Hello!

Dear everybody,

Great week. We just got back from the Tokyo temple, and since it will be closed for cleaning next transfer this was officially my last time in it (... for a while, anyway). It is a beautiful place and I'll always remember my time there. Afterwards Sister Jones and I went shopping with Sisters Snow and Amituanai, then went for some sushi afterwards!

Before I talk about my week I want to share some amazing news that made me happier than anything else could. Ru, in Senzokuike, has been doing great and going to church every week. We were a little concerned before about if he'd be able to still keep going with no parental support, but it turns out that his dad has decided to come back to church after being less-active for over at least 20 years. Seeing the change in Ru has really softened his heart, and they've been going to church as a family every week. AND Ru's dad has also since married his girlfriend, who's been coming to church as well (and bringing her two little sons) and she is getting baptized in two weeks! Someday soon they can be sealed as a family. It's all such a beautiful miracle I can barely believe it's happening. This is why I came to Japan - to see things like this.

We're seeing miracles in Chosei, too. Remember the man who let us in when we knocked on his door, and gave us kiwi juice? We'd been unable to contact him since, but he showed up at church on Sunday, Book of Mormon in hand. He also met with the Elders today. Yay! I spoke in church that day actually, about the restoration, and it went okay despite me having almost no preparation time. Giving talks on the fly like I usually like to do just doesn't quite work in Japanese. Also on Sunday we got to pass out flyers at the train station for our Halloween party, and members came with us. It was way fun watching them chase people down like we usually do.

I also got to go on splits in Togane with Sister Willden from my MTC district, so that was fun. She's great and I actually knew a lot of the people who we saw that day! One of them was someone I'd met on the train a few weeks earlier, and others I'd met at activities. Chosei and Togane are so close together that there's a fair bit of intermingling. There is a huge international university in Togane, so we always get to spend time with students from around the world. I made two new friends from Poland, both named Anna. It was really hard not to say "that's my name too!" Nope, still Sister MacArthur. I don't know how the missionaries in America do it - I feel so dorky and awkward introducing myself in English.

We had a fun adventure on Friday when I made friends with a girl on the train ride back to Chosei, then discovered that she'd forgotten her bento box on a bench. Since we knew where she worked we decided to go on a rescue mission and bring it back to her before her lunch break! She was really happy to see it and us, and hopefully we can meet up during her lunch break sometime soon. We also were approached by a funny lady there, who wanted to ask us questions but refused to give out any contact information. But then she actually called us today!

Last miracle: we finally got to teach Na, a really sweet 14-year-old girl who we've been talking to on Facebook for a while after the Elders met her housing. She'd been worrying about what happens after we die, especially judgement, and we got to teach her the Plan of Salvation. I love to see the look on people's faces when we explain God's merciful plan that allows families to be reunited after death, and I especially loved that she was asking questions and just really cared. You have no idea how many people we'll meet here, and ask about their beliefs about an afterlife, who respond "I dunno, never really thought about it." Really? You've NEVER wondered what's going to happen to you after you die? I thought it was supposed to be one of the great questions of the human soul or something.

Pictures: sushi and enjoying Tokyo (I'm a giant!)

Love you all!! 愛しているよう ["As Love"]
Anna

Sisters Jones and Amituanai and Anna enjoying Tokyo and shopping after the temple visit.

Sister Jones, Anna, Sisters Snow and Amituanai out for sushi in Tokyo

Sister Missionaries at the Tokyo Temple in October 2014.  Anna and Sister Jones are on the far right.