11-09-09Yamashiro Shimai and I got emergency transferred to Kichijouji. I have 25 minutes to write this email.
Last Tuesday we housed into a 70 year old man who was introduced the gospel by one of his students when he was a college professor. They only studied the Bible together so he didn't know much about our religion. He was a bright-eyed man. We also ran into a lady who said 'no' in English when I was saying the church's name. She then closed the door.We bought our weekly groceries and ran into Horiuchi Shimai while doing so. She bought us some sushi and then paid for all our groceries. I was touched beyond belief and Yamashiro Shimai even started crying. We made a pie that evening to give the elders at district meeting. We wanted to practice and make sure the pie for Horiuchi Shimai that we wanted to m
ake would be good.Wednesday was district meeting. While on the train I learned from my companion that the job that little girls want to have when they grow up is a florist. Something else also but I forgot. In the morning before district we did a service project at an orphanage. We met Sister Sugimoto at a nearby eki. We cleaned the outside toy closet. For eikaiwa that evening Sister Sugimoto planned a Halloween party since we didn't have one before Halloween. She dressed up as snow white. Her daughter and American (but his mom is Japanese) son in law also dressed up and came. We had met them briefly at the service activity. The daughter is almost ready to have her first baby. They set up two trick or treat rooms upstairs. The mom lay on a table as snow white in one, except she had a pink dress. In the other the daughter sat behind a table in a dark room with a computer screen to light up her face. There was a talking head on the chair nearby. The husband had a black batman type suit on and would jump out from behind the door to scare the people as they entered. Downstairs I talked to people about games we play at Halloween parties.
On Thursday we had a mogi lesson with a less active woman. She had a way cute dog who liked to stand up on his hind legs. I also made apple pie turnovers for Horiuchi Shimai. We visited, for the first time, a less active 22 or so year old girl. Chosei is like Rexburg. Sometimes the houses are hard to find because it is country and there are clumps of trees. In our apartment there is a map with everyone's house and their name on it. It is old and some houses aren't on it, but it is worth its weight in gold. We can find the house
on that neighborhood type map, which is HUGE in size, and then take out our 8 and a half by 11 or so map for travel.On Friday we went over to Hashidate san's, the woman for whom we helped with the English order stuff online. We had to help her type and email explaining she made a mistake in telling her email when she ordered and hadn't got the confirmation email. Afterwards, she had us paint on canvas bags. It took nearly 3 hours, but was fun because I like painting. We used fabric paints and then actually she had a raggedy ann stamp that we put on and then painted. .
Saturday. Well, I have only 10 more minutes to type so ill got fast....
The reason for the transfer is this. Last week we received 10 or 15 calls between 3 and 5 am, including 3 unwelcome messages. The next day, at 5 we received about 10 more calls, in a row, with 2 more unwelcome messages. We went home right after that and went to the police with the ward mission leader and a couple from the ward. This man was a former investigator who origionally was thought was golden, but then people realized that he was mentally unstable. The police said how that we were scared and they understood our feelings. I think this man needs to be found and put in a mental institution. We are safe though, here in Kichijouji. We left the morning after we went to the police, packing stuff for about a week. We will re
turn before the transfer is over, probably with some elder escourts, to pack and ship the rest of our stuff, and to clean our apartment. Chosei will change to elders next transfer, but I really think this investigator guy needs to go to the hospital. I think he is a danger to himself first of all, and second of all he is not in his right mind.The elders in Togane, next to Chosei, are packing and shipping our bikes for us today. We have gone without bikes here for 2 days. My back is in much pain from that. We have done streeting like crazy and yesterday visited the relief society president of the ward we are over.We are over Suganami ward. The shimai here were over two wards before, but now we will take over one of them, just for
these two last weeks of the transfer.
Okay. 4 minutes. The Chosei ward members mailed us a large box of fruit to the kichijouji church. It is what would have been the fruit basket on Sunday. Can you believe it? I was trying not to cry.
I hope all is well at home. I love you sooooo much!
Sister McMahan
The weird look on Emily's face is because she received her release letter, which the missionaries get six months before they come home. Time has flown!
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