tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1910513759406041032024-03-04T21:06:46.454-08:00ティンギー姉妹Lucy Tingeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07741221806568164454noreply@blogger.comBlogger83125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-191051375940604103.post-57766038365041772332012-07-20T21:01:00.005-07:002016-03-08T05:15:30.711-08:00Welcome Home<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJWSK6hOIPKzzHKjXwtzO3qOp5IQnXKvhwBkxwePLQC1Y5wdCYViiy7yhWb9OELAGINBjtXZswGzu0cH6T_rWXrBlcKaG_MwzuFjd1zABQdQGGp90d4mnL5y5EI1RvRNQRtnRGB1nJtLK8/s1600/IMG_3606.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJWSK6hOIPKzzHKjXwtzO3qOp5IQnXKvhwBkxwePLQC1Y5wdCYViiy7yhWb9OELAGINBjtXZswGzu0cH6T_rWXrBlcKaG_MwzuFjd1zABQdQGGp90d4mnL5y5EI1RvRNQRtnRGB1nJtLK8/s400/IMG_3606.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Missed You little Sista!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8HCCkldsvZXclvjUiys0ld3o8zbRPZbo3-ofg1WLyPMoSmmzwFqvZ-0pDiPPc9x7teVRB5AbIUMi_4jCdIl-aO175SprSTR9oJZ9stvpj7fdx6YpWRw-BGWzAJgXWn7IJfzQvxQljDxsz/s1600/IMG_3609.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8HCCkldsvZXclvjUiys0ld3o8zbRPZbo3-ofg1WLyPMoSmmzwFqvZ-0pDiPPc9x7teVRB5AbIUMi_4jCdIl-aO175SprSTR9oJZ9stvpj7fdx6YpWRw-BGWzAJgXWn7IJfzQvxQljDxsz/s400/IMG_3609.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Help me! I'm getting squished!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY0zx4_sgkeIucZ8bJh1Dpbd9n9aIABuwBndWiDxMKM8PyNQW84ucGtiGUnN4E48Qcck8wuwPtIkzb-vPWaiCLl160DDiziCLnhS-1r6Mf5LxEPxIbAuGPPoUTKwIhXi1JCwwKjvB95a1x/s1600/IMG_3615.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY0zx4_sgkeIucZ8bJh1Dpbd9n9aIABuwBndWiDxMKM8PyNQW84ucGtiGUnN4E48Qcck8wuwPtIkzb-vPWaiCLl160DDiziCLnhS-1r6Mf5LxEPxIbAuGPPoUTKwIhXi1JCwwKjvB95a1x/s400/IMG_3615.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Can't wait to hold Vivi Lu after she's released!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcMvkdHy7WO1ebuwNAUjlwtd1xDfYM_CN63Zplhcp1wHQz8f5F0tn344u3RFd2F-5hgupwocHspzgGWlDfsIf2nL1wr3Gj6CILV88QwEbBOviOLjywNi3oqZsXutScPkpuskwIFlFQWr-l/s1600/IMG_3623.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcMvkdHy7WO1ebuwNAUjlwtd1xDfYM_CN63Zplhcp1wHQz8f5F0tn344u3RFd2F-5hgupwocHspzgGWlDfsIf2nL1wr3Gj6CILV88QwEbBOviOLjywNi3oqZsXutScPkpuskwIFlFQWr-l/s400/IMG_3623.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Good times with the family</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT4s1YKZk7FQCuPCdNmUbVYtYjBvCuN9eVoJMZshMCctcB0mfUoxiLOIL_GHwfL46XHODbVzPT6s43P_yIdc1wmFPhDvNrWGBPoiFdUPMusM0sqDMhs4IAwKSFnH6ySGXGGKlvq-c5y3L_/s1600/IMG_3626.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT4s1YKZk7FQCuPCdNmUbVYtYjBvCuN9eVoJMZshMCctcB0mfUoxiLOIL_GHwfL46XHODbVzPT6s43P_yIdc1wmFPhDvNrWGBPoiFdUPMusM0sqDMhs4IAwKSFnH6ySGXGGKlvq-c5y3L_/s400/IMG_3626.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The whole crew</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBTIusRkEBlD_i5YQ888xfI6afISyWkcSmWKhyphenhyphenFXxOJp9e0jeP4CO-oWza-jHywQ-H41yK5KgN7c1_tsni3Lu3tPIsnYnXLXsyTY9wMl_hbYsRQEMJYAW8-EsJ6s3iqn0Usa8sgCzsMwiA/s1600/IMG_3629.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBTIusRkEBlD_i5YQ888xfI6afISyWkcSmWKhyphenhyphenFXxOJp9e0jeP4CO-oWza-jHywQ-H41yK5KgN7c1_tsni3Lu3tPIsnYnXLXsyTY9wMl_hbYsRQEMJYAW8-EsJ6s3iqn0Usa8sgCzsMwiA/s640/IMG_3629.JPG" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lucy's new companion</td></tr>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-191051375940604103.post-22155198606642010962012-07-19T22:41:00.002-07:002012-07-19T22:41:10.852-07:00Not Over Yet!<div>
My dear family and friends, </div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
It is hard to
believe that this will be the last email I ever write home from the
mission field. The past week has been incredibly emotional as I`ve been
going through serious denials about leaving this amazing country and the
life of a full-time missionary. I have loved it sooooo much and had the
most fulfilling and rewarding experience that anyone could have ever
asked for. Yes, there were some pretty rough times and some might say a
few downsides to having served; I`m pretty sure I`ll have skin cancer
someday from the six months I spent in Okinawa; I weigh probably about
15 pounds more than I did when I entered the MTC; The only people I`ll
know at BYU when I get home are the Elders I served with... most of whom
are about 4 years younger than me....creepy...; I`ve gone completely
out of style (my companion has informed me that wearing socks on your
head is a thing now...?); after using candy flavored toothpaste and
toothbrushes made out of pig hair I`m not sure how much longer my teeth
will stay in my head....</div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
HOWEVER, all of those downsides DON`T EVEN BEGIN to
compare to what I`ve gained on this amazing journey! I have come to know
my Savior, and seen his loving hand guiding me and allowing me to do
His work. I wouldn`t trade the past 11/2 years for anything. </div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
This email is short, but I`m not sure what else to say.
Through this blog I have been able to record just a few of my most
memorable experiences, and my hope for these past 18 months has been
that you who are reading felt excitement of this work, caught the fire,
and blessed those around you through serving and sharing the gospel. I
love my Savior, Jesus Christ and my Father in Heaven who have allowed me
to see so many miracles and witness the gospel changing the lives of
those around me. Out of all of the people I taught and saw baptized, I
know from the bottom of my heart that through it all I was really the
one being converted and strengthened. Once again, thank you all for your
amazing emails and support. It has meant the world to me. </div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
I still have three wonderful days left to work as hard
as I possibly can and find new people to teach! How cool is that?! You
never know what might happen in three days. Oh yeah, there`s the
airport, too! Yipeeee. I`ll see you soon!</div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
Mata-ne</div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
Love, Tingey Shimai</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-191051375940604103.post-6617297048726214312012-07-10T07:11:00.003-07:002012-07-10T07:11:47.266-07:00Yamakasa MatsuriYoho!<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtrzxWmTM569y_q4g7scLaq_KgbpewYtaN7uzjrf-LyXLh6jSPwCX-ZsWeXw1XjfHCSjh8figyS9f96PdlN4-cMTPHWX90HQIA1UAzYd5YU7ephQU_wsDx6eiF2dDpO9vaoZ-KjXgVRLO6/s1600/DSCF4626%255B2%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtrzxWmTM569y_q4g7scLaq_KgbpewYtaN7uzjrf-LyXLh6jSPwCX-ZsWeXw1XjfHCSjh8figyS9f96PdlN4-cMTPHWX90HQIA1UAzYd5YU7ephQU_wsDx6eiF2dDpO9vaoZ-KjXgVRLO6/s640/DSCF4626%255B2%255D.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">can you tell how excited we were to get a picture with this guy?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
We had the greatest week ever! Probably the best so far this<br />
transfer!! We found three new investigators, one being a woman named<br />
Tomoko san who is sooo prepared to receive the gospel! We stopped to<br />
talk to her on the street last Tuesday, she came to Eikaiwa the next<br />
day, came to the church on Friday for her English Class interview,<br />
accepted hearing the lessons, camed again on Saturday so we could<br />
teach her, and then we had another lesson with her yesterday! She's on<br />
fire! She seems like she's had a really hard life so far and said that<br />
until now she has always just believed only in herself and her ability<br />
to make herself happy, but she finally recognizes that it's not enough<br />
and she's ready to rely on Heavenly Father. It was so cool to hear<br />
because I feel likee almost everyday we talk to people who say that<br />
exact thing; "We experience success through our own efforts right? So<br />
I just believe in and rely on myself. I don't need God. Only weak<br />
people join Christianity, etc." It was so nice to meet one of those<br />
people, AFTER having realized she was actually wrong and she does need<br />
the healing power of the atonement of Christ.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMgZMCCH6oLba6TlUgfMqtGedD5r-j5X_BglUKZOH2V98m4cEGvufjJHG0biXFK3CDe4HdZI6ArYbrpYRJWs525exf19Y8XwrfsK-1lBy37w9nLHJDGz143FTJlwzZHwm2Z9iGmCJaeCfz/s1600/DSCF4615%255B1%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMgZMCCH6oLba6TlUgfMqtGedD5r-j5X_BglUKZOH2V98m4cEGvufjJHG0biXFK3CDe4HdZI6ArYbrpYRJWs525exf19Y8XwrfsK-1lBy37w9nLHJDGz143FTJlwzZHwm2Z9iGmCJaeCfz/s640/DSCF4615%255B1%255D.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yamakasa Matsuri!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
We also taught this 20 year old boy named Taguchi san, who is a<br />
referral from a member. After Takabori Shimai told him the first<br />
vision we paused for a second and asked him, "So how did you feel<br />
hearing that?" and he said, "To be completely honest, the first thing<br />
I thought was 'I want to ask, too!'" he then went on to say, "This is<br />
really embarrassing, and I've never told anyone else this before...<br />
but when I was little I went to a Christian church with my friend a<br />
few times and the missionaries there taught me how to pray. It always<br />
really stuck with me and every single night since then I always say a<br />
prayer of thanks in my heart before I go to sleep..." We were so<br />
amazed to see how Heavenly Father has been working with him for all<br />
this time, and to see the spirit working in his member friend to<br />
invite him to hear the lessons even though he had NO idea about that<br />
secret he had! Isn't that awesome!?<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifTcke9hyphenhyphenoo0qEJU8v5jJDRw942q9d3RLx6VSef3gKBhOA9tAT8SukkeJzNgCAhFTPzwHKkPsgS2adUwxmEnNEJ77Zm5dAI-6zpewt06b9onwIR2Rk3YFbnCoE1WaeqL9Xm6qYPZcy1e1N/s1600/DSCF4602%255B1%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifTcke9hyphenhyphenoo0qEJU8v5jJDRw942q9d3RLx6VSef3gKBhOA9tAT8SukkeJzNgCAhFTPzwHKkPsgS2adUwxmEnNEJ77Zm5dAI-6zpewt06b9onwIR2Rk3YFbnCoE1WaeqL9Xm6qYPZcy1e1N/s320/DSCF4602%255B1%255D.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0rrPp2nVGkHn82V26TrSwj1BdotHsqVCQzI14-mo5FJ4ldWFm1ndwYzgq5ihECUYP_afmzzI8kKZcsduWW1AVgakIQYMjJxBAt6uPui_65ow3CqYgOHZb8B9OeayFtQ8UQtVZC7_vJO1V/s1600/DSCF4599%255B1%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0rrPp2nVGkHn82V26TrSwj1BdotHsqVCQzI14-mo5FJ4ldWFm1ndwYzgq5ihECUYP_afmzzI8kKZcsduWW1AVgakIQYMjJxBAt6uPui_65ow3CqYgOHZb8B9OeayFtQ8UQtVZC7_vJO1V/s320/DSCF4599%255B1%255D.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Here's a fun story: When Takabori Shimai and I woke up on Tuesday<br />
morning last week we didn't imagine we would be teaching the Plan of<br />
Salvation to a bunch of people at a Buddhist funeral....haha! A<br />
member's mom passed away suddenly on Monday night due to heart<br />
problems. She was a woman who we had received as a referral a few<br />
times from him in the past 6 months or so, so it was cool to see how<br />
he had been prompted several times to reach out to her before her<br />
death. Anyway, he called and asked us to attend the funeral and of<br />
course we volunteered to come sing a hymn or do something to help. He<br />
accepted our offer and we thought it was going to be just a small<br />
gathering of his family for the service, but it ended up being a<br />
full-on Buddhist ceremony with the chanting monk and everything! It<br />
was suuuuper interesting. When it was our turn to get up at the end<br />
they asked us to introduce ourselves. We were expecting the member who<br />
sang with us to do it but she looked over at me and then suddenly I<br />
was talking about how families can be together forever after death and<br />
whatnot, haha. Also, there are special times and ways to bow during<br />
the ceremony and Sister Takabori and I had no idea what was going on<br />
so we kept messing up...haha. I hope we didn't offend anyone.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Japanese bums!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Yesterday we spent Pday being dressed up in Yukatas (summer kimonos)<br />
by a ward member named Matsuura Shimai and taking a stroll in downtown<br />
Fukuoka to see the decorations for a festival called Yamakasa! I still<br />
haven't quite figured out what the festival is celebrating but I do<br />
know that a bunch of men wearing sumo wrestler-type diaper bottoms and<br />
not much else run around holding a giant wooden float looking thing.<br />
The actual festival is on the 15th, which is a Sunday so we can"t<br />
go...which is a real bummer because Sister Mueller was hear last<br />
summer for it and said it was hilarious.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipRh500ewegUfoVc741_-SbTincbqZozAt_Nitx2updXzcHqtL2sTyDbdktmvJVmL7ly4njTOlDaq2wTzPjXuXeBHN4lJgCVXCpjk102VcdXodthOCqkW1PQEcnXrvNXfA9iypjDNEx9fn/s1600/DSCF4591%255B1%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipRh500ewegUfoVc741_-SbTincbqZozAt_Nitx2updXzcHqtL2sTyDbdktmvJVmL7ly4njTOlDaq2wTzPjXuXeBHN4lJgCVXCpjk102VcdXodthOCqkW1PQEcnXrvNXfA9iypjDNEx9fn/s640/DSCF4591%255B1%255D.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sarah- is your sister Nikki secretly a model in Japan!?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
Other things...<br />
1. Recently during finding and lessons when someone mentions anything<br />
about cats Sister Takabori has been saying, "Oh really!? Sister Tingey<br />
loves cats!!!" The problem is that they usually get really excited and<br />
happy and I don't have the heart to tell them its actually a lie. I'm<br />
not sure what the deal is but apparently she gets a kick out of it.<br />
2. Had an unfortunate incident during ward council meeting this Sunday<br />
when it slipped that I won't be around next transfer. Apparently<br />
everyone, including the bishop, was under the impression I had another<br />
transfer left, so they were all saying things like, "Oh, but we don't<br />
have to worry because I don't think either of the sisters will<br />
transfer, right? What do you think?" ...and then I started to cry,<br />
haha. The bad news is that my secret is out and I won't be able to<br />
duck out quietly like I had hoped. The worse news is that I thought I<br />
had gotten away with giving a musical number my last Sunday but now I<br />
have to give a talk! Haha. I guess that's fair.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
Well, this next week is looking to be promising and we're hoping to<br />
have several baptism dates what with Tomoko and Taguchi San<br />
progressing so well. Can't wait to see what lies ahead! Love you all<br />
so much!<br />
<br />
Love, Tingey Shimai<br />
<br />
P.S. Remember how it was the 4th of July last week? Yeah, well we didn't, haha.<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-191051375940604103.post-43115933852972326252012-07-02T07:38:00.001-07:002012-07-02T07:38:42.120-07:00Gustafson<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-8WnMfPZsISOPUlsNWugMnrRKJpW_hXFQdHZcf_OHNcLQK0N_Er6Hm3wGe7Bo_9beBK8Nz6e-mTCJtOJ2-tYNlJGQbSbewurR18P9UN2DRrBjTV0ozrAniBhSk3hVnsfJ-HpbGKGNuORS/s1600/DSCF4555%255B1%255D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-8WnMfPZsISOPUlsNWugMnrRKJpW_hXFQdHZcf_OHNcLQK0N_Er6Hm3wGe7Bo_9beBK8Nz6e-mTCJtOJ2-tYNlJGQbSbewurR18P9UN2DRrBjTV0ozrAniBhSk3hVnsfJ-HpbGKGNuORS/s640/DSCF4555%255B1%255D.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I`m gonna miss this amazing Shimai</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Konichiwa!<br />
<br />
Earlier today we had a special conference with our new Mission<br />
President and his wife, the Gustafsons, and I am feeling so overcome<br />
with gratitude and love for them already, even though I met them for<br />
the first time just a few hours ago. In his first testimony to the<br />
missionaries he talked a lot about "Real Growth," which is something I<br />
have actually been thinking about a lot lately. I read the conference<br />
talk Elder Scott, I think, gave at this past conference and he also<br />
discussed the ways we can see real growth in the wards and branches<br />
we're in. Sister Takabori and I have been working a lot with less<br />
active members, helping them regain and strengthen their testimonies<br />
of the Book of Mormon, and also fasting for them to be able to come to<br />
church. Bringing new members into the church is important but real<br />
growth happens from the inside out, and I've come to realize that if<br />
we want new converts to stay active we really need to strengthen the<br />
ward first and foremost. I was so grateful to hear President Gustafson<br />
bear his testimony of that today.<br />
<br />
I also felt that these lessons will, of course, carry on after my<br />
service as a full-time missionary as well. Just like the members here,<br />
I'll have the duty and responsibility to fulfill my callings and help<br />
build up the ward in whatever area I end up. This is just the<br />
beginning!!!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbEwhLkRy6-REGMKtZwDGgsX_AqMbHBQM4Un9mGqFh0p-JEnAvEsBFUp7nh00i5INokGC5j1JrZuoTLjy5unwRW2j9UObCQ5L2PdcDNBhtae44KA0vi63EYehIebUvj_LipUq5qLPlUZp-/s1600/DSCF4579%255B1%255D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbEwhLkRy6-REGMKtZwDGgsX_AqMbHBQM4Un9mGqFh0p-JEnAvEsBFUp7nh00i5INokGC5j1JrZuoTLjy5unwRW2j9UObCQ5L2PdcDNBhtae44KA0vi63EYehIebUvj_LipUq5qLPlUZp-/s640/DSCF4579%255B1%255D.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me and Takabori Shimai</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
I want to tell you about this woman we recently met named Yasunaga<br />
san!! We were searching for the address of a lady we met on the street<br />
and we rode past this shop we've seen dozens of times but out of the<br />
corner of my eye I saw a lady arranging stuff in the store window. She<br />
kind of stuck in my mind but we kept riding, didn`t find the address,<br />
so we decided to go into the shop and ask that lady for directions.<br />
Her shop was full of a lot of weird stuff and we tried REALLY hard to<br />
find something we wanted to buy...haha. Eventually we found some<br />
necklaces and it ended up she is Catholic but not really going to<br />
church and wants to come to church next week!!! It was so cool!<br />
<br />
That same day we brought nine Book of Mormons with us to give away and<br />
gave them ALL away in a matter of a few hours! We were kind of<br />
wondering what to do because we still had an appointment to go to and<br />
no Book of Mormon to give them, but then by a slightly unfortunate<br />
incident we randomly ran into this girl we had given one of them to in<br />
a completely different part of town, and she said her mom was making<br />
her give it back to us. So when we went to our next appointment, even<br />
though they didn;t answer the door the person living next door to them<br />
ended up being amazingly awesome and we just happened to have that<br />
extra Book of Mormon to give to him! The Lord works in mysterious<br />
ways.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYn_iooFDfrtBjOgHh1P53f4PBXS-nydq2GyMGeBiV5jg9HUu41i2K3hmgitPIvWWtzOFA9jsNbOr_s0aGyssfWdvuxuAug6bWL12aXmpuI8cP5-NVGfJjIJoh6GrA7l1YxtuTMEcJ7Mny/s1600/DSCF4567%255B1%255D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYn_iooFDfrtBjOgHh1P53f4PBXS-nydq2GyMGeBiV5jg9HUu41i2K3hmgitPIvWWtzOFA9jsNbOr_s0aGyssfWdvuxuAug6bWL12aXmpuI8cP5-NVGfJjIJoh6GrA7l1YxtuTMEcJ7Mny/s640/DSCF4567%255B1%255D.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Her Dad</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Another cool happening was running into a man on the street whose<br />
cousin is the bishop in my last area! He told us he would tell him he<br />
ran into us the next time he calls him up, so hopefully that will open<br />
up some kind of gospel discussion. Also, we had companion exchanges<br />
yesterday with the Sisters serving in Fukuoka and the member Sister<br />
Takabori Shimai visited is a woman her Dad taught and baptized when he<br />
served here in Fukuoka 27 years ago! They had no idea until she<br />
introduced herself and the sister pulled out her photo album with all<br />
of the missionary pictures in it and said, `Is this your Dad?!` It was<br />
really amazing for Takabori Shimai.<br />
<br />
Alrighty, gotta run! Love this work and I`m having more fun than ever!<br />
Ganbatte!<br />
<br />
Love, Tingey Shimai<br />
<br />
Me and Takabori Shimai<br />
Her Dad<br />
I`m gonna miss this amazing ShimaiUnknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-191051375940604103.post-6306552554550571922012-07-02T07:28:00.000-07:002012-07-02T07:31:20.677-07:00Kiseki bakari (Nothing but miracles)!<div>
My dearest family and friends, </div>
<div>
</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1iDVqqUjfsBEGhimvhaT4P4AIBircUgo4olRAm8AOtTdO7X54d5HfViC2nJDINDE6tsdyJJ6eMOSZYlOHWT8-LgdjbaJU67TETt8JU2Y3yDEtGchpZ8bZNfBoT7Psq4i6RwZj6FieaKws/s1600/DSCF4524%255B1%255D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1iDVqqUjfsBEGhimvhaT4P4AIBircUgo4olRAm8AOtTdO7X54d5HfViC2nJDINDE6tsdyJJ6eMOSZYlOHWT8-LgdjbaJU67TETt8JU2Y3yDEtGchpZ8bZNfBoT7Psq4i6RwZj6FieaKws/s640/DSCF4524%255B1%255D.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The amazing kidlets!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
</div>
<div>
The weeks are
flying by so quickly, but at the same time every single day seems
pretty lenghty with a lot going on. Working with my little bean,
Takabori Shimai is so much fun. She is definitely way more prepared,
wise, amazing and spiritual than I was as a new missionary, and even
now, so it is a huge blessing to be working with her. She is always
challenging us to find new ways to find and teach and mixing things up,
which is very refreshing and fun. I love her to death! </div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
Too many hilarious and awesome things happened this week to be able to tell you in this email so I`ll just tell you about a few.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSe3eeZ4O7bfMOI9tPAogB0vdxLT3e6aRigkY9Zsw-uqO1xDQgevx0jigO29AjEbRDVIpoEHLkJwronCQibxPUGUfz2_mHqf7CmYVdxnVvfejzHRZkT7qGafVpYdKhNAaa0KLRKOxe_QIe/s1600/DSCF4523%255B1%255D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSe3eeZ4O7bfMOI9tPAogB0vdxLT3e6aRigkY9Zsw-uqO1xDQgevx0jigO29AjEbRDVIpoEHLkJwronCQibxPUGUfz2_mHqf7CmYVdxnVvfejzHRZkT7qGafVpYdKhNAaa0KLRKOxe_QIe/s640/DSCF4523%255B1%255D.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Holding a gigantic butterfly. Its wings weren`t dry yet from coming out of the cacoon so it couldn`t fly away! </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
</div>
<div>
I
think it was Friday when we visitited a less active member and were
able to meet her son for the first time who hasn`t been to church since
he was really young. We were first just helping him with his English
homework but then he brought up how he has recently been learning about
Moses and the Ten Commandments in school. From that we were able to
teach an unexpected lesson about that and prayer, and then he prayed for
the first time with us and his mom kneeling on the living room floor!
