Making smores missionary style. Chocolate, corn flakes, and oreos?
Sister Higayashi my STL and roommate
The Bird Statue
Konnichiwa, kazoku!
Wow, sometimes I feel so busy but I read your emails and it's crazy how busy you are right now as well!! It is not fair - I feel like the longer I am on my mission, the faster time seems to go by. I realized the other day that I'll be coming up on my halfway mark soon. What the what? I know for a fact that I just stepped off the plane yesterday. Crazy. But anywho, on to your questions and the week!!!
I can't believe it's already time for the Gilbert Temple open house. I have only seen the outside once, when it was getting close to being done, and I fell in love with it. It really is so exciting how many temples are being built in Arizona - the work is hastening! I'm glad Logan was able to go to the open house with the priests and laurels. Also there is no way he is old enough to be graduating/putting in college application/starting mission papers/other stuff. That blows my mind. But I am way happy for him! Also tell Dallin O-Tanjobi omedetou gozaimasu, aka HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! Dad, I am so glad to hear about work picking up. I'm praying for you! Mom - you are such a tsukaresama! I don't really know how to translate that very well, but basically a hard worker - I can't believe all the things you've been doing as the head honcho on the state choir board - you are awesome!
This week started out a bit slow,but it sure did end with a bang. We were a little bummed about the fact that basically none of our investigators were working out, but we just kept going and hit some other things hard. We really focused on less active work, finding, and member mogis (practice lessons) this week and we were able to see some great miracles! We went to higashiku this week, an area of town that is a little farther away so we don't go super often, and just mapped out a bunch of less actives that live in the area and a member offered to drive us around. We were able to find/meet a really neat family, the Hayashida family, and they got along really well with Kai shimai and her two kids. We talked to her for a while and will try to set up an FHE or dinner with the Kai family. I'm so glad we were able to meet them! We also met with Emiko shimai again, and helped her out with a little volunteer eikaiwa class she teaches. After that, we were able to teach her and a friend that she brought along as well. Oh and last LA exciting news - Tamada san! She's the less active that we found a few weeks ago while streeting that was baptized twenty years ago in utah. We were finally able to meet with her, and we talked a lot about her conversion, what she's been up to and so on. She really wants to come back to church but has meetings and things going on with work right now on Sundays. However she is planning on coming on the sixteenth!!! Anyway, it was really wonderful to talk to her and hear some miracles in her life. When we met her on the street, we gave her a book of mormon (in Japanese). She said the night before she met with us again, this past week, she remembered "I'm meeting with the sisters tomorrow - maybe I should read a little bit of the Book of Mormon." so she did. And when she started reading, she started crying because she felt so good, and remembered that was how she had felt years and years ago at her baptism. She said "Sisters, I hadn't felt that way for twenty years, I 'd forgotten what it was like!" Also this was her first time reading the book of mormon in Japanese, her native language. So it makes a lot more sense. Anyway, sorry for the rambling but it was such an incredible experience to have that lesson with her and see Heavenly Father's hand in her life and be able to testify of how involved he is in each of our lives. I've seen it so much, time and time again while being here. It is incredible how much he loves each and every one of us!
Alright, that was a bit of the less active report. On to member mogis - they went really well! We were able to get some practice with the lessons, and the members were really helpful. The members of the Fukuoka ward are so dendo-fired. They are always wanting to help us and it is such a blessing. The ward is full of past mission presidents, returned missionaries, old APs, etc.. it's great.
On to our finding miracles of the week! Finding was a little rough at the beginning of the week. We were getting keko after keko. Nobody was interested at all. Most people wouldn't even let us say more than Hello, we are---. It was pretty frustrating! We were able to talk to the ZLs and get some ideas that helped, but it was still a little hard! But here is where the miracles began. We were able to junkai ( go on exchanges) yesterday with the sister training leaders (aka Higashi and Lyles shimai). It was so much fun, and I learned so much! I went on splits with Higashi shimai and learned a ton. Fun fact she is basically my favorite nihongin ever. Which is saying something because I love everyone here. We had a blast. She helped me work on giving baptismal invites on the street, and I am a lot more comfortable with them now. We were able to find 2 new investigators, and several potentials. We worked really well together, and I was able to learn some really good ideas, with new approaches that I want to apply in finding situations. One of our new investigators was Mori san. She is a super genki 85 year old lady who looks and acts like she is 60. Lane shimai and I found her while streeting around christmas time, and she gave us her address and phone number but said she'd be busy till after new years. So we have been calling her and trying to get in touch, but no answer. We also tried finding her house, but we weren't able to find it. So yesterday Higashi and I decided to try one more time to try her house. We figured out the right address, and found her! She invited us in and we were able to talk for quite a bit. It went well, and we're meeting with her again tomorrow! She's very Buddhist, but enjoyed talking to us and hearing why we believe what we do. Don't worry. Almost everyone we talk to is Buddhist - this is something we can handle!!! Haha at least we will try our best. Miyazaki san is the other investigator we found! She's a college student, and nineteen. She was way chill, and we extended a baptismal invite to her. She said if she was able to have that fresh start, and clean feeling that she would be interested in that! We're meeting with her next Sunday. The other shimai saw some great miracles as well. Anyway, I feel like I have so much to tell you every week but I don't even get to say half it! It's all good. I'll be dilligent with my journal, don't you fret. Oh, speaking of that - I FINISHED MY FIRST JOURNAL. This is a big deal because it's basically the first time in my life this has happened. That's all
Okay - lastly, to answer a few questions --- Unfortunately the attachment you sent wouldn't open so I couldn't hear the song. But thank you for trying! Also thanks for the fruit tart recipe. I'm excited. Messer shimai is doing great with the language. She doesn't think she is, but seriously she's a champ. Haha it's hilarious because it's like she's a copy of how I felt as a bean. Cept she's way more chill and under control. Haha. But man it sure is fun training. And scary. But good. Anyways sorry for the funny details and whatever. But I hope you have a fabulous week. I love you all so much!!!
Ai shite imasu!!!
Flake Shimai
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