Week 53 - Rainy Wednesday & Miracle Thursday

Hey!!

Sorry! I dont have much time to email this week. Sister Noa, Hermana Dahle, Hermana Hicks, and I went to the National aquarium!! It was so much fun! :) So it cut our emailing time short today!

This week we had a miracle thursday! We started off with 4 investigator lessons that day! Crazy! Well two of them ended up not happening, but the two that did went great! :) We had a lesson with this girl, Jen, who is super spiritual. Has such a desire to talk with Christ and follow him. Just pretty broken inside and doesn't trust anyone can help her. But I am not sure she knows how to quite help herself. But! That is what we are here for. We are going to help her do what she needs to do to follow the Savior! We also met with Claire! We hadn't seen her in a while and got to eat dinner with her and two other sisters in the ward! How great. Then we talked about the great apostasy and how it resulted in so many different churches. And how many churches have truth but ours is the one that has all truth. And as she embarks to investigate other churches in the next year to look for the difference she feels in our church vs the other churches.

Wednesday night there was a TON of rain! We had a GREAT church tour with Alexa! She is amazing. She loved the church and mentioned (with out any knowledge of the Word of Wisdom) wanting to give up coffee! Wow, Alexa, what a great idea?? After the lesson was when the rain hit and we left the church and were planning on coming back, but by the time we were coming back we couldn't get to the church building! The intersections were flooded and cars and trucks were getting flooded out and stuck! It was crazy. Later that night we found out the Alexa's car got stuck! Miracle! Many members happened to be there and helped her and took her home because her car died.

Thats all I've got! Sorry! Love you all!

Sister Nakata

Week 52 - "I'm not Coming Home!"

This week has been a good one!

We got to have Zone Conference with President Christiansen! We learned a lot about charity and teaching repentance! It was a great conference. Wow is there a lot to repentance that I did not understand the depth of and importance. I can tell you one thing too. My companion is a rock. I love her so much. She has had a run of a stomach bug, home sickness, a burning shoulder (due to an injury before the mission), and a sprained ankle. And she hasnt even been in the field a month! At Zone conference she bore her testimony about how her family said they wanted her to come home and she told them that she loves them and appreciates them, but shes not coming home. This week we had to stay in a lot because of her ankle but when 9:00 hit I had to pull the areabook away form her and tell her to stop. So dedicated! I love it.

Anyways, many of our appointments fell through this week but with the hand of the Lord so we could stay in more. And this coming week is POPPING! We have so many appointments coming up. When it rains it pours! The work, I've felt, has been pretty slow lately but I do see the Lords hand in it's hastening! We are working with the members in their ward goal of every member in 2016 to 1. personally bringing someone into the church through baptism. 2. sheperd someone back into the fold and 3. take someone to the temple to do ordinances for the first time. How great! I am very excited to help the ward with these goals!

Also! I loved church this past week! we had ward conference and a great sacrament about Matt 11:28-30. I love church!

Oh and I got the key stuck in the ignition... Sister Noa got it out thankfully. It was pretty funny, here is a picture! The hook got on the key and before I noticed I put it in the ignition! I should pay attention more!

Also I added some videos and pictures from the day we had our huge storm to dropbox! So enjoy!

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/rtzosr0dsniry1w/AACivns_RVZaWXr6tHMrYfL0a?dl=0

love you!

Sister Nakata

Week 51 - How Many Grilled Cheese Sandwiches Can One Eat?

Oh man! This week has been quite a fun one!!

