Where do I even start... On Monday Tanda Shimai was feeling back to normal, and we were able to go to Ginkakuji (the silver temple) with some of the other missionaries. When we got back, we spent the rest of the night doing SKK (weekly planning) since we weren't able to do it the week before because Tanda Shimai was sick. While we were planning there was a little earthquake, the first one I have experienced while on my mission. It was really little though and only lasted a couple of seconds. When we went to bed, Tanda Shimai was feeling great. We even made some really good plans for the next day. People to visit, places to go finding, people to teach, etc. Well, then when she woke up Tuesday morning, she was feeling pretty terrible... We were able to make it to the church to teach O Shimai, but besides that, we decided she needed to rest, and we decided to take another trip to the doctor... When we got to the church for our lesson with O Shimai, Bishop O was outside with H Kyodai, and they looked really concerned. We found out that one of the members from our ward (T Kyodai is about 81 years old) was missing. He had left for church on Sunday, but never made it, and then he never made it back home either. No one knew where he was, so all of the missionaries, and members, and members and missionaries in the surrounding areas did their best to look for him. We went back to our apartment after our lesson, ate lunch, and then Tanda Shimai rested, and then the Elders came over and brought us some flyers so that we could pass them out to people to see if they had seen T Kyodai, and if they had to call the police. When we headed to the doctor, we passed some out, and then we signed in. We had about an hour before the doctor could see her, and so we decided to go to the drug store down the road to pick up some stuff, and then while there we got a phone call from the bishop asking if we could come to the church. So, we headed to the church, and unlocked the doors for the bishop and a member from another ward. Bishop O asked if we would pray with them, so we all went into the chapel, kneeled down, and Bishop O prayed to our Heavenly Father that T Kyodai would be found safely. A couple of hours later we got a message saying that he was found, and alright, but was in the hospital because of dehydration. We were so grateful that he was able to be found.
My sweet little Eikaiwa students
Wednesday, we weren't able to do anything, besides go to Eikaiwa, because I am the only missionary who speaks English right now in Katsura, so I needed to go.
Tanda Shimai did her best to hang in there while I taught, and then when we got home, she rested some more. Thursday we had a busy day, that we needed to be able to do.
We did service at Arashiyama picking up trash, then we taught a lesson to M, and then we met N Shimai, H Chan, and the Elders, and headed to the Botanical Gardens, but we got there 10 minutes after they stopped selling tickets, so we decided to go to the Art Gallery Garden next door.
After that we headed to dinner (something that we had been planning for a couple of weeks, but kept having to cancel), and got to spend some time with N Shimai, and give her a little bit of a break by allowing her to talk with adults (although we are all young, we are more adult-like then H Chan who is three) while we entertained H Chan, so that was fun.
On the way home from the Art Gallery and dinner.
By the time we got home, Tanda Shimai was dying from a long day out, so we came home, and she rested. Friday we had to go to Zone Training Meeting, and then after that we had a lesson, but then we came home, and she rested. Saturday we visited a Less Active with one of the members, and then Saturday night we went to the YSA BBQ.
Japanese BBQ... Not quite the same as we do it back home in the south...
We decided to make desert for the BBQ... Well on the well the dessert ended up on the ground instead of our stomachs. I didn't think about taking a picture until after we had already cleaned it up... The road still looks like this 3 days later... It will probably wash away with the rain, but until then, every time we walk by, we think of the poor dessert that never made it to the BBQ.
By the end of the BBQ, Tanda Shimai was in so much pain. And when she woke up Sunday morning, she felt even worse, but she hung in there, we went to church, and then after church we taught PMG class to the youth. Then we came home, and she rested until we had to go to a lesson with the Elders so that I could translate the entire lesson into English for a PI (potential investigator) that they had recently found. He was from Myanmar (If you have ever heard of that country, bonus points for you. It is next to Thailand... I think in America we refer to it as Burma?). Anyways, as soon as we got home, Tanda Shimai headed straight to her bed, and I didn't hear from her until it was time to plan. She's still not feeling well, and after talking with the Mission Doctor, we are headed to see a different doctor at some point today. Hopefully we will be able to figure out what is going on. In the meantime, we are trying to do our best to still do missionary work without pushing her too hard. This past week has been quite the adventure.
I feel like there was something that I really wanted to share with you all, but I forgot. So I will just leave you with a short testimony. I know that Heavenly Father loves us, and that He hears and answers each one of our prayers. It may not always be in the time, or in the way that we wanted or were expecting, but He always answers. This past week I have felt the power of prayer, and I have also seen the blessings. We have a Less Active sister that we have been working with, who recently has been too busy to meet. She told us that when things settle down, she will give the Bishop a call. On Saturday, and Sunday we had prayed that somehow she would be able to make it to church on Sunday, that we wouldn't lose all contact with her. When we walked into the chapel on Sunday morning, and I saw M Shimai, I was so happy. I knew that Heavenly Father had heard and answered my prayers.
I love you all so much, and you are all in my thoughts and prayers. Don't ever forget just how great you are. :)
Sister Robertson
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アマンダ・K・ロボトサン姉妹
日本神戸伝道部
末日聖徒イエス・キリスト教会
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Sister Amanda K. Robertson
Japan Kobe Mission
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
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