Week 25 - Kichioji, Japan

Thanks for the out pouring of emails! It was nice to feel the love from everyone and to feel the support from all of you!

Well, i can imagine you're all wondering what exactly is going on over here, but I can bet that you actually know more than me! As missionaries without a TV the only random bits we know are going on, are things from the Mission home and what members tell us. Since getting back to Kichijoji Saturday as you can imagine things are a little different. Really my area and others in the Tokyo Mission haven't been affected too badly, when we got back to our apartment only a few things had fallen over and around the city there's a little repair going on. I think the biggest difference is the somber feeling that has come over the city. The weather has been absolutely strangely gorgeous since Saturday but compared to the usual hustle and bustle of Kichijoji, everything is quiet as people silently move around. Saturday we went around checking up on our investigators, particularly one woman Koike san, who is 82 years old and lives all alone. She was a little shook up but okay. I don't think I've met any Japanese person who is as go to it as her. She's cute.

Sunday morning we got word that finally all of the Sendai missionaries had been contacted (Sendai is the mission right above Tokyo and the area that got hit the hardest). What a relief that was, as from the MTC, I know many people in the Sendai mission including Sister Tehei (who was Sister Lynch's companion for 6 weeks and from New Zealand). I guess the last two missionaries took quite a while to find. The focus has shifted now to making sure all the members are okay and helping the area.

In my areas, 2 members had fires, one a direct result from the earthquake and one that just so happened to be on the same day, that we're helping to clean up. We've also been asked to just go around to less actives and others to check up on them. We're allowed to tract, but have been asked by President Albrecht to stay close to the church and our apartment, just in case. Other precautions that have taken place have been to stock up on food and water for a month, and well yesterday because of the chance of acid rain and the nuclear plants that received some damage in the upper Tokyo mission area, we were told to remain in our apartment for the day, and do things from there. Don't worry though, halfway through the day that was lifted when they got full confirmation that all was safe outside.

We continue to have smaller earthquakes throughout the days, and I think the scariest part is not that they're happening, but of the unsurety of if they'll get worse or not. As I think I mentioned in the email I sent on Saturday, I was at the Mission Home, when the earthquake took place, miracle there actually...the training was supposed to last until 2, but it didn't end until 2:30, this is strange because President Albrecht is usually a very stick to the schedule kind of guy. Anyway because it got out late we were all in the church packing up when the quake hit, instead of on the trains. Anyway the 8.9 earthquake started out like a normal one (we've actually had quite a few since that first one I mentioned weeks ago) and so we were all like "mmm, it's just another earthquake", and then it just got crazy in a few seconds. So the scariest thing is basically the wonder if the earthquake that is occurring at that moment is going to get bad fast as well. But they haven't been too bad.

Really they are taking good care of us here in the mission, making sure we're okay. We're being safe and taking extra precautions in all that we do. Thanks for all the love and support. I think as of now, I'm good and don't need anything but your prayers and love.

Love you all!

Erin

The cherryblossoms are starting to bloom, they're gorgeous.

And oh yeah, I think I forgot to mention this, I have the flu...woke up with it this morning. But since we couldn't get a hold of one of our investigators to cancel a lesson, we had to come to the church anyway, so I figured I would write and let you all know a little bit more about what is going on.

I'm Okay

Hey Everyone!

We"re allowed to just write you a quick email letting you know we're okay. Thanks for the quick emails and prayers. As you know, we had quite a shake here yesterday. My zone and 2 others were actually up in Nakano, where the mission home is located for Training. (this turned out to be a good thing because the hardest hit area in our mission, Chiba (where Sister Utsumi is) was at the training. You may have seen broadcast of an oil refinery on fire, that`s Chiba) The training had just finished when the earthquake hit. I`ve never felt anything like it. Because all of the trains were down, we had to stay the night at the mission home/church. There were many aftershocks throughout the rest of the day and through the night, and even I just felt one now as I`m writing this. However, all Tokyo missionaries are okay. There is still no word yet on the Sendai mission, the mission closest to the epicenter. There is no way of getting in contact with them as of now, due to the power being completely out. Please pray for the missionaries in Sendai as well as all the people in Japan. There`s a lot of damage, but maybe through this tragedy, good can come from it. 2 Nephi 2- for there must be opposition in all things so that we may know the good from the bad.

