masao, tokyo, and a new apartment hollaaaaa

MLC! Sister Training Leaders!

HEYYYYO.

Wow it feels like 10 minutes ago I was typing my last week's email, but at the same time it feels like 40 yearssss ago. Time. I just don't understand.

This week was good! I was able to spend half of it in Tokyo at MLC which was way fun and spiritual and ahhhh I just love it. And then another couple days was spent moving because YOU HEARD ME. OUR OLD SKETCH APARTMENT IS GONE and we now have a new apartment wooooooooo! It's been craziness around here, but it's been fun, so hey. Call that a miracle if you will. ;) 

Now funny thing of the week. Just picture this. Here I am. In this 8474685737 year old apartment cleaning out the closet. There's so much stuff I literally can't move. Like legit. K. Then. I find a random box in the back of the closet.... open it? Probably a 97-year-old roll. A FREAKING DINNER ROLL IN THIS BOX. Bye. That is all I have to say on the subject.

Nowwwww for the real exciting things. Remember my friend Masao from Nagaoka I talked about a few weeks ago? Well. This past Sunday.... HE GOT BAPTIZED. YAYYYYYYYY!!! I got to Skype in and talk after and ahhhh I was so happy. The Nagaoka sisters later told me that after he got baptized he bore his testimony and in it talked about us talking that day so long ago. I almost started crying when I heard that. SO SPECIAL. That was such a huge blessing for me to be able to even play a small part in his conversion. I am so lucky to be a missionary. 

MASAO'S BAPTISM YAY! (Yuuya, Narumi, Masao)

This experience has really taught me that you just never know what type of an influence you can make on someone. We can help people come unto Christ in so many different ways, and as we always look to love and look to serve we can help God help his children. There have been so many people on my mission who have been that influence for me and I am so grateful for each and every one of them. 

THE CHURCH IS SO TRUE I PROMISE

xoxo

Modersitzki 姉妹

Fun fact: There are like 40 different ways to count in Japanese. Depending on whether it's papery, a cylinder, a small animal, or a small item... IT'S ALL DIFFERENT. AKA BLESS THE WORLD 

Angel elders who moved us into our new apartment.

The closet of wonders

idk either

Mana ちゃん selfies as always

Just appreciate this for a sec.

what doesn't kill ya makes ya stronger ね？

Sanjo's convert. We get along real well.

KONNICH.

Soooo I sent my email last week and then realized that I had been on a mission for a year.... CAN WE JUST GET A BYE AT THAT? Still ちょっと dying and starting to feel WAY OLD. But YAY ONE YEAR (!!!)

Annnnyyyyways.... Well ya know. I'm just gonna be honest. Missions aren't always fun and games. There is a reason why people say they are the hardest things of your life. This week was one of the hardest weeks I have had on my mission. There were many times where I just didn't know what to do, but ya know what? God is real. And He cares. And I have learned so much about how to trust in Him even when I don't understand. And that's why everyone says missions are the best things of your life. THEY ARE. LIKE SERIOUSLY. You learn sooooo much. 

Trainings on trainings on trainings with the zone leaders.

This week we had zone conferences aka President and Sister Nagano came up. HOLY tender mercy. I love them. Like SO much. Buttttt...I want to talk about a little miracle that happened just a few days before that. Let's just say I was having quite the rough day. I didn't know what to do and then randomly my mission president calls me just to see how was doing. WHAT? I know. Angel. He neverrrrr does this, but this time he did. Can you say tender mercy? It was at the exact moment that I needed it and I felt not only his, but my Father in Heaven's love for me SO MUCH. Then, not only that, but I got to see them 2 days later and work with all the elders and sisters in my zone who I just adore. 

Cute little Niigata zone. <33333

I know this may not seem like all that much, but to me it was. It was a tender mercy that I will always be grateful for. God cares about the one, whether it be the investigator, or the missionary. I have a strong testimony of that. 

THE CHURCH IS SO TRUE

Fun fact:

-Rain in Niigata is unreal. It was raining SHEETS so they sent warnings out to everyone.... In this past week 3 rivers flooded. RIP to me.

