Prayer is Real!

We matched for mission conference.

Hello everyone! How was your week? This week has been so great! It's so hot here. I officially have a tan line from my ring and watch. It's super funny!
 
Ponderize!  Moroni 8:3
"I am mindful of you always in my prayers, continually praying unto God the Father in the name of his Holy Child, Jesus, that he, through his infinite goodness and grace, will keep you through the endurance of faith on his name to the end".
 
I don't have any time today but this week has been so great!! I got an answer to my prayer while teaching a lesson! I had been having a hard time saying prayers from the heart and praying and I taught Narita Shimai that you don't have to be perfect to feel the spirit. It was amazing and then I felt the spirit so strong! 

Also this week we went to Sapporo and Elder Cook, his wife, Elder Stevenson, his wife, and a ton of other people came to see us and talk to us! I was praying so hard when it started and just wanted to feel,the spirit. It just so happened that I was sitting right next to the door they came in and one of them when they saw me squeezed my hand and I instantly felt better! It was super special. Also Sister Cook is my favorite person in the world! She's so cute!!
 
The church is true. Pray for others and your prayers will be answered! I can promise. I've seen it.
 
I love you!

Sister Zollinger 

Sushi Gochi!

Takahashi San is so cute!

We made muffins with the Young Women.

Peanut Butter and Jelly

Lunch break by the ocean

Hey everyone! I hope you're all doin' fine and dandy. Exciting news! My dearest companion ate her first peanut butter and jelly sandwich this week. I asked her the other day if she wanted some toast and she said sure. So we walk in to the kitchen and while toasting I decided to turn mine into a peanut butter and jelly. She got so excited and decided to eat one too. Bless her little Australian heart, she got sooo excited. And then continued to eat one or two everyday following. :) #changinglives

This weeks scripture is 2 Nephi 5:27 

"And it came to pass that we lived after the manner of happiness". です

I love this scripture a lot. I know I say that every week and mean it, but I really love this scripture. I've been thinking a lot about happiness lately. What I really like about this scripture is it doesn't say what happiness is. It just says they lived happily. Happiness is whatever you want it to be. When ever we go finding my favorite thing to ask is "what is the happiest thing in your life" so many people say "I don't know" or "I'm not happy" or "I haven't thought about it". It makes me so sad. The world is full of fake happiness. Money, cars, nice clothes, parties.. But that's not really happiness. That's 20 seconds of yeah I look really cool, then you or the people around you lose interest. Auntie Nora sent me a cool quote the other day, it's  "Happiness is neither virtue nor pleasure not this nor that, but simply growth. We are happy when we are growing."  -- William Butler Yeats

Happiness is the peace you feel after a big trial, spending time with your family, holding new born babies, reading a comforting scripture after a loved one passes away, entering the temple for the first time, hearing your brother got engaged and the girl's legit, the opportunity to pray to your loving Heavenly Father, taking the sacrament, there are so many things. 

U Shimai's PB and J sandwich!!

The story behind this scripture is of an imperfect family living in the wilderness. They had no money, worked for food, and just left everything they knew. But they were happy. Because they knew that's all Heavenly Father wants for us.  Happiness. 

Obedience is the Price

Faith is the Power

Love is the Motive

Spirit is the Key

Christ is the Reason 

Joy is the Reward 

(Japan Sapporo Mission Motto)

I love you all! Thanks for everything you do!

Sister Zollinger

Bedtime Yoga

Our new investigator Haruka Chan. She's so cute! She's a little afraid of religion but she wants to be our friends and hear more!

Olga San. She's Peruvian and super golden! She said she's coming to church next week!

We went to the beach with Kanon Chan!

I love Hakodate!! (My badge is the front right corner)

Transfer 7 here we go!!

Gonna miss this Peruvian Nihogin mix of awesome sister missionary! 

Good morning America! It's officially the same day here and there! Hahaha
 
We had transfers again! My goodness it's so quick but guess who gets to stay in Hakoheaven? Sister Zollinger for the win. But Muratta Shimai transferred! I was so sad, she was so sad, everyone was sad, and then it poured rain for two days.. But this transfer I get to work with Sister Leung-Wo otherwise known as U-Shimai. She's seriously my favorite person! We've wanted to go on splits for months! And now I get to go with her everyday!! I'm so lucky! It's been so fun! Seriously haven't laughed so hard in forever. But I forgot English. It's been a struggle from only speaking Japanese for the past 3months.
 
Here's the script:  Words of Mormon 1:7
"And I do this for a wise purpose; for thus it whispereth me, according to the workings of the Spirit of the Lord which is in me. And now, I do not know all things; but the Lord knoweth all things which are to come; wherefore, he worketh in me to do according to his will."   I never know what God has planned. I never know what's coming next, and sometimes what to do. But through the spirit I can do all things. Through me Heavenly Father performs his miracles and I get to see it everyday!
 
