017-04-24T21:46:00.000-07:002017-04-24T21:46:17.901-07:00Week 46: They Tell Me It's Easter<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">WELCOME ONE AND ALL TO MY LIFE IN HOKKAIDO, JAPAN !!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="background-color: white;">Hey yo there was transfers! Thought I would stay in Moiwa BUT NO, </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">shocker! Got transferred right outta there. Good thing I was too lazy </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">to fill out my "Get to Know Your Missionary!" paper for the ward </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">because looks like I won't be needing it!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="background-color: white;">Also I got to transfer alone. Meaning sans companion. And for those of </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">you who don't know Latin that means without a companion. WOO! I got </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">really lost and almost left the train station but eh, it's whatever! </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Was fun being alone for like 10 minutes. Haha, missionary life.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="background-color: white;">Transferred to a place called Shinoro and it feels like America! The </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">roads are huge and there are FIELDS!!! It literally feels so nice.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Good place!</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(A video of my new area taken from the train)</span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">UM, what else to say but transfers are the worst because I HATE PACKING. But whatever! I'm with my like best buddy in the mission! We've been in the same zone or district the whole time, and I've been on splits with her loads. She's like the tiniest and most fabulous little Japanese 24-year-old you could ever meet and we're besties. Only bad part is I'm dead tired all the time because we end up staying up for hours talking about Disneyland and CSI....... ;)</span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My first day in the area we DECORATED LIKE CRAZY. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Made a billion of these thing, which Japan was doing way before Pinterest was BTW</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Made the Elders blow up the balloons #Classic ... also look how they're not even doing that...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We did a good job, guys.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">THEN WE HID A BUNCH OF CANDY. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here's kids finding it.</span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(Low-key seizure warning)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And then we decorated eggs and ate them.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">AND THEN THE NEXT DAY IT WAS EASTER!!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Or at least that's what they tell me...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Totally forgot it was Easter until I looked at my planner that night. That's what happens when you can't understand the talks at church, people. It could have been Christmas and I wouldn't have had a clue! But, hey, at least I'm a tiny bit literate now. I read the word "texture" on a bag of chips the other day. Well, I couldn't read it out loud. So no, I couldn't actually read it, but I knew it meant "eating feeling" so if that's not reading I don't know what is.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Also this week we taught the Law of Chastity to this cool couple that are our investigators. My comp was in a literal panic of awkward, it was hilarious. But like hey, when we were like "So one of you can either move out or just get married or something," and they were like "hmm, yeah we kinda wanna get married anyway!" Well shucks, okay. We're already planning their baptism-wedding reception extravaganza. Well, only in our heads... they don't have a baptismal date... yet!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That about wraps it up folks! Oh, PS, sleeping on the floor for over half a year is really starting to take its toll on my back. Yay.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Pictures!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's still snowing.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My companion found a bug in her pistachio and we almost cried. (Not included in photo)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This was from Moiwa. We always said this elder was like Simba from Lion King... was never really sure why...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My companion is going to open a cafe and she wants me to paint Jesus on the wall and yes that is a fat stack of BOMs on the shelf back there because she's that cute. We've got plans, people. Plans.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Speaking of plans...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">BYE BYE!! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">OH, SO THAT WAS LAST WEEK</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is all I have for this week.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Taught them how to check out.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Look how awkward my ward mission leader is. </span><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dz_WmWH0gvVyEvm6Vyq3XS7CabeNVoFjCfEXvoHFE90sBpDsuijOGlQnuW9iXdjQVhnGT2k2YXGkZsWUX2e' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">THAT'S ALL, BYE!!!</span><br />
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<br />Conniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363333822539454435noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5807581479953735100.post-24512458637200294772017-04-11T22:19:00.000-07:002017-04-11T22:19:17.670-07:00Week 45: Since We Last Spoke....<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 12.8px;" /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">IN SHORT, NOTHING HAS HAPPENED.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I was making soup for a sick person and I was stirring the pot and the tips of my hair got burned by the stove top.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">That's how long my hair is now, people.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And then my companion got sick too so I made her jello.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And now it's today!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We had district activity today and we went to the giant area of malls in this city and just had fun.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We ate stuff.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Ramen, but I didn't eat ramen.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This ice cream was made with Hokkaido milk.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This is my current district leader, everyone. We say he's the Cheshire Cat.</span></div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xovMb7urzQ0/WO24Efe1ycI/AAAAAAAAAwc/OGMmmTmhNHsMq6M7JvUsDm5kaoo1PbMUQCEw/s1600/Week45.4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xovMb7urzQ0/WO24Efe1ycI/AAAAAAAAAwc/OGMmmTmhNHsMq6M7JvUsDm5kaoo1PbMUQCEw/s320/Week45.4.JPG" width="239" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">My companion and my planner this week.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Boring email this week because I want to take a nap!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">BYE!!</span></div>
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Conniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363333822539454435noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5807581479953735100.post-9995508526077261072017-04-05T21:08:00.003-07:002017-04-05T21:08:36.884-07:00Week 44: There's Been Some... Changes<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">ALOHA MY OHANA !!!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Welcome to another week in Wonderlaaannddddd!!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And welcome to Sister Stewart's second Temple P-Day in a row... On the </span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">transfers when the elders didn't get to go at all... Haha, lucky me!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Why, you may ask, does our little Sister Stew get to go to the temple </span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">twice in one transfer?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Well let me tell you in the form of an anecdote....</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It was Friday. My companion and I were underground, fixin' to board a </span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">subway when we get a call. My companion didn't tell me who it was, but </span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">the excitement and concern on her face told me it was someone </span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">worthwhile. She hands me the phone. Still don't know who it is (lol,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">can't read your mind, companion!) All I hear is the following phrase </span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">in a grave tone of voice "Is English OK?" "Uhhh. Yeah. Sure." I soon </span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">figure out it's my mission president when he says the following... </span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"THERE WILL BE EMERGENCY TRANSFER."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"YOU PACK TONIGHT, LEAVE TOMORROW MORNING TO MOIWA. OK?"</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After whirlwind of packing, not wanting to pack, shoving stuff really </span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">tight, sitting on my suitcase so it will close, and watching the </span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Addiction Recovery Program videos while I pack, I find myself Saturday </span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">afternoon in the Moiwa apartment discussing a whole new list of names </span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have to memorize.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And because I'm in a different zone now too, I'm going to their temple </span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">pday too! And that's the long winded explanation of why I am going to </span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">the temple twice in two weeks. :)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So yeah! Two weeks before the end of the transfer and I transferred! </span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Will transfer again in two weeks, no clue where I'm going! Moiwa is </span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">THE LEGIT CITY, like the center of Sapporo! So we getting all fancy up </span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">in here.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">OH YEAH AND THERE'S A TROLLEY. We ride it to church and stuff.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">IN OTHER NEWS.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This week I taught English to a bunch of grandpas.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Had my best door approach by far to a Bulgarian lady I found. She </span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">totally turned us down, but man, my English door approaches are hot </span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">fire #youmissinoutonthissismish @USofA Was really fun, but then I went </span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">back to speaking Japanese to people and feeling really self conscious! </span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">#thedailygrind #refinersfireprobs</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Had the best ramen of my life in this ramen wonderland which was </span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">described by me as "Disneyland, but for ramen."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Also, I will have you know--and mom will be real proud of me </span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">here--that I am STOKED for General Conference! And by stoked I mean </span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">yeah I haven't seen it yet. We watch it this weekend because Japan is </span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">slow.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">THERE IS NO OTHER NEWS.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">NOW PICTURES.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: center;">Making posters to advertise our free English... People, it's free, just come.</span></div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BpCE23F_MFw/WOW9lJWoLYI/AAAAAAAAAvc/u7T0rLAD9iAwxhCDEHlYUAImN5ar8mrCQCLcB/s1600/Week44.2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BpCE23F_MFw/WOW9lJWoLYI/AAAAAAAAAvc/u7T0rLAD9iAwxhCDEHlYUAImN5ar8mrCQCLcB/s320/Week44.2.JPG" width="239" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: center;">Nothing makes this baby smile. #cutestpokerfaceever</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: center;">Apparently, I'm an amputee. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Just kidding, I just do that when I feel uncomfortable in pictures. :-)</span></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-e3O0t0FeBrE/WOW9mhOEnVI/AAAAAAAAAvg/PSaPS5NDMboOndxlHa3aJvCOZ0yPDdwPgCLcB/s1600/Week44.4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-e3O0t0FeBrE/WOW9mhOEnVI/AAAAAAAAAvg/PSaPS5NDMboOndxlHa3aJvCOZ0yPDdwPgCLcB/s320/Week44.4.JPG" width="298" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">NOW WE ARE GOING TO MCDONALDS</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">BYE!!!!</span></div>
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Conniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363333822539454435noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5807581479953735100.post-29403497331167771042017-03-30T15:24:00.000-07:002017-03-30T15:25:41.526-07:00Week 43: FOREIGN RELATIONS<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Heyyoooooo! How we all doing today? It's Sistah Stew again, writing from the undergrounds of Sapporo Japan (on the subway choochoo) and I have a belly-full of really yummy bread. Everyone, Japan has good bread. I don't know how it compares to Europe, but it is GOOD. They </span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">get so creative! I just ate a deep fried egg salad sandwich! And I only feel a little bit guilty....</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I DON'T THINK I HAVE TOLD YOU about one of the funniest things about being a foreigner in Japan. I call it... THE WHITE PERSON AFFECT. So you usually only see 1-2 foreigners a day, if you're lucky, and usually they are from some sort of Asian country. But mostly, everyone here is Japanese. Everyone. And white people REALLY stand out. So no matter how many people are in the train station, you will spot the only other white person in the room.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Okay sorry I'm interrupting but these 12 year old girls were staring at me in the subway so I waved at them and they giggled and they are so cute.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">BUT ANYWAY!!! When you do see them you... can't help but stare. White people look so different! Their noses are so big... And they just stand out so much you have to stare! And then... The dreaded moment. You inevitably make eye contact. And then something happens... A moment, between foreigner and foreigner where you both accept each other presence. You usually tilt your head a little in acknowledgement and then try and get away from them as fast as possible because AWKWARDDDD!!! Haha I love it. Just had one of those moments in the bread shop we were at. We both just kind of nodded at each other.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Yeah, you white too?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Yeah.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ASIA BE CRAZY, KIDS!!!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Highlights from this week.