First Baptism!

Yatta!  We had a baptism!!! So exciting!  Runa got baptized on Saturday.  It went so well!  It was awesome!  The only downer is that the ward had my companions and me sing during the in between part.  Not cool.  Seriously, that is discouraging missionaries to get baptisms if they have to sing at them!  :)  A few days before, Runa told the bishop she couldn't do it.  She said she couldn't get baptized.  He told her to pray really hard, and if she didn't feel anything she shouldn't get baptized.  So that's what she did.  A day or two before the baptism, she called the bishop and told him she knew she needed to get baptized.  So cool!!!  The bishop also told us that she told him something she would never have told us...She said if it hadn't been for the sister missionaries here she wouldn't have gotten baptized.  She said that even if it were different sisters she really doesn't think she would have gone through with it.  I thought that was kind of neat!  So that was obviously the highlight of my week!

We had a ward party thing at the beach today!  It was fun!  We ate delicious food and hung out.  Unfortunately I still don't really understand when people try to talk to me!

We have two more baptisms set for this coming Saturday, but I don't know what will happen.  We have taught them everything except for "Obeying and Honoring the Law" and "The Law of the Fast", which we are teaching tonight.  They aren't really sure they want to be baptized though.  Today Mako said she didn't really think she wants to.  I am so sad.  I am praying for a miracle!  They come to church, they are keeping all of their commitments.  Akiho is in Alma in her Book of Mormon reading.  But they still aren't SURE it's something they want to do.  It's breaking my heart!

I had another kind of cool experience.  We went to a member family's home to talk to them about our investigators....the Sakihara family.  Sakihara Kyodai speaks perfect English.  So he was telling us a little about where he learned English.  I asked how he heard about the Gospel.  He went to school in Indiana for 5 years, and when he came back to Japan he wanted someone to speak English with.  So he went to a phone and asked if there were any churches close by.  They told him five were.  So he went to the first 4 which were all closed.  The last one was our church!  It was open and the missionaries were out front.  He talked with them in English, they taught him the lessons, and he was baptized!  That was 40 years ago.  He is just the cutest!  Anyway he got all teary-eyed and said he knew the Church was true.  He said he had known that for over 40 years!  It was so cool.  As we were leaving, we shook hands and I said (in English...haha!) "I can't speak Japanese but I know this Church is true too."  We kind of had a moment.  He teared up again and just told me thank you.

I realized something the other day during a lesson.  This has been really hard and it's going to continue to be hard, but I think I know at least a little bit why it is.  I have had to completely rely on the Lord.  Totally and completely for the last 3 1/2 weeks.  But because of that, I have such an amazing relationship with my Heavenly Father and my Savior.  I LOVE reading the Book of Mormon.  I liked it before but now I just LOVE it!  I know without a shadow of a doubt that this Church is true.  I may not be able to speak Japanese but I can look anyone in the eye and tell them that this is the true Church, and it will bless their lives.  My testimony has already been strengthened so much.  I think I need it to be hard because I am so proud and stubborn.  I need to be humbled.  Anyways I think that's part of it.

Lacee is having some truly great learning experiences.  She is still adjusting to the cultural differences.  Because she and one of her companions are tall and blonde, she gets a lot of stares!  But the people tell them they are kawaii (cute) and kinei (pretty) a lot!   There are 5 sisters living in a 2-person apartment.  At night, their futons fill the room and even overlap a bit!  She is still a bit overwhelmed with the language, but I am sure it will come!  She has had a few moments of homesickness, but she is surviving.  She loves and appreciates all of you for your prayers, letters, love and encouragement!