Japan 13 months 3 weeks-68

For our District Activity last P-Day we went to the prison. It was one of the most amazing experiences of my life. Hahahah This picture says it all.

Wow...

I got really into the pictures.

Roll out the barel barol barrel barell..... ?

They were huge. They would hold vegetables

True missionary work. We put Book of Mormons on the bookshelves in the prison. Hahaha

HAHAHAHAHA! Walking with the prisoners.

Watabe Choro.

I know it is blurry. They moved and so I was freaking out and the person taking the picture was too.

Prison worker.

#selfie

#selfie2

#selfie3

This thing jumps at you when you walk in.

What a handsome elder.

It was really hot this week and my companion and I hate heat and we got angry and hated each other for a while. So I took a picture.

Origami

My hands are really fat and I have no patience. For Family Home Evening this Saturday we decided to make Origami. One of the recent converts, Kaho Shimai, brought her friend. Her friend is the same age as her (16) and wanted to do Origami because doing things with your hands will help you be smarter when you get old. (Is what her friend said) so we did Origami to protect our brains for when we get old. The activity was really good and we ended with a lesson on Christ. Her friend really liked it, but before we had time to talk to her about it, she was running out of the door to get to work. She was late to work, but right when she was going to leave we started she share the message and she just felt like she couldn't leave. Hahah whoops. (It was so worth it though).

So I am sitting here right now trying to think of some artsy connection to Origami, moving your fingers and missionary work, but to be honest nothing is coming. Looks like this is going to be an average email.

Higaki san really progressed this week. We met with her three days in a row and committed her to live the word of wisdom. Tea really is an issue here. Japanese people love their tea. It is like telling an American you can't eat any processed foods. Oh well there goes everything in the pantry.. Higaki san was having a really hard time with it, so I decided to sacrifice with here. I can't eat sweets anymore. No sugar. No sugar until she gets baptized. I am already having withdrawls and it has only been 3 days. When I committed to fast from sugar she committed to stop drinking coffee! So far she has been doing better than me! Yesterday after church we had a lunch and I went to eat some delicious looking mochi with Anko in it. (Anko is ground up soybeans) Well in Japan ground up soybeans is a dessert so I already broke my promise. Higaki san saw me eating it and said, "that is a dessert. Stop." Hahaha it was so funny. She is really quiet, but because of the gospel she really has been changing.

Yesterday at church we were all sharing our favorite chapters from Psalms. She has never read it before, but a member asked her to read a chapter out loud for the class. Higaki san really struggles with talking and having to speak in front of a lot of people is way hard for her. She got all read and began to read. 2 verses before the end of the chapter she reads a verse that says something along the lines "even if your mother and father forsake you, The Lord will never leave you." She read that and burst into tears. Because Higaki san is 19  she still needs parental permission. She is really scared to ask for that. She feels that if she tells them that she is going to get baptized, they may disown her. When she read that verse the spirit just hit her and testified to her that no matter what, they Lord with always love her. After church she committed to send the letter to her parents asking for permission. If all goes well she is getting baptized next Sunday.

Well I didn't come up with any great connections to Origami or any other artsy things, but I did have an another amazing week. A mission is the place to be. I love this. I love you all. I love this chruch, and it is true. Shoutout (yes, a shoutout) to Caroline for seeing the missionaries, stopping, parking your car and talking to them! Seriously one of the boldest things ever.

Go and have an amazing week this week! I love you, The Lord loves you and your Heavenly Father Loves you infinitely. Be excellent to each other.

-Mecham Choro.