As you can tell from her email, it was tough for Emily to leave her investigators, whom she's grown to love.
12 Oct 2009
I am in Chosei, which is in Chiba prefecture. It is close to the beach and apparently there is a taco stand that we can visit on the beach. Our apartment is a bungalow of sorts. It is elevated and the cars go underneath. It is a two house complex on top but no one lives on the other side, except apparently the manager's son comes sometimes. We are surrounded by trees and it is sort of like the jungle so therefore it is called the bungalo. We are a one minute walk from the train station. We are very country. I like to be close to the beach. It is kind of like Yokohama except no hills. The air feels so good.
I was really shocked I transferred. I am a threesome again with Johnson Shimai, transfer 7, and Yamashiro Shimai, transfer 5. We are all co-senpai. I am using the kitchen table as a desk. They actually have 3 desks but the 3rd has stuff in it and it hard to use. There are two matresses and a futon. I am sleeping on the futon but we are going to rotate sometimes. Yes, I said matress, like...a bed, but there are no frames. So, with being in a threesome again I will be up to 11 companions, if I include sister Shaha. Sister Shaha is still in Yokohama, her 4th transfer there. Her previous companion, the one she trained, went to Kofu with Green Shimai.
Last Tuesday (back in Kofu) we went to a stone/jewelry factory and store with Hosaka Reiko Shimai. She is so cute. She has never been married. Anywho, on Wednesday we had zone conference, a mini zone conference to hold us over until the 30th when we will have an all-mission conference. I played a piano performance. Then we went to lunch as a district. It rained all the day because of the typhoon. So, yes, there was a typhoon but it never really happened cause the mountains blocked it. It did rain all day for 3 days though. We met a lady on Wednesday when we went for cover under a place in front of a store, waiting for a phone call. She was from Iowa and here teaching English. It was interesting to talk in English. On Wednesday we also killed the bug! It was the one we found a few days earlier in our closet except it was the kitchen. We went in with the trash can to cover and had the spray killer ready. We missed with the can but got the guy. Phew. It was an inch and a half long, maybe. We think it was a cockroach, but it was kinda big.
As for Thursday schools were canceled in case of the typhoon but it never happened. We intended to take a train but it was late and the weather was sunny, so we just housed and stuff. We had a lesson with Takano and Sano san and set a baptismal date for the 8th of next month!! Sano san still wasn't quite sure, but I think that Takano san will get baptized next month, even if it is after the 8th. I also got a flat tire this day on the way to their appointment. We made it just perfectly even with walking the bike 15 minutes to the church. In the evening we went to the Bishop's for dinner. We listened to the MoTab Broadway CD on the way over which was just a kick. They played the Impossible Dream from Don Quizote as one of them. Score!
Friday we gave out a Book of Mormon on the street. It was to a lady maybe in her early thirties who was on her way home from the dentist and had a partially numb mouth. She kinda looked like mom, I thought. She didn't feel comfortable giving away her phone number but we did get to give her a book of Mormon. Also on Friday we cleaned our apartment, for most of the day, for transfers. Sister Green made some cookies in the evening. I think I was stressed so I ate tons of them.
Friday we found out who was going to have changes in the upcoming switch and Saturday morning we found out who our new companions were. Saturday was general conference! Woo hoo! The elders came over before conference and took my bike apart and put it in the big cardboard box to be mailed. Then they went across the to the church to eat some lunch and watch a church movie before conference and I saw Chiaki-san sitting in her car with her two daughters!
We had set an appointment for 11 but called the day before and changed it to 12, but we had the wrong number and left the message on the wrong phone. She had been sitting there for 40 minutes! Her daughter had written out a note explaining how they waited and then gone. Luckily the elders caught them. Before conference we watched the Restoration DVD. She was only going to be able to watch one session but miracuously found out her daughters didn't have their violin lesson so she could stay for both. We were nervous at first because no one was showing up to the church, but then two of the Nishimuro daughters came and we were relieved. A few other people came late too.
So, I got to see all of conference on Saturday. I also told Chiakai-san it was my last day. She was pretty sad about that. On Sunday we went back to, first, have dendo correlation meeting, and then to watch conference. During the first session of conference (we actually watched the afternoon first cause of the DVD situation) some one came to the door where we missionaries were watching in english and said "Green shimai. Dendo." We walked in the hall and there was..... Chiaki! We were totally shocked.
And, by the way, Mei-chan and Takano-san and Sano-san and Sakiko-san all came to the morning session on Sunday! (note: So, that was really the afternoon session with "O Divine Redeemer" and Elder Holland! :) ) And then here was Chiakai! She had in her hand a bagged gift for me. I opened it in the other room. It was a purple scarf. In it was a note written by Noelle, the 9 year old. In English, this is what it said+
Dear Mac
I was glad to meetu
You are forgotten
Thank you for teaching the
got & Morumon
It was very good at piano playing
Please take care of yourself
See you soon
With love Noelle
I forgot to mention I played a hymn medley for them before we watched the Restoration DVD. We were trying to figure it out and we think that by got and meant to say God in the letter. Also enclosed was their address. I was so touched. I was really sad to leave Kofu.
Arriving here in Chosei yesterday we had to put together our bikes. My companions pretty much did my bike. It really wasn't my thing. Problem was my breaks were funny. It took us two hours to put it together and it still isn'y 100 percent ok. I have had this problem on one of my brakes before. The guy at the shop fixed it no problem. Problem is, in Chosei, the bike guy is a bike ride away. We got it ok to go there though.
Today is Pday and we have had a funny day so far. Johnson shimai's less active older brother of 7 years was in Japan. She got permission to see him. So, we met him him in Chiba. We are now in Togane, I think, emailing at the church because it is free. The library, our email place, is CLOSED EVERY SECOND TUESDAY of the month, just so you know. Today it was ok cause we were close to here. But anyways, we went out with her brother who looks kind of like Tobey MacGuire.
So, lots of stuff going on. Green Shimai and her new companion had a lesson with Chiaki san today. I wish more than any thing to know how it went. I can ask on the 30th at conference.
I love you so much !
Sister McMahan
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