It was so cool to witness that! I think it made the member really happy
because she told us she would attend a cookie-making class at the church
next week and also asked if after the class she could take us in her
car back to her house so we could help her son again with English! </div>
<div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ3GjWmPKfsasmg7Et8FBQQ4hj5ZTv-2Mn-FsbnogwrE6NuFmzr_KFIqOFRO9-6iEEJdLMx70eBKJD_z1EEHwL8MrigAaELN6Lp2IsnxRPyxi4f9oYL0tT8f2ySBhSCY9wWDzwnXnD0BEd/s1600/DSC05331.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ3GjWmPKfsasmg7Et8FBQQ4hj5ZTv-2Mn-FsbnogwrE6NuFmzr_KFIqOFRO9-6iEEJdLMx70eBKJD_z1EEHwL8MrigAaELN6Lp2IsnxRPyxi4f9oYL0tT8f2ySBhSCY9wWDzwnXnD0BEd/s640/DSC05331.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fukuoka zone! </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div>
Right after that lesson we left their apartment and
stopped in this playground to hand out English flyers to a bunch of 9-12
year old girls and we ended up standing there for an hour or so talking
to them about Christ, the Restoration, etc. They were all begging us
for pamphlets and Book of Mormons and event though we had about five
with us that we handed out we needed about twice that many! I`ll say it
again....I love Japanese children! They`re so humble and pure and
seriously craving the goodness that comes from religion and talking
about Jesus Christ. I can`t really imagine how it might have been to
grow up in a country where Christianity isn`t really imbedded into
everyday life but from what I`ve experienced as a missionary there is a
natural yearning for that, and it is especially evident in the young
people here. Its so sad to see how the older people get the more callous
and uninterested they are in our message, but even when we`re bluntly
and harshly rejected we always try to sneak in a testimony and tell them
as much as we can about how much Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ love
them. Someday when they have a hard trial or are searching for the
truth, I know they will remember that testimony and be given another
chance to accept the gospel! </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxd7IcW8Joj0zIV74EKHCR5GhZohE1g3y9HOQzznIUprfFRKZ2mM_im4IUWPaIyaRfIvlahjfMqJRK4DY-m4nnQIbUcRrrBEGcGTiSMtE5OHwXCXXHj-Iq96LBTEo_ApD2XHucROlkmjNs/s1600/DSCF4526%255B1%255D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxd7IcW8Joj0zIV74EKHCR5GhZohE1g3y9HOQzznIUprfFRKZ2mM_im4IUWPaIyaRfIvlahjfMqJRK4DY-m4nnQIbUcRrrBEGcGTiSMtE5OHwXCXXHj-Iq96LBTEo_ApD2XHucROlkmjNs/s640/DSCF4526%255B1%255D.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div>
Me and Takabori Shimai</div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
</div>
<div>
On Sunday we had Stake Conference which was AMAZING
because since I`m serving in Fujisaki, right next to Fukuoka, I got to
see tons of Fukuoka members who I haven`t seen since I transfered out of
there in February! It was such a joyous reunion! We stood in the
doorway with a bunch of other missionaries and greeted everyone coming
in, and I couldn`t have been happier with life. I love seeing all of
these faithful Japanese Latter-day Saints gather together! They are all
sacrificing so much to be so dedicated to the gospel despite their
time-consuming jobs, school schedules, etc. I honestly don`t know how
people survive here sometimes. At Stake Conference we watched a
broadcast from Salt Lake City where President Uchtdorf spoke exclusively
to the Japanese saints for the first time! Afterward President and
Sister Margetts gave their farewell talks and I could feel so strongly
how much they have grown to love the members here and how much they`re
going to miss them. Other highlights were finding out a boy who attended
my English class way back when is planning on being baptized soon, and
also being told that my two favorite OYAMA boys, Shintaro and Yuto
attended scout camp last week! I hope they, like their Dad, accept the
gospel soon and are baptized!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjio0EaQa-w2i92RlrUyImU4wb5Vise40lv2bZLjIi07Co79ns4FmRKa-QT4sFuBNRdRcCE3oM_SqigKm9edx0h1j6hd_VdlXI2l4spUIuZudMh1C8ND5DGwYVWu_vlMloSxutWzl8KUqcC/s1600/DSC05333.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjio0EaQa-w2i92RlrUyImU4wb5Vise40lv2bZLjIi07Co79ns4FmRKa-QT4sFuBNRdRcCE3oM_SqigKm9edx0h1j6hd_VdlXI2l4spUIuZudMh1C8ND5DGwYVWu_vlMloSxutWzl8KUqcC/s640/DSC05333.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">With Sis. Takabori at zone conference</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
After the conference Bishop Miyake took us all over
the place in his car, visiting all sorts of people who needed some
upfliting. He even took us to meet his neighbor, Hara San, who is an old
woman running a buddhist temple. We talked to her a lot about family
history and told her about how we have the largest database in the world
for researching her ancestors. Hopefully it caught her interest and
she`ll want to come to church! She is a professional Shamisen and Koto
player (traditional Japanese instruments) so she took out her Koto,
played a song for us and let us fiddle around on it for a while! That
was something I`ve been wanting to do ever since I wrote a report on
traditional Japanese instruments a few years ago when i was on Study
abroad with BYU! </div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCNgeR1T81hNgIBIV35lagX_4CFcWmcOwCIfCdr3ToMk4ZPCnPA5hzg0pAOHbX-Q6s2a8KA6Q2ge_I20IRSQSXGHNPWpWOgknWdyaRzaUrVLQ-eNXzuZPPL45YmnMBgUO3o1xGdqFWyn-n/s1600/DSCF4527%255B1%255D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCNgeR1T81hNgIBIV35lagX_4CFcWmcOwCIfCdr3ToMk4ZPCnPA5hzg0pAOHbX-Q6s2a8KA6Q2ge_I20IRSQSXGHNPWpWOgknWdyaRzaUrVLQ-eNXzuZPPL45YmnMBgUO3o1xGdqFWyn-n/s640/DSCF4527%255B1%255D.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eating a quick lunch on the riverside with my bean</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
</div>
<div>
President and Sister Margetts will be making the flight
back to Utah this Saturday so please pray that they can return home
safely. It will be weird writing my last two weekly president letters to
President Gufstoffson who is replacing the Margetts this week. </div>
<div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTLyxLUI_8v6hahJCO_K2pka-btOi8yXOPVq6o8g_gGPzuEgXqGUXkoYPa-kVkdJzchQGEYrpkKBJN9Ai2XJ16J4zyj5voD0J8ZtOeEJjDAnjQGtlm_QljoDpRAfgkuu3XpEfUOe818sp8/s1600/DSCF4550%255B1%255D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTLyxLUI_8v6hahJCO_K2pka-btOi8yXOPVq6o8g_gGPzuEgXqGUXkoYPa-kVkdJzchQGEYrpkKBJN9Ai2XJ16J4zyj5voD0J8ZtOeEJjDAnjQGtlm_QljoDpRAfgkuu3XpEfUOe818sp8/s640/DSCF4550%255B1%255D.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> making gyoza</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div>
Well, that is my week in a nutshell. We are teaching a
lot of amazing people as well but don`t have anyone who is progressing
very well so please pray that the people we meet with this week will
follow their commitments and progress towards making covenants with
their Father in Heaven. I want you all to know that I know that Jesus
Christ is my older brother and advocate, and that when we exercise faith
in him we can feel his atonement in our lives each day. I love the
gospel, and love being a missionary! Until next week! </div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
Love, Tingey Shimai</div>
<div>
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-191051375940604103.post-81117088845115333812012-07-02T07:18:00.006-07:002012-07-02T07:21:46.233-07:00Last Zone Conference<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHsGiFtz1RYAsA-VXsWpZR1dYxqIB6l-2laIIDpXO6BKnBkmm_GZGw7rDqvQuafbwI2fOIxWeGu7c5ZE17gezrcWPN608XrsNruIqjRUD7zkdtKsL5J76rwJv8p4_e0r3ja4H2Vb63g8mE/s1600/DSCF4507%255B1%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHsGiFtz1RYAsA-VXsWpZR1dYxqIB6l-2laIIDpXO6BKnBkmm_GZGw7rDqvQuafbwI2fOIxWeGu7c5ZE17gezrcWPN608XrsNruIqjRUD7zkdtKsL5J76rwJv8p4_e0r3ja4H2Vb63g8mE/s640/DSCF4507%255B1%255D.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Back in the days of the threesome</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Happy late Father's Day!<br />
<br />
Because I forgot my planner last week emailing I didn't tell you about<br />
one of the most awesome parts of our week! We ended up running into<br />
this couple from Nepal (the husband was actually Japanese but lived in<br />
Nepal forever) and they eneded up being Jehovas Witness missionaries!<br />
I was suuuuuper excited because I have been DYING my whole mission to<br />
listen to what their lessons are. We always see them tracting and I'm<br />
pretty sure my companion and I were potential investigators for them<br />
when I was in Naha and Fukuoka because they always came knocking on<br />
our door....but we just never seemed to have time to really talk to<br />
them (...or more like my companion wouldn't allow it, haha).<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdKYLg6CvWbohhy81RL3UAjqUl8tv0Y5-BvIPZ4GdQKs27-NgrpwG42-Oh_GyqlB2hKYT2gBQ_0b0FANohrYanKmSeYWJoGmoTDJZBtSd5GCS6VoflxLLNt6PzNFDB9KpvatGe1OMXuqMW/s1600/DSCF4513%255B1%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdKYLg6CvWbohhy81RL3UAjqUl8tv0Y5-BvIPZ4GdQKs27-NgrpwG42-Oh_GyqlB2hKYT2gBQ_0b0FANohrYanKmSeYWJoGmoTDJZBtSd5GCS6VoflxLLNt6PzNFDB9KpvatGe1OMXuqMW/s640/DSCF4513%255B1%255D.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In front of the church with some of the little girls we're teaching!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Anyway, I have been so incredibly curious about what their beliefs are, and how<br />
their teaching styles are diff/the same as ours. We stood there and<br />
talked for about an hour with them and got to hear all about what they<br />
believe about the afterlife, etc. It was SO interesting. Pretty<br />
similar to what we know but it actually really strengthened my<br />
testimony of living prophets and the Book of Mormon. We had the<br />
opportunity to share with them about Joseph Smith and the Restoration<br />
of the gospel of Jesus Christ and they listened very nicely and<br />
intently. We exchanged cars and whatnot. It was such an awesome<br />
experience!<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6mUjawhTQGUzzUNH3b88R2Y2YncNleF3AvZzbY0PB6dlEnp8tbnytkWXBwBb66szycnn_9qvGsKZRVKLSwV0ZnbJr3NvM4NjklSKcDAk6LutBah9aGqNDi-W1IY3cyUc1RawkyBdD-jMa/s1600/DSCF4421%255B1%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6mUjawhTQGUzzUNH3b88R2Y2YncNleF3AvZzbY0PB6dlEnp8tbnytkWXBwBb66szycnn_9qvGsKZRVKLSwV0ZnbJr3NvM4NjklSKcDAk6LutBah9aGqNDi-W1IY3cyUc1RawkyBdD-jMa/s640/DSCF4421%255B1%255D.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The sisters and Sis. Margetts at Shimai taikai<br />
Watanabe family's house</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<br />
This week I had my LAST ZONE CONFERENCE as a full-time missionary! It<br />
hadn't really hit me yet during the conference, or even when I got up<br />
to bear my testimony like everyone always does during their last<br />
transfer. It felt like just a normal ZC. However, what did feel weird<br />
was that it was also President and Sister Margett's last conference,<br />
too! Their mission is also ending and they are heading home to Utah in<br />
just a couple of weeks! The most exciting part of the day was getting<br />
a forbidden hug with President Margetts! I feel so incredibly blessed<br />
that I had President Margetts as my mission president. I couldn't have<br />
asked for a better Mission President or Mission Mom! They were so<br />
amazing and we all learned a lot from them.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFJzFUhwiKaqLvl5bnK9tueaAWLEmwB0Dqv4XSBwjPDNTLmVp1HwD6-l1DZRTTLkzG7WiZHzhPdSFfmQsJQQV7LO8FLKjPGE4wxaVov3ENgaeo-s1HCUJHZiFXyuLKYxx3PjneF8QFT1hw/s1600/DSCF4508%255B1%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFJzFUhwiKaqLvl5bnK9tueaAWLEmwB0Dqv4XSBwjPDNTLmVp1HwD6-l1DZRTTLkzG7WiZHzhPdSFfmQsJQQV7LO8FLKjPGE4wxaVov3ENgaeo-s1HCUJHZiFXyuLKYxx3PjneF8QFT1hw/s640/DSCF4508%255B1%255D.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
During the conference we had a lot of interesting new<br />
announcements/changes that will happen in the near future in the<br />
mission. One of them being that all missionaries are required to<br />
create a profile on Mormon.org, with a picture from everyday life, not<br />
wearing our nametags! Isn't that awesome! We're also supposed to use<br />
the site regularly in proselying by referring people to look at our<br />
profiles as well as use videos to teach important principles. They<br />
also talked about us encouraging members to use facebook to spread the<br />
gospel, etc. Everyting is going online! Its crazy! I feel like such an<br />
oldie. Needleess to say, Sister Takabori's mission is going to be a<br />
lot different than mine, haha.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIQYak5M4gPayjEAhZJ4vMt0Ru37e4kNxio4lXeGRfZWrqR6xhZy9PUAqLMGmAcd4i3bOFYZ5UstZofQii2ggfxhDiMV64Fqi7LSVe2A2nDK9KYp1kCkvdw9-3o7pHZ-chpKFtGVuawPoE/s1600/DSCF4496%255B1%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIQYak5M4gPayjEAhZJ4vMt0Ru37e4kNxio4lXeGRfZWrqR6xhZy9PUAqLMGmAcd4i3bOFYZ5UstZofQii2ggfxhDiMV64Fqi7LSVe2A2nDK9KYp1kCkvdw9-3o7pHZ-chpKFtGVuawPoE/s640/DSCF4496%255B1%255D.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Battling Sister Takabori in Tango Bang bang at Eikaiwa</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
OK, so you know how I said earlier that it hadn't really hit me during<br />
zone conference that I was going home soon? Well yesterday we were<br />
teaching this new friend we have named Murakami san. She has two super<br />
adorable, roudy kids so while Takabori Shimai was teaching her about<br />
the Restoration (the lesson she has been so diligently practicing all<br />
week! She's so awesome!) I was trying to keep her kids busy with<br />
stickers and anything I could find in my bag. I stood back up after a<br />
while and Sister Takabori whispered to me, "lets ask her to get<br />
baptized!...you do it!" Haha. So I asked her, "when you find out for<br />
herself that everything Takabori told you today is true, will you be<br />
baptized in August?" She said yes!! I was super happy, and then I felt<br />
this ultra shockwave go through my body when I realized, "Hey, wait a<br />
minute...I'm not even going to be here in August!...Nooooooo!" I can't<br />
believe it.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgog8Dt7g65e9Z_8s9S6IehwdhpZEbU1sAwsGF1i4Qz0QqcolIJannVOUvOlWMMjyA9lXClJHcNTs0dHs1_ylvV7FkZg1eq-rJZbJbyuh9zh7JGqkrHHtGWAETJo0En1WqAo8UGBHkKTuUY/s1600/DSCF4462%255B1%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgog8Dt7g65e9Z_8s9S6IehwdhpZEbU1sAwsGF1i4Qz0QqcolIJannVOUvOlWMMjyA9lXClJHcNTs0dHs1_ylvV7FkZg1eq-rJZbJbyuh9zh7JGqkrHHtGWAETJo0En1WqAo8UGBHkKTuUY/s640/DSCF4462%255B1%255D.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Anyway, enough of that. This week we got screamed at by a really mean<br />
old man, which costed us a contact when the lady we were talking to<br />
ran away from us because of him. However, that was probably the 2nd or<br />
3rd unpleasant encounter I've had in the past year and a half. Not bad<br />
eh? Also found out that this Chinese lady named Horibe san who I<br />
taught in Fukuoka was baptized last Sunday! And also that this<br />
suuuuper sketchy lady Sister Uchida and I found housing way back in<br />
October in Fukuoka is actually a legitimate investigator right now!<br />
Hip hip, Hooray! Every effort counts! We've also been finding a lot of<br />
new, interested people from Eikaiwa lately and have a lot of<br />
appointments lined up in the next couple of weeks.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUEtGYXohE12W98xxBxAl4TN5bQBPCc5dup6Xdqyi79P_oQJyp5hRKAzccQ_eVrHwn3Gb8JivZBVmr5g2ZCOj7Olt9788e1aGPpBNntw-yIzIYCHsBil-HASZXqxeLPv4tgaIqU1l0jo3M/s1600/DSCF4403%255B1%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUEtGYXohE12W98xxBxAl4TN5bQBPCc5dup6Xdqyi79P_oQJyp5hRKAzccQ_eVrHwn3Gb8JivZBVmr5g2ZCOj7Olt9788e1aGPpBNntw-yIzIYCHsBil-HASZXqxeLPv4tgaIqU1l0jo3M/s640/DSCF4403%255B1%255D.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We're always working!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
Tsuyu or Rainy season has officially started and there is supposed to<br />
be a typhoo coming in this week, but Sister Takabori and I both love<br />
working in the rain so I'm sure we'll be out and about. Can't wait!<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT-JCHq4-RX6VNrV2SrD12huVXIoSPZI5591g9_bS05FBsA8CO9UH4OdSoJpTf08mqT8-eywpA301w_ErESwl1g3Jj6Y1GA6xmGg-pGwEmMZHTOBKkPUzUDcDn-ngb5l9M-qAFS6XKSzcH/s1600/DSCF4456%255B1%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT-JCHq4-RX6VNrV2SrD12huVXIoSPZI5591g9_bS05FBsA8CO9UH4OdSoJpTf08mqT8-eywpA301w_ErESwl1g3Jj6Y1GA6xmGg-pGwEmMZHTOBKkPUzUDcDn-ngb5l9M-qAFS6XKSzcH/s640/DSCF4456%255B1%255D.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">with our friend Kuroki san</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Love you so much! Have a great week!<br />
<br />
Love, Tingey Shimai<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKvqU3DHkOj-YZRveTn8F5ltwTTiIlJBbQjMfVl04ktXYRof1HO8CcuP1CImUGjG_YbfsBBA0ire7AHNAPl3WaRP2w4Cm7sVrjIfPftP4pQHK5ZraBKk9b7Edv_jj8B5AjZzcHXsPA2C9M/s1600/DSCF4518%255B1%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKvqU3DHkOj-YZRveTn8F5ltwTTiIlJBbQjMfVl04ktXYRof1HO8CcuP1CImUGjG_YbfsBBA0ire7AHNAPl3WaRP2w4Cm7sVrjIfPftP4pQHK5ZraBKk9b7Edv_jj8B5AjZzcHXsPA2C9M/s640/DSCF4518%255B1%255D.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
Pics: Last night we were out all day riding around in the rain, we<br />
didn't get a chance to eat dinner in between appointments and as we<br />
were parking our bikes at 9PM I said to Takabori Shimai, "Wouldn't it<br />
just be the best thing ever if someone made a delicious dinner for us<br />
and delivered it to our door?" And then...wouldn't you know it, there<br />
it was!!! Not even making that one up! A member who lives a couple of<br />
apartment complexes down from us received revelation and brought it to<br />
us! Love her!<br />
<br /><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikuUGMQ0BaEBjwj0ZRHxsax1Q_46qlTzk-G4foE77wQNDxQKncXWzDQkVT1jKzour9QpFjRHw53wvz-N4hpG7JuQWz-NLJ33p6bZQFTLLpIXXCQ-_0QvYTB4OcC6m4uIo43GKmT5wZzy_n/s1600/DSCF4519%255B1%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikuUGMQ0BaEBjwj0ZRHxsax1Q_46qlTzk-G4foE77wQNDxQKncXWzDQkVT1jKzour9QpFjRHw53wvz-N4hpG7JuQWz-NLJ33p6bZQFTLLpIXXCQ-_0QvYTB4OcC6m4uIo43GKmT5wZzy_n/s640/DSCF4519%255B1%255D.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
Today during district meeting we had this object lesson where two<br />
Elders had to draw a super hard kanji ten times in one minute while<br />
all of us hit them with toys and stuff. I don't remember what the<br />
object lesson was but it was really funny! Haha<br />
<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-191051375940604103.post-87857882273687664162012-06-12T23:30:00.002-07:002012-06-12T23:35:34.378-07:00Saigo made Taeshinobu (Endure to the End)<div>
Hello everyone! It was a wonderful week! </div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW1lA6J8PBVigVNufggKvYJJSblBgxhbldFmJWpmN98VvXUiBPUkemLdJPs7wkpfp1uXc_dtm1b1x6A-i29RwYjQy-KGZw_Cs-gYPxE80bfSFGSTd5yzGsgfxUx_JzvpVkbjsdCTs_qg5o/s1600/DSCF4356%255B1%255D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW1lA6J8PBVigVNufggKvYJJSblBgxhbldFmJWpmN98VvXUiBPUkemLdJPs7wkpfp1uXc_dtm1b1x6A-i29RwYjQy-KGZw_Cs-gYPxE80bfSFGSTd5yzGsgfxUx_JzvpVkbjsdCTs_qg5o/s640/DSCF4356%255B1%255D.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cooking class. We made tempura!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
</div>
<div>
First
off, we had transfers and Sister Kaneko transfered to none other than
my bean area...NAHA!!!! Which is seriously a miracle and HUGE blessing
because she can help Oohama Shimai, who is the sister I saw baptized in
Naha last July, get to the temple!! </div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
So Sister Mueller, who is going home with me at the end
of this transfer and also served in Naha, and I have had this master
plan for a while to go through the temple with Oohama Shimai our last
day in the field because it will be almost exactly one year to the day
since she was baptized. I wrote Oohama Shimai a letter a while back
asking her what she thought and she finally wrote me back this week! She
said she has been thinking about when to go, but was planning on going
to the Tokyo temple instead of Fukuoka since she has friends there.
However, she said because of our pleas she might reconsider and get back
to us before July 20th! Which means, if a miracle happens, I`ll be able
to help the very first woman I saw baptized go through the temple!
