Jan 19th: Winnie Freeman was our neighbor/friend from when we lived on Marburg Ave. Her two grandkids lived around the corner and since their Mom worked Winnie had them all the time. Gretchen and Gus played with Ryker, Avynlea and Rylee and they always had a lot of fun together. We loved Winnie and loved having her as a neighbor. Ryker and Anna were in town and Kefford suggested we go visit Winnie since it has been a long time and she just celebrated her 80th birthday. We went over Sunday night and had a nice long visit with her. She has lost most of her eyesight and could only see us as shadows and shapes but you wouldn't have known by how she was conversing and talking with all of us. Before we left I asked Anna if she would take a picture of us with Winnie. It was a really good visit and fun for us to reconnect again.
Jan 20th: Avynlea sent a package from Japan filled with goodies and fun things for all of us. Rylee and I got a little make your own Japanese garden and Rylee put hers together. It was really cute and so fun of Avynlea to think of all of us and send us awesome things from Japan
Jan 21st: Brynn Givens, a youth in our ward and a friend of Avynlea's and Rylee's has started her own nail business. She has been doing nails for a long time but has only just now really started getting into it and charging for her services. I was tired of my nail guy and wanted to give Brynn a try and boy did she do a great job. I love how my nails turned out and had such a fun time while she was doing my nails. Rylee came with me and we talked and laughed for the two hours that it took her to grind off the dip powder, apply builder gel and paint my nails. I love the little bow on my ring finger so much, these nails came out so much better then expected. Brynn only charges $15 for he services which is crazy to me because she is so good so I paid her $30, she deserved at least that much and it was still cheaper then my former nail guy and he didn't do designs on my nails. I am excited to go back and get new nail designs from Brynn next month
There was this old creepy guy who always went to our English classes (Eikaiwa) when I was in Gokiso. Well the missionaries told me that after I left he was asking about me. I'm like okay whatever he is 4 hours away in Nagoya, nothing will happen.. UNTIL... Yesterday I received mail that was sent to the church. In it was a bunch of vacation and fancy food ad type things and a letter!!! The letter was in broken English but like really weird. Like really weird. After some investigating and help with some other missionaries, we have pinned it down to the weird creepy guy from Gokiso. We are about 99% sure it is this guy. Apparently he has been asking the missionaries if there is an eikaiwa class in Toyama... let's just pray he does not show up! 
In Japan there is a tradition to make Mochi for New Years. So our ward had a fun Mochi making party! It involves a huge hammer and a great amount of perfect technique!
We got transfer calls and I would just like to thank each of you who prayed for me because the prayers worked! Me and MacDonald ć§ćŠč get to stay together!!! We were jumping around, so excited! Unfortunatly the sad thing is the elders moved, so we do not have any elders with us! I think we are the only area in the mission with no elders. It is a little lonely, but alright because the sleepover at the empty elders apartment was pretty fun! Hehe
We have 2 filipino friends named JJ and Paul and they are so amazing! They are friends with one of the members, so with his help these 2 have been getting taught. They came to church on Sunday and we had an amazing lesson with them during second hour. Their faith is so strong and I am almost positive that if not a baptism, we will at least have them on date by the end of the transfer. Please pray for JJ and Paul!!
We visited an inactive member and the whole time I thought I was in a fever dream. I will insert pictures and really that's all I have to say...
Alma 33
️On Monday we went to Takaoka for District Pday, it was so beautiful and magical! When I found out I was coming to Japan, this is the place that I imagined! We walked through the cutest Japanese old town looking road then visited some cool shrines! It was snowing too, so the vibe was even more magical!!
We went to Fukui this week for exchanges and it was so fun!! It snowed basically the whole time, so we all got together and shoveled a bunch of random driveways. I also got a snowball thrown right to my face... that was fun. 
Another huge miracle happened when we were coming home from Fukui! Long story short, some train station mess up happened and we though we would be stranded at this middle of nowhere station. But literally in the most perfect timing ever, a man who spoke some english appeared out of nowhere and helped us. Then I swear he disappeared into thin air. Seriously 100% an angel sent from God and was only there to help us!
Tomorrow is transfer call day and I am pretty positive I will stay in Toyama, but me and MacDonald shimai are shaking in our boots waiting to find out if she will be transferred or not! PLEASE NOOOO! Pray for me beg!
Todays scripture is out of D&C 112
We had to say bye to one of the elders we are working with in Toyama. It was a very sad time and it all happened so fast. But he will be okay getting the things he needs in America and all! 
New Years is a bigger celebration in Japan than Christmas is, so we went to a few member "parties". It was lots of fun. There was maybe some food that I really had to pretend I liked, but all in all, it was fun. 
We spent a lot of time recording music this week too! If you haven't seen yet, go look on my Facebook!!! 
In one of the members' houses there was a Boise Temple ornament thingy. I was like WOAH that is one of my home temples!! I asked them where they got it from and they said some random friends gave it to them. I don't think they really cared that it was one of my temples, but I enjoyed it.
I think I have raved about the addiction to the apple juice i have on here before so hopefully you can understand how amazing this was for me. I was at 7/11 buying a carton of apple juice, and yes I did plan on drinking it on my own hehe, but no one knew that. Except somehow the cashier suspected because he gave me a straw!! It was like a huge juice box! A very happy moment for me!
The missionary work is hard in Toyama especially coming from Gokiso where I could walk out of my apartment and talk to someone. We are doing our best with our circumstances but praying for more opportunities! 
