August 26, 2013

Another week down in Kumagaya... Its hot. and we haven't found a new investigator yet. This week will be the week. I can feel it. ah! we're gonna do it. Anyways, last week we went shopping for pday and I got some awesome new clothes and a kimono :) I'm stoked. It was so fun. We went with a member and she speaks fluent English and she is so funny. She kinda reminds me of Kim Snelson. So, since nothing is going on here I'll just tell you a little about Japan. So, everyone rides bikes. Seriously it's crazy. There are just too many people and not enough room for everyone to have cars. They ride bikes and the train. Outside of grocery shops they have big bike parking lots and no car parking lots sometimes. Sometimes you see a mom with a bike car seat on the front and back of her bike along with a baby strapped to her. My last companion said that her mom had a bike car seat on the front and back and a baby strapped to the front and back of her. haha Four kids on the bike with her. It's crazy but it's totally normal here. There's this weird trend right now where the grandmas are dying their hair purple. Seriously! I don't know how it started and why they love it, they just dye it purple. haha It's so funny. Whenever I say "hi" to people they're super surprised and its hilarious. I love it. When you eat somewhere you have to eat everything on your plate. We went to an all you can eat place and you have to eat everything you put on your plate. It's hard. ha You might already know this but you have to take off your shoes in the front little entry (the genkan) every time you go in someone's house. Everyone has these intercoms with cameras so we hardly see people when we go housing. We have to be super good to get them to come to the door. Sometimes we eat on the floor in peoples houses. um... that's about all I got right now. I think I'm getting used to everything because I used to have a long list of things that are different when I first got here. Now I cant think of anything else. ha But things are slowly moving along. Please keep praying for us to find investigators! Love you all! Miss you lots!

Love, Amy

August 19, 2013

Hello everyone!

Welp, this week was slow. We're doing a lot of finding because we have no investigators here.. its kinda tough, but we're working through it. We have a few potential investigators so we need to get things rolling with them. Also not being able to communicate with my comp has been a little stressful, but this week I decided just to have fun even though not having any one to work with is not so fun. ha So yeah things are getting better. I have good hope and faith about this week! I want to find a new investigator! So please pray that we can find one! Thanks. Okay, so in two weeks we will be having a ward summer BBQ and its totally Japanese traditional summer festival. Yesterday we had a meeting about it after church and the first counsilor in the bishopric said that he wanted everyone to wear yucattas (summer Kimonos) so then he looked at me and asked if I had one. I said no and so today for Pday we are going shopping with a ward member to get me one!! I am so excited! I wanted one so bad. So I get to wear that to the BBQ. It'll be awesome. I love my ward, so many people speak fluent English too. It's awesome. There's this one family I love so much! The mom is hilarious and she is fluent in English so I have someone to laugh with. ha We had dinner at their house this week and I loved it. But yeah, that's about all we did this week.... finding, eating at members, eikaiwa (English class), and church.... so pretty exciting. ha Pray we find investigators!! Okay love you all!

Until next week,
Amy

August 12, 2013

Hello!

 

This week I left Urawa.. it was so sad saying bye to everyone. I love them so much! At my last Eikaiwa (English class) everyone brought treats and made a big goodbye card. I love Urawa so much. I'm convinced I'll get called back there someday. So... Kumagaya is.... great... ha. Me and my companion are completely white washing this place. There are zero investigators and only a few potential investigators. Plus my companion speaks zero English..ha. It has been a long 4 days. But I'm happy I was trained by Kuwahara Shimai. She is a really strong missionary so being here and having it be so slow has given me a lot of motivation so find people! I'm determined to flip this place around! Plus things are just so much better when you're teaching lessons rather than knocking on doors all day. Also, this place really is the hottest place in Japan. It's insane! Like it has gotta be hotter than Arizona. Plus the humidity. I burnt pretty good my first day here. I always wear sunscreen now. Yeah, the heat is crazy. The ward is good though! Its really small. Only 40ish people were at church yesterday. My last ward had 100 something people. It was pretty big but I thought it was normal. Apparently, it's huge for Japan. They usually have more like 50 people. So yeah, that's pretty much all we did this week. Oh, I did teach Eikaiwa in Kumagaya and it was hilarious. These two older men were being such creepers. ha One was trying to dance with me because it was his birthday. That was rough to get around, haha and another one kept telling me movie stars I looked like and then said I looked like "Maria" Mother Mary, haha so funny. Anyway... that's about it. not much to tell about Kumagaya than that.. Hopefully this week we'll get things moving! I miss and love you all! Have a good week!

Love, Amy

 

 

August 5, 2013

We got our transfer calls this morning.....