I love you all so much!

I`ll let you know more of what`s going on on Tuesday!

Love

Erin

Safety Announcement

Dear Parents of the Japan Tokyo Mission Missionaries,

Inspite of the severe earthquakes experienced throughout the day, particularly the large earthquake at 2:46pm off the coast of Miyagi, North Eastern Japan, all of the missionaries in the Tokyo Japan Mission are safe. We have contacted directly each of the areas in the mission and have heard from each and are assured that all are safe and unaffected.

All the trains in the Mission area are currently unusable, but otherwise there have been very few other effects that will influence our missionaries. There has however been many serious effects in other areas of Japan.

We are grateful for your constant prayers for your missionaries and ask you keep them and the people of Japan in your prayers particularly at this time.

Best Regards,

Japan Tokyo Mission

Week 24 - Kichijoji, Japan

Well Hello Again!

This week has been a long one but i`ve learned a lot; everything changing and me getting used to it. I`ve never been good with change that I myself don`t bring on and I`m realizing just how stubborn I can sometimes be when those unplanned/unwanted changes do come. But I`m trying really hard to learn and overcome that since I`m sure there will be a lot of adjusting and changing that will take place while I`m here in Tokyo and also throughout my life.

So BYU Basketball, Amazing! And I`m missing it all! Oh well, maybe when I get back, they`ll be other just as exciting things going on! Lets just hope that even minus the one player they can still keep it going! Also let`s hope that the Cardinals don`t lose their minds and do sign a contract with Albert Pujols!

As of right now, things in Tokyo are going well! Right now we have some really interesting investigators, 2 whose parents own Buddhist Temples, and 1 who is Hindu, among others, with each investigator different problems arise, but we`re really trying to be creative in how we teach to help them fully understand the greatness of the gospel. One amazing investigators name is Mashito san, Utsumi Shimai and I found her while streeting one day. It`s really amazing actually. When we stopped her she was actually on her way to go visit a Catholic Church to learn more about the `Christian God`. She kept saying over and over again how surprised she was that we stopped her, and the first thing we asked her and talked to her about was God. How what we asked is exactly what she`s been thinking about for the past few months. Is that not God`s divine power or what!? So cool! We have a baptismal date for her right now, that we`re hoping and praying will go through. She`s got faith, and she feels the Spirit, I`m just praying she`ll act on those two things.

I`m so thankful for the tiny miracles, such as finding Mashito san, that God allows us to see everyday! When we look for them, we`ll see them.

Love you all so very much! Thanks for all your support!

Love you

Sister Erin Benne

Week 23 - Kichijoji, Japan

Blah! I officially hate transfers! They really are no fun at all! So here's what happened....

Thursday-Friday afternoon, I went on splits with another Sister here in Kichijoji. It was really good, and the Sister really is a good missionary, but I kept thinking, "I can't wait for Sister Utsumi to get back." I realized how attached I had become to Sister Utsumi (you spend 24 hours a day 7 days a week with your companion; I think you're bound to either love them or be really annoyed with them), so it got me thinking about just how much I didn't want to leave Kichijoji and I didn't want a new companion either. So by the time Friday night calls came, I'll admit I was nervous...

