Okay, this week was such a blur so I will do my best to tell you about everything that's happened...
Things are going so great! This week was a bit more overwhleming, but my language is really coming along. It is easier for me to make my own sentences instead of just rweading from a book. I love my companion :) We are working well together. We are so different though. She is such a nerd :) She loves art and anime and all things weird. No, I'm not even kidding. But I love her so much :) We keep each other focused and motivated. She also gives really good hugs, and that is awesome because shimaitachi need lots of love.
I am so happy :) Thank you to everyone who sent me letters! I love them! I read them over and over all week! Please use Dear Elder because it's free! Thanks Priscilla for the Goldfish, those are my favorite :)
Last Thursday, (P-Day) we went to the Provo temple as a district and I loved it! It is something that is familiar to me and it was so nice to just feel the peace of the Spirit there :)
*Disclaimer* like I said last week, when we teach kyudosha (investigators), we are teaching our sensei's who are playing a character. They base these characters off of people they taught on their own missions. I try to treat them like they are my real investigators. I take it very seriously... This is some of the best practice we can get. No matter what, if we teach with the Spirit, their reactions are genuine. It is the most amazing thing I have ever experienced!
Friday we said goodbye to Watabe san and got two new investigators. We taught Iida san on Monday, and he is retired, divorced, and a smoker. We know the gospel can bring him joy in his life! Our focus on the first lesson was the Restoration. We shared a video about the First Vision, we bore testimony that we know God and Jesus Christ appeared to Joseph Smith and that the true gospel has been restored. Iida san accepted a Morumon Sho (Book of Mormon) and we are meeting again with him on Saturday. We are also teaching Fuchino san, who is a recent high school graduate who plays soccer with the senkyoshi (misisonaries), and wants to know why they are such good people. We will be teaching him about Jesus Christ, and how following His example will bring him joy in his life.
On Sundays, we get to watch a broadcast of Music and the Spoken Word, and we have Relief Society. This week Sister Carole Stevens, First Counselor of the Relief Society General Presidency spoke to us. Here is one of my favorite quotes from her: "Sister is not just a title- it is a duty to love, give service, and be examples of virtue and charity. We must exemplify what it says in Mosiah 18:8-10 (this is also what we covenant when we are baptized!). It is our DUTY to love.
The shimaitachi and I all decided that, since we are in the business of saving souls, we are superheroes :) We are trying to come up with good names. If anyone has good ideas, please let us know.
Speaking of super heroes, the chorotachi (Elders) are still great. We love them so much. Soares Choro was looking through the dictionary (remember, he is still learning English) and came across the word Hazelnut. He says to the class: If I were a super hero, my name would be Hazelnut. (he pronounces it Hah-zel-noot). We laughed so hard. That is how "Team Ephraim" began. Yes, Soares Choro chose names for all the chorotachi. Here is the list, and why Soares picked them)
Jespersen= potato chip (we don't know why...)
Wallace= Army Guy (looks like GI Joe??)
Soares= Hahzelnoot (the word is cool)
Rostrom- Storm Trooper ("Rostrom" is too hard to say, but Storm Trooper is basically the same thing)
Dana= Mormon Guy (he looks like Kirby Heyborne)
Agnew= Bruce Lee (they're both Asian)
Let's get a round of applause for the chorotachi! They are mostly the only reason we stay sane. The shimaitachi are great too :) We have our own funny things, but they're just not as good. Sometimes we sing "Bohemian Rhapsody" in the funniest way possible :) It's great!
During one study time, I can't remember which day, it was me, Mills Shimai, Jespersen Choro, Wallace Choro, Dana Choro, and Agnew Choro all sitting in our classroom reading the scriptures. It was SILENT. (hard to do, we are all goofballs). Then Jepsersen Choro had the idea to share what scriptures we chose for our missionary plaques, and how we chose them. I am always impressed at the testimonies my awesome district has. Everyone is here for the right reasons.
This week I've started feeling a bit more homesick... I just love my family a lot! I know I am doing more for them while I am here on my mission than I could do for them at home. I read 1 Nephi 3:15 " But behold I said unto them that: As the Lord liveth, and as we live, we will not go down unto our father in the wilderness until we have accomplished the thing which the Lord hath commanded us." This is Nephi telling his brothers who wanted to give up that they couldn't quit! They would not return until they had done what they were commanded to do. I had the thought "I will not go home until I have finished my work". I love being a misisonary. In this short time I've been here, I've been able to recognize the Hand of the Lord in everything that I do. I also love the scripture "Behold, I am a disciple of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. I have been called of him to declare his word among his people, that they might have everlasting life." (3 Nephi 5:13) This is my whole purpose of being here.
I forget who said it, but the Nihon senkyosha got a shoutout at the last devotional. Did you know that last year, other than English speaking, more missionaries were sent to Japan than any other country? Japan is being flooded with the Gospel! My district is one of the next group of reinforcements. There are about 70 of us missionaries going to Japan in the next 2 months. Suberashii!!!!!!!!! Yay! We have been told that we probably won't baptize much. I don't believe that. There are so many people that need the Gospel, and they will want to be baptized if we can teach with the Spirit. I am not going to Brazil or the Philippines where a missionary can baptize 100 people in a year... I am going to Japan. That is where the Lord needs me to carry out His work. I have no doubt that I will find people that are ready. I know it will be hard, I am realistic in that sense. But Japan is just as ripe for harvest as anywhere else in the world.
I saw Elder Ethington this morning! And I saw Elder Jacob Larson on Sunday :) They are both so happy! I see a lot of people all the time walking to class, at devotionals, and at meals :)
On Sunday, the choir sang "Where Can I Turn For Peace" arranged by the wonderful Mary Ellen Loose! That's right, she was my pianist at CGCC!!!!!!!!! I was so excited! Her arrangement is beautiful. The conductor shared a thought: When the Savior suffered in Gethsemane, it wasn't a mass sum of all the world's pain... it was like a long line of people. The Savior suffered for each of us individually. He knows what it's like to be us, to be tempted and tried. I can truly say that He knows us. Not just what it's like to have a broken heart, but what it's like to be you and have a broken heart. I hope that made sense.
I am going to be auditioning to sing at a devotional or Relief Society meeting this week.... pray for me!
That is all for today! I am about to go to lunch then go to the temple. Have a great week and I'll talk to you next week!
Ai shite imasu!
--
Sanders Shimai
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