Transfer week!!! 3-24-14

You were so close with the transfer count - transfers are actually this week (as I am sure you:ve figured out by now). We had a really good week - one of our miracles was that we were able to have a wonderful lesson with Uehasan and her husband, as well as Michikosan. Uehasan invited us over for dinner and made the best curry I have ever had, and we were able to talk about the Book of Mormon but we mostly focused on prayer. So the elders found them by housing, but referred them to us, so we:ve been teaching a few lessons with them but this was the first lesson we had without them there. It really was so good. It was so sweet - the elders gave them a picture of Christ during the last lesson, and when we walked into her house last week it was framed and sitting on her shelf in the front of the room. Uehasan is a very sincere person,and very genki. She is progressing so well right now!!! We also were able to have a really good lesson with Michikosan about the importance of sincerly praying and reading the Book of Mormon. She is reading so much, and always has very sincere, applicable questions. I love it! We actually are meeting with her tonight again, and I am very excited. Sorry for just giving a bear minimum report on that for the week but things are a little crazy here because......

I am getting transferred to Saijo, which is in Hiroshima.

AAAAAAAAAAAAA.

I really am excited, but I am so sad to be leaving Fukuoka and our investigators here! I have been here for most of my mission - so leaving is a little bit of a crazy thought. I am so excited though - I will be companions with Willes shimai!!!! We were roommates in the MTC and she is one of my favorite people on the planet. She is the coolest. Messer shimai will be staying here, and her new companion is sister Ito - a nihonjin that doesn:t speak much english. She is a little scared but I know she will be fabulous. One thing that is going to be quite an adventure is that Willes shimai and I will be opening up an area together :) Right now, there are 2 sisters in Saijo but we will be coming in at the same time and making it a 4 man apartment. According to reports I:ve heard from the other missionaries here, Saijo has about 7 or 8 members. Just about as small of a branch as the mission has, but the work over there is exploding. I think there are about the same amount of missionaries as members in the branch. I really can:t wait to jump in and get to work there. I will be leaving here early Thursday morning. Loads o fun!!!!!

I:m glad to hear things went so well with the musical! Dad, that is so exciting with all of your real-estate work - keep up all the good work! I am sorry to hear that you decided to jump off your horse (because it did not buck you off) last week, but it was great to hear that your hand was a-okay. ;)

Mom - that is wonderful with your visiting teaching! One thing is for sure - I know that when I get back I want to be so much more involved than I was before my mission. That is something that I have learned on my mission - the members really are crucial to missionary work. The members here are incredible. I honestly can:t even describe how much I love them, mom. I just will learn from their example and apply it in my own life! 

As for your last few questions - we normally have zone conference one transfer, than interviews the next transfer, and so on. And usually zone conference is 2 zones combined. But this past transfer, kaicho wanted to be more one on one with the missionaries, so the zone conferences were just zone by zone. We also usually have a zone training meeting at the beginning of every transfer, which is just a big training for the zone run by the zone leaders, whereas zone conference is led by President and the APs. As far as lessons go - it really depends on the week. We usually have 3 or 4, with investigators - sometimes more, sometimes less. Then several lessons with less actives or recent converts as well, and during weeks that we don:t have as many lessons as we would like to be having we will set up roleplay lessons with members so we can practice for our investigators. Usually, with how busy all our investigators are, most of them can:t meet more than once a week so they get a bit spread out at times.

Anyway, that is about all I have time for today but I love you all so much - have a lovely week!

Flake Shimai