Week 44 - Last Email of the Year!

Hello Friends!!!

Today was awesome! As we went about our preparation day business a family from a ward in California was infront of us in line at the Panda Express wannabe and bought our food! That was tender! They spoke of how they are sure many people have done that for their kids while they were on their missions! 

And! This YSA age woman, Bobbie, just came up to us and started introducing herself and sharing about how her aunt is Mormon and her cousins have gone on missions! Then invited her to an activity tonight and exchanged numbers!! She was so nice and she said she could come tonight! Awesome right!

I had a wonderful Christmas with the Senior couple, Elder and Sister Moss! I love them! We also had a breakfast/movie morning with the other sisters in the area! That was fantastic! And I got to talk to my family!!! Which is always the best!

Our investigators have been out of town for the holidays, so not much going on there! But we hope to get more soon! I love this work so much!

In sunday school we talked about the things we do "because of Him" and it was truly inspiring. And it is Because of Him I am serving. Because of Him I am covering a stake with out a car (due to the sisters before us crashing it, no one was harmed) Because of Him I can work with a brand new missionary that I am teaching. Because of Him I can do hard things and become more than I am! I love it!

Heres a quote from Elder Bednar that President Christiansen sent!

"I am part of the fellowship of the unashamed.

The dye has been cast.

I have stepped over the line.

The decision has been made.

I am a disciple of Jesus Christ.

I won't look back, let up, slow down, or be still.

My past is redeemed, my present makes sense, my future is secure.

I'm finished and done with low living, small planning, smooth knees, colorless dreams, 

tainted visions, worldly talking, cheap giving, and dwarfed goals.

I no longer need pre-eminence, positions, promotions, plaudits or popularity.

I now live by faith, lean on His presence, walk with patience, 

am uplifted by prayer, and labor with power.

My face is set, my gait is fast, and my goal is Heaven.

My road is narrow, my way is rough, my companions are few, 

my guide is reliable, my mission is clear!

I cannot be bought, compromised, detoured, lured away, divided or delayed.

I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice, hesitate in the presence of the adversary, 

negotiate at the table of the enemy, ponder at the pool of popularity, 

or meander in the maze of mediocrity.

I won't give up, shut up, or let up, until I have stayed up stored up, 

and paid up of the cause of Christ.

I must go till He comes, give till I drop, preach till I know, and work till He stops me.

And when He returns for His own, He will have no problem recognizing me.

My banner will be clear"

Elder Bednar

Love you all!

Sister Nakata

Christmas Puzzle and Kids

This was a quite Christmas. 

The Browns visited for a few days the week-end before. 

We played games and talked and ate some yummy food with the Johnson's.

Their trip a little too short! 

This is our traditional puzzle this year I missed Justine helping me... 

Emric and Amelie helped a little but I pretty much did it all by myself!

On Christmas Eve, we watched - I mean, I and Amelie watched - "It's a wonderful life"

Emric and Mike watched an old Star Wars!

We watched also a short version of 'The Nativity'

But the BEST part was getting to Skype with Justine for an hour!

She is happy and doing well and it warms our hearts!

Then after Christmas, Alexi and Heavena came. 

They brought a little cooler weather with them,

(80's and 100% humidity was too hot and weird in December!)

Week 43 - New Place, New People

Hey familly!!

So this week has definitely been an interesting one with a lot of new experiences! Oh man, many ups and downs this week! Hardest week so far! But I know with out a doubt I have seen many miracles!

Tuesday I said goodbye to Sharon :( She is just wonderful, I love her so much.

So! I am like completely out of time! This email isn't exciting at all! I am so sorry! But I have a firm testimony that the Lord loves me and is supporting me!

Here in the Baltimore YSA there is significant less members of the ward. Sacrament meeting had 30 people and was SO quiet! We have 2 progressing investigators and found a new investigator last night! but she is 51 and would need to be referred to the missionaries in the family ward. There are a lot of recent converts to work with and thats awesome!

I hope your Christmas goes well! I love you all so much!

Sister Nakata

 And here is my new companion! Sister Krause! She is an awesome go getter missionary! from IDAHO! #2 companion not from Utah! haha!

New Appartement

Week 42 - What A Week!!

Oh my goodness!! WHAT A WEEK!

This past week has been purely AMAZING! I have loved it! SO many fun things!

Highlights:

* Caroling with the Youth in a nursing home
This was lots of fun! I have been singing so much on my mission!

* Wonderful Dinner with the Macharsky family! I love them so much! 
We taught the Restoration and started talking about what God expects of us. Brother Macharsky (Ma-char-ski) is a spiritual giant. He and his family are awesome. I am so mad I wont be at their house on Christmas eve to make gingerbread house!

* "Inspired knocked" on a members door
...that one was embarrassing. Especially because I had been there for dinner before. But in my defense its in a ton of apartment buildings that ALL LOOK THE SAME. And we had a great conversation and challenged her to give away some pass-a-long cards!

