The Missionaries of Shibuya

Dear Everyone,

Transfer calls are in. Guess who's going to lead one of the biggest
cities in the world?

Hint: She just got here, nobody can pronounce, let alone remember her
name, and she's shaking in her galoshes.
(Wow it's been a long time since I've heard or said the word galoshes.)

Sister K off to the countryside and my next companion Sister
P is in my first area, the beautiful, the magnificent, the lovely
Koga, probably experiencing the same sick feelings I was when I got
the news I would transfer here.

I was astounded my whole time in Shibuya by the examples of my fellow
missionaries. I want to brag about them.

Sister K: Has the same exact background as me. She's my same age
and from Utah. But if you look at the two of us you would have never
guessed it. She's blonde with fierce green eyes and something like
5'9". She has the uncanny ability of making a joke of absolutely
everything. Her weaknesses are decision making, movie lines, and feet.
She studied French for five years before leaving for Japan. She picked
up some powerful pick up lines in Portuguese mighty quick and is
hungry for more. Why does she want to learn Portuguese you ask? Why
does she try to speak Spanish? Sister K will do anything from
dancing bachata to begging her companions to put in a good word to
their brothers if it means she will marry a brown person. I will meet
her someday at BYU, and I can guarantee that when that day comes, there
will be some tall, dark, handsome drink of water on her arm. I could
always count on her turning any situation hilariously awkward. Let me
name a few:
1. I meet some Argentinean men on the street and start talking to them
about the Book of Mormon. Sister K comes over to show off her
only Spanish phrase: "My mother is pretty and my father is handsome."
2. She set up an appointment with a woman who only wanted to sell us
cooking classes. Gave her a Book of Mormon anyway.
3. A Japanese man approaches us and asks us if we "night play." His
accent is so bad Sister K hears "night pray" and says yes.
These moments, along with every waking, hilarity sum up what this
transfer has been like.

Elder S: Missions just throw you into a room of people you
wouldn't have otherwise have met. During my mission I've been forced
to spend hours with people I wouldn't have given the time of day. It
has opened my heart and tested my patience. With that introduction I
present Elder S to you. He's Australian which means two things
1. Accent

2. Swearing *because it's not a swear in Australia.

His talents include laughing without smiling, listening without the
slightest interest, and looking a scowling face right between the eyes
and smiling. He's a fourth transfer missionary. He was already
training at third transfer. Ladies and gentlemen we missionaries
finish being trained ourselves at the end of our second transfer. He's
baptized every transfer he's been in Japan. Who did he baptize? Namely
a billionaire CEO and a porn site web designer (they're two separate
people). Giving away 60 Books of Mormon is simply a matter of time
for Elder S. He talks to everyone no matter what. He's one of
the greatest missionaries I've ever shook hands with, but it would
take a mountainous incentive to convince me to spend twenty more
minutes in his presence after my mission. We never got along, even
when we were both representing the same majestic Jesus Christ, I don't
want to try it out after my mission.

Elder L: This elder is Elder S's trainee. His mom is Japanese
and his dad is Taiwanese. He stepped onto the field with better
Japanese than me after a year of living here. Speaks no Mandarin, but
knows all the Spanish swears. He comes from Washington, but talks with
the cadence of a California surfer. If he cuts his hair too short it
sticks straight up wherever it's growing. The sides stick out
sideways. He makes THE FUNNIEST FACES. Doesn't need to say a word, his
facial expression says it all. He translates for the rest of us. His
name tag is in Chinese. To tell you the truth I don't know much about
him on account of his companion having such a strong personality. I'll
get back to you guys next transfer.

Elder E: He's a kid who's pretty proud of whatever Utah high school
he came from. Some other sister told him she's from Herriman and he
just chuckled and said real low: "Herriman? I'll try to speak slower
around you then." His dream is to have long hair and a beard but is
currently putting that on hold for the mission. He played soccer.
You're reading this and thinking I'm pretty set on not liking this
elder but his misfortune is enough to earn anyone's pity. He's been
pooped on by birds twice. Day two of his mission which began here in
Shibuya he hit the brakes on his bike too hard and flipped over his
handlebars. Coming home from a dinner at a member's house, as he was
lugging some tuna home the can lodged itself into his tire spokes and
exploded all over him and a woman with a really expensive coat
(Problems of Tokyo). He had to pay a lot of money to get it dry
cleaned. He's a pitiful elder. Our zone leader, in an attempt to make
an analogy, accidentally confessed how cute Elder E is to the whole
zone. Elder E. just smiled and shook his head slowly like "I know
but you don't have to tell the whole zone about it!"

By the way, in case you were wondering, all three of these elders are
eighteen-years-old.
It floors me every day just how much God trusts His children. Here we
are, young kids, but we are in charge of the salvation of the people
of Tokyo, Japan. These eighteen-year-old elders hold the same
priesthood authority that Jesus Christ had when He healed the sick and
raised the dead. God planned to send Elder S to Shibuya so that
he could give away hundreds of Books of Mormon long before he was
born. These missionaries are SO YOUNG. But when I think of how much
time they have ahead, not just the elders but Sister K too, it
makes me excited. How could the world not change with awesome people
like Sister K., Elders L, E, and S?!

When it comes down to it, if God can trust an eighteen-year-old to
baptize a billionaire, I can't help but think He trusts me to run
Shibuya. Here I go!

See you soon,

Sister Goldsberry


iPadから送信

A member put shampoo in our food basket. It's specifically for damaged, "permed" hair. I wonder who it's for since there was only one...

She's my dog selfie friend from like two weeks back.

We sang at a concert. This is us four sisters and only two families. They have lots of kids.