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We went with the elders to visit one of their female investigators who </span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">they then passed to us. When we went, unbeknownst to us (the elders </span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">knew they just don't tell us anything #classic #everytime </span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">#reallyboys?) there was a glorious feast being prepared on our behalf!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">IT WAS SOME OF THE BEST FOOD I HAVE EVER HAD !! This lady who is the </span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">local leader of one of those worldwide television churches went all </span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">out. There were multiple courses, people!! She gave us full avocados </span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">with shrimp and yummy stuff mixed in. There were little minny kiesches </span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">and really yummy seasonal Japanese foods. She bought us 31 Flavours</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">and then put it in HAND MADE WAFFLE BOWLS which she had made out of </span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">HAND MADE Mille fille dough. Also, SHE MADE US REAL MEAT. Legit </span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">marinated, pan-fried spare ribs. Needless to say, the elders were very </span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">happy.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It's still snowing. Thought it was done so I put my sandals out on the balcony. Nah man, still winter.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I look way better in blur.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">DA ZONE. Some or my favorites stacked up in this building, gotta be happy about that.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Apparently I'm a really slow walker... Can you see my companion in the shadow of the building booking it to church? We weren't late or anything. I just think she really likes to read... (That's a pun on booking it, I don't know, I'm trying people)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Oh and by the way! We found a totally GOLDEN investigator who is a super chill dude with a beard, longboard, SnapBack, and a shoelace for a belt. Gotta love it. Passed him to the elders though... Hoping they find us a cute young mom in return.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">THATS ALL FOR NOW.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">BYE BYE!</span><br />
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<br />Conniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363333822539454435noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5807581479953735100.post-58164195191299827032017-03-20T18:43:00.000-07:002017-03-20T18:43:41.837-07:00Week 41: BACK FROM THE DEAD<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">HEY EVERYONE;;</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">IT'S BEEN A WHILE!!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This has to be so fast, so let's just give you the highlights!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I TRANSFERRED ;</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I am now in the city! My area is called 東 (Higashi) (He Gaw Shee)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">NEW COMPANION ;</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Announcing.......</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">SISTER OLD VALLEY </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">FACT SHEET :</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">She's adorable</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">She's Japanese</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Her English is actually pretty good, so it's all lax over here</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">She looks like the Asian version of Kiera Knightly</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">She plays the ukulele, and she's totally pressuring me into buying one too</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And that's all you need to know!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">NOW LET'S GET YOU CAUGHT UP ON THE PAST FEW WEEKS</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We play ping pong here!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One time we moved a billion boxes of cans of health drink from one grandma's house to another grandma's house. Don't tell anyone, but they were coffee flavored... Contraband!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I played sports for the first time in my life. District activity. Yeah, as expected, I'm really bad.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">MY MISSION PRESIDENT (Native Japanese, speaks English) used the word "DICHOTOMY" in our interview. I was so impressed.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We ate Hokkaido's (the island I'm on) most famous meal, Ghengis Khan, which is just what they call lamb. The meat gives off such a delicious odor when you cook it, that you literally put your outer ware clothes in plastic bags before you cook it. So you don't smell like delicious meats. Well, if you want dogs to follow you home, you don't have to, but... Pets aren't allowed for missionaries...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ate sushi twice in one day. Went out for pday lunch to a place where the fish on top was easily two or three times bigger than the rice. My companion from Honshu was very happy about "Hokkaido Size" (Hokkaido is like the Texas-Alaska of Japan.) Then we get home and our investigator calls us and is like "Let's go out for sushi tonight!" Fine with me!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Made brownies with our mission president's wife at the mission home. Passed them out to our investigators and less active members. They also fed us lunch. Our mission president makes a mean pulled pork sandwich.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The first person me and my new companion visited had the TINEST genkan (Genkan - the place where you take off your shoes before entering a home. As a missionary, you stare here a lot and talk when people won't actually let you in. Well, if you're lucky. Usually you don't even make it into the genkan!) ANYWAY, we were in a new member's TINY EENSY WEENSIE genkan for oh about an hour just chatting and all the sudden I felt WEIRD. Hot, then dizzy, then woo, when I started feeling nauseous mid-conversation I just grabbed my companion and was like "let's goooo nowwwww." Made it through the closing prayer and stumbled out of there. Made use of the word vomit in Japanese, glad I learned that vocab word. Stumbled around half-running through the city while my companion found me a place to sit, which ended up being a community gym. Laid on a table watching old ladies have teatime gossip time after tennis practice until the dizziness went away enough to walk home. Sleep until it was dark, then sleep again. No idea what happened, but I am so glad I didn't vomit in that man's genkan........</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">AND THAT'S ALL I GOT!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We missed our train and now we got to figure something else out...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here's a picture of my planner with the train in my background!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">LOVE YOU!!!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">GOODNIGHT!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">ALSO I WENT TO A POKEMON CENTER. MORE ON THAT LATER.</span><br />
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<br />Conniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363333822539454435noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5807581479953735100.post-52565103560169565912017-03-06T17:55:00.001-08:002017-03-06T17:57:04.920-08:00Week 39: Where, Oh Where Could Sister Stewart Be?<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The title of my blog this week is the question you all should be asking yourselves Thursday morning (my time) because IT'S TRANSFERS PEOPLE, AND NOT EVEN I CAN ANSWER THAT QUESTION!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We get transfer calls tomorrow (or tonight, if you are training, and I will not be doing such) and it's really looking like I'm due for a transfer! If you haven't been keeping up, I am still in my first area. </span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Been 6 months in my darling little 旭川 and I am sad, sad, sad to leave it, but alas, we must press on!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And if I don't transfer, it will be quite awkward. I already said my goodbyes. I'll have to come to church next week with a disguise and pretend to be Sister Stewbard instead...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In other news, I went to the zoo (again.) Should have really shelled out for the year pass... I'll be counting my shekels from here on out...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">There's lots of good stories to tell but I can't think of a clever way to string them together so I'm just going to jump in.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I WAS PRESENT AT 5 CONCERTS THIS WEEK!!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">1 ) While housing, a grandma, who is a tutor for some fancy, ancient Japanese singing style that even 中澤姉妹, who I was on splits with, couldn't read, sang for us. Then told us to leave... But apparently </span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">you usually have to shell out the big bucks to hear that style of music so WOW!!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">2 ) That same day, while visiting some investigators, we got the grandpa to sing some old folk song about Asahiwaka and I LOVED IT.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">3 ) At the same investigators house, me and 中澤姉妹 performed a duet of Families Can Be Together Forever with ukulele accompaniment. Yes, we are that fancy.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">4 ) I got one of my favourite members, who accidentally said that she was good at singing Japanese folk style, to sing for us. She was embarrassed, but MAN, JAPANESE FOLK MUSIC IS SO COOL.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">5 ) At the zoo all of the wolves started howling together... A little different, but still a musical performance!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">TWO PEOPLE MADE ME DO STRETCHES THIS WEEK!!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">1 ) That same old man who performed for us.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">2 ) My 63 year old best friend and investigator who was in a famous dance group.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I promised them I would stretch every day! Still have yet to make good on that promise...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">THIS ONE DOESN'T HAVE A LIST, </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But when we were leaving that old couples house (singing and stretching) they made us take round three of our dessert course on the go and we were a little late so we were running through the snow with little pancake crepe waffle things in our hands and I thought it was super funny.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Just imagine two girls in skirts running through the night on ice-covered sidewalks holding little pancake crepes.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">AND I AM NOT GOING TO LIST THEM,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But I have said so many goodbyes this week! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Some of them have been really sad, </span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But all of them have included me very seriously admonishing people to friend me on Facebook. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I even got one to follow my Instagram! (63 year old bestie coming in clutch)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">HERE IS ME SAYING GOODBYE TO MY EIKAIWA FLOCK </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">MY CUTE LITTLE PUNKS (they respect me)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Well I have nothing else interesting to say except the other day someone literally calculated my bill on one of those Asian counter things man I can't think of the word but I have a picture.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And he had a calculator right next to him. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">(I don't know if I told you about this guy, but he is a grandpa who runs the art store and he has hiked Everest, is apart of a "Churchill Club," and apparently is the most respectable firefly of all of Hokkaido (yeah, I got no clue either, but he was so funny))</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ANYWAY</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">My ride is here (our Ward Mission Leader is taking us up the the Blue Lake which is now the White Lake because it is almost certainly frozen over) so I best be on my way!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">GOODBYE </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Talk to you next week from another church building in Hokkaido!!!</span><br />
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Conniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363333822539454435noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5807581479953735100.post-80861093311362744022017-02-22T14:32:00.000-08:002017-02-22T14:32:06.143-08:00Week 38: I Am Eating BBQ Cheetos<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Welcome again to my blog!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As the workers say in any store or restaurant you enter here in the Japan Land "いらっしゃいませ (irasshaimase)," which I'm pretty sure translates to "you are honorably existing."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Let's get right down to it, eh?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">THIS WEEK WAS VALENTINES DAY!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Happy Valentine's Day!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In Japan, the girls give chocolates (almost always handmade) to boys they fancy (or their friends too,) and then there is another day, next month, where the boy's return the chocolates: White Day. We did our part in giving out plenty of chocolates to our beloved investigators, Ward members, and yes, even the elders, but it seems like I will likely transfer away from this area before White Day. Maybe they'll </span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">celebrate it early for me?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">ANYWAY WE MADE CHOCOLATES WITH THE PRIMARY KIDS!!!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Look how cute they are with their aprons and handkerchiefs/head things/what are those called anyways! Literally we sit down and then, seemingly simultaneously, they all pull out perfectly folded sets of smocks and they are ready to go in a matter of seconds! We didn't have anything to wear... We felt underdressed...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And then WE SET A BAPTISMAL DATE WITH OUR INVESTIGATOR! She loves pink, she loves English, she LOVES Madonna, and she loves the Gospel! She is literally my best friend and we chat on the phone for like an hour a night thank goodness our minutes are unlimited!!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And then--this ones a bit of a roller coaster--but one of the APs (assistants to the mission prez) was looking at my handwriting, and asked me if I was half Japanese because it was so good OH HOHOHO! (Okay it might have been because my name is Mae and that is also a Japanese name but uh... He also definitely complimented my handwriting okay???) BUT THEN literally the next day, when this hoodie-wearing college-student-looking gas company employee came into our home (in his socks, heehee! Japan is so funny) to change our gas alarm and had me sign some paperwork he CORRECTED MY HANDWRITING. It was so bad -- apparently -- that he couldn't read it! I saw apparently because what he wrote on the side as his correction looks exactly like what I wrote, whatever.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Look! The same, right?!?! (He's the one who scribbled on my original one, the left, and made it look all gross)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But the funny thing is the next day I realized I wrote the whole thing wrong anyway... I wrote MAH-EH, when it should have been MEH-EE... Didn't even get one part write.... Hehehe.... Yeah, I don't actually know Japanese, and this just proves it!