Tuesday, January 5, 2016

Merry Christmas

December 14, 2015

メリークリスマス!

Everyone, HELLO! I hope you're all having a great Christmas and not only loving the fun of it but remembering why we have Christmas and being so grateful for our Savior and his sacrifice. Everything sounds great and wow a new niece! I love her already.  GOODLUCK Bry and Merc. Love your cute family. I hope all is well back at home and thanks for all the emails and support you show me. I'm grateful for the amazing family and friends back at home! Well let's start with transfer announcements... Well this transfer I get to stay in Izumo!! But wow guess what else... I am training! Yup, third transfer and a first transfer here we go! I don't meet her till Thursday though so I will let you know next week. I actually think she will be nihongin aka Japanese. But I'm not sure.. I'll let you know next pday.  I guess the lord calls the weak and hopefully he qualifies those weak. I'm nervous but excited for the opportunity to teach a new missionary and help her know what missionary work is. Alright now to the week, wow it's been great and busy 24/7! The work is moving forward.. Wednesday was a blast! We had a kokkan with our STL's. And normally one of us stays here and the others goes with STL's to their area but since their area is so far away we just did a yon nin (four some) in Izumo and it was awesome! We visited so many people and then for a little bit of the day we separated into just two and did different things, well one of our STL's is half nihonjin so that's the one I got to work with. It was great and intimidating all at the same time. So we had an appointment to visit our branch presidents wife so we went to visit her and our STL made me basically do the whole lesson and it was scary but it went really well actually... But the whole day was just so fun to be with four of us and I learned a lot from them. Our old grandpa investigator park mountain is a little difficult to know what to say. He just sometimes likes to play the devils advocate just cause so it is hard to know what to teach him to open and touch his heart. But at this lesson he fed us and it was so yummy ha well he bought the food and we had to cook it. So we made yakudon. It just like a noodle and veggie dish. It's yummy and get this, he makes homemade yogurt every week! So he gave it to us for part of dinner and WOW! Best yogurt I have ever eaten... Not kidding, ha but anyway, the lesson was a hard one because he had so many hard questions and he just isn't patient to let us try and explain but the best part was after the lesson フラー 姉妹 prayed and after her prayer he looks at us and says, can I pray, I have something to ask God about. And he just gave the most sincere prayer about wanting to know and understand what we talk about. It is such an amazing feeling and spirit when an investigator prays and with a sincere heart. So we are hoping his heart is continuing to open mote and more.  Sato Shimai is the sweetest lady in our ward and they have the cutest daughter who is 10. I sent pictures home of them when we ate at their house and they have an American house.. I don't know if you remember but anyway she invited us over to decorate Christmas cakes with them. She told us to invite anyone and so we invited a LA that we haven't met with for awhile and she was able to come. So it was good to build relationships with members and share a message with her, but I'll send pics of the cake and decorating together etc, it was so fun but I helped her make the icing before we decorated and she was like amazed at his much I knew about cooking and baking etc. it was funny, so thank you momma.  So on the way back from district meeting Friday we were just sitting on the train, I was studying and フラー姉妹 fell asleep and I eventually dozed a little and we both wake up and well the train was pulling away from our stop... Hahaha We both fell asleep bad timing and had to go like an hour more to get on another train to get back.  Yeah I know.. But we did two missionary work moments with random people we met so we were still productive and effective even though we messed up.  This is so random and weird but.. A member in our branch asked me to share this so here ya go. So a member in our branch who is American wrote a book and it is opening this week and he asked us to tell our families and to look it up so here is what he said "Just tell them that your friend's book will be free from 12/17 - 12/ 19 and he wants tons of people to download it!!Anyways, the link to the amazon page is:" https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.amazon.com_gp_product_B017UQSQVG&d=CwICJg&c=z0adcvxXWKG6LAMN6dVEqQ&r=OdXrSnx4jZYsZYok8PZCFod500Q__DPHyD-2oxlE1ZA&m=GnDjiYd5xl1RRJuAZcZZJ6y8GJ2XJ8EphqAtZOrj1x0&s=HL3LLcJjXqVtWCJ-EO8QZ0-njHwkAnl6ZiSCI7u1jTU&e=
Sunday was amazing! We had two investigators at church, Park Mountain and the Filipino mom and her two kids. It was great:) plus we had three less active we teach come. Fuller Shimai spoke as well and the spirit was so strong and I could see it touching their hearts. It was the best Sunday this far on my mission. The spirit was there and it for sure was so great to have two investigators there. Waiting for them to walk in is so nerve racking but when they do, the joy you feel is indescribable.  Lastly the thought and challenge of the week. During district meeting we talked about what missionary work really is. So everyone this week ask yourself, what is missionary work to you? During district meeting we talked about how missionary work is not just set apart young women and men serving and knocking on doors everyday, it's members as well. And as member missionaries it's not just  friends and family whom you share it with. You can share it with ANYONE! As members I think we feel we just need to think of people we know who need the gospel. But no, you can share it with anyone. Even something as simple as inviting someone to watch the new Christmas video or see the temple etc. All missionary work is, is invite them to act and help them. If you do that, then that is missionary work and is planting a seed. So please this week, ponder what missionary work is to you in your life and if nots that, change it and study it. Then I challenge you all to invite and help someone this week and I promise it'll strengthen your testimony and you will come closer to Christ as you help others come closer to Christ. I've seen that in my work everyday. I know this is true, I love it so much Have a wonderful week! Hope all is well. I love you and miss you all. Keep being great #RELY #CHRIST
スミス姉妹 Smith Shimai


Kokkan comp

District meeting




Sato Shimai and daughter - the lady in our ward that invited us over to decorate Christmas cakes with them.







Went to an illumination house with an Ekaiwa student and her sons








A member drew this

Barbra is a Brazilian - the young girl 

This was dinner we had with a member and my comps converts from her last area


We ate at a restaurant on the beach, it was amazing! with a couple in our branch, a less active sister, and my comps recent converts again.





Me and Shimai Fuller






Kids from our branch haha



Me and Shimai Fuller

The member sent me these pics from our trip to the autumn leaves three weeks ago






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