*intro theme music*
Bad boys bad boys
Whatcha gonna do?
Whatcha gonna do when they come for you?
Bad boys bad boys
Whatcha gonna do?
Whatcha gonna do when you've got curfew?
You might've guessed but I had a run-in with the cops. But I'll talk about that later. First off we had Zone P-day on Monday. I probably wrote about it but just a recap because if I forgot it someone else might have. We went with all the Elders in the Zone and played Jackpot with a football and frisbee. It was way fun. I wore my Dragonball Z shirt but managed to suppress the urge to go Super Saiyan. It was way fun to spend a few hours with friends.
The rest of the week was scheduled to be festivals every day, but instead it decided to rain all week. And Japanese people are allergic to rain. Not only we're all the festivals cancelled, no one was on the street and they wouldn't even come to the door. The Sisters saw a lady on the street and tried to talk to her while it was sprinkling a little bit. She had an umbrella and everything but she said, "I can't talk! It's RAINING!" Water was falling from the sky! I don't get why us Americans don't freak out enough about that, lol. But anyway, that meant that we got soaked a few times and spent a lot of time looking at empty roads. We tried to go to a few colleges but they kicked us out within seconds of entering the front gate.
We did have some really good things come out of this week too. We visited Wakutsu-san who has met with missionaries for like 15 years but never got baptized. He didn't even know he was a child of God! The missionaries never actually taught him the lessons! They just stopped by and said hi and read scriptures to him or something! So we taught him a lesson and it turns out he wants to be baptized! We set a date for November 5th, which is actually my very last transfer call. The one where they tell me I'm going home and my next companion is Sister Rogers and then laugh like they're hilarious. Anyway, since it rained all week I read the reports of everyone in our Areabook since the beginning of time and made sure to call lots of them. One less active family we were unable to contact but we kept thinking about them for the week. Then one day when we went to visit a member family, the Nemotos (they're my favorite), they asked us to go visit the same family! So we took off and visited the family and they want to come back to church! When we told the Nemotos they were so happy and made us a feast! They even gave us corn from Hokkaido which had to be flown in. It was the best corn ever! We got invited over to a lot more members' houses for meals than at the beginning of the transfer which must mean we either look too skinny or they just like us now. I liked looking skinny but I also really like the food. Decisions decisions.
And lastly, we were coming home one night when we noticed 2 cops waiting for us on the side of the road that leads to our apartment. They pulled us over and asked if we were Christian volunteers. They also asked for our Green cards. So.....discrimination but ok, the whole country's like that so I can't complain. They start writing us a ticket for our eyes and noses being too big or something while someone in front of and behind us is breaking the law for bicycles but they get off free. However, I remained pleasant in this situation because I get blessings every time I get picked on for being a missionary. I've got curfew so I've got to end this quick. I started talking to the guy and explaining what we do and start proselyting him while he writes me this ticket. He starts laughing and pretty soon we're buds. He gives me the ticket, tells me I can throw it away and there's no record, and let's us off with a warning. Yeah. I think I'll hold on to the ticket though just because it's a cool reminder of a funny story.
I know as we're kind to those around us even if we don't feel like they deserve it or aren't worthy of our love that it can change hearts. As we love those who are hard to love our capacity to love increases. Jesus said that we should love our enemies. For if we love only those who love us, how much better than sinners are we? But if we can love everyone regardless of how they treat us, then we are really like Jesus indeed. Be like your Father in Heaven. Don't let the actions of hose around you decide how you are going to react. We can always choose to break the chain of negativity and be positive. One kind act can lead to another and everyone's happy. So choose ye this day to be happy, no matter the circumstance. We have the power to do that so use it.
Elder Rogers
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