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But the reason I actually told this story is because I thought it was really funny that the gas worker was just in his socks in our house. So Japan!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">BY THE WAY, we saw a FOX crossing the street on the way home from English Conversation Class. A REAL LIVE FOX!!!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I was pretty stoked.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Oh yeah, you remember that investigator I just told you about? The one who loves Madonna and has a baptismal date, oh yeah that one. She legitimately ran to church on Sunday. She had texted us, telling us that she wouldn't be able to make it, and right when we are about to walk into the chapel (I say chapel but it's really just a room, but that's not important right now) she BURSTS through the double doors, panting and panting! And then she said "I remembered that it was important to take the sacrament so I ran here! Did I make it in time?"</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Later that day when we were on the phone, my companion complimented her and said "You have great faith!" And she replied "ヘック え やる!"</span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> which, if translated correctly, translates pretty well to "Heck yeah I do!"</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Again, she is literally my best friend.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">NOW FOR PICTURES!!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">While waiting for interviews with the president, this is how the most missionary or missionaries spend their time, singing hymns in a circle. Meanwhile, the other missionaries (me!) just take pictures of them. #MissionaryLyfe</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Our Zone!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Everyone loves this picture because my hair is on point, apparently. Or rather, a-HAIR-antly.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I didn't know what to do with my hands and it was stressful, NEVER be in the middle of pictures!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Oh and by the way my MTC companion is in my zone and I love her. She's the redhead next to me!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I think that's about it! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">LOVE YOU BYE!!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">PS : Everyone seems to get a kick out of my weekly planner so I thought I would start including pictures of it at the end of my emails! If I remember. Probably won't. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Don't try to make sense of anything that's written here by the way! It's all gibberish!</span><br />
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<br />Conniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363333822539454435noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5807581479953735100.post-27174419467465436762017-02-18T16:32:00.001-08:002017-02-18T16:32:44.592-08:00Week 37: <span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hey there folks and fam, and howdy!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">PS I totally forgot to tell you like the biggest thing is mission history that happened recently. Haha, oops. You've probably hear it from other missionaries across the Internet, but worldwide, the </span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">missionary schedule has changed drastically! Well, the Japan Sapporo Mission hasn't changed all that much.... Except now lunch is only 30 minutes... How am I supposed to prepare a three course meal with dessert for my companion to prove my undying devotion to her through </span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">service in 30 minutes?!?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Somehow, I get by.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Like I freaking made her tacos 100% from scratch </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">#bestcomanionever </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">#idoallthedishes </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">#momintrainingamiright</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Speaking of mom in training, this week our Ward Mission Leader had the sister missionaries (and only the sister missionaries. Come on, we all know elders are useless in the kitchen) help prepare the Young Single Adult Activity feast (yes, the missionaries participate in YSA activities here. Members like to throw us into anything as anti-awkward protection. Missionaries are like the bridesmaids of Ward activities : we start the party.)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">They asked us to bring our rice cooker. A Japanese Mormon's most fashionable accessory when traveling to a ward potluck. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">#NeverBeenMoreNative</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We even got to tag along for the shopping! (Which meant we were just following him, and the new Ward Missionary who I call Sister Mysterious Yoga Babe ((because she is mysterious, does yoga, and is also a babe(((can a missionary say that? This one does))) around a Japanese grocery store on a busy Saturday, trying not to put our large, foreigner bodies in the way of any of the poor, likely shocked shoppers.)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Pictures! Blurry, but they exist! (Tried to be low key and not a creeper when I took them so be a little forgiving here!)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And then we made hand roll sushi which was delicious, and authentically Japanese but I didn't take any pictures so sorrryyyyyyyy. Lots of raw fish, delish! (it actually is, people!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And on the way home, I collected some trash, and it was pretty so I took a photo! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(Yes we have Baskin Robbins, but that's hard to say in a Japanese accent, so they call it 31!)</span><br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bqwUnbi6E-4/WKji4SjoObI/AAAAAAAAArA/GFlsjM9SqoguC2YWJr4txc_ADP6lpDPfACEw/s1600/Week37.4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bqwUnbi6E-4/WKji4SjoObI/AAAAAAAAArA/GFlsjM9SqoguC2YWJr4txc_ADP6lpDPfACEw/s320/Week37.4.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Snow I snow I always talk about the snow, but that's what Asahikawa is famous for, SNOW! This week was the Winter Festival (which is such a big deal they have an INTERNATIONAL ice sculpture competition!) which wasn't on P-Day... So I saw none of it! But for preparations there were these little guys EVERYWHERE!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The cutest little army ever!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And something you must know about life in Asahikawa, for one must take heed! If you are out after 8 on a Friday night... Monsters come out! Big snow-eating monsters!!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(Another crappy picture)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But these things were HUGE!! And on most nights there are normal bulldozers riding around town. I think people own them personally...? It's pretty funny seeing the most normal looking guy in his 30's in his sweats and graphic T rolling down the street in one of those. #HokkaidoThings</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And that's about everything you need to know about my life right now!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I've quite run out of time, so until next week, please remember me in Japan's Siberia!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">BYE BYE!!</span><br />
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<br />Conniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363333822539454435noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5807581479953735100.post-11067904791429425272017-02-06T19:19:00.000-08:002017-02-06T19:37:55.409-08:00Week 36: 「久しぶりだね〜」 It's Been a Long Time<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">HEYO!! What is up what is up? Howdeedoodie or whatever the young people are saying these days....</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Now that the pleasantries are over, I've got a lot to run through over the past couple weeks. Let's get this email started, shall we?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">FIRST OFF IS MISSION TOUR.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Elder Yamashita of the 70 (you may remember his talk about Being Ambitious, Ambitious for Christ... And also about Hokkaido, the island on which I presently reside) came and visited our mission! You can see him seated next to his wife, on the left of the attached photo.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Over half my mission is in the rest of this picture, but I looked fat in it, so I just cropped it so you can see what really matters : classy important Japanese church members.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">PS his wife is the nice, delightful version of that crazy pink lady from Harry Potter, Umbridge. She is crazy and intense, and I adore her.</span><br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OlgKKHWY4RQ/WJk6YldMXPI/AAAAAAAAApw/5t7BoOqa708LThT9tVXwsVzpmDr8jdaEwCLcB/s1600/Week35.1.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="234" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OlgKKHWY4RQ/WJk6YldMXPI/AAAAAAAAApw/5t7BoOqa708LThT9tVXwsVzpmDr8jdaEwCLcB/s320/Week35.1.PNG" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So not only did Elder Yamashita visit the mission, but he also visited ME, and yes, I do mean personally. And by personally, yes I do mean a personal, one-on-one interview with the man himself.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">What a terrifying call to get from the Assistant to the Mission President, as you are walking to an investigator's house one evening, completely hapless of the TERROR THAT AWAITS.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Yeah I was scared.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But it was awesome. He asked two questions about my normal life and then BAM, asked a question so real and true that I cried right then and there and wow it's like he could see right through me.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Then he and my mission president gave me a blessing.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Good times!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">NEXT!!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">AN ACTUAL MIRACLE HAPPENED!!!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This was actually last transfer, but I am going to lay it down for you real fast. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">On the way to our investigator's house, we were on a bus, about to get off, I check my wallet, EMPTY!! I check my coin purse, EMPTY!! Not a useful yen to spend! So I get my companion to pay for me.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Okay.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">On the way back, at the bus stop, waiting for the bus to come, I think, oh I need to ask for my companion to pay for me again! She checks her wallet. NOTHING. She checks her coin purse. NADA, GOOSE EGG, ZILCH!! Now, we probably could have booked it home and made it before curfew, but I had no desire to run in these boots! So I almost jokingly pray aloud, "God, I really need a miracle over here!!"</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And so I open my wallet. Like I thought, nothing.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And so I open my coin purse, and BAM!!!! ¥650 (approximately 7 American buckaroos in coin form) were just perched there all pretty and shiny in my wallet.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">WOAH!!!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Yeah I was pretty much in shock that whole bus ride home.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">OKAY OKAY SO I AM RUNNING OUT OF TIME AND DESIRE TO WRITE SO HERE ARE SOME PICTURES !!!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A zone activity where we wrote our goals fancy Japanese style.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Me being artsy and stuff while we were trying to figure out our broken Area Book app.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Our darling investigator and English student being HILARIOUS this morning.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And a joke about Trump!</span></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tVaTzuYwZJ8/WJk6bnQ846I/AAAAAAAAAp8/pS7XQp3lXA0VGSaciWjTDsGZi4iSNDNSACLcB/s1600/Week35.5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tVaTzuYwZJ8/WJk6bnQ846I/AAAAAAAAAp8/pS7XQp3lXA0VGSaciWjTDsGZi4iSNDNSACLcB/s320/Week35.5.JPG" width="230" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">(It's not funny or clever so don't worry about trying to read it)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">BYE BYE!!!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">********(PS FOR DILIGENT READERS :;:;:;;;; I was going to put a bunch of puns in this email that would TIE to me saying I really need a bolo tie and I still want to do it in a future email but anyway I'm just laying it down here straight: I need a bolo tie, people! Every day I wear a button up shirt under a sweater and my outfits will not be complete until I have a bolo tie to spruce it up! I can't work in temperatures BOLO zero without a bolo tie! (an example of the aforepromised puns.) よろしく!</span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> = please treat me kindly = please do this for thing for me in Japanese weirdness culture/language/formality.))</span><br />
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<br />Conniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363333822539454435noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5807581479953735100.post-86339752878772229712017-01-23T19:34:00.000-08:002017-01-23T19:34:19.389-08:00Week 34<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Heyyyyyyyyy! What uppppp!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Don't really feel like writing anything this week!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have some miracles to share, but I'm too lazy to write them, so you'll have to wait until next week!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Transfer calls came, I'm still in my area. My new comp is the one that looks like Elsa!</span><br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RzuL4aNguBg/WIbK4zSw0XI/AAAAAAAAApQ/KNOhGgxvK2MYZYK7bB3GTcm51wWTxrw4wCLcB/s1600/Week34.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RzuL4aNguBg/WIbK4zSw0XI/AAAAAAAAApQ/KNOhGgxvK2MYZYK7bB3GTcm51wWTxrw4wCLcB/s320/Week34.JPG" width="268" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">BYE BYE!!</span></div>
