I'm glad things are going well for all of you with school starting and all of the last minute summer projects you're working on. Yes, I absolutely love my new camera and dictionary. And they were cheaper here than they would have been in America, so that was nice. My camera is bright blue, and my dictionary is a handheld teal little thing. It looks kind of like a phone, in fact. Anywho, I'll try to be better with sending my own pictures now that I have a good camera. Mom - that's so awesome that you're in charge of the state jazz and show choirs! Good luck with arranging everything, I'm sure that's super crazy, hectic, and lots of fun as well :) Dad, good luck with your state test - you'll do great. Also thanks for keeping me updated on all my friends getting married - it's nice to know even though it's super weird to comprehend. Let's just say I am glad I'm in Japan right now - I know that this is exactly where I need to be, and what I need to be doing at this point of my life!
This has been a great week! Where to even begin?!?
Okay, well I guess to start out one fun thing was that we went to a ward member family's house for FHE on Monday and we had the most impressive sushi spread. Pretty awesome. Basically up till that point, the only sushi I'd ever tried were these little portions at different sushi restaurant kind of places. But here, there was tons and you made it yourself - grab a square of seaweed, put rice on it, grab the sushi of your choice, a vegetable, some sauce, roll it up and eat it - different than what I'm used to, but quite delicious. Great times.
On Wednesday, we had the best Eikaiwa on the planet. More like normally only a few people come, and it's not super exciting, but this past week we went out of our way to make it awesome, more official, more fun, and we made big bulletin boards on it and such, and more people came and we all had a great time! We're hoping to build that up a little more each week so we can have a thriving program soon. We shall see. But it was super encouraging.
Exciting news!!! So N-chan (this is what I'm going to call her so you know who I'm talking about even though I'm not supposed to say her name) our investigator whom we love went to SMYC this past week. In church yesterday, all of the youth that went to SMYC were asked to get up and bear their testimony and share a few things they learned. They asked her to go as well, and it was awesome hearing her talk! It's evident how much her testimony has been strengthened in a week, and how much her desire to be baptized has grown even more sincere. We taught her a lesson yesterday, and set up a bunch of appointments for this week because the end of the month is coming up! We're hoping to still be able to see her baptized at the end of the month, but there's a chance that won't happen. Basically our biggest challenge right now is that in Japan the age you are considered an adult is 20, and she is 18. So she needs her parents' permission to be baptized and they aren't too keen on the idea. But we're having dinner with them this week, and we're doing our best to do all we can do and rely on the Lord and his timing. Anyway, she's the greatest and we are so blessed to have the opportunity to be teaching her (even though I feel like I learn more from her and all the people I meet here than I end up sharing with them).
In church yesterday, I gave the spiritual message in DCS (by myself, because Sister Suzuki was doing the report afterwards). Kind of scary, but a really good experience. I really have come to realize how much I've grown since being here, and how much more I'm able to learn every day. Sometimes it is frustrating because my progress feels so slow, but when I look back at where I began I'm able to see how far I've come! I realized something pretty great the other day. I was feeling a little frustrated/overwhelmed because of how absolutely un-Japanese I often feel (mostly because of random social faux-pas that I make. All the time) when it hit me - Flake Shimai, it's OKAY that you're not fitting in one hundred percent in that way - because you're not Japanese! You can learn from these people every day, and strive to improve everday, but Heavenly Father knows me. I can come here and learn from others, and bring them a little bit of the west as well! I came here because there are people that I can help, and that can help me. I can just keep being myself, and let my personality shine through. After being here for a little over a month, I've finally been able to relax a little more and come to terms with things. Aka, I'm more over the culture shock now. I love it here. Miyazaki is the best. Riding through the streets of Miyazaki at night is just about one of my favorite things to do. Everything is incredible here. The people are so nice, everywhere we go. I love streeting - and the chance to talk to so many different people and learn about their lives. I love it with my whole soul!
Last bit of news to share - yep, I saw Angela and Casey yesterday! It was awesome to talk to them, but a little bit of a strange clashing of worlds to look up in sacrament meeting and see them sitting in front of me. In Japan. But it's all good - and mom and dad thank you for the peanut butter MnMs! I almost cried tears of pure joy, right there in the cultural hall when they gave them to me. :) Yep. Love those. Also I have discovered the best chocolate I have ever had in my life. It's a candy bar called Black Thunder. It's basically crushed up oreos all compacted into a candy bar and covered in chocolate --- SO GOOD. ANyway, sorry for that random tangent but you know how much I love chocolate! :D Keep up the good work, I love you all and hope you have a great week!
Ai shite imasu!!!
Flake Shimai
PS Dallin and Logan, thank you for the letters! I can't believe you're growing up. Too weird. Especially because I didn't even talk to boys in high school. Hahahaha. True story. And have fun in Utah, parents - tell everyone hello for me!
This is the member family who has a son serving in my home mission, in Heber, only 30 minutes away from Snowflake. Small world!
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