I think before, I explained how transfers work, your district leader calls you Friday night and says if anybody is leaving and then Saturday morning, you find out who and where you're going. Well Friday night we got a call telling us Saturday morning, we would be getting a phone call, in fact every companionship in our district would be getting a phone call, so things in the Kunitachi district were definitely going to change, but I didn't expect how much. If I didn't find the Friday night call/Saturday morning thing mean before, I now find it cruel. Haha, I had the craziest transfer dreams, Friday night and kept waking up. Anyway Saturday morning we got our phone call and it turned out that Utsumi Shimai was going to be transferred and I would stay in Kichijoji and Suginami with a new companion. Sad... Then we found out news about our district, of the 8 people in our district, 4 were being transferred and only 2 were coming in. The Kichijoji and Suginami elders would be combined and like me be over the 2 areas. One of the Suginami elders, Battye choro was staying, but his companion, one of my MTC district leaders, Shiozawa choro, and the 2 Kichijoji elders were leaving as well. This would make me the only person in the new district who knows anything about the Kichijoji area...a little scary for someone so "young" as me. But so far it's been good.

My new companion's name is Kohatsu Shimai (Nihonjin). She's cute, from Okinawa, doesn't like banana bread, and studied fashion design. She doesn't know English, so it's full out Japanese from here! Good, because, hopefully, with speaking Japanese round the clock, my Japanese will get better faster, but on the downside, with my limited Japanese, there is no one to really tell random things too, and planning lessons is a little more difficult. But it will be good, I know I'll learn a lot. Everyone says your follow-up trainer is the hardest companion you'll have, because you only know your trainer's "ways" and your stuck in them, I'm already starting to see that in the two lessons we've had, but I'm trying to be open, so that I can learn and grow as a missionary.

That's honestly the biggest thing that's been happening around here. We've been teaching lessons and they've been going well. It's been raining a lot, but we did have one or two oddly warm days that were absolutely fantastic!

Oh and this was exciting! A family took us to Sizzler (an American restaurant!!!!) for dinner one night. Because it was an American restaurant I thought it was okay to use American manners and everything! I love Japanese culture, but I don't think I've ever been so happy, to eat at an actual table, use a knife and fork and just have one big plate instead of a bunch of small dishes to eat off of. It was the happiest thing ever! And don't worry, I still can eat like a proper American girl! What a relief!

Anyway that's all for now!

Love you all!!!!

Sister Erin Benne

Week 22 - Kichijoji, Japan

Well Hello All!

We don`t have much time today, a good thing, but I have lots to tell you so things just won`t be in too much detail!

Last Zone Conference President Albrecht mentioned that he got a letter from a companionship of elders saying they were so busy that they didn`t have time to take a P-day, do laundry, go grocery shopping, etc. And President Albrecht said that`s a good thing, and it is! Well today that is us! Wahoo! Kind of difficult not having a full p-day, but it`s something I`m truly grateful for...looking back at last transfer everything here has completely changed!

In exciting news I received my Alma O. Taylor award! Which means absolutely nothing to you, but it`s good. It`s something our mission does for new missionaries, you have a series of guidelines and things you have to do, like get a certain amount of phone numbers from talking to people, teach all the lessons by yourself, etc. It`s a lot of things, and since my first transfer, we weren`t teaching and had to do a lot of finding, and had time for mogi`s I was able to finish it fast...I now get to wear a nice little pin on my nametag :) if you want to know who Alma O. Taylor is you can probably google him. He was one of the first missionaries in Japan and translated the BoM into Japanese.

Speaking of google, if you google Kichijoji Eikaiwa Japan, and search for the church`s eikaiwa you should be able to see pictures of me teaching, but you`ll have to wait a bit, we haven`t put the pictures up yet, I have reviewed it though, so you can see my review.

So Elder Holland CAME!!!! Exciting and absolutely amazing!!! We had conference with him and Elder Rasband and got to shake their hands, tell them our names and where we`re from. Elder Holland did tell me I have a cute dimple and Sister Holland gave me a hug! Later I found out, from Sister Albrecht that I was on Elder Hollands list to speak if there was time for missionaries to talk! A little scary, but really cool to know that Elder Holland was thinking about me! Later that night we had 3 investigators come to his talk in Kichijoji, because we live in Kichijoji and had to be at the church anyway, we were able to save seats on the 2nd row for them! Really cool and great experience! the Musashino Stake (Kichijoji and Suginami ward`s Stake) President asked all the missionaries to sing in the choir too, so for the conference I was sitting 2 rows and 3 seats away from Elder Holland, right behind Elder Rasband!

