Come Follow Me: 18 months, but don't want it to stop.

January 23, 2017

Hello Lovely People!

How are you? How is your long weekend going? I hope everyone is warm, healthy, and working on those New Years resolutions little by little, day by day, and learning lots. Also HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY CUTE AND FAVORITE OLDER SISTER BROOKIE! Have a good day, thanks for your love, example, and strong testimony. Hope you are treated the way you deserve. Love you lots!

This week not a lot of time because right now as I write this I am on a train going to Kyoto to go to a famous ring place that every missionary in our mission has a ring with our mission theme on it. So here we go! I am so excited!

Okay well I know I've been saying this a lot lately but this week was the best and filled with the spirit so much! Where to begin? So Monday night we were able to meet with Riona Chan the girl we met on the street a few weeks ago. She's 14 loves soccer and just loves how she feels when she's around us. (Thank you Spirit) We went to dinner together and we were able to simply teach her about who god is and what he does for us and how we can communicate with him. She just kept saying 凄い (sugoi) which is like amazing or unreal. She said she wanted to learn more and be able to talk to God. We also shared experiences about when we asked god if he loved us and the amazing feeling we have felt before. She said she would try and pray to feel that. We get a text that night way late and she says I prayed but I didn't receive anything yet but I will pray till I know. We were so happy and we know the spirit touched her heart and now she's acting on her own. This week our Relief Society had a New Years goal setting Party. We had a lesson on how to set goals and then ate my favorite winter food called nabe. (It's a big veggie soup) It was so good because we had Kyoko San come and a member brought a friend with them who will are going to try and meet with her again and see how her interest is. I was able to talk to Kyoko a little as we ate and it was so good. She kept talking about the joy that is always here. So she asked me the way most of us have that and I was felt that she needed to hear about prayer. So I testified of prayer and how much joy I feel then. For some reason it just clicked today. She says maybe I should better and really pray. So I challenged her to do so. The next day I text her to follow up and she said I prayed. So I asked how it was and she said good I felt so warm but I don't know if that's me or god. So I wrote her a simple email and said I know that is God, it's his love. And she was amazed and made an appointment to meet with her Wednesday. It was a miracle. Next Friday we had Zone Training Meeting and boy was it a good one. We had the opportunity to train and it was a good one. We trained on mindset. President Welch gave us a new vision until he finishes his mission. Every Zone has a baptism every week the last month he is here. So we are working up to that from here on out. So we wanted to get the missionaries mind set on baptism and accomplishing that. So we did a minute to win it game and talked about the mindset that they needed to accomplish that game. It was a blast but then it also turned into an amazing discussion and we talked about the minder Christ had as well and it went so awesome. I'll share more about that in my thought of the week. This week as well we had Stake Conference in Sakai. So we went a day early and had exchanges with Sakai Sisters. Which is Pickering Shimai our companion when we were a three some and her new trainee. I had the opportunity to go with Pickering Shimai and boy was it fun! Just like old times plus I kind of know the area so it just felt like a normal day. We saw so many miracles. We met a PI of theirs and she ended up wanting to do the half English and half religion program which was a huge blessing cause we didn't plan on visiting her but Pickering Shimai felt like we should so we stopped by into her cafe and as we walked in a guy was there and we didn't know how to talk to her about the gospel etc and like 3 minutes in he leaves and no one came in the whole 45 minutes we were there. It was a miracle. Then leaving her cafe going to visit a LA we see this cute high school girl and wanted to talk to her so we stop. And she loves studying the Bible and she said she believes god created us and the world. We talked about god loving us and listening to all our prayers. We can receive help in school and in all things we desire for help. She thought that was way cool and gave us her number so we can meet again. It was a good exchange. Then Stake Conference Christopher the guy from my home town came as well as three less actives we invited. It was so good and we got to see President and Sister Welch which is always the best.Last and greatest miracle. So we had an appointment with Kim on Thursday, we weren't sure how it was going to go because when she got back from Korea she was way hard hearted again and was like I want to learn English and you want to talk about church so let's compromise type of thing and it broke my heart. So we meet at the church for the first time Thursday. We started off with English study, which we just talk in English. Then we started the church study. We just wanted to talk about faith and help her understand the basic of believing. It was the most spirit filled lesson, we all cried and just felt the spirit so strong. She was telling us how she always feels alone no matter what but she feels good with us and so I shared the story of grandpa smith and how we are never alone because we have god and Christ. The spirit just touched my heart and I felt the love of God and I felt Grandpa Wally helping me as well teach this lesson. And Kim started to cry as we asked her to say the prayer and she finally agreed and it was the most heart felt prayer I've ever heard. She had faith and trusted god was listening. Then she asked to meet again Friday so when we got back from ZTM we met and only had about 45 minutes so we shared a simple lesson on the spirit. It was good she was able to understand what kind of feelings that the spirit gives us. And we asked her to pray and ask god if he loves her and to take a few seconds and ponder after. So Saturdaywe get a call from her Saturday during the Koukan and she said can we please meet today and we couldn't so she said Sunday when you're back so we made that appointment. Wow three times this week. So Sunday she comes to the church at four and she just goes straight into church talk. She asked about temples and commandments so we talked about those but then she said starts to tear up and she says "sisters I took time and prayed, then I pondered for even longer than a few seconds. I pondered longer and more than I ever have before. And I felt the greatest peace and comfort I've ever felt. Just like Smith Shimai's grandpa, I want to never feel alone." We were all brought to tears, and I just felt god telling me he has prepared her for us at this time. So we talked about the gospel of Jesus Christ and that's how we can get that never alone feeling and she said she wants it and so we are meeting again Wednesday and hopefully give her a date for baptism. God is so good. She is so ready and changed through the spirit. I'm so excited to see this change and growth in her. The spirit is our best friend here and I know he is always there for us. Miracles are the best.

Last my thought, it's from Moroni 7:33.

"And Christ hath said: If ye will have faith in me ye shall have power to do whatsoever thing is expedient in me." But I changed the word faith to mindset and we also related the Christ-like Attribute section to it as well. Through strengthening those attributes we will have that mindset to do whatsoever he needs us to do. It made me realize how HUGE mindset is in life. But my challenge to you today is to get a PMG and go to the last page and it has an activity to know what we need to improve. Please do it and apply one you need to improve and I promise you it'll strengthen the way we look at things and it'll make our lives happy no matter what we are going through. I know this is true. I love Christ and becoming like him is a journey but it's a fun one. I love you all and miss you lots! Keep being you. #MINDSET #RELY
スミス姉妹 Smith Shimai