Doesn`t that sound amazing? I don`t want to get my hopes up too
high...but....</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtVlnSlKinFucCsOSAVS32aDdvjzHYpeDKWWit20xltfB1RAM_fQcjMIpOW1gTT5TV-gSeVR6hNCu9ezY_jq90OlgLKDezKCGRkA5C7AevVDZxatyR29iOkL72wuoUsI44rS-2bxQmT5uu/s1600/DSCF4360%255B1%255D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtVlnSlKinFucCsOSAVS32aDdvjzHYpeDKWWit20xltfB1RAM_fQcjMIpOW1gTT5TV-gSeVR6hNCu9ezY_jq90OlgLKDezKCGRkA5C7AevVDZxatyR29iOkL72wuoUsI44rS-2bxQmT5uu/s640/DSCF4360%255B1%255D.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My amazing area of Fujisaki</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
</div>
<div>
From here on out its just me and my green bean Takabori
Shimai. We are having fun doing a special 12 week training and taking
extra time to practice teaching everyday, which is really helping her
and especially me to improv teaching ability. We are missing Kaneko
Shimai but this transfer is going to be amazing! We had a special
meeting with the bishop where we heard about what his vision is for the
ward, and then took the next day to fast and pray together to know what
we should do. The result was that we all felt like concentrating on the
area right around the church for finding, etc. will be really effective.
We`re planning all sorts of fun activities to get the ward members
involved in going finding after church on Sundays, too! We also want to
throw some kind of carnival or fair in the church parking lot to get the
people living right around the church over to meet the members. </div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
We also found FOUR new investigators this week. Two of
them, Hirata and Kyoko, are long-time Eikaiwa students. The other two
are these 11 year old girls, Rika and Marina, who keep coming to hang
out at the church whenever they see our bikes in the parking lot. They
are so incredibly cute. They came by after church the other day and
asked if they could help us hand out flyers, so we took them with us
finding! After that we gave them a tour of the church and read about the
creation of the Earth from that Bible children`s story book and they
loved it all! We even made baptism dates for July 14th with both of
them. We still need to meet their parents and get permission to actually
teach them so cross your fingers! </div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3yqyYRn-IBzW8p7ZwUH7V8l54HY8lZZorW_8RP-fOh0KEVLRs3XExWOXg7DzKECccBVsTu6d2Gs15SxIxqnS7u3nDUhRdN61tvoa9BldvIvDUXZl8ZUvM1HSGSSUcfI22WyFonUX4RB_h/s1600/DSCF4366%255B1%255D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3yqyYRn-IBzW8p7ZwUH7V8l54HY8lZZorW_8RP-fOh0KEVLRs3XExWOXg7DzKECccBVsTu6d2Gs15SxIxqnS7u3nDUhRdN61tvoa9BldvIvDUXZl8ZUvM1HSGSSUcfI22WyFonUX4RB_h/s640/DSCF4366%255B1%255D.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hisada
San`s bedroom.....the place where I`m sitting is where she is
apparently sleeping at night. I have no idea how she even breathes in
there! </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_ovzv_WYozoXmJEXJzIeNte4yCzrsS2jUAqxlagUvoZbXreYXBvI5l6H-AQQYdZuaNa5MOJWPsxXas2ZHSIlv1uOg5-shCoUCpiyCFTF1Nhj1f38YemMhGH7KffRqSCMRi-aVwIMWvh8U/s1600/DSCF4367%255B1%255D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_ovzv_WYozoXmJEXJzIeNte4yCzrsS2jUAqxlagUvoZbXreYXBvI5l6H-AQQYdZuaNa5MOJWPsxXas2ZHSIlv1uOg5-shCoUCpiyCFTF1Nhj1f38YemMhGH7KffRqSCMRi-aVwIMWvh8U/s640/DSCF4367%255B1%255D.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
Ok, if you don`t want to read about another incredibly
dirty house I`m cleaning then please skip this paragraph. We met this
lady on the street the other day who was limping and carrying some heavy
groceries, so we offered to help and she let us into her apartment. I
know this is the third or fourth time I`ve talked about cleaning a
hoarder`s house, but this one was like no other I`ve been to. It wasn`t
so much filthy as there were just piles and piles and piles and piles
and piles of papers, receipts, wrappers, etc. This woman is literally a a
pack-rat in every sense of the word. She basically begged us to come in
and help her organize. We were a little hesitant because we were on the
way to visit a member but when we looked into her bedroom and saw that
she had literally 5 ft. of space on her floor, in her entire house,
where she had a little blanket and was sleeping we decided to stay and
maybe widen that space a little. She has some sort of sickness where she
can`t move her arm which is her excuse for not having organized for 7
YEARS but after oranizing a while and having her hover over me, not
letting me throw away anything but old tissues, I realized the real
problem, haha. It is so sad. I convinced her to throw away a bunch of
wrappers and stuff and we put them next to her front door so she could
take them out for garbage day the next day...but when we went back a few
days later to help out again she had emptied out the bags I had sorted
and put everything back exactly where it had been before!!!!!!!! I was
literally in shock, haha. Anyway, I don`t think there is anything we can
do to help this lady clean her house but we gave her a Book of Mormon
and taught her how to pray. Hopefully once she starts learning and
living the gospel she will realize she needs to throw stuff away...or
something. Haha. </div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
There was a lot more I wanted to write in this email
but I forgot my planner today where I wrote everything down! Oh well.
I`m sure we will have another great week ahead with more adventures and
interesting stories to tell. The gospel is SO true and I am so happy
that I get to go out with my companion everyday, testifying and talking
to dozens of people! It is seriously so much fun! Having a companion who
just came straight from America and is obsessed with pop culture has
been an interesting change...haha. I`ve been in a little shock hearing
about recent movies, books, music, etc. but it is probably all helping
me come back to reality so I`m not a total weirdo when I get home! </div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
Love you all! </div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
Love, Tingey Shimai</div>
<div>
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-191051375940604103.post-35524066664116271492012-06-04T22:13:00.000-07:002012-06-04T22:13:14.645-07:00Because I have been given much<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLst1k-3qgugkAhMpzs5GnFYj2JttTHZRysrsIbINn2FgDUk2_VzCA0CrssS6BWKZbrJaTCpz1PNF9bUFX0SVCIhZ5r9gznJ_-n323UXnyW5OZZmJ6YSIp86q1pWVTb6WdfR4GM5oo7AM5/s1600/DSCF4344.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLst1k-3qgugkAhMpzs5GnFYj2JttTHZRysrsIbINn2FgDUk2_VzCA0CrssS6BWKZbrJaTCpz1PNF9bUFX0SVCIhZ5r9gznJ_-n323UXnyW5OZZmJ6YSIp86q1pWVTb6WdfR4GM5oo7AM5/s640/DSCF4344.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yesterday we were surprised when our ward mission leader, Brother<br />
Shiki told us he was driving us up the mountain to eat at this super<br />
delicous restaraunt. He eended up taking the kids on a hike while we<br />
got to bond with his daughter. It was realllly fun. That's his car,<br />
Jasmine behind us.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC2DCH-eHUMe-BMzxPnv1KUXIZcXQPjf88O01Eixi9qVmRPXNzJw4kHXJ6Eu5FnBJ6rhdiwvbZxtL8489MlonL06yKM9esiwlTeR7MmNbT2-bJQlW15SbIb-xySx4nusw6E9XCZXpG0jtB/s1600/DSCF4336.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
Hello!<br />
<br />
Well, this week was fun/interesting on many levels. I hope you're<br />
getting each week a little feel of what life is like out here in<br />
Fukuoka, but I doubt my penmanship really conveys what its like here.<br />
<br />
Well, lets see...we have been doing a LOT of finding recently because<br />
we don't really have any investigators. With that comes suuuper long<br />
days and tiredness but the plus is that we have many new friends and<br />
contacts who might possibly become people we can start teaching.<br />
Yesterday we were really excited to meet a woman named Ginger who is a<br />
teacher at the International school here. We've been biking around<br />
that area a lot where the foreigners are living so we've had more<br />
opportunities to meet people from all over the world.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0PsJjqyN1XK14mSBEP9YL9Y0Rd3IT1Y_XySk8utsjXTlok61fHsAp7i6i7c3OvzJZiVf49nMExwFN8nAVFitjSrrIQQB75FedINvIbWJZEurrnfQk_3cKPYbsR6bFBUmZjUrPdctxMbHx/s1600/DSCF4346.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0PsJjqyN1XK14mSBEP9YL9Y0Rd3IT1Y_XySk8utsjXTlok61fHsAp7i6i7c3OvzJZiVf49nMExwFN8nAVFitjSrrIQQB75FedINvIbWJZEurrnfQk_3cKPYbsR6bFBUmZjUrPdctxMbHx/s640/DSCF4346.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View of Fukuoka tower from my favorite spot in our area. <3</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<br />
This week we started talking to this obaasan(grandma) and out of<br />
nowhere she started singing at the top of her lungs! So, of course,<br />
Sister Takabori and Kaneko and I whipped out our hymn books and sang<br />
'Because I have been given much' for her. She loved it and said she<br />
really wanted to come to church to sing with us! We also met two other<br />
older women who immediately jumped at the invitation to come to<br />
church, which is pretty unusual in my experience. Only one of them<br />
ended up coming but it was really a miracle to have that all happen in<br />
the span of just two days!<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC2DCH-eHUMe-BMzxPnv1KUXIZcXQPjf88O01Eixi9qVmRPXNzJw4kHXJ6Eu5FnBJ6rhdiwvbZxtL8489MlonL06yKM9esiwlTeR7MmNbT2-bJQlW15SbIb-xySx4nusw6E9XCZXpG0jtB/s1600/DSCF4336.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC2DCH-eHUMe-BMzxPnv1KUXIZcXQPjf88O01Eixi9qVmRPXNzJw4kHXJ6Eu5FnBJ6rhdiwvbZxtL8489MlonL06yKM9esiwlTeR7MmNbT2-bJQlW15SbIb-xySx4nusw6E9XCZXpG0jtB/s640/DSCF4336.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Driving around on Sunday with the Reelief Society president, Sakata<br />
Shimai to visit all sorts of members and friends.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
One really fun thing this week is that we went housing with this 10<br />
year old named Yuai-chan who is the member of an inactive family. She<br />
took us to the doors of some of her school friends and even went with<br />
us to knock some random doors. It was so cute! I wish I would have<br />
done that when I was ten (Not that I really would have gone...haha).<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikMnj49PWHp-MY3uEZ4MXRsHN1ygschYBYRYqfP13IoxLx0VoKcJpfasIqjt6Q-uJh6GAOyD02Kehh_wQ5IwIlu9XeY21kaCbRI88aZ3o_O3My3ZwOwKfv2lm9GiWUcN4Ly3xBx_jjOsmw/s1600/DSCF4331.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikMnj49PWHp-MY3uEZ4MXRsHN1ygschYBYRYqfP13IoxLx0VoKcJpfasIqjt6Q-uJh6GAOyD02Kehh_wQ5IwIlu9XeY21kaCbRI88aZ3o_O3My3ZwOwKfv2lm9GiWUcN4Ly3xBx_jjOsmw/s640/DSCF4331.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We made these at a member's house. There is a TV character here<br />
named Anpanman, who is basically a superhero bread roll who fights<br />
evil characters like bacteria and whatnot and the only way you can<br />
kill him is by getting him wet, haha. I've never seen it but its super<br />
popular here and sounds soooo weird and Japanes-y.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<br />
A cool experience I had while finding this week was I had marked a<br />
copy of a Book of Mormon to give away with some scriptures I liked. I<br />
ended up marking some verses in 3 Nephi about becoming as a little<br />
child, and some others on that same topic and we just so happened to<br />
run into this lady named Mitoma san who was a teacher for disabled<br />
children and the scriptures I had marked were just what she needed to<br />
read! I was so excited to give it to her and she was the one who<br />
showed up for church on Sunday! The gospel is true!<br />
<br />
Sorry this email is brief, but I gotta run. I love you all so much and<br />
I really really feel your prayers out here. Sometimes at the end of a<br />
long, hard day I think to myself, 'How in the world have I done this<br />
every single day for the past 16 months!? I really can't comprehend<br />
it, but I know it is because of all of your help, emails, prayers,<br />
support, and mostly through the atonement of Christ. I love this<br />
gospel and this work and I hope you all have a fabulous week!<br />
<br />
Love, Tingey ShimaiUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-191051375940604103.post-66562100236342196232012-05-28T23:20:00.001-07:002012-05-28T23:20:38.466-07:00The Joys of being a Bean<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKcVp1vNnhNF5112ovmbU8mHw_DUPzxJPbdFDFk4jEPtyToCt26kBq95paCfhg0R2aHUDejbjY1dKhiFrfxzkxeceXXevtrtVbrpPgS0MA1hJouoPS3muE2Gr2hM7hMc8equ-0_ggfnczD/s1600/DSCF4309.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKcVp1vNnhNF5112ovmbU8mHw_DUPzxJPbdFDFk4jEPtyToCt26kBq95paCfhg0R2aHUDejbjY1dKhiFrfxzkxeceXXevtrtVbrpPgS0MA1hJouoPS3muE2Gr2hM7hMc8equ-0_ggfnczD/s640/DSCF4309.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1.Me, Sister Kaneko and Takabori with our special Gokuri drinks we<br />
bought for zone pday at the beach</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
Hello everyone,<br />
<br />
Yet another week has passed and again I'm going to write you an email,<br />
like I do every week, about how incredibly awesome life is!<br />
<br />
Well this week was uhhhhmazing, mostly due to our super baby bean,<br />
Takabori Shimai, who arrived last Wednesday. She is full Japanese but<br />
moved to New Jersey at age 2 and graduated from BYU so she is<br />
American. She understands most Japanese because her parents always<br />
spoke in in their home but she always answered them in English so<br />
she's just getting her language ability back. When I first met her I<br />
was SHOCKED because she is basically a twin of my trainer, Sister<br />
McIntyre, in looks and her mannerisms and whatnot! It was actually<br />
really weird for the first couple of days but now I don't really<br />
notice anymore. It has been SO incredibly fun though because she has<br />
definitely brought that new missionary/MTC fire with her to the field<br />
and we have been just tearing it up here in Fujisaki this week. I<br />
literally feel like I've traveled right back in time to my bean<br />
transfer, tromping around in a threesome just like when I was with my<br />
trainer and those two Sisters (Hooker and Lynch) who came down from<br />
Tokyo due to the earthquake. It has been amazing. Sister Kaneko and I<br />
are both Dendo Grandmas by now so putting a new missionary in this<br />
companionship has done wonders. Looks like I am going to be her<br />
trainer, too so I became a proud parent this week! I couldn't have<br />
asked for a better bean.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHFb1oQmgrjVv7FTXmWpmbQAqW9HjOfn21Z-n2JPnKB9tmjPWCb5bDQ7FDW8k84r3vnVMPdvM6OgIjhj7Jq8gqETOo2sV9LsDgWtTrS5LtGBN4ESAdcYNhvYGffMjeRYf2yUWeVIhdcSdY/s1600/DSCF4325.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHFb1oQmgrjVv7FTXmWpmbQAqW9HjOfn21Z-n2JPnKB9tmjPWCb5bDQ7FDW8k84r3vnVMPdvM6OgIjhj7Jq8gqETOo2sV9LsDgWtTrS5LtGBN4ESAdcYNhvYGffMjeRYf2yUWeVIhdcSdY/s640/DSCF4325.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> District meeting</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<br />
So...I decided when she came that it would be best to keep everything<br />
Japanese so that she could pick up the language better right from the<br />
beginning, atleast until Kaneko Shimai leaves. I remember as a bean<br />
wanting to learn Japanese SO BADLY but all of my companions were<br />
American and that was way frustrating for me. It went well for a<br />
couple of days but things have been getting more and more English-y<br />
everyday, haha. HOWEVER, for the first time in almost a year (after<br />
having had all Japanese companions for the last 11 months) I have been<br />
feeling the joys of speaking my native language!!! And not only<br />
speaking around the houst and whatnot, but sharing the gospel!<br />
Yesterday while leaving the beach after Zone Pday we ran into this<br />
Korean girl who is attending the international high school. At first<br />
we were speaking with her in Japanese but as soon as we figured out<br />
she was fluent in English we switched languages and I'm pretty sure it<br />
was the first time I have ever shared about the Restoration of the<br />
gospel in English while finding, with a companion next to me also<br />
supporting my testimony. It was so weird and so amazing being able to<br />
say so many more things, and express myself more freely. I even cried<br />
afterward because I was so happy to be sharing the gospel in English.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx5hq9s_YNowIJ79ZYA10soIVHoYkT8499AKgZ_CWhjExwc27eHyQDuq8d7X4DzbvbazXd_At57v_yxx_QRLJ7PJF4L08jJx7PriCW0U1tYk1PP_UvnsCSRlmYPuXjHV3TlBzJ-MVFeGzQ/s1600/DSCF4314.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx5hq9s_YNowIJ79ZYA10soIVHoYkT8499AKgZ_CWhjExwc27eHyQDuq8d7X4DzbvbazXd_At57v_yxx_QRLJ7PJF4L08jJx7PriCW0U1tYk1PP_UvnsCSRlmYPuXjHV3TlBzJ-MVFeGzQ/s640/DSCF4314.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">nin douryou is the best!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
It has been especially fun re-experiencing all of the 'mission firsts'<br />
with Sister Takabori. She has cuts and bruises all over her legs from<br />
crashing into things and falling off her bike, which is hilarious and<br />
adorable, and it was so fun to see her give out her first Book of<br />
Mormon! She was so excited and cute! Unfortunately, that same girl who<br />
she gave it to came back a couple of minutes later and gave it back,<br />
saying her parents would get mad if she took it home with her. When I<br />
saw the devastation and disbelief on Takabori Shimai's face I<br />
remembered back to similar experiences I had as a bean, when I was<br />
devastated by every little rejection and was in disbelief that such a<br />
thing could happen after being so sheltered in the MTC where everyone<br />
accepts your message and takes what you give them. It was also fun to<br />
see this week when she had her first experience finding a new<br />
investigator named the Sakuma family. She could not stop talking about<br />
them after we got home and I know they will have a special place in<br />
her heart for her whole mission, just like my first investigator,<br />
Linseika (from Taiwan) has in mine!<br />
<br />
To say the least, since Takabori Shimai has arrived I've just thanked<br />
Heavenly Father everyday for sending us such an amazing bean who loves<br />
the gospel, has a sincere desire to find and teach people, and wants<br />
to work hard every second of the day. It has really amped me up and<br />
even though I've been on my mission for 16 months I feel like a fiery<br />
new missionary all over again!! What an incredible blessing!<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz0UrSJoAn1NqCAVxOWpyKyXOT_MgXl1fzxo0s-gVVupjKNzHRLcq9ga23kN6qXwgyVZy6EFAhMFX1ZeSh-QBL9XQhv4S_bUAfZ9FVYsB065nnvWlmYRIuVoFXiGAKvsNR_Epuv6SURO7U/s1600/DSCF4312.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz0UrSJoAn1NqCAVxOWpyKyXOT_MgXl1fzxo0s-gVVupjKNzHRLcq9ga23kN6qXwgyVZy6EFAhMFX1ZeSh-QBL9XQhv4S_bUAfZ9FVYsB065nnvWlmYRIuVoFXiGAKvsNR_Epuv6SURO7U/s640/DSCF4312.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
I love Jesus Christ and everything he has done for me. I feel the<br />
atonement in my life daily as we, as a companionship, strive to be<br />
humble and follow the spirit. Being on a mission is such a huge<br />
blessing and I have not regretted one second of it! I refuse to waste<br />
a minute so...I'm gonna log off now so we can get back to work! I love<br />
you all!<br />
<br />
Love, Tingey Shimai<br />
<br />
P.S. One fun story from this week is that yesterday during Pday we<br />
took a minute to stop and talk to this lady at a stoplight. She was<br />
carrying a bunch of bags and on her way to the thrift store to sell<br />
her clothes. We told her we were missionaries teaching about Jesus<br />
Christ but she said she wasn't interested and walked away, but then a<br />
few minutes later I saw her running back down the street toward us<br />
with her giant fake blonde hair and huge sunglasses, carrying all her<br />
bags. She said ' Umm when I was talking to you before I was carrying<br />
another bag and now I can't find it...did you take it?' We were<br />
like..uhhh no..haha. But she insisted on searching all of our bags and<br />
bike baskets to make sure we didnt rob her. Isn't that hilarious?<br />
Definitely the first time I've been accused of robbing someone on my<br />
