Week 27 - Am I in America?

What? another week already?? The days are going by so fast! It's like my days only last like 10 minutes, I swear! We got some big news this morning!! TRANSFER CALLS. It is getting to the point where transfer calls are kinda exciting! Not as nerve racking anymore! I was definitely a lot more relaxed this transfer call.

So Sister Fukuda is transferring to Nakano! Which is the hombu (where the mission home is)! and I am staying here in Tsukuba!! :) I am so happy that I am staying. I love...(like seriously, LOVE) the people here in Tsukuba!

My new companion will be Sister Haroldsen! She is a transfer older than me! I am so excited to meet her!! I have heard really great things about her!! :) So there will be lots of pictures and news about her next week!

COSTCO

Last Pday, one of the members here in Tsukuba took us to the most heavenly place on earth. Yep, Costco. The place where you can get full on samples and not pay a dime. my fav. In the middle of this adventurous endeavor....I literally took a minute pause and asked myself, "wait....am I in America?" It was the craziest self reflection {WHERE AM I} moment I have ever had. I seriously thought I was in America. I literally laughed @ myself for a straight 10 minutes.

This transfer I have gotten really good at laughing at my own jokes. Sister Fukuda still doesn't understand my humor. (even after 6 weeks) ahha But yo, someone has to laugh at my jokes! Might as well be me! haha

At Costco we walked around every isle about 3 times. It was beautiful. I purchased Nutella. {BEST DAY LITERALLY}

The member who took us...wow. she is such a sweet heart. While I went to the ATM to get money from my mission card, I looked behind me to see if my cart was still there, and she had the receipt already in her hand! She bought everything in the cart for us! So Christ-like, right?

But what was even more shocking and eye-opening...was a few days later, we found out that she was battling cancer. And the results don't look so good.

When I found out...I don't know.....words can't even describe how I felt. I was so shocked. She demonstrated real and true Christ-like character. She turned outwards despite her circumstances. She took time away from her family, spent time walking through Costco with crazy missionaries (mostly me), and she bought what we put in the cart. She wasn't focused on her OWN pain. She focused on us, and focused on how she could help US. That is exactly what the Savior did.

Like in the Garden of Gethsemane. The Savior went through SO MUCH spiritual and physical pain. Pain that we will never be able to comprehend fully. After a night in the garden, he comes to find out that one of his disciples betrayed him and sold his life for wealth..When the guards started to tie the Saviors hands...one of the Savior's disciple cut off the ear of one of the guards. Immediately, the Savior reached out and healed him. Admist the Saviors OWN pain...{going through the garden...betrayed, tied up..etc} He turned outwards and demonstrated true Christ-like love.

wow. So amazing.

YUKA

Literally best day of my life. We set a baptismal date with my best friend!!!!! Yuka is going to be baptized on February 11th!! I met Yuka the week I got to Tsukuba! She makes me so so so happy. I don't even know how to explain myself. I am so happy that she has decided to take this life changing step in her life!! WOO!!!!

BIBLE BASH

I swear I am a gygene magnet. We have been finding so many gygenes! (foreigners) When I see a foreigner, I literally HOP ON THAT OPPORTUNITY!! Where I can express my personality and purpose all in English! It's like this:

*see's a gygene*

Me: "*gasp* GYGENE!!!"

*runs to their personal bubble with the biggest smile*

It works everytime! :)

This time, we stopped and talked to these people from Tennessee! It was all fine and dandy until we started talking about religion and they almost blew up like fireworks. They were very passionate about their beliefs, and started to critisize the LDS church. They said some things that I knew were absolutely not true. It was basically just a one sided Bible bash, because I just listened. (Sister Fukuda had no idea what was going on haha) but when they were done...I calmly but boldly stated our purpose as missionaries. I bore my testimony and I felt the power of the Holy Ghost just come from my whole being. I don't remember what I said...but I will never forget how I felt. I knew that I was given power and help from the spirit! It is so amazing to testify of what I knew to be true. To testify that Jesus Christ lives, and that He loves us. And because He loves us...He has given us guidance to come back to our Father. And that is only through 1 way. 1 church. 1 source of truth. (wow, this gospel is so cool)

We gave them a restoration pamphlet and told them if they needed help with anything, to call us. I'm glad we left on good terms! :)

QUOTES

"Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm."

-Winston Churchill

"We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.

-Winston Churchill

I am so grateful for everything I have been given. And for all the experiences I have been able to have here on my mission. I am so happy :)

I hope you all have a great week!!

I LOVE YOU!

愛しています!!

Sister Phelps

Suda 姉妹