MIRACLE KIRIKO

Coolest name tag pic. (On the ferry on their way to Sado.)

KONNICH.

Andddddd we're back. Hey everyone. It's me. Still chillin' in Japan and loving every second of life. LEGIT MISSIONS ARE SO AMAZING. I got my death letter from my mission president this week basically telling me this was the last stretch, so put it all out there and give it all to the Lord... Not gonna lie. When I got this email I kind of wanted to throw up knowing my time was coming to an end in just a few short months.... But this also gave me an opportunity to recommit myself to the Lord, and as I have done so, I truly can say I have never been happier.

So there you have my soap box... Hahah! Now. For the MIRACLE OF THE WEEK! This one goes out to my cute investigator Kiriko ちゃん. She is currently 20 years old and has been investigating the church for about a year. We met this week and talked about baptism. She has been way nervous about it, but we committed her to pray to God to know when she needed to get baptized. Now, this was on Wednesday, and when we texted her to follow up on Thursday..... No response. Uh oh. 

Kiriko chan!! YAYAYAYAYAY

Fast forward to Sunday. Kiriko doesn't show up for Sacrament Meeting and we were wayyyy stressed. BUT just in time for Relief Society she walks in. We were way lost. Butttttt. As we sat down with her after church to talk about what had happened, she told us she had been thinking nonnnnn stop about baptism ever since we talked and had been praying so hard. She had an idea. Maybe if she went to another church and felt the same good feelings she felt at our church, she would know it's not time for her to be baptized... So that's just what she did. She went to another church on Sunday morning. But to her surprise, when she went, she just felt this hugeeee strong feeling. Something to the effect of "This isn't your place sister friend..... GET TO YOUR OWN CHURCH!" 

As Kiriko was telling us this she was in tears. She said that this was the first time she felt like she had actually received an answer from her Father in Heaven. AMAZING. GOD IS REAL AND HE WILL ANSWER OUR PRAYERS. My testimony of that was definitely strengthened this week.

THE CHURCH IS TRUE

xoxoxo

Modersitzki 姉妹

Fun fact: 

- Mayonnaise. It's totally different than American mayo. It's actually good and they eat it on EVERYTHING.

Luckiest STLs on the planet? maybe... Sadooooo

Peeps

When in Japan...

Cute kokoseis

Try to get a jump pic... fail.

blessed with the best

Just in case you haven't seen the front of this church enough;)
(YAY 5 TRANSFERS)

KONNICH!

I can't start out this email without wishing a HUGE happy birthday to my beautiful mother who has a birthday this week... HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM I LOVE YOUUUUU! (everyone send her emails and texts and bring her food. she likes chocolate... I'll pay you back later...ありがとう;)

WOW WHAT A WEEK. I don't have much time today buttttttt this week was sooooooooo good. You guys. MY COMPANION. She is a literal angel sent from heaven above. This has legit been one of the funnest weeks of my entire life. I am serious. I LOVE SHOJI SHIMAI. We worked our behinds off this week but spent the whole time laughing. I am soooo grateful for the chance to work with her. 

I thought it would be appropriate for you all to know about this person that I spend every second of every day with, yet never get sick of.... Soooo introducing......

昌子梓姉妹 (SISTER AZUSA SHOJI)

AGE: 20 

HOMETOWN: OSAKA, JAPAN

FAVORITE FOOD: RICE (fun fact: the first time she cried on her mission was when she went to the MTC and the rice was sketchy. she just missed Japanese rice)

FAVORITE COLOR: White

HOBBY: taking pictures (aka prepare yourself for this transfer.....;)

FAVORITE ENGLISH PRONUNCIATION: murmur, abominable (HAHAH can you tell what she studies for language study? BOOK OF MORMONNNNN)

FAVORITE ENGLISH WORDS: peeps, dang it, like, specific (why? no idea hahahaha)

FAVORITE JAPANESE PHRASE: そういう時もあるよね (it happens to the best of us)

FAVORITE SCRIPTURE: Ether 12:27 

THINGS SHE WANTS THE WORLD TO KNOW: "I love Jesus... and Sister Modersitzki"

And there you have it folks, my best friend companion that I just love to death and definitely want to take home with me. We have seen so many miracles in just the past few days as companions so I can't wait to see what's around the corner. Also.... I am legit forgetting English so if my emails get a bit weird from here on out.... Just know that the church is still true;)

SAY YOUR PRAYERS

xoxo

Modersitzki 姉妹

Fun fact: 

-If you pass food from chopstick to chopstick here it is like theeeeeee most offensive thing you could do in the world. Also.... never put chopsticks straight up in a bowl of rice... that's what you do when someone dies.... So there ya have it!

Just a typical day of FUN

Still not sure what Niigata is, but found the sign round 2!

Purikura with Mana ちゃん

Being white with a Japanese companion.... hehehehe;)

Being Japanese and using these filters even though I'm white.

Before

After

Kouyama Shimai (returned missionary) came to visit and
WOW I was so happy!

This is Marci. I'm not sure what is going on here, but I feel
like it needs to be posted. Don't you think?

to transfer or not transfer... that is the question

HEYYYYYYOOOOOOOO

Welllllll where to begin. What to say. Let's just start with the fact that TODAY WAS TRANSFERS AND GUESSSSS WHAT!!!!! 