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Conniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363333822539454435noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5807581479953735100.post-67346912541261141452017-01-16T19:45:00.000-08:002017-01-16T19:45:14.389-08:00Week 33: TITLE : In Memory of the Fallen<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="background-color: white;">Welcome to another installment of On My Knees With the Japanese with</span></span></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #222222;">your favourite</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #222222;">host, スチュワート姉妹!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="background-color: white;">This week we see a transfer coming to a close, and another one </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">beginning! We still have yet to receive transfer calls, but in all </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">likelihood I will be staying in Asahikawa 旭川, which I am pumped for.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="background-color: white;">It's literally the best area in the whole mission and I am NEVER </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">LEAVING!! You can't make me go!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="background-color: white;">I gave a talk on Sunday and so many Ward members came up and told me </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">how much I've grown since my first transfer. And then one of them </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">asked if I was 18 yet. :) Hehehehe, yesss. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">It's fun that I'm actually starting to be able to talk to these </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">members that I've known so long!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="background-color: white;">And with the close of this transfer, comes the close of my companions </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">mission! Yes, in missionary terms my companion is "dying," or leaving </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">missionary life. This blog post is titled in her honor.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">AND NOW, A EULOGY!</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">SISTER COMPANION-WHO-LOOKS-LIKE-RORY-FROM-GILMORE-GIRLS ;</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aU5pNPD-4uQ/WH2SFjY9kxI/AAAAAAAAAok/ItifaLMF5Ro5IzsW0JGU6r0mzWQwa2eVACLcB/s1600/Week33.1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aU5pNPD-4uQ/WH2SFjY9kxI/AAAAAAAAAok/ItifaLMF5Ro5IzsW0JGU6r0mzWQwa2eVACLcB/s320/Week33.1.JPG" width="279" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">GONE, BUT NEVER FORGOTTEN.</span><br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Qi8Z_G59wV4/WH2SGSGQ1HI/AAAAAAAAAoo/EFseox8pvnEN2eTsSFZqCK4pjlTNEFOywCEw/s1600/Week33.2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Qi8Z_G59wV4/WH2SGSGQ1HI/AAAAAAAAAoo/EFseox8pvnEN2eTsSFZqCK4pjlTNEFOywCEw/s320/Week33.2.JPG" width="306" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That was a short eulogy.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Anyway, now for a little recap of my week!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It was crazy cold. And snowy. And we were outside for all of it! But, right when we were in the thick of it all, completely knackered, and with a long road ahead of us to get home, we suddenly ALMOST GOT RAN OVER, or so we thought! A car suddenly pulled out of a parking lot while we were passing and just stopped in front of us. At first we were shocked and offended, and then we see the face of our Ward Mission Leader and our Too-Cool-For-School District Leader throwing up a peace sign. SALVATION! They drove us home. MIRACLES!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Speaking of miracles I met 15 cats while on companion exchanges.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And then, when we were on the train home from splits, the most adorable thing happens. THIS!!</span><br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2GLjWuZWeb4/WH2SGvPVOtI/AAAAAAAAAos/k17CkA2eT2Idt8tdhVM6YSsXdk3z1M_WwCEw/s1600/Week33.3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2GLjWuZWeb4/WH2SGvPVOtI/AAAAAAAAAos/k17CkA2eT2Idt8tdhVM6YSsXdk3z1M_WwCEw/s320/Week33.3.JPG" width="239" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We saw some young boys in uniforms and berets in the car in front of us and we could not for the life of us figure out what they were up to! And then, we heard the train announcer's voice was quieter, less confident, and at a higher pitch than usual... And then we realized. They were train boys in training!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And then they came around and gave us free promotional tissues. Oh, Japan!</span><br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nzH6n8V50qM/WH2SIg6fKFI/AAAAAAAAAow/JQLfHe8VuI4xLxyttT-QMGk75IQJpadxACEw/s1600/Week33.4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nzH6n8V50qM/WH2SIg6fKFI/AAAAAAAAAow/JQLfHe8VuI4xLxyttT-QMGk75IQJpadxACEw/s320/Week33.4.JPG" width="239" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In closing, I watched the Testaments this week. It is now my favorite movie. Big recommend. Must watch.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Literally, that and the Addiction Recovery Program videos that the Church produced are the most entertaining things we can watch as missionaries.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">ANYWAY,</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">BYE BYE, FAM!</span><br />
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<br />Conniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363333822539454435noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5807581479953735100.post-61493040253742152572017-01-09T19:06:00.001-08:002017-01-09T19:09:44.241-08:00Week 32: If You Stand Outside of Someone's Home Long Enough, They'll Let You In<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Well hello, there!</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Right now I am writing from the midst of a District Activity.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">You may think I am rude, not participating in the activity and all, </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">but just look at it...</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vpBh2E0h-TI/WHROQsOmX3I/AAAAAAAAAoM/jxxOSWA9OwUrJbs-Rbd07pehu0sTniqGwCLcB/s1600/Week32.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vpBh2E0h-TI/WHROQsOmX3I/AAAAAAAAAoM/jxxOSWA9OwUrJbs-Rbd07pehu0sTniqGwCLcB/s320/Week32.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #222222;">The district that chills together baptises together, or so I've just made up. </span><span style="color: #222222;">Way better than bowling, people.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This week, as the title states, if you offer to help and old woman with her snow shoveling, and she declines, and when you stand there trying to start a conversation, unsuccessfully, long enough... She'll let you in, feed you sandwiches, oranges, yogurt soda, and puts you in front of her heater.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Super happy because it was freezing that day~</span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">~~~~</span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And that is basically all that happened this week...?</span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We went on a 40 minute train ride to go hunt down potential investigators in a cute tourist town called Biei. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">That was good.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Oh, we have a new best friend, and she is really good at English!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This little girl is literally my best friend, and she thinks she is really good at speaking English! So darn cute, maaaannnnn!! A little translation, at the end of the video her mom and grandma are like "Okay, we are going home!" And she's like "Bye guys!" And then they are like, "You aren't coming? Who will you stay with?" And then she's like "My big sisters!" (AKA us.) </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We didn't actually get to take her home with us. Sad.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Also, this little girl is amazing at piano....... We thought there was a recording playing, but nope. But her hands are so tiny!! I like how she just keeps going after she catches us filming her.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I'm boring this week!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Sorry, everyone!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Bye!!</span><br />
<br />Conniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363333822539454435noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5807581479953735100.post-17609992441392529162017-01-03T19:40:00.000-08:002017-01-03T19:40:06.402-08:00Week 31: New Years is Kind of a Big Deal<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Aaahhh... It's 8:09 PM, Japan Standard Time. As I begin to write this email, I have just finished off my Japanese pear-flavored water (a seasonal product,) am listening to Japanese Gospel Reggae written by a member in another area in the mission, am eating shrimp chips, and can hear laughter through different parts of the church coming from the elders in my zone. Thus ends the last evening of the missionaries' "New Years Break."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's hard to get any work done, because it is very rude to interrupt everyone's New Years festivities, and because this is the one time of year that the Japanese spend as a family, we really don't want to butt in. So we just step out for a while.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Let's take a look into what a missionary vacation looks like, shall we?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Day 1 -- All Day Cleaning Day</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is missionary spring cleaning day!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Well, that's what it was supposed to be.... We had two "goches," which is the word for being fed by members, and the first one we took the wrong bus to... And she trapped us looking at her photos for 3</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">hours.... By the time we got back from lunch, we had around 12 minutes to clean before we shipped off to our dinner appointment.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Is this was missionaries in America feel like?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Day 2 -- Go Visit Members Day</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is the day when you are meant to stay longer at meal appointments, to strengthen the testimonies of members!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And this was the one day we did not have a meal appointment...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So us and the elders went walking, and bugged our favourite family (the one sister who married an American) and they fed us New Years mochi soup.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Day 3 -- All Day Book of Mormon Reading Day</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This day we also had two meal appointments...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I only got ten chapters in....</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Day 4 -- All Day P-Day</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is today! It's all day preparation day. We jammed in two fun activities! All the sisters in our zone went to the zoo in the morning, saw penguins walking literally feet from us, ran home to eat</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">food with everyone, provided by the members, and then went to an activity center that was really loud and sports-centered.... Didn't love it, to be honest.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Oh wait, penguins? You want to know about the Penguins? YEAH YOU DO!!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">THEY DO A PENGUIN MARCH AT THE ZOO IN MY AREA.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">They literally just escort a gaggle of penguins around the zoo, and then when they come close, they make you bow so you don't scare them when they come.</span><br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-apeKqkKfWc0/WGxVy3g7KFI/AAAAAAAAAnw/WtrIRWNg9wAiBj07HLIScS4ii18FOQx2QCLcB/s1600/Week31.1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-apeKqkKfWc0/WGxVy3g7KFI/AAAAAAAAAnw/WtrIRWNg9wAiBj07HLIScS4ii18FOQx2QCLcB/s320/Week31.1.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">They literally make you bow to your penguin overlords.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">SO CUTE!!!</span><br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2JduuLUqhgA/WGxVvhFBwyI/AAAAAAAAAn0/BiYMzvkgdjk5xH9fffgIxOx2AGuGqJ7xQCEw/s1600/Week31.2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2JduuLUqhgA/WGxVvhFBwyI/AAAAAAAAAn0/BiYMzvkgdjk5xH9fffgIxOx2AGuGqJ7xQCEw/s320/Week31.2.JPG" width="240" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(Look how close I am to penguins.)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It was great people.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But this little bonus was probably the second best thing at the zoo that day.</span><br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OKGV_5Gs1xc/WGxVvCAR6oI/AAAAAAAAAn0/SxLmdsxpguEBEU6aXUHQR4NDNvPKj7rfQCEw/s1600/Week31.3.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OKGV_5Gs1xc/WGxVvCAR6oI/AAAAAAAAAn0/SxLmdsxpguEBEU6aXUHQR4NDNvPKj7rfQCEw/s320/Week31.3.PNG" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So that was great!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">No pictures from the sport place, but when we were going home, the bus filled up really fast, and only some people could get on... The rest ran...... Felt bad, but whatevs!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The bus was so full I took a picture.</span><br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yHpVq_5mFPA/WGxVxPBjiVI/AAAAAAAAAn0/b-Yb764K-asgdiVwyxASTQVgjjFe9lhagCEw/s1600/Week31.4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yHpVq_5mFPA/WGxVxPBjiVI/AAAAAAAAAn0/b-Yb764K-asgdiVwyxASTQVgjjFe9lhagCEw/s320/Week31.4.JPG" width="240" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I felt like I was being bused to a weird Korean church. It was pretty cool.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So, you guys are probably curious about what New Years is like in Japan, huh? Let me tell you.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Well, first, it's called <span style="background-color: white; color: #212121; white-space: pre-wrap;">正月 </span></span><span style="color: #212121; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">しよう</span></span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">が </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 19.2px; text-align: justify;">つ </span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">SHOGATSU</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And second, you probably know more than me if you've asked Siri.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Well, I'll tell you what I know, and what I know, is that you eat food! Special food! Magical food! Food to increase your destiny and fate!!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It has been described as this : "It's like you look into a tide pool, and then eat everything you see." ;) It's fun to try new things!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Look at this blurry picture a cute 12 year old member took for me, when she fed us at their home!</span><br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_E27quBMKPQ/WGxVyxzD79I/AAAAAAAAAn0/DmzE5v6HZacrubcgo0eqpyq9QnEOcXScACEw/s1600/Week31.5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_E27quBMKPQ/WGxVyxzD79I/AAAAAAAAAn0/DmzE5v6HZacrubcgo0eqpyq9QnEOcXScACEw/s320/Week31.5.JPG" width="302" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Let me start at the cream colored things and go clockwise!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">-Some egg-based thing that is yummy and sweet, probably for fertility.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">-A sweet sweet potato thing! No idea how it affects your fate.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">-Black Soy Beans that were super sweet and delicious. I think they affected my fate very well, due to their deliciousness.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">-Herring fish eggs. These are definitely for fertility. They actually weren't terrible, I ate both easy.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">-CRAB LEG!! My first crab. It's super sweet! Probably so you're not crabby all year.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">-shrimp shrimp shrimp, that you get to tear apart yourself! Fate affect : ?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">-(the things in the center) Kamaboko - basically chicken nuggets out of fish. They had chickens on them!!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">-(The tin green thing) - sea weed with something salty sweet inside!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- and orange like thing that I don't know what it is in English.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">-and a strawberry, because that's apparently a winter fruit in Japan. Literally everything is strawberry flavored right now.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Anyway I'm bored of writing now</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Oh and people keep calling me fat.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I've lost weight since October.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Anyway.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">BYE-BYE!!</span><br />
