First Earthquake Ever. Good thing I can read Kanji!

Sasebo week 6 - wk 54 in Japan, wk 63 total

Tuesday April 19, 2016

Actually I can't read Kanji and so that was really scary. On Thursday night, right before we finished planning for the next day, our phone started making this really loud, annoying sound. We opened up the phone and it was all in Kanji! Yeah, we had no idea what it said. THEN the apartment starting rumbling. Not really shaking. Luckily it wasn't bad because we just got the aftershock of the one in Kumamoto. Our apartment is perfectly fine. It just felt like what it feels like after you spin around in circles for a long time and you're dizzy and the ground feels wobbly, that's what it felt like. The scariest part was the eerie sirens going off in the background with a man shouting things in Japanese to the city from Town Hall, again we were not able to understand. The joys of living in a foreign country! You all probably know more than I do about the effects it had in Kumamoto. They have taken out the sister missionaries, they are temporarily in Fukuoka. And from what I've heard, church members are camping out at the church. Wards and Branches from all over Kyushyu are putting together care packages with food and water.

So yeah, in other news! This week is transfer week and President Egan called me last night- I'M TRAINING AGAIN! My new companion will come on Thursday and she will have just come from the Training Center in Utah. I am excited! Right now there are two sisters here in Sasebo, but they are going to change it to four sisters, so I will get a new companion and my companion right now, Sister Madeux will get a new companion and we will all be here in Sasebo together! I am really excited! 

This week was a good week. We met with Shimomura San, and taught her about the restoration. She said that she wants to learn more about it! We haven't been able to get a hold of her since, but we will keep trying! 

 

We were also able to teach Miyazaki San. We taught her about Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. She is really interested in learning more. She has a friend that is really sick and wants to know if God can perform miracles. We are meeting with her again on Thursday! 

 

We also have the opportunity to teach English to three groups of people, at our church, at a community center, and at the Japanese Military Base. This week was the first one at the Base and it was so much fun! We go and sit and they rotate through and practice the things they've been learning in their English class on Base. I love these opportunities to meet so many different people! 

As I have been thinking about Miyazaki San and some of the miracles I've seen in my life, I haven't seen huge miracles, but miracles don't have to be big. Miracles are in the little things too. I have definitely been able to see God's hand in my life every step of the way. And the only times that I have felt lonely or discouraged is when I, even in some small measure, turn away from God. But as I do my best, and try to follow His guidance and plan for me, he has helped me every step of the way. That's not by taking away the hard times, but being with me, strengthening me through the hard times. Those have certainly been miraculous moments in my life and I am so grateful for each one of them. 

Much Love, 

 

Sister Lowe