Waiting for the train in the typhoon. It is a very small one, but nonetheless.
Sister Teagan Clark
クラーク姉妹
Sunday, September 28, 2014
Transfer 9.4: The Fruits of Our Labor
It looks like it is time for your favorite time of the week- Clark Shimai blog time! Whooooo yeah party!
I hope everyone enjoyed the fall equinox. I am really really enjoying the weather here in Japan. It is finally not super hot and has become really really nice autumn like temperatures. Ahhhh.... Autumn. How pleasant.
We gotta go play volleyball with the ward, which was a blast. We discovered that Elder Graul from Sandy? is 4000% times more graceful than I am (he was a dancer) and that I should probably never participate in sports ever. Aka balls are terrifying always. But I do have the random craving to play tennis randomly. I think I've only played tennis once in my life.
This week included a lot of visiting people and lesson planning that ended up in no one ever being home ever/ slash ever one was busy cleaning their shrines or something. I can't be quite sure, as my Buddhist Japanese isn't quite up to par.
Thursday was particularly interesting, as I went forth with bold faith during a typhoon to visit people who I was sure would be home at that time, fully prepared to teach them and testify with all my heart of the truth of this marvelous message-- and then neither of them were home. I'm sure there is something I am suppose to learn from this.
Had exchanges with Sister Ellingson, which included visiting a cute old lady and her genius cats. Walked holes in my shoes (they have had holes for a while now, actually XD) and still going forth with faith! Still working hard and as smart as I can! All the areas around me are seeing baptisms and I hope that my effort has been somewhat part of that. I may not be the one seeing miracles, but somebody is. I feel like I am learning from this experience and this transfer.
Sister Tamagusuku never laughs at my jokes.
Also I am pretty sure all my friends are dead, because no one really writes to me......ever.......
Just as a friendly reminder....
1-7-7 Kichijoji Higashi-chi
Musashino-shi Tokyo
180-0002
Japan
As always, my love and prayers are with you. Keep the faith and always stand as a witness of God in ALL things. Yes, even when you are playing video games or pulling weeds. In all things.
Cheers,
Sister Teagan Clark
クラーク姉妹
Sunday, September 21, 2014
Transfer 9.3 Pictures
Some beautifully weird flowers that randomly started blooming everywhere. Perhaps the cause of my suddenly new allergy attack.
And yes, that is my ward mission leader eating potato chips with chopsticks.
Sister Teagan Clark
クラーク姉妹
Transfer 9.3: New Challenges
I know, as opposed to old challenges. All that means is... Well... Maybe I'll talk about it as I think of it.
Wednesday brought a fun challenge of delivering a birthday card to someone on the member record that we had never met or seen. We went and found that she no longer lived there, but the lady who was living there (I am assuming she was her grandmother) was just like "You are from the church? You know her name, address, and birthday and you have never met her but you brought a birthday card? That is so very scary. She would be so scared." And Heavenly Father really shut me up because after we left and were walking away, I pulled out all the sass. Scary? Sister Tamagusuku and I are NOT scary! We are two young girls who made a HANDMADE BIRTHDAY CARD because we saw that someone had a birthday! How many people put all that same information into various websites and get birthday emails and such without another thought?! But heaven forbid we bring a handmade note to the door. Excuuuuse me.
On Thursday we got to go to a members home and we had a delicious meal! Sister Tamagusuku had the opportunity to teach bits of the lesson in English, which was exciting. The next day, she had to go off for a conference and so Sister Jolley came and worked with me for a day.
That day, we all made cookies and Mexican food with a wonderful lady. It was delicious and really defining for all of us. We had the opportunity to share the gospel with her and challenge her to read and pray about the Book of Mormon. I think there is great potential their and I really hope that I can be better missionary in order to help out. I guess that has been the main challenge lately. Feelings of such great mediocrity. Trying and failing and trying and failing again and just following this continual cycle of nothing happening because of my inability.
I've been really struggling. I just want to be a good example for my companion and give her experienced with lessons and miracles and being able to do astonishing things but I have just come to really see how unastonishing I actually am.
