Transfer #2 begins!

So... I think I will just start by sending pics in batches and describing them. Does that sound ok? Fantastic.

This week was the end of the our first transfer and beginning of our second transfer, which was super interesting since it was my first time being here for one (I think I mentioned last time that we have them every six weeks?). Masuda Shimai and I are still together in Atsubetsu, but pretty much everything else in our district changed. We had our last district meeting together on Tuesday (group pics included with this email), and then when we went to lunch together afterwards the transfer calls starting coming in. It was super entertaining. Kimball Choro, who was only in Atsubetsu for one transfer got called to Hakodate, and then his companion Fukuyama Choro, who is a native, was called to be a trainer of a new native Elder. And then Atsubetsu got two new Elders, who are both Americans. So it should be a lot of fun because now our area has six missionaries again! Last transfer we only had four Elders for two weeks, and I think that was the first time Atsubetsu had six missionaries. There were lots of other changes too, but those are the ones closest to me since they are in my area so we will interact with them all of the time. It will be interesting having a missionary here who is even newer than I am!

Also included: Thursdays are the day where we have the actual transfers and everyone goes to their new areas. Since everyone comes to the honbu (mission home) for transfers it is the time where we have the most people in one area, so the Sister missionaries all have exchanges (I mentioned this with the pic I forwarded).  This time I went to Odori, which is at the heart of the Sapporo, and worked with Arashiyama Shimai, who was actually Cooper Shimai, my senpai at the MTC, trainer. So that was really cool, and Cooper Shimai and I even got to hang out that night at the apartment! Fun stuff. It is always so interesting to see the other areas. Also, fun fact: this transfer was the first time Arashiyama was called to go to a different area -- her first area in Japan was Odori and she stayed there for almost a year! Crazy.

One of the highlights of this week is that I got to wear a kimono for the first time! One of the people we have been visiting is a member`s friend who is a Kimono Sensei, so when we came to her house the first thing she did was dress us up. It was awesome. She is a lot of fun! She even made us a delicious strawberry cake. Hopefully we will be able to meet with her more soon.

Here is a fun example of how wonderful everyone in the ward is: this past week after Eikaiwa they told Masuda Shimai to write what her favorite food is on the request board about the fruits basket (in Japan they have fruit baskets at the church buildings where members put food to give to the missionaries. It is super awesome). So she wrote that she likes grapefruits. And then the next Sunday the basket was filled with 18! Our apartment smells really good.

This is a picture of almost all of the sister missionaries in the Sapporo Mission. Every time we have transfers we have a sisters conference, where we all get together and have lunch, sing songs and have some training together at the mission home before going on exchanges.

Lastly, here are the rest of the sports pictures from our zone activity last week. It was a ton of fun! The most fun p-day so far, I think. Today was pretty nice too. All of the missionaries from our zone came to Atsubetsu and went out to lunch and then played ping pong and such at the church. Nice and relaxing.

The work is going well! We are excited for the start of the new transfer, and are looking forward to the possibilities. We really want to be able to find people we can help come closer to Christ, because we know that by doing that they can receive so incredibly much happiness in their lives. Missionary work can be hard and exhausting, but since I know without a doubt that we are doing the Lord`s work being tired really seems like a small inconvenience. I hope that everything is going well at home and in everyone`s lives! You all rock.