Good Morning!
I hope you are all fine.
I don't know if I believed them when they told us we'd hit the ground running here, but it's true. We have gone non-stop. I am starting to figure out how it all works, zone conferences, missionary interviews, meetings with stake presidents and missionary committee's, and many, many more meetings. Then you have all the other added fun stuff that members do for you, programs and dinners etc.....Wow.
We love Japan. The girls are getting so good at the subway and getting around in general. They have tickets to sumo wrestling tomorrow. Nagoya is big and busy but not like Tokyo. Even though there are as many people in this city as in the whole state of Utah.
The Meito ward (our ward) had a talent show yesterday and it was terrific. We also had the chance to go to our good friends David and Ayae Tueller's wedding program here. They are in our ward in Provo, but her family lives just 15 minutes away from us. It was so fun to see the culture and meet her family and friends.
I want you all to know how difficult it is to use a translator when you give a talk in church. You have to break and let them speak every 30 seconds or so. You sort of lose the flow. It does give you time to look at your notes but it's really more difficult than I ever imagined. Scott gave his first big talk in Japanese. He did great. I had on the head phones and the interpreter (Elder Eyring) even could translate the jokes okay. I've found that I can answer or express about everything I need to with my seven Japanese words: thank you, good morning, good day, good evening, yes, good and Bye-Bye! I still haven't really worked on no yet.
We went to the Nagoya Castle and it was so hot, I thought I'd die. They had a samurai program out side. I now understand why everyone carries an umbrella, fan and a sweat towel! It's necessary! I thought the sweat towels were a little odd when I got here, they are not. We all bought one yesterday. I bought a fan as well. It use to be a little gross to hug someone that was sweaty, not here. It doesn't bother me at all now. We all feel a little damp all the time.
The members here are great. Missionary work really does rely on the members, finding, teaching and fellowshipping. You see these investigators and new members needing to be loved and accepted so badly. So everybody support your new members. So many fall away because they don't have a friend for support.
I wish I would have gone to nursing school. I have had about 10 calls the last few days from elders and sisters. I don't really want to tell them that they are speaking with a person that sent her daughter to school with a broken arm for two days just thinking she needed tylenol. That's one of my children's favorite things to talk about when they get together is all the stories of my lack of compassion when it came to them being sick. It was usually, "Oh I'm so sorry you feel bad. That stinks. Take some tylenol and then buck up", or "Make sure you don't throw up on the bed (or couch), make it to the bathroom". The Lord's helping me thogh. I think I'm a little nicer and I'm getting some of the things down.
We love you all and wish you could be here to experience Japan and missionary work. It's all amazing!
Cultural tip of the week:
We found the best food! Hooray! It is a chain store with these really fat noodles and tempura everything (shrimp, chicken, onions, etc... and of course some whole fish thing). It is soooo good. I don't know why but I don't look at tempura as deep fried food, it looks cleaner and less fat than that. So I'm sure it doesn't have all those calories, right?????? It it customary here to slurp your noodles. Yes, pick up your bowl and with your chopsticks pick up a noodle and make a very loud slurping noise. We all loved it!
Have a wonderful week!
Sister Baird, Mom or Bonnie
I hope you are all fine.
I don't know if I believed them when they told us we'd hit the ground running here, but it's true. We have gone non-stop. I am starting to figure out how it all works, zone conferences, missionary interviews, meetings with stake presidents and missionary committee's, and many, many more meetings. Then you have all the other added fun stuff that members do for you, programs and dinners etc.....Wow.
We love Japan. The girls are getting so good at the subway and getting around in general. They have tickets to sumo wrestling tomorrow. Nagoya is big and busy but not like Tokyo. Even though there are as many people in this city as in the whole state of Utah.
The Meito ward (our ward) had a talent show yesterday and it was terrific. We also had the chance to go to our good friends David and Ayae Tueller's wedding program here. They are in our ward in Provo, but her family lives just 15 minutes away from us. It was so fun to see the culture and meet her family and friends.
I want you all to know how difficult it is to use a translator when you give a talk in church. You have to break and let them speak every 30 seconds or so. You sort of lose the flow. It does give you time to look at your notes but it's really more difficult than I ever imagined. Scott gave his first big talk in Japanese. He did great. I had on the head phones and the interpreter (Elder Eyring) even could translate the jokes okay. I've found that I can answer or express about everything I need to with my seven Japanese words: thank you, good morning, good day, good evening, yes, good and Bye-Bye! I still haven't really worked on no yet.
We went to the Nagoya Castle and it was so hot, I thought I'd die. They had a samurai program out side. I now understand why everyone carries an umbrella, fan and a sweat towel! It's necessary! I thought the sweat towels were a little odd when I got here, they are not. We all bought one yesterday. I bought a fan as well. It use to be a little gross to hug someone that was sweaty, not here. It doesn't bother me at all now. We all feel a little damp all the time.
The members here are great. Missionary work really does rely on the members, finding, teaching and fellowshipping. You see these investigators and new members needing to be loved and accepted so badly. So everybody support your new members. So many fall away because they don't have a friend for support.
I wish I would have gone to nursing school. I have had about 10 calls the last few days from elders and sisters. I don't really want to tell them that they are speaking with a person that sent her daughter to school with a broken arm for two days just thinking she needed tylenol. That's one of my children's favorite things to talk about when they get together is all the stories of my lack of compassion when it came to them being sick. It was usually, "Oh I'm so sorry you feel bad. That stinks. Take some tylenol and then buck up", or "Make sure you don't throw up on the bed (or couch), make it to the bathroom". The Lord's helping me thogh. I think I'm a little nicer and I'm getting some of the things down.
We love you all and wish you could be here to experience Japan and missionary work. It's all amazing!
Cultural tip of the week:
We found the best food! Hooray! It is a chain store with these really fat noodles and tempura everything (shrimp, chicken, onions, etc... and of course some whole fish thing). It is soooo good. I don't know why but I don't look at tempura as deep fried food, it looks cleaner and less fat than that. So I'm sure it doesn't have all those calories, right?????? It it customary here to slurp your noodles. Yes, pick up your bowl and with your chopsticks pick up a noodle and make a very loud slurping noise. We all loved it!
Have a wonderful week!
Sister Baird, Mom or Bonnie
7:13 AM |
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