Full speed ahead!

My new companion - Sister Lewis!

Dearest Family,

I feel eternally blessed to have all of you as my family!! I cannot begin to tell you the miracles in our mission. My body is getting so broken down, but it is such a privilege to be laboring in the vineyard that is my very Savior's. I love Him so much! I love my new area!!!

Last Wednesday, Dobson Shimai and I had quite the adventure heading for the train station to go to Okayama. That was the checkpoint for meeting up with seven other sisters to do the switching of companions. We hoped to do missionary work along the way and planned plenty of time. A short visit to a PI turned into a long one and we ended up in light speed home to gather all my luggage and various grocery bags of stray stuff and then biking full speed ahead to the train station. Anyone watching us would have had their laugh for the day as we whizzed by with my auxiliary bags flying out like sails in the wind. haha! We were a sight! With  seconds to spare we saw the sweetest sight - our branch president was at the eiki waiting for us to say goodbye. I am sure he got a kick out of our frantic arrival complete with me in my helmet and both of us surrounded by luggage and grocery bags! People on the train started talking to us (no wonder!) and it was so fun and so crazy! This man peeped over a train chair and said, "I was going to eat these bentos (Japanese lunches) , but I will give them to you!" :) Miracles!

Soooooooo.....I love my new area (did I say that already?). I still haven't met all of the investigators but I think we'll meet most of them this week... mmm... it's incredible! The work is wonderful. It's really fun to be companions with Sister Lewis, she is a really good worker and is wonderful at receiving revelation. I know I have a lot to learn from her this transfer!

There is an investigator here who has been investigating for 3 years and desires so much to be baptized, but her mom is against it. She has a date right after she turns 20, but it was such a delight to meet her and teach her on Sunday, she is so special. We have another investigator named Yuushi kun who is 12, and the son of a member. HE IS SO WONDERFUL  My heart just popped out teaching him, his dad doesn't believe in God so he has two really strong influences in his life. I asked him to close his eyes and put a pen in his hands, and asked him what it was. He felt it and clicked it, and said specifically that it was a ball-point pen. (He is also a very smart guy who wants to be a scientist!) We got into how we can know that God lives through a kind of "evidence", and to talk about the Book of Mormon. This ward is really interesting, the biggest group is the young women. They bring their friends a lot, and it seems like the only investigators here are pretty much families and teenagers! It's so wonderful. Did I tell you how much I love working with the youth? The ward is super special. A lot of people hug here, which is unusual in Japan - and it is so small that they are on the consolidated schedule, Church is only two hours. They are so on board with missionary work, it's like stepping into a little family. It seems like there are about... 20 people, but they said it was kind of a low week. They are doing a "fasting" really to find a Shinkensha (a priesthood holder), where someone fasts for 24 hours, calls the next person, and they begin fasting. They were in the middle of this when I came. Isn't that amazing?

As I study the Gospel, I am so impressed with it - again, and again, and again. I hope that some of it sticks and I am not just getting blown over by the same thing again, or maybe it's becoming a little deeper - but, I just love it. I was studying "Effective Study" to help a few of our investigators, and just getting so much revelation - and I was feeling so much how there is meat in everything! It's incredible! The Lord blesses us as we strive to serve His children. Time has felt so different, I feel like the last 3 days have been 3 weeks and I'm shocked to figure out that they are days, but--the work is amazing. This is a 4 week transfer, it's so short!

Thanks to everyone for your sweet letters and pictures!! Georgia Andersons - so glad you got to have the Jellos visit! Dad, sounds like your talk to the YSAs went super - no surprise there!

I love you all !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! x3!

Sending you love and happiness in a dish of seaweed soup from Japan, 

Sister Anderson

(the picture says happiness in katakana... so great)

 Zone Conference

Interviews

With my great comp Dobson Shimai - forever friends and sisters!   

Takamatsu is in good hands!

Hey aunt Jeni!

I've looked at your mission blog and it's awesome! You're doing a great job on your mission.  Thanks for your example. Soccer season started and its so fun. Keep up the good work!

Love, Tyler

Hello Aunt Jena!

     Thank you for setting a great example for me. I have about two years until I leave, and I like reading your blog and emails and learning about what missions are really like and about all the different experiences you've had. You're doing a great job! Keep up all the great work, and I can't wait to see you.

Love,

Scott

Hi Aunt Jeni!
I have been looking at your mission Blog, it seems like you are really loving your mission! I am glad to know that you are taking time out of your life to serve the Lord! Our Family is doing great out in Georgia, soccer just started and it is going great so far! We have played 1 real game, we tied 3-3 with Paulding County, we really should have won. My Chocolate lab, Aggie is doing great, she weighs around 60 pounds, she loves to fetch and swim in the lake! I got braces on Valentines day! They are hurting right now, but they should stop hurting soon! I hope that you enjoy the rest of your mission!
-Dallin


Dear Aunt Jeni!

This is Natalie.  Grandma Jello is here in Georgia!
I hope you are having a nice time on your mission so far.  I hope that you teach a lot of people and that they will believe you and will want to choose the right.  All of us are excited to see you when you come back from your mission.  We are coming to UTAH!!!!!!!!!!
Grandma and I have been playing dress ups and using our imaginations. We are going to do our nails.
We love your blog! You are always smiling!!!!

Love,
Natalie
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