Hey it's an email!!

こんにちは! 
(Good afternoon)

Japan Sapporo Temple -open house and dedication this summer!!

How's everyone doing!?
Here's a some ponderizing for you!  Jacob 4:12
"And now, beloved, marvel not that I tell you these things; for why not speak of the atonement of Christ, and attain to a perfect knowledge of him, as to attain to the knowledge of a resurrection and the world to come?"

Talk about it. Talk about the atonement all the time! Learn about it! Love it! Being a missionary I have so many opportunities to talk about the atonement and I love it, every second of it. It's my favorite thing to talk about. The atonement is real and it works!
 
Funny highlights: we were walking home and we came across this lady so we decided to stop her and talk to her. I asked her if she has a religion or anything she believes in and she said "I'm Christian" (super rare!) so we talked for a minute and the. Decided to give her a chirashii (a pass along card thingy) and when she said I don't need it Adams Shimai said "it's okay, this is Jesus". It was the funniest thing ever! When she realized what she said she laughed super hard.

The member we visited.  She is so cute!

Then we went to visit a less active member. She's so old she can't come to church and that's why she's less active. Her granddaughter is on a mission in Hawaii so we though we would pay her a visit. She is 90+ years old and can literally hear nothing. We sang her a song and at the end I said a prayer for her. I had to yell so she could hear me. Because we were standing outside her apartment door in a stairwell the entire apartment building could hear that prayer echoing off the walls it was great!
 
This week has been really good! This is Adams Shimai's first transfer in Ebetsu so she don't know the area very well and I've only been her for one so I barely know what I'm doing. But I can now say I know how to read a Japanese map! Couldn't even read a map in English so you know Heavenly Father is helping us do his work. This week one of our investigators dropped us. She is one of the most prepared people I've ever met but her mom doesn't want anything to do with the church so it's really hard for her to take the lessons. We went over to her house and it was the first time I've been bible bashed by a Buddhist. In the end all I could do was bear my testimony. I couldn't get a word out the whole visit because they kept talking over us but in the end when I bore my testimony they listened. I bore my testimony on families. How because God loves us he gave us families. Through families we can feel love, eternal love. I know that someday she will have the opportunity to accept the gospel. Even if it's not in this life. When she passes away Papa Brent will go pick up the work the missionaries before me started. The Plan of Salvation is flawless! The church is true, families are the best, and miracles happen everyday!
 

Mountain of snow we climbed!!

I love you all!
 
Sister Zollinger
 

Last funny fact, I've spelled Zollinger wrong every time I've typed it today.. If there are any other errors my sincerest apologies right from my Japanese brain.

 Funnies from the New Era

We are the Frozen Chosen.  This literally describes everyday in Ebetsu.

Everyday when we come come!

Lions Mane

ごんにちは！
 

So much snow!!

How is everyone's week going? Seen any miracles? Cool me too! They're the best right?
 
Ponderizieing scripture, it's a good one! Ecclesiastes 11:7
"Truly the light is sweet, and a pleasant thing it is for the eyes to behold the sun: The light of Christ is sweet. When we see the Light of Christ it's pleasant and comforting. So behold the Son of God".
 
Funny highlights: So Sister Adams and I were walking and two people stopped us. The first one said "excuse me ma'dam, where are you from" in perfect English. Then the next person stopped in her tracks and in Japanese said, "wow your hair, it's like a lions mane!" I love when random conversations start on the street! It's my favorite way to talk to people! 

Then we were scheduling an apt with a less active member. He's fluent in English. So we scheduled the appointment and I asked him want he wants us to call him. And he was like are you ready it's kind of hard. So I'm thinking this guy much have a really hard Japanese name so I prepared myself and said okay. Then he started to give me his number. It was the funniest thing of my life. Adams Shimai and I laughed so hard. 

Nakatsuka Shimai

Lastly, I was in my interview with President Nakatsuka I said the opening prayer and after he said my Japanese has gotten really good. He mentioned a few things I'm doing really good but then he said, "you should be careful because if your not your face will start looking Japanese".  If my Japanese gets any better I'll start looking Japanese. Mom what are your thoughts on having a Japanese child? Then we finished the interview and President Nakatsuka was getting ready to say the closing prayer when his phone started making crazy noises. Then all of a sudden the entire building started shaking like crazy. Sure thing I experienced a .4 earthquake in an interview with my Mission President. It was super scary but crazy all at the same time. I'm glad to know I'm the safest I've ever been in my life.


This week has been so good! We've seen so many miracles. Today we are going to the temple! I'm so excited I haven't been before! Yesterday a less active member came to church! I've never seen anyone so happy before! She was smiling from ear to ear! We had Zone Training meeting this week. It was so good! I always leave feeling so lifted. I love being a missionary it's the best thing ever!
 
