Month 5!

New companion: Ito Shimai

March 31, 2014

by a pond on the way to church

Hello! I didnt even realize I was on month 5 until I got all these emails today! What in the heck?? I am almost 1/3 done with my mission! I think it is so crazy because I forget the MTC was part of my mission! Alas, it was, and I have to use every minute of this mission the best I can because before I know it, it will be over! Life with a new companion is going good! Ito Shimai is great!! She is a transfer 9. So she has been out for a while. She didn't know English before her mission, but she has had american companions and as a missionary, she has to study English during language study time! So her English is actually pretty good!! We communicate in mostly English. I just have to make sure I talk slowly and simply, and she replies in half english half japanese. She is great! I am going to learn so much this transfer! I already have learned a lot! She is from Nagoya, and plays lacrosse, volleyball, and softball. She is 24, and is an elementary teacher! She was less active for about 8 years, and came back to church about 1 1/2 years ago, so she is such a good missionary because she truly understands the importance of this gospel!! Yes, there are 6 of us living in the apartment right now. it is SO FUN! IT is super crazy, there are suitcases all over the apartment, but the other 4 will be moving out this week to Nakagawa! Nakagawa is still part of our ward, but it is a bus ride away, and they are opening the area! It is so exciting because me and Flake Shimai went finding there a couple times the past 2 transfers to try and get it open, and the work payed off!! So yes, the apartment is quite interesting. There is a companionship; Sister Lyles (from Washington) and Sister Jeffery (from Provo) they are both half asian and speak 100% in English. Then there is Sister Higashi and Sister Takahashi from japan and they speak 100% Japanese together. Then there is me and Sister Ito, and we speak 1/2 and 1/2 in broken-caveman speech! haha it is so funny during planning sessions because there is so much going on! Our planning always takes a little long trying to explain things to each other, but it is so fun! 

No, I do not have to hang my clothes to dry. As Fukuoka Princesses, our washer is a washer AND a dryer, so we just put our clothes in one machine for 3 hours and they come out done. It is pretty nice! 

The city of Fukuoka, Japan

This week was so good, we were able to help feed the homeless, it was so fun! You dont see very many homeless people just on the streets, but we fed them curry, a HUGE pot of rice and curry, like HUGE like up to my hip. Then with the left over rice, they added these spices things and made them into rice balls that they gave them as like a "sack lunch" they're called onagedi's, well I am not sure how to spell them, but we eat them all the time. THey are like the sandwiches of Japan kind of hahaha. 

This week I bean dendoed! Which means I took out a new missionary all by myself! I got a sister that used to be here, but went home because she was sick, but she came back out! We got to teach to practice lessons to members, and went streeting. It was scary, but it was fun! I definitely couldnt say everything i wanted to say, nor could i understand everything, but it was a great learning experience, and it was fun! 

I need to send pictures now!! I hope you all have a great week! Thank you for all of the love and support!

Sister Messer

I found Vegas in Japan!

me with sister flake, elder mabuchi, and elder iwaasa, 

on splits with lyles shimai-crossing the street

really cute kids on our ward!

                       

roommates for 3 months!

Earthquake in Japan!

Monday, March 17, 2014

Happy Monday! 

Flake Shimai's 21st

St. Patrick's Day smoothies

Another week in Fukuoka has come and gone, and so much has happened! First order of business (can you tell I go to a lot of meetings?) is the earthquake! Everybody has been asking me about it! So, I did not feel anything! Our phone has an alarm that goes off if there is ever an earthquake that happens nearby just to warn people of the aftershock. So our phone alarm went off at 2:09, we were all so confused because we were in such deep sleep, Sister Flake asks, "what is that?!" and Sister Lyles replies with just a "there's an earthquake" like no big deal. I like sat right up and was like "yes!! I am in Japan! EARTHQUAKE! I have been waiting for this!" (I am not sure why I got excited about it, give me a break, it was 2 in the morning.) and I think since I was so tired I could "feel" a little movement and I looked up and the lamp was "moving" But now that I think of it, I think i was just tired and had a little headache from waking up from such a loud alarm. There was no aftershock, we didnt feel anything. Well 2 a.m. Sister Messer felt something,but we dont rely on her. 

