Week 33 - Starts 5th Transfer... Wait, What?

TRANSFER CALLS

So for those who don't know...this is how transfer call day goes:

1. wake up at 4 a.m because you think you hear the phone buzz

2. go to sleep

3. wake up at 4:05 a.m....

4. go to sleep

5. finally sleep, wake up at 6:30 a.m

6. contemplate your future all morning and pace in the hallway

7. 8:00 a.m. transfer calls start (end at 10 a.m)

8. stare at phone and almost die of heart attack 'til you get a call

9. get a call AND HAVE A HEART ATTACK simultaneously at 9:45 a.m

10. cry, laugh, cry again, lay on the floor and die

this is how this morning went. :)

Sister Haroldsen is OUUT of Tsukuba! I am staying here another transfer! It was crazy, Sister Haroldsen said she had a dream that we stayed together. But when the clock passed 8:30 this morning and we didn't get a call....we knew one of us was going to transfer out. And everyone was positive it was going to be me!

I am super sad that she is leaving, because we got along so well! She definitely became one of my best friends. I am so grateful for everything she helped me with, and the great example she was to me! And my new companion will be SISTER MITCHELL. You guys, I am not kidding when I say that SHE IS A MISSION LEGEND. This is her first time transferring to a new area and she is starting her 7th transfer!! (literally mission legend. she worked with President Nagano for 6 straight transfers). She is from New Zealand and safe to say that she is probably the girl version of Elder Holland. (?)

Sister Haroldsen's new companion is my trainer!!!!!!!! Sister Moffat!!!!! Oh, I about died when I heard President Nagano tell us the news. My trainer is basically Jesus.

TEMPLE

WE TOOK YUKA TO THE TEMPLE THIS WEEK!!!!!! That was also one of the best days of my whole life. Seeing her all dressed in white again, and in the Lord's House...wow, that was truly a blessing. We were able to spend most of the day in Tokyo with her, and honestly I have never seen her so happy. Being a missionary is LITERALLY THE BEST THING because you get to see first hand how the atonement and the light of the Savior heals people. You see lives changed, character transformed, and hearts softened every single day. If that is just not the best thing ever, I don't know what is!

ZONE PDAY (last monday)

We played sports for 5 straight hours. And it was probably one of the funnest pdays I've had on my mission so far! We played dodgeball, basketball, and volleyball at the Matsudo church! The elders were getting all cocky and what not...and then when the sisters started to wreck, they became humbled real quick haha! It was so fun!! We also got caught in a typhoon on the way home, which was just the best. I miss the rain!!!!

The day after zone pday...Sister Haroldsen and I couldn't move because of how sore we were, ahah.

ENGLISH CHALLENGE

We did a free English challenge to build up mission school! We were at the train station (eki) for almost 3 hours. Just talking to EVERYONE we could!! I felt like my face was going to fall off by how much I was smiling. I just loved it. I was definitely in my element! :) If you can imagine it.. about 10 white missionaries holding cardboard signs saying, "Free English"..and giving away free candy. Sister Haroldsen turned to me and said, "I don't think these children were taught NOT to take candy from strangers." After she said that...a little boy tried to hand me money. Japanese people are so honest. haha

We were able to find a new investigator out of that too!! Her name is Sabrina! She is Chinese and is the cutest person you'll ever meet!!!

HEART BURN

So we made food with Sabrina on Saturday, and because she is from China....she LOVES spicy food. So she made some super (deathly) spicy Chinese food for us.

To say that I was in agony doesn't even begin to describe how I actually felt. I looked over at Sister Haroldsen and it looked like she was suffering a 3 degree sunburn on her face. We were dying. it was good....but holy cow. it wrecked me. I suddenly realized what heart burn was. I turned to Sister Haroldsen about an hour after dinner (feelin' heartburn way bad)..."I feel like I have been smoking for like 20 years!" It was crazy. The next day I was toast. Literally. I was on the toilet longer than I wanted to be.

Back to Sabrina.

She is soooo keen. (golden) The Lord is definitely preparing people here in Tsukuba!! I am so excited to see where this next transfer takes us!

TREAT YOSELF

So today was my first time getting a hair cut from someone who wasn't my aunt. Sister Durrant (bishops wife) took us to get hair cuts this morning! I cut about 5 inches off of my hair...and I easily feel like 10 lbs lighter. Along with a haircut, they gave me the best head massage. I just love Japan.

And then we went to Costco to go eat pizza! Sister Haroldsen turned to me and said:

"You're right. I feel like I just stepped foot in America....despite the sheer amount of Asians."

Yep, I'm gonna miss her. haha

ITS NOT A SIN TO BE WEAK

Though He was without sin, Jesus Christ joined us fully in the condition of mortal weakness. He was born as a helpless infant in a mortal body and raised by imperfect caretakers. He had to learn how to walk, talk, work, and get along with others. He got hungry and tired, felt human emotions, and could get ill, suffer, bleed, and die. He was “in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin,” subjecting Himself to mortality so He could “be touched with the feeling of our infirmities” and succor us in our infirmities or weaknesses.

The difference between sin and weakness is that weaknesses ironically bring us closer to him, while sin drives us off course and we distance ourselves from our Father.

We cannot simply repent of being weak—nor does weakness itself make us unclean. We cannot grow spiritually unless we reject sin, but we also do not grow spiritually unless we accept our state of human weakness, respond to it with humility and faith, and learn through our weakness to trust in God. When Moroni fretted about the weakness of his writing, God did not tell him to repent. Instead, the Lord taught him to be humble and to have faith in Christ. As we are meek and faithful, God offers grace—not forgiveness—as the remedy for weakness. Grace is an enabling power from God to do what we cannot do on our own—the appropriate godly remedy by which He can “make weak things become strong.”

I love you all so much!!!! Have the best week ever!!!!!!!

Sister Phelps

Last district meeting! #Tsukushikuba