That's right I'm back and so happy to be here! In Japan right now, there is a week long holiday called 'Golden Week' where everyone is off work and school, basically everyone is on holiday except for those who work at restaurants or hotels. Anyway it's called Golden Week because it's always a good week, and let me tell you, I don't think this past week could have been anything but golden!
I got the call Friday morning from President McIntyre telling me to pack my bags and send them off because on Monday I would be headed back to Tokyo! You wouldn't believe how happy I was. That day was a great day too, we had two huge activities going on in the stake that as Akashi missionaries we were asked to go to both, one on the island of Sumoto and one up at the Stake Center in Kobe, so by the end of that night though exhausted I was bouncing off the walls!
Anyway, Saturday I spent most of the day packing and getting things in order for leaving- because Megu shimai had only been in the area for a week and a half, there was a lot of information to organize and compile before I went. Sunday was absolutely amazing though, we had quite a few investigators come to church to say goodbye, and the members were the absolutely amazing. I think the best thing of all though was from Ami san, who we met my first week in Akashi. Teaching Ami san has been difficult, she has a lot of her own strong ideas and really doesn't like to be told things, but likes to put them together for herself. It was great because she really thought about the gospel, but then when we would teach she tended not to listen too much. I couldn't really tell if things were sinking in with her or not, how she felt. But Sunday we were talking to her and she told us that she wanted to be baptized, said she'd been thinking a lot about the Word of Wisdom, how much she loved tea and coffee, and that she didn't feel like she could give it up all at once, but she wanted to and she was going to try to little by little! How I loved hearing those words! We went to her house later that night and I've never seen her so happy, she was buzzing around, smiling and laughing, it was a perfect ending to my stay in Akashi.
I got the call Friday morning from President McIntyre telling me to pack my bags and send them off because on Monday I would be headed back to Tokyo! You wouldn't believe how happy I was. That day was a great day too, we had two huge activities going on in the stake that as Akashi missionaries we were asked to go to both, one on the island of Sumoto and one up at the Stake Center in Kobe, so by the end of that night though exhausted I was bouncing off the walls!
Anyway, Saturday I spent most of the day packing and getting things in order for leaving- because Megu shimai had only been in the area for a week and a half, there was a lot of information to organize and compile before I went. Sunday was absolutely amazing though, we had quite a few investigators come to church to say goodbye, and the members were the absolutely amazing. I think the best thing of all though was from Ami san, who we met my first week in Akashi. Teaching Ami san has been difficult, she has a lot of her own strong ideas and really doesn't like to be told things, but likes to put them together for herself. It was great because she really thought about the gospel, but then when we would teach she tended not to listen too much. I couldn't really tell if things were sinking in with her or not, how she felt. But Sunday we were talking to her and she told us that she wanted to be baptized, said she'd been thinking a lot about the Word of Wisdom, how much she loved tea and coffee, and that she didn't feel like she could give it up all at once, but she wanted to and she was going to try to little by little! How I loved hearing those words! We went to her house later that night and I've never seen her so happy, she was buzzing around, smiling and laughing, it was a perfect ending to my stay in Akashi.It's an interesting feeling coming back, leaving an area. I wanted to come back so badly, but I'd grown to love the people I'd been working with. Funny how you can come to love and get to know people so quickly. It's amazing what can happen when you spend your whole life just serving people.
Anyway when I first heard they were going to start sending missionaries back in sets, I was sure I was going to be closer to the end, but as last week wore on I knew it was my time to go. Wednesday and Thursday I just felt that so strongly. Followed by Sunday, I knew the work that I had come to Akashi for was done. I feel like a completely different missionary than I did when I left 6 weeks ago, I've grown and I've learned so much and am so thankful for the opportunity that God gave. me.
So yesterday, Monday we traveled home by bus once more to a waiting, loving pair of parents here in Tokyo. People you might be interested in who came back are: Sisters Adams, Lynch, and Utsumi among others. What a glorious reunion it was! I think that's how heavens going to be, everybody just running into each others arms, well sisters to sisters and elders to elders :).
So yesterday, Monday we traveled home by bus once more to a waiting, loving pair of parents here in Tokyo. People you might be interested in who came back are: Sisters Adams, Lynch, and Utsumi among others. What a glorious reunion it was! I think that's how heavens going to be, everybody just running into each others arms, well sisters to sisters and elders to elders :). We stayed at the honbu last night and then had a meeting this morning and then traveled to our new areas! I'm now in Kanagawa and Kohoku (covering 2 once more!), in the Yokohama Zone! It's Sister Lynch's old area, and I already love it! It's absolutely gorgeous and it's famous in the mission for how many hills it has! Yes, I'm going to be one tough mountain biker when I come back I think. They haven't reopened Kichijoji or Suginami yet, but those will definitely come soon I think!
Hope it's a good one!!!
Love you all so much!!!!!
Sister Erin Benne
ベニー姉妹
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