mission. Anyway, we were almost able to give her a Book of Mormon but<br />
she said it was too heavy. Hope she finds her missing bag :/<br />
<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-191051375940604103.post-78777326495156408362012-05-21T22:41:00.002-07:002012-11-29T22:21:52.437-08:00A New Baby and Hunting Clam Hunters<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr2vRafdPgSvP8Gsp4w9KDjs82ZzMSlu8W6Jl0gLJnAQzQmEHA5J3g234XPT2_mgRqs-hhYwPQN9mfIoLwqN-NzQowiZJ1sYTsugIDZM0iVNaQzsnCv_eeADj9cdhQccZJW9A290yYhhG5/s1600/DSCF4270.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr2vRafdPgSvP8Gsp4w9KDjs82ZzMSlu8W6Jl0gLJnAQzQmEHA5J3g234XPT2_mgRqs-hhYwPQN9mfIoLwqN-NzQowiZJ1sYTsugIDZM0iVNaQzsnCv_eeADj9cdhQccZJW9A290yYhhG5/s640/DSCF4270.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Singin</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
My dear family,<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIiRYfdTtGMEBnQzXgyIWnL9cleCqqAkWEvdTyQ6RlhQ_UlUvQrfRvOtgsYz4cOpP9DYeZ4SAnRoZUR4k4ixvk37CIXWf1bBwnwC-MltbKZLO2g2w6bCFa2AeJyUir8QQpaDF7C03LFr14/s1600/DSCF4291.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIiRYfdTtGMEBnQzXgyIWnL9cleCqqAkWEvdTyQ6RlhQ_UlUvQrfRvOtgsYz4cOpP9DYeZ4SAnRoZUR4k4ixvk37CIXWf1bBwnwC-MltbKZLO2g2w6bCFa2AeJyUir8QQpaDF7C03LFr14/s400/DSCF4291.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A man walking his pet ferrett BiBichan</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Good news! Brother Araki was confirmed on Sunday! He looked so happy,<br />
especially when Bishop Miyake welcomed him to Fujisaki ward. When<br />
Brother Shiki was performing the ordinance and said, 'Receive the Holy<br />
Ghost' Brother Araki said, 'Hai!" or 'OK!' outloud Hahah. It was<br />
really cute. We also took him to Institute for the first time on<br />
Thursday. The first question the teacher asked was, 'Think about<br />
important decisions you have made in your life' and then asked for<br />
volunteers to share what they thought. Brother Araki was the first to<br />
raise his hand, stand up and say, 'This past Saturday I was baptized,<br />
and that is the most important decision I have ever made!' He's<br />
generally a really quiet guy so we were both surprised he was so<br />
confident in front of a bunch of people to do that. He will be a<br />
really strong member for this ward.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN4ji38B2ZC0kfpi2igJcxLmbB6wlkgVaTVe4F0_Mu7Oah9Xhe_kEmTh_aW8DdkFdwWvIAqVSi0v133a5mxPDtNWvHopCjX_dDOmtvPqaH1_R4BjqiN666k_6F2XiJLkDJpFL7FzVyvSbC/s1600/DSCF4268%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN4ji38B2ZC0kfpi2igJcxLmbB6wlkgVaTVe4F0_Mu7Oah9Xhe_kEmTh_aW8DdkFdwWvIAqVSi0v133a5mxPDtNWvHopCjX_dDOmtvPqaH1_R4BjqiN666k_6F2XiJLkDJpFL7FzVyvSbC/s400/DSCF4268%5B1%5D.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">pic; singing with Kaneko shimai at the talent show</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Among many other things we had a really fun week finding and handing<br />
out a lot of Book of Mormons. On Sunday we were both really tired and<br />
ready to collapse and take forbidden naps in the church but we went<br />
out the door and decided to go to a fun place in our area for a little<br />
adventure. Remember when I went to the top of Fukuoka tower for<br />
District meeting in January? That tower is in our area and right next<br />
to the ocean. I remember during that district meeting Elder Stratford<br />
had us look out on Fukuoka from the tower and reflect about the past<br />
transfer and transfers ahead. At that time I didn't realize I was<br />
actually looking directly at my future area! Anyway, we went to the<br />
area where that tower is and there were hundreds of people out clam<br />
hunting in the giant river leading out to the ocean! It was awesome.<br />
We rode our bikes around that area for a while and talked to three<br />
awesome families in a row and gave them all a copy of the Book of<br />
Mormon! It was definitely a blessing and I totally forgot how tired I<br />
had been earlier that day.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifz5dsUkZeeKCAdxeVT5LxBd34QEccUxiiesEvQ97iwlx1eaK_qmrxvFJu6RfhFmUliq3CoM-MUfWCiXnhT8IZ8oS_SpermGpBi66ND0PJHfAFsvrwxdhy2mETTbfPqKkQtRL43LqdUmg2/s1600/DSCF4304.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifz5dsUkZeeKCAdxeVT5LxBd34QEccUxiiesEvQ97iwlx1eaK_qmrxvFJu6RfhFmUliq3CoM-MUfWCiXnhT8IZ8oS_SpermGpBi66ND0PJHfAFsvrwxdhy2mETTbfPqKkQtRL43LqdUmg2/s400/DSCF4304.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Watanabe family. Honoko chan, the one who shared her testimony is the bottom left. Aren`t they cute!?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<br />
We had our big talent show on Saturday and lots of people showed up! A<br />
lot of people dressed up in Kimonos and did weird samurai skits and<br />
whatnot, and we also learned about Okinawan dialect from a native<br />
Okinawaan, heard a duet of 'Somewhere over the rainbow' from a father<br />
and daughter, and I performed a song I wrote on the guitar for the<br />
first time ever I think. Luckily nobody could understand the lyrics so<br />
I wasnt't as nervous, haha. It was a song I wrote after watching<br />
General Conference when i was in Ube.<br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpL5OzU2KuY1Y128tA1DjtmAuK67Nwgjvt5vpjcL9HN2u_PvB2lYDa-hUV1fccjP-kCQ8lXXfyQvoisgDBMb0sSUTiaGBiz5Jy_PHCu5f7FiG826YnLzcwD9rmMngQZwQnYbwTgfpYQspK/s1600/DSCF4287.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpL5OzU2KuY1Y128tA1DjtmAuK67Nwgjvt5vpjcL9HN2u_PvB2lYDa-hUV1fccjP-kCQ8lXXfyQvoisgDBMb0sSUTiaGBiz5Jy_PHCu5f7FiG826YnLzcwD9rmMngQZwQnYbwTgfpYQspK/s400/DSCF4287.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunset</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Ok, last night we visited the cutest family of all time. They live on<br />
an island called Nokonoshima that is about a 10 minute boat ride from<br />
Fujisaki. The dad isn't a member but every morning he takes his<br />
daughter to the church to attend seminary at 5:30 and he comes to<br />
church every single week! We"re working on helping him understand the<br />
importance of baptism. Apparently he has some problem with joining an<br />
organization but I think if he understands a little better and also<br />
gains his own testimony by reading the book of Mormon on his own he<br />
will be baptized soon. Anyway, they are seriously the most adorable<br />
family ever. They have five girls named: Nanoko, Kanoko, Honoko,<br />
Nonoko, Konoko. Yeah, I still haven't quite gotten them all down but<br />
I'm working on it! Well, we had FHE with them last night and talked<br />
about the Book of Mormon and how in 2Nephi 31 it says that the words<br />
written are plain and easy to understand. Then we asked Honoko chan,<br />
who is about 10 years old if she feels like she has ever learned<br />
anything from reading it and she told about how she's been learning in<br />
Primary about Alma the younger and the Sons of Mosiah and how even<br />
though they did lots of bad stuff they repented. Then she said that we<br />
also need to do that. I was basically stunned at this little girl's<br />
answer and when I looked at her parents I could tell that before then<br />
they had no idea their children were absorbing the gospel so much. I<br />
think it was a really good opportunity for the Dad to see the<br />
influence the Book of Mormon is having on his kids. Hopefully it gave<br />
him a little push.<br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXuUNjYhXB7U5vn1S6zfJQZTqaKb41UiVId0PF4XOBMvaLt0VFvF4H7hdeqUyI8m5YhspBxLD2xeAOaBG0IgBerhJ6EOGum_QIEe_ZXH4kpZpxyi7R24KRE1yU-1jCVglO-I2FdufYZqMx/s1600/DSCF4293.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXuUNjYhXB7U5vn1S6zfJQZTqaKb41UiVId0PF4XOBMvaLt0VFvF4H7hdeqUyI8m5YhspBxLD2xeAOaBG0IgBerhJ6EOGum_QIEe_ZXH4kpZpxyi7R24KRE1yU-1jCVglO-I2FdufYZqMx/s400/DSCF4293.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">With the Watanabe kids playing on their island</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Ok lastly, I have some big news. We got a surprise call yesterday from<br />
the APs telling us that a BEAN is coming tomorrow to join our<br />
companionship and make us into a threesome! Its super random because<br />
there are still two weeks left in this transfer...and they haven't<br />
decided who is going to be her trainer....so its kind of just like<br />
she's coming and hanging out for two weeks and dendo-ing with us.<br />
Apparently she had something with her Visa and so she had to come<br />
early from the MTC? Not really sure. Anyway, it should be interesting.<br />
Her name is Takabori Shimai and I think shes Japanese but also lived<br />
in New Jersey...so we'll see if shes more Japanese or American. Please<br />
pray for us that things will go smoothly with our new addition!<br />
Yesterday we went grocery shopping and it was like we were getting<br />
ready to have a baby. "...Well what kind of milk do you think she'll<br />
like? Skim or whole? What cereal should we get? Does she like<br />
Bananas?" All for our new baby!<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLUaim2t71uYhP8-p0Lhpjalfyhozz1CRVj0_Bmpeh6uWDAXHqZm1pEsTwfaf6KdDgPwtQ-dfWl2qgrU_V4VDWyKHTMsvIcvqP-XJtEJ44lZ5_P0xZpKo3-eA0wTA-q7jJ1t0Z69DnFLrK/s1600/DSCF4279.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLUaim2t71uYhP8-p0Lhpjalfyhozz1CRVj0_Bmpeh6uWDAXHqZm1pEsTwfaf6KdDgPwtQ-dfWl2qgrU_V4VDWyKHTMsvIcvqP-XJtEJ44lZ5_P0xZpKo3-eA0wTA-q7jJ1t0Z69DnFLrK/s400/DSCF4279.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Clams</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<br />
Love you all! This work is the best!!!<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXqkw-4uqyKLEt97GTqhOB2LwMG3QQ9Q2I1zvisHK1I_doHqdVenszIiflJHvA-ZkSOeddvUSQZc1cLycCsyaguFe-M3aVWhdSPIH8d_68V3PXoNsDp_8HVLXkpBi0_-gjpKT_DrLfbzL9/s1600/DSCF4281.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXqkw-4uqyKLEt97GTqhOB2LwMG3QQ9Q2I1zvisHK1I_doHqdVenszIiflJHvA-ZkSOeddvUSQZc1cLycCsyaguFe-M3aVWhdSPIH8d_68V3PXoNsDp_8HVLXkpBi0_-gjpKT_DrLfbzL9/s400/DSCF4281.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lots of people hunting for clams</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Love Tingey Shimai<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOwM_toYtsPzgRFeXVEaKCU85QBG2MDb-xmqWlEruGQSVpKB164x1GH31hOg536L5B5zdoDVeYOX8LazI2GBN6_q0norOcKCALvXDh05Hu4KNrt7YIVO2TqSwGXSsedUa60AHPSGzetf2r/s1600/DSCF4273.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOwM_toYtsPzgRFeXVEaKCU85QBG2MDb-xmqWlEruGQSVpKB164x1GH31hOg536L5B5zdoDVeYOX8LazI2GBN6_q0norOcKCALvXDh05Hu4KNrt7YIVO2TqSwGXSsedUa60AHPSGzetf2r/s400/DSCF4273.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some delicious looking fish a member gave us</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
5. With the Watanabe kids playing on their island</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-191051375940604103.post-34050430892504719322012-05-21T22:40:00.001-07:002012-11-29T22:58:11.755-08:00Fujisaki Horror story....and some other spiritual stuff.<div>
Dear family and friends,</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
It was a wonderful week! Since I just talked to you on the phone here are some highlights from this week....<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZce1d_d1npPuZGWdBJvjZ22mleplBznZxZRqbKtWRwB4JRlxiBb95MaX-TOcTTCyyssiw6zNIf5K89RTRXAP4W5VHwC5k64XNER_i3CnD7y9AOM8pl5EzBvhzHYXFGO2Ap2ZwaPvE3FLQ/s1600/DSCF4205.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZce1d_d1npPuZGWdBJvjZ22mleplBznZxZRqbKtWRwB4JRlxiBb95MaX-TOcTTCyyssiw6zNIf5K89RTRXAP4W5VHwC5k64XNER_i3CnD7y9AOM8pl5EzBvhzHYXFGO2Ap2ZwaPvE3FLQ/s400/DSCF4205.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looks like I got to attend Komeda san`s baptism after all!!!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Brother
Araki was baptized on Wednesday!! Wahoooo. Sister Kaneko and I sang a
song together and the spirit was just really strong throughout the
entire service. In his testimony he shared an experience from when he
was younger and almost drowned when he was trapped in the ocean tides
with his brother, but somehow they were able to stay afloat for about 5
hours until they were rescued. He said he feels like he was saved then
in order to be able to accept the gospel now in his life. It was an
amazing story. Araki san seemed sooo happy the whole time and was even
invited over for a big dinner celebration with his new Home Teachers and
Home teaching companion! Couldn`t have asked for anything else from the
ward. Welcome to the Church Brother Araki!</div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
I received a package from Hattori Shimai containing a
picture of Komeda San`s baptism. When I left Ube a couple of days before
she was baptized I jokingly told Hattori Shimai to print out my head
and hold it in the pictures. I didn`t think she would actually do it....</div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
Talking to my family on Mother`s day was amazing!!! It
didn`t seem like it had really been that long since talking on Christmas
but was nice to hear everyone`s voices (besides my two long lost
brothers who I never hear from!!!! eh hemmm!). I especially loved
talking to my mom and Teri, both of whom are fantastic role models for
me and are constantly encouraging and inspiring me to be better. I love
you ;)<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhELtJPW-QC4QmnC4sQkGkOMKXA-lEgVoQHBFIsh7n3TZfmTskfRbDJjLD1tfzBldTzlT2orcmavZ9uxHVr3AzSDZUDcgbNSQ9RtG5BflO9lZHHAmM7X68yIDwzRzOXLtzuzoKKozgvGWU6/s1600/DSCF4222.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhELtJPW-QC4QmnC4sQkGkOMKXA-lEgVoQHBFIsh7n3TZfmTskfRbDJjLD1tfzBldTzlT2orcmavZ9uxHVr3AzSDZUDcgbNSQ9RtG5BflO9lZHHAmM7X68yIDwzRzOXLtzuzoKKozgvGWU6/s400/DSCF4222.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Us with brother Araki and the bishop who performed the ordinance.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
I learned a TON this week in personal study. I`m not
sure what it was but I just couldn`t get enough of reading the BOM,
cross-referencing, reading the Bible Dictionary and True to the Faith.
It was awesome. One thing I learned was about how the Christian Jews in
Palestine, after Christ died had a super hard time doing away with the
Law of Moses because they had corrupted the original law so much and
were being super obsessive and weird about it, whereas the Nephites in
the Americas, who hadn`t changed the law were easily able to accept the
higher law when Christ appeared to them. I thought that was so
interesting!! Sister Kaneko and I have been sharing one thing each day
during personal study about humility. I feel like every bad thing that
usually happens in the Book of Mormon and other scriptures, as well as
in our own lives is largely due to pride. Humility is key! </div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
Sorry this is short but I gotta run! Can`t wait for
another day of hard work and bringing in the harvest for the Lord. I
feel all of your prayers and also pray for you daily. Keep it up! </div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
Love, Tingey Shimai<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcXtjN7Fl_jUMPc5x-R1TVEiQ1BSvs7EC7ewBsL9oQlaiXsZ4RK_HP8KaBKOs2mG5OzI8akBG4uX3MYWQdJfqY5BACxpPaRe9hWN1r5HYGaVhJ0_VBmdmGDUa-_qcfUJn8e2M-VW-ZrKUA/s1600/DSCF4208.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcXtjN7Fl_jUMPc5x-R1TVEiQ1BSvs7EC7ewBsL9oQlaiXsZ4RK_HP8KaBKOs2mG5OzI8akBG4uX3MYWQdJfqY5BACxpPaRe9hWN1r5HYGaVhJ0_VBmdmGDUa-_qcfUJn8e2M-VW-ZrKUA/s400/DSCF4208.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finally a picture with my companion!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoJ73chxFFSQeJ_QH9eT-rMRCgwcrNbVLN31ElDNjZ2Jq7u1NMhfixrr3y97eTP4NFHiv4pQXzMnYCPDWUR8fXt8m6zrqZ_WDCv1n1paL0moUEFl32rX2VP6Y8cBMGIqaYKI12RFbtx9MQ/s1600/DSCF4229.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoJ73chxFFSQeJ_QH9eT-rMRCgwcrNbVLN31ElDNjZ2Jq7u1NMhfixrr3y97eTP4NFHiv4pQXzMnYCPDWUR8fXt8m6zrqZ_WDCv1n1paL0moUEFl32rX2VP6Y8cBMGIqaYKI12RFbtx9MQ/s400/DSCF4229.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Weeds
our ward mission leader fed us for dinner. Apparently its the rage
around here to pick the weeds around your house and fry them up to feed
to the missionaries. Thats not a joke. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL0ZgYrPcnsEjAtqEYl1q99otSjlG3EwwDF_IVjiPQAqhAY1sVE8lTTFtSpvHIJMKfwqLcK_heQ8PJVT2cWXJ65R0-uesZ66wz-aSM5o1b6PpeeJj0IcjrsdMojQ550wkTY7jsRr6KNpy1/s1600/DSCF4213.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL0ZgYrPcnsEjAtqEYl1q99otSjlG3EwwDF_IVjiPQAqhAY1sVE8lTTFtSpvHIJMKfwqLcK_heQ8PJVT2cWXJ65R0-uesZ66wz-aSM5o1b6PpeeJj0IcjrsdMojQ550wkTY7jsRr6KNpy1/s400/DSCF4213.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So Saturday
was the most hilarious day of my mission. First off, we decided to visit
this grandma we met a couple of weeks ago. As we were praying in front
of her glass doors before ringing the doorbell there were a lot of
creepy tinkling and wind-blowing noises and I kept opening my eyes to
see if someone was coming. We were already a little freaked out but we
closed our eyes and finished the prayer and as soon as we opened our
eyes and looked up the grandma was standing behind the glass doors
staring at us with this insanely creepy, emotionless expression on her
face, looking like an ax-murderer. It was horrifying, you guys! She
stepped through the doors and said, still with that same face, `I`m
sorry. I can`t listen to your lessons.` We both really think she was
posessed or something. I cannot get that image out of my head. So we
were half traumatized/ half cracking up all day about that, had a few
more interesting encounters...and then after finding all day we ran into
this cool looking Indo curry restaraunt so decided to stop there for
dinner. We sat down at our table and to our complete astonishment there
was a super intense Indian horror movie playing on the TV right above
our table behind Sister Kaneko`s head!! It wasthe most hilarious
coincidence ever. I mean, what are the chances! Anyway, I took this
picture. If you get the chance, be sure to zoom in on the screen and see
the scary dead lady.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxf_og18S61Nw6nYIApDxdyprn8jgXd10kbdBRXxN10OEnEwipbMrtz1NdO0GWgYN9c35pbpoBBD7VvTnVIMbdBQZ3USrvIft5NbH3Y3Uo7vG1pxYfrgGEzPC_V9RSY5Fv2YYWj4lGEcir/s1600/DSCF4215.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxf_og18S61Nw6nYIApDxdyprn8jgXd10kbdBRXxN10OEnEwipbMrtz1NdO0GWgYN9c35pbpoBBD7VvTnVIMbdBQZ3USrvIft5NbH3Y3Uo7vG1pxYfrgGEzPC_V9RSY5Fv2YYWj4lGEcir/s320/DSCF4215.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cleaning the baptismal font! </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br /></div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-191051375940604103.post-19582051814939563562012-05-10T21:55:00.002-07:002012-05-10T21:55:18.352-07:00I'm a friend of the Bees<div>
Dear family and friends,</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWIDQiocQmumsoyzB_BmykCn3UEnvt491CE7tfmZ-zX8p1HtOMlzXpOER09hly1rM_yhAKIex6QiX6f8_YQqvCSP-nNNEY_u-Iaiu3HjwHiqvxViTUXMSAVQeFR0cpkRaUqpvcZMbih9QD/s1600/DSCF4195%5B1%5D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWIDQiocQmumsoyzB_BmykCn3UEnvt491CE7tfmZ-zX8p1HtOMlzXpOER09hly1rM_yhAKIex6QiX6f8_YQqvCSP-nNNEY_u-Iaiu3HjwHiqvxViTUXMSAVQeFR0cpkRaUqpvcZMbih9QD/s640/DSCF4195%5B1%5D.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Bees</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
</div>
<div>
Its hard to believe
that I`ve only been in Fujisaki for about two weeks! I still haven`t had
the chance to tell you about my first week here and it seems like
already ages ago! </div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
Here are a few highlights from last week...</div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
We
received about a billion referrals from the Ward Mission Leader Brother
Shiki. He is a big bee enthusiast and has a lot of fellow bee keeper
friends, so he gave us a referral for one named Aoyagi san. I was really
confused about how we were supposed to approach him because he said,
`Just go to the gas station where he works and say, `I`m a friend of the
bees``. Thats it. I was like...uhhh...haha. Kaneko Shimai didn`t seem
to think it was weird so we went, did exactly that....and somehow in the
midst of being taken behind the gas station and seeing his bee hives he
accepted a Book of Mormon and said he wanted to hear our lessons. Haha!
Another referral was for Brother Shiki`s chiropractor friend who used
to attend BYU as an exchange student. We went and did a really sketchy
lesson in his chiropracting room and he told us both our necks are
crooked because when we were born we were yanked out. Is that true?
