I just fall asleep riding my bike!

WHAT A CRAZY WEEK!!!! It started with us flying to Fukuoka for a meeting that all of the Sister Training Leaders and Zone Leaders go to. It was 7 hours, so we had to spend two nights in Fukuoka. The mission president had family over, so instead of staying at his house under the temple, we stayed at the Fukuoka Sister's apartment. Can you say nostalgic (idk if that is the right word, but it's the Japanese word I want to use translates as) ! Like it has been over a year since I had my first night in Fukuoka in that same apartment! The smell of the tatami mat room brought back all kind of memories. It was weird. But the training was so long because WE GOT IPADS!! It is way cool, us "leaders" in the mission get them before anyone else, so nobody else has them yet. But they are super cool, except I feel like a brat whenever I whip it out in front of other missionaries, and I'm just like...sorry you will get yours in 2 weeks. But you can look at mine...with your eyes, don't touch. 

Bell on Okinawa with Messer Salmon

Then we trained the whole island! It started in Okinawa with