Well it has been another very busy week, with all kinds of experiences - I can't even write about everything that i want to in my personal journal every night, so summarizing an entire week is especially difficult - but I will do my best!
So we started off the week by going down to Hakodate for the last zone conference this transfer- it took about 5 hours by car to get there which is why my email was so incredibly short last week - it was a very busy morning getting ready to go - it was a great conference though, and we got to do splits down there after and I got to work with Sydney Horne! We went to Waterford together - it was crazy! She was doing great! Super genki, and working so hard! Also in the same zone were Watanabe choro - who used to live in Tokyo with us, and Soderquist shimai who I took Japanese with at BYU! I put a picture in of the four of us together :) And one in front of Hakodate station.
(Oh, and I just remembered, we went housing and met an old Eikaiwa student who said that he used to take Eikaiwa from Kent Gilbert, and Kent Derricott in Fukuoka when they were missionaries there - I didn't know they both served there - is that true? His name was Sato Masayuki, and he let me take a picture, to see if either of them remember him or not - ring any bells? )
We got back to our area on Wednesday night, and have been able to work here since - it has been such a great week! We were able to do a musical christmas fireside at a member's house- we sang Angels We Have Heard on High, Hark the Herald Angels Sing with everyone, a couple sisters did a duet on guitar of Away in A Manger, and then me and one other sister did a duet of Ave Maria, and then I did a solo of Amazing Grace at the end, It was a really good turn out - maybe about 15 people came and it was a lot of fun - I love the Christmas season, there is so much spirit there!
I did a lot of singing this week, we also got to sing A Child's Prayer in sacrament meeting with the Elders - I love that song. Probably more than any other it just brings the spirit so immediately and simply.
Maybe it has a lot to do with being in the Evans' mission, but music is such a big part of dendo actually! We just had a lesson today with Oi san, one of my favorite investigators - she is so sweet, and so sincere. We had a great lesson today about Prayer, and Alma 36, and at the end I sang, and Sister Furue played her piano and we did Savior Redeemer, of My Soul for her. That song also brings the spirit so fast. We bore our testimonies at the end of the Savior, and how he truly understands every feeling that we have, and everything we go through - he is truly our Savior and Redeemer. At the end of our testimonies she began to cry - the first time I have EVER seen her cry. The spirit was so strong. We asked why she was crying, and she said that her and her mother had always thought that there was no one that could understand how they felt or what they were going through, but after that song and our testimonies she really felt like Jesus Christ could do that - that he would understand. And that brought tears to her eyes. I cannot think of any thing more beautiful than the moment that the spirit speaks to someone and they gain a testimony. The power of music is real. The spirit is real. Jesus Christ is our Savior, our dearest friend, and he does understand us more fully that we can comprehend.
Well as you are aware we have transfers next week - I can't believe this will be my last one! Under normal circumstances I wouldn't know until tomorrow where I am going, but due to a big sister's split that we have planned on the day of transfers, we actually found out on Saturday! If you promise not to say anything to any of the missionaries here before tomorrow morning, then I can tell you that... for my last transfer... transferring to Shinkotoni!! It is a ward here in Sapporo, with two sisters, and no official elders - but elders that come regularly. I have actually never attended that ward, but I know a few of the members there so I am super excited! And for the first time basically, I will have an american companion! I have had two before, but Osterloh was half Japanese, and very good at Japanese, and Northrop shimai might as well have been half, and it was in a threesome with Nanjo shimai so this will really be my first time with just two gaijins - and for the first time in a long time a two person apartment as well.
I am so sad to be leaving Odori - I love the people here so much! But I am excited for this opportunity to work somewhere new, and I know that this is what the Lord wants! I am going to do my best to do everything that he has in store for me, I can promise that much!
I love this work, and I love all of you! Have a wonderful week!
Love,
Sister Budge
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