1. we were riding up northward on friday to go and find some houses that archbold shimai has not touched. (she has literally touched every single ping pong within an hour radius of Akou) and it was a fairly windy day. We were out in the country when the wind started to blow so hard that we couldn't continue biking. Archbold shimai looks back at me we just look and know that we both wanted to stop. We park our bikes nearby a group of about 6 houses and start to ping pong. By the 3rd door an obachan comes out and starts to talk to us about how she used to go to the catholic church when she was young and that she stopped going because she married into a strong bhuddist family and so on. And then we ask to enter her home and if she'll listen to our message and she said yes! And she became a new investigator! YOSHI!
2. On Saturday, we were planning on going to a town nearby called Aioi, which is about an hour bike ride through a mountain. However, that morning, Archbold shimai felt that we needed to take a train. So we took a train, did some housing. Talked to a really nice old man but he didn't have any interest. We tried to go and visit an investigator but she wasn't home and afterwards Archbold shimai felt that we needed to go back to Akou, we prayed and felt a confirmation. We took the train back and go housing in a place that we meant to go visit before.
We're housing and we house into a high school girl and we do an eikaiwa contact and it's a pretty futsu (normal) contact and we continue on. When I hear from their house (japanese have no insulation so you can pretty much hear everything that goes on in a home) that the high school girl says that two gaijin are talking about a free english class, we then see a girl come out of her home and excitedly run up to us with our chirashi in her hand. She approaches us and says, "I want to practice my english" so we talk with her and she is just so excited and so cute. And she even said that when she starts her new job next month that she will want to have wednesday nights off so that she can come. Wow. I hope she comes this week
3. Sunday, we go out housing. And usually I try to be guided as I am housing and to listen to the Spirit as to where we should go. And sometimes it's difficult to tell what is the spirit and what is my thoughts. But I take comfort to know that everyone has that struggle. Anyway, so we're going a long and we finally stop. And the first door we knock on we end up talking to this woman for an hour. (hajimete... first time) and she says that she likes being around us and that she feels happy but has no interest in the church. She wants to see us again. So we're probably going to go visit her again and just beocme friends and hopefully maybe she'll be interested. That is our hope.
That about sums up our week. Nothing too interesting. I'm still staying in Akou. Archbold shimai is going to Fukuchiyama with Chavez shimai. My new doryo will be Beane shimai. She's a couple doki's beneath me. Weird. I will be officially senior companion meaning, area senpai and senior companion. yeah, new experiences. So it'll be Beane shimai and Bevan shimai together ruling in Akou.
Oh, funny thing. So apparently there was a previous elder who served in Akou named Bevan choro. From Utah. Not from Tuila or whatever you call it. So I don't know what part of the Bevan family he's from. Or how I'm related to him. Not sure if I am or not from the picture I've seen, but anyway. Funny thing of the day.
Spiritual item of the week. I loved Archbold shimai's basketball analogy and i'd like to share it with you. We are on God's basketball team. He's already told us we're going to win but asked us not to look at the scoreboard and not to worry about the other team. Just go, get the ball, and make a basket. Sometimes the adversary will get the ball and make a basket, but don't scream and make a fuss, you get the ball back and make another basket. Don't worry about Satan, just focus on the task at hand and go and do.
It helped us keep things in perspective this transfer.
Thanks for your support and love. I look forward to another transfer in akou. Now I actually get to house akou :D I've loved having archbold shimai as my companion. She has helped me learn how to make decisions. It's been fun.
Mata ne! ai shite iro!
Bevan shimai