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<br />Conniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363333822539454435noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5807581479953735100.post-76501618600537444152016-12-27T18:35:00.001-08:002016-12-27T18:35:55.165-08:00WEEK 30: CAROLING IN 10 BELOW<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hope everyone had a Happy Merry Christmas, as the song goes! Meanwhile in Japan, my companion and I spent an hour trying to door-to-door carol to people, and only one person would let us. We just want to sing to you, people! Spread some Christmas cheer!!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Oh well!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But don't you worry, the ward members here treated us missionaries really well, and tried their very best to give us an American Christmas! Lots of cold mashed potatoes, attempts at gravy, and lots and lots of cake. Not quite right, but I can't complain at all!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here's a little peek into my Christmas adventures!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here is us caroling at a home for blind people!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(Little known fact: Japanese people take really flattering candid photos)</span><br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lpMUIOAxylA/WGMkC1XffnI/AAAAAAAAAm8/SWqoimtPnb456q_zqUW1thPi-asgJxRKwCLcB/s1600/Week30.1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lpMUIOAxylA/WGMkC1XffnI/AAAAAAAAAm8/SWqoimtPnb456q_zqUW1thPi-asgJxRKwCLcB/s320/Week30.1.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We even got to borrow a Christmas tree for our apartment!</span><br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-g7fC1rDr1pU/WGMj9ZTPbKI/AAAAAAAAAm4/QdmJst29qZMo5v32e7JMKO5glld7BL_wgCEw/s1600/Week30.2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="319" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-g7fC1rDr1pU/WGMj9ZTPbKI/AAAAAAAAAm4/QdmJst29qZMo5v32e7JMKO5glld7BL_wgCEw/s320/Week30.2.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Lots and lots and lots of little green plastic bits to clean up! :) If that's not what Christmas is all about, I don't know what is!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It was also.... MY FIRST WHITE CHRISTMAS!!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I've been dreaming about this for years now, and it finally came true! Now I can mention it in every Christmas card I write.</span></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YwPQohTPFqE/WGMj7YcNdBI/AAAAAAAAAm0/egNWHbxmUg8jQSZ7dm0MZnpIllqVshXGQCEw/s1600/Week30.3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YwPQohTPFqE/WGMj7YcNdBI/AAAAAAAAAm0/egNWHbxmUg8jQSZ7dm0MZnpIllqVshXGQCEw/s320/Week30.3.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">All hints of Christmas are all but disappeared now, as preparations ramp up 10 fold for SHOGATSU, which is JAPANESE NEW YEAR!! Literally all the decorations changed over night.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What else happened this week, let's see.... Oh I know. My Ward Mission Leader called me fat!! Okay, okay, it was actually a roundabout fat joke about another missionary, that I was the unlucky one to get caught up in... But in his defense, I was on my second piece of cake...</span></div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MmpEcf0UhRs/WGMkDDAQxKI/AAAAAAAAAnA/l__prmiXZbM80UvDUD0pR6DDGOMvOXmLwCEw/s1600/Week30.4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MmpEcf0UhRs/WGMkDDAQxKI/AAAAAAAAAnA/l__prmiXZbM80UvDUD0pR6DDGOMvOXmLwCEw/s320/Week30.4.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">They pressured me into taking another slice, I swear.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It was also my birthday this week! I was on companionship splits with my Sister Training Leader, Sister Grape Juice Brand, and we went out for Round-About sushi!</span></div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwsyiKGtBnGx2IfeAlEh2XQrl8Q1xvUWe8vdz1SITwzL1ms4NykX8GjA415TSER3yrO9bibmNhjOxa7S_UYmQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Little known fact: the best part about sushi is actually the after-taste that stays all night long. Mmm, sushi burps! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Oh and I never explained the title. It's simple really, we went caroling by the train station at 10 BELOW. It was Celsius, granted, BUT STILL!! How cool am I? (get it, it's a temperature joke)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">ANYWAY, BYE!!!!</span></div>
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Conniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363333822539454435noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5807581479953735100.post-4589249105923805882016-12-19T20:06:00.001-08:002016-12-19T20:28:12.964-08:00Week 29: Excuse me Waiter, but there is a fl-EYE in my Soup!<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The original title of this installment of On My Knees With The Japanese was going to be "Who Had The Best Week Ever? This Sis Mish!" which is still true, but during my meal with our investigator a few hours ago I came up with this gem instead. Here's the story...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So! All over Japan, each region has their own famous "Hot Pot" dish, called なべ (pronunciation: "Nah, bae.") And Hokkaido's version of this wintertime classic includes gobo root, daikon radish, Chinese cabbage, pork, tofu, mochi, and no, not just fish, but the whole fish, chopped</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">up--or rather hacked--into not bite-sized pieces, but pieces of carcass just the size to fit your whole bowl!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Haha I know it sounds kind of unappetizing, but it was literally delishish uh delicious. Couldn't spell that one for a minute.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So when you eat, there's a little bowl for everyone to toss their bones into. :) Japanese table manners are really different, dear mom, I will come home a slob. :)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ANYWAY I AM OVER-EXPLAINING THINGS AGAIN! Long story short I was eating, and came across a mass of flesh and, while I was trying to decipher what was edible and what was not, suddenly a strange looking, curved... Oh is that a lens? (my freshman year biology vocabulary</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">pertaining to the parts of the eye clicked in) I can neither confirm nor denEYE whether or not it was an eye, but I wasn't quite keen on finding out (and it so totally was.) Before I could start hyperventilating I quickly tossed it with my chopsticks and a swish and flick into the bones bowl. I then continued eating, and had to pretend like it never happened so I wouldn't freak out. :) Eyes are</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">gross man! That's actually probably the one thing I have yet to bring myself to eat...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Oh and my companion got the jawbone with teeth still on it!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Yeaaahhhhhhhhhhh!!! Hardcore hardcore.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Um, so I am so sorry but, that was only one story from the best week ever... You're not close to being done... But don't worry, I have pictures!!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">IT WAS ZONE TRAINING MEETING!!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And one of my MTC district friends is finally working with me! </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: 16px;">よろしく、ね! (</span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">pronunciation: "Yo, Roe, she coo'.") (It literally means "treat me kindly," and Japanese people say it alllllll the tiiiiiiime.)</span><br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-f3wt_P97vx4/WFio_0Ae0WI/AAAAAAAAAl4/6Hzpmu3Oqy8XpeHW1_NumFm0rierBUhQwCLcB/s1600/week29.2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-f3wt_P97vx4/WFio_0Ae0WI/AAAAAAAAAl4/6Hzpmu3Oqy8XpeHW1_NumFm0rierBUhQwCLcB/s320/week29.2.JPG" width="266" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">WE GOT CHRISTMAS PRESENTS!!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The elders in the mission always get the coolest striped ties that say "To Become" (sort of a Mission Motto, if you will) on them and they always wear them to missionary meetings and they all match and all of the sisters are jealous.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Last year, the sisters got scarves for Christmas. This year, we got stamps. AND THEY ARE SO CUTE!!</span><br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zM9K1jZKNVM/WFipA4HIsnI/AAAAAAAAAl8/CkC_qGnnX5M9eMBR91--jIfWYTY8HH8IACLcB/s1600/week29.3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="224" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zM9K1jZKNVM/WFipA4HIsnI/AAAAAAAAAl8/CkC_qGnnX5M9eMBR91--jIfWYTY8HH8IACLcB/s320/week29.3.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TmQNy1iQbvI/WFipDafUXgI/AAAAAAAAAmE/cvh_7ZVaOUYhAgMpd3v9lELlSdG7tqiIACLcB/s1600/week29.4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="220" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TmQNy1iQbvI/WFipDafUXgI/AAAAAAAAAmE/cvh_7ZVaOUYhAgMpd3v9lELlSdG7tqiIACLcB/s320/week29.4.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> TANGERINE NATIVITY SCENE</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Yeah, I made it rhyme.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">One of the sisters in the ward was sick, so of course it's Sister Missionaries to the rescue! Vitamin C power!! </span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue", arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">I don't think I ever have been or ever will be this sister missionary in my life. I drew a nativity on oranges. And put cute quotes on the back. And I have never been more impressed with myself.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I THINK THEY ARE SO CUTE, OKAY??</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Okay, so sounds like a pretty awesome week, right? WRONG!! Well, you're still right, but we haven't even hit the best part yet!!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">*T*H*E* *W*A*R*D* *C*H*R*I*S*T*M*A*S* *P*A*R*T*Y*!*</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The missionaries had a big part in the program, because whenever you need someone to make fools of themselves in front of an audience, of course you invite the missionaries!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Really though, we're great at parties! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Here are a few of the highlights!!</span><br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4_bQQgkA8W4/WFipZj1IbWI/AAAAAAAAAmY/CoiYm2P2p6sRSo5MkUKy0oZQ5rYLrs8zwCEw/s1600/image5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="217" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4_bQQgkA8W4/WFipZj1IbWI/AAAAAAAAAmY/CoiYm2P2p6sRSo5MkUKy0oZQ5rYLrs8zwCEw/s320/image5.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">TOP : Because 12 Days of Christmas is apparently THE NUMBER ONE FAMOUS Christmas song in America, and of course all of the missionaries from America know it, we had to do it for everyone... In Japanese. Which is one of the hardest languages to sing in, I'm sure. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Apparently I was really adorable though...... When I had to do my bit (AND I WAS DAY NUMBER ONE, SO I HAD TO DO IT THE MOST) hushed squeals of "Oh my gosh, so cute!!" broke from the crowd. I thought I was just self conscious, until church the next day. When people asked me to repeat my performance. Yes, my Japanese is so bad, that it's adorable. Or something.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">LEFT : Our very under-practiced performance of John Lennon's beloved Christmas classic, "Happy Merry Christmas"... Oh, is that not what it's called? Because that is what these two adorable young Japanese dads thought it was and I was literally dying.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">For the record, the actual title is probably "So This is Christmas" or something, you know what I'm talking about.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">RIGHT : I finally did it. I participated in a nativity play. I don't know how I've gone so far in my life without doing so, but I finally did it AND IT WAS SO GOOD PEOPLE!! I was like the best Mary anyone 'ere seen before! And my companion Sister Rory Gilmore (from Gilmore Girls) was Joseph. Yesssss, LOOOK AT THAT BEARD, GURL!! We killed it! And of course, the elders were totally under prepared on the side of costumes, so I stepped up with my three years of high school fashion class skills and look at them now. We even had sheep. You may recognize the sheep costumes from Halloween, but that's my little sheep-cret. (I laughed so hard my companion was worried about me with that pun. Oh gosh.)</span></div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pXIY1xTpuaY/WFipFfHMMYI/AAAAAAAAAmY/_L1O79zhh30pmy7PZP-KkoV1bsW-UnhygCEw/s1600/week29.6.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="232" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pXIY1xTpuaY/WFipFfHMMYI/AAAAAAAAAmY/_L1O79zhh30pmy7PZP-KkoV1bsW-UnhygCEw/s320/week29.6.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This is the best photo of me ever.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And then, to cap off our evening, one of the cool sisters drove us home in her tiny cool car. She says, "Oh, I just have to stop somewhere really quick!" It's 30 minutes until curfew, sure, Sister, you do that. She's a little lost, the time is passing away. "Uh, Sister, maybe we can help you find it. Where are you heading?" Her enigmatic reply was only, "A beautiful place..."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">30 minutes later we pull up to none other than KFC, the GO-TO Stop for all of your Christmassy dinner time treats, from which she bought us a lovely, greasy meal.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A beautiful place indeed.</span></div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nlFcqAQeDNo/WFipFcsi-dI/AAAAAAAAAmM/_XZrJWAHTdAH4QzbgsfTzEnDzfnhKVGbQCLcB/s1600/week29.7.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nlFcqAQeDNo/WFipFcsi-dI/AAAAAAAAAmM/_XZrJWAHTdAH4QzbgsfTzEnDzfnhKVGbQCLcB/s320/week29.7.JPG" width="239" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Man, I think that's everything! I'm sorry I wrote so much, I must be happy or something! My head still hurts from laughing at that sheep pun I made earlier...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Anyway. Here's me, signing off, have a fun Christmas in a Christmassy place where they actually get a day off for Christmas. I keep forgetting its Christmas... But at least I am having FUN FUN FUN!!!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">BYE BYE!!</span>Conniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363333822539454435noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5807581479953735100.post-58606397212147453722016-12-12T20:29:00.002-08:002016-12-12T20:29:44.052-08:00Week 28: THIS WILL BE THE SHORTEST BLOG POST EVER<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And I mean that! It will be short short short!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Just a few items of business...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One, it was transfers, they happened! I am still in the
Siberia area, and our snow is snow crazy. My new companion, who just so happens
to look just like Rory from Gilmore Girls, is also going home after this Transfer!
Which means, in all likelihood, I will remain in Siberia for another transfer
after this too. :) And I literally couldn't be more excited, I never want to leave.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm going to get everyone to call me the New Queen of
Asahikawa—the name of my area. The old queen was a missionary who just went
home and had stayed in the area and surrounding areas for a long time, so I think
I'll take the name for myself. My reign starts now...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">ITEM OF BUSINESS TWO! We watched a One Direction music video
this week. NOOOOO!!! It was so funny. Our investigator is OBSESSED with this one
Korean pop star -- posters cover her walls, when you call her phone his song plays,
and every time we walk into her home she is playing one of his concerts on TV.
