Week 20 in Japan: Sun Land

Mom note: How did we get to week 20 already? That's on top of all the weeks in the MTC!

Well, I woke up this morning, pulled apart the curtains, looked off the balcony of our apartment and realized something. I live in Japan.  I then proceeded to eat a packet of nato, drank some mugicha, and thought to myself, "how did I not realize this earlier?" But seriously, these past few months have been an absolute blast. It just crushes me how fast time is going.    

This week has stayed productive. Nothing is huge, life changing, or super interesting, but productive. Next week starts the legendary cherry blossom season here in Fujisawa. We live right by a river that has Sakura trees lining it, expect photos soon.   

We have Zone Meeting this week, which is always exciting, except we got hit with a total curveball last night. Ok, quick run down of how our mission works. Zone Leaders go to a big training with the Mission President once a month, and it's like a 6-hour thing. Then they go back to their assigned areas and convey a summarized 2-hour version of that training to the missionaries in their zone known as Zone Meeting. Usually the meetings are in Japanese, because we want to get better at the language and using it helps, a lot. But we have some brand new missionaries who don't really understand Japanese that well. Also we have native Japanese missionaries who could use some help on the spurts of English that happen. They all need to receive the training still so Elder Poff and I are translating... Sorry new guys.   

One thing that kills me about missions is how tired I am, all the time. I'm hungry, I'm thirsty, and most of the people we talk to don’t really want to learn about what we're teaching. There are long hours, I’ve gotta wear a button up and tie, the closest In N Out is about 5,200 miles away, and I've never been happier in my life. I've seen miracles, I've seen hope in its truest form, I've seen lives change, and I've come to understand what love is. Love is real, it is beautiful, it starts with a thought, becomes an action, and ends as a blessing. 

There comes a time in everyone's life when you've hit rock bottom in one way or another. Where you you've been kicked while you’re down and all you've got for nourishment is the gum on the bottom on your shoe. But one thing will always remain. He loves you.  It is never ending, and it is everlasting. Never forget Him, and He will never forget you.   

Mosiah 4:9  

愛を込めて、 

Elder Cuff