A story of using love and patience to create a friendship

This week we dendoud in a typhoon!! And a little old man kept telling us to go home then he would talk with us for a bit, then he would be like ok really go home now! Hahah so sometimes my bag strap keeps dry, like during typhoons, and some times it makes me extra sweating! Nice!

The lesson with niijima San was so so sweet. She is so Christlike already. She said she feels good about the Book of Mormon and thinks that it is a good book. We invited her to find out for herself and shared Moroni's promise. She said she will read and pray everyday about it and told us this story about wanting to know things for herself. She said in the old folks home there is this lady who everybody gossips about and since she just recently moved into the care centre everyone told her not to talk to the gossips about lady. Everyone said she was rude and mean. But Niijima San decided she didn't care what people were saying she said she wanted to know for herself and she wanted to love this person. She said even if the lady did end up being all these she didn't care, she wanted to help her change. When Niijima San told her daughter about this her daughter said "you shouldn't be so confident in your abilities." But Niijima San talked with the lady anyways. She would make an effort to talk to her in the halls, she would sit with her at meals when nobody else would. She said that sometimes the lady really was a little rude but she didn't get offended she just loved and help and gently tried to correct. Now they are friends and it is so sweet. So much love. Taguma Shimai (the member who lives in the same old folks home) started crying when Niijima San told the story cause she had been able to witness this. Afterward she turned to us and said in English "She will make a very good member" haha it was super funny but true hahaha. As we strive to find things out for ourselves we can learn and grow so much! Super great example to me.

I think this is exactly what Christ does with each of us through the Atonement. I'm so grateful for Niijima San and her example and all I get to learn from her at our lessons. Really really sweet. Christ is the Niijima San of this story, and I of course am the little lady most of the time, but the great part of being a missionary is that I get to be the Taguma Shimai more frequently too hahah.

1. We biked wicked fast this week over to our lesson w Niijima San. Normally is takes us 1.5 hours to get there, but this week we did it in 50 min. It wasn't even that hot but nevertheless....

2. Treat for my half way mark and half birthday this week hahah.

3. Me and the comp by this beautiful building right by our house.