Anyway, we also accepted the lessons. Some of the most interesting ways
I`ve ever found new investigators. </div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpxp-2DqNIpHFgAmQSYzGoedbOGbyt71j5IAVsC3ZksGTmQ-P9E_o4HuXYNNjZVW3aFv8ppZ-csK41Z2GSiC-jw90A48NXwNuqawZ8S6-1UgswkLRD9ISxcHgw0qao485Yy5NAs2W4i8ih/s1600/DSCF4198%255B1%255D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpxp-2DqNIpHFgAmQSYzGoedbOGbyt71j5IAVsC3ZksGTmQ-P9E_o4HuXYNNjZVW3aFv8ppZ-csK41Z2GSiC-jw90A48NXwNuqawZ8S6-1UgswkLRD9ISxcHgw0qao485Yy5NAs2W4i8ih/s640/DSCF4198%255B1%255D.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Man on a funny bike</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
</div>
<div>
This ward is INSANELY awesome you guys. There are
numeruous activities each week including cooking classes, Eikaiwa,
BBQ`s, talent shows, etc. So many great opportunities to meet new people
and have new friends come to the church. We`re planning a soap-making
activity with a member to do with our friend Marie who is from the
Philippines! </div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN3K9yyZWwhQkm9sNVnEVoAtfLvMc4ghnoLCSM97Bn38ud8xix_HS_Ou8RRMEU8PcrHGuNxzAbxRvd-qx38ZslRfACV3fv9u6xTSA3GnpNako345kNqmDy_E_fni9JEFjJ5h85KQAOGag6/s1600/DSCF4204%255B1%255D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN3K9yyZWwhQkm9sNVnEVoAtfLvMc4ghnoLCSM97Bn38ud8xix_HS_Ou8RRMEU8PcrHGuNxzAbxRvd-qx38ZslRfACV3fv9u6xTSA3GnpNako345kNqmDy_E_fni9JEFjJ5h85KQAOGag6/s640/DSCF4204%255B1%255D.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The senior couple who works here in Fukuoka. I love them SO much!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
</div>
<div>
We saw a huge miracle this week! We were teaching a
lesson at about 7:30 at the church with Araki San, which is kind of rare
because we usually meet him in the afternoon. After the lesson was over
I looked over and this woman was standing in the doorway all shaky like
she was about to pass out from dehidration. We sat her down and it ends
up that she is a less active member who said that she had walked for
about 6 hours from a different area all the way to the church. We were
all pretty confused but it just so happened that the member who jointed
for our lesson with Araki san had brought a picnic for us to eat so we
were able to feed her. After a while she finally told us she had run
away from a hospital, and Araki san just happened to have the phone
number on him so he called and her parents came to get her.Turns out
that she ran away from a place she was being hospitalized that afternoon
an her parents and all sorts of people were searching for her for
hours! It was really just a miracle that we were in the church at all
that night! I learned a lesson then about what Elder Bednar said in a
talk once about how a lot of the time we`re being led by the spirit even
when we don`t notice. </div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisrDBrHw9SRBYKESTiNvG_7tp83thxFX1bOCwF_d40_KceIf5jSayetQxPC4XRpEuu0yJyMleNdXgN29sZUZF0PINbbXZsWqxcr0SWAmwc0EWJF1ESQGZ7mbnCoyXg9lhqRFT_TU5IULGm/s1600/DSCF4203%255B1%255D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisrDBrHw9SRBYKESTiNvG_7tp83thxFX1bOCwF_d40_KceIf5jSayetQxPC4XRpEuu0yJyMleNdXgN29sZUZF0PINbbXZsWqxcr0SWAmwc0EWJF1ESQGZ7mbnCoyXg9lhqRFT_TU5IULGm/s640/DSCF4203%255B1%255D.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">With Bishop Miyake and his family after FHE</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
</div>
<div>
Did I tell you that Araki San is going to be baptized
this Saturday? We finished all of his lessons and he had his interview
so he`s all set to go. We`re so excited for him! More to come about that
next week! Sorry it took so long for me to email this week. From now on
I`ll only be emailing on Tuesdays. Today we had zone conference so I
decided to just email today so we wouldn`t have to make the extra trip
to Fukuoka. </div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
I love the gospel so much and I`m so grateful for all
of my blessings. Especially for my family and friends. I can`t wait to
talk to you on Mothers Day! </div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
Love, Tingey Shimai</div>
<span><span style="color: #666666;"><br /></span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-191051375940604103.post-61667590078360334862012-04-30T23:27:00.000-07:002012-04-30T23:35:46.101-07:00My Tender MercyI started this the week Lucy didn't write, and finally finished it tonight...<br />
<br />
Basically, this is the first time Lucy hasn't written in her whole mission. I've never checked my email more times in my entire life! I have missed her this week, and since it seems wrong to not have a post, I'm going to tell you a little about my sister.<br />
<br />
Lucy is
an angel sent from heaven. When she was born I immediately adopted her
as my own little baby to take care of and spoil, which I did mainly by always spending
my time with her. I didn't want to hang out with friends or do other activities, I
just wanted to hold her and sing to her and do her hair. As the years
went by she became my best friend and "mini me" as she tried to copy
everything I did from the position of my pony tail to what I was wearing
that day and to sleep. She would bring me glasses of ice water then she and I would sing together every night and I
would force her to memorize tons of songs, many of which were quite
difficult. Now that I have a 6 year old, I realize how amazing it was
that at age 5 -8 she could hold the melody and even the harmony sometimes as I would
sing the other part. Our signature song was the National Anthem which
we sung many times in front of my high schoolmates. All the popular
girls that never spoke to me would come up to me and say "your sister
was so good, it gave me chills!"She has talent, talent I say! Lucy was a
superstar soccer player, tennis player as well as a star musician at a
young age, gracing the stage as Belle in Beauty and the Beast and many
other musical performances over many years. She just had that star
quality that lights up the stage. I loved watching her run down the
soccer field with pigtail brades, the skinniest legs ever and her arms
flipping back to her side doing her signature run. It was so cute! One
of her most endearing qualities is that she is such a kind person to
everyone. She, unlike the rest of her awkward siblings, was always well
liked and popular, but she always used her popularity to stand up for
others who were left out and set a good example for others who looked up
to her. She would tell me how she stood up for some cast-out soul who
was being teased and she would rebuke the bullies and they would listen
because they all respected and liked her. One of my favorite past times
with Lucy is when I was at BYU in my first few years and I would
convince my mom to let me take her for the weekend and she and I would
ride my long board all over campus, meeting cute guys and cruising the
streets. She and I would both wear pigtail braids and she got even more
attention than me! I got such a great workout as well because she
stood in the front of the long board, steering, and I would hold her
little shoulders and just push and push and push through Provo. I would
even manage to keep her sometimes on Monday and even once until Tuesday
night saying that the ride that I had found to take her home fell
through. haha. That was actually a lie to keep her with me. I'm sorry
for all my sins. haha. She was so little when I got called on my
mission that I could still flip her little cannon ball body at the
swimming pool with my scrawny arms. When I got back, she was all grown
up! My only regret from my mission is that I missed watching her grow
up and when I got home she had moved to Japan and wasn't next door
anymore. I missed her so much. I thought about her so much on my
mission and whenever I saw something cute, my mind went straight to
her. When I got back she was a little teenager and was living a
wonderful life in Japan. During that time, she was challenged a lot
academically and we found out that along with all the other talents, she
was a genius, making A's in just about everything. Writing was
something that she was especially good at and she used her talent to
write many amazing papers in school as well as write many beautiful
songs. She had many friends and was playing tennis and being immersed
in the wonderful Japanese Culture. I stayed in Japan for a few months
after my mission and we played with our hairless rats together and
laughed just as much as always. As she skipped around the country for
the next several years and I got married and moved to the east coast we
didn't communicate as much as I would have liked, but whenever we got
together the kindred spirit we always had was quickly rekindled and it
was just so easy to be around her. I pushed her to learn to play the
mandolin and the guitar and she already learned how to sing from birth
so basically she ended up being better than me at everything at a
younger age, which couldn't make me more happy. She is so accomplished
and beautiful and I have such grateful feelings over her success in
life. The most significant thing she has done for me, other than
serving a mission, is that when my little baby, Georgie, died, she wrote
me a beautiful song that lifted my spirits and has ever since then been
such a sweet memory for me during that horrible time. Lucy and I spent
quite a long period of time together right before her mission and during
that time I taught her everything I knew about how to cook, craft, take
care of three little kids on airplanes, exercise, be an every day
missionary and live life to the fullest. We did a triathlon together,
went on numerous road trips and plane trips together, laughed and
elevated each other to a higher level. One last quality I admire about
Lucy is that you would never know any of this by talking to her. She
never brags about herself and would never tell you that she has songs
published on Itunes! She is humble and down to earth and I doubt her
husband will even know all the amazing things she has done in her life
until they've been married for quite a few years. That means I get to
brag about her:) My sister is my best friend and confidant. She is my
angel and I don't know how I would have survived my life without being
able to love her and serve her. I am who I am today because of her. If
I could sum up how I feel about Lucy it would be that she is my tender
mercy from the Lord. Everything from her birth to her service as a
missionary has been a tender mercy in my life that I needed so much to
keep me from being lonely and falling away from the Lord's plan for me.
You probably don't know this, Lucy, but sometimes I made the right
decision just because I didn't want to let you down. I thought of no
one else when times were rough. You literally kept me alive. I love
you Lucy. Work hard, have faith, gain a testimony and I can't wait to
embrace you upon your honorable return.
<br />
Love your big sister,<br />
AnnieUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-191051375940604103.post-19493058574496755422012-04-30T22:31:00.000-07:002012-04-30T22:31:15.053-07:00Baptism....kana?<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj99A2e7LVEhtoWHCvkTy5QBe8O6lMjfJhA5NQLUQmMpxgPn0UvgwggC_9-Z2m4OHGVix409aCMpUeU1Qx442HKZXotNvQHEvtdTq8iVmR0C68ndkDGBSBepp8DAyjkGK5J58BC27f1_uf3/s1600/DSCF4169%255B1%255D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj99A2e7LVEhtoWHCvkTy5QBe8O6lMjfJhA5NQLUQmMpxgPn0UvgwggC_9-Z2m4OHGVix409aCMpUeU1Qx442HKZXotNvQHEvtdTq8iVmR0C68ndkDGBSBepp8DAyjkGK5J58BC27f1_uf3/s640/DSCF4169%255B1%255D.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> Decorated the door of a lady in our ward</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
</div>
<div>
Hello!!!</div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
Komeda San got baptized on
Sunday!!!!......that is I`m pretty sure she did. You see, I wasn`t
there. Yep...got transferred again. Boooo.Haha. BUT my new companion and
area are amazing so not a big deal. I`m now serving in a place called
Fujisaki, which is about a 20 minute bike ride from my previous are of
Fukuoka. Right now I`m in the Fukuoka church emailing which feels really
strange...</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgtRc7tNwIxLVxfY20lxdW6_6tExEN7bXP-p2FHStJIH0kQu_lrJOe5SOJ3URCYoxNbRdDiFK4DaOPb9cwGBiV9aFFTN4evSdR-vVfEp9mUOuh4byAcjRK_Af8sqn7SQP1YKkLPavteRs8/s1600/DSCF4164%255B1%255D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgtRc7tNwIxLVxfY20lxdW6_6tExEN7bXP-p2FHStJIH0kQu_lrJOe5SOJ3URCYoxNbRdDiFK4DaOPb9cwGBiV9aFFTN4evSdR-vVfEp9mUOuh4byAcjRK_Af8sqn7SQP1YKkLPavteRs8/s640/DSCF4164%255B1%255D.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Free cacti on the side of the road.
We loaded up about 10 of these babies and gave them to all the people we
visited that day. Our apartment is full of cacti now ;)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
</div>
<div>
Anyway, the day I found out I was getting transfered I
was basically in a little bit of shock but we visited Komeda san and
talked to her for a good few hours. She basically bore her testimony the
entire time, thanking us for everything and telling us how much her
life has changed. It was awesome. I really felt as she was talking that
even though i wouldn`t be there to see her be baptized, hearing her
testimony and seeing the change she has undergone is really what this
work is all about, and I don`t need to be there in person to feel that
joy. We had a fun Eikaiwa class on Wednesday night with a record 10
people in attendance but the bad news is that the missionary replacing
me in Ube is a Japanese Bean so Eikaiwa will be put on hold again. So
sad. I love Ube soooooo much! I didn`t really cry until I said goodbye
to Elder Fujitake on the phone. He is probably the most amazing member
I`ve ever met and worked with. He helped us SO much and is one of the
most Christ-like people I`ve ever met. He`s also really sick and
possibly won`t be around for too much longer so it was hard having to
say goodbye to him on the phone :(. </div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM7N_lvLAMLuGr90c7Evl0V1NHowtWoNwT2S5SPrnJgK9g9PLW8Zs6w25mYr7HWnpVs6wyJiQaF62pIYmvsher7Pk4HTYeS4gKkBvXmhSUuQacJnf86ZBIr0CjJftk7G0ukYKvngWuiUxj/s1600/DSCF4163%255B1%255D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM7N_lvLAMLuGr90c7Evl0V1NHowtWoNwT2S5SPrnJgK9g9PLW8Zs6w25mYr7HWnpVs6wyJiQaF62pIYmvsher7Pk4HTYeS4gKkBvXmhSUuQacJnf86ZBIr0CjJftk7G0ukYKvngWuiUxj/s640/DSCF4163%255B1%255D.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kaneko Shimai! We haven`t taken any pics together, Gomen</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
</div>
<div>
My new companion is Kaneko Shimai. She went to BYU
Hawaii so she`s basically fluent in English and she`s an opera major!!
Its nice not being the only one singing around the house and in the
shower now :). She is only one transfer behind me so we are both Dendo
grandmas, which is awesome because we can combine all of our experiences
so far and make this the best transfer ever! Our theme scripture this
transfer is D&C 112:10 `Be thou humble and the Lord shall lead thee
by the hand and give thee answers to they prayers,` or something like
that. Even though we both have a tendency to be prideful, and both also
feel like we`ve got this whole dendo thing down we want to be super
humble this transfer, learn from each other, improve our teaching and
finding skills, and do only the Lord`s will. </div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp5TLY5GG2dWyxarNnQy_s4h-uO02g4zkCXU8eOBKao9qoFxdQBr0FtfcdEKwtMhQKePhci1CX3XsOsWUvZDhZUlF-pdiXpre_5lTRb7qcFHJxRdv6F0dHmymJoh6YQP6m-4Rd1216PsNv/s1600/DSCF4187%255B1%255D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp5TLY5GG2dWyxarNnQy_s4h-uO02g4zkCXU8eOBKao9qoFxdQBr0FtfcdEKwtMhQKePhci1CX3XsOsWUvZDhZUlF-pdiXpre_5lTRb7qcFHJxRdv6F0dHmymJoh6YQP6m-4Rd1216PsNv/s640/DSCF4187%255B1%255D.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me and Araki San at the ward BBQ</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
</div>
<div>
We have one investigator named Araki san who is due for
baptism on the 12th of this month. Yayyy. We had a ward BBQ yesterday
and there were like 7 non-members there so this area is basically the
best ever. I already feel like part of the ward and that amazing things
are going to happen from here on out. There are also a lot of Americans
in the ward helping with Eikaiwa which is SUCH a relief. I cannot do
that by myself anymore, haha. They all have super dendo fire and a
really great vistion for increasing ward members. I`m so excited!
Hopefully my body will cooperate and be able to carry out the desires of
my heart. That is my biggest problem right now. I remember when I was a
Bean and my trainer would take short naps during lunch sometimes and I
was like, `what is wrong with you?! Why are you so tired? I`m not tired
at all! Aren`t you sleeping at night?` and finally one day she said,
`Sister Tingey, my body is just worn out OK!` I didn`t really understand
what she meant until recently, haha. </div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
Well, lets just say I`m super tired all the time no
matter how much I sleep but I`m happy as a clam and enjoying the work
more than ever. I feel sort of a serene, wise, calmness that might be a
first in my life, haha. I can`t really explain it but this work has
changed from a challenging, impossible task that is constantly taking me
out of my comfort zone to something that feels natural and a part of
me. Feels good. I still have a lot to learn and experience and am
praying everyday to find those waiting to receive this amazing restored
gospel. </div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
Love, Tingey Shimai</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-191051375940604103.post-79954930600300918212012-04-22T21:33:00.003-07:002012-04-22T22:15:37.100-07:00Sacrifice<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjurPWm9FWE6ybtknwfpPNaPJnWunXE2m4kmTjW4vp1ps26TDywqd2n-hIxwyJzUelg0U1R-QxAC2unIas5lSK_WY_Jik8-reDc-DnSRMe7yuvsSChBAVUn-Z6olkfm2xvf4-A280786ryI/s1600/DSCF4147%5B1%5D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjurPWm9FWE6ybtknwfpPNaPJnWunXE2m4kmTjW4vp1ps26TDywqd2n-hIxwyJzUelg0U1R-QxAC2unIas5lSK_WY_Jik8-reDc-DnSRMe7yuvsSChBAVUn-Z6olkfm2xvf4-A280786ryI/s640/DSCF4147%5B1%5D.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This SUPER old lady we`re teaching named Seyama san. I think she`s 93.
She`s definitely the tiniest person I`ve ever seen. Maybe even tinier
than piglet grandma.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Guess what!? The computer here finally got updated with faster Internet so I can actually scroll down the page now! Yippeee! <br />
<br />
Hello everyone! <br />
<br />
First
things first. Last Monday after emailing we made a special trip to our
District Leader`s area of Shimonoseki to help them clean the house of a
recent convert. They told us some stories about how disgusting it was
during district meeting and I was super excited to go because I love
cleaning! It was worse than I had expected. With six of us working for
three hours we only made a tiny dent! It was horrible! There is no way
you can feel the spirit in that kind of living condition. I`m attaching
some pictures of the before and after. Sister Hattori and I spent the
entire three hours in one tiny room. We literally filled and re-filled
about 30 buckets of water washing off the surfaces of her desk and
bookshelf surfaces. It was all just covered in muck!! It had to have
been at least 20 years since anyone had cleaned it. Her toilet was a
porta-potty and the bathtub was covered in green slime. The kitchen was
also horrible. I can`t even describe it to you. Luckily the Elders were
in charge of those areas :). Have you ever watched the show `Buried
Alive` on Discovery Channel? Yeah.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeYZvZOvont_aajrKuGZM9AX6KqUUMcw6Jcge22I7uL8k1x_Bi5CZe8pMQBnV5qSjBUAdtEm39yfcQlMeRhlXF-p7VacJrYK6fM4j9Oru75qGJ4maCFdAObkyyue4MHE9byxXFI79vFJlo/s1600/DSCF4114%255B1%255D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeYZvZOvont_aajrKuGZM9AX6KqUUMcw6Jcge22I7uL8k1x_Bi5CZe8pMQBnV5qSjBUAdtEm39yfcQlMeRhlXF-p7VacJrYK6fM4j9Oru75qGJ4maCFdAObkyyue4MHE9byxXFI79vFJlo/s640/DSCF4114%255B1%255D.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Before</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlTc_QTCCnDe44JIn90XhvQB8_c9tUi6Barbm9D3S1AgnjE8orJbrXXyIcqZ89IE3HP-qDVUBweDd2akC_Iaml4my2pJJhWgN3FXUNpha-pEF9f4yo6uEtxF6gt37QxC8HCr_BL4qvFwHC/s1600/DSCF4122%255B1%255D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlTc_QTCCnDe44JIn90XhvQB8_c9tUi6Barbm9D3S1AgnjE8orJbrXXyIcqZ89IE3HP-qDVUBweDd2akC_Iaml4my2pJJhWgN3FXUNpha-pEF9f4yo6uEtxF6gt37QxC8HCr_BL4qvFwHC/s640/DSCF4122%255B1%255D.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Before</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGmL4Jo1lInzydr9aXDepMm2UD6Mc7hZBorgRxVARQRueoC4OSYDtA3n2TApWz-Fi7UujMZwcEGwWQTMOz9Y111RWn-BN-4TKyNyX6aqap9MA1bJgiUOj4u5-nQfjwZnH1S6vuP8UdxVVR/s1600/DSCF4120%255B1%255D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGmL4Jo1lInzydr9aXDepMm2UD6Mc7hZBorgRxVARQRueoC4OSYDtA3n2TApWz-Fi7UujMZwcEGwWQTMOz9Y111RWn-BN-4TKyNyX6aqap9MA1bJgiUOj4u5-nQfjwZnH1S6vuP8UdxVVR/s640/DSCF4120%255B1%255D.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Before</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEiA48uov7pI3QZgP-uE1oSQewrrJQjwcfXNW2p9I-LJuW2moMvF_zRb6Xn8GKLjj2BmYfxugMQTuSbSc7fJb5tU8NkE5dzJNeq3T3fbk_sGF0s7OJnffkI3P_AeQr-nySAxChVJq1UI6Z/s1600/DSCF4119%255B1%255D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEiA48uov7pI3QZgP-uE1oSQewrrJQjwcfXNW2p9I-LJuW2moMvF_zRb6Xn8GKLjj2BmYfxugMQTuSbSc7fJb5tU8NkE5dzJNeq3T3fbk_sGF0s7OJnffkI3P_AeQr-nySAxChVJq1UI6Z/s640/DSCF4119%255B1%255D.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Before</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
In short, we spent our entire Pday on that little adventure which
might explain why by the end of this week I literally had no energy.
Yesterday as Sister Hattori and I were out finding in a faraway area I
felt like we were just wandering around in delirium. We didn`t find any
new investigators and my patience was running short all day, so I
learned my lesson about the importance of resting at least a little on
Pday. <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNTdYe28BiMl5eX7WnLboFSEV-Dnws5fOjK2542SxBrwpEMILLBpzvS4d9QTWZXUVULfum3R6H4HQL7SqywjQGUsOzBPlr48IOpDL8aPRGxeUzhkd6Q59Jlp-7Arla2zPERoPek0X_AYAI/s1600/DSCF4123%255B1%255D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNTdYe28BiMl5eX7WnLboFSEV-Dnws5fOjK2542SxBrwpEMILLBpzvS4d9QTWZXUVULfum3R6H4HQL7SqywjQGUsOzBPlr48IOpDL8aPRGxeUzhkd6Q59Jlp-7Arla2zPERoPek0X_AYAI/s640/DSCF4123%255B1%255D.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After!!! Good Job Lucy and Company!!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKc3e3ZpQPCpOkZfcCe2exOUXwu2kPdjA99FtiRHCKOyosIIFi9nV8-Cc_u8WuR9cbHOzahLwcMPYK0hmE4oMLAYRTCxbVdbxHTiRRaVLt-NU97K6XZ3Tp-ENwngBTUmoA2r6xNvsZdUn3/s1600/DSCF4125%255B1%255D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKc3e3ZpQPCpOkZfcCe2exOUXwu2kPdjA99FtiRHCKOyosIIFi9nV8-Cc_u8WuR9cbHOzahLwcMPYK0hmE4oMLAYRTCxbVdbxHTiRRaVLt-NU97K6XZ3Tp-ENwngBTUmoA2r6xNvsZdUn3/s640/DSCF4125%255B1%255D.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
Earlier in the week, however we did see a LOT of success, maybe more
than any other week this transfer. We found 3 new investigators in one
day, one of which is the Dad of a member named Tonogouchi Shimai. He`s
the referral I told you about who loves animals and whatnot. I wrote on
my little profile card hanging in the church that I like bugs and so she
thought I might be able to click with her Dad, but she said the only
way we would be able to meet him is if we dropped by her house and he
just happened to be somewhere near the door. Apparently he rarely leaves
the upstairs or answers the door even if nobody else is home to answer
it. On Tuesday we felt like we should go over there, and by a complete
miracle when we knocked he hobbled down the stairs, answered the door
and let us in even though he was the only one home! It turns out that he
used to be a science teacher and has done all sorts of research on
difference insects and birds. He showed us a few of dozens of glass
cases he has of butterflies he has collected and we talked for a good
while about that. We even showed him a picture of our pet cacoon Taro
and he told us he is probably a swallowtail butterfly! He actually
reminded me a lot of a Japanes-y version of my Dad, haha! Anyway, he
told us to come back again this week at the same time! We haven`t shared
anything about the gospel yet but we`ve been praying all week to know
how to naturally start teaching him. <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1JN13AUUpbAmEhJaL7Pa2XcI4kMyQSKuMxTub8QgWOvkPk_F6FDmWyvnIonwr3Nij6JQ0U5qslF093g-vbKBOnIwhXc8q_RzMB8FY5rbDyIVqknHnGM0hOWh4asvwIK7HFHuNgsIjJpw2/s1600/DSCF4130%255B1%255D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1JN13AUUpbAmEhJaL7Pa2XcI4kMyQSKuMxTub8QgWOvkPk_F6FDmWyvnIonwr3Nij6JQ0U5qslF093g-vbKBOnIwhXc8q_RzMB8FY5rbDyIVqknHnGM0hOWh4asvwIK7HFHuNgsIjJpw2/s640/DSCF4130%255B1%255D.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tonoguichi shimai and her dad showing us the butterfly collection</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
On Wednesday we had a lesson with Komeda san and part-way through
the lesson Sister Hattori and I looked at each other and knew we needed
to change her baptism date from the 12th. It was apparent by her faith
and testimony that she was ready to take that step and enter into the
gate of baptism. We asked her if she would feel comfortable with the
29th of this month and she said yes! That is....this Sunday!
Unfortunately, we have transfer calls this week so there is a
possibility that one of us could get transferred on Thursday and miss
the baptism on Sunday. That would be a bummer but honestly I`ll be
incredibly happy either way. The Branch really stepped it up this
Sunday, calling US to ask who would pick her up for church, sitting next
to her in sacrament meeting, taking her to Sunday school and even
helping her pick out clothes that would fit for the baptism. I was so
happy and comforted seeing the members take that initiative. I always
have this incredible anxiety with investigators being baptized because
they grow so attached to us and sometimes its hard to smoothly pass that
onto the members. However, Komeda san has been welcomed into the branch
like no other convert I have seen on my mission so far. I have learned
through trial and error what to do and not to do when an investigator
gets baptized, and as I get older in the mission the experience gets
better each time as I`m more prayerful and thoughtful during the
process. <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsgT9qvEJwvdsVkeRC7gJg5xzt6txzmlZgNWw6i_aaynvKQ-fU5YN0-LteTY5fCLb7-tZrFLV324XTqLpCc_sLJU5ALh5OhnG80nc7YcQ-zrHDiIe0XEiKq4gsu3IqoG1cTDKPQU513spx/s1600/DSCF4138%255B1%255D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsgT9qvEJwvdsVkeRC7gJg5xzt6txzmlZgNWw6i_aaynvKQ-fU5YN0-LteTY5fCLb7-tZrFLV324XTqLpCc_sLJU5ALh5OhnG80nc7YcQ-zrHDiIe0XEiKq4gsu3IqoG1cTDKPQU513spx/s640/DSCF4138%255B1%255D.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Komeda san and Hattori Shimai at an RS activity</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
I printed out a bunch of my favorite talks from Conference a few
weeks ago because I couldn`t wait until the Liahona came out. I have
been reading them over during personal study and just loving it. Today I
read Elder Oaks` talk about sacrifice and thought it was interesting
how he said that just like Jesus Christ`s sacrifice is at the heart of
the Plan of Salvation, so should sacrifice be the center and focus of
our lives. I really felt while reading it that, yeah, its pretty much
impossible to devote our entire lives, 24/7 to service and furthering
the Kingdom, but as long as we spend a part of each day, and try our
best to have that constant pattern in our lives, that is all that is
asked of us. Don`t forget to take some time to review your fav.