I AM STAYING IN NIIGATA FOR A 5TH TRANSFER! YAHOOOOOOOOOO! Words cannot describe how excited and relieved I was when I got the call this morning. I have come to love this area and this calling so much and the thought of leaving just about broke my heart. I was talking to Mana ちゃん about it yesterday she said she would personally call President Nagano to tell him that was not okay. She has become like a sister to me and so I am so excited to have more time here. Sooooooooo here goes transfer 5! WOOOO! 

remember when I hiked a mountain? well we did it round 2....
in 1498249738463987 degree weather. (also sneak peak...
my new comp is the cutie on the left)

NOW. FOR EVEN MORE EXCITING NEWS.... MY NEW COMPANION IS JAPANESE! INTRODUCINGGGGGGGGGGGGG..... SHOJI SHIMAI! I don't think I can even explain how much I Iove this human. She is currently serving in Nagaoka, aka my zone, and we are wayyyyy good friends. This transfer is gonna be sickkkkk! I will miss my cute little Batchelor Shimai, who is leaving me for America this week (again.... bye friends), but I am really excited to see what's in store for the next transfer. YAY!

Saki ちゃん!

This week was FULL of miracles. I was just a happy little missionary. One HUGE miracle happens to go by the name of Saki ちゃん. About 3 weeks ago we found her on the train and started meeting with her. She said she was a member of a different church but she was interested in what Mormons believe. YAY. We have now done 2 lessons with her and at the end of the second one we asked her how she felt... She said she felt the spirit... Just as much as she did at her own church. Can I get a BOOYAAAAAA! I was so happy to hear that because before she kept comparing everything to her own church.. This was HUGE! We invited her to church and she was kind of iffy about it but was like when I learn more I think I might want to try and go. HEY THAT WORKS WITH US. We were pumped just hearing that.

BUT. IT GETS BETTER. That night, she texted us...... "Hey what time is church on Sunday again?" OKAY HELLO. WHAT. THENNNNNNNN THIS. "I have time this Sunday... Is it okay if me and my mom come to church??" Hmmmmm let me think about it. YES! To say Batchelor Shimai and I were screaming our heads off would be an understatement. YAYAYYAYAY! 

Saki and her mom not only came to church but now her mom, who has been a member of a different church for 30 years, wants to take the lessons too. CAN WE JUST TALK ABOUT MIRACLES FOR A SECOND?

I love my calling. I love this place. Missions. They're truly one of a kind.

SAY YOUR PRAYERS PEOPLE

xoxo

Modersitzki 姉妹

Fun Fact:

-Air conditioners. They don't have ac units that work for the whole house. You have to have a separate air conditioner for each room and they turn them off every time they leave or are in a different room... akaaaaaaaa sometimes I die of heat. It's cool.

Zone peeps and a view

Did we have a typhoon? Maybe. Did we run around in it
for half of our dinner time? ....................maybe.

bff

Naho ちゃん and
AMERICAN HAMBURGERS whaaaaaaa

Bye bye party for Sis. Batchelor and Elder Swenson :'(

Dinner with the Kondos who I adore.

FIREWORKS

THE WORKS!

KONNICH.

Coming at you live from Niigata where I have officially become the luckiest missionary in the world. This week I got to go with all my Nagaoka friends (Yuuya, Nathalia, Narumi, Masao), my mission president and his wife, and some of my favorite missionaries to see the biggest fireworks in Japan. You heard me. #1..... With my mission president and his wife...... I CAN'T EVEN EXPLAIN. BEST THING EVERRRRR. Words cannot describe how amazing it was. I sat there with my jaw on the floor as lights lit up the entire sky. LEGIT THE ENTIRE SKY. I couldn't help but just smile the entire night. Just one of those moments where you are purely happy. I am so so so grateful to be serving in Japan right here right now. THEN. I got to go to two more sets of fireworks with potential investigators and with Mana Chan! Talk about the best week ever? YOU BETCHA.

Okay, also, can I say that Niigata is literally on fire? First of all, it is straight up 84298374929834772798 degrees out here with 428935748% humidity... Do the math.... IT'S HOT. But not only that, potential investigators are just coming out of nowhere. Like wildfires...... ;) IT'S AMAZING. I LOVE MISSIONARY WORK. K, anyways. One way cool thing this past week was that when talking to one of our English students we started talking about God and how He is our actual Father. At first as we talked it didn't seem like there was a tonnnn of interest, but as we kept talking her heart began to change.. Anddddd.... about 20 minutes later when we asked her if she wanted to learn more, she literally started jumping up and down and in her cute English yelled, "Yes please!!!!" God is preparing His children, and He truly can soften their hearts. I HAVE A TESTIMONY OF THAT!

SAY YOUR PRAYERS PEOPLE

xoxoxo

Modersitzki 姉妹

Just the best roll of my life given to me by
the random girl on the train.

Fun Fact: Kindness is at a whole different level here. This past week I was talking to this cute college student and she was telling me she was studying to be a baker. When I told her that's so cool (bc that legit is), she just was like OH! I have these 3 rolls! Sorry, this is my stop, but here! THEN SHE GAVE ME THREE ROLLS THAT WERE THE BEST THING I'VE EVER TASTED. LIKE WHAT IS JAPAN.

I LOVE THIS HUMAN. I DON'T THINK YOU ALL UNDERSTAND.

Peeps and fireworks

Please just find my mission president and tell me I'm not winning

Pretty sure this is what heaven will look like

Matching shirts with the beloved comp

Zone p-day hike to Yahiko.