She is the coolest 70 year old lady ever. :) BUT ANYWAY!! We were talking about
our favorite music idols, and me, being the classy lady I am, mentioned The
Beatles, but my companion of course had to go and say One Direction... Our
investigator didn't</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">recognize the name, so she pulled up a video on her phone
and played it for us, while me and Sister Rory, You Know Rory From Gilmore
Girls and I averted our eyes awkwardly (technically, missionaries are not allowed
to consume media) and tried not to bust a gut laughing. It was so funny.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">AND THE THIRD AND FINAL ITEM OF BUSINESS IS THAT... It's
beginning to look a lot like Christmas!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ehwNHEppSc0/WE94t4KLk7I/AAAAAAAAAlY/tNPBkfuNo38Mh6McwqxYHX3WDKV_HOn9gCLcB/s1600/Week28_1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ehwNHEppSc0/WE94t4KLk7I/AAAAAAAAAlY/tNPBkfuNo38Mh6McwqxYHX3WDKV_HOn9gCLcB/s400/Week28_1.JPG" width="300" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Me and the ward Christmas tree.</span></div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RF6h6uaOp2A/WE94uiat66I/AAAAAAAAAlc/UHg0VFR_S_Q9iqYXf7vEnVTicRBnE8pBACLcB/s1600/Week28_2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="299" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RF6h6uaOp2A/WE94uiat66I/AAAAAAAAAlc/UHg0VFR_S_Q9iqYXf7vEnVTicRBnE8pBACLcB/s320/Week28_2.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And these little cuties hanging out above our map are the
cardboard friends my district leader Elder Dogfather (we are together for
another transfer, that makes three!) made for me while we were making 12 Days
Of Christmas signs for the ward Christmas party.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Their names are from left to right : Happy Fred; Armless,
Harmless, Farmless Jerry; and Skeptical Richard.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We have fun. :)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Oh, also, the missionaries will be performing John Lennon's
"This is Christmas (War is Over)" for the Christmas party. Sweeeeeet!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Okay so in the end I feel like this post wasn't actually
that short! I guess you can call me a liar... I'll be more careful next time, I
promise! Belieeeveeee meeeeee!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">BYE BYE!!!!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Conniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363333822539454435noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5807581479953735100.post-83663888260841275452016-12-05T20:20:00.002-08:002016-12-05T20:20:39.289-08:00Week 27: This was my Thanksgiving!<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Our Mission President paid for us. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's yummy stuff over rice. Welcome to Japan!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Also, apparently I'm turning Japanese because at an
investigator's house, the snack of the evening was dried fish dipped in
mayonnaise and soy sauce, and I was LOVING IT. Either I'm turning Japanese, or
it was because that's the food that broke my fast.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hm.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Also, I made tortillas.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We had a fiesta. :)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2s9oMq2tEaQ/WEY7umM4GCI/AAAAAAAAAkc/LQ0c8VhyWbMoCCHosbw1z7m2u658-y8RgCLcB/s1600/Week27_1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="262" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2s9oMq2tEaQ/WEY7umM4GCI/AAAAAAAAAkc/LQ0c8VhyWbMoCCHosbw1z7m2u658-y8RgCLcB/s320/Week27_1.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-AsXEn1974IM/WEY7vYfAzAI/AAAAAAAAAkg/776C2rSwj8MQpAzRNwaF43nKB2rb2N8uQCLcB/s1600/Week27_2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-AsXEn1974IM/WEY7vYfAzAI/AAAAAAAAAkg/776C2rSwj8MQpAzRNwaF43nKB2rb2N8uQCLcB/s320/Week27_2.JPG" width="240" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">English Conversation Class this week consisted of the three
older punks, and the cutest, tiniest girl in the world.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So you had these punks in one corner.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rF4hy-4KHpw/WEY7wkD0NzI/AAAAAAAAAkk/HVWMKMWPCfkBwl34hYqh0LyxOwT9vZRLwCLcB/s1600/Week27_3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rF4hy-4KHpw/WEY7wkD0NzI/AAAAAAAAAkk/HVWMKMWPCfkBwl34hYqh0LyxOwT9vZRLwCLcB/s320/Week27_3.JPG" width="256" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> And in the other corner you have THIS ADORABLE PRINCESS.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3vtbLMX4TwA/WEY7zhyDcCI/AAAAAAAAAko/f06V5x0NNQs0whqWZDKn2tNquPtv2NptACLcB/s1600/Week27_4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3vtbLMX4TwA/WEY7zhyDcCI/AAAAAAAAAko/f06V5x0NNQs0whqWZDKn2tNquPtv2NptACLcB/s320/Week27_4.JPG" width="200" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">She knows what to do in front of a camera.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now let's talk about what's happening with the snow.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One morning at 6:00 AM we woke up to the elders shoveling
our snow.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">They built us a chair from the snow mountain covering our
door. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nu4bBovvMzo/WEY72UZloII/AAAAAAAAAkw/maz_eVNeuRY5sxk7Rt85nEFZY4uCj37gQCLcB/s1600/Week27_5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nu4bBovvMzo/WEY72UZloII/AAAAAAAAAkw/maz_eVNeuRY5sxk7Rt85nEFZY4uCj37gQCLcB/s320/Week27_5.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(A nice picture of me trying to hair flip)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This week, I had my first REAL LIFE "$B@c9g@o(B, SNOW
WAR," as they call it in Japan! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And the best part was that it was with the worlds most
adorable children. And then the elders showed up!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jbDum9ndJis/WEY73ghFA_I/AAAAAAAAAk0/MhEqCno-vGcPVxP9YC1W8HSVyS0UpMNSQCLcB/s1600/Week27_6.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jbDum9ndJis/WEY73ghFA_I/AAAAAAAAAk0/MhEqCno-vGcPVxP9YC1W8HSVyS0UpMNSQCLcB/s320/Week27_6.JPG" width="246" /></span></a></div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3dWbbBLbFno/WEY71_gTjyI/AAAAAAAAAks/Uqf4B3dfHGY5I-9MFF96XnkH2UHO1pk2ACLcB/s1600/Week27_7.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3dWbbBLbFno/WEY71_gTjyI/AAAAAAAAAks/Uqf4B3dfHGY5I-9MFF96XnkH2UHO1pk2ACLcB/s320/Week27_7.JPG" width="240" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> (My companion getting buried)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jZClpE2I0b8/WEY75_leRBI/AAAAAAAAAk4/6MDDMwfB0j8ikxMkqx0FCpdVD4suOmO7ACLcB/s1600/Week27_8.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jZClpE2I0b8/WEY75_leRBI/AAAAAAAAAk4/6MDDMwfB0j8ikxMkqx0FCpdVD4suOmO7ACLcB/s320/Week27_8.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As this week is transfers week, this is probably my last
full district picture. Next to me (if you don't remember which one I am, look
for the mustard colored skirt) is our investigator who just accepted a date for
baptism! January 14th, look forward to it! I'll keep you updated.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">OKAY BYE BYE!!</span><o:p></o:p></div>
Conniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363333822539454435noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5807581479953735100.post-37622671861401769562016-11-21T20:59:00.003-08:002016-11-21T20:59:57.336-08:00Week 25: FAT, FAT, FAAAAT !!<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We got "gochi-ed" (fed a meal by
members/investigators) so many times this week!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And we took pictures ~~~~<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XiM_UPwHAHs/WDPPuM_IwTI/AAAAAAAAAj4/wLLqLp6onS4fnBywO2js8IydBbn9uBEsgCLcB/s1600/Week25_1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="145" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XiM_UPwHAHs/WDPPuM_IwTI/AAAAAAAAAj4/wLLqLp6onS4fnBywO2js8IydBbn9uBEsgCLcB/s320/Week25_1.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-diGTvb91h4Q/WDPPrQ1F9II/AAAAAAAAAjw/1zttc5OridwqMGIjr58MLi9Em8gAFkNgwCLcB/s1600/Week25_2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="305" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-diGTvb91h4Q/WDPPrQ1F9II/AAAAAAAAAjw/1zttc5OridwqMGIjr58MLi9Em8gAFkNgwCLcB/s320/Week25_2.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(Us with cookie mustaches, and me
with an actual mustache.... Don't ask...)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I had a fun week everyone! Our
district is so fun. We’ve been together a lot recently with all the food we've
received, so super fun mega bonding time. #ShimaiLivesMatter (the new slogan
for sister missionaries in the Sapporo mission.)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And we also went to THE BLUE LAKE
again, and it was FROZEN!! We made jokes that it was Blue Hawaii flavored
shaved ice.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VXTtZuY7atE/WDPPw11kj-I/AAAAAAAAAj8/SAz3QFlhDqczVkZI0tpohrDRF62HzyXiQCLcB/s1600/Week25_3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VXTtZuY7atE/WDPPw11kj-I/AAAAAAAAAj8/SAz3QFlhDqczVkZI0tpohrDRF62HzyXiQCLcB/s320/Week25_3.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> We're adorable.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here is someone else, who is
somehow, miraculously more adorable than us.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Japanese primary is the best
primary.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kv3rctHpdsg/WDPPuL2NfEI/AAAAAAAAAj0/Q8UtGBQZvasELGU4_htalPzvOS_h1BtIgCLcB/s1600/Week25_4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kv3rctHpdsg/WDPPuL2NfEI/AAAAAAAAAj0/Q8UtGBQZvasELGU4_htalPzvOS_h1BtIgCLcB/s320/Week25_4.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Well, I'm off to celebrate Brother
Golden's 50TH BIRTHDAY!!! We bought him a plant. :)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Also PS I spent 40 dollars today at
a stationary shop and I now have three yearly planners for 2017.... Japan will
be the death of my wallet... Tell no one of my shame.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">BYE-BYE!!!</span><o:p></o:p></div>
Conniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363333822539454435noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5807581479953735100.post-92113840284546032052016-11-14T19:55:00.000-08:002016-11-14T20:10:02.314-08:00Week 24: It's SNOWvember!!<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Get it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It's November, but it's snowing??<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">........<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">These are the things that cross your mind when you are
walking (aka waddling) across solid ice for an hour or more at a time.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And then you waddle back home, sit in front of your heater,
and eat ice cream you bought at a convenience store. It's kind of
just what you do.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I am literally eating more ice cream now then ever.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Speaking of, this week we went out for 31 (as they
call it in Japan AKA 31 Flavors AKA it's actually called Baskin Robins) with
our investigator who is SUPER DUPER RELIGIOUS in this super um... What's the
word ... Strenuous? Like, really oh STRICT. きびしい. That's the word.
Anyways it's a strict religion called "Sougakakai" or
something...? That one still sounds like
a jumble of sounds to me too, so don't worry if you can't say it either.
Anyway, she's presh and we love her strong faith in a higher power. She loves
the concept of being with your family and friends forever after death,
something her religion does not believe in!</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2UUGsJlRULM/WCqFfgU-qqI/AAAAAAAAAjA/D0LAWpj22SYN-BJpLCPtOyXs8gzLocqZgCLcB/s1600/Week24_1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="313" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2UUGsJlRULM/WCqFfgU-qqI/AAAAAAAAAjA/D0LAWpj22SYN-BJpLCPtOyXs8gzLocqZgCLcB/s320/Week24_1.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Anyway nothing else really happened this week... EXCEPT.
