Oaks and Hiroshima

Dear family and friends,

 

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!

 

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!

 

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`.

 

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!

 

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!

 

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 :).

 

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.

 

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....

 

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!!!

 

Love, Tingey Shimai

 

Pictures: Snowstorm after President Oaks Conference

              My poor feetsies

              thanks for the toothpaste!

              Housing in the forest

              Deer eating my Restoration pamphlet

Classic Mission Experience

 

Me and Sister Ito today in front of our apartment. Its pouring rain!

 

 

Ohayougozaimasu!

 

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!

My hilarious companion telling me about her tape collection

 

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.

YSA party at Nakamura kyodai`s house. We`re showing off the game we played

 

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!

Obandoned fairgrounds near a less active member. Looks like where the zoltar machine was found at the end of the movie `Big`

 

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!

Cute YSA named Rana playing her guitar for me

 

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.

  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

 

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!

 

Love, Tingey Shimai

 

P.S. Matt 10:39 is awesome.

Ube and Ito Shimai

Hey everyone!

You guessed it....I transfered! 

 

Frolicking in the countryside. The house behind us is piglet grandma`s

 

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! 

Me and Ito Shimai!

 

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.

Snowy countryside of Ube

 

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.

 

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. :)

 

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.

Me with the oni

 

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.  

I just found a picture I secretly took of piglet!

 

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! 

 

Goodbye Tagawa Shimai :((((

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. 

 

Last district meeting in Fukuoka at the top of Fukuoka tower!

I love you all so much and hope you have a spledid week! 

 

Love, Tingey Shimai

One Year Mission Anniversary and Brother Oyama Kunio

The Oyama fam and the missionaries who taught him.

After the baptism

Brother Oyama, Yuto and Shintaro

Hello everyone!!! 

First off, Happy one year on the mission Anniversary to me!!!! January 26th of last year I entered the MTC! I can't believe how fast time has flown. Elder Stratford, who is my district leader and also entered the MTC with me last year called me on the night of the 26th and we had a little jubilee over the phone, haha. 

 a Chinese lady we taught

Ok, this is going to be short and sweet because we have a lot to do today to get ready for transfers this week. 

Cleaning the font!

Yep, we have transfer calls on Wednesday morning! I have been here in Fukuoka for three transfers now so there is a pretty good chance I will go to a new area, but I'm definitely crossing my fingers that I don't for a few reasons...

This Saturday Brother Oyama Kunio was baptized!!! Out of all of the baptism services I have attended on my mission, the spirit was the strongest during his. The whole day was stressful with teaching Eikaiwa twice, teaching a lesson, filling up the font (the first time we filled it up we didn't realize but the water was freezing cold!haha!), actually getting the Oyama family to the church on time, etc. However, once it started the spirit was there and TONS of members showed up to support him. He looked very spiffy in his suit and bore powerful testimony that he was led to the true church through various events in his life. He talked about his strong belief that Joseph Smith was a prophet, and his love for the Book of Mormon. I think most in attendance probably couldn't believe that he had only been learning about the church for a few months. He spoke with more conviction, power, and love than definitely I can muster. I feel so incredibly blessed and humbled that I was able to be a part of guiding him towards baptism and watching him go through that process. Like I've said before, I feel more than anything that nothing I, Uchida Shimai, Tagawa Shimai, Elder Neki, or Elder Stratford did helped him secure that sure testimony. It was his determination, his willingness to listen to the spirit, and his humility that allowed him to feel Heavenly Father's love. He started reading the Book of Mormon all on his own, before we even challenged him, and gained a testimony of Joseph Smith one day while at church listening to the Priesthood Meeting lesson. It has really been an amazing experience watching him and his family grow in the gospel. 

 

With all of that said....I am looking forward to continuing to teach their family and see them follow Brother Oyama's example by being baptized. I don't want to transfer!! :(

Making gyoza for the first time!

Wish me luck this week with transfer calls and what-not. If I happen to stay in Fukuoka and have the experience of becoming a trainer, I'm sure you'll be hearing a lot about it next week...haha. 

Your prayers in behalf of the Oyama family are DEFINITELY being heard. Please keep praying that they'll progress and grow closer as a family. I love you so much! 

Love, Tingey Shimai

Ringwood Taikai

At the conference with my doki Elders (in the MTC together)

Hello everyone!!

