This week has been another amazing week, but also pretty challenging. My companion got sick early in the week and I've been sick since yesterday, but we're still alive and kickin' and  Jesus Christ is still the Savior of the world, and the Book of Mormon is still true, and this is still the Church of Jesus Christ on the earth today so we move forward.

We both have been pretty nauseous and also have a cold with chills and stuffy noses and hana mizu and scruffy throats, but we'll get to rest quite a bit today since it's preparation day. The amazing zone leaders in our area gave each of us a blessing this week for our health and also turned into fantastic blessings of counsel and the power of the priesthood is so real and undeniable. And our zone leaders are so in-tune with the spirit and I am so blessed. But I will never be getting sick again on my mission. However we saw our next door neighbor investigator when we were biking to the church this morning for the blessing and she brought over some super delicious and vitamin-filled japanese and chinese cooking to help my health and it was the sweetest thing ever. I'll send pictures of her note and food and you can appreciate japanese-english and her pure heart with me.

Yesterday we had a huge typhoon hit and church was cancelled. BUT because our bishop rocks he rescheduled sacrament meeting for 4 pm after the storm was supposed to be done so we were still able to take the sacrament and my heart was cleansed and it needed it so badly. I accidentally broke the word of wisdom this week for the first time of my life which is awkward because I am a missionary, so I repented a lot and I don't think I've ever felt as strongly the purifying power of the atonement as when I partook of the sacrament yesterday. The Atonement is REAL. And I am clean!!!!!! It feels so good. But as for the typhoon, lots of power lines were snapped and there was lots of flooding in certain areas. We didn't get much damage, but the wind and rain was SO STRONG but we were protected and fortunately it all happened during our sleep and our study and lunch and we called and set up appointments but then the storm had passed so we still got to dendo. 

So the word of wisdom hanashi. The Bishop of our ward is the man!! Seriously the man and I have so much respect for him and I love him and his family. His wife has gotten pretty sick the past couple of years and her mom came from the philippines to stay and help her out when she has bad seizures. So! We want to serve our bishop and his wife's health has been troubling his mind so we went and served his wife and her mother on Tuesday. While we were there, they gave us this iced tea from the Philippines which is mango flavored and was their favorite drink and extremely delicious. Japan drinks tea like people breathe air and they have more types of tea than there are Disney movies but not all of them violate the word of wisdom, so it's pretty difficult to differentiate which teas are good. It comes down to whether or not the tea has leaves in it. If the tea is made of beans, tree leaves or grass it's drinkable but other leaves are bad. Either way-- they said it was good, and we trust them so we drank it and it was so delicious and I drank like 3 glasses. And then they gave us a packet of the mix because they have zillions. And then we went home and read the ingredients and the bad tea is in it so we immediately prayed and repented and asked for forgiveness so that we could be worthy for the spirit to guide us in God's great work again. So it was a pretty big scare when the typhoon was coming on Sunday and we didn't think we'd have the opportunity to take the sacrament and renew our baptismal covenants with God and be made clean from violating the word of wisdom. It was an accident, BUT we NEED the spirit to do this work and the spirit leaves when we're disobedient. But it's okay because we've repented and been forgiven and been cleansed. 

Heavenly Father and our investigators tried my patience this week. And tried my faith in His timing and His will. But I know that whatever happens that we, and others are in the hands of the Lord-- always. No matter what decisions we make. Many will choose to exercise their agency incorrectly maybe because of fear and pressure and temptation. But I know now in my heart that even when people reject Jesus Christ, and therefore reject their Heavenly Father, that despite the heartache they, and we feel, that God will still guide them back. He will still give them the opportunity to accept Him. And He'll do it over and over again-- nan kai mo-- because He loves them. And He is just and merciful. They are in the palm of His hands. He'll prepare their hearts and circumstances and give them the opportunity to choose eternal life. 

In other news, we're starting to teach another less-active and her son who was born when she became less-active and he turned 8 yesterday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (: we made him a cake in a rice cooker (there is a setting) but it was gross so we're buying him one. They don't just sell cake mixes here! and don't have ovens. No wonder they don't celebrate birthdays. 

Also, really quickly-- we found a hornets nest on our veranda when we were hanging our futons out this morning!! haha it was awful. and also a bad idea to leave our futons outside and then spray kitchen cleaner at the nest because now they are angrily swarming our futons. Mackenzie shimai managed to knock the huge nest out from under this big electrical box with a cooking chopstick while wearing a strainer on her face and a towel and oven mitt. it was probably the best thing I've ever seen in my life. But we'll probably sleep on the floor tonight. 

I love you all!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thanks again for the package last week! The temple trip sounds way fun!!! I miss the temple sooooo much. Give Uncle Andy and Aunt Alli hugs for me and thank them a gazillion times. If you could send me their address too that'd be great. (: Thank you for your emails as well!! I tried really hard to send a good email this week. Also I wrote in my journal so I remember this week a lot better! (; My headaches are getting worse but only because I have a lot of pressure behind my nose. My mission president says that you will be able to come pick me up!!! I think my last transfer ends after the first week of april? 

have a wonderful week!!! (:

itsuma demo ai shite imasu yo ne!

p.s. the first picture was us adventuring outside after the storm had passed. it was still super windy so my skirt was blowing up but I caught it just in time

and this is part of the storm.