This is a short story, but I was using the restroom in a grocery store and I
kept hearing something nudging at the door and I was really confused but it all
made sense when I came out and saw a grown woman literally doing the potty
dance. Apparently she was there five seconds after I went in. I felt pretty
guilty, she looked miserable!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Oh today though we had a lesson where our investigator fed
us mochi (pounded rice) with cheese inside <<and I almost chocked on the
powdery outside, but I only coughed once, like a champ. A darn polite
champ.>>, tea made from a root called GOBO, and watched a home video of
her performing in a traditional Japanese dance in a festival. Very Japanese evening,
I have had.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We also ate this food as a partial district (some of the
elders live far away, so... Yeah, they weren't invited) and it’s this awesome
Japanese food where you sit at a table with boiling broth in front of you and
you stick meat in, let it cook, and then eat it after dipping it into raw
beaten egg and it was AMAZING!! It was also all you can eat. And so was the ice
cream.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">BUT... We neglected to take pictures!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So here is a picture of District Leader Elder
Dogfather showing off his boots instead.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BGT4KbJx-HE/WCqGJbVXM4I/AAAAAAAAAjE/hMnITD4N17cGIurCSjVjOT0DVvtgZJjzwCLcB/s1600/Week24_2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BGT4KbJx-HE/WCqGJbVXM4I/AAAAAAAAAjE/hMnITD4N17cGIurCSjVjOT0DVvtgZJjzwCLcB/s320/Week24_2.JPG" width="239" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We have a lot of groceries to lug home and it's late, so BYE
BYE!!</span><o:p></o:p></div>
Conniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363333822539454435noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5807581479953735100.post-29969382477589594592016-11-08T15:01:00.001-08:002016-11-08T15:01:28.458-08:00Week 23: ANOTHER ONE BITES THE DUST<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yo, yo, yo!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Or rather, if I may, snow, snow, snow!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Because that's legit what's up (and down, and all around.)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's already up to mid-calf and it's barely November! :)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This week I had some new ICEperiences!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Literally the first time I have ever shoveled snow.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This picture was from the beginning of the week. There's much more snow now, which is why we shoveled the whole church parking lot (can I get a woot woot?)</span></div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-swTdyGYU9bI/WCJWzeTnUlI/AAAAAAAAAiQ/3Xgxnp775R0dGEtQfb17G-5XMXouSCKHQCLcB/s1600/Week23_1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-swTdyGYU9bI/WCJWzeTnUlI/AAAAAAAAAiQ/3Xgxnp775R0dGEtQfb17G-5XMXouSCKHQCLcB/s320/Week23_1.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And then (this is the titular story of this blog post) the new missionary, straight from the MTC, totally biffs it as he's running the snow shovel across. He catches it on the ground, and he is literally flung from the bars into the snow in front of him. We didn't catch it on film, but here's a picture of the aftermath to remember it by.</span></div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UFf3uJaVXAU/WCJWwHvPycI/AAAAAAAAAiI/-tqr8pb7mEg2aHVHNF7qtN3ESDb2dZPbwCLcB/s1600/Week23_2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UFf3uJaVXAU/WCJWwHvPycI/AAAAAAAAAiI/-tqr8pb7mEg2aHVHNF7qtN3ESDb2dZPbwCLcB/s320/Week23_2.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It was snow funny.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And the moment I personally have been waiting for: MY FIRST
SNOWMAN<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DLmENsjXhTk/WCJWzAEWuNI/AAAAAAAAAiU/OLfBZDdRt98MQfatMM8EPKdw-AShsuwoACLcB/s1600/Week23_3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DLmENsjXhTk/WCJWzAEWuNI/AAAAAAAAAiU/OLfBZDdRt98MQfatMM8EPKdw-AShsuwoACLcB/s320/Week23_3.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yeah, okay, not anyone's best work, but the bus came and I
was still in the piling stage so I had to slap a smile on it and call it good.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This week a member took us to a planetarium (which is closed
on pday, but we were able to go because there was an investigator theorem
ka-chinggg) And, that day, I just so happened to be wearing my CONSTELLATION
SOCKS. So on point with that one.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Two groups of teenagers took pictures of us because we're
white :)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Wf6pjFHpxTw/WCJWyNU1d9I/AAAAAAAAAiM/El5OafsIO0MlERHgyrtg5zRth-r9AaDigCLcB/s1600/Week23_4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Wf6pjFHpxTw/WCJWyNU1d9I/AAAAAAAAAiM/El5OafsIO0MlERHgyrtg5zRth-r9AaDigCLcB/s320/Week23_4.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uwPNHFAOt2A/WCJWzXjsH3I/AAAAAAAAAiY/v_nJfGBaU3gh6ePbRS6M2YvkYCRHL32uwCLcB/s1600/Week23_5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uwPNHFAOt2A/WCJWzXjsH3I/AAAAAAAAAiY/v_nJfGBaU3gh6ePbRS6M2YvkYCRHL32uwCLcB/s320/Week23_5.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This week we made a new friend. This tiny girl coming home
from school while we were going house to house started following us, so we
talked to her and she gave us candy, and told her to come and meet her mom.
Every missionary's dream situation. Turns out her mom had come to the church
Christmas party last year, so she was totally up to talk to us, and she will be
coming to this year's as well!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That little girl was so cute when we told her about our
English Conversation Classes for kids, and she was just BEGGING her mom to go.
So. Cute. </span></div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-C01tQ-eeNX8/WCJWz4zTOvI/AAAAAAAAAic/fP4g2O4CzHgE69fJFvjKsyPgM7Sd0CwrQCLcB/s1600/Week23_6.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="136" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-C01tQ-eeNX8/WCJWz4zTOvI/AAAAAAAAAic/fP4g2O4CzHgE69fJFvjKsyPgM7Sd0CwrQCLcB/s320/Week23_6.PNG" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I tried to translate a text we got from one of our investigators who thinks we can read kanji. Can't read kanji, can't read the translation.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A picture from last week! This is the remains of my
missionary training booklet. And turns out next week's Zone Training homework is from the
same book....(I never do the homework anyway)</span><br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tBTKnFs-bGs/WCJW1DBJO2I/AAAAAAAAAig/ODvO8IWWXsMpaUVLlPyuQJvF1YFZTlmWACLcB/s1600/Week23_7.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="234" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tBTKnFs-bGs/WCJW1DBJO2I/AAAAAAAAAig/ODvO8IWWXsMpaUVLlPyuQJvF1YFZTlmWACLcB/s320/Week23_7.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That's all I got!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">BYEBYE!</span></div>
Conniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363333822539454435noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5807581479953735100.post-52466671598575624472016-10-30T23:14:00.000-07:002016-10-30T23:14:47.123-07:00Week 22: A White Halloween<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">HALLOWEEN!!!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here I am, Halloween day, sitting at a table in the church
surrounded by the elders in my district. We just got back from the zoo
(my second time, woowoo!), ate delicious Sumo Wrestler soup, and there
is no candy in sight.... Maybe I'll find some by tonight!!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A White Halloween?! can't wait for the White Christmas
around the corner!!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Halloween is not really a thing in Japan.... At least
my Map App will celebrate with me!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OREZWSA5q4E/WBbfSixeYJI/AAAAAAAAAgw/hwO82N3qUZ4LiuiWj8gVFgv7eL9SyGldACLcB/s1600/week22_222.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OREZWSA5q4E/WBbfSixeYJI/AAAAAAAAAgw/hwO82N3qUZ4LiuiWj8gVFgv7eL9SyGldACLcB/s320/week22_222.JPG" width="320" /></a><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-msori5ZdApA/WBbfLz9GRKI/AAAAAAAAAgs/hj-p2WQPZQc2q0aJxRyvotZxs1ulin_zgCLcB/s1600/week22_111.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="124" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-msori5ZdApA/WBbfLz9GRKI/AAAAAAAAAgs/hj-p2WQPZQc2q0aJxRyvotZxs1ulin_zgCLcB/s320/week22_111.PNG" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thanks, Map App!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But! Our ward did have a super amazing party!! Over 130
people showed up, it was amazing! So many tiny, adorable, chubby-cheeked
Japanese children in costumes. And you should have seen how WELL DECORATED it
was!! I was shocked, they put so much work into it!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hopefully I'll get pictures later, but for now I only have
the one of us!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The district in their costumes:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-E7W7BbVEYjo/WBbe4i2Cw2I/AAAAAAAAAgo/S6jPkuRKqD4-0oaUBS3Kc_arAQnU4wF9gCLcB/s1600/week22_1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-E7W7BbVEYjo/WBbe4i2Cw2I/AAAAAAAAAgo/S6jPkuRKqD4-0oaUBS3Kc_arAQnU4wF9gCLcB/s320/week22_1.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The costumes, left to right: I'm wearing a bow tie and I'm
American, we are SHEEP, Marshmallow from Ghostbusters aka I am wearing a sheet
taped to my body, a grump who put on a not costume only for the picture, and
"An American." YEAH!!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">IT WAS TRANSFERS WEEK!!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I am finally done with training.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I am no longer an underling.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Well, I'm still a junior companion, but... Okay, so I'm
still an underling.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But at least I'm not a training underling!!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I had a photo of me ripping up my training book and being
happy, but... I never got it sent to me from my last companion.... And probably
never will........ Oh...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Anyway, yes! I got a new companion!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">She is on her last transfer! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">She's really confident, so that's pretty cool.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And that's really all about this week! Let me tell you about
last week!!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">***_>|%^]*++[======= //time travel mode: S T A R T <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">..<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">WE WENT TO A PRETTY BLUE LAKE!!!</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gfaX5bfDNNQ/WBbgRakSonI/AAAAAAAAAg8/0_-HTBxApE8e0mnHWXJQvOzWw3mRtL3PQCLcB/s1600/week22_2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gfaX5bfDNNQ/WBbgRakSonI/AAAAAAAAAg8/0_-HTBxApE8e0mnHWXJQvOzWw3mRtL3PQCLcB/s320/week22_2.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-obv6NP-V7GU/WBbgj4e4ZtI/AAAAAAAAAhI/HICF7NgSKuYsxLRfMXNDJGf8OVI6fKigQCLcB/s1600/week22_3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-obv6NP-V7GU/WBbgj4e4ZtI/AAAAAAAAAhI/HICF7NgSKuYsxLRfMXNDJGf8OVI6fKigQCLcB/s320/week22_3.JPG" width="193" /></span></a></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-J-5f_Bh6cEA/WBbgj52ns7I/AAAAAAAAAhM/hgwRN9ABY_kUw4_qbGB-P8UW8KjdkdupACLcB/s1600/week22_4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-J-5f_Bh6cEA/WBbgj52ns7I/AAAAAAAAAhM/hgwRN9ABY_kUw4_qbGB-P8UW8KjdkdupACLcB/s320/week22_4.JPG" width="207" /></span></a></div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CDx8wF1aTds/WBbgi_vClnI/AAAAAAAAAhE/TT07LjQSt84TKReLLx6U4vq_TxCC0rNuQCLcB/s1600/week22_5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CDx8wF1aTds/WBbgi_vClnI/AAAAAAAAAhE/TT07LjQSt84TKReLLx6U4vq_TxCC0rNuQCLcB/s320/week22_5.JPG" width="223" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> IT SNOWED!!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(So of course we had ice cream)</span></div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1NPmLWc34dw/WBbglZu7lKI/AAAAAAAAAhQ/Bl12RnEaOmo6MF0RhzOWP2YFJw3_3lqTwCEw/s1600/week22_6.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="207" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1NPmLWc34dw/WBbglZu7lKI/AAAAAAAAAhQ/Bl12RnEaOmo6MF0RhzOWP2YFJw3_3lqTwCEw/s320/week22_6.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tT4hXwo9xFQ/WBbglpJWd_I/AAAAAAAAAhU/Dkpk0MG4-LYL0GTBBllMEXQkK6lg5sI4gCEw/s1600/week22_7.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tT4hXwo9xFQ/WBbglpJWd_I/AAAAAAAAAhU/Dkpk0MG4-LYL0GTBBllMEXQkK6lg5sI4gCEw/s320/week22_7.JPG" width="240" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(Look Mom, I'm wearing my gloves!)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Aaaaaand, that's kind of it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I forgot the stories that I wanted to share from last week,
so.... That's all, folk!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">OOPS !! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">BYE BYE!!!!</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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Conniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363333822539454435noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5807581479953735100.post-41159945809089203822016-10-24T08:51:00.000-07:002016-10-24T08:51:24.462-07:00Week 21: A VERY JAPANESE BAPTISMAL SERVICE<div class="MsoNormal">
So much has happened. I apologize for the gush of photos
that will now flow forth, in as fast as I can type because I've already used a
lot of my email time!!<o:p></o:p></div>
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Let's start with the good stuff! Mr. Golden
Investigator--now Brother Investigator--was baptized and confirmed this week!<o:p></o:p></div>
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But before we cut to the good stuff, let us discuss one of
the lesser known obstacles to baptism : finding white underwear.<o:p></o:p></div>
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As Elder Dogfather put it, "We spent 5 minutes with the
entire bishopric discussing how to get this man some underpants!"<o:p></o:p></div>
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Yes, you read that right. In our bi-weekly coordination
meeting with the bishopric, we derived a game plan on finding this man some underwear. And it was really, really funny.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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Now back to the baptism! IT WAS SO AMAZING, AND SO JAPANESE!<o:p></o:p></div>
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Now, what I mean by that is it was mildly awkward (which is
oh so very Japanese,) and when we went to the font, not just the children sat
on the floor, but everyone was on their knees to view it. There wasn't even
chairs set up in that room. OH, JAPAN!<o:p></o:p></div>
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He doesn't look happy in this picture, but that's just
because Japanese people don't smile in pictures!<o:p></o:p></div>
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Also, don't you love the slight blur and finger showing in
the bottom corner of this photo? Our Ward Mission Leader takes the worst
photos, but he always volunteers as photographer. We love him!<o:p></o:p></div>
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(Side story: apparently, every time you ask him what he does
for work, he always says, "I'm a thief." He says jokes all the time,
allegedly. I wouldn't really know because he has the fastest and most numbly
Japanese in the ward.)<o:p></o:p></div>
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And on Sunday, after Brother Gold was confirmed, he came up
to me and my trainer, and said the sweetest, most heartfelt thank you. "If
you hadn't visited my house, none of this would have happened. Thank you. I am
really happy."<o:p></o:p></div>
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It was a real blessing that I could understand that without
my companion translating it for me. It was a really tender moment, ahhhhh!!! I
love that man.</div>
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AND I ACTUALLY HAVE SOME BAD NEWS!<o:p></o:p></div>
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WE HAVE JUST BEEN INFORMED THAT EMAIL TIME IS ALREADY
OVER!!!<o:p></o:p></div>
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So I am going to have to finish this week's email next
week!!!!<o:p></o:p></div>
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But to tide you over while you wait, here are some pictures
of the food we ate! (IT RHYMES!!)<o:p></o:p></div>
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AND ALSO, IT'S SNOWING !!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Mx6YwECUGh4/WA4sozs2PbI/AAAAAAAAAf0/eF4t3tXIBhMcIqp6gbEmune7EewdDis5ACLcB/s1600/Blog_5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="236" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Mx6YwECUGh4/WA4sozs2PbI/AAAAAAAAAf0/eF4t3tXIBhMcIqp6gbEmune7EewdDis5ACLcB/s320/Blog_5.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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BYE!!!<o:p></o:p></div>
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Conniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363333822539454435noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5807581479953735100.post-71248061604072592902016-10-17T21:13:00.000-07:002016-10-17T21:13:01.622-07:00Week 20: DREAMS COMING TRUE EVERYWHERE<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">First things first, we went to the zoo last P-Day.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">All of my penguin-based dreams came true.</span></div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8F59QSFiGOc/WAWgVA5yXWI/AAAAAAAAAeo/dO0sk16vXj4PD6_2uMbW7iI5mLoROgTtgCLcB/s1600/Week20_1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="304" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8F59QSFiGOc/WAWgVA5yXWI/AAAAAAAAAeo/dO0sk16vXj4PD6_2uMbW7iI5mLoROgTtgCLcB/s320/Week20_1.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-s_ZZXjFicSM/WAWgaBqKDcI/AAAAAAAAAew/KWE_hx9v4HUKae3XHhHXQi7_Sm5IyjVEgCEw/s1600/Week20_2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-s_ZZXjFicSM/WAWgaBqKDcI/AAAAAAAAAew/KWE_hx9v4HUKae3XHhHXQi7_Sm5IyjVEgCEw/s320/Week20_2.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Look at this awesome picture I'm not really in!
