Japan Eniwa. Chitose. 16 months 1 week-78

Caroline and Elder Campbell.  Great Miracle!!!!

Poster of recent missionaries in the Chitose-Eniwa ward.  Compliments of a ward member. 

Ohhh Ame.

I woke up probably 5 times in the middle of the night to a crazy loud lightning storm. Usually I would be so excited for it, but it was 3 in the morning, so I was angry. The alarm goes off at 6:30 and I look out side to see rain EVERYWHERE. It is pouring. Most of the noise was coming from the rain hitting our apartment. We call the weather phone and they tell us that it is OHH Ame. (Ame means rain and Ohh means big) I really wanted to run outside and go play in it, but we get a phone call from the mission home telling us not to leave our apartment. Aparently it was so bad that they were having people evacuate their homes. I heard America was hit pretty hard with rain as well, but I don't know if they over-reacted as well as the Japanese people did. In the end there was no damage. I saw no houses harmed and nothing was flooded. The rivers got really scary and high, but it never got too high or flooded. It was a huge blessing. BUT....

 

Because of the Ohhh Ame, all of our investigators disappeared. They got sick, or ran away. So we did a lot of "Nooooo!" screaming moments this week. It was pretty hard to be honest. Because there were times when we would go to the house of the appointment and SEE the person sitting on their couch, wave to them, and they don't come out. BUT it is just a sign that we are needed somewhere else.

On Saturday we had a great lesson with the Haramai family. The Father is not a member but the rest of the family is. (One soon to be, she is 7) The oldest daughter has pretty severe ADHD and she is my favorite person ever. Throughout the lesson she would randomly yell, "DAD GET BAPTIZED!" but she also said one of the most fantastic things ever in the lesson. We were talking about coming to church and working with him to see why he would not come with his family. We started to teach the atonement and the importance of the sacrament. The daughter with ADHD says, "So it is like a reset? Right now you are in play game and on Sunday you get to reset. Say your sorry and try again. WOW! That is so cool." They weren't able to come to church that Sunday because they had plans so the daughter then got upset that she doesn't have her weekly reset. It was super cute. "DAD you have to come next week with us to get your reset. Then get baptized." It is so fun to have her teach with us. (She is only 10 by the way.)

 

I realized something this week as well.... an investigator pointed it out to me. 6 months..... I only have 6 months left. Brothers and Sisters I am going to go crazy hard from here on out. Look out.

Love you all so very very very very very very very very much. Be excellent to each other.

 

-Mecham Choro.