Weather:
We can ride fast!!! The roads are officially clear right now and safe to ride fast! The rest of the area still has about 2 feet but we don't care about anything but the roads and its been awesome today!
Fun Food Fact:
"Ringosu" ringo means apple and su is vinegar. It's a drink! The way we drink it is it comes in a big container and is super concentrated. You pour about (depending on preference) a centimeter or two in the bottom of a glass and then put in ice cubes and cold water (that is the way I like it) or it is also drank hot a lot too. It kind of tastes like apple juice but has a lot of zip at the end. I've have never really liked vinegar all that much but I pound the stuff and slowly I am getting the acquired to the taste (not quite there but I want it bad). It's a fun drink!
Culture Point:
"Karasu" it means crow. I can't believe it has taken me this long to talk about this. Anyone that has ever lived in Japan can back up my testimony of this. They are huge. Twice the size of the ones in Washington and there are tons of them too! They will like rip open cages and pull out full garbage bags and shred them up, and I think they might take small children from their cradles. Anyway... if you ever come to Japan be careful!
Spiritual Thought:
Purity. Christ taught that the pure in heart will see God (Matt 5) I am sure this has a lot of meanings but I recently learned something that makes me think of a new meaning to this as well. People have different things that guide them, different goals. For some it's fame, others its carnal pleasure, others its justice or guilt. For me its happiness. I tend to be lead first by whether or not something makes me truly happy in the end, then the spirit will guide or I can logic the rest out, but my first buzzer is always happiness (I don't know if this is good or bad it just is). When I was in a little rut (not even really down in the dumps just not as happy as I am most of the time) I did a little self check to see what was wrong. I knew that obeying the commandments should bring me happiness because its written in the scriptures.
Mosiah 2:22
And behold, all that he arequires of you is to bkeep his commandments; and he has cpromised you that if ye would keep his commandments ye should prosper in the land; and he never doth dvary from that which he hath said; therefore, if ye do ekeep his fcommandments he doth bless you and prosper you.
Moroni 10:22
22 And if ye have no hope ye must needs be in adespair; and despair cometh because of iniquity.
So I did a self check and found myself lacking in purity. Purity in speech, thought, intent. So I went about my same life trying to change that and I didn't really improve. Purity is so much a habit I think. I ended up doing more diving into the scriptures. I read them everyday before but I am talking I had them with me all the time and if there was a second to spare I read them instead of my Japanese books and I was able to change. The scriptures are a tool God has given us, lets use them! I became purer, I truly was able to find the strength to conquer my bad habits and as a result I saw God. I saw God in others' actions, I saw him in nature, I saw him in my life. God is good so I very much became more happy. All of us can improve in purity I think. I recommend the word of God!
Funny Story:
This one took place in church. We were in the Japanese ward and we had a great turnout that day because some members that hadn't been coming in a long time showed up and so we were on top of the world. About 30 minutes into church a sister from the branch is up talking and all is going well when I hear this really loud wheezy rattle from behind me. I didn't know if someone was dragging a squeaky bench closer or had some weird sneeze so I didn't turn around (not wanting to embarrass someone) but then is comes again 4 seconds later, and again 4 seconds later! This is so loud, but the speaker is just talking away like nothing too exciting is going on. But by the tenth time I couldn't resist so I peak around all casually. It's coming from the area by Elder Anderson and it's the person next to him. I have heard snores before, but this was on a whole other level. I have no idea how he didn't wake himself up. He is the most awesome man ever, very helpful, smart, a great guy, this is the 3rd time he has come to church though in 6 months so we are hoping he can have a good experience. We wanted him to feel the missionaries' love so Elder Anderson is not going to wake him up out of his love and respect for him. But oh man it's loud. Finally the hammer falls on Elder Anderson and he is stuck between iron and fire: sitting two rows in front of them is my favorite little old lady in all of Japan (refer to the Breinholt Choro chapters) and she loves hearing what the person is saying up front much more then this snoring. So she turns to yell at him but he isn't waking up to that (he is sleeping through a fog horn he can sleep through anything) and so she turns to Elder Anderson and is like "you hit him right now so he stops!" (command form). Oh man, he looked like a worm on a hot plate "squirm squirm squirm" this argument went on with the sister drilling him and him just squirming trying to think of something to do until the brothers head kind of fell forward and he woke up. I was like dying in my seat. Life is good!
Love each other for me!
Law Choro
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