A White Christmas After All

Dear One and All,

I hope you had a Merry Christmas! I know I did! It was very different from all of my previous Christmases, and for good reason! I'm thousands of miles away from my family in a foreign country. You would think that would bring me a bit of homesickness, but it's actually just the opposite! This time of year has me ever more grateful to have this wonderful opportunity to serve a mission!

Caroling with Santa and the Elders 

On the 23rd of December, we went caroling with some members of the ward. They are all pretty much fluent in English and one of them is an American who is currently living in Japan with his Japanese wife teaching English. He dressed up as Santa, which was great and pretty hilarious. In the car, he would lean out the window and wave at any Japanese person who would look at him! They were so surprised! I was afraid he was going to cause an accident! You don't exactly see a lot of Gaijin (foreigners) in Japan, especially not ones dressed up as Santa.

Anyways, we went and sang at a fire station and a Retirement Home. Being at the Retirement home was sort of depressing -- seeing all of these old people in wheelchairs who couldn't even lift their hands up to feed themselves. They were so happy to see us -- some cried, the ones that could smiled. This one man even crossed himself. He looked at me with these big eyes, and although he didn't say it I could hear the words, "God bless you" radiating from his countenance. It was a really touching experience. All we were doing is singing for these people; we weren't doing anything particularly special. But the way that they reacted, you would've thought that it was so much more than that.

That experience really got me thinking about service -- what more can I do to serve people? How can I better show love as the Savior would? Something as simple as a smile or a "hello" could mean the world to someone. I think that in the past, I have gotten too caught up in the busyness of my own life, that I forgot to look at those around me. Those who might have benefited from my service or help. May we each look and pray for opportunities to better serve our fellowmen this coming year.

The Tower of Chocolate

On Christmas, my companion and I opened all of our presents! We got a huge box of gifts from the Ward -- they are such amazing people! I am blown away by their charity and love! Most of the gifts were filled with chocolate, which I don't particularly like, so it all went to my companion (I don't really mind though, it's like they say "It's the thought that counts" and that is really so true - I appreciated the gesture way more than any of the gifts). My companion and I built a tower out of all the chocolate we got for Christmas -- it's kind of crazy. Our refrigerator is overflowing with it. Missionary problems :)

Later that day, we went to the Train Station and did some more caroling with the Elders in our area! We sang Christmas songs in English and handed out flyers for the English class that we teach every week. I have never been one for Christmas music, but this Christmas, I have really grown to love the Christmas hymns! I think my favorite has become "Joy to the World," because Christ's birth truly is a reason to celebrate! The Savior, the very being that took upon Himself all of our iniquities and sicknesses, our sadnesses and our temptations, was born! If that is not a reason to rejoice, then I don't know what is!

And, of course, the best part of my Christmas season was that S-Shimai was baptized!  It was such a tender experience! (I guess my Christmas was white after all, not with snow, but white from S-Shimai's baptism and confirmation. You know, I think people look their best while dressed in white).It taught me something very valuable -- the power of prayer. I thought I knew how to pray before I came on my mission. I've been praying for as long as I can remember, and I think that was the problem. Prayer had become something that you just DID, and it had sort of lost it's sacredness to me. BUT this transfer I truly learned that if you pray for something in faith, you WILL receive that for which you have asked. 

In the scriptures it says, "Therefore, ask and ye shall receive; knock, and it shall be opened unto you; for he that asketh, receiveth; and unto him that knocketh, it shall be opened" (3 Nephi 27:29). Now, would God give us this promise if He did not intend to keep it? No. God ALWAYS keeps His promises. For if He did not, He would cease to be God. As I have come to understand this scripture better, I have better understood the power that prayer truly has. Prayer is powerful. It is a CONVERSATION with God. My companion and I prayed that we would see a baptisms this month, and against all odds, we did!

May each of you have a wonderful New Years!

Sister Weigl

Christmas with Ward Members

Opening Presents on Christmas Day 

FIVE QUESTIONS FOR THE WEEK:

1. What kinds of jobs do people have mostly in your area?
I have NO idea...the usual sort? I don't really talk to people about their jobs.

2. What are the hours of the workday?
Pretty long, the Japanese center their lives on their work.

3. Do most women work? At home, or in business?
Most women work in business.

4. What do teenagers do to earn money?
Most teenagers have part-time jobs, just like in America. One of my previous investigators in Akashi worked in a Bread Store. So, it sounds like they have the same sort of jobs as in America.

5. Did your companion have to leave college or a job to come on a mission? 
My companion has already graduated from College (she's 26) and quit her job to go on a mission. She worked for a trading company and studied Psychology in College.