Tuesday, December 15, 2015

I never wanna leave this place

December 7, 2015

Hello!! Wow isn't the gospel great? Sorry it's later today, we went to the zoo with an English class student so we are later today... But wow, what a great great week for everyone! Everyone just looks like they had a blast and just are enjoying the amazing Christmas spirit.  I love all the pictures and such! I just man, k love my family and friends. I'm so blessed.  I hope you all continue to stay happy and just great people that you are. Well this week for us was GREAT! I LOVE THIS PLACE! I'll share some highlights of the week... We had a lesson with a member who needs just a little up lifting and Fuller Shimai wanted me to take control and lead the lesson. And guess what?! It went SO WELL! It felt so good to just talk and commit her and do all those things. Yes it wasn't perfect but I saw the growth in me and it was just a good experience for me. After the lesson fuller Shimai told me that's the most confident she's seen me speak. So I mean yeah it wasn't perfect but I tried and it ended up pretty good.  So we had a shoukugi (dinner) with a family who is the most hilarious/sarcastic family I've ever met in Japan. Because most families aren't like that so it's fun cause our family is so anyway. Come to find out, they leave like an hour away by bike so that was a fun experience in the pouring rain and hail.  But they live in the inaka part of Izumo (the country side) and there house was literally like by itself in the woods ha it was awesome! We are in their barn and she is like a gourmet chef so it was sooo good and she made deviled eggs... I miss those! But anyway, the best part, they have a grand piano, no one does here.. So we played all the Disney songs and sang our hearts out together because fuller Shimai is SO skilled at the piano so we just loved life with that ha that was the fun America part of the week.  So Welch 会長 gave us a challenge for December.. We are to read Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John this month. While we read it we are  marking 1: The gospel of Jesus Christ 2: The relationship between God and Jesus Christ 3: The way the Savior teaches. I am  so excited to get my nose into the bible. Yes, it's hard to understand compared to the amazing Book of Mormon but I have never been good at reading it very good so I'm excited to gain a better testimony of these few books and see how the Savior taught. What a perfect time to learn more about him, CHRISTMAS. Speaking of Christmas and the Savior.. HAVE YOU SEEN THE NEW VIDEO?! Please tell me yes.... If not zehi, (go ahead) go watch it now. It is such a great video and the church made it just perfect. And also, PLEASE share it with friends and or strangers. Whoever... We need to remember and focus on the true meaning of Christmas. Yes it's good to enjoy the fun holiday spirit but the true meaning is an even better joy we feel. Our Saviors birth is so amazing and because ofthat day we can all be born again and live with our Heavenly Father again. Isn't the Savior just the most amazing/loving person ever? So we went on a random Koukkan this week... These like never happen but our zone leaders wanted us too so.. After zone meeting we switched. Taecheira Shimai who is a THIRD TRANSFER, yes we both are learning the language right now came with me back to Izumo haha then fuller Shimai went with her comp back to their area for Saturday. Well on our way back from the Eki (train station) I thought I would take the back way Fuller Shimai showed me past week... Well I got lost so it's 9 o'clock, freezing, windy, and we are both exhausted and we are lost.. So I finally found the way but we had to back track and it took a little longer than normal but we made it haha I fixed my mistake but the next day we had two lessons planned. Our first was with a recent convert who has been struggling with coming to church lately cause he has Shougi tournaments (Japanese chess tournaments) We just teach him with a member usually but no one could so the elders came and well I basically had to be the "leader" of the lesson and boy was it scary because we both didn't know Japanese that well but it ended up really good and I was pretty proud of what we accomplished... He agreed to followed God better and he will come to church. My short thought of the week is a quote from Fuller Shimai during our study that just stuck out to me... Hit me hard.. We were discussing hope and how we feel like hope kind of has a negative connotation too it in America. "Like oh I hope we can... But like not sure if it'll happen, probably not." Type of thing... But we both didn't like that cause hope is almost the same as faith and that's for sure not negative right? So she said "Hope is a desire with confidence." And that is perfect way to describe it. Hope is wishing for something to happen but that wish is very confident in it. And I just thought, we need to change our definition of hope. Hope is a positive thing that goes hand in hand with faith. So I've been trying to work on how I use hope and how my hope really is. This week, look at your hope. Does it portray the negative way or the faith way? If it's the negative, I challenge you to pray and work on changing the way you see hope. It'll make a world of difference in your life. It has made my life seem happier and more positive and I love it. So there is the challenge of the week to improve your life or recognize a good thing you're already doing.#RELY #HOPE

 スミス姉妹 Smith Shim

Kokkan!!

Crazy rain storm biking haha

First Christmas Present haha from a member

Our Christmas card hahaha kana? (Sorta)

Maki is the one by me and the other is her mom.  Maki isn't a member, she's an English class student who gives us tours of everything

Zone Meeting in Okayama

Our lunch today with Maki San.

That's raw fish in my chopsticks ha yup...

We went to the Zoo

More Zoo

More Zoo



Statues made out of old plates

Statues out of old plates
  
Riding on a bridge and boy was it beautiful and I posed awesome haha

Bridge view

Bridge view

Monday, December 14, 2015

BUSY IS THE WAY TO GO

November 30, 2015

Minasan, Konichiwa! (Everyone, Hello!)

