The Power of the Atonement - April 1, 2014

Puri is something really popular to do in Japan. It's like the photo booths in America...only a whole lot better. We had so much fun. We met one of our investigators (Kamino Yuriko-19) in Shibuya after our temple stop in Hiro-o. She is simply adorable.

So...at the Senzokuike park, they have tons of booths with food. Well, Sister MacArthur has been craving chocolate bananas all week. So, we stopped by to get one for each of us. We pay and are told to pick one chopstick from a cup. It's a luck of the draw to see if you get one, three, or five bananas. Sister MacArthur pulls out the big five. The lady is telling us congrats and I'm thinking, woo, that's a lot of bananas. As luck had it with me, it pulled out one with no luck and got one banana (I think all my luck may have run out that one time Mom and Dad and I went shopping on so early in the morning...remember that?) Sister MacArthur picks one and the lady goes, keep going. Sistet MacArthur is wondering what else to do and then she realizes that she won five. It was so funny. Wish I had a video of it. Anyway, here's us with our bananas. By the time we took the picture, we'd both already eaten one.

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This is what they call the scrambler. I guess this is the biggest intersection in the world. I only took a picture of part of this intersection and I had to take it when everyone was first allowed to cross or all you could see is people right in front of me. Sooo busy!

So, just in case you couldn't read the kanji (saiko Sakura), it means the best cherry blossoms. Yes, I am in one of the best places EVER for beautiful cherry blossoms. This is a place really close to our church. A fantabulous place to find.

 We went out to eat some endo curry. Soooo yummy. Check out the size of the nan.

It is one of the best days ever!! Sayaka chan got baptized this last
weekend. They unfortunately changed church in Kasukabe to be later on
in the day and made the baptismal early in the morning...the same time
as our church in Senzokuike. I was dying to go and if I wouldn't have
been listening to God, I think I would have. I taught her for over a
third of my mission. She is a miracle to me. Well, I really wanted to
do what god wanted me to do and I felt like he asked me to stay in the
Senzokuike ward. I still got to skype her before and after just for
about 3 minutes and snapped a few screen shots of it. I was crying my
eyes out in the first picture. Seeing the ward members who I love more
than anyone will ever ever know, seeing Sayaka chan in white and
seeing etou shimai (her mom) at church was incredible. All the little
ones kept saying, Yamauchi shimai, Yamauchi shimai. I love the little
ones so much. We have such an incredibly strong relationship.
April 1, 2014 

*This is a true story, but name has been changed...I will call her

Spring for her protection

About a month ago, Spring got a baptismal date for April 6. At that
time, she loved the Sister Missionaries and really enjoyed the
message, but she was an alcoholic. Her house reaked with smoke,
leaving the house you still smelt like a ash tray. She would be sober
at one point and then the very next drunk. One of the saddest lives
ever. Finally, the missionary's told said we can't come into your
house any more to share this message in a place where the spirit could
be. The days were stressful and we wondered if she could make it to
her baptismal date. In a combined effort with prayers and fasting on
our part, she went cold turkey in two days after that. She will be
getting baptized on April 6. I know that miracles are so real. Spring
is one of the dearest daughters of god ever. Teaching her is like
teaching a child who soaks everything up like a spong. I'm so excited
for her this weekend. Can't wait to see her dressed in white! The
Atonement is real....that I know!

山内姉妹