My favorites, Woolley 姉妹, Momoka and Yuki

Please just look how many people are shoved in this train.
Just appreciate it for a second.

When you and your comp kill a really big spider with mold killing spray.

Zone Conference role plays

just a bunch of eternal friends and a grateful missionary

Girlz party

KONNICHIWAAAAAA!

Hello from the land of humidity that makes you feel like you might die every 10 seconds because it's so hot and wet, and also the land of yummy food that makes you want to die every 10 seconds because it's so flippin' good. LITERALLY EVERY MEAL. #dyingbutdyingblessed <33

I don't have a ton of time this week but I just wanted to mention that God is such a cool guy. I was thinking back today on all the amazing people I've met throughout the course of my mission and I just felt so grateful to have been able to come out to Japan to meet eternal friends. I think back to Kawagoe and Sakado with my cute 94-year-old bff grandma, Kiyomi 姉妹, Maki, Kyoka Yoshioka (my Japanese bff companion who I still absolutely adore), and SO MANY OTHERS. Then I come up to Niigata and get to meet more eternal friends. Momoka, Sandy, Mana ちゃん, Masao, Yuya and so many others. 

Nagaoka Fam (Narumi is the one next to me:)

One of my favorite things about being an STL in Niigata is that I often get to go to Nagaoka, an area that has legit become like my second area. Every time I go there it's just like family. SO MANY ETERNAL FRIENDS. There is a recent convert, Yuya who is like my best friend, and this past week I got to meet one of his friends named Narumi who is taking lessons. SHE IS SO CUTE. We talked, and as always in Nagaoka, it just clicked. She even started to cry because she was so happy that we met and got to talk and learn together. She was telling me she didn't know if she had a testimony of God and we so we talked and read Alma 32. She cried and cried again and said she felt it. She felt his love and she felt herself gaining a testimony. SOOO COOL I LOVE HER. 

I am grateful for even little opportunities like this to be a small piece in someone's conversion. Whether it's to be there for the whole thing or to be there for just one lesson, or even one contact on the street, it's just worth it. I'm finding my friends and I couldn't be more happy about it.

THE CHURCH IS TRUE

xoxo

Modersitzki 姉妹

Fun fact: Ovens are not a thing. Like legit. Costco came to Niigata for a week and the Sado sisters bought a giant pizza..... How did they cook it? Split it into 4 and cooked it in the microwave oven. HAHA

Nozaki 兄弟 aka Dad and the peeps

NARUMIIIIIII!

I know I post a million pics with Mana ちゃん...
Can't help it. She said she's convinced we're the same
person. SCORE.

Becoming the sickest gma ever lol

tokyo round 76544687790876

My BFFs.....ISN'T MOMOKO SO CUTE?

Helllllllllloooo!

Seriously confused how it's been another week already, butttttttt HEY. This week was great. I am becoming convinced more and more every week that I am serving in Tokyo rather than Niigata because it's been less than 2 weeks and I'M BACK lol. This week we had MLC (Mission Leadership Council) akaaaaaaaa heaven. It was so amazing!

After MLC though, Wunderli 姉妹 and I were able to go on another split! YESSSSSSS. I don't think you all realize how big of a score that is. She's my favorite. BUT TO MAKE THINGS EVEN BETTER..... We got to go and teach at Takadanobaba teaching station and I got to teach my cute friend Momoko that I met last time down here! <33 She was so surprised when I walked in the door and I was so sooooo happy! 

This week I have been really focusing on the spirit and always working through it. So, cool experience from Takadanobaba this week... As Momoko and I talked, I had a little prayer to lead me to something about the gospel... even though our topic of conversation (she comes to the English conversation class) was summer...... We talked and talked and all the sudden we were talking about music... next thing I knew I saw a hymn book out of the corner of my eye and just like that we were reading the hymns together and discussing how cool they are. IT WAS THE SWEETEST THING EVER. I really felt the spirit guiding my words and Momoko was soooo touched by some of the hymns. 