I love you all! Keep praying and looking for miracles!
 
Sister Zollinger

A member took us to a view tower.  We could see for miles!! 
 It was so pretty!!  I love Hokkaido!!!

What we did for our break time - because the snow was so fluffy!

New Transfer!

Good Evening/Morning!

Hello,
 

Zollinger and Adams Shimai

It's a new Transfer! I'm in *drum roll* Ebetsu! My new companion is.... Sister Adams! We are about as gaejin as you can get! It's perfect!!
This is her last transfer which is really sad but we've already seen so many miracles! I'm sad to say goodbye to Sister Rigall but her new companion is one of my beloved MTC companions! Sister Kuta! It's awesome!

This week has been great! I got to see the best trainer in the world Sister Kempner. Said goodbye to some really amazing missionaries and saw so many miracles! I love dendo! (Missionary work)
 
Sorry this email is really short! I love you all so much! The church is true! Keep looking for miracles!
 
Sister Zollinger

My district won the snowman contest! His name is Jeffery the Dragon. 

We made Mochi.  It's pounded rice.  So Yummy!!

こんにちは (Good Afternoon)

Hey everyone! 

ひさしぶり.  (Long time no see)

 New Years Day

It's been a long time, like 2 days. I don't have a lot to say because it's only been two days. 

But, Ponderizie this!
Moroni 8:16 (last two lines) perfect love casteth out all fear.
That perfect love it important! Who likes fears? No one. If you have perfect love you'll never be afraid. If you have perfect love for your parents you'll never worry about disappointing them. If you have perfect love for your family they will always trust you. If we all had perfect love the world would be a really happy place!
 
Funny highlights: sorry they aren't super funny but I can't leave it out! We were at a members house and there sons were talking about their iPhones. One was talking about Siri and asked if we had it in America. When we said yes one got super excited and then said to Siri, "what's up Siri" in English. The response was "yoku wakarimasen" (I don't understand) it was super funny. Then another member said my toes were really small and cute... It was an interesting compliment. Glad to know my toes are skinny!
 
We went to a Shrine on New Years with an English Class Student. She explained everything to us and we taught her about the similarities it has to the church. It was a super fun experience. I got a fortune and tied it to this thing. Don't even know what it's called but it's cool.  

Tying on my fortune

Then we were driving home with a member and she was talking about how it's good to laugh and have fun. We talked about how her husband and kids were super funny. Then she said, "it's just about enough humor for an eternity" it was the cutest thing ever! Eternal families are the best!

 I love you all!
 
Sister Zollinger

The Shrine

Animal crackers in Japan have the names of the animals on them. 

Happy New Year!!!

Happy New Year everyone!

Christmas morning!

It's literally the new year right now in Japan! Woohooo 2016! Anyone have New Years goals yet? Cool me either but I'm making them soon! This is a super funky P-Day but it's cool I get to email on a holiday!

This weeks ponderizeing scripture is Mosiah 16:9
"He is the light and the life of the world; yea, a light that is endless, that can never be darkened; yea, and also a life which is endless, that there can be no more death".  I thought it was fitting for an after Christmas scripture!

Funny highlights: the other night we were at a members house and they asked us how old our grandparents are. So I said "I don't know. Whenever I asked my grandpa how old he was he always told us the year he was born." They looked at me so sad and said "was he, I'll." So I said "no it was a joke." When they understood the joke they laughed super hard. American humor is so different! Also weird American humor on Tuesday one of the elders brought laffy taffys to English class. We had them all read them and then explained them. It was one of the hardest things I've had to do in my life. How do you explain the elephant crossed the road because it was the chickens day off... It was funny.

Then morning we were walking to the church and I went to say something and breathed in super big but ended up breathing in a huge snowflake. It caught me so off guard. I looked at Sister Rigall and said "I just Inhaled... a snowflake!" But there was a really big pause between inhaled and snowflake. Sister Rigall laughter super hard and said she's glad I'm inhaling because that means I'm breathing.

Laffy Taffy explanations.

This week or two weeks have been super crazy! Christmas was the best! Sister Rigall and I woke up early to open presents and sing Christmas songs. New Years is a super big holiday in Japan. Because of that we haven't been able to meet with anyone. So we've had dinner appointments at members houses almost every night since Christmas Eve. It's been yummy but oh my tummy. I love the members here. They are the best! Last night they packed up all the leftovers to take with us and the member said a souvenir for you because we're thankful for all the work you do everyday. Because of the funky schedule yesterday was a Book of Mormon reading day. We read the Book of Mormon all day! It was so great! The Book of Mormon is so true! I love it. It's my new favorite book. Seriously it's the best! The coolest thing I found. 1 Nephi 7 section heading. I think it's only in the older versions of the Book of Mormon but it's super funny look it up! :)

I love you all a lot! I hope your new year is full of miracles and love!