Tuesday:

We went by this guy Andrews house. So about a month ago we knocked on this guys door, gave him a BOM and after numerous times trying by, havent seen him since. He gave us the wrong number the first time so we couldn't contact him. So we go by one last time and he answers! He said he would totally be up for learning more and gave us his number again, except NOT. We walk away text the number and its not him. So Sister Noa is not having it. He totally just messes with us so she decides to go back and confront him! We do, not what I do naturally in the least. She knocks on the door and this pretty boy acts all chill and is like "whats up" and Sister Noa goes "See Andrew, we have a problem here, you've given us the wrong number twice now and this isn't funny. This message we have to share is important and if you dont want to learn about it just say it, but stop messing with us." Then he pulls something like, "oh I am interested, I wouldn't be out here talking to you if I wasn't." Then I start talking and testifying how this Book and religion changes lives and then Sister Noa gets his real number and we end up committing him to read the first chapter by the end of the week! Well its been a week now, we will see where his real intent is! But how legit is it having a Poly companion who isn't scared of confrontation? Its great!

Wednesday:

EXCHANGES!!!!!! So we get a call from our Sister Training Leaders (Sister Shepherd and Sister Buchi) the day before and they tell us we are going on exchanges! So fun fact, Sister Buchi was my MTC companion and our year mark is Feb 11, then next day! So She planned it so we could be together when we hit our year mark! How PERFECT!?

That wasn't the only great thing about exchanges! I got to go to the Chesapeake ward and see all the great things that are going on over there. We contacted 3 or 4 referrals and had a great lesson with their investigator, Sister Hackman! With her we watch Joseph Smith, Prophet of the Restoration! In that lesson I felt with out a doubt the spirit working through me! I was a wonderful experience being able to work side by side my very first companion a year from the day we first met!

Also Sis Shepherd and Sis Buchi got a new companion in the past week and her name is Sister Garcia! She's from Longview, Texas! She came out with Sister Krause and in the past two months she has had quite a ride! we made a song for it to the tune of the 12 days of christmas:

5 companions

4 trainers

3 areas

2 months

1 crazy sister missionary!

(okay tune doesn't totally fit but whatevs :)

But yeah! She went to Virginia first with a trainer, then in the middle of the transfer was sent to Ellicot city with Sister Tilitson and her trainee that also just came out. And Sister Tilitson just finished being trained herself! Strong sister. Anyways part way the following transfer she got transferred to be with Sister Shepherd and Sister Buchi in Baltimore! like I said, quite a ride!

Thursday:

My year mark! got to do studies with Sister Buchi! Then we exchanged back and as celebration we ate some cookies! This day on I was give sugar cookies on 2 different occasions! So good! We had a Relief society activity on the 5 love languages! mine proved to be quality time! That was great!

Friday:

We spent the afternoon making cookies with a sister in our ward and then delivering them! It was so fun! I love service! We then went over to Sister Walks home and had pizza and watched Ephraims Rescue! Okay so on any other circumstance spending the whole night at a members home is not cool, especially on the weekend! But earlier this week Sister Walk got this notion that we were not doing well and we should just have a nice night and even CALLED PRESIDENT AND ASKED FOR PERMISSION! Then we called him and said, Uhh are you sure? and he said it would be fine. Also I think he is biased because Ephraim is his great great grandfather! Anyways great night!

Saturday:

So this is where the crutches are involved (well not quite we actually got those on Sunday, but the incident was Saturday) We were playing volley ball for sports night and Sister Noa jumps up to block a spike and falls down on her ankle :( SO sad! Theres a picture of it a few days later here! 

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/me5s3g9en1wfpcu/AAD5YuGBJ8RLcM-K9rLHlqEea?dl=0

(PS also a video of us jamming to "A God like you" by Kirk Franklin while driving out of Baltimore)

She is going to be taking it easy for the next little while. Well correction, she is going to be taking it easy when I make her take it easy because she is just such a tough cookie!

Sunday:

We had a great Relief Society lesson about our trials and how we can look at them as preparations. God preparing us for other things he wants us to do! It was great

Sister Noa also beat the standing record of 9 and a quarter grilled cheese sandwiches eaten by an elder. She SMASHED That record by eating 11 and a half! She is the best!