After class she told us she wanted to go to ice cream... and you KNOW we are not saying no to that. We went and by the end of the night Momoko was talking to us about the church and became a new investigator! AHHHHH! Wunderli 姉妹 and I were freaking out to say the least. She is so prepared and I PRAY one day I will be able to actually serve in Tokyo to be able to work with her more. MIRACLES. I TELL YA.

Life is so so good. I am truly and honestly melting, IT'S SO HOT AND HUMID HERE I CANT EVEN EXPLAIN....but I am loving missionary work and the opportunity I have to help people like Momoko come closer to Christ. 

Sister Batchelor and I roasting alive.

SAY YOUR PRAYERS PEOPLE

xoxox

Modersitzki 姉妹

Fun fact:

There is no way to say "I miss you" in Japanese..... I KNOW RIGHT. I don't get it either.

Takadanobaba. Now tell me this doesn't look like the
funnest place ever. IT IS!

Momokaaaaaaa!

MLC with the homies.

Wundo 姉妹 and Mango Lassi's at Indo curry.
Can you say happiness?

Love this human.

I had to post a picture of her with this attractive helmet.
You're welcome.

still niigata-ing and loving life

This guy wouldn't even wave, but hey
it's okay, I'm not mad. ;)

 HEYYYYOOOO!

First things first. I have to give a big shout out to my best friend in the universe whose birthday it is today (July 4th).... HAPPY BIRTHDAY SAV! (everyone explode her email with love for me thx) Also oh ya... hb to America too <33

This week was sooooo goood! We became a trio this past week and then today was transfer calls. Sister Batchelor, part of our current trio will be my new companion! Also I will be in Niigata for yet another transfer.... Can I get a HOLLLLAAAAA! We will be working in 2 areas (Sanjo and Niigata) this transfer and it's gonna be a blast. *insert smolder emoji* 

But with transfer calls comes the sad fact that my beloved Sister Larsen will be heading back to America this week. SAD! Missions... make friends and then they casually move to another country on ya... NICE. 

Kiriko, Masao, and Yuya (my other recent convert bff)

Annnnyyyyyyways. This week we got to go to Nagaoka (an area in my zone) for a baptism which we took our cute investigator Kiriko to. It was soooo fun. A. Because baptisms rock my world, B. Because Kiriko loved it and felt the spirit so strong, C. Because Nagaoka is like my second area. I am way good friends with a bunch of the members and I LOVEEEEE going there, and D. MASAO. 

Okay, let me just explain the coooooollllllest thing that happened. So, here we were sitting at the baptism waiting and Nozaki 兄弟, the ward mission leader, who is also like my dad, comes and says "Hey Moda 姉妹! This is Tsuchi Masao! He is an investigator! Talk to him!" Lol okay. I can definitely do that haha. I begin talking to this kid and he is a straight homie. Definitely friends in heaven I can tell lol. Anyways. He tells me that the elders randomly invited him from eikaiwa to come to church so he came. Then they invited him to a baptism and..... HE CAME. He had never believed in God before, but now he does and he just loves being at church.... GOLDEN INVESTIGATOR RIGHT?  I was dying.

We continue talking and at one point I asked him if there was anything he was wondering about or had questions about, and he simply says, "Ummm ya. How does one get baptized?" .........................................................................Now that sir is a great question. WHAT. I told him all about baptism and then asked him if he would want to be baptized.... He sat there for a second, looked at me and said... "Ya. I think I do want to be baptized! Someday I think I will." I flipped. SOOOOOO cool and the spirit was so strong. I was so excited. I asked him if the elders knew and he was like no, just you now! YOU BETCHA I CALLED THOSE ELDERS OVER IN 2 SECONDS. Their jaws dropped to the floor as well and now my friend Masao will be getting baptized on the 30th of this month. I can't wait.

I love meeting people like that where you just know God's timing is so real. I love this calling.

SAY YOUR PRAYERS

xoxo

Modersitzki 姉妹

Fun fact:

In so many public bathrooms there are no soap or towels. So everyone just carries around their own stuff. Do I currently have paper soap and a towel in my purse? You betcha.

Sunsets in Sado <33

Woolley Shimai aka my Australian bff

District. Now tell me that just does not look like a family.

Church with our cute investigators and Mana ちゃん.