愛してるよ！

Sister Zollinger

We made a New Year's decoration

"Twas the P-Day before Christmas

This is what happens when you get sick in Japan.

Twas the P-Day before Christmas when all through Hokkaido not a missionary was... Well this would have been really cool but I'm not an author so.. MERRY CHRISTMAS!
 
This weeks Ponderize scripture: Luke 2:16
"And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger".  I thought this was very fitting for Christmas, but I like it because the shepherds came with haste to see the new born babe. This Christmas season am I going with haste to see Christ? Am I going with haste to serve someone? To share the special message of Christ? I want to go with haste to find Christ!
 

Funny Highlights: We were talking about how good the food was in Hokkaido with one of our investigators the other day and I got all excited because I remembered the name for Apple in Japanese so I looked her straight in the face and said "gringo daisuki" (I love apples) only turns out Apple is actually ringo.   Earlier this week I was thinking how funny it was that the name for Apple is the same name for a white man in Mexico and if anyone in Japan knew how funny that was. Guess I'm the funny one calling apples a gringo.. Whoops. 

Text from the party member...

The other day a member texted us and said come over for lunch so we said okay and she texted back, "let's party!!" We get there and she had little wine glasses out, we drank sparkling juice and clinked out glasses together. It was a real hoot. She was super funny though because she ran around her house like a crazy lady and showed us almost every picture she has. Love her!

This week has been so good! Sister Rigall and I made over 100 cookies this week (courtesy of the  package from Mom and Dad) for our investigators and members! It's been super fun delivering them and singing Christmas songs! Yesterday at church all the members made little cards and cookies for each other and ran around delivering them to people. It was so special. Then what we didn't know was that they had boxes sitting in the chapel for the missionaries. One for us and one for the elders and I guess for the past few weeks members have been putting presents in them for us. The members here are so loving! It like one big family. No one feels left out no one goes unnoticed and everyone is loved. It's so amazing!

Presents from the members!  So nice!!

I love Christmas and the special spirit it brings.
 
I hope you all have a Merry Christmas!
 
愛してるよ！
(I love you)
 
ゾリンジャ姉妹
(Zoringa Shimai) 

The potato truck!!

The roads this morning... All ICE!

Slippin and a Slidin

Hello all ya lovely people!

All the sisters got matching scarves from Nakatsuka Shimai!  Thanks mission mom!

I hope you all had a great week! This week flew by so fast! Someone tell time to slow down, thanks!

This weeks scripture is D&C 78:17
"Verily, verily, I say unto you, ye are little children, and ye have not as yet understood how great blessings the Father hath in his own hands and prepared for you".  We cannot comprehend everything Heavenly Father has in store for us. I never would have imagined I'd be in Japan right now. Let alone serving a mission. When you plan out your life you never really know what blessings Heavenly Father is waiting to shower down on you. たのしみしています！(I am looking forward to it)

Funny Highlights: Who didn't knock on wood?  Last Monday we were walking around and I went down. It wasn't that hard of a fall but my companion got a good laugh (she fell later that same day) Then Tuesday we were on splits and I feel again. This one caught me so off guard I laughed so hard I snorted. It was fun. No slips since but there have been so close calls. Gotta love ice!

My companion likes to do this thing before we go to bed and say all the things the other person did that day that we're thankful for. Last night I was super tired so I decided to go first. So I told her all the things she did that day I was thankful for. Then she goes and I felt myself slippin. The next
thing I remember is waking up feeling myself snoring.. Asked her about that this morning. Sure thing I feel asleep and started snoring while she was telling me all the reasons she's thankful for me. Whoops...

We were finding the other day and we knocked on the lady's door. She didn't want to hear anything about 

the church but we gave us these because we're pretty and we've traveled far.  She so nice. 

She told us that she's turning 76 on Sunday so we are going to "heart attack" her door and make her cookies :) 

I named it  コキンメフクロウ (kokinmefukurou) it means little owl!   

Sister Rigall got a bunny. Yay origami!

This week has been so amazing! We were away from out area until Wednesday so we didn't has as much time to work this week but that didn't stop us at all. We saw so many miracles and meet with so many people in a few days. It was amazing! So many of our investigators are progressing. So many miracles this Christmas season. My mission president has a white Christmas goal. Only our white Christmas is baptisms :) There are miracles happening all over the mission. Everyone is working really hard and sharing the Christmas Spirit. I love being here during Christmas it really is the best time of year!

Thanks for all your prayers! I love you all!

Sister Zollinger

It looks crazy but we made applesauce! Thanks mom for all those years of making applesauce. I picked up a thing or two!