Conference talks! <br />
<br />
I know this gospel is true and I`m so grateful for the sacrifices of
the early Saints who gave everything to build the beautiful temple in
Salt Lake and elsewhere. I`m so thankful for Christ`s atonement and for
repentance. I love you all so much and hope you have an amazing week!<br />
<br />
Love, Tingey Shimai<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-191051375940604103.post-57307979857462712772012-04-22T21:33:00.000-07:002012-11-29T23:10:54.884-08:00Sisters Conference<div>
Hellooo! Its a beautiful Pday! Spring is in the air and it looks to be an exciting week ahead. </div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
I feel so happy and blessed (especially now that the weather has warmed up :) ). </div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
On Thursay and Friday of this week we made a special trip to the
Mission Home in Fukuoka for a 2 day conference with all of the Sisters
from the mission. I can`t even tell you how happy I was to see my
long-lost companion Sister Yamada, who I haven`t seen since September
since she has been stuck on Okinawa for the past 7 months. Those two
days might have been the most fun I have ever had on my mission. I love
all of the Sisters so much! There were 21 of us in all; 16 Japanese and 5
American. Oh my goodness it was a blast. </div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
On Thursday we all arrived and went right into the Conference,
receiving training from Sisters Kaneko, Miyagawa, Uchida and I went
last. The best part of training is always `mogi` or roll plays where we
can practice our teaching on the other missionaries. I received a lot of
insight and had fun practicing teaching with Caroll Shimai who is a
Sister I took out on her first day in the field to go finding. It was so
incredibly fun to see and talk to everyone. Thursday night was insanely
fun. Sister Margetts bought a bunch of pizza from Costco and we had a
pizza party in the Mission home and just sat around talking forever.
President Margetts gave us special permission to stay up until midnight,
too! Once it turned about 10:00 all of the Sisters who were still awake
(about 15 of us) played a bunch of different games for about 2 hours.
Sister Mueller taught us this one game called `Clumps` where you bounce
around in a huddle saying `clumps clumps clumps clumps` and then when
a person on the outside calls out a number you have to get into a group
with that number of people by grabbing onto anyone close to you for dear
life. If there`s one too many people in the group you all try to shove
someone out. It was so hilarious because most of the Japanese Sisters
are pretty timid so they all would just scream as us Americans were like
jumping on top of them and being super agressive. I don`t think we
stopped cracking up for about 30 minutes. </div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
The next day we had more trainging from Sisters Kobayashi, Tagawa
and Hinode, Yamada and Hattanda, and the APs. We were all beat from the
night before but luckily I was able to stay awake through all of it. The
testimony meeting at the end of the Conference was the best of all. I
just felt such an overwhelming love for the Sisters, President and
Sister Margetts, and the Fukuoka Mission. I was bawling my eyes out
knowing that I wouldn`t have another opportunity to gather in that way
again during my mission. </div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
Well, I have to admit that I partied too hard during those two days
because ever since then I have had a cold and been dead tired. However,
I tried not to let that stop us from going out and working like normal,
and I`m convinced that the miracles we`ve been seeing for the past few
days are in large part due to the fact that I dudn`t wimp out and take a
sick break. We ran into several people these last two days who seem
really prepared to receive the gospel. They always seem to be the VERY
LAST person we talk to out of about 30 each day, which makes me want to
work harder and talk to more people every day because I know that if we
show our faith and put in every ounce of effort that we have Heavenly
Father will eventually lead us to someone waiting. We met a woman who
happens to be a friend of our Relief Society President and wants us to
teach her, as well as this lady yesterday named Maki san. At first she
had zero interest. She said she has almost died before and has never
ever felt the presence of God in her life. However, after bearing
confident testimony to her that Heavenly Father is real, he is there,
loves her and WILL answer her if she sincerely prays, she agreed to take
a Book of Mormon, read from it and pray to know if its true. It was a
really cool experience for both Hattori Shimai and I to see her attitude
chance half way through talking to her. We have an appointment to
follow up with that next week. Wahhooo! </div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
Besides all of that, the good news lately is that we both feel like
the branch members really trust us and have been getting more excited
about missionary work. We have been receiving many referrals and members
are actually volunteering, without us asking, to joint for our lessons
with Komeda san and others! That is definitely a first on my mission. I
couldn`t ask for anything more!</div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
This week once at a members house for Family home evening, and once
at church we were able to watch the Easter video from the new New
Testament clips. They are soooo incredible! I wish I had time to just
sit here and watch them all day online. </div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<div>
I love this gospel you guys! Its so true! I`m so glad that my
vision has finally opened up and I understand the importance of this
work, the miracle of the Restoration, and how everything connects. I
love my Heavenly Father so much and just want to do anything he asks of
me. Ok I love you and hope you have a great week! </div>
</div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
Love, Tingey Shimai</div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
P.S. I havent been sending any pictures lately because it seems
like most of you aren`t even able to see them but I`ll try sending some
today.<br />
<br />
<div>
1. Me and all of my companions so far besides my trainer Sister
McIntyre (who`s wedding announcement I just received in the mail!
CONGRATULATIONS to my amazing trainer!! Yipeee!). From Left to right:
Yamada, Ito, Hattori, Tagawa, Uchida</div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
2. All of the Sisters partying in the Mission home with Sister Margetts. </div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
3. One of my fav. comps of all time: Sister Yamada</div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
4. Games</div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
5. Me and Sister Uchida wearing our matching Afghani pants we bought in Fukuoka</div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
6. A prayer of thanks after meeting Maki san</div>
</div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
Pics:</div>
<div>
1. A really scary picture of me. Look how cute my comp`s fish face is! What is wrong with me?</div>
<div>
2. Heading to zone conference a few weeks ago with Hattori Shimai. Isn`t she adorable?</div>
<div>
3. This is Taro, our pet cacoon. He lives on the wall where we park
our bikes at our apartment. Sister Ito was convinced he was just some
bug larvae but I`m pretty sure one of these days he`ll hatch and be a
butterfly. What do you think? </div>
<div>
4. A flower from my favorite branch member Brother Fujitake</div>
<div>
5. First Vision pose on Mt. Shimofuri</div>
<div>
6. Taking a stroll in Tokiwa park</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-191051375940604103.post-68785735886194275472012-04-22T21:16:00.001-07:002012-04-22T21:16:43.392-07:00Happy Easter<div>
Dear minasan,</div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
This week was wonderful. Being able to listen to Conference on
Easter Sunday was the best! Conference is always delayed a week for
translation so it was fun to hear in your emails last week about the
talks that inspired you and how you felt the spirit. I read those and
then during conference remembered what you said your favorite parts
were, etc. Love my family :).</div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
This week started out with spending our Pday on another wild
adventure with Brother Fujitake, first winding up Mt. Shimofuri and
saying a heartfelt prayer all together at the tip top, then rounding it
off with some tofu softcream and delicious water from the mountain
springs. The lady who works at the water stop was interested in coming
to Eikaiwa and we were able to talk to her a little about the church! I
know that these prayer excursions up the mountain are helping our work
here because even though there were typhoo-like winds blowing for half
of the week we were still able to successfully find some new people and
saw many miracles! </div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
Right now in Japan it is sakura season where the beautiful cherry
blossom trees are in bloom. Apparently its tradition to take a blanket
and bento (lunch box/picnic) and go sit in the park under the cherry
blossom trees with friends and family. We weren`t able to do that, but
yesterday Sister Hattori and I decided to take our first trip to a
popular place in Ube called Tokiwa park. I was expecting it to be just a
little place but it was gigantic, with a huge lake in the middle, a
giant white bridge, and sakura trees all around! It was the PERFECT
place to go finding. At first we couldn`t find anyone but couples, and
they are just way too in love to care about our message, so we stopped
at prayed to find someone walking alone, or pondering who would listen
to us. RIGHT when we ended the prayer we looked up and saw at least
three women walking alone accross the bridge. It was so sweet! We talked
to one of them for about half an hour. She told us just right before we
stopped her she had been thinking about something that has been
troubling her and she felt like we were the answer to her prayers! She
took a Book of Mormon and promised to pray to know what to do. We
weren`t able to get her contact info but I know if she does that she
will receive an answer to her question. Literally right after talking to
her we ran into a cute older couple. The woman was Chinese and her
husband was Japanese and has read the entire Book of Mormon before! He
had the old version, though from about twenty years ago so we gave him a
new copy and he said we could meet and talk again! Just those two
contacts took up all of our time and we had to head out but we both
really felt the spirit`s guidance with those two contacts. </div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
We were able to watch both the Saturday and Sunday sessions of
Conference, and my favorite was by far Saturday morning. I
LOVED President Eyring`s talk about building a lasting foundation of
faith. I literally felt like he was talking right at me for the majority
of his talk. I also enjoyed Elder Hallstrom`s on the need for the
Gospel and the Church, as well as Elder Koeliker`s talk about following
righteous patterns. It was a spiritual feast! I could have just lasted
on that morning session, but had 6 more amazing hours after that. Each
Conference I attend on my mission I understand more and more what the
speakers are actually saying because teaching the gospel everyday I`m
beginning to understand it more and more. It`s a really cool feeling.
I`m sure all of you know this already but General Conference is
seriously HEAVEN for missionaries! Haha. Especially if.....your
investigator who you love to death comes and stays for both sessions on
Sunday! Yep, Komeda an is solid. When we called her the day before to
make sure she was coming she said, `I`m so excited!! I was reading the
Book of Mormon right before you called me!` She had a really good time
and got a little sleepy after lunch but was a trooper. She`s amazing. </div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
This week we have Sisters Conference on Thursday and Friday which
we couldn`t be more excited about. It only happens once a year, and last
year I was just in my second transfer and didn`t know anybody but my
trainer, so this time I`m really excited because I`ll know pretty much
every Sister there. All of my companionsso far-Uchida, Yamada, Tagawa,
Ito, Hattori, besides my trainer will be there! I was asked to do a 50
minute training on finding which I`m nervous/excited about. I love
finding so I`m glad they asked me to train on that but I don`t think
I`ve ever stood in front of a group for that long, by myself, teaching
something besides English, and in Japanese, haha. Wish me luck! If I
teach through the spirit all will go well. </div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
That`s about it for this week! I love this gospel, I love
missionary work, and the Book of Mormon! I know that President Monson is
a true Prophet of God. As my old companion Uchida Shimai would say,
`Everytime he comes on the screen my spirit does a jig!` Haha. I hope
you have a great week. Thank you for your prayers and love!</div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
Love, Tingey Shimai</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-191051375940604103.post-63901716709140843042012-04-01T21:15:00.001-07:002012-04-01T21:15:03.233-07:00Amazing week, as always!<div>
My dearest family, </div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
I love you all so much. This week SO many amazing things worked
out. Not just in the mission but personal things with school and
whatnot. I felt so much relief this week as prayers from a year ago were
answered, as well as countless prayers on behalf of our investigators
and Branch were answered. I have no doubt that Heavenly Father has a
hand in everything that is going on around me. It is incredible. This
week I was insanely grateful for my obsessively meticulous journal
writing habit that I formed a couple of years ago. I always have this
incredibly strong desire to write down my every thought, feeling,
impression, etc. in my journal, and for a long time I`ve thought, `Why
am I doing this? I am never going to want to read this in the future!`
Especially times when times were hard and I felt everything around me
was crashing down. However, this week I took some time to read from some
past journals from a year or so ago and it was incredible how things I
thought about, yearned for, and inspiration I received are unfolding at
this time in my mission. I felt so much gratitude for my journals and
the fact that I can look back and literally see the change in
my spiritual growth through my own writing. </div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
I had a cool experience this week while riding the train back from
Zone Conference in Hiroshima. Sister Hattori and I made a commitment to
do as much finding as possible on the train ride out and back (four
hours), but by the time we were headed home we were both beat and not
feeling any sort of motivation. I sat there feeling guilty for a little
while, not talking to this adorable couple sitting next to us. Suddenly I
felt an intense urge to open my Bible and start reading from the very
beginning of Genesis, which, embarrassingly, I have never read before
and as I read about the Creation the spirit just enveloped me and I
thought about the temple session I had done the week earlier, and the
incredible knowledge and blessings that Heavenly Father has entrusted me
with. I immediately shut the Bible and for the next hour or so Sister
Hattori and I talked to this couple about eternal marriage and the
gospel. I felt SO happy after that, feeling like I had done my best to
follow the spirit. My testimony of the Bible was strengthened. I know
that it contains the Lord`s words. The rest of the way home we had no
trouble opening our mouths, and even met two funny Americans named Fanny
and Muffy. One was a geologist and we talked for a while about New
Mexico and Utah and whatnot.</div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
Right now Komeda san and Yamamoto san are doing awesome. We taught
them both about the commandment of the Sabbath Day this week and the
spirit was strong in both lessons. Komeda san came to church and after
Relief Society said, `I loved it! I really understood more about my
purpose and worth from that lesson!` She is so amazing. She mingled with
the Sisters in the Branch and I think everyone got a little more `dendo
fire` or desire to do missionary work from her being there. We commited
them both again to be baptized, but changed the dates around a little.
We think Komeda san will be baptized on the 21st or 28th of this month.
Among other miracles, last week she told us she absolutely could not get
baptized because her son was against it, so we challenged her to pray
about that everyday. This week when we met with her and asked her about
it she said, `Oh, that? He`s totally fine now. He hasn`t said anything
lately and is fine with me coming here to study!` Seriously, this
woman`s faith is so strong, it seems like every single one of her
prayers is answered in a snap. </div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
This week`s sacrament meeting was insane! Two baby blessings (one
was the daughter of our ward mission leader), an engagement announcement
(which I was SUPER excited about because there are WAY too many
amazing, beautiful, spiritual single members in Japan- I just want them
all to get married! Haha), and the entire Branch Presidency got switched
around! It was very eventful. We talked to the new Branch President
about a missionary fireside we`re having in a couple of weeks and he
suggested that we get some of the YSA`s and Young Women together and
do a musical number using guitars! One of the Young Women, Lana chan is
super cute and always plays her guitar for us when we visit, so he
suggested it would be a good way to get potential future missionaries
involved as well as lure the members to attend. I`m so excited! </div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
I think thats all for this week. I love you so much!! Until next Monday...</div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
Love, Tingey Shimai</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-191051375940604103.post-90087569886076948832012-03-25T23:10:00.001-07:002012-03-25T23:10:24.377-07:00An Uplift<div>
Dear family and friends, </div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
I don`t have time for an email really today but I just wanted to share some really short experiences I had this week. </div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
On Monday Sister Hattori and I didn`t have any appointments so I
asked her, `where you do you want to go?` She pointed to this big
apartment complex a few streets away and as we headed over I decided to
take a little dirt road for some adventure. It ended up being a dead end
amongst these super grungy, beaten down shacks. We both immediately
stopped and pointed to this one shack, saying, `There is someone waiting
in there!` We parked our bikes and were both surprised that we were
about to knock on this door because there were empty beer and whiskey
bottles just strewn all around the place, and when we went to knock on
the door it was covered in this giant ripped piece of foam or something,
haha. But we pressed on and this completely normal looking man,wearing a
nice suit opened the door. He had been sitting at a desk in his kitchen
studying some kind of book and when we started talking a little he said
that he wasn`t surprised at all that we were there. We didn`t talk to
him for long because it was freezing outside and he ordered us to go
home, but yesterday he showed up to church in a suit and tie, and stayed
for our Sunday School lesson! Through the combined inspiration of
Sister Hattori and I we were able to find him! </div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
We were able to attend the temple in Fukuoka this past Tuesday with
our Branch, which was very uplifting and refreshing. It was my second
time doing a session all in Japanese, which is always fun. I`m starting
to understand more and really love feeling like I`m always studying the
language, even when attending the temple! </div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
Hattori Shimai stopped us to talk to this old lady gardening the
other day. At first she said she had absolutely no interest in hearing
what we had to say, but we kept talking to her about gardening, her
family, etc and then it came out that her husband had recently passed
away. We both naturally starting testifying about the Plan of Salvation
and told her that without a doubt she would see her husband again, and
tears started to stream down her face. She was even surprised that she
was crying, and invited us to visit her any time. I`m so glad her heart
was softened, and that we were able to follow the spirit to say what she
needed to hear. Hopefully we`ll have another chance to teach her. </div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
One last story: Yesterday we had a couple of hours to kill so we
housed a big danchi(apt complex). At the second to last door this super
haggard-looking woman in her 50s, with all sorts of bandages on her
hands, hair all matted, etc. answered and for about 15 minutes we said
nothing as she told us how horrible her life has been, how sick she is
that she couldn`t even attend her best friend`s (who commited suiside)
funeral recently, and that she KNOWS that there is no God because if
there was she wouldn`t have had such a horrible life. She said, `If
God existed wouldn`t he save all of the suffering people?` All we got
out were a few sentences of something about how through her trials she
can come closer to God and become a kinder person, and then her son came
out from a back door, told us to go home and shut the door. By that
time I was just about to bawl my eyes out, so dissatisfied with what I
had told her. I wish I had testified quickly about how Heavenly Father
HAS saved us by sending his son Jesus Christ. I wish I had testified of
the atonement and how she can be healed. We wrote on a pamphlet and
inserted it into her mail slot so hopefully she`ll read that. Since that
time Sister Hattori and I both cannot stop thinking about that poor
woman. I feel that as a missionary we`re hear sent by the Lord to help
people like that, to tell them of the atonement and promise them that
they can be happy and healed. But what happens to those who, even when
given the chance, don`t listen? The door gets shut, and the suffering
continues. I know that Heavenly Father is helping her in other ways,
maybe through her Son or others. I just learned from that experience
that I always need to be ready to testify of Christ, to not hesitate or
wait, because that could make all the difference for that person. </div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
My time is up but I hope something from one of these stories
uplifted you in some way. I have felt the Savor`s love so strongly this
week and know that I will continue to feel it as I testify of Him.
Someone told me recently in an email that this was the time on their
mission that they thrived the most. They felt no fear, and it was the
most productive and satisfying time of their mission. I am definitly
feeling that at this time and everyday am just overwhelmed with
gratitude for this chance I have to live and serve among the people of
Japan. </div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
I love you all!</div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
Love, Tingey Shimai</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-191051375940604103.post-70831107841753072102012-03-19T14:12:00.000-07:002012-03-19T14:12:50.198-07:00First Week of Transfer Nine<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCgaseLPAj7LloOJISnMWIbuaRpuF0LDeOxjrq6sBfpDC41HoVp74fkonApI0x4iGjbiFNMtWKX_A-x9ngTIwjnsPX2fK6yOImlsclIC8U_IB5LIAmLBu213FrU0qkd_CLbBQSeDdrRJ12/s1600/DSCF2203%255B1%255D" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCgaseLPAj7LloOJISnMWIbuaRpuF0LDeOxjrq6sBfpDC41HoVp74fkonApI0x4iGjbiFNMtWKX_A-x9ngTIwjnsPX2fK6yOImlsclIC8U_IB5LIAmLBu213FrU0qkd_CLbBQSeDdrRJ12/s640/DSCF2203%255B1%255D" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Us teaching Komeda san in the park the day before Ito shimai left</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
</div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
Hello everyone!! </div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
This week was amazing! Although we had transfers and my beloved
companion, Ito Shimai, was transfered to Hiroshima to an area called
Yasufuruichi, we saw SO many miracles the week before she left! </div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYD7zEI7gb5218xnW3blucjfBvCKkgFfhvJSrrYXUSQa316_GK7zA2kaIRsplx0Gd-T0M62Iveuqr6lkiwmEaKoAxERAbzS28hcl0yK022cesEA5R6A_M51qCm4uR7DtALbZS71oVzFh-W/s1600/DSCF2205%255B1%255D" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYD7zEI7gb5218xnW3blucjfBvCKkgFfhvJSrrYXUSQa316_GK7zA2kaIRsplx0Gd-T0M62Iveuqr6lkiwmEaKoAxERAbzS28hcl0yK022cesEA5R6A_M51qCm4uR7DtALbZS71oVzFh-W/s640/DSCF2205%255B1%255D" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">4. Singing Ito Shimai a farewell love song at Eikaiwa. (Can you see my horrendous drawing on the whiteboard?)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
</div>
<div>
Remember Komeda san? Well we met with her on Wednesday, the day
before transfers and she had read all the way to 1 Nephi 13 in the Book
of Mormon and said, `It is very interesting!`. Even though we taught her
about the Ten Commandments (as well as the Law of Chastity and Sabbath
Day) and were planning on commiting her to follow those commandments,
she told us that she had seen something about something called The Word
of Wisdom in the Gospel Principles book we gave her on Sunday, and had a
lot of questions about that. Without us saying anything she told us she
had already commited to stop smoking and drinking coffee after reading
that because she has a strong desire to follow Jesus Christ and become
Christian by being baptized!! Helloooo. Hahahaha. We talked with her and
decided together that she would work toward being baptized on April
14th. I have never met someone during my mission so prepared to receive
the gospel. She has incredible faith and humility. She has a super
strong desire to repent and change her life so that she can have the
Spirit with her. We have been contacting her every night and she hasn`t
used tobacco since that day! Keep in mind that we haven`t even properly
taught her aboutu the Word of Wisdom yet! We are so excited to see what
is in store for her! Ito Shimai was so happy spending her last day in
Ube seeing Komeda san progress and learn in the gospel. I will miss her
so much!! </div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZXyFP77aiZbOipmMZ_3ch4nlhuJCEF9IT5bgGMSeLGGDfdwge2zO3zu1HMke5M8CjyiO7O1K1aiqdyOJMVyjjZkQn_WCXe2X-aXuSbXKYJ2Tt9rJOK1KZ4Gik4odqqne8JqjQZYz70j1Q/s1600/DSCF2193%255B1%255D" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZXyFP77aiZbOipmMZ_3ch4nlhuJCEF9IT5bgGMSeLGGDfdwge2zO3zu1HMke5M8CjyiO7O1K1aiqdyOJMVyjjZkQn_WCXe2X-aXuSbXKYJ2Tt9rJOK1KZ4Gik4odqqne8JqjQZYz70j1Q/s640/DSCF2193%255B1%255D" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Last district meeting of the transfer! From Left to Right: Ito, Me, Shima, Lyon(District Leader), Thomas, Peterson</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
</div>
<div>
My new companion is Hattori Shimai from Nara! She is without a
doubt the most adorable person I have ever met! I know you`re probably
sick of me telling you how amazing my companions are but I seriously
feel like the luckiest missionary in the world having been able to meet
and work with these incredible Japanese Sisters. Hattori Shimai was
pretty shy and reserved at first but once she opened up I found out she
has a super funny sense of humor and is just a very enjoyable person to
be around. She is also a very dedicated missionary and hard worker, and
we are already planning our attack on Ube this transfer ;) . The second
day of this new transfer we met with Yamamoto san, a 70-year-old-ish man
we recently started teaching and he also expressed a strong desire to
continue learning and grow in his understanding of Jesus Christ`s
teachings. Through that we scheduled a tentative baptism date with him
for April 28th! Hopefully with that goal in mind he will have a desire
to read from the Book of Mormon and attend church. </div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNtBMSpClMJDasWL8tsFHbO3ONSIbU4cB-U4oGNnTC5aGpY80zMZQW5AuyJgpnMsHtnEUNittbe4COhE-chQ5mtOeqGOWe7EAUqKA5AZazBGSf37BQ-6DCR_UTG9GZOn87CrhVtUVwzO_M/s1600/DSCF2198%255B1%255D" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNtBMSpClMJDasWL8tsFHbO3ONSIbU4cB-U4oGNnTC5aGpY80zMZQW5AuyJgpnMsHtnEUNittbe4COhE-chQ5mtOeqGOWe7EAUqKA5AZazBGSf37BQ-6DCR_UTG9GZOn87CrhVtUVwzO_M/s640/DSCF2198%255B1%255D" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A delicious looking chicken</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
</div>
<div>
Sister Hattori and I have been literally working to the point that I
literally have about 10 minutes before bed to just sit and relax. What
with planning, calling and following up with our friends, writing in the
area book, etc. by the time everything is done its about 10:20 and I
finally collapse on my futon and feel like I`m going to die of
exhaustion, haha. Luckily we`re forced to get eight hours of sleep every
night no matter what, or else I would probably stay up writing in my
journal or reading, which would make me even more tired. The amazing
thing is that even though I feel so exhausted at times I am feeling just
an outpouring of the spirit and blessings from the Lord, and a very
strong desire to work as hard as I can to find and teach those in Ube
ready to receive the gospel. I feel like the Lord has just been leading
and guiding us constantly here. Even though we seemingly have NO time to
find, what with having a lot of appointments and people to visit, we
somehow keep finding new people to teach. For instance, yesterday we
decided to visit a referral we received from the ward mission leader.