But you can see my eye in the back there, and eyes are the windows to the soul,
so...</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jcF7911WGYI/WAWgX9kvAYI/AAAAAAAAAes/juKUjMpt4NIaidZmfuzApTOqQvLcOBTzACEw/s1600/Week20_3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="303" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jcF7911WGYI/WAWgX9kvAYI/AAAAAAAAAes/juKUjMpt4NIaidZmfuzApTOqQvLcOBTzACEw/s320/Week20_3.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You wouldn't know it, but that's my name: Stewart. Or rather
Su-Chu-Waaaa-To. Oh, Japanese!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(PS, knowledge facts: Stewart Island is a small island on
the bottom of New Zealand. One time I did a writing assignment where I lied and
said my family came from there just to seem interesting.)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Also, I became a wizard.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One thing you need to know about me: I really like sheep.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-h8NWemJYfs0/WAWgeRRQCaI/AAAAAAAAAfA/mMISszKQ9jA8Vvw_3DeyWsPcSjBvFL6RACEw/s1600/Week20_6.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-h8NWemJYfs0/WAWgeRRQCaI/AAAAAAAAAfA/mMISszKQ9jA8Vvw_3DeyWsPcSjBvFL6RACEw/s320/Week20_6.JPG" width="269" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Good news, there's KFC in Japan. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And it's still "Finger Lickin' Good!"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So yes, all of my dreams came true.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">AND THEN OUR INVESTIGATOR PASSED HIS BAPTISMAL INTERVIEW!!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">He's going to be baptized on the 22nd, and he is so happy.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">He got fitted for his baptismal jumper yesterday!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And that was the best dream come true of all!!! (But the
sheep was a close second.)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This week was Mission Conference!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Elder Bednar came and made the gospel seem so simple. He is
such an authoritative speaker!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Everyone got to ask him questions and make comments, it's
was a really cool opportunity... But yeah, I was too scared to ask him anything.
Oops!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Also, since it was Mission Conference, Elder Too Cool For
School District Leader pulled out his pinstripe suit, which apparently he saves
only for mission conference.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">He looked like a gangster.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We called him "The Dogfather."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So now I will call him Elder Dogfather in all future emails.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm so glad my district is funny.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kKP1HtQGDRg/WAWgc8I8yhI/AAAAAAAAAe4/vPm8q4EIc5sWlwfWDAAAv7f7gzJM919qwCEw/s1600/Week20_7.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kKP1HtQGDRg/WAWgc8I8yhI/AAAAAAAAAe4/vPm8q4EIc5sWlwfWDAAAv7f7gzJM919qwCEw/s320/Week20_7.JPG" width="240" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This week we have another train story!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On the train, a young couple comes in and the boy sits down
(which was just so insane to me because the girl was standing on the train but
the boy was sitting, okay, whatever, Japan has different standards of chivalry
I guess) and his girlfriend says, thinking we don't understand, "Wow,
they're gorgeous! I would forgive you if you put your arm around them, they're
so pretty!"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Haha?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">People say weeeeird stuff about us sometimes.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Someday I will be able to understand it without my companion
translating for me...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One last story...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This week my companion and I tried to go on a diet, because
we are gaining so much weight!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We didn't get past one day.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">She started having what can be described as a slight mental
breakdown, and I had a terrible headache.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We ate a lot from our peanut butter reserves that night...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">BYE BYE!!</span></span></div>
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Conniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363333822539454435noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5807581479953735100.post-48101447463577402492016-10-10T18:39:00.000-07:002016-10-10T18:39:49.912-07:00Week 19: Peanut Butter, Pride, and Other Things From America<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This week we had a visit from the SUPER SWEET, super rich,
and SUPER DUPER AMERICAN couple missionaries that work in the mission home!
When I say they are super American, I mean they are just that! A little slice
of apple pie with ice cream on the side! So sweet!!! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">They came to check the state of our apartment, but the thing
I actually cared about was when they sold us bootleg peanut butter and oatmeal
from the only Costco on the island out of the back of their van. It was great.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Another very American experiment happened this week. We were
helping an investigator, who is a really old and funny grandpa in a wheelchair,
pack up his house to move when he requested a song from the Americans present.
He had us sing The National Anthem. And then he and the Japanese Elder sung
Japan's National Anthem.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I don't know, I thought it was really funny. The most random
place in Japan doing the most American thing possible. It was a great moment.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-28gkv_HLM6s/V_xA2LlecWI/AAAAAAAAAdw/069mMJrFVVonWFf5SmEStf9vsUbAGlu2ACLcB/s1600/blog1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-28gkv_HLM6s/V_xA2LlecWI/AAAAAAAAAdw/069mMJrFVVonWFf5SmEStf9vsUbAGlu2ACLcB/s400/blog1.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This week we had Zone Activity and I got to wear pants. :)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We played a game but all I cared about was wearing pants. :)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It was hard to put my skirt back on afterwards, oh how I
miss pants!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But no matter! We press on!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Speaking of pressing on despite difficulty, here is an
experience, written from the pen (or rather, iPad keyboard) of my companion...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Hellooooooooo! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Once upon a time there were two sister missionaries in a
land far far away. In this land, whenever the sister missionaries would visit
older folk (aka obaachans or grandmas) the older people would insist on giving
them something to drink. And so.. Because those sister missionaries were not
allowed to drink the most commonly drunken drink in the land (aka tea) the
obaachan-tachi would usually give them juice, hot water, tea made from wheat,
or carbonated soda. On this particular occasion they were served juice, which
they humbly accepted. The sister missionaries then asked if they could sing
with the obaachan together a few beautiful ballads (aka hymns) and commenced
singing. Unfortunately for one of the sister missionaries, whenever she drinks
something before singing, it usually makes air come up in short spurts from her
stomach (aka burp) and so, as those sister missionaries were singing a beautiful
ballad with the obaachan, one of the sister missionaries burped... And then the
other one started uncontrollably laughing. (EDITORS NOTE: me) Fortunately for
the two of them, the obaachan didn't seem to notice as they both tried to
stifle their laughter. The one who had mistakenly let air out of her stomach
somehow managed to continue singing, even though she was also struggling to
hold back the laughter. They eventually got it together after singing all four
verses... The ballad ended, and they testified of the truthfulness of the
lyrics in the song."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I lost it, but somehow my companion kept singing. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I really hope that sweet old lady didn't notice....<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Another thing that happened! A short story, but it
illustrates a very interesting face about Japanese culture... They will do
anything to make you leave without making you feel bad.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We knocked on a lady's door, she came to the door, she said
she had already met missionaries like us before and, though she was terribly
sorry, she did not listen to their message, and would not listen to ours. Then
while apologizing many times, she walks into her house, grabs an onion, hands
it to us, and closes the door.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hey, whatever. Free onion, am I right?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This week, a week later than you lucky Americans, we watched
GENERAL CONFERENCE!! As my Noble, Distinguished Zone Leader would say,
"Yaaaaaay!"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Side story: my family has a Conference Tradition of making
strawberry waffles for every conference so I decided I wanted to continue that
tradition. I painstakingly translated the recipe, measured the ingredients,
spent an elapsed 4 minutes making each waffle with a little microwaveable mold
(Oh, Japan...) and then subsequently toasting them in the toaster, because they
were made in a microwave and therefore soggy. And then, when all that was done,
and a slathering of strawberry jam was applied, I bit into the fruits of my
labors only to realize I had mistaken salt for sugar. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My companion took pity on me and made oatmeal for me.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But anyway, back to Conference! It was really fun! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The American missionaries got their own private screening in
English!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Snacks were prepared!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Testimonies shared!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And naps taken... (We couldn't help it...)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SwVlwMBSzp4/V_xCG4ni-UI/AAAAAAAAAd4/MFNiAzhsM-suOzxE7FNFzrZREEj52QbQQCLcB/s1600/blog2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SwVlwMBSzp4/V_xCG4ni-UI/AAAAAAAAAd4/MFNiAzhsM-suOzxE7FNFzrZREEj52QbQQCLcB/s320/blog2.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Elder Too Cool For School District Leader (He thinks he's a
really cool) used his ingenuity to warm up our pizza toast in front of the
heater. Thanks!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And here we are, with our Noble and Distinguished Zone
Leader counting the seconds down until pressing play!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-95N6DA1Ijjw/V_xCZ6q1dKI/AAAAAAAAAd8/z3qQY6c3ymYWYFruNjNgmYpKcUl5myh5ACLcB/s1600/blog3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-95N6DA1Ijjw/V_xCZ6q1dKI/AAAAAAAAAd8/z3qQY6c3ymYWYFruNjNgmYpKcUl5myh5ACLcB/s320/blog3.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thank you for your continued readership!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sister Stewart, signing off!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">BYE-BYE!</span><o:p></o:p></div>
Conniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363333822539454435noreply@blogger.com2