Monday:

Got an xray of Sister Noa's ankle, good news! It is not broken! Then we ended up stuck in the appartement (luckily the Hermanas were there too) because the weather was bad again! Snow the freezing rain! Were were told it may even be dangerous to just walk haha. But we had a great talk with each other about whats been on our minds and what we've been struggling with and how we can lean on the Lord and each other to help ourselves out!

Well! Thats been my week! Way too much detail! Sorry! love you all!

Have a great week :)

Sister Nakata! 

Week 50 - Joy In Serving & Rededication

My week has been pretty good!

We got to have a great Zone Training on tuesday and thursday we got to go to the temple!!! I love the temple! I also got to see Sister Stolworthy my old companion there! That was awesome! I ended up having a migraine that day and Sister Noa had some stomach bug so it was a great day but then a not so great night! Then next day, friday, we also stayed in and I got to reorganize my desk, which was much needed! Sister Noa received a priesthood blessing in Samoan from the Elder who lives in these apartments too and is from Samoa! Even though Sister Noa's family is Samoan that was the first one she has received not in English!

Saturday was just a day FULL OF SERVICE! We got to go to bishop's storehouse and we love doing that ever Saturday! then we got to serve this woman Susan who is investigating! She is also not YSA so we passed her to the family ward sisters! Then we helped this Less Active YSA and her mother clean their bathroom! Then we had an AMAZING dinner with Tee Tee and her family! We were in completely authentic baltimorian home and Tee Tee made orange chicken (just for me :) for the first time and ROCKED IT! It was a wonderful dinner! And we shared scriptures from Matthew and from 3 N 18:19-21 and commited the whole family to pray together every night. They loved  the idea and said they had never thought of that before! They are a very religious family but TeeTee is the only member and joined last september. WE LOVE THEM! Then we ended the night playing some basketball! Great day!

Sunday we had fast and testimony meeting and I have felt less focused and dedicated as I would like to have been and so I repent and am redeciatied to working harder and being more focused! We also had a great lesson with our investigator Alexa! She says she isnt ready for a baptismal date but she is considering it and is commitend to reading the BOM 10 minutes every day to find out if it is true or not!

The Hermanas moved out of our apartment today :( its was sad but needed! Sister Noa can finally know what if feels like to just be you and a companion living together!

I have a great video of me and Sister Noa jamming to a song but pictures are being troublesome to day so you dont get it :( next week though!

Love you! Have a great week!

Sister Nakata 

Week 49 - Hope & Pranks

ALOHA!!

So I dont have a ton of time but I will do what I can!

I got a new companion this week! Sister Noa! She is amazing! She is dedicated and prepared to be serving! So much more prepared than I was to come out! She works hard, studies hard and preaches hard!

Since the Hermanas are still living with us we left for transfers and got back to a re-arranged appartment! We had beds in the living room and couches in the bedroom! I was so utterly confused as to why they would even do that! It was good fun though! Here is my reaction!

Then to get back at these lovely Hermanas Sister Noa and I turned their back packs inside out! then put everything back in! It was great!!

Okay now for some things I have learned this week! Man, I cant even remember! Well We had an amazing lesson with Alexa!! Two return missionaries came with us and testified and taught so well! She accepted Feb 27 as a goal for baptism! She just wants to know these things are true first, which is totally understandable!

Okay! So sorry there isn't that much here. I will share that I am trying to focus more on hope this week and here is what I read from PMG this morning! I loved it!

"Hope is an abiding trust that the Lord will fulfill His promises to you. 

It is manifest in confidence, optimism, enthusiasm, and patient perseverance. 

It is believing and expecting that something will occur. 

When you have hope, you work through trials and difficulties with the confidence 

and assurance that all things will work together for your good. 

Hope helps you conquer discouragement. 

The scriptures often describe hope in JesusChrist as the assurance that you will inherit 

eternal life in the celestial kingdom."   

Preach My Gospel chapter 6, Hope

I am trying to be a good teacher, trainer, follower, missionary continually!

Have a great week!

Sister Nakata