This Saturday Oyama Kunio san is getting baptized!!!!!!! Wahoooo. His wife and two sons will be baptized a little later on but he decided to make the first jump and be an example for his family. His last lesson is tonight, and then he'll have his baptism interview on Wednesday. If all goes well with that he'll be set to be baptized on Saturday, January 28th at 4:00! He is so excited to make life-changing covenants with his Heavenly Father and start his way on the road to eternal joy. As a missionary there really isn't anything more exciting and fulfilling than having someone you teach and pray so hard for everyday decide to devote their lives to following Christ and growing closer to him through baptism...however, I ALWAYS have the same feeling the week leading up to and the day of the baptism. My happiness and excitement for that day kind of fades as I think about more crucial and eternal covenants that will be made in the temple a year from now. That was the way I felt when Ohama Natsumi shimai was baptized. I couldn't help but imagine her and Kotaro kun being sealed as a family in the Fukuoka or Tokyo temple the next July (which just so happens to be the month that I'm headed home...maybe I'll be able to go through the temple with her!). I am feeling the same way about the Oyama family. I'm excited for Oyama san but at the same time my knowledge of the eternal nature of families and the joy that comes through that makes me anxious to see the next step. I always have this problem....just be happy with the NOW! Haha, sheesh.  

Oyama pug shrines. I'll never understand what the appeal of a pug is. Look at those bulgy eyes! Poor Kaede chan...

The Oyama couple's wedding picture I found in the bathroom, haha.

Anyway, this week started out slow, what with being sick and such but the second half of the week picked up and we worked like crazy to make up for the lessons we missed out on. We received a real treat when Elder Ringwood from the Quorum of the Seventy came for a special training conference on Thursday. I was lucky enough to be one of the few missionaries who attended to have a one-on-one interview with Elder Ringwood early that morning (probably because he doesn't speak Japanese and I'm the only American sister who attended). It was a very short interview. He asked me about my family and home town (which is always a tricky question, haha). Then he asked if I had any questions for him. I told him of my growing fear of becoming a trainer soon. I said I felt so inadequate with the language, teaching skills, and just missionary work in general and didn't know if I could do it..but surprisingly he told me that he was enthused that I felt that way, because that is the exact way a trainer should feel! Who would have known, eh? I always thought missionary work was about being confident and knowing your stuff, which it party is, but I'm learning more and more as time goes on that its really about humility and relying on the Lord. He did tell me, however, that the chance to train a new missionary is a sacred calling from the Lord and a very serious matter, because I'll be setting the stage for the rest of someone else's mission...which didn't really give me very much comfort, haha. We all felt the spirit so strongly during the conference and it was especially fun to hear Elder Ringwood's wife, Sister Ringwood talk about stories from her childhood growing up the daughter of Elder Nelson from the Quorem of the Twelve

My desk, if you were wondering (speaking of which, I don't really have any nice pictures of Dad and Teri to put up...so if you send a package soon be sure to include that!

I don't think any of you will believe this but lately I have been completely obsessed with cooking; looking through recipe books and finding delicious Japanese recipes I can whip up. This is the first time in my life that I have any interest at all in learning how to cook so pray that this sudden urge doesn't go away, haha. My companion Sister Tagawa has been teaching me a lot, too and we have been having fun salivating over a variety of dishes. Today we'll go grocery shopping again and I'm planning on making two fish dishes, a tofu dish, omrice (omlette with rice inside) and canned kinkan (little tiny orange looking thing). We are teaching a woman named Suetsugu san who is studying a type of cooking called "Yakuzen," and she teaches us new little dishes everytime we go over. I am loving it! 

Delicious!!!

Well I am out of time but pray for Oyama san this week that everything works out and also that his family will feel the spirit at his baptismal service. I love you!!!! I can't wait for Saturday!!! 

Love, Tingey Shimai

P.S. This guy walked into kids Eikaiwa the other day named David Haglund and apparently he is best friends with Toni and his brother Roger was best friends with Dad growing up??? Soooo random! I think he is a flight attendant or something and was just staying in Fukuoka for a few days. 

Byouki

Hey Hey.....

Sickly Fukuoka District

I am feeling super not genki right now so sorry if this email isn't very inspiring. On Saturday night I started to feel a little sick to my stomach, then Sunday morning it was worse but I thought it was just something I ate so I went to church. At church I had a massive migraine and there were about 5 members that I needed to talk to and make appointments with but I could barely even stand up. When we got home I fell asleep for a few hours hoping to be better by 5:00 when we had a big dinner party with some people in the ward and the Oyama family. I had been looking forward to that day for SO long because it is super rare for something like that to happen, where we're teaching an entire family, and a few other families in the ward invite them over for dinner.

