Oh, Konichiwa!

So here's breaking news- We didn't lose ANYONE from our district this week!!!!! But... in a funny sort of way, we lost everyone! That is to say... my district received our travel plans yesterday!!!

It was so unreal. I just stood there looking at it! We're gong to be flying out next Monday. From Salt Lake to L.A. to Tokyo to Fukuoka!

It's so strange... I am not going to set foot on American soil until October of 2014...

I'm going to eat sushi and pickled urchin and fermented soybeans on ice cream...

I'm going to be speaking Japanese 24/7...

I'm going to be preaching the gospel half way across the world!

It's just a crazy thought... It still isn't real yet. If I think about it too long I start jumping all around and squealing like a crazy woman.

But the best thing is that I will be able to call my mamma =) I wasn't able to call her on Mothers Day from the MTC, but I will be able to call her from the airport! Yaaaaay!

But what else is new? Oh yeah! So, this week was a really hard week. For many many many reasons. But there were so many tender mercies also. The biggest of which happened on Thursday! My companions and I were so disappointed that we weren't going to be able to clean showers... They made us do doorknobs instead. But that was alright! Anyway... as we were walking around, cleaning doorknobs, we came across an unwanted items box... and in the box were 2 French books! I had been so discouraged because I have been forgetting French... like just little things that I really should be remembering! I want to keep my fluency! So, I had been praying about it... and then I find these 2 books! I was so happy I almost cried! Then later, I found a pocket-sized French hymn book! I really felt that God was looking out for me and that he actually cared how I felt at that very moment. I have kind of always thought that God gives us our trials and difficulties for a reason and that I should just deal with it and not expect a whole lot... but at that moment, I really felt that even in my trials, God was checking up on me and he cared about my concerns, even in French isn't my mission language. I was so happy. I sang French songs all day and read my French books =) It's so fun to learn the gospel terms in the little 'French for Missionaries' book! Yeah... it was definitely a reminder that Heavenly Father loves us a whole lot more than even we know.

Let's see... also this week, I got to host the new missionaries again! Except this time, I got to host the internationals! You see... there was this Italian missionary... and she didn't speak much English. So... they asked everyone if there was anyone who spoke Italian... and out of all the hosts (maybe 150 to 200), no one spoke Italian... except me... So I bashfully raised my hand... and they put me with this Italian girl who looked like she could've been my sister! It was so difficult! I haven't spoken any Italian in SO long! But it was definitely a good thing we were together, because she had a lot of concerns and wouldn't have been able to resolve them if she wouldn't have had someone that understood what she was saying! So basically... she would speak Italian to me and I would understand everything... then I would try to respond to her and I would totally slaughter the Italian! A big fruit salad of French/Italian/Japanese would come out! Most of what I said had to be acted out. Everyone probably thought I was soooo weird. Why have I even been worried about French!? I should've been worried about Italian! It's a good thing to know my theater skills are paying off! When I get back I'll have to tell Mr. Legget! Haha... it was a good experience though =) I'm glad I could help, even if my broken Italian made no sense at all!!!

Oh boy... I'm going to Japan... how crazy is that?

Anyway... I've probably talked you all to death and nothing that I've said even has a thing to do my Japanese! Only my French and Italian!... and I obviously haven't forgotten English yet... But really quick- just in case you are wondering, Japanese is going marvelously! Yesterday they made us teach the missionaries who are actually from Japan! It was intimidating! But I understood most of what they were saying to me, so that in itself is a huge feat! Japanese is great =) It really is one of the easiest languages I've studied as far as speaking goes... but the writing can get tricky... trying to draw a tiny little picture for every word isn't easy at all! But that's alright! I'm sure I'll learn!

I hope you all have a lovely week!

Your little missionary thinks of you often!

Matane!

Roberts-Shimai!