* Found a new investigator, Paige!
The Spanish elders talked to her and she said she would love to study with us because she has studied with many other religions before but not Mormons! She has a lot of things going on. One of which being in a relationship with a man that her mother is still married to...but hey, anyone can overcome the worst of situations with the Atonement! But really Paige is a wonderful human being who just want the best for people around her. Where there is someone in need she helps. She is amazing and has been through heck and back! I am excited for her to continue on this path!

* Amazing Zone Conference (AKA Zone revelatory experience) with Elder Teh of the 70!

Oh I love this conference! Half the mission was at this conference and the other half was the next day! I felt slightly pounded with "YOU NEED TO ALWAY BE WORKING HARD AND TRUSTING THE LORD" and at first it felt like much I kept thinking "but this and but that" but by the end the spirit was whispering to my heart that it is okay and I really can do it through Christ and using my brain and talents God has given me. Here are some things I learned by the spirit that day:

- Praying Creates Christ-like attributes (love, faith, hope, humility) with-in us. If we want to be more like Christ PRAY. Always Pray.

- Pour your heart out and believe, actively seeking to work hard to make the miracles of your Faith happen

- Write down revelation

-Ask inspired questions all the time (I really need to work on that) But see section about Susan for an experience from applying that.

- We are not about Sharing information, we are about inviting people to CHANGE

- NEVER stop listening to the Spirit

- Use the spirit as the resource it is! Walk away changed, renewed, forgiven

- "If I don't think I can be like Ammon (or enter in any scriptural or modern prophet/apostle you admire) How do I think I am supposed to be like Christ??"

* My companion, Sister Botchway got to be interviewed by him! 
Yeah that was just time for my jealously to kick in just a little. But its okay :)

* Friday: Head quarter referral, Susan Blair, she is marvelous!
Okay! So Thursday we got to referral from HQ's and called her. Set up to meet her Friday morning met with her and Sister Vandre (the Ward mission leaders wife). Had an amazing lesson. So at zone conference the day before I learned to ask questions when I study. So That morning in studies I was bold and faithful and asked "what is Susan Blair's concern?" Now I have never met this woman and I don't know anything beyond a few sentences I'd been told. I knew that God and the Spirit knew her though, and could guide me to specifically what I would need to study in order to answer her concern. I flipped directly (no joke, on the first try, got there) to "using the BOM to address people's concerns" in Preach my Gospel started there. So in my studies I found a few possibilities of what her concern may be. Church, Joseph Smith, Priesthood authority. I researched ways to address those concerns with the scriptures. Then in companion study we decided together to Role play with Susan's concern being the priesthood. Well! Low and behold! The Priesthood was the very thing she had the most questions with! And because we had prepared it is something she is understanding right off the bat! Susan want to be baptized as she prays and feels the message we share is true! She came to church this Sunday and we have two meetings with her this coming week! I LOVE THE LORD. He loves each of us and knows us. And knows what others need and can teach us by the spirit what we need to do.

* Friday: Lunch with Brother Vandre and his wife after the lesson with Susan! They took us to the super cheap, super good Mexican restaurant! It was great!

* Friday: I was a Temple Visitor's Center Sister Missionary for a day!

After Lunch with the Vandre's we went on a small road trip with 4 other companionships and went to the Visitors center! With the busy holiday season the sisters there need some extra people and are having sisters from the surrounding missions come and help out! We got to talk with and inspire people coming to the temple lights and to see the nativities from all over the world! I talked to a woman who hadn't heard of the church before and invited her to learn more and to come back! We got to take some pretty sweet pictures too! 

* Friday: Japanese Steak house for dinner!
So we got back around 7:30 and then the awesome Sister Lynch picked us up because it was her birthday and she wanted to treat herself and us to a night at a Japanese Steak House!! She doesn't have family around this area so I guess we were the next best thing! That was just plain awesome!

* A 14 year old LA was able to play with the YW for their basketball game (they didn't win) but when we asked her if she wanted to take the missionary lessons as she tries to come back to activity she said "yes!"

* Saw the Mormon Choir of DC perform in our church building! 
They were AWESOME! Susan came to that too!

* President called Sunday night and said after a lot of prayer decided to have me go to the Baltimore YSA and train a new missionary!
Welp! President has me training again! And in an area that I know nothing about! Haha its crazy but I am so ready for it. I know the Lord is the only way I can do this and I haven't stopped smiling yet! Sister Botchway will be staying here and being follow up trained by Sister Fanga, another tonga sister! So we will have two tongans together! That's awesome! I am excited for them. Sister Botchway is going to have fun taking over this area. It is probably good we didn't stay together. I have found out I can be a control freak. Ha I have not given Sister Botchway enough opportunities to spread her wings and fly so I am glad she has this challenge ahead of her of taking over the area. I know when I had to do that I learned so much!