Comp exchanges with Sister Matsuhashi

We always watch these DVDs called "Preach my Gospel" where it shows missionaries in America teaching people and working with the ward. Whenever I saw clips of them having big dinner parties with those they were teaching and members I always thought, "wouldn't that just be the best! I wish something like that would happen here!" And then finally when it actually did happen I caught some sort of gross virus (nodobairisu) and ended staying home, watching that same "Preach my Gospel" DVD, feeling so sad, haha. So ironic. On the bright side the Elders were able to go in our place and we heard nothing but good things. The Oyama family seems to be making a lot of friends in the ward and seemed to have a lot of fun. I'm extremely happy about that.

Making mochi pizza.

Elder Stratford, Obayashi and I all have the same sickness so today we took the van to the doctor and got some medicine to take. My stomach hurts super bad and don't have much of an appetite. :( :( :(. I have been very lucky, however, and this is the first time I have ever been sickly on my mission. Hopefully I won't be out of commission for too long.

My sick bath with a bath bomb the Elders gave us

This week was actually extremely fun because we had companion exchanges and  Matsuhashi Shimai came to Fukuoka to dendo with me for a day and a half! We started out the day by meeting with some members who she used to know when working in Fukuoka last year, and then did a lot of streeting. We met this one woman who as soon as we introduced ourselves she started talking about how she watched a program the night before on TV about the Mormons and then started telling us about living prophets and temples. "WHOAH!" Is the first thing that came to my mind. That is definitely a first. She said it had to do with Romney-san and the new President, which was really confusing because I haven't watched or heard ANYTHING concerning the news in the U.S. or the Presidential election. Right after we were both talking about how amazing that was, we visited a member who pulled our her newspaper and pointed at the program that was on the night before and said she was so sad she had missed it but apparently there was some special on about Mitt Romney explaining his religious beliefs. That was the second time we heard something about that in about half an hour. Later that night when we called a woman who comes to Eikaiwa to make an appointment to teach her she said, "Hey, you won't believe this but I NEVER watch TV but last night I decided to flip it on and suddenly I was watching a program about "The Latter-day Saints"!" She also said that she is totally rooting for Romney and that "The Mormon religion is great!" Haha! I couldn't believe how much we had heard about that program in one day, from random people on the street, a less active member, and an Eikaiwa lady! With Mitt Romney running the Church seems to be getting a lot of coverage and its reaching all the way here in Japan! What an amazing opportunity! Go Romney! If it isn't too much of a hassle could someone possibly shoot some info my way about that? I literally know nothing. Is it just Romney and Obama in the running?

Speaking of shooting things my way, if anyone is planning on sending me a package anytime soon feel free to throw in some REAL toothpaste, like Crest or Colgate. I ran out of the tube Teri sent me and I've been using the Japanese candy-flavored toothpaste that makes your teeth rot out. Thank you! :)

Other news.....this week we have a big meeting with a lot of the zone's on Kyushu where Elder Ringwood is coming and giving some sort of training. We're all pretty excited except for the fact that we might possibly all be dying of nodobairisu.

I love you and hope you're all healthy and happy. Thanks for your emails and love!

Love, Tingey Shimai

Too much mochi, not enough finding

Dear loved ones,

 

Isn't this the most gorgeous girl you've ever seen?

Its been a great week! ! ! It finally feels like we are back in normal working mode with all of the Holiday stuff over. Phew. We were able to do LOTS of finding this week and had a really cool experience with streeting.

 

That mallet was SUPER heavy. I was exhausted after about 30 seconds of poundage!

We were on our way to a far away area to visit a referral we recieved a little bit ago and stopped at a red light. Earlier that day during companion study we had talked about how sometimes when we decide to ride to a far away area, even if we don't have an appointment, we're so set on getting there as fast and efficiently as possible that we don't take the time to follow the spirit and talk to those that Heavenly Father places in our path. Plus its really cold outside and lately it has been hard to stop in the middle of a long bike ride. We talked about how this has been a weakness in our companionship and we commited that we would take our time from now on, especially when we don't have an appointment, to open our eyes to those we meet on the street. Anyway, we were stopped at a red light next to a lady on a bike and I routinely handed her an Eikaiwa flyer and told he we're missionaries teaching about Jesus Christ. We talked for a second and told her if she's interested to please call us. When the light turned green sister Tagawa and I were both on our bikes pedaling already when we heard from behind us, "Do you always ride mountain bikes?" It was the lady I had just been talking to. Because of the bad habit we have formed, as soon as the light turned green we were off, even though we didn't have an appointment or immediate need to go anywhere!!! What in the world??? We immediately stopped and ended up talking to Hashino san for about 20 minutes, getting her phone number, and made an appointment to teach her a lesson the following week! When we rode away we were both very humbled and felt like horrible missionaries, haha. In order for Hashino san to receive the blessings of this gospel she was the one who had to call out to us and stop us from riding away. Can you say guilt, or what?  Anyway, HUGE learning experience and we're working hard to break our bad habits. My transfer one self would be shocked if she saw that behavior from me! 

