Typhoon

Hi Family,

Well, it has been one week, it has seemed like it has been an eternity to be honest.  I've written to you before how I couldn`t believe how it has been one week- that it had only seemed like a couple of hours.  I hate to tell you that this week has seemed like it has been an eternity.  I had to use all my will power to get through this week.

  Last week on Preparation Day, Yamamoto choro just wanted to go back to the apartment and not do anything.  I was sick and tired of staying in the apartment.  I was pretty mad at him.  We couldn`t go anywhere special, because I had no money, so I started biking to different shrines that I have seen while in Otsu.  We, then, rode from place to place. I decided to go into a recycle shop and to the beach.   I peddled as hard as I could and tried to relieve some of the stress that I was feeling, but it was only a temporary relief. 

 Klein choro and Yamamoto choro

 

Shrine in Otsu

I have still been feeling terrible.  This week continued to be hard for me to eat.  I went days in a row without eating anything.  It wasn't that I was really fasting, I just couldn't bring myself to eat anything.  Nothing sounded that good.  Even drinking some water sounded terrible, so I didn't even drink that much water, a very stupid idea when your biking all day and your apartment is 45 minutes away from where you need to study (the church).  I just felt so restless during the night and so sleepy during the day.  Instead of eating lunch, I would just have an hour sleep because I was so tired.  My headaches were turning into migraines, a very bad thing in Japan since there is ALWAYS something loud playing.  My body just started becoming like trash.  It escalated until Friday.

Friday was the day for a companion exchange with the district leader and his companion.  I would go with the district leader`s companion while Yamamoto choro would stay with the district leader in my area.  On the way to district meeting at the church (a 45 minute bike ride), my body just had enough.  I had to stop.  My body felt so ill that I couldn`t believe it.  All the stress that was put on by the past week just came all at once. Yamamoto choro waited  for 10 minutes.  We called Sister Zinke to tell her that I was ill and, unfortunately, we had to ride our bikes somewhere, whether to the church or back the apartment.  Knowing that the rest of my district was waiting at the church, to which we only had the keys to, I rested for 20 more minutes and then we started biking to the church.

I couldn`t participate in district meeting, so I asked if it was alright if I just laid down in a room.  They said that I could.  I tried to sleep, but I really couldn`t.  After all of that, after the district meeting was over, the district leader said that the companion exchange would now begin. I  looked at the three people in front of me (the district leader, his companion, and Yamamoto choro)   and said, `I can`t do a companion exchange, I am way to sick, I need to rest!` After everything was discussed in Japanese, they said that the companionship exchange was going to continue and that when I arrived in the other area, that I should just rest.  I set out with my new Japanese companion, who can`t speak any English, to the train station.  After riding for the train for 1 hour, we finally arrived at the area, and, after a 15 minute bike ride, was at the apartment.  I just collapsed onto the futon and slept for 2 and half hours.  After resting for a bit during the exchange, I felt a little bit better.

I think that a talk with President Zinke might help, I have just sent him an email about how I would like to schedule an appointment with him.

The week continued by way of a typhoon that is going across Japan right now.  It has been raining like crazy. Talk about craziness when you bike 30 minutes to your apartment during a raging typhoon.  All my stuff got completely soaked.  Luckily, my translator made it out dry, though.

Courtesy of National Geographic
Yeah...try biking through that!

 Dad, I am really happy that you read the Fault in Our Stars, it really is my favorite book.  I could talk forever about that book and how it made me feel.  I really hope that you cried at the part where Hazel was talking to Augustus while he was stuck in his car and felt like he was useless because he couldn`t do anything by himself.  At that part of the book, I cried for 2 hours straight.  

I love you all so very much.

With all the Love,

Elder Klein

p.s.  I am doing better than how I was feeling on Friday though, I have started to force myself to eat something, it has helped a little bit and at least I am not feeling so very ill anymore.

 p.p.s Madisen, THANK YOU SO MUCH for that picture that you sent me.  It really brought a tear to my eye, I didnt know that you had a picture like that

Jillyn's note:
As you can tell, Kolton is struggling.  He has been really sick for the last couple of weeks.  He has been unable to eat and has been getting migraines.  Something I didn't realize is how LOUD Japan is.  I have heard this from quite a few missionary blogs.  Apparently, going to the grocery store is an overwhelming sensory experience.  In addition to his illness, for some reason, he only received 1200 Yen to spend for the whole month of September - which is $12...for the whole month. (This is a country where an apple costs $20)  Kolton is still not sure the reason behind that.  But, I know Kolton and he would be totally reluctant to spend any of his emergency money - even though we told him to.  So, if you could, please pray for him.  Thanks for all of your support of our cute boy.