Anne's email 7-14-14

Hello everyone! I can't believe that this week I will hit my year mark on my mission, I will receive a letter in a couple weeks from the mission home telling me my release date. The age change wave of sisters are starting to go home. I was so sad to see them go, but the work must go on. I heard that sister Clark was transferred up to nagaoka which is very very far and it is too expensive for her to come down for temple pday and most likely I won't see her again until I go home in February. I was so sad when I found out. She will be going home in October I believe.


This week on Thursday which is my year mark and I will be going to the mission home for mission leadership council. It is crazy where I am now compared to a year ago. I remember walking into my classroom in the MTC for the first time absolutely terrified. All of my teachers would only speak japanese to me and they would try to help me speak some words they had put on the board. They shoved so much on us that day and thank heavens my japanese companion Miyaki Shimai was so patient with me in helping understand the basics. It was such a challenge. Especially since Japanese is one of the hardest languages for a native english speaker to learn. It was completely opposite from everything I had ever learned growing up. I never thought I would go to Asia or even learn japanese. But every single day I am out I think, why on earth did I not even guess Japan!? I love them. This experience is the hardest thing I have ever done. But it is most definitely the bestest thing for my life.


This week we went visiting teaching with some of the women in our ward and we had to drive quite a ways to do it. I have a picture of some of the rice fields that we passed as made our way to their homes. I love working with the relief society. They are such pure and courageous women.


On Friday we had a leadership training meeting in kawagoe and there is a new sister in that area so sister Brumley and I dropped by their apartment to welcome her to the mission and her name is sister reeder I think. She asked me if I was related to any staples in south Jordan and i said I was related to them all. She is best friends with Brooke Staples! How fun is that!? Tell Brooke that her friend is doing great here in the mission!


We had a lesson with yoshimi yesterday and we taught her about the restoration and she liked it a lot. I told her about the Book of Mormon and how through the teachings in it we can become truly happy. I told her of how when I was a teenager and when I was alone at home most of the time I found such comfort in the Book of Mormon. She smiled and told me to tell her all of my favorite scriptures. I love her so much!


Yesterday at church I was talking to Daleska and she said that she is studying with Saiyaka and that Saiyaka is reading the Book of Mormon and praying about whether she should be baptized or not. I love the youth in this ward. There are only a few but they are valiant and I love them so much. I wish I was more like them when I was younger.


Thank you so much everyone for your love and support every week! I love you!


Love, Sister Staples



Pretty field while visiting less actives!








Teaching Ishida San!





Japan