This was a great week! We got a reactivation! Remember that lady we met on the street a couple weeks ago while biking? Well she has been coming to church with her little girl, so she is technically reactivated! We are still going to love her, and keep in contact with her though! She is great! Unfortunately, Tamada Shimai, the one that came to church last week that we helped move couldnt come to church. Her daughter had a fever, so she had to take care of her! But she is so golden, we love her so much! 

It was Flake Shimais birthday this week so we had a week of celebrations! We went to church, we had some meetings, then went streeting and housing after church, and then studies! Quiet the celebration! hahah but we did decorate the room and she opened presents and we had lemon pie! 

This week we thought it would be a great idea to throw a "GIRLS NIGHT" For all of our, and the other shimai we live with, less actives, and ward members, and investigators that are single! We invited a lot of people, and ONE person showed up! hahahahah we played a get to know you question game, and then we were planning on watching the Testaments, but she had to go home early. #awkward So us four sisters cleaned up, and took the snacks home to eat on a rainy day! Next time, we will make sure to remind everyone to come! hahaha

The weather is getting so nice! This week I rode my bike WITHOUT A JACKET!! And today I am not wearing tights!! It is so weird, but it feels so good! We are taking advantage of it and taking "roommate pictures" today because all four of us have lived together for as long as a college semester!! We eat meals together, study together, sleep in the same room, share the same clothes room, EVERYTHING! 

Mom, you asked what we ate for meals. For breakfast I eat cornflakes and a banana. Japan ONLY sells cornflakes and chocolate covered cornflakes. Its their only cereal. and they have one brand of granola, but it is OUTRAGEOUSLY expensive. For lunch and dinner we usually have stir fry, or some tofu with sauce and rice (mabodofu), or make suchi rolls, or spaghetti sometimes. A lot of curry, lots and lots of curry, and rice with EVERYTHING. Rice, onions, carrots, potatoes and chicken is our main food supply! HELLO RICE CHEEKS! I am thinking when I have a baby in the far, far future, I will only feed them rice as a child because Japanese baby's cheeks are the cutest things I have ever seen! Rice cheeks are not so much cute on sister missionaries. But we shine with the light of Christ, right? So that makes up for it? That's what we hope for. 

Love you all!! Thank you for all of the prayers!! Ai shite imasu!!

Messer Shimai

Conveyor Belt restaurant-You choose your food as it rolls by...and
you pay for how many plates you get.

Part of our district

"Do I have to learn these lessons to come to your church?"

Hello!

This week was great, we are excited that it is P-day though because it has been quiet the exhausting week! We were able to see two investigators and a less active come to church yesterday!! Mom you asked about our investigators, we have an interesting situation with investigators. So one of them we met on the street and she has come to church FIVE TIMES NOW!! But she doesn't want to meet with us, or learn the lessons hahahah. We sat down with her last week to teach a lesson, and explain our purpose as missionaries, and she asked, "Do I have to learn these lessons to come to your church?" and we were like well, technically no....and she said, Ok! I will come to church everyday, and read the Book of Mormon, and call you if I have questions!! So we try to sneaky teach her little principles when we talk to her! hahah Our other investigators, the AP's found, and are turning her over to us since they go home in a couple of weeks. She is super happy old lady, that is so hyper and genki! Then we meet with other people that aremormon.org and stuff so they wont shut us down as soon as we bring up religion (a lot of people like to talk to us just for our English, so we have to make sure they know why we are here) 

Beating futon in their back yard

View of Fukuoka from the Fukuoka Tower

With Sister Tamada in front of church

Messer, Tamada & Flake Shimais

potential investigators where we just talk and get to know them and leave them with little commitments like go to

Tamada Shimai came to church yesterday!! She hasnt gone for 20, when she lived in utah!! it was so great, she is the coolest thing! I will send you a picture! She is so funny, and she stayed for all three hours and was even able to come to the relief society activity this week!! She is so golden! 

