Fwd: 3rd Transfer Week 2

From: Lindsay Sanders <lindsay.sanders@myldsmail.net>

Date: January 26, 2015 12:45:25 AM MST

Subject: 3rd Transfer Week 2

Woohoo! This week I hit 3 milestones

on the 20th, I have been in Japan for 3 months

and I have been serving a mission for 5 months

on the 21st, was my half birthday! I would like to remind everyone that my birthday is in 6 months. Start writing your letters now! O negai shimasu.

Next week on Monday we will be having interviews with Gustafson Kaicho, so I will email next Tuesday.

I am having a blast here in Chikushino! I LOVE THIS PLACE! It is a good mix of city and country and there are beautiful rice fields that we ride past everyday. I will make sure to take pictures! 

I am learning so much from Ogawa Shimai. She is patient with me and all of my weaknesses. She is so sweet and is always putting others needs before her own.. She is also SO FUNNY. We laugh all the time! We are getting really good at impressions. She loves my Gollum impression, and she does a really good impression of Darth Vader. It is scary how good she is! We are finding that we have a lot in common and it is getting easier to communicate! My Japanese is getting so much better! My district leader is also Japanese (Sugimoto Choro!!!!!!!!!) and he says I sound like a Nihonjin! YAY!!!!!!!!!

Also, Ogawa Shimai calls me `ai suru Sanders Shimai` which means Beloved Sister Sanders... it is so precious. We call each other that. Or I call her Ogawa sama, which is an honorific, and she gets all hazukashii... embarrassed ;) hehehe we always have fun!

This week we taught investigators... brought treats to members, and walked.... a lot. We have a smaller area, so we like to walk to we can talk to more people. We have seen lots of miracles by setting appointments with God- saying we will be in this place at this time... Heavenly Father, please provide someone for us to talk to. We have also had a lot of success housing. There are 3 all-girls colleges in our area, so we are going through all the housing and we have found some cool people. No new investigators.... BUT we found an old investgator who had moved and no one knew where she went! We are going to start teaching her again.

This week had a lot of highs and lows. I decided that I wanted to study Humility this week... and Heavenly Father really helped me with that. Being a trainer has given me lots of opportunities to discover my weaknesses. I have a LOT. But I know what it says in Ether 12:27 is true- if I come closer to Christ, my weaknesses will become strengths.

I was reminded this week that I am so blessed! I would not have made it this far without the help from God. My words aren`t empty when I say I know that God loves us. 

I feel like I am growing. This experience- this hard time- will help me learn what I need to know for the rest of my mission, and the rest of my life.

I know that through the Atonement, the things we feel guilty of can become things we feel peace about. Regret can become relief. I have felt it. I have experienced that change in my heart and I want everyone to know it! When I stand before God and am judged for my works and intents of my heart, I want to have a story worth sharing. I love this gospel. It has blessed my life. I know that God lives- He is our Loving Heavenly Father. I know that Christ is the Savior. His Atonement makes it possible to be free of any chains of guilt or regret or worry. 

I love each and every one of you! Thank you for your prayers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I appreicate it so much!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Have a great week!

PS Mountains to Climb from the EFY CDs is my theme song.

--

Sanders Shimai

Fwd: 3rd Transfer Week One

From: Lindsay Sanders <lindsay.sanders@myldsmail.net>

Date: January 19, 2015 1:36:27 AM MST

Subject: 3rd Transfer Week One

Literally what my journal this past week looks like:

1/15 SISTER SANDERS HAS ARRVIED IN CHIKUSHINO. SHE IS ALSO BETTER AT JAPANESE THAN SHE THOUGHT.

1/16 SISTER SANDERS HAS SURVIVED HER FIRST FULL DAY AS A TRAINER. SHE ALSO HAS A HEADACHE FROM ONLY SPEAKING JAPANESE.

1/17 SISTER SANDERS　MADE A FOOL OF HERSELF BY TRYING TO GIVE SOMEONE A BOOK OF MORMON AND TELLING THEM IF THEY READ THIS BOOK THEY WILL DIE.

1/18 SISTER SANDERS SURVIVED 3 HOURS OF PEOPLE AT CHURCH ASKING IF I AM FROM UTAH AND IF I HAVE EATEN NATO. HER COMPANION WAS NICE AND GAVE HER CHOCOLATE TO EAT DURING RELIEF SOCIETY.

I am not sure why I wrote about myself in the third person, but looking back, I thought it was pretty funny.

This week has been great! I LOVE having a native companion! She is teaching me how to make delicious Japanese food and my Japanese is already improving. I also love being a trainer. Ogawa Shimai is such an amazing missionary! Funny story, she actually went to college here before her misison and she knows all the people and has lots of friends in the ward. Crazy, right?

Chikushino is my new favorite place!.It is slower paced than Fukuoka and there are so many families!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Missionaries live for opportunities to teach families. I am so excited to get to know these new people, ward members, and investigators. I feel like I am meant to be here.

Ogawa Shimai has also become one of my best friends. We are always laughing and we are both working so hard to talk to each other. We are a good team! She thinks I am super funny too, so that`s good. She is 26 years old, and loves cooking and shopping. Her favorite food is udon and her favorite color is sky blue. She is crazy good at yoga. Also she loves kids :) I LOVE HER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I want all of you to meet her!