Sadly, no Shimoyachi san didn`t get baptized this past Sunday. We`re still teaching her and she`s doing amazing!!! Completely amazing, actually! However, her parents own a buddhist temple and are completely against it. Even though she`s 20, and wants to be baptized, she won`t until her parents are okay with it. Which is how it should be, we`re not here to break up families, we`re here to build them. So we`re continuing to teach her and working on building her faith. We`ll see. All our other investigators, including Megumi san are all still doing good!

In other completely different news, I found out something Japan doesn`t have...deoderant! Yeah, who would have thought! Luckily I found this out from Sister Adams, before I ran out (sadly, she suffered a different fate..) And yes only a year...strange huh, my one year left date is in 2 weeks, strange how things go like that! Transfers are this week too! Utsumi shimai and I honestly have no idea what will happen, we could both stay, or because we both came in at the same time either one of us could leave, most likely one of us is definitely leaving though...sad. Plus I don`t want to leave our investigators, I can`t, not yet!!!

mom, dad, thanks for the Valentines Card! I found it very ironic that mine was written in Japanese and Sister Utsumi`s in English, but it was great! We still could both read them!

So much for quick and short!

Haha! Love you all so much!!!

Sister Erin Benne

Week 22 - Kichijoji, Japan

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!!!!!

Okay, I know at this point your now looking at your calendar and wondering, wait what day is this? Haha, but yes you are correct it is Monday (or I guess Sunday) and yes it is Valentines Day! Now you may be wondering, oh does Erin get to write specially on holidays? and sadly the answer is "No", it just so happens that this lucky day you get to hear from me is Valentine's Day! So why am I writing on Monday and not Tuesday, well here's some exciting news for you! Tomorrow Jeffrey R. Holland and Elder Rasband are coming to Tokyo! YAY!!!

So tomorrow, my normal P-day, we have a mission conference where we will get to listen to them, maybe take a picture with them, shake their hands, who knows...they've told us to be prepared for anything, it all depends on what Elder Holland wants to do. It's going to be really good I think, a little scary though, I'm sure we'll learn a lot about what more we need to do! But more training to be a better missionary, especially by General Authorities, is an amazing opportunity. What's even more exciting is that night, Elder Holland is coming to Kichijoji to speak to the members! I told you Kichijoji is THE place to be! We're expecting people from all over Tokyo to be coming so our church has been a hubbub of craziness as we try to get everything ready, cleaning, setting up tons of chairs, and so on! It's a great opportunity for our investigators too! We've been inviting everyone! Everyone; people on the street, people in Eikaiwa...it's a chance for them to hear a messenger from God, everyone should get the chance to hear it!

So that is in short why we are taking our P-Day today! Good reason isn't it?!

In other news, we have snow in Tokyo! Well sort of... It snowed a lot (all day Friday, and then it's been on and off since then) and if Kichijoji/ Suginami weren't all metal and asphalt it would have stuck (it's on the one or two bushes that you can find in Kichijoji!), just too many people walking around all the time, for it to even have a chance on the ground! I will say though that bike riding while it is snowing is absolutely miserable, so therefore from now on, until I get back, I don't like snow (as devastating as that is to say). However, I just put a smile on my face, sing a happy warm song, and pedal hard! So it's all good, and not too bad!

Also this past week, we had a 3 Zone Conference and I got to see Sister Adams and Sister Lynch!!!! We were the only English speaking sisters there! How lucky that it was us 3!!! It was funny we were talking so fast we definitely got a few, whoa! looks. Haha, it was good to see them!

Love you all!

Sister Erin Benne