Fear Not Little Children

Dear One and All,

What a week, what a week! So many things have been happening! First off, my companion and I have most likely spent more time out and on our feet this week than any other week. And not just this transfer. I'm counting my entire mission in that statement. I don't ever remember walking so much in my life! And Hanayashiki has SO MANY HILLS. Half of our area is just MOUNTAIN and the strange thing is, people live up there! Don't ask me what possessed them to buy a house on the side of a literal MOUNTAIN, but they did. And as a result, my companion and I gladly get to trudge up there to bring these people the gospel. It may be painful, but the pain is only temporary. What is a bit of sweat when it comes to Eternal Life?

My own Cup of Noodle Artwork

This week, my companion and I decided to try walking everywhere instead of biking to the places we needed to go, so that we could talk to more people. Because of that, we've definitely been able to invite more people to come unto Christ, but in the process, we have also successfully tired ourselves out to the point of it being ridiculous.

If any of you wonder what serving a mission is like, here is my definition: It's being so exhausted and tired every night that you feel like you are on the brink of death. And for some strange reason that others might not comprehend, you love it. You love that dead-but-not-dead-yet feeling. It's the best feeling in the world. You are happier than you have ever been. It truly is, as the saying goes, a labor of love.

A scripture that really stood out to me this week was Doctrine and Covenants 50:41, which reads, “Fear not, little children, for you are mine, and I have overcome the world, and you are of them that my Father hath given me.”

“Little children”

On Saturday, we were out knocking on doors. It was just another day in the Japan Kobe Mission. I rang the door bell of a seemingly inauspicious looking apartment, when a little boy answered the door. He was about five years old and the first thing I noticed about him was the river of snot dripping from his nose. His mother appeared right behind him and told us that now was not a good time. Her son had influenza (the flu), so she couldn't talk to us right now. She shut the door and we began to walk away, ever moving on in the search for those who will accept the words of Christ.

We had taken only about three or four steps when this little boy opened the door again. He stretched out his little hand, reaching after us. His eyes seemed to say, "Come back! Please come back!" He knew us. He knew who we were, and who we represented. And he wanted us to come back. Then his mom wrangled him back inside the apartment, and the door closed again. This time for good.

“Fear not, little children, for you are mine.”

The image of that little boy reaching out to us will be forever etched in my memory. It reminds me of how each of us are reaching after our Lord and Savior, even Jesus Christ. We beg Him, “Come back” and the beauty of it is that He always does. He is perfect and we are not. He could easily run ahead and forget about us, His imperfect little brothers and sisters, But He never does. He never does.

“Fear not little children, for you are mine.”

With love,Sister Weigl

FIVE QUESTIONS:

1. What is the weather like in Japan right now?

It's pretty cold. But when I think about how cold it is in America, I guess it's not really that cold. Today it's about...40 degrees. But it feels like it's way colder because we spend all of our time outside.

2. Do you find it hard to ride a bike in layers and a coat?

Not really.

3. Have you had any fun(ny) bike experiences? Any crashes?

Funny you should ask that. I had a little incident just yesterday where I had a close shave with an old man, but everything is perfectly alright. Sometimes I forget that I need to be on the left side of the road instead of the right. You would think at this point that I would be able to remember that.

Cool Rainproof Basket Cover
(Hey, don't laugh...it keeps things dry!)

4. Have you had a flat or needed any bike repairs? Is there a local bike shop?

The bikes we have here are super new, since we just bought them about two months ago. So everything has been fine. If we need to get anything fixed though, we can just go back to the shop where we bought the bikes, which is close by.

5. What do you do with all your stuff when it rains (when riding a bike) to keep it from getting wet?
I have this rainproof basket cover, so I just put everything in there and zip it up, and it stays nice and dry.  Where do you put your bikes at night? Do you have a bike lock?  Our apartment has a place to put bikes. And yeah, we have locks.

Top Ramen Museum - Make your own Cup of Noodles
Look at all the fresh ingredients!

Last week, we didn't get to go to the Ramen Museum, but we did get to go today! It was super fun! We got to see a replica of the house where the very first instant ramen was made, and we even got to make our very own, customized CUP OF NOODLES! It was super awesome!