Japanese phrases that come in handy!

Beautiful Akashi!

To my Incredible Fam,

I love you so much!! Thank you for all you've done for me and the
wonderful help you are to everyone. I love you!

This week: at basketball I knocked down a Japanese man using only my
head, we tried to make cake for a dinner appointment only to find out
the sugar I bought was salt (yes, I do know Japanese...)

and our follow up cake also failed--ending up with half solidified 
jello (oh it was so funny)! I titled our weekly report "Akashi Food!" 
Oh, well... so many adventures! And...that's the short list of what 
happened to your missionary in the last few days. Ha ha!

So, I knew I wasn't any good at basketball, but we were doing a drill
and I don't think I moved fast enough, and all of a sudden something
hit my head... and I turn and see one of the nicest Japanese guys flat
on the ground, and his head is bleeding! It was so bad... I have a
goose egg, but he got it worse... I really quickly learned an extremely 
polite phrase for "please forgive me" (moshi wake gozaimasen)... he was
really nice about it though. He is fine (I think...).

Apart from that essential update, I love you tons fam. Whatever life 
throws at you, the gospel is true. Never be too stressed to count your 
blessings. There are ALWAYS miracles in every phase of our lives, 
we just have to slow down enough, listen to the Spirit enough, 
think about eternal things enough to see them. The Gospel is the 
most important thing. I know that the Savior's love is real for our 
investigators. I don't have time to tell you every specific thing about them, 
but I feel this love that I know is not my own for them, that is so big, that 
just wants the best for them. 

I love Jesus Christ. I love my Savior. There is nothing I would not give 
to follow Him. I love that the Lord loves us enough to try us. I love that 
He takes the time to chastise us, teach us, guide us. How Heavenly Father 
loves His children!

Sister Belnap had to go home due to her illness. I will truly miss her, but we were able to accomplish so much! My prayers are with her in her recovery.  

Note from Sister Jen's mom:
This is what the mission president said about Sister Belnap in his blog:

This wonderful sister missionary arrived... [having] “survived” the MTC...She arrived exhausted and dizzy.  We thought jet lag hit her particularly hard until we discovered that she had a problem with her ears on the airplane, and she developed a case of vertigo that lasted for several weeks.  From there her health continued to deteriorate...

Her heart was completely in the work, but her emotional, physical and mental condition would not let her do what she so much wanted to do.  Frustrated, she prayed harder and put more faith in the Lord.  A bicycle crash may have been the last straw.  Her energy was sapped.  Mentally, physically, and emotionally she had given all she had to give.  She needed to return and get some attention that is not possible in such a foreign place as this is. She wanted to continue her mission more than she wanted to breathe.  

Forever Friends!

永遠の友達 (Eien no tomodachi)

This is my new companion - Sister Dobson.

She is from American Fork Utah and likes smiling, missionary work,
taking pictures of Akashi and long walks on the beach ha ha. And...she plays
the flute and studies Special Ed at USU. So great - ANOTHER
COMPANION TO LOVE! Yay. Already, she is so brave and fearless with
stopping others. I am so grateful that the Lord lets us do missionary work 
with companions. It really is His appointed plan.

I LOVE THE GOSPEL, and I love you! Our investigator that has a
baptismal date has been studying SO WELL. She will come to lessons
with her shukudai (homework) all done, parts of scriptures or
pamphlets marked... it is so amazing, even though she doesn't
understand everything she is working so hard. (ishokenmei!)
Understanding is really hard for her, but her heart wants to work. I
am so grateful for the gifts that Heavenly Father gives us. There is
nothing like this Gospel. Sometimes I just want to think about myself
even less, I want to just go and take them the word, I want to become
a teacher that teaches so simply a child can understand perfectly my
teachings about Him, most of all I just want to share my love for Him.
We were in a lesson this week and our investigator wasn't
understanding, and suddenly tears were just pouring down my face as I
taught this beautiful woman how much Heavenly Father loves her. I want
to do everything I can to become a good teacher, witness, missionary,
saint, for Him. How I love my Savior Jesus Christ. I delight in
telling others about Him. I delight in the message of the
Gospel. I delight in sacrifice. I try every day to devote another
piece of my stubborn part to Him, to give Him a little more. I know
that He has the power to heal us, and helps us endure. I have faced
things I know that I couldn't face alone. How I love my Savior Jesus
Christ.

I love you Fam! You are so wonderful. あなたはとても素晴らしいです
Anata wa totemo subarashiidesu!!!

I know eternal families are a part of Heavenly Father's eternal plan, and I
know that I was meant to be one of the Anderson 7 siblings (the last and 
most spoiled one!) I am so grateful to have such beautiful nieces and 
nephews, and I am in awe at how you parents teach your kids so diligently
about Jesus Christ and His love. He really is the reason. I love Jesus Christ 
and want to put my heart, needs, desires in His hands.

This Gospel is true. Let us not rest, but carry it to every soul that
is prepared to hear the advent of His coming, His love, His life and
this: HE LIVES.

I love you all!
Love,
Sister Anderson