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