Gustafson

I`m gonna miss this amazing Shimai

Konichiwa!

Earlier today we had a special conference with our new Mission
President and his wife, the Gustafsons, and I am feeling so overcome
with gratitude and love for them already, even though I met them for
the first time just a few hours ago. In his first testimony to the
missionaries he talked a lot about "Real Growth," which is something I
have actually been thinking about a lot lately. I read the conference
talk Elder Scott, I think, gave at this past conference and he also
discussed the ways we can see real growth in the wards and branches
we're in. Sister Takabori and I have been working a lot with less
active members, helping them regain and strengthen their testimonies
of the Book of Mormon, and also fasting for them to be able to come to
church. Bringing new members into the church is important but real
growth happens from the inside out, and I've come to realize that if
we want new converts to stay active we really need to strengthen the
ward first and foremost. I was so grateful to hear President Gustafson
bear his testimony of that today.

I also felt that these lessons will, of course, carry on after my
service as a full-time missionary as well. Just like the members here,
I'll have the duty and responsibility to fulfill my callings and help
build up the ward in whatever area I end up. This is just the
beginning!!!

Me and Takabori Shimai

I want to tell you about this woman we recently met named Yasunaga
san!! We were searching for the address of a lady we met on the street
and we rode past this shop we've seen dozens of times but out of the
corner of my eye I saw a lady arranging stuff in the store window. She
kind of stuck in my mind but we kept riding, didn`t find the address,
so we decided to go into the shop and ask that lady for directions.
Her shop was full of a lot of weird stuff and we tried REALLY hard to
find something we wanted to buy...haha. Eventually we found some
necklaces and it ended up she is Catholic but not really going to
church and wants to come to church next week!!! It was so cool!

That same day we brought nine Book of Mormons with us to give away and
gave them ALL away in a matter of a few hours! We were kind of
wondering what to do because we still had an appointment to go to and
no Book of Mormon to give them, but then by a slightly unfortunate
incident we randomly ran into this girl we had given one of them to in
a completely different part of town, and she said her mom was making
her give it back to us. So when we went to our next appointment, even
though they didn;t answer the door the person living next door to them
ended up being amazingly awesome and we just happened to have that
extra Book of Mormon to give to him! The Lord works in mysterious
ways.

Her Dad

Another cool happening was running into a man on the street whose
cousin is the bishop in my last area! He told us he would tell him he
ran into us the next time he calls him up, so hopefully that will open
up some kind of gospel discussion. Also, we had companion exchanges
yesterday with the Sisters serving in Fukuoka and the member Sister
Takabori Shimai visited is a woman her Dad taught and baptized when he
served here in Fukuoka 27 years ago! They had no idea until she
introduced herself and the sister pulled out her photo album with all
of the missionary pictures in it and said, `Is this your Dad?!` It was
really amazing for Takabori Shimai.

Alrighty, gotta run! Love this work and I`m having more fun than ever!
Ganbatte!

Love, Tingey Shimai

Me and Takabori Shimai
Her Dad
I`m gonna miss this amazing Shimai