Sister Jena Anderson

Sister Jena Anderson
Entered the MTC December 28th, 2011 and left for Kobe, Japan March 12th!

Monday, October 8, 2012

Trekking on in Takamatsu! Onward and upward...


Thanks for the package Spen, Rach and kids!
My Dearest Family!

Oh how fun and how envious, you get to be watching CONFERENCE!!! What privilege, how fun that is!!! YAY CONFERENCE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Oh we are so excited. My companion and I have anxiously been awaiting this next weekend, when we will get to watch it. We love Takamatsu!  We got transfer calls today and... we are staying here! Which is such a blessing. I love it here. I love my companion!!! The members are gems, they are working so hard to help the work and so efficiently, so Japanese! I love them so much.

This week our investigators dropped a little bit, one of our investigator's daughter had an operation and can't leave the house for 3 months or have any visitors. So sad.  The other one is probably a "no" right now... and we've been trekking around Takamatsu, trying to find potential investigators from the area book, trying to make out Kanji on signs, getting lost so much...haha... and not finding a ton, but doing the work of the Lord! It is pretty amazing. We were trekking yesterday, and felt like we should go to this area where the apartments didn't seem to be lived in.  We crossed the street trekked on and, as usual, didn't get let in very much.  But, we met this mother of three who has met the Elders before. The contact was guided to be just the right speed for her. At one point, I was talking, and the Spirit stopped me and just prompted me to ask her what she thought. I'd only testified in 2 or 3 sentences, hardly at all. She sat for probably one minute, occasionally saying things like... "well" or "what should I say" kind of things... and then she said that she thinks she wants to listen. We were like... what?... a little shocked and asked her if that would be now or another day. She told us a day this week she would like to meet us. Wow.  It was such a miracle! We went a ways off and just said a prayer of thanks to the Lord for preparing this beautiful woman to hear about families and Jesus Christ. I love Him. I love His work. I am so grateful that even as He is the amazing Creator of all, the maker of the universe and worlds without number, He is my personal Savior and Friend. I need Him so much. I am so grateful for the power of His redemption, for the power of His love. That is real. The only way we can know how deep is to draw on it from experience.  I know His love. I know how deep that goes. He is so wonderful! 

We've had so many miracles. The Lord led us to another woman. We had been searching for her house. She was a potential investigator listed in the area book from years ago, and we couldn't find her. The house wasn't even on the map. Even the man with a map who we asked for directions couldn't find it exactly. We were leaving and stopped at this yellow apartment complex, it was small and we said we would just house it before we left. As Dobson Shimai rang the doorbell, I recognized this woman's name on the door. Isn't that amazing? She is Phillipino and said we could bring back a book in Tagalog... :) I love the Book of Mormon!

The most recent guidance from President has been about honing our skills on how to begin teaching our first lessons... and we are so excited to be having some of those soon. :)

It is amazing how much the Lord numbers His Sheep, all of us and those we are searching for. It is such a wonderful opportunity to be in His service. I love my Savior Jesus Christ. I am amazed at His love. I want so much to love a little more like Him. What an example He is to me in every way. I love His work. I love His help. I love Him! I know that MY Redeemer lives. My beautiful friends and family, that love is so personal. He loves us so dearly. Like Mosiah says, our full service is yet "unprofitable"... because we will never repay that love. But we can rejoice in it every day. And keep working!

Thank you so much for your love and prayers. You are so wonderful, all of you! I hope you feel His love so real for YOU, today. I hope you can close your eyes, for just a moment, and know that He lives, now, and loves you. I know He descended into our difficult times, our personal struggles, and came out on top so that we can too--as we trust Him. What a miracle it is to have Jesus Christ. The world is starving for the knowledge, and only the Savior can heal them. "God be thanked for the matchless gift of his divine Son." (The Living Christ) I love you, too, my sweet family! Thanks for standing as witnesses of Him. What a privilege it is. He really is the reason. I love Him. I love you!

Have a wonderful Conference time, hearing from these men called as spokesmen of God to help us return to Him. What a privilege! And how many more young men and women will get to go on missions with the age change, WOW! What a shock! That is wonderful! WOW. I was so surprised. It's great! Missions are incredible. "Shall we not go on in so great a cause?"

Onward and upward...

I love you!
Love, Anderson Shimai 
Nato anyone?
Soy beans that are fermented.  It looks like beans in caramel and has the same consistency. It is definitely an acquired taste, but if i keep eating it I just may live to be 100!!!
 My district! 
It just switched, so if Elder Lythgoe didn't transfer, 
he should be my new ZL!!!


No comments:

Post a Comment