Words from Sister Kortlynn Herring in Japan

"Well, hello from the big city of Tokyo! Wow! Let me tell you, I'm
going to love this area! It's amazing! I love it here! There are
people everywhere, this city is so old, yet so new, and it's just
awesome! I still can't tell my way around yet, but I can get to the
church and the nearest station, so that's pretty good. Haha!
Transfers are always way hard! I loved Oyama so so much! I miss
them, but I really love the members I have met so far here in Tokyo.
Before I left a lot of members came to my last eikaiwa with gifts and
goodies, and tears, it was so sad! One cool thing though, a lady in
the ward Tanaka Shimai makes kimonos, and she gave me the obi, or the
thing that goes around the middle, and the rope that goes around that.
Both hand made, and super nice, I was so excited! Man, japan is full
of the best people in the world! It was way hard saying good bye to
Hiroko, and Yasuko and Wendy and everyone, but, I know that they will
continue to grow and progress, and I can't wait to see them again,
someday!

So, I really don't know a whole lot about the people in this area, but
we were able to meet some less actives and a couple investigators.
One named izumiya San, she was actually a missionary for another
Christian church, loves the bible and wants to know everything, and I
mean, EVERYTHING! On Sunday, she came in with a question about
polygamy. And we ended up teaching her about polygamy, and eternal
marriage, and the God head, but then we found the root of her problem,
Joseph smith, she is having a hard time believing that, so we were
able to address that and bear testimony of the power of prayer and the
truthfulness of the Book of Mormon and how, as she reads, and prays,
she will receive an answer, and she will know for herself that Joseph
smith is a prophet of God and that this is Christ true restored
church. It was great! The members here are awesome, both our bishop
and ward mission leader are young and super fired up! The bishop even
came in and helped us teach izumiya San, that has never happened to me
before, and it was awesome! Anywho, it was great!

Saturday night was a somen party, somen are Japanese noodles, and they
have them go down a water slide type thing, trough type thing, and the
noodles zip down and you have to catch them with your chop sticks, and
the. You put them in the bowl your holding, with soy sauce and onions,
seaweed, and what not, it's so yummy, because I LOVE somen, and it's
way fun catching it with chop sticks. Don't worry, we will do it when
I get back.

I'm now in a 4 man apartment, and it's way fun! I love them all, and
the other two sisters are the English ward missionaries. They have
the coolest funniest most interesting investigator stories, and it's
been fun, actually kind of a cool miracle, so when sister Ipson and I
were working together in Oyama, we met this man from Africa named
Cherif, and he lives in Tokyo, so we tried to refer him, and what not,
but then sister Ipson transferred to Tokyo, she was having a hard time
meeting and contacting him, then I transferred to Tokyo, and we were
finally able to contact him, and he came to church! So cool, someone
we found all the way in Oyama together, we finally get in contact
again, and this time we can help him personally because sister Ipson
is in the English ward, and I'm here, and I can see him! The Lord
always has a plan!

Anywho, I'm loving Tokyo, excited to get to know the area and the
awesome people in it. Dendo wise it's very different then what I'm
use to, but I'm excited to learn and get better. Everyday we contact
someone new, and I know there are people here just waiting to receive
the gospel. I love you all! Remember, as you love and serve other
people, you help open the door for them to receive and feel Heavenly
Father more in their lives. Like mom wrote in her email, love truly
is the essence of the gospel, Dendo, or missionary work is love! I
love you all! Keep swimming and being awesome! Choose the right!"