Konnichiwa, kazoku!!!
It is always so great to get your letters! We had an awesome week! The most exciting news is... we were able to set a baptismal date forJune 8th with Tomikosan - so please keep her in your prayers!!!!!!!! But I will share more on that later. :)
It sounds like your week was pretty hectic. I will definitely be keeping an eye out for the wedding announcement in the mail. I can't wait - they are the best. Speaking of that, I sent of the wedding package last week - if you could let me know when it get;s there, that would be great. I just have this fear of customs tearing it apart. I hope the boys had fun with Father and sons - sorry I couldn't be there for you, mom but I hope you know I am thinking about you! I also still absolutely cannot fathom the fact that Logan is graduating so soon and leaving on his mission. Tell him how proud I am of him with all of his endeavors!
In other news ---- we celebrated our year mark this past week! Unfortunately it wasn't quite as joyous of a celebration as I would have hoped. It was way fun to be with Willes and Williams (we all came out at the same time) but it was way sad to think that we are two thirds done. However, it is A-okay - we still have plenty of time to keep doing missionary work. We went out to a buffet called the Casual Viking. Don't ask - I don't understand either. It was way good, but as I was eating I realized I definitely eat some things that are pretty different than I used to eat these days. I had some shark pizza and something like orange chicken (but it was octopus instead of chicken) - and they were way good. Prettty normal. Mom, I don't want to freak you out or anything - but let's just say I have eaten way weirder things than that here that haven't tasted as good as those did.
It is starting to warm right on up here and we are officially in my favorite weather of Japan. It feels almost like Arizona right now - it is starting to warm up, but it is not super humid yet because the rainy season hasn't started. Granted it still rains at least once a week or so, but I am scared for rainy season to bring in the humidity - it will be raining all day every day come June.
It is that time of year - for the bugs to start coming out. I had forgotten the feeling of summer - furiously biking down a rural road and bugs flying into your eyes and getting tangled in your eyelashes. That has happened so many times it's not even funny.
Lastly, our week was crazy but so good! We started teaching a few new investigators, which is always exciting. And Tomikosan came to church again, and when we talked about baptism set a date with us! We still have a bit of a path to go down, but we are so excited to be working with her. Another miracle of the week was Katou san. She was found and started taking the lessons from the missionaries here in Saijo about a year ago, but had to move suddenly and lost contact. They were really sad and tried over and over again to contact her and find her but to no avail. Last week, the elders were housing and "happened" to run into her! She was willing to listen to us more, so they passed her to us and we went by last week and were able to talk about some concerns she has in her life and how the gospel can help her. She has had a really hard life. We are working on building her up and doing our best to help her see how much the gospel will help her. I think one of the most amazing things about being a missionary is that I have the opportunity to see that change in people. I feel so blessed to see it over and over. I love talking to so many different people and really getting to know them and their personal concerns - but also being able to help them come to see how much Heavenly Father loves them. The other day, Willes shimai and I were reflecting on a few things and realized how exciting it is to see our Japanese improving. We've had lessons as of late that included concerns with gambling, cancer, depression, and all sorts of hard conversations and deep concerns that we can understand and try our best to help with. Don't get me wrong - I still can't understand every single word, and it is still most definitely a work in progress, but The Lord really is helping us every step of the way in this work. I feel like I have a thousand more things to say to you but that will have to wait for another day. I love you all so much and am keeping you in my prayers - thank you for all of your love and support!!!!
Ai shite imasu!
Flake Shimai
May 11, 2014
Konnichiwa, kazoku!
Well, first off, I would just like to start by saying I feel pretty loved. I talked to you not too recently on Skype and you still had a lot to email me!! Thank you for that - I love hearing all about your week. I probably won:t be able to give tons of details today because I don:t have lots of time, but I will try to explain a bit. And thank you for telling me all the news! I am so happy for Jeff and Shannon - didn:t see that one coming but I think it is wonderful - tell them congratulations for me! Yes, in response to your question - it does make me feel weird to have so many classmates and even people younger than me getting married and starting families of their own. I am really happy for all of them, but also most definitely know that I am exactly where I need to be. I honestly can not imagine what my life would be like if I had not come on a mission, and had not come to Japan. I love it here. The people I have met have changed my life forever. I am not trying to be dramatic - it is just the truth! As you saw when we skyped, little things have changed me culture wise as well. You best believe I will be pretty weird when I step off the plane. Bowing, speaking to you like English is your second language, and much, much more. Mom, be grateful you don:t have to see me in my full glorified awkwardness for quite a while. :) As far as your questions go:
It is really weird to teach in English after teaching in Japanese, but we don:t do it very often. It is kind of weird - sometimes when we teach in English, after doing a lot in Japanese, is that I find myself translating what I would say in Japanese into English. But it is also nice to be able to express things fully in English.
Willes shimai and I speak in both. Majority of the time, it is just a really weird mix of Japanese and English that we both understand perfectly. We speak a fair amount of japanese together, but we are trying to be a lot better with speaking more Japanese to each other.
It is a lot of fun. Our week was way good - Tomiko san (the one that reminds me of gma flake)came to church yesterday and we were way excited about that! I am so sorry I don:t have time for lots of details but I hope you have a lovely week! I love you and am praying for you!
Ai shiteimasu!
Flake Shimai
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