Come Follow Me: (I Love Kawachinagano)

August 29, 2016

Hello Everyone! すごく忙しい！(Life's been busy or hectic)
How are you all? Seems like life's just back to the normal schedule and life is just moving by so fast, it's crazy. Goodluck in all you do family! You're great! Okay well first, HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEVENEE! Hope you have a wonderful day and you're doing good. I just love you to death and hope you have a day you deserve. 24 now.. Wow still young. Well this week was GREAT but overwhelming at the same time. Wow. Haha being an STL is a busy crazy life. Also this ward is huge so getting to know everyone was a struggle on Sunday but it's such a good area and I have loved every minute of it so far. Crazy story though, I walk in the apartment and we always have recent concert pictures up and in two of them the missionary is ELDER FAUSETT! Haha and I've asked a few members about him, they all just said oh we loves him, he was a good missionary. So that was a cool small world. Bit anyway, I just love my companion as well, Japanese all day, hard work 24/7, but having fun while doing so. So this week on Saturday we had a service activity, I was so excited because you don't get those often here. We went to a museum and cleaned out the big waterfall fountain area and it was so fun and such a good opportunity to talk to people and have them see our service. Lots of our ward members came and also were being great missionaries. I love working with members, it helps so much! The same day we went and visited a member so I could meet them and also her mom isn't a member so we are trying to teach her but after we shared a message there was a Matsuri close by which is like a celebration fair thing. So she took us there. It was so fun! Haha we danced with them and ate weird food and etc. boy it was fun! Sunday was such a good day! We went and visited some PI and LA so we visit this one LA and her husband came out whom we have never met and is not a member and we were able to teach him about what we believe and do as missionaries. He didn't have a lot of interest but you could tell he was thinking and we hope to go back soon and he is there when we visit her again. Then as we biked to another persons house we stopped this lady and talked to her. Her name is Nakajima San and she had met missionaries before and remembers a few things we believe. She was very familiar with God and loves the blessings he gives us. So we talked to her about God and prayer. We asked her if she would let us come visit again and said yes please come again Wednesday around 4. So we made that appointment and found a new investigator. Yay! Then we went and had dinner with the Nakamura Family. It was so great. So we have been wanting to get lots of referrals from the member so one way we are trying to do that is do a role play lesson with them and they tell us what we did good or bad as we taught then talk about how they can share the same thing and they then write down a name they can share it with and when then later on we get them. So we did a role play and we are new together so still working on balance of teaching and stuff. So after we finish all of them said you guys teach as one and that's awesome. Oh it brought joy to my face, the spirit helped us so much to grow and teach better as one with in the past 4 days it's been awesome! Plus we got 3 referrals from that and we built such a good relationship. The members here are so loving and great. I'm so excited to work here with them and see miracles here. It's been a good first few days here and I'm excited for these next few transfers here and to serve the sisters here as well. It's such a blessing to be here and I can't wait to share more after this great week we will have. We have our first exchange tomorrow so wish me luck! Last is the thought of the week. I was reading a talk called Know Thyself, Control Thyself, Give Thyself by President Dunn. So I want to share a quote from it that just made me realize never quit or give up. .."there is no disgrace in falling down; the disgrace is lying there.To get up one more time than you fall is to be a winner. To stay down is to be a loser." It was so bold and just made me realize. Wow! We will fall 10000 of times but we never lose until we don't get up. Isn't that blessing? God never lets us lose unless we stop trying. So when things get hard, remember it's not the end you aren't a loser, God is there to help you get back up and you will win. I know God is there to help us up as long as we try and get up. I've fallen down so many times here but as I kept going, God provided and it just improved and for better. I know that's true. So please this week, never give up no matter what. Remember we aren't losers, God just says try please and I'll provide. I know this is true with all my heart. Love you all and miss you! Be safe and enjoy school and normal life again. #RELY #NEVERGIVEUP
Smith Shimai スミス姉妹