The week I ate nothing except apple juice

Sorry for the scary title but I'll explain. Also, I've seemed to reach the end of my first transfer. It's a little weird. Don't worry, I'm staying in Naha and sister L is now a STL! [Sister Training Leader] Yeah!! That means I'll be dendoing [doing missionary work] with random people a lot while she goes to meetings and on junkai [training events] and what not. I'm happy for her 😄

Last Monday: I have to write a bit about last Monday. We went to Shuri-Jo, a castle. It's similar to the castles we went to in China because it was built when China owned Okinawa. It was pretty sick. The best part was that in all the buildings and museums we had to take off our shoes and carry them in bags! Total score.



Tuesday: The relief society had a Christmas party. The relief society makes up most of the ward and is mainly Oba-chans [adult women]. We had a sushimi decorating contest. Only in Japan. I, sadly did not win, but holy COW people actually had some like beautiful arrangements of raw seafood.  Then there was a cloths swap with was the greatest. I got a new skirt.

Wednesday: We had Eikaiwa which is always so fun because I get to speak English. We talked about weird English phrases. It's really hard to explain things like "out of time" or "pulling into the driveway" to them. But it was funny. We also played telephone pictionary which is way funnier with people who don't know much English (or how to spell anything (I'm in that category))



Thursday: The start of my apple juice consumption. First I'll say, apple juice in Japan in 10000 times better than Apple juice in America. From Thursday until today all I really ate was apple juice. I wasn't sick, just had a temperamental stomach and no appetite. Out of
no where. Anyway, no need to worry because I've started eating again. We had a lesson with K. It was a confusing lesson because she said she didn't want to meet again but wanted to meet before church on Sunday. She's reading the BoM though and is praying to know if it's true. (She called us, she was a former investigator). Our lesson was really long and confusing and I understood none of it but at the end I felt like I should bear my testimony of the BoM. So I did. It was simple and short. But the spirit in the room was so strong. Simple testimonies are powerful. Sometimes I wish I could say more. But in the end, I can testify and that's what matters. I think it was Gary E Stevenson in conference (he served in Fukuoka, fun fact) that rather on dwell on what we can't do, think about what we can. And we can bear simple testimony. That state to means so much to me because literally all I can do is bear a (very) simple testimony. And that's enough. So I'm challenging the Bearman family again (how missionary like, huh) and anyone else who reads this to bear their testimony of the Savior before New Years. It doesn't have to be long or complex (mine never are), you just have to mean it. There you go. Do it. And email me if you do it. I'd like to hear.

Friday: Still not eating. We visited quite a few members and they ALL fed us so much. And I ate none of it. I was in stealth mode. I snuck it into my bag or onto L shimai's plate. We street ex [contacted?] all day, but no one wanted to chat. I did speak a lot though.

Saturday: Still not eating. I had no energy so we apartment dendo-ed.  We looked though former investigators and less actives and called lots of people. It was fun. We also went to the ward Christmas party. We sang 2 songs. We sounded good but the primary sounded better. They are just SO CUTE! Before the party, we had an unplanned lesson with
K. We didn't say much again. But she said she knows that through this gospel she'd find peace and we were like YES, you are so right!  She and her mom and our recent converts mom all came to the Christmas party and had a blast. There was so much yummy Japanese food (that I didn't eat).



Sunday: Still not eating. Well, L shimai forced some food into me so don't worry. After church we visited the T family. The daughter is a RM [Returned Missionary] (came back last Sunday), T son is 18 and active, the mom is less active, and the dad isn't a member. We show up to this HUGE house full of cool Christmas decoration. We walk in, expecting to speak Japanese only to find out they're way skilled at the English. It made me feel like a real missionary. Getting to know people, showing off family pictures, making, being myself. It was so nice. We shared the Christmas message and I just had the felling that
the dad is way ready for baptism. The family jokes that he's a hidden member because he acts like one. I'm so excited to start working with him. Their daughter who just got back is the BOMB. She's like an angel. Everything she says is something I need to hear. She trained 5 gaigin [foreigners] so she knows how I feel. And she keeps telling me that as a
bean-chan [new missionary] I have a special power. Use it. Even if it comes in the form
of broken jumbled Nihongo.

Monday: The elders caught word that I hadn't been eating. I was trying to keep it on the down low. So 2 of the elders gave me a blessing. It was a smack myself in the forehead moment. I love priesthood blessings. How could I forget that I'm, like, allowed to ask for one? Anyway, it was the elders first time doing one and it was so short and simple. But as we know, great things come in simple packages. After the blessing we went to a members for lunch (all 9 missionaries). And I could eat. Not a ton. Not eating a normal portion. But I could eat.  Since it rude not to eat everything you're served and I couldn't eat everything, I would switch bowls with the elder next to me when the member wasn't looking. He ate the amount of food for 2 people. What a life savor. I felt bad toward the end because there was so much but he just kept taking my food when I couldn't eat more.

Tuesday: The elders are keeping tabs on whether or not I eat. It's the first question they asked me. We had a district pday today. And during lunch they cheered for me when I finished my plate. We ate at a buffet and then went shopping on Kokusai dori. It was way fun.

Well, sorry if I scared you mother. I promise I'm eating. Still not lots but I'm eating. Don't worry. I wasn't going to tell you but it was a major part of this week. Next time I see you will be on skype!!!! Pday is on Christmas so don't expect an email before then.  Keep being awesome. I'll keep working hard down here in the lovely Okinawa weather!

Love love love
Bearman shimai

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