Well it sounds like it was a good week of thanks I loved seeing the pictures and stuff. Boy do I miss having thanksgiving.. Haha yes we did not have one here.. But it's all good, I'm still VERY thankful for all I'm blessed with. I hope you were too and always remember how blessed we are. Especially to have the knowledge of the gospel of Jesus Christ. But sounds like all is well with everyone which is always good to hear! Well this week was yes... another GREAT one! WEDNESDAY WAS THE BEST! We were going ALL day, literally every minute, every second haha I mean that can be tiring and hard but also they are the best days.  After we finished study, we had a lesson every hour that whole day. So total we taught of 7 lessons! That's a lot in one day here in Japan...When we got home, we both just dropped haha we were exhausted but also I have never felt so much happiness and joy after helping so many people that day. I won't go in detail on lessons but there were some amazing lessons that day and the spirit was strong and led us on what to say to that certain person at that time. I love teaching others and just helping them feel Christ in their life, isn't that just the best?!  One of the best days of my mission this far for sure! Man, just talking about it again puts a big smile on my face.  I LOVE BEING A MISSIONARY!  So we have this Filipino investigator, she is a single mom with 3 kids. She is SO cute! So we met with her twice this week, Monday's lesson was amazing.  We talked about the importance of reading the BOM everyday and how it will change her life. And the spirit was so strong during that whole lesson and you can tell her faith is growing more and more. We asked her if we could help her read the BOM everyday and she said it would be nice if we text her specific parts to read and we've been doing that and she always replies these sweet texts about how those were perfect and she is recognizing God more and more everyday. Then we had another lesson with her Thursday. We went to lunch with her and also Mami Shimai came and helped SO much. Our investigator doesn't have friends here and they connected so well and are now good friends. And it strengthened her by hearing Mami Shimai testify of the BOM and how it helps her. So we are really hopeful for her and hope she can keep progressing and get work off on Sunday so she can finally come to church. PRAY FOR THAT PLEASE! She's AMAZING.  So park mountain is the old man we found at the park this past week and we met with him everyday this week except Friday.. Yeah wow! But anyway, we teach him 30 English and 30 gospel. But when we told him he wanted it to be more English then gospel. So that wasn't ever a good sign... But when we taught him gospel he is really stubborn with thinking that just one church can be true, because he thinks there are a lot good people in other religions. So we asked him to pray to know God knows him and he said he doesn't know if he can then our next lesson he just wanted to do like all English and just wasn't really into gospel.. So it was super hard.. We just aren't sure what to do to hero him. He came to church again so that was great but he just doesn't have the interest of gospel so these situations are hard. So we also have a Mongolian mom who is an investigator, she hasn't been able to meet a lot lately because she has a ton of school and research. But we finally met, and then she tells us she is going back to Mongolia for 2 months.. So she is kind of on a pause right now... I'll update you on her later I guess so that's hard. We also this week were able to visit a lot of members and up life them. I know everyone thinks missionary work is just baptizing or whatever but I've learned that being a FULL PURPOSE missionary is helping less actives, investigators, companions, strangers, and members. We must help everyone and up life them. I've seen us help members and I know and feel the Saviors approval and love for that. There is so much you can do to be a missionary. SO MUCH Sunday our branch had a pot luck.. Haha how funny to see Asians bring a ton of food and just eat and eat! But boy was it delicious and I made rice pudding for it and no one had ever tried it so they all loved it so I was happy haha I wasn't sure if it would be too sweet or not but hey they all said it was yummy so.. Thought of the week, "We may not know when or how the Lord’s answers will be given, but in His time and His way, I testify, His answers will come. For some answers we may have to wait until the hereafter. This may be true for some promises in our patriarchal blessings and for some blessings for family members. Let us not give up on the Lord. His blessings are eternal, not temporary." Waiting Upon the Lord: Thy Will be Done By: Robert D Hales I know for me some times I want to give up on asking questions or for things because I'm not receiving answers. But as I read this, I just thought wow, we should never give up on prayers because we can receive an answer anytime even if it takes years or the after life. We must trust in God that when we receive that answer, it's the right time for us. So I challenge you this week of you are struggling with trusting in God and when or how he answers you're prayers. Please be patient and keep praying to him. He will answer, it may not be what or when you want but he will answer and it will help and strengthen you. I have seen that here as a missionary. Patient and trust in our Heavenly Father. He loves all ofyou and knows you better than anyone. Trust him, talk to him, about ANYTHING! He cares about every single detail in your life, isn't that such a blessing?! So please pray pray and pray. Answers and help come, but on his timing which is the best timing.  I love you all and miss you lots! But boy am I happy doing this work, i hope you all have a great week. We will too I know it!  #RELY #TRUSTスミス姉妹 Smith Shimai 
Lunch with the Filipino mommy and Mami Shimai in our ward

Dinner at the Sato Family.  Yes I curled my hair..Haha

Sweet less active, the lady we helped that was stuck last week.  Such amazing faith in one women


My comp took this of me while shopping, haha

These girls were so excited to see Americans haha they screamed when we said hi to them, so funny how much they love Americans.  When we walked by they were like "kawaii so!"  Or like so cute! Haha


This is a Brazilian who is moving to our branch soon.  LOVE HER TO DEATH, she thinks we are so great ha it's so fun.


FHE Night