Mom, you asked if when we teach if we sit in chairs. Most of the times we teach in the church, so we do have chairs. But if we go to someones house, to eat dinner or to teach, we always sit on the ground on the tatami mats around a little table. it is so japanese-y sometimes I feel like my knee caps are going to explode. But it "hurts so good?" (not really) Ya, there are rice paper things on the windows I guess? I dont really know, we have in my apartment, I thought they were just for decoration, but who knows. All of the windows here are those foggy ones you cant see out of. It drives me insane. Windows are one of my favorite things in this world, and I can never see out of them!!!! Ya, I havent seen carpet in japan yet, but a lot of people have super comfy rugs for when you kneel around the table. I hope that answers some of your questions? Keep asking them, I forget when is weird in America!! hahahaha

But yes, this week was so great! We were able to go out and eat at a restaurant with one of our less actives. While we were eating with her, President and Sister Gustafson showed up!!!!! It was so funny, and a little scary!! We were just glad we were being good missionaries, and werent just eating out for the fun of it! We were like the only ones in the whole restaurant, so we sat by each other and would sometimes talk to each other, but then we would have our own conversations. A little awkward, but so great that we were able to see them!! 

So I was thinking there are somethings that I have not been able to yet find in Japan. I was trying to think of a list and so far I have not been able to find chocolate chips, cheese, muffin tins, and very good tooth paste and mouth wash. They have it obviously, but it is NASTY NASTY!! Oh and granola bars, they have them but they are expensive and nothing like American ones. But ya, I will keep you updated on the list!!

Thank you for all of the love and support!! I love and miss you all!! Have a great week!!!!

Ai shite imasu!

Messer Shimai

What? What are lessons?

March 2, 2014

Hello! 

I hope you all had a good week! We had a great week here in Fukuoka!! We were able to teach LESSONS this week!

What? What are lessons? We actually taught TWO lessons last P-Day, so our p-day was a little non-existant. But that is ok because we took some time off that night, and the work isnt about us, it is about the people of Fukuoka!! Michiko san took us to a SUPER fancy restaurant and bought us all "hamburgers" (hamburgers in Japan dont really have buns) it was crazy. She spoils us too much!! She even took us to another bakery afterwards and bought us more bread! Then we had to leave for our next appointment because it was about an hour bike ride away. It was at this place called Bayside which is a super cool, pier thing. It reminded me a lot of San Fran, it is pretty deserted at this time of the year. BUT it was super cool, and rumor has it that it is a pretty effective place to go during the summer since everyone wants to be by the water! IT was way cool though!

Another super cool thing that happened this week is we got to help Tamada shimai move! She is the less active member we met on the street on my way to go buy my bike! She is moving closer to her work, so we went and helped clean out her old apartment, and she made us dinner which was super good! Her dad used to be a sumo wrestler!! She is the coolest, and speaks English so we lover her even more!! She even came to the church open house we had, and it was awesome because it was the first time she was able to come to church since she was baptized in utah 20 years ago!! We have been seeing tons of miracles, we have ran into 3 less actives on the STREET! How many are there roaming around this huge city? We love meeting them, it is so fun to get people BACK TO CHURCH!! This work is good!

I have met so many great people while being here. IT is crazy to think that I have been in Japan just as long as I was in the MTC! I LOVED the MTC, but it felt like an eternity! I still feel like i got here just yesterday! Sorry it is so short, time just goes by so fast each week! I love all of you so much!! have a great week!!

ai shite imasu!

Messer Shimai

Messer Shimai's weed bouquet 

sakura (cherry blossom) krispy kreme!