It was really hard to say goodbye to Fukuoka. Oba Shimai drove me to the train station and we both hugged each other and cried. She is my Nihonjin mom. She always took care of me and we have a really special bond. I will always be to thankful for her and her family.

This week I have seen a lot of miracles. I don`t have time for them all, but one of them is on my 2nd night in Chikushino, we were housing, and had about 20 minutes left till curfew. We still needed to give out 1 more Book of Mormon. We prayed. The next 4 doors all took Book of Mormons. It was amazing.

I love being a misisonary! I am still super genki and rocking it out here in Chikushino.

My district leader is Sugimoto Choro, who was in my Zone in Fukuoka. I LOVE HIM! He is one of my best friends. I will take a picture with him and talk more about him later. Also, my zone leader is BRAZILIAN. His name is Cascardi Choro. His parents are mission presidents in Brazil. I get to work on my Japanese AND portuguese this transfer!

I am so thankful for the prayers on my behalf! I have felt them and they have gotten me through some rough patches this week.

ALSO, thank you everyone for sending me letters! I am really behind on writing back, but please keep them coming! I LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!

Please tell me what you want to hear more about. I never know what to write in these emails.

please and thank you!

--

Sanders Shimai

Fwd: 2nd Transfer Last week

From: Lindsay Sanders <lindsay.sanders@myldsmail.net>

Date: January 14, 2015 1:32:53 AM MST

Subject: 2nd Transfer Last week

First I have to apologize that this is late. Pday got all messed up but I am emailing now so it's all good! Also we just rode our bikes in the cold rain so my fingers are frozen so I apologize for the massive typos I am about to make. I only have so much time, AHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!

First things first- on Friday I got a call from the AP's that went like this....

Elder Sasaki- Hello Sister Sanders, how are you?

Me- Why are you calling?

Elder Sasaki- I want to know how you are doing!

Me- I am fine. How are you?

Elder Sasaki- I am great. Do you know why I am great?

Me- ...

ELder Sasaki- I will just tell you. I get to tell you that you have been called to be a TRAINER next transfer!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Me- ....

Elder Sasaki- Hello?

Me- Are you sure you are talking to the correct SIster Sanders?

Elder Sasaki- You are the only Sanders Shimai in the mission...

Me- Ah. I see.

So yes. I will be training on my 3rd transfer. I just finished being a bean and I will now be responsible for my own bean.

But it gets better. We received our transfer calls on Tuesday where I found out I will be leaving Fukuoka and going to Chikushino, a town about a half hour away. I will be training........

OGAWA SHIMAI.

Yes, she is Japanese.

No. She can't speak English.

I AM SO EXCITED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! My trainer Nelson Shimai served in Chikushino and loved it! There are lots of families there and the ward members are so great! I am excited to have a native companion because my language will improve so much! It is going to be really hard because honestly I have no idea what I am doing, but the Lord will help me. I would also appreciate prayers.

I am so sad to leave Fukuoka... I have left little pieces of my soul all over this city. I have gone through so much here. It is hard to leave, but there are better things ahead. ALSO SIster Mills, my MTC comp, is taking my place so all is well! I can trust her with my investigators.

One thing  have learned this week is that the more you teach, the better you understand. It jst worked out htis week that all of our investigators needed a How to repent lesson. I needed it too. The Atonement is not just for sinners, but for people who sincerely want to change and improve. I love the Savior for what He did so that I have the option to repent. I don't have to wait to change. I can be free of all my guilt and worry. That is the best gift anyone could give me... and that is why I must share it with others.

I love being a missionary! I am sad to leave Sister Smith. We have become such good friends. SHe will hold down the fort in Fukuoka with Sister Mills.

--

Sanders Shimai

Fwd: Transfer 2 Week 5

From: Lindsay Sanders <lindsay.sanders@myldsmail.net>

Date: January 5, 2015 12:43:32 AM MST

Subject: Transfer 2 Week 5

HAPPY NEW YEARS! O shogatsu o medato!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We have been doing so much this week!

Some fun news:

A General authority is coming next month

We are getting iPads soon (still don`t know when...... but we were promised it will be soon)

It snowed lots and my hands turned purple. Then the Elders got mad at me for not having good gloves and found me good gloves. They take good care of the sisters!! I love the Elders in my Zone!

I am learning Russian from a woman named Inga who knows a member in our ward. It is so cool because Sister Smith knows some Russian  and I will send some pictures with some Russian! I am so lucky to have all of these opportunities! 

Mom, I made some cookies for an investigator and she came to church this week! Your cookies are helping people come closer to Christ!

I learned something cool from the scriptures. In D&C 4:2 it says to be blameless before God,but in japanese, it says tsumi o nai joutai de tateru yoni, which translates to the circumstance of not having sin. The way we are cleansed of sin is through our Savior`s Atonement. We have been teaching people about New Beginnings. It is so special that we don`t have to wait in order to start over again.

That is all I have I have time for today! Love you always! Thanks for all you do!

--

Sanders Shimai