Let's Not Forget, Okay?

Dear Minnasan,

Well, I made it safely to Marugame. Yes, I TRANSFERRED. That's why I didn't have time to write an email last week...packing was achi-kochiu (all over the place). Anyways, Marugame is this little island off the coast of Kobe, so it was quite the trip, but it was worth it. I woke up on transfer day at 5:00 am and didn't get to my new area until around 5:00 pm at night, so that was the longest transfer I ever had. To get to the island (called Shikoku) we took a train over this huge suspension bridge (it's the largest of its kind in the world, so so I've been told) and the ocean was JUST GORGEOUS.

I can't say that too much has gone on since I've gotten out here though...I caught a bit of a cold and that put everything that happened from Friday onward in a bit of a haze. But I'm doing much better now and am all saddled up to really get to work. I've only got a little time left, and I am not afraid to give every last piece of myself. I am going to go until they tell me I have to get on that plane, and even then, I won't stop. Because when we go home, we never stop being missionaries. Not really. We just get transferred to America to continue the work.

I am a bit sad to have left Kawachinagano...I found my nitch there and really felt like I had finally figured this dendo (missionary) thing out...now that I think about it, maybe that is why I was transferred. Becoming too comfortable can be a bad thing, I think. When we become comfortable, we become lazy. We become prideful. And, we all know what pride did to the Nephites. It lead to their destruction. When we become lazy and prideful, we forget who is REALLY in charge. We start to think that we can do things on our own. When that happens, that's when the problems start. 

Anyways, my new companion is a Japanese sister and I'm super excited about this. I get to speak Japanese all day everyday all day long. Hopefully this will help me to bump up my language skill a notch. It's amazing to me to see how much progress I've made in the language, and I know that it's all due to the Lord's help. I”m still not fluent, but that's okay. I have truly been blessed by God.

This week we visited this less active family a member. There are three high school aged youth and their grandmother all living in a rather old and very dirty home. Their father died some time ago, and they seem to have to take care of themselves without much adult supervision or help (their grandmother is virtually bedridden). We went and made dinner for them, and then shared a message about how God is there for them and loves them.

I can't describe it in words, but there is this look that I see in people's eyes sometimes. They just look at me, and I can see this sort of emptiness. They are searching for something. And oh, how desperately I want to give it to them. Their souls are thirsting for the fountain of everlasting life, the bread of life. I saw that look in the eyes of the daughter of that less active family. Sometimes I want to just wrap my arms around these people and squeeze them tight, so tight that somehow they will feel God's love, a love that is so big, that they can't even comprehend it. I wish these people could just see sometimes. Really see. But all I can do is testify and invite. They have to do the rest.

Sometimes I forget how amazing this Gospel is. Let's not forget, okay?

Sister Weigl