I have so many more feelings that I could express, but I don't know if here is the right place or the right time. Needless to say, I asked for a blessing from Elder Ferni on Sunday and he gave me one, which helped. But that along with some other frustrations are really pushing me to my limits. I don't know how much more I can do.
Also there was a GIANT SPIDER and everyone thinks I am crazy but I won't walk on that side of the street anymore.
Maybe next week will be better. Perhaps I just need the faith to fail, because the faith to succeed doesn't seem to be taking me anywhere. Wow, that sounded awfully pessimistic. I'm really sorry. Just disregard all of that. Just know that it isn't easy and that I am simple getting stronger, I suppose.
With love,
Sister Teagan Clark
クラーク姉妹
Tuesday, September 16, 2014
Transfer 9.2 Pictures
Sister Tamagusuku being super cute, don't tell her I posted this
Hilarious English.
Sister Teagan Clark
クラーク姉妹
Transfer 9.2 Pictures
iPad piñata!
And Indian curry with Tamagusuku Shimai!
Sister Teagan Clark
クラーク姉妹
Transfer 9.2: How to Handle a Trainee
Good evening everybody! How is it going? Was it hot today for you? Man, I was sweating. We got to go to the temple! So that was exciting!
Last week feels like years and years away. On Tuesday we had a lesson with our cute deaf friend, which was lovely, as always. I saw some deaf people signing the other day and I really wanted to try and talk to them, but I got too scared.... :/ but I really love Shuwa! It is wonderful!!
Oh my goodness, Wednesday... I had totally forgotten that that was this week... It feels like forever ago. So on Wednesday, Sister Ellingson and I went to have lunch with a lady (we thought) and have a nice talk and what not BUT IT WAS A TARP I MEAN TRAP. It was weird, because the first thing we did was go shopping for sir thing to eat, when we thought that she had already prepared the food.... That was the first sign. The she started talking about how she has a friend over, so don't be surprised that she is there. Then she mentioned that there was also a guy there and they all just want to be our very best friends. Sister Ellingson and I looked at each other wearily. We didn't quite have a good feeling about it.
So we got to the house and walked in. Her friends introduced themselves and then shuffled us into the living room to sit down. Before, the woman had given Sister Ellingson a panphlet and DVD about her interesting religion. He (it was really only the guy) asked us if we had watched it and we said no, because we aren't allowed to watch things while we are missionaries. He tried to get us to watch it then, but we refused. He then pulled out the pamphlet and start going over a few of the things. We suddenly felt like we had become the investigators and that they really didn't understand out purpose. We tried to explain, but he didn't really let us explain anything fully. He talked about how they got power from light(?) and use that light to heal people (?) and when we asked where they got it from, he said the first guy went to a mountain top and wrote the light character on his chest (?) Oh, and then they TRIED TO GIVE US THE LIGHT THING, WHICH IS BASICALLY LIKE THE PRIESTHOOD I AM PRETTY SURE. SO THEY TRIED TO GIVE US THE PRIESTHOOD. "It'll only take like 10 minutes" he said "uhm we are pretty darn sure we cannot do that" we said "it isn't like baptism" he said "we really can't do that" we said. Then we tried to explain the priesthood and it's importance, but he didn't really listen. Then we got a miracle phone call and had to leave. It was an interesting experience.
But it really really strengthened my testimony. They were trying to find answers. There were similar principles that they had. But they were not the tru and you could feel it. There was no testimony of the spirit. There was no searching to find out for ourselves. And this church, the true church, has the answers that they did not. I am grateful for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.
We had a surprise party for Marcia which involved PIÑATA TIME! I whacked it pretty hard. And Wright Shimai left, so everyone was sad.
But then Sister Tamagusuku came! Yaaaay! She is from OKINAWA!M aaaand she is a black belt in karate like me!! We are the same! Just she is smaller! Yaaaay!
The way to train is to nudge your companion to do it. And then the will do it. Maybe. Actually, she is way nervous to talk to people. She'll get there. She can do it!!
AND THEN MARCIA AND MARCIO GOT BAPTIZED!!! So happy for them!
I think that about sums it up. Yup. Thanks for reading. Hope you enjoyed. See ya next week.
Love!!
Sister Teagan Clark
クラーク姉妹
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