Akemashite o medeto gozaimasu! (Happy New Year!)

Tashibu fufu, one of the incredibly faithful couples in our ward

To announce... we are staying! 

Dearest, Beloved Kazoku!!!

You are so great. I sure love you. I can't believe how fast and slow time is ticking, time is so weird on your mission. We have had an incredible week. 7 of our investigators came to church this week... and did I tell you, we are sinking on our roots for transfer #4 together as the Takamatsu Sisters! ha ha. No transfer!!!! I LOVE BEING SISTER DOBSON'S COMP!!! WE LOVE IT HERE!

Things are going so well though. Izumikawa San (our beautiful, golden contact who we love so much) is moving forward to her baptismal date on the 20th, and her cute 8 year old is doing so well. One of the boys hasn't been able to come to church yet, so he can't make that date, but we are rooting for them. They are so cute. We made quiet books for them and the other kids that come to church!

We taught a "walk through" plan of salvation and the Gospel of Christ, complete with backpacks and compasses (receiving the Gift of the Holy Ghost). They loved it! We had another pretty amazing miracle. The first deaf family we met, the mother has had a hard time coming to Church and really progressing. We put her name on the mission fasting list this month - praying that she would come to Church. But Heavenly Father knew what we would be praying for even before the actual prayers, and guess what?! The faith of our mission helped--after Church started, Haruka Chan (her cute 9 year old) walked in, towing her sweet mom for her first time coming to our Church. It's a miracle!!  

We have miracles every day. I can't tell you how blessed I am to be in this area, and how much I love it. I LOVE BEAUTIFUL TAKAMATSU AND I LOVE YOU.

Sunrise from our apartment window...

Sunset from our apartment window...

We are all on our quest of discipleship. We show every day how we honor our Savior. What a privilege to live! Shogatsu was this week as well, it is like the Christmas of America as far as big-ness. Everything shut down from Tuesday-Thursday and people are with their families. They go to the shrines and pray. A few members had us over for traditional food, it was so much fun!

Miracles, miracles, miracles. We think there is a way this sweet lady in our ward who is really old and probably has a little dementia can be baptized. Her son is so happy. Haruka Chan bore her testimony in Church, even though I'm not quite sure how much she understood about testimonies... most of it was about her skiing trip. haha...oh, well. Watching our beautiful investigators, sitting in that chapel...what a privilege to be a missionary!

Did I tell you I love you? I hope you all have a happy and heavenly new year!

The work is true! Onward, upward, and outward--in showing our love for Him. It is His work, and I testify with all of my heart that it is true!

Sister Anderson

 Here is Yoshiko Shimai who we taught in Akashi.  She got baptized!!!!!

Yummy!