This week has been super fun and crazy.
 
Monday: went to Hakodate Yama with Miho Chan. She's so cute! We put Muratta Shimais name tag on her and she got so excited. We taught her about prayer and was super excited to try it!   

Miho Chan

Tuesday: this member fed us meat for lunch and after Muratta Shimai and I sang I Need Thee Every Hour and he cried. The spirit was super strong. It was so special!
 
Thursday: took a bus to Sapporo at 7:30. Got to Sapporo at 1:05 and then got back on the bus for Hakodate at 1:10. Thanks everyone for your prayers!  12 hours on a bus. Thanks for all the trips to Utah. #practice
 
Then today we met Kanon Chan and went to this arena and did body combat. Feeling it in my arms already. But after we went to this foot onsen! It's this hot springs that you go and put your legs in. It's legit! While we were talking her Kanon we started talking about why she decided to be baptized and when she first felt the spirit. She told us this amazing story. Long story short. She started to pray and read the Book of Mormon. And then the coming Sunday was fast and testimony meeting. The missionaries asked her to fast and so she did. In sacrament meeting the testimonies were all super good and one member read a scripture that happened to be where she was reading then and then one of the primary girls bore her testimony and said I know that Jesus Christ has a body and that he's real. When Kanon heard that she wanted to feel the same way and felt the spirit so strong. When Kanon told us the spirit was so strong. I can't even explain it. But her eyes got all watery. You can tell she knows the church is true and that she's excited to get baptized in October. She's has the most solid testimony I've ever seen. Proof that miracles are real and that God loves us.
 
I love you all!
 
Have a good week!
 
Sister Zollinger

From Hakodate Yama

Foot Onsen

Our body combat class!!

Mother I Love You

Skype with these Crazies!!

Mother I love you, mother I do, mother the cherry blossoms smell better than you... ;) but really cherry blossoms smell so fresh, well I mean you do too. I just haven't smell you in a while so I don't know, anyways.... 
         HAPPY MOTHERS DAY!
 
Everyone spoil mom, their mothers. Please. They deserve it! Yesterday in church Muratta Shimai and I sang for all the mothers and we made them all cookies. :) It was so fun too see all their smiles! I love moms. They really are the best most loving people of life.
 


This weeks ponderizing scripture is 2 Nephi 4:16
"Behold, my soul delighteth in the things of the Lord; and my heart pondereth continually upon the things which I have seen and heard".
 

This is called Purikura. Not sure if I like it because it makes me look like an alien.  All the young girls here are obsessed with it. 

Yesterday I had the opportunity to share my testimony on the Book of Mormon. I remember the first time I really prayed to know if the book was true. After I prayed I was filled with so much love and joy I went skipping! I love the Book of Mormon. My soul really does delight in the words. Every time I share a scripture I get so excited. Then my personal scriptures are my favorite thing in the world. All marked and worn. It's just the best thing ever! Read it!! The Book of Mormon is real. It will change your life! This week has been super super fun. 

There is so much to do in Hakodate and so many amazing places to see I feel like I'm on vacation everyday. Heavenly Father did a good job when he created this earth for us! :) Tomorrow is transfer calls. I think this is the least nervous I've ever been for transfers. I never have no idea what's going to happen so I just gave up guessing. Time is a funny thing. You can't blink because if you do you'll miss it. I really learned to take no second for granted. Heavenly Father gave us this life to be happy.  To have a family that loves you, to laugh and cry with. To learn and grow. To serve others. Why waste a minute? 

You're all the best! Thanks for your prayers. I'm praying for you all!
 
I love you lots!
Sister Zollinger
 

PS I have a game. We had a zone activity and we had to use our bodies to recreate a bible story. Try and guess what we are!

Who are we??

Eating dinner with Owls and Penguins chillin... 

Fresh cut flowers from an investigator.

Cherry Blossoms for Days!!

I have no time today. I'm so sorry, but I have a lot of pictures!

Highlights:

• Sang I am a child of God under the Sakura trees
• Beat Muratta Shimai at slug bug from inside a train
• Worked in Moiwa and taught an old investigators who thought I was Sister Kempner
• Then cruised around in the rain on a mamma chaddy feeling so classy
• Sang I am a child of God to our foreign friends
• Taught our Peruvian investigator about prayer
• Saw one of my dearest MTC companions
• Saw Saiki Shimai, cried
• When Kaicho saw me he tapped on my backpack and then with the biggest smile on his face shook my hand
• Taught about Jesus Christ and the love he has for all of us
• And ate Sakura ice cream

Life is great!! I love you all! The church is true and don't forget to love your mommy lots on Sunday!

See ya on Skype!

Sister Zollinger