December and Still sunny..!

Minnasan Konnichiwa!

Sorry about the very short e-mail last week! I was surprised how long reading the e-mails took, then the Librarian came up and told me my time was up. ! :( So this week I read fast :)

Well, I think Boots is a good name. It does sound like a very mischievious name too. And funny enough, I cut my bangs the other night too, they were getting a little too long. This growing out my hair hasn't been too bad but it has its days :)

As for warm weather clothes, I still have the wool jacket and way warm snow boots I brought with me from before. Gloves are ok but I don't have rain-proof gloves, so we'll stop at a store today I saw last week to get some. They are a little expensive, like 15 bucks, but they look sturdy and waterproof and warm, so I'm splurging. The only thing that still is a little problem is around/under my skirt cuz you can't really layer up on skirts... so I'm keeping my eye out for some nice warm leggings. It's pretty intense when it rains here because we still just bike everywhere anyway, with our big cappas (rainsuits) on and try not to get too wet. Still, in the end your either moist with sweat from the inside or moist with rain from outside... so either way we just ganbaru (do our best). I'm sure we get extra blessed and protected on those days! Oh and as for money, I've just been taking out money to use for personal items as I've had to. The things we can spend with missionary money and with our personal money are already decided. Clothes and bike stuff comes out of personal. Food and cleaning supplies (bathroom, etc.) comes from MSF (missionary ... fund) so as I've needed new nylons, a new bag, etc, I've been using personal money. Also if I run out of MSF.. but I try not too. This transfer we have a comp goal to really save our money, but other times I've had to pull a little out, meaning to pay it back but it never really happens... but that's ok, it's just a really expensive mission, and we already don't pay a quarter of what it's really costing for me to be here so I don't feel too bad to contribute a little more to the 'missionary fund'... as long as it's my money tho...sorry that Dad has to pay still maybe half too :(

Anyway, this week's been good.. It still hasn't frozen yet! At least to my knowledge.. I am so surprised! They say the coldest month here is actually Feb. So we'll see then. Our one really maybe progressing investigator Iwamoto kyodai, Brother Iwamoto, is the wife of a LA sister who is trying to regain her testimony. The missionaries have been working with her and him for the last year. He still doesn't know if he believe God exists or not but he's still willing to listen, and this last time was just really attentive and I have felt the spirit really strongly both visits so far, so I'm hopefull that means the spirit is working in him too, to help open his heart. I have faith we'll see great things from his family, and just can't help but feel the Lord really has a work for him to do.

Other than that, we're doing a lot of finding activities, which includes going to college campuses, eating at a curry restaraunt to befriend the owner who said 3 customers want to learn English--which could let us introduce the church to them, and a lot of biking to LA families talking to people on the streets along the way. There seems to be a trend of less people listening to us whenever it gets cold. I'm hoping we can find some more creative ways then, as it's still only getting colder from here on! Yikes!

And yeah, Sakuma shimai is still really fun, I'll have to send you pictures! I think our personalities are way similar, so we can really understand eachother even if my Japanese still isn't perfect. It's fun.

OH! And in our ward there are 5 deaf sisters, so every week we have an hour long 'shua' class--Japanese sign language ! :) It's way fun and I'm excited to learn more. We pray every night before planning as a companionship in shua. Daily use really helps learning a language!

Ok well, gotta go but love you lots! And I am hoping to send your guys' christmas package this week too, so hope you get it in time too. It's probably not going to be so big, sorry, but hope it's something a little fun! :)

Lots of love,
LeFevre Shimai!

ps we'll have to arrange the Christmas phone call sometime too, we have the info, so I'll bring it next week to send ne (the number to call, etc.)!