I'm leaving Urawa! I'm so sad...!! I thought for sure I would stay. But good news. I am getting another Japanese companion! That's kinda a miracle these days so I'm super happy! I'll get really good at Japanese! I'm excited. Also she doesn't speak English... I'm gonna need your prayers! But she is super sweet I've heard, so it should be good. I'm going to Kumagaya. It's apparently the hottest place in Japan. All of Japan. At least everyone keeps telling me that. I've spent all day packing and calling my friends and I'm going to try and meet everyone in the next two days before I leave. Its so sad! I love them all so much! But this week was awesome! We went to the Temple (I heard there is a new endowment movie..? is that true and how long will it take to translate into Japanese?) I went on splits twice and on Saturday was a huge Japanese festival. There were SO many people. About 100,000 in one area for fireworks and the festival. Tons of venders with random Japanese food, like straight fish on a stick. Maybe they plopped it on the grill for a minute and then they put it on a stick.... 0_0. But all the girls were in kimonos and it was so fun!! We watched the fireworks they were awesome. We went with our investigator M and saved our spot for fireworks at 6:30am that day. ha so fun! I loved it. Well I'm sad to leave but next transfer will be good. I'm excited. We are opening the area so I'm a little nervous for that. Lots of finding.. hopefully the Elders there have some girl investigators they can hand over. Pray for my Japanese so we can communicate!! (we as in me and my new companion.) Okay, I'm out. Thanks for reading! Love you all!! Praying for you all! I'll write next week! LOVE YOU!

 Peace out from J-town

A. Davis

 

From the festival

Kuwahara Shimai always calls me "day service" because when you say it like a Japanese person it
sounds kinda like Davis. So, this sign says "Day Service". We laughed for awhile when we saw it today.

During our mogi lesson (practice lesson) before our investigator got to the church.
Super random picture but whatever.

 

July 29, 2013

Today was temple pday! So every 6 weeks we go to the temple on Tuesdays and we don't get to email until we get home from the temple on Tuesdays which is Monday night for you or maybe Monday morning..? I don't know. But we went to the temple today and it was awesome! Sorry I didn't really have time to write much today but this week we had some cool miracles. On Saturday we went to this English speaking society (a bunch of old Japanese people who are obsessed with English) party and it was so fun! They invite foreigners to practice English and right when we walked in we were talking to this girl who read my badge and she goes "ah! I want to go to your church!!" she had been looking for a Christian church in Japan for a year. (she lived in New Zealand and went to church there) so she came with us and her mom the next day! I was so excited! She's 24 and I became best friends with her so fast at that party. Also, everyone at that party loved me! ha I felt like a celebrity because people were taking pictures with me and wanted to talk to me it was awesome. haha. Also young Japanese people are obsessed with white girls and American culture! It helps a lot. haha Okay love you! Out of time! sorry! hopefully next week I'll have more time!

Love you all!

 

 

It is Japanese festival season here! So awesome.

This was in Shibuya this morning after the temple.
Temple p-days are the best cause we see the whole mission!

Lunch! ピーザ食べ穂代

  Here are some pictures from last week.

This is H. She is the cutest sweetest girl.
Alex- I told her you were coming to Japan and then you guys can get married.

The N family. They took us to Costco. I love them so much!!
(there are two more girls in the back. ages 17,15,13)

Costco trip. They had quite a large section dedicated to fish... haha



 

July 22, 2013

Hello everyone! This week was good! I feel like im finally starting to understand the language! I mean mostly I don't.. But in lessons and when we talk about church topics I can pick up a lot! I still can't really speak but its coming. So right now the majority of our investigators have some pretty weird beliefs about God. My companion said its really rare that this many people all believe these things in Japan. Usually they don't really have religious background or its totally different, that God is a new concept to them. So its kinda weird.. ha yeah I dont even know.. But some are progressing! We have a few baptismal dates and hopefully our investigators will be ready. Pray for them! Our investigators names are Yumi, Kaka, Miyu, Takeda, Livia, Kuroda, Midori and then we have tons of potential investigators. Its fun doing missionary work! I live in Japan and I just make friends with people all day and teach the gospel which would make anyone happy. Its fun! Even though its super hard sometimes, its worth it. I feel like I finally know what I'm doing so its gotten a little easier. I don't have any really cool stories this week so that about sums it up... I'm going to Costco today so I guess that's pretty exciting. I really am super excited though. haha. Okay thats all. Love you all!!! Thanks for your prayers and support!! Have a good week! LOVE YOU!

 

Love, Amy/ デイベス姉妹

 

Dad,

 

I'm so jealous of your New York trip! And that you got to go to Justin Timberlake's new restaurant! I love him. I found a place here that has really good Italian pizza. its not quite the same but its pretty good and one of my favorite things in Japan. The Italian food here is so Japanesey! Something fishy about it.. I'm also jealous you're going to California! Next summer we can house swap with them when I'm home :) Don't plan it without me! thanks for the update! love you!

June/July 2013

July 14, 2013

Everything is going here. ha There's not much cause we do the same things everyday. But we have some awesome people and hopefully have a baptism next week! Okay love you!!! Also, family, I prayed a LOT that you wouldn't move, so you can thank me. haha But really, don't move. Okay love youuu! So.yeah. I'll send some pictures.

 

We do sports day every Saturday and we find tons of people who
want to join and lots of investigators and other missionaries come. Its super fun!!