The address was really confusing and there were about three buildings
that could have been the place where this person was living. We decided
to just knock on each door and eventually would find him. The first door
ended up being a 20 year old guy who was really excited to talk to us
and even ran back into his apt to grab the Bible he had. We taught a
full lesson, prayed, he commited to reading from the Book of Mormon, and
also told us to come back again! He was not the referral. The next door
was an older woman who we ended up talking to for an hour and even made
a return appointment for the next lesson. She was also not the
referral. After all of that time had run out and we had to get back to
the church. We hadn`t even met the guy our ward mission leader told us
about but had found two new investigators! Miracles like that are
happening every day here! </div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpe_oL7dxDFMCKbFl5Mm5hfCDGQnxG9ODkH119QqtE0Um5fPyFvbfa8NZT9ygeOvb3iOZ-5l-Hib52FZcx3auHoy4wFJLtAFTH3LxlVJp5LNmwbW8ZQuwpeli_M8Zx9anZcees5-oIYvM5/s1600/DSCF2211%255B1%255D" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpe_oL7dxDFMCKbFl5Mm5hfCDGQnxG9ODkH119QqtE0Um5fPyFvbfa8NZT9ygeOvb3iOZ-5l-Hib52FZcx3auHoy4wFJLtAFTH3LxlVJp5LNmwbW8ZQuwpeli_M8Zx9anZcees5-oIYvM5/s640/DSCF2211%255B1%255D" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> The 98 year old man we`re teaching. He ALWAYS says during our
lessons, `I went to war THREE times!!!` and then he does a jabbing
motion showing us how he used to stab the enemy with the skewer on the
end of his gun if they got too close. His daughter, who is a member,
always yells at him when he does that. Its so hilarious. He also has
some wicked funny stories. One of them is about how he once was held up
at gunpoint by a man on the street who asked him, `If it would be
alright, could you please give me some money?` Hahah. He has the
exact phrase the man said to him written in calligraphy hanging on the
living room wall. He said he gave him enough money to buy three onigiris
(rice balls) and ever since that day has felt guilty for not giving him
more. Haha, what a nice guy. I love him SO much! </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
</div>
<div>
I know that Heavenly Father blesses us when we keep his
commandments and do our best to live righteously. This week I felt such
an outpouring of the spirit on this area and those we are teaching. Even
though it could have been a very stressful and hard week, what with
getting a new companion and leading the area, I felt Heavenly Father
answer my prayers as I sincerely asked him to help me know where to go
and what to do. I`m so grateful to have a knowledge of the true Gosepl
of Jesus Christ and to have a strong relationship with my Heavenly
Father. Thank you for all of your prayers and support! </div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
Until next week!</div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
Love, Tingey Shimai</div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
P.S. I totally had no idea it was St. Patricks Day yesterday....haha</div>
<div>
</div>
<br /><div>
</div>
<span><span style="color: #666666;"><br /></span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-191051375940604103.post-45481234440192726482012-03-11T21:18:00.002-07:002012-03-11T21:18:36.984-07:00KINJIN!!!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-48DaAC3QNKlg32LLi7hUhVgt8bDTEt2pOoE3wev9zlefRkWOlTPzXra0YwT_nCIkBqW926nUHWsDBuAIw8je6949y552B-ojSVDpzJiAfdSMWYKStCnNatZaqpNIwDG55ZBvjgad5b8a/s1600/DSCF2170.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-48DaAC3QNKlg32LLi7hUhVgt8bDTEt2pOoE3wev9zlefRkWOlTPzXra0YwT_nCIkBqW926nUHWsDBuAIw8je6949y552B-ojSVDpzJiAfdSMWYKStCnNatZaqpNIwDG55ZBvjgad5b8a/s640/DSCF2170.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A random toy we found in a park and goofed around on for a while. I promise we`re working hard....</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
</div>
<div>
Helloooo!</div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
This week was unbelievable!! Our prayers on Mt. Shimofuri were definitely answered! </div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
A mother of three we met about five weeks ago housing became an
investigator! We went to her house several times but every time she
asked us to come back at a different time because she was busy. We were
starting to think she just didn`t want to meet with us until on Monday
night she finally answered the door and let us teach her! We talked
about how families can live together past the grave, taught her how to
pray, and gave her a church parenting book. She listened super intently
and seemed really enthusiastic about our message. Her husband is a
professor at Yamaguchi medical school and is never home, so she told us
she is pretty lonely. We`re so excited to teach her!</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTHuFomd6H3lzXUTw-IwOyVrzHIbMqcPKhtH4opcv11sGnfai7SbQex7Abg12m7_lfQJPgzw3rJbi8fDhsMMcU6TcTbnrg_Re51kyKBIOdAtRTxJ_9yWZO7EKMNEZWuYZ7mhbAcELpnojB/s1600/DSCF2173.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTHuFomd6H3lzXUTw-IwOyVrzHIbMqcPKhtH4opcv11sGnfai7SbQex7Abg12m7_lfQJPgzw3rJbi8fDhsMMcU6TcTbnrg_Re51kyKBIOdAtRTxJ_9yWZO7EKMNEZWuYZ7mhbAcELpnojB/s640/DSCF2173.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mine sans English class. Hes the one with the beard and his adorable wife is in red</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
</div>
<div>
Ok, one bit of bad news is that ever since last week when we
challenge the Nishimura family to follow the Word of Wisdom we haven`t
been able to contact them. We are thinking either something happened
that we don`t know about (like their grandma died), they weren`t able to
follow it so they`re embarrassed to meet us, or they just decided to
stop studying with us. We`re not sure, BUT because of that the biggest
miracle happened! We went to their house at a random time of day to see
if they might be home and as we were writing them a note I saw this
woman walking slowly towards us down the street from far away. While Ito
shimai finished writing the note I went over to talk to her and we
ended up standing there for an hour and a half! She is a TOTAL KINJIN
(`golden`)!!! Her name is Komeda san. We shared about the restoration
standing there on the street and I wish you could have seen how excited
she got. She kept saying, `I have just been searching and searching, but
its so hard to know which religion is right! I`m so happy I met you!` I
almost started crying I was so happy. When we offered her a Book of
Mormon her eyes got super wide and she said, `Really?! I can have
this??` and she took everything we gave her. We prayed with her and then
she said, `Is it OK if I come to church on Sunday?` Ummmmm, YES!?
Pahahaah. You can probably tell that this sort of thing happens like,
um, once on my entire mission probably!! Sorry Im using so many
exclamation marks but seriously, we are so happy. She called us on
Saturday and said, `Im going to attend your church meeting tomorrow. Is
it possible for me to become Christian?` The answer to that was
definitely a big huge `YES` and we explained a little about baptism. She
came to church on Sunday an HOUR EARLY and had page markers in her BOM
of parts she had read and questions she had. Sister Ito and I taught the
gospel principles class yesterday so we decided to teach the Plan of
Salvation with an emphasis on baptism and she was just loving it.
Afterward she exclaimed, `This place is just so wonderful! Everyone is
so kind and I think each person here came over and shook my hand and
welcomed me before church even started!` The speakers in sacrament
meeting were also perfect because they talked about how this gospel is
truly the way to become like Christ, how their lives have changed since
being baptized, etc. I just seriously could not believe what was
happening yesterday, haha. Definitely a first. We made an appointment to
teach her on Friday, so please pray that all goes well! </div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUnBst7BA8qxHeYowc8Qt1SQP8cyiyuhwms-0weyfuH-2G6h2ry_BJp5y-n-T-TLuPXGwfLTZJNF0c8FcmHdJd3XCorKs7AIUGIwz_sFx4-aM2foDrxyaBSlIX3LqeTb93LfYiNQmTRBYy/s1600/DSCF2186.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUnBst7BA8qxHeYowc8Qt1SQP8cyiyuhwms-0weyfuH-2G6h2ry_BJp5y-n-T-TLuPXGwfLTZJNF0c8FcmHdJd3XCorKs7AIUGIwz_sFx4-aM2foDrxyaBSlIX3LqeTb93LfYiNQmTRBYy/s640/DSCF2186.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A picture we took after our Kinjin called us asking to come to church. We had to document the moment. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
</div>
<div>
Once again, my testimony of finding has be re-affirmed. Though
there are many struggles being a missionary, I do know that there ARE
people prepared to receive the gospel and if we just TALK TO EVERYONE we
can find them, even if its 1/100000 its worth it to feel this feeling.
Wahoooo!</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn_EoTnPP4P_rxqxgmpDcSyEm8U4WCWnmrn4_8r_7hHaNsh99Z8tlEGdHeuqsEVaEo5Mj4xpu8OYjnflxQjVXX42EpfEa5ptMEatnQqkh30iZZgM7NWdMwV2UBYdvR2ceJoyFOg8Hc385k/s1600/DSCF2185.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn_EoTnPP4P_rxqxgmpDcSyEm8U4WCWnmrn4_8r_7hHaNsh99Z8tlEGdHeuqsEVaEo5Mj4xpu8OYjnflxQjVXX42EpfEa5ptMEatnQqkh30iZZgM7NWdMwV2UBYdvR2ceJoyFOg8Hc385k/s640/DSCF2185.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is our apt elevator. Ever other week or so SOMEBODY wipes a
disgusting giant piece of snot on the wall in the same EXACT spot. We
removed it once but then the other day a new one was there!!! Ito Shimai
is so horrified about it, its hilarious. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
</div>
<div>
My last piece of news is that we met the most awesome man in the
entire world. His name is Mine (mee-nay) san. He is 80 years old but
looks about 60 and he called out to us in a parking lot with a perfect
English accent. He said, `Hello, are you from America?` I was so shocked
but started to talk to him. Apparently he moved to Pittsburgh in the
1950`s and learned English there. He speaks with kind of a weird
british-like accent so Im guessing there was some kind of British
influence there around then? He said he had called out to me because I
reminded him of the conservative women in America in the 1950`s with the
way I dressed and did my hair. How cool is that!? He attended Lincoln
University (the famous all-black University?) and got his masters degree
in Theology. He was an acquaintance of Martin Luther King Jr. (I`m not
kidding) and was there for either the `I have a dream` speach or one of
his other famous speaches. He has the most charming stories about the
time he spent in America, including entering a cafe and having a
brawny-tatooed WWII Vet slap him on the back and say, `Its on the house
for this man!` after hearing he was Japanese. He had people in a
all-black diner (where he decided to enter because he decided he was
more colored than white) hand around their hats, putting money in for
him so he could survive. He also talked about a time his son was very
sick in the hospital and he couldn`t pay the bill. When he went to pay
it the lady said, `Mr. Its already been paid! Someone came in this
morning and paid in full...` He never knew who did that. At the end of
each story he said....`THAT`S America..` and then would continue on. It
was seriously one of the best times I`ve had just listening to him. I
don`t know what it is but I love old Japanese people SO much! He told us
about ten other stories that were equally as amazing but I`ll save
those for another time. His English is so perfect that he teaches free
English classes in his home thre times a week so this past Thursday we
were invited to take up the entire hour and a half giving a presentation
about our beliefs to one of his classes! They loved it and one woman
took a BOM. Its so crazy how there are so many fun and interesting ways
to do missionary work. Unfortunately, this man has studied up like crazy
about `Mormonism` and decided its not for him...but maybe we can crack
him ;). I love things like this!</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi9TyhXAUqa4SVQjLGelnalHF7sMRaoCQFW_5SjNazMkJFNORKQVSJukpma7TVgSJGUQCFxF7D1Gw5b3nvnhp6EX59aWelmYNFr74sCrtnNXgOKymIHoEjGKy6YbCcUUXvWES1zq9_gqBE/s1600/DSCF2188.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi9TyhXAUqa4SVQjLGelnalHF7sMRaoCQFW_5SjNazMkJFNORKQVSJukpma7TVgSJGUQCFxF7D1Gw5b3nvnhp6EX59aWelmYNFr74sCrtnNXgOKymIHoEjGKy6YbCcUUXvWES1zq9_gqBE/s640/DSCF2188.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Komeda San!!! </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
</div>
<div>
Alright, my time is up! I love you all so much and pray for you
everyday. I love this work and I`m having an absolute blast with Ito
Shimai ripping it up in Ube. Have a great week!</div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
Love, Tingey Shimai</div>
<span><span style="color: #666666;"><br /></span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-191051375940604103.post-31475842394232651782012-03-04T22:23:00.000-08:002012-03-04T22:54:48.531-08:00Looking at Ube from Heaven's Eyes<div>
Hello my dear friends and family!!<br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRUfj-Bu4MSMduTCHtzIRB_oScLdlq7Yx7JX05vjoIGkvUCXdvOYCah11N9vaaHruzqnD1GGgI82JjST592jCTeW-WWQcfdqtFhURHrohxX6KHjVal-MWaVG0QHYfSxKqxiltMePPCyeko/s1600/Screen+Shot+2012-03-04+at+11.48.20+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRUfj-Bu4MSMduTCHtzIRB_oScLdlq7Yx7JX05vjoIGkvUCXdvOYCah11N9vaaHruzqnD1GGgI82JjST592jCTeW-WWQcfdqtFhURHrohxX6KHjVal-MWaVG0QHYfSxKqxiltMePPCyeko/s400/Screen+Shot+2012-03-04+at+11.48.20+PM.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Samuel the Lamanite pose on the top of Mt. Shimofuri</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
</div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
This Email is going to be short and sweet so pay attention!<br />
</div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
For about two weeks we have been telling everyone about and giving
everyone flyers about our `Mochi Tsuki` or Mochi-making ward activity
that happened this past Saturday. Unfortunately absolutely nobody but
branch members showed up(haha) BUT a Sister in the branch brought her
sister, mom, and sister`s mother-in-law to the activity!! She also asked
us to come by and try making friends with her Father who she wants us
to start teaching. He wasn`t able to come to the activity but she
invited us over to their house this week. Apparently he is a huge animal
lover and wildlife enthusiast, so she feels like we`ll be able to hit
it off ;). The Mochi making was insanely fun (besides the whole gagging
it down thing) and then after that Brother Fujitake and Furuya, two
older members in the branch surprised Sister Ito and I by volunteering
to drive us around to visit a bunch of less active members who live
super far away from the church. We were SO happy because the member we
intented on visiting (piglet grandma) lives more than an hour away by
bike and Sister Ito hasn`t been feeling very well this week, so we kind
of thought about canceling the whole trip. However, those two brothers
saved the day and we visited not only her, but three other members! Not
only that, but they surprised us by driving to the top of a mountain
called Shimofuri yama, where Brother Fujitake says he goes to sometimes
to pray and study the scriptures. We all knelt and said a prayer
together on the dirt that we could find those in need of the gospel in
Ube... and it was just the best. But the adventure isn`t over yet! After
that they treated us with some special soy milk soft cream made in a
little shop on the mountain, and we also stopped at a little station
where you can drink the amazingly delicous water running in the mountain
streams. Can you ask for a better day?<br />
</div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRWzBon0cuv5FC16_FRjTlIM3_97AYJMTEQopuFmpXOs9dj9UB8gkc8E2t_LnQZ6NkpG-tapNFPw6J2pV6i8fhZ_WGwJMYXp6qDaX6DpMDy7KxXjxbHotsCp-lLlxgOETJrhaO_yBRLrS4/s1600/Screen+Shot+2012-03-04+at+11.48.36+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRWzBon0cuv5FC16_FRjTlIM3_97AYJMTEQopuFmpXOs9dj9UB8gkc8E2t_LnQZ6NkpG-tapNFPw6J2pV6i8fhZ_WGwJMYXp6qDaX6DpMDy7KxXjxbHotsCp-lLlxgOETJrhaO_yBRLrS4/s1600/Screen+Shot+2012-03-04+at+11.48.36+PM.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My two favorite members ever: Brothers Furuya and Fujitake </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Apart from all of that we visited three of our investigators,
including the Nishimura family (Vietnemese) who are currently following
the Word of Wisdom for ten days, just like Daniel from the Old
Testament. The Father, Kenchu, loves loves loves the Bible, so we used
that a lot during our lesson to show him that even in Biblical times the
Word of Wisdom was given by the Lord to help us be healthier and more
in tune with the spirit. After a few scriptures and a slight spiritual
wrestling match he and his wife agreet to cut out tea, coffee and beer
from their daily diets and see if, just like Daniel, they would see a
difference in their health and spiritual condition after the ten days.
We fasted for them yesterday and have been following up everyday to see
how they`re doing, and have a really good feeling about it all. When we
visited them on Saruday Kenchu opened the door and I swear his skin was
glowing, haha! He said he hadn`t noticed a difference or anything, but
Sister Ito and I definitely noticed a difference. I hope that as they
prayerfully follow this commandment that they`ll see and feel a
difference in their home and know that it is from the Lord.<br />
</div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOdFuL-HLBnz8EpqfwS9Gkq787jN0glUDBlaBbe_jE82c6xz5x9HEw-Bdw2yPmMkWdC5Jmd1v4lnZoMWjNSJ-k39CFH2GV6kYBCXgCg0vi6JJyMVBOA6xuRR73X0D15irkQV-Ve4w6_AM5/s1600/Screen+Shot+2012-03-04+at+11.48.28+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOdFuL-HLBnz8EpqfwS9Gkq787jN0glUDBlaBbe_jE82c6xz5x9HEw-Bdw2yPmMkWdC5Jmd1v4lnZoMWjNSJ-k39CFH2GV6kYBCXgCg0vi6JJyMVBOA6xuRR73X0D15irkQV-Ve4w6_AM5/s1600/Screen+Shot+2012-03-04+at+11.48.28+PM.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Best Day Ever!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
This week another really exciting occurrence was for the first time
on my mission I learned how to make sushi! We have an Eikaiwa student
named `Cathy` or Uchihira san who went to Japanese culinary school and
also has the most giant, beautiful garden I have ever seen. She gives us
radishes, cabbage, carrots, and all sorts of delicious veggies all the
time and this week she invited us over to learn how to make sushi! She
is a super sweet lady and has been investigating the church for a while,
so we`re hoping to get her moving in a good direction.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9m0Ho34MBG9_yURUIxZ0y7VanGyZWFuzRHzdRFdHbaHoGngS9-EkySlr4EzRvpTX8PdKan8ZsA8YlpMNYB46L8wPzcWU9VcNZc2CE2lK8Os65I1C_KunSJcK_yKKyzscNYT_bsExgNnd4/s1600/Screen+Shot+2012-03-04+at+11.48.11+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9m0Ho34MBG9_yURUIxZ0y7VanGyZWFuzRHzdRFdHbaHoGngS9-EkySlr4EzRvpTX8PdKan8ZsA8YlpMNYB46L8wPzcWU9VcNZc2CE2lK8Os65I1C_KunSJcK_yKKyzscNYT_bsExgNnd4/s1600/Screen+Shot+2012-03-04+at+11.48.11+PM.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">making Mochi</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
Other than that life is just swell and Ube is the best! We`re
working hard everyday, finding new people to teach but we have so many
investigators that its hard to find the time (not that I`m
complaining!). Please pray for Ito Shimai and I that we can always make
prayerful decisions in planning lessons for those we teach, and to be
guided to those in Ube waiting to receive the gospel. I love this work
and I`m so grateful for all that Heavenly Father has blessed me with.
Have a great week! I love you!</div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUTuMxx_Oiw4s5L1swpmmFJsmhRgsRdMFUX2RDRkTMHWBfFADfPd8J3ilTMh4otzmT89VXBAATNBK0WVwuQAdqXwNySNYaNlDeZsXmqp5B6YPLUUohv1jWaRwF-6LupH71bKlsESHWhGzO/s1600/Screen+Shot+2012-03-04+at+11.47.57+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUTuMxx_Oiw4s5L1swpmmFJsmhRgsRdMFUX2RDRkTMHWBfFADfPd8J3ilTMh4otzmT89VXBAATNBK0WVwuQAdqXwNySNYaNlDeZsXmqp5B6YPLUUohv1jWaRwF-6LupH71bKlsESHWhGzO/s400/Screen+Shot+2012-03-04+at+11.47.57+PM.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Making Sushi at in investigators house</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<span style="color: #666666;"><br /></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-191051375940604103.post-72762394284205232702012-03-04T22:19:00.002-08:002012-03-04T22:19:21.955-08:00Oaks and Hiroshima<div>
Dear family and friends,</div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
Im sorry I wasnt able to write last week!! I think that is the only week I have missed so far emailing on my mission! </div>
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</div>
<div>
First off, Happy Valentines Day! I received a packages from Dad and
Teri, the Los Alamos Relief Society, Mom and Chris, and Annie. Thank
you so much!! I think I have enough toothpaste to rid the whole country
of Japan of gingivitis!! Also happy Birthday to little Henry!! Im sorry I
couldnt send anything or wish you a happy Bday little buddy. Love you! </div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
Last week after I emailed on Monday Sister Ito and I took the bus
to Fukuoka for a special conference with Elder Oaks. We gathered with
all of the missionaries in the Fukuoka mission discluding Okinawa, which
was fun. I saw my buddy Elder Beckstrand from my MTC district for the
first time since I was a bean!! Elder Oaks talked to us for about an
hour, and I wanted to just quickly share a few things that I thought
were interesting that he said. He talked a lot about desire, and that
the key to repentance and change is having that desire. Its our job as
missionaries to find that spark in those we teach and then fan that
spark. He also told us that the best speakers/teachers that he has ever
come accross werent necessarily those who were elequent speakers but
those who took a subject, and presented it to the audience in a way that
made them change their way of thinking on that topic. He emphasized how
that is also the role of a missionary. Lastly, the most interesting
thing that he said was, `You`re probably all expecting me to tell you
how you should be doing missionary work in Fukuoka. I`m going to tell
you the truth; I have no idea. My role as an apostle of Christ is to
testify of his divinity and teach fundamental principles of the gospel.
Your mission President and the area Seventy who is called to this area
will direct you in specifics, but I`m here to tell you that Christ
lives, and to direct you to teach the fundamental principles of the
gospel such as faith, repentance, baptism, receiving the Holy Ghost, and
enduring to the End`. </div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
When he said that at first I was surprised because I was half
expecting him to prophesy of something we needed to be doing in Fukuoka,
but after thinking about it I thouhgt, `uh, yeah, duh.` His words made
me even more excited to follow the counsel of President Margets and the
area Seventy Elder Ringwood. While Elder Oaks spoke the spirit was
strong and when he left the chapel to go to another conference I wish
you could have seen the chapel with most of the missionaries from our
mission standing there. It was completely silent and I think we all felt
grateful to have heard from an Apostle of the Lord, but also sad that
he was leaving :( Haha. Some of us missionaries also toyed with the idea
of asking Elder Oaks for a picture but decided we didn`t want to
tarnish Fukuoka Mission`s new title of `Best Looking Mission` that Elder
Oaks has seen all year. Thats right! A few days after the Conference
President Margetts told us that Elder Oaks told him that. Wahoooo!</div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
After the conference I had the BEST TIME EVER doing companion
exchanges with Sisters Uchida and Mueller, both of whom served in Fukuka
like I did. As a threesome we bounded all over Fukuoka visiting our old
investigators, members and people we saw baptized. Among those included
little Rin kun who was baptized in Novemember, Funakoshi Shimai who
Uchida and Mueller Shimai saw baptized in September, our Nepalese friend
Anjana and the Oyama family!!! Just like old times Sister Uchida and I
went to their house and talked to them for a few hours. Many tears were
shed and we all felt the spirit there as we discussed difficulties
they`re having and testified that the Restored Gspel of Jesus Christ
will help them overcome anything. We were also able to teach Eikaiwa one
last time at the Oyama family`s house to all of my favorite kidlets.
While we were there a GIANT snow storm came in and we said our last
goodbyes after having an intense snowball fight and hugging in the
storm. I will never forget that! </div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
The reason I couldn`t email last week was because we took a train
at 7AM on Monday to Miyajima for a Zone Pday! Remember on my study
abroad when i went to that island with all of the deer and had my banana
stolen right out of my hand? That`s where we went! As always, it was
insanely gorgeous and we had fun with the Elders checking out all of the
shops, eating weird foods, and gazing at the tori gate in the ocean. I
decided before entering the island that I wouldn`t let those deer trick
me again into giving them my food, so we tried sharing a Resoration
pamphlet with them instead. Fortunately they found that to be delicious
as well! Haha. On our way to and from Miyajima we met a few people on
the train who we were able to talk to about the gospel, and one woman
took and Book of Mormon and said she would return it to us after reading
it :). </div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
For the next four days we stayed in Hiroshima for a two-day Zone
Conference where we received special training. Unfortunately, I was in
pain most of the time we were there because I got something called
`Shimoyake` on my feet, which most people call Frostbite here but I
think its something more like `chilblain` ....I tried looking it up on
my dictionary and thats all I came up with. I went to bed one night and
my feet were kind of itchy, and when i woke up in the morning the ring
finger toes on both of my feet were swelled up and red. As the days went
on it got worse and worse until I could barely walk and all five of my
toes on both feet were swollen and sore. The good news is that for most
of that time we were riding the train, sitting in a room for zone
conference, and riding bikes on companion exchanges with the Sisters in
Hiroshima, so I didn`t really need to use my feet too much(tender
mercies from the Lord)....but oh, was it painful, haha. By the time we
returned to Ube on Friday it was gone...so I`m not sure were caused it
but I think it has something to do with having bad circulation in my
hands and feet. Anyone ever had that??? Let me know so I can prevent
getting it again in the future. </div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
We also celebrated Ito Shimai`s Bday on Friday by eating
Hiroshima`s famous Okonomiyaki and friend ice cream. I have so much I
want to say but my time is running out so just a few more things. Some
super excited and heart warming news is that an Elder who was in my MTC
district who ended up going home after being with us for only two weeks
is back and will be a bean next transfer! None of us had any idea until
we saw his picture in the mission home last week! We`re so happy he made
it out. Also, just a funny story from last week: we are teaching a 17
year old girl named Hitomi chan and the Sisters have never been inside
her house before, but when we visited last week her mom, who is from the
Philippines came out of the house, took one look at me and ordered us
in the house. We were all pretty confused as she disappeared into a back
room and then came out holding some little figurines of the Virgin
Mary. She said, pointing at the figure, `You look exactly like her!` and
because of that interesting little miracle we were able to share a
little message with Hitomi in her house while her two younger siblings
also listened!! Haha....</div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
Alrighty, I have to get going but I hope this email filled you in
on my last two weeks. It has been very hectic and we`re both happy to be
back in Ube sharing the gospel with the wonderful people here! I love
you all so much!!! </div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
Love, Tingey Shimai</div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
Pictures: Snowstorm after President Oaks Conference </div>
<div>
My poor feetsies</div>
<div>
thanks for the toothpaste!</div>
<div>
Housing in the forest</div>
<div>
Deer eating my Restoration pamphlet</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-191051375940604103.post-24249178231871024602012-02-16T17:22:00.000-08:002012-02-16T17:22:55.955-08:00Classic Mission Experience<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvgKnvs8V51wVphKqSEDnlf-8Dx_3fpLlJrpjaukizmsA_sXeZagXOI-QKDeQExzVYQmj3dKwAuVfsXzboApZhMjBx2RpZ3vOIDhjqfodPZ0Q14eWrVG00x0eTvlCEcupAfMq0PKzjNVmh/s1600/DSCF5770%5B1%5D" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvgKnvs8V51wVphKqSEDnlf-8Dx_3fpLlJrpjaukizmsA_sXeZagXOI-QKDeQExzVYQmj3dKwAuVfsXzboApZhMjBx2RpZ3vOIDhjqfodPZ0Q14eWrVG00x0eTvlCEcupAfMq0PKzjNVmh/s640/DSCF5770%5B1%5D" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div>
</div>
<div>
<div>
Me and Sister Ito today in front of our apartment. Its pouring rain!</div>
</div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div>
Ohayougozaimasu!</div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
This week was so busy and I`m SO tired! But Sister Ito and I had a
lot of fun and talked to a ton of people. I FINALLY had the classic
mission experience of being harshly rejected while housing, which I was
weirdly happy about, haha. We housed an entire building and had just
finished talking to a very nice Buddhist lady when we knocked on the
door next to hers. We waited for a couple of minutes but nobody came so
we knocked again and while I was standing there smiling, happy as can
be, so excited to talk to this person a mean old lady swung the door
open and yelled, `Bakayarou!!!!!!!` and then slammed the door in our
faces. I`m not even sure what that means but I was so surprised that I
literally screamed bloody murder (If anyone has ever watched a scary
movie with me you know exactly what I`m talking about) and Ito shimai
started laughing her head off. It took me a few minutes to get over the
shock, but after that I was so smiley all day because I finally can say I
had a door slammed in my face! Japanese people are so polite and nice
that I thought I would never have the pleasure of experiencing that.
Yayy!</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5ErkykbLh97b4nZGz-vm3QNyLudINTj3c5rg0OR9AuVbNNCKe972oyfeP5jQg4TR7H-m9ogZVhcTMGJDp7PMalVrXL0pDMoH5Ce93IQQdixQHg5IKLBIQpfbqKjkaBJF3OHCZPLbgcNGV/s1600/DSCF5750%255B1%255D" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5ErkykbLh97b4nZGz-vm3QNyLudINTj3c5rg0OR9AuVbNNCKe972oyfeP5jQg4TR7H-m9ogZVhcTMGJDp7PMalVrXL0pDMoH5Ce93IQQdixQHg5IKLBIQpfbqKjkaBJF3OHCZPLbgcNGV/s640/DSCF5750%255B1%255D" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My hilarious companion telling me about her tape collection</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
</div>
<div>
A little more about my lovely little are of Ube: I realized this
week that Ube is actually an old Hiroshima Mission area. A couple of
years ago the Hiroshima Mission closed so the areas around here became
part of the Fukuoka Mission. While we were talking to a man the other
day he showed me some post cards he had received and apparently Mika
Sawada, an old Tokyo friend served here as well as my trainer Sister
McIntyre. He also had been taught by a sister missionary who was
teaching at the MTC when I was there, so it was cool to be teaching him
and know that a lot of my other friends had stood in that same spot
teaching him. His name is Fujino san and he has been really good friends
with the missionaries for a long time. </div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijfhV-4hexLQnhIvWIFSzb2lquBdi_uFsUy39fmdt0XuKCmfnbzhlO9PdY8BpnRkbbmS0633cEzhFqd_yD0Saw-uU1TyRhpKb7llAyW8T3hb5_OAaZWbwRK_stZ2oI4n8fEB-x8IMdElrI/s1600/DSCF5761%255B1%255D" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijfhV-4hexLQnhIvWIFSzb2lquBdi_uFsUy39fmdt0XuKCmfnbzhlO9PdY8BpnRkbbmS0633cEzhFqd_yD0Saw-uU1TyRhpKb7llAyW8T3hb5_OAaZWbwRK_stZ2oI4n8fEB-x8IMdElrI/s640/DSCF5761%255B1%255D" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">YSA party at Nakamura kyodai`s house. We`re showing off the game we played</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
</div>
<div>
We received a referral from an Elder the other day who used to
serve around here for a man from Yuganda. An English speaking sister
hasn`t served in this area for a couple of years so he was excited that I
could go talk to this man he met. We tried calling and visiting him but
no contact, and then after District Meeting on Tuesday we went shopping
for batteries and randomly ran into him in the store! We had never met
him before but the chances of meeting more than one tall, black man in
Ube are pretty slim, so we figured it was him, haha. His name is Jacob
Ssenkuma. He actually approached us first and we stood in the grocery
store for a good half hour talking about religion. He is a very devout
Catholic but is open to learning about all religions so he told us that
if he has any time he`ll call us. It felt really weird talking to a 23
year old man in English for some reason....haha. I haven`t done that in
about a year! I was super nervous! Phaha. I`m getting a little worried
that I`m giong to be that super awkward RM who can`t talk normally to
people my same age. Haha!</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigqh4MLpw4NRQNC4IrjoAvJXagkhsni7n77B_8PUoohlAtifPtbu7BOPx1wGb-z4GAd69z9DJeYXeOVanjT5iJeVVZWWyUsEPpcNTrdDxp2JIEud6A_D9_5SU6PkbkTkb0b3v93CV0yIp5/s1600/DSCF5755%255B1%255D" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigqh4MLpw4NRQNC4IrjoAvJXagkhsni7n77B_8PUoohlAtifPtbu7BOPx1wGb-z4GAd69z9DJeYXeOVanjT5iJeVVZWWyUsEPpcNTrdDxp2JIEud6A_D9_5SU6PkbkTkb0b3v93CV0yIp5/s640/DSCF5755%255B1%255D" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Obandoned fairgrounds near a less active member. Looks like where the zoltar machine was found at the end of the movie `Big`</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
</div>
<div>
During district meeting our zone leaders told us about how they had
received a challenge from their ward mission leader to go finding right
around the church and that if they did they would probably find a lot
of new investigators. They took his advice and found three the next day,
so Ito Shimai and I decided to do the same. We knocked on the door of
the person living literally right next door to the church and she was
this super nice lady who said she had never met the missionaries before
or heard of the Church. Can you believe that! Right next door! She told
us she is interested in hearing more so we`re going to visit her again
this week!</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDl3HFD1AzjjlKVXexgAM2fvNl3Oa49c8KJS0iYRUNu2eRzLmlwLyOg9sRpAaGT065_3M5FEHdEbKzbTVDD2Qn5QMmmWoXa_UoL39qtpfkgYkW4eOcX_9Z7qdwNvMHDMaslmDl1MUEWyYo/s1600/DSCF5765%255B1%255D" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDl3HFD1AzjjlKVXexgAM2fvNl3Oa49c8KJS0iYRUNu2eRzLmlwLyOg9sRpAaGT065_3M5FEHdEbKzbTVDD2Qn5QMmmWoXa_UoL39qtpfkgYkW4eOcX_9Z7qdwNvMHDMaslmDl1MUEWyYo/s640/DSCF5765%255B1%255D" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cute YSA named Rana playing her guitar for me</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
</div>
<div>
I still haven`t met our Vietnemese family, but I did meet a lot of
our other investigators this week and everyone is so nice and also
progressing in the gospel! I am loving serving in Ube and getting to
know Ito Shimai. She is an amazing missionary, so willing to sacrifice
her time for others. For instance, there is an older man who calls us
here sometimes three times a day because he is lonely and every time she
hurredly picks up the phone and talks to him about the weather, work,
etc. She is such a great example of a disciple of Christ doing what he
would do if he were here. I am learning a lot from her and cracking up
all day long. </div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIlwc0tUZsqA0jjljdSGSa16U30iuDj-GvNsQe47UHpNfBoTe0dsyO5UAfsjY9NaJsbxl0bGOcwEl9HS5fFHVWA4-dP0zGcz2ph8mIHTvjW3XZtXZVFZ0kh6zC4KmZb-xNd78LxMHyHT5P/s1600/DSCF5760%255B1%255D" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIlwc0tUZsqA0jjljdSGSa16U30iuDj-GvNsQe47UHpNfBoTe0dsyO5UAfsjY9NaJsbxl0bGOcwEl9HS5fFHVWA4-dP0zGcz2ph8mIHTvjW3XZtXZVFZ0kh6zC4KmZb-xNd78LxMHyHT5P/s640/DSCF5760%255B1%255D" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> Our ninety year old investigator Seyama san showed us all of her
photo albums and I found this gem. This is her and her daughter
probably about 45 years ago</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
</div>
<div>
I love you so much and appreciate your mail and emails. Keep them
coming! I know that this gospel is true and was restored to the earth by
the prophet Joseph Smith. I also know that through the atonement of
Christ our weaknesses can be and are made strong, allowing us to further
his work on the earth. Have a great week and be good!</div>
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Love, Tingey Shimai </div>
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P.S. Matt 10:39 is awesome. </div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-191051375940604103.post-32189258882026905382012-02-05T23:21:00.000-08:002012-02-05T23:21:00.288-08:00Ube and Ito Shimai<div>
Hey everyone!</div>
<div>
You guessed it....I transfered! </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIaTsuUPSIm87ZIOQ8K0u7jdsxwqODQgHanBY_RMjfSCuilTfY6S3y8swdJDLTIG0Bn8TYvGhv94XygZm_Kx1wSKSEpF7dHeyF_MWZiD8nnocj8hqOb6l-hK_WMuoUvR8F-yUWFpcbJd-Y/s1600/DSCF5735%5B1%5D" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIaTsuUPSIm87ZIOQ8K0u7jdsxwqODQgHanBY_RMjfSCuilTfY6S3y8swdJDLTIG0Bn8TYvGhv94XygZm_Kx1wSKSEpF7dHeyF_MWZiD8nnocj8hqOb6l-hK_WMuoUvR8F-yUWFpcbJd-Y/s640/DSCF5735%5B1%5D" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span><span style="color: #666666;"><br /></span></span><br />
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Frolicking in the countryside. The house behind us is piglet grandma`s</div>
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It was sooo hard to say goodbye to my companion and the members and
people I taught in Fukuoka! I practically bawled my eyes out when the
Oyama family, with newly baptized Kunio Kyodai, Yuto and Shintaro, and
all the cute kids who I taught Eikaiwa every week drove away from the
church on Wednesday night after saying our last goodbyes.
However, for some reason I do feel strongly that I will return to
Fukuoka ward again someday, so it wasn`t my last goodbye there. I
boarded a bus on Thursday morning in the middle of a snowstorm and took a
four hour busride to the middle of the countryside to an area
called....UBE! </div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbkN9t7CJH8yb9o6vRjofi8LkwmbpfQRxBvEnJti28J1wtNRlkxwLyC-37bqVmw0243gv6pisaAEpWqcZ_57mxXfdSxdb3CyS2FI_C-XhYSZ6qc1tHzPUAbPxjH0Cjx8qrLyhuPD9DzoON/s1600/DSCF5726%5B1%5D" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbkN9t7CJH8yb9o6vRjofi8LkwmbpfQRxBvEnJti28J1wtNRlkxwLyC-37bqVmw0243gv6pisaAEpWqcZ_57mxXfdSxdb3CyS2FI_C-XhYSZ6qc1tHzPUAbPxjH0Cjx8qrLyhuPD9DzoON/s640/DSCF5726%5B1%5D" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me and Ito Shimai!</td></tr>
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I am now serving in Ube with Sister Ito!! She is definitely the
funniest companion that I have had so far. Shes turning 25 at the end of
this month and has the spunkiest, cutest personality ever. Before
coming on a mission she worked at a daycare center for children with
disabilities, and is an amazing cook so we`ve been having fun cooking
together. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBU4wo4WulknEfU5wvjfVqOttMHgsmTNeoa8z2FSLyWOquJv-tI6Zy6G6u4HJWYoymmyZkfKRH3dpudgefNFbwGnhw4IKHtcRPLc8XeRGrAs-zK7z67HQxCx4TDsAKCML69WkEneFYai3f/s1600/DSCF5717%5B1%5D" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBU4wo4WulknEfU5wvjfVqOttMHgsmTNeoa8z2FSLyWOquJv-tI6Zy6G6u4HJWYoymmyZkfKRH3dpudgefNFbwGnhw4IKHtcRPLc8XeRGrAs-zK7z67HQxCx4TDsAKCML69WkEneFYai3f/s640/DSCF5717%5B1%5D" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> Snowy countryside of Ube</td></tr>
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Ube is an area East of Fukuoka in Yamaguchi prefecture. It is way
inaka, or in the countryside. Its my first time serving in a small area!
We have a branch of about sixty members and they are all incredibly
nice and friendly. The first night that I arrived we had all of these
phone calls come in asking me if I was OK and not freezing to death,
because apparently a member from Fukuoka who`s best friend is in the Ube
branch called and told him that I get very cold at night and have
trouble sleeping (which is true, haha). So a member named Fujisaki
Shimai brought me over a Yutampo or a jug that you fill with hot water
and sleep with. Also, yesterday in the bin that the members fill with
food for the missionaries every fast Sunday we received about ten packs
of hand and feet warmers, haha! So you can tell just from all of that
that these members are super warm and welcoming and willing to help the
missionaries with anything. Within that first day I already had a super
strong desire to get right to work and find those here in Ube who are
waiting for the gospel, so that we can help this little branch grow. </div>
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On Thursday Ito Shimai spent all day long telling me about all of
the investigators in this area and planning for the next week. We are
teaching a Vietnemese family of four who have a baptism date set for
March 3rd, but I haven`t met them yet so please pray that when I do
things will click and they`ll be able to transition to having a new
missionary teach them. :)</div>
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On Friday was a special Japanese holiday called Setsubun, which is
basically where you throw beans all over your house to cast out oni, or
evil spirits that might be living there. We didn`t even realize it was a
holiday until we met a woman on the street who told us she had just
come from a close by temple where they were holding a festival-type
thing. We decided to go check it out and amidst a giant bonfire, a guy
standing on a crate with a devil mask on singing old-time karaoke tunes,
and taste testing a delicious bean drink called `Daizu-chya` we were
able to talk to two grandmas for a good while about the gospel. One of
them was practically blind and kept making us take pictures with her
cell phone of us together. She said that even though she couldn`t see
the pictures it made her feel good to know she had them. So cute.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgfQfjZXaN_0yD2N_eVzVE8wvfMUbQEAaOiQqyQHa2ONYdqOMxv2Zz5LjNyWm-5gH-tX68FhRvrGkR8QrBDV_yio4YaDpMqPNmaJPuCkkb7yY6cNS01awuuV9k1PELtGOLPzRzvhtvHcA3/s1600/DSCF5730%5B1%5D" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgfQfjZXaN_0yD2N_eVzVE8wvfMUbQEAaOiQqyQHa2ONYdqOMxv2Zz5LjNyWm-5gH-tX68FhRvrGkR8QrBDV_yio4YaDpMqPNmaJPuCkkb7yY6cNS01awuuV9k1PELtGOLPzRzvhtvHcA3/s640/DSCF5730%5B1%5D" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me with the oni</td></tr>
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Saturday we biked for about an hour until we were literally in the
middle of rice fields to visit a ninety year old woman who hasn`t been
coming to church for a year or two. She was the cutest old lady
ever! Remember in Winnie the Pooh when theres that huge flood and
someone`s house gets destroyed, so Eeyore says that they should live in
Piglet`s house? And Piglet stands there stuttering and wringing his/her
hands saying, `well, I guess its a very nice house. I always liked
it...`? Sorry that is so random, but that is exactly what this grandma
reminded me of! She looks and acts exactly like piglet. When I mentioned
that to Ito Shimai she burst into laughter and said, `Oh my gosh,
you`re right!` Haha. She wouldn`t let me take a picture of
her this time, though, haha. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmSpbtdaHFuYMgYWA2Lz9GcNoq5OW2ZjI11jYUHvFxwfoMcTVaYhDRGUkwhfwUb-ofIAEcQkhaFq9x_qakKgDNjqMP23sgGQW03HMMxoO2asxvm373p6SaT1TUfJ1GgHfvN4cPlzVbGDOY/s1600/DSCF5731%5B1%5D" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmSpbtdaHFuYMgYWA2Lz9GcNoq5OW2ZjI11jYUHvFxwfoMcTVaYhDRGUkwhfwUb-ofIAEcQkhaFq9x_qakKgDNjqMP23sgGQW03HMMxoO2asxvm373p6SaT1TUfJ1GgHfvN4cPlzVbGDOY/s640/DSCF5731%5B1%5D" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> I just found a picture I secretly took of piglet!</td></tr>
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Anyway, hopefully from these stories you can get a feel of what my
new area is like. I can`t tell you how happy I felt when we were riding
out in the middle of the countryside of Japan! Just pure heaven. Also,
every person we pass on the street smiles and says, `konichiwa!!` Such a
quaint(sp?) little place. I`m sure I`ll have many stories to come! </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgljfq15haW6UoOM-wVAUsP6WJ15ZNcpIoem1Iz4rRy23IGi4S48RfxP7NANvcboqmQqfzNcdb2RY2OIvE9Jga-ZOEA-U9KMSNDGvuzZdWbggNP_KLG-e8hyphenhyphenLnJzgiUi_KpSCEl2D379zy/s1600/DSCF5711%5B1%5D" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgljfq15haW6UoOM-wVAUsP6WJ15ZNcpIoem1Iz4rRy23IGi4S48RfxP7NANvcboqmQqfzNcdb2RY2OIvE9Jga-ZOEA-U9KMSNDGvuzZdWbggNP_KLG-e8hyphenhyphenLnJzgiUi_KpSCEl2D379zy/s320/DSCF5711%5B1%5D" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Goodbye Tagawa Shimai :((((</td></tr>
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Please pray for me this week as I meet the investigators in
this area for the first time that we`ll be able to connect and they`ll
be able to feel my testimony and sincerity. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_usT2o2uTd0sS95Nle0lf1ljlPkZG3XuE6cqZhWSO9Q9ZPb1l30UddtWovOG6B75N4DaX7LVsGx4EYeVRCHa2MLYU3jQwj6mOpw7guHGKJbEH2OXPr8wlW1u7wvaCZCYP6SvEvr2TJBZA/s1600/DSCF5615%5B1%5D" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_usT2o2uTd0sS95Nle0lf1ljlPkZG3XuE6cqZhWSO9Q9ZPb1l30UddtWovOG6B75N4DaX7LVsGx4EYeVRCHa2MLYU3jQwj6mOpw7guHGKJbEH2OXPr8wlW1u7wvaCZCYP6SvEvr2TJBZA/s320/DSCF5615%5B1%5D" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Last district meeting in Fukuoka at the top of Fukuoka tower!</td></tr>
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I love you all so much and hope you have a spledid week! </div>
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Love, Tingey Shimai</div>
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