Konnichiwa!!!!!

 hahah I really have no idea what I eat-- when I ask people what it is I don't usually understand because my food vocabulary isn't super polished and also you can't tell because things are typically goopy and sticky globs ahahhahaha. but sometimes they're delicious. haha i've come to love mochi and anko-- totemo oishii. haha satake shimai feeds us lots of anko. speaking of which.......

SATAKE SAN RECEIVED BAPTSISM YESTERDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh It was seriously one of my favorite moments of my whole life.

actually I'm going to start from the beginning of sunday morning. we biked to the church and found the baptism "font" all set up. It's actually a super large pool that took up the entire kitchen because toyooka doesn't have its own font. IT'S SO COOL. I'll be sure to include a picture. hahahahha and we filled it up with water from the sink using a sweet little half-pipe thing. I'm really struggling with my vocabulary. it reminded me so much of that little game mouse trap. it took like 3 hours to fill it up and to keep it warm we turned the aircon (heater kinda thing because they don't have central heating in the buildings). hahah anyway. it was legit.

my favorite family in the whole country of japan is moving to nishiwaki and yesterday was their last day. sacrament included each of them (3 kids and the ryoushin) giving their testimonies. and the 13 year old boy recited all 13 of the articles of faith without looking and it was the most impressive thing of my whole life and blew any child ever out of the water. and then I secretly cried through Haruka chan's testimony (15) and sister and president murata's testimonies. I love them so much-- they are some of the most Christ-like people I've ever met in my whole life. and they're hilarious and speak english. haha.

okay BAPTISM KAI. so I was conducting the music and sat behind the pulpit when tada kaicho (satake shimai's nephew) introduced her and ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh I can't explain the love I felt/still feel for this family. it was AWESOME. He had his arm around her and spoke for like 30 minutes but they were so cute and I've never seen her smile for so long. hahah it was adorable when she put on her jumpsuit and this tiny little 88 year old was hiding and complaining that she thought she looked awkward and she didn't want to go back into the reihaido (chapel) because she thought the clothes were weird. The pant legs wre rolled up like a million times because she's so cute and tiny. hahah but she eventually warmed up when she saw that the elder's investigator who also was getting baptized was also wearing a bright white jumpsuit and they entered together. I LOVE HER.

So after we had the talks and the elders, pipers shimai and i sang "when i am baptized" for everyone (which was so yabbai. I'll send the japanese lyrics sometime) and then we entered the kitchen where the font was set up. haha the pool was as tall as she was so we put a chair on the outside and inside of the pool wall so that she could step in. but it was still the most terrifying thing of my life because this 88- almost 89- year-old woman was jumping up on a chair and scaling a pool wall but she had tons of help and is healthier than 1/3 of America. so that worked out well. and once she got in the water it hit about mid-thigh maybe? so naturally pipers shimai and i are freaking out that since the water is so low and she's older that she'd have a hard time with the actual ordinance. hahah I was praying so hard. and I thought-- hey, this whole conversion process has been the biggest miracle to ever enter my life and if the Lord can change the heart of an 88 year old woman (and everything else He has already done ever) then giving her excellent flexibility and body strength is a cinch. and it was. She flew back (I definitely thought she was going to hit her head) but Kaicho pulled her out, all of her made it under, and she finished with a "sore dake?"- Is that all? what a woman.

She was SO HAPPY. Her smile was so bright. Kaicho was also insanely happy and my heart was bursting because this family is going to return to live with God again and they'll be able to live together FOREVER. and there's a temple trip next month!!!! we're going to get her to go, even if she just sits inside. I talked to her afterwards, and I still don't understand most of what she says but when I asked how she felt she got really intense and did lots of hand motions and smiled a lot and I caught a couple words like ureshii and ippai and kansha-- happy, filled, gratitude-- and my life is so blessed and I love being a missionary more than anything in the world. she asked at least 3 times if we could still come to her house and she said she'd still buy us mikans. SATAKE SHIMAI WE DON'T COME TO EAT YOUR MIKANS WE COME BECAUSE WE LOVE YOU. but she still buys them anyway. and they are delicious every time. except when they're a little rotten. which only happens occasionally. This gospel is true.

Also, I'm getting a new companion!!! Dad, no worries, it's a nihonjin. hahha i think her name is kogure shimai? I'm kinda terrified to have a japanese companion. slash i'm now a 4th transfer???????? when did that happen? okay really I'm a 4th transfer next week. my new companion came to japan with pipers shimai so I've actually seen a picture of her on my mission president's blog when I stalked it before I came but I have no idea who she is. I'll meet her in Kobe on thursday!! Pipers shimai is being shipped to Osaka!!!!! wooooo!!!!!!!!! hahah I guessed that! that's the first time my yogen (prophecy) has ever been correct. hutchings choro is staying for a 5th transfer in toyooka (but he's the 2nd counselor in the presidency of the branch so he'll probably stay here for the rest of his mission) and hoshino choro is going back in the trenches and training a new missionary somewhere and now they'll need a new gospel principles teacher and elders's q. president. we're kinda low on priesthood holders.

anyway, i love you all and if I had more time I'd write about the rest of the week which was also wonderful. my headaches aren't bad and the weather is warmer! I'm nervous about my new companion because I don't speak this language yet but my goal is to become fluent this next transfer! wooo!! hahah. but if that were to happen i'd be super okay with it.

I love you!!!! I'm praying for you all! hahah tell employees at pump house that I say hi. and everyone! I hope michigan is starting to get warmer. gomen about the predicted cold summer. I hear toyooka is awful in the summer so maybe I'll send some of the heat to you! even things out.

<3,

Daniels shimai