 



 Me and Bishop Uchida. His family is the BEST!
Greg (Olsen) signed that picture to the Urawa ward. We had to take a picture.

 

4th of July. We made burgers!!

 




 

 

July 7, 2013

 

Hello Mom! So... I don't have time to write you today... or tomorrow... so maybe I will on Wednesday.  To answer your questions... I definitely know how to slurp noodles better. Its not only about the slurping. You always have to use the chopsticks to scoop it while you slurp. I watched my companion very intently. That's a bummer about the hot weather but I bet our weather tops yours. Its like 95 degrees but SO HUMID! Really like nothing I've ever felt. Maybe hotter than that day in DC a few summers ago. Way more humid than that. You don't even have to go outside to be sticky. I am alwayyyys sticky and once you go outside you are instantly dripping sweat from every pore. It's really fun haha. Plus we ride bikes in it at mid day. I'm determined not to burn so I've been lathering up in sunscreen. I probably sweat it off quick though.

Okay, so you cannot move. Its my number one cause of anxiety... not coming home to our home. Really. I didn't write about it last week because I forgot so I was so worried all week you would just get up and move without knowing that I need our house. :) really. .... That's fun for Alex though. I almost don't approve because I'm a die hard Timpview fan but I guess if he really wants to go to Orem then I approve.

 

The Watanabes brought me a huge package last week!! So awesome! Tons of food and treats. tell Kiyoshi to thank them if he gets the chance. They are not in my mission anymore so I'll only see them if they come here. Which he did. He came to my church building and gave me the huge package. so nice. Anyways, I am out of time. Hopefully I will be able to email this week... We have training at the honbu (mission home) and I'm so excited to see my doki (people in my MTC district) half of them went to the south mission though... sad. Okay I have to go! Love you!!!

 

Love, your favorite daughter :)

 

July 1, 2013

 

Helllo everyonee! Sorry that I'm a day late. Don't worry I'm fine here! haha  I can only think of one good story this week. We had level checks at English Class this week and one of the students said that she came to the church for eikaiwa (English Lessons) to learn about the bible and was sad we don't do that. So! Obviously I was excited to tell her that we would teach her personal lessons about the bible in English. So we met with her yesterday and she is amazing! She was going off about all the bible stories she loves and how much she trusts God and how money and worldly things don't matter and how she can't do anything without God. It was awesome! So we taught her about the restoration and she was so excited about the Book of Mormon and about Prophets. She said she got baptized when she was little so she didn't want to get baptized again. (bummer) so yeah we're hopefully gonna work with her on that! I'm so excited about her! She's so cute! Her name is L*** and she is Chinese. She's almost fluent in Japanese and English though. So yeah the rest of the week was full of long bike rides, lessons where I had no clue what's going on, Japanese food, and church. haha Just your regular mission in Japan.

 

Thanks for the updates Mom! Will you say "HI" to grandma and grandpa Davis and grandma Biggs? Thanks. I miss you! Have a good 4th of July without me. I'm kinda upset I'm missing it. ha Send me good vibes. Okay I'm sorry that's all, have a good week!! Love you all!

June 23, 2013

Hello everyone! One transfer down! I'm staying here with the same companion. and its official, I'm in the Tokyo Mission(North)! The mission splits today so the Tokyo South mission is officially in business.  We had Temple pday and it was awesomeee!! I got to see all of my MTC district! I love them. This week we got in touch with two old investigators and they both commited to baptism! It was awesome! We have a few strange investigators though.. hah they have some weird beliefs but they're super open to the church and come all the time and stuff so thats good. We just need to set some things straight for them... hah This week we went to an Italian restuarant and it was 99% Japanese. haha All of the pizzas and pastas were like fishy and weird. sea weed, fish eggs, some pizza had Japanese noodles.. I dont even know. There was one Margarita pizza. That's the 1% Italian. haha I was so excited and then it totally let me down. We also went to Denny's this week and that was also a fail. TOTALLY different from our Denny's! Everything on the menu was just your avereage Japanese meals. They had one order of pancakes. and it came with carmel and no syrup. haha It was funny when I opened the menu expecting pancakes and hashbrowns and they only had things like ramen, katsudon, and fish. Yesterday we went to the hospital to visit an investigator who got surgery. Her name is L*** and she is from Nigeria so she speaks English but it turned out to be a 40 minutes bike ride. We had no idea. When we left, it started raining and 2 minutes into our ride home it was absolutely pouring! It was so fun! I was so soaked. I was just laughing and waving at people and they were all laughing it was funny. This morning we watched a broadcast that was from the Marriott Center. You all probably heard about it. All of the MTC got to go! Not fair. But I saw Blayke Piggot in the choir!! I was so excited to see her! hah But yeah thats pretty much the news this week. Language is coming slowly.. but Im understanding more which is good. I love you all!! Have a good week!
 

Tokyo Skytree Pday with our investigator M***. She's my best friend here. She's fluent in English.