It's transfer calls again and I'M STAYING IN WAKAYAMA WITH MACKENZIE SHIMAI FOR A 3RD TRANSFER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! woooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!! I've never been an area for 4 transfers or with someone this long, but  I'm super stoked because I love her dearly and I love these people with all of my heart and we also got this heart melting text from a new investigator this morning and afternoon and I'm going to tell you how the conversation went. I am 99% sure that this is why I am staying in Wakayama because I definitely thought he was pulling me out. I would just also like to say that I believe I will be with Grundvig shimai next transfer because she is also staying in her area for a 4th transfer and she also told our mission president's wife that we're best friends and haven't been companions yet so my hopes are still up. I still have 4 more chances!!! And that just dashed my heart realizing that I only have 4 more transfers after this one is done... what. 

BUT Heavenly Father answers prayers anyway.

This was the lady I was telling you about who has a lot of eating disorders and anxiety problems. She met with us this last week and brought her 3 year old son which was really difficult and we weren't able to teach a full lesson, but it was also nice because her doubts came right out and we've been able to study for them for the next time we meet. this is how it went. her english is actually pretty good:

-Hi!!! Daniels! Mackenzie! Good morning!! Please, stay Wakayama yet. Please, please, please!!!!!!!!! I hope that I want to meet you more. Please (>_<)(>_<)(>_<) 

-YAYAYAYAYAY WE'RE IN WAKAYAMA STILL!!! (: (lots of japanese emojis)

-Really? I'm very glad!!! I can't stop tears. I prayed all the time from yesterday. I need you.

And thus we see that God gives us excellent teaching moments and opportunities to see His hand and know that He is God and that He hears our prayers, even if we don't believe He's there yet.

This week has been way humbling and also full of miracles and super cool lessons and seeing God answer our prayers and allowing us to forget things at the apartment so that we run into the people that we need to. I've never been really forgetful on my mission because we write everything down in our planners but we have this week and each time we've met the people we were intending to teach or set appointments with. 

BUT!! I'll share my most favorite day this past week which was Sunday. I have come to see on my mission that fast sundays are the best days in the whole universe. And the days you see the most miracles and truly feel so much closer to our Father in Heaven.

Tateishi shimai. SHE IS AMAZING!!!!!!!!!! I can't even explain the process of the Spirit working with her the past 3 transfers but the woman that we met in her genkan that was hesitant to let us back and told us straight up that she wouldn't be coming to church has become this AMAZING ROCK SOLID WOMAN and she has been coming to all 3 hours of church for the past two weeks and yesterday she stood up at the end of relief society and bore her testimony. AND THEN she got up in sacrament meeting in front of the whole church and read a small talk/testimony that she prepared for today. I felt like I was at one of my investigators' baptisms-- it was just as special. She shared with everyone about how she joined the church and then gave up and fell away and her husband passed away and she had the opportunity to talk to one of his students about him and it made her miss him a ton. And then two beaming sister missionaries appear at her door later that week. And they asked her about her baptism and somehow the conversation was led into the plan of salvation and she opened up for some reason to them about her husband and it felt like they were her friends because they asked about their marriage and how he had proposed. (And that may be super 20 year old stereotypical but it was totally led by the spirit ahah). 

She spoke about how Mackenzie shimai came and how strong the spirit was when she shared her conversion story in broken japanese. She spoke about how amazing it was that one sister was living in Michigan and the other from New Zealand heard the same conference message and both felt inspired to come on missions and were both called to Wakayama to help her. She bore her testimony on latter-day prophets and how they are inspired of God and she knows that their guidance was meant for her. Apparently the sisters knew that she needed to hear Elder Holland's talk (THAT was 10000000 jillion the spirit speaking through my mouth because we definitely hadn't planned to talk about that one) and just how Peter had returned to his old life-style of fishing after knowing the Savior, she had returned to her old life-style before her baptism. But the Savior was calling her back, just as He did Peter. She said she is keeping the commandments now and has returned to church so that she can return to the presence of God, and be worthy to live with her husband for eternity. 

We're challenging her to meet with the Bishop for a temple recommend interview before the end of the year this Tuesday. And this is my life. I wish I could upload a nugget of the joy that I felt when she bore her testimony or how I feel now as I'm typing this up again. There is no greater work than missionary work. 

I don't have a ton of time for this next experience, but we had a really cool lesson with a less active and her 16 year-old daughter who is also less-active. They are incredible!!!!!!!!!!!! and so friendly and nice and the lesson was centered around 2 Nephi 1:15 so you should read that because that scripture has become my favorite in my mission. I JUST WANT TO TELL YOU ALL OF MY LIFE!!!! I love it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Heavenly Father lives!!!! His Son, Jesus Christ lives!!!!!!!!! He is our Savior!!!!!!!!!!!

Otherwise, we visited the castle in wakayama last monday! it was cool and had super awesome samurai armour inside buuuut we weren't allowed to take pictures. 

Thank you for all of the pictures and Big Ten updates. (: Everyone looks old!!! Especially lizzy and spencer. Thanks dad for the beard picture! hahahah but I think you pull off the 'stache だけ look better. 

I love you all with all my heart! Read the Book of Mormon every day, pray every day, repent and partake of the sacrament each week. Thank you for your prayers! 

Sister Daniels