 Well! There you have it! That's my been my week. It is amazing how many complaining thoughts I have had and how thin I have found my patience at times, but I know that because there were so many good things going on, some things had to have been not so good. And don't worry, I have been able to overcome those rough times and will continue to! :)

* One last thing, 
I dreamt the elders returned the car to us with the gas at empty, the next day it came true. Sharing the car with Elders who never look at the gas gauge=you always getting the gas and the one time you give to car to the elders with it at halfway and they have it for 2 days and you thing "THEY HAVE TO FILL IT UP" (Its a common practice in our mission to not let the tank go below halfway) And then they return it Sunday and its got 57 mile to empty. Yeah.

Well! Life is still good! And I am excited for what's to come! 

I love you all!!

Sister Nakata!

Week 41 - Meeting Marman & Christmas Ward Celebeations

Hope everyone is doing well!!

I love you all!

This past week here on the mission has been pretty good!!

Monday we got to help our investigator, Sharon, decorate the cafeteria of a senior center she volunteers here time, money and effort at! We had a great lesson with her on Friday! We showed her the gospel library app and SHE LOVED IT. She still hasn't come to church! there is a mental block keeping her from coming into the church building, she is promising she is still working on it.

On exchanges I re-learned the value of "sticky-noting" people and since then have left like 10 different members with stick notes of love!

Tuesday we met with the Shankle family. The grandmother, mother, and 11 year old daughter are all members and all less active. They welcomed us in (which they have only done 2 times out of 6+ attempts) and we got to know them. Man they area fun group. Sister Shankle has 3 kids, 11, 8, 6. And these kids have the energy that children in my family have growing up. LITERALLY ALL OVER THE PLACE. Well not the older two girls, really just the 6 year old boy. They talk the talk about wanting to live the gospel, by they are not walking the walk :( I just pray they take those steps they need to get back into church!

Wednesday, we biked all day in the rain (well it was really like mist). We went around and talked to many many people! After biking around all day we decided it was time for a treat and decided to stop at Taco Bell! While we were there I talked to this guy waiting for his food. Shared with him a card and told him to check it out. Right before leaving we started talking to the cashier, Kat. We had small talk for just a minute before she asked us if we were nuns. We explained who we were and she and another employee there just kept asking us all sorts of questions! It was wonderful! We gave Kat a book of Mormon and got her number! She told us how she has a 3 year plan to make it onto the red carpet as a singer/song writer. She sat down with us and sang for us, it was beautiful! She talked about how this might be a sign that she may need to get back into church and we said "yes, it is a sign." Nothing has happened quite yet but we will follow up!

Thursday we had a Trainer/Trainee Meeting! All the missionaries who are new to the mission and their trainers came to a building here in our stake (very convenient) and we got to have instructions from President and Sister Christiansen and the Assistants. They shared with everyone (again) points from the talk "the answer is the Doctrine" by Elder Bednar. You should read it! if you cannot find it anywhere, ask me for a copy and I will send you one!

Thanksgiving Dinner at Francos! They are awesome!

We had thanksgiving desert with these people! The husband is aithiest, but the wife is fully active and endowed!

May I just say that President and Sister Christiansen are amazing! I have luckily been able to see so much of them with Zone Conference two weeks ago, the Trainer meeting last week, a Half-mission Conference this week (Elder Teh of the first quorum of the seventy is coming) and our Christmas conference the 23rd!

Friday's highlight was Sharon. I know that God sent us to her because it is finially time for her to give up her sin of living with this man (on she is fully aware of and is struggling to give up) and be right with God. I am so glad we were sent to her and pray that she is able to overcome the mental and physical blocks Satan is trying to use against her.

Saturday was the ward Christmas party! It was lots and lots of fun! There was tons of food and tons of people. This ward is a very close knit family and I am grateful I get to be a part of it!

Sunday we had the amazing miracle of meeting Marman! (when we said we were Mormon, he said "my name is Mormon!" I said "no, really?" "really" "really?" hahah then he explained it was Marman, not Mormon. This man is amazing he is from a south American country above Brazil, has lived in Florida for the past 20 years and living here in Frederick working on a work project for the next 6 months. He asked us many many questions and we taught the Restoration to him right there. We testified that there are apostles and prophets again. It was right before the Christmas Devotional and I told him to come and find out if they are truly apostles. He said "that is a challenge." And I said "yes! yes, it is a challenge" Well, he did not come to the devotional, but he did take a BOM and gave us his information. He said he does want to find out if our message is true. It was incredible meeting Marman!

Also, you know it is fast Sunday when you are knocking on a potential investigator's door and your companion says "This door looks like a chocolate bar."

Another fun fact I do not remember if I have shared this or not.

Stephanie Meyer's (yeah, the one that wrote twilight) son, Elder Meyer, is in my mission. Ha! Isn't that cool?

Ponderizing scripture "And your whole labor shall be in Zion, with all your soul, from henceforth; yea, you shall ever open your mouth in my cause, not fearing what man can do, for I am with you. amen." D&C 30:11

And I will be completely honest. I have not been doing a good job at all of ponderizing, my mind is always on a million and 5 things I have to do! But I have been pondering on a few different scriptures I want to have as my ponderizing scripture.

Me cooking Talapia for sister Botchway and I! 

I cannot remember if I sent this before or not, so merry Christmas! :D