The Mochi being pounded to smitherines

 

More Mochi making

 

Last Monday as a New Years celebration we made mochi, which is rice pounded into smitherines and made into a gooey little ball of 100000 calories, covered with all sorts of toppings and flavors including sea weed, soy sauce, sugar-like stuff, cheese, etc. Before my mission I actually really like Mochi, but lately everytime I eat it I feel like as soon as it enters my stomach it expands 10X and I just feel super sick. Anyway, we went to the Ogata family's house with our investigators Anjana, Mineoi san, and Yokotsuko san and had a blast making Mochi. I did force myself to eat several balls but immediately regretted it afterward, haha. To make mochi you first have to cook the rice, which they did in this cool little wooden oven thing over a fire in their backyard. Then you put that rice into a big granite-like bowl and pound the bageebees out of it until its sticky and moldable. Then we took it inside and made millions of little balls, stuffing it with sweet beans and all other sorts of Japanesy things. It was a really fun experience. 

 

More Mochi making

I was kind of happy thinking I would never have to each mochi again, until the next day we had three appointments, lunch at Brother Okafuji's house, where he served us Nabe (big pan of boiled fish, vegetables, and MOCHI). We knew we might possibly be fed at our other appointments so we ate as little as possible while still being polite. Right after that we visited a member named sister Honsho who also, unfortunately, prepared a giant feast of tamago yaki (omlette-type thing) and three different desserts, that we of course ate. Luckily there was no mochi involved but she did give us a giant bag of it to take home with us. 

 

Warming my hands with Anjana

Then right after that we visited a woman named Suetsugu san who also made this giant Japanese gourmet meal of the most delicious foods I have ever seen, and I was just so sad that I wasn't hungry AT ALL, and also because we knew that we were going to have to eat every bit of what she fed us, haha. Oh, the woes of being a missionary. I didn't really anticipate these types of trials. Anyway, that was last Tuesday and since then I have literally been eating nothing. I am literally still not hungry, hahah.

the incredibly delicious Japanese gourmet meal that rounded out our day of being force-fed...

 

...and the aftermath of that....(throw-up looking gunk we found on the street)

 

 We also received a ton of referrals, which is the best feeling ever. This week we have three appointment to meet with referrals from members and also investigators! Wahooo.

 

Sister Tagawa and my transfer theme: Unity through perfect obedience

The Oyama family is doing awesome and progressing toward baptism on the 28th. We met with just the Father yesterday and he told us how dedicated he is to this gospel and he knows that he was led to this point in his life. He also shared how lately he's been realizing that it is his duty to be a good example to his other family members during this critical time. His two sons and wife have really been noticing that example because lately whenever we talk to them on the phone they say, "My husband was reading the Book of Mormon today!" and so forth. Because of that example, the biggest miracle of all time occurred on Sunday when the Oyama couple walked into church to attend sacrament meeting. It was the first time that the mom has ever come and totally out of nowhere! The kids were staying at their cousins house and couldn't come, so we honestly weren't expecting anyone to show up, but in they walked! It was the best! I was translating for the English speakers during sacrament meeting so I wasn't able to sit with them but afterward we were able to talk and she said, "This morning was so hectic and I've been staying at my parent's house helping them out and didn't have any of my clothes even at our place, or even shoes or socks to wear, but I just felt like I HAD to come today!" Usually she gets all primped up if leaving the house for anything but she came just wearing sweats, no make-up and her husband's socks!  I know that Heavenly Father is hearing all of the prayers in behalf of the Oyama family. We feel that so strongly and they are feeling it as well. So...thank you for all of your prayers!

 

The Fukuoka missionaries gathering at the ward mission leader's house

Well, another week has passed and another exciting week ahead~! Can't wait to see whats in store with all of our referrals and with Hashino san who we met on the street. I know that Heavenly Father fulfills all his promises and answers our prayers. When we commit to putting forth just a little more effort, whatever it may be, the Lord gives us a lift and helps us accomplish what we need to. I love this gospel! I know that Joseph Smith really did restore the gospel to the earth and because of that these amazing Japanese people can receive all of the blessings that come with that...most of all true joy and eternal life!

 

More Mochi!!

I hope you all have a wonderful week and remember how incredibly blessed you are to have a Father in Heaven who loves you!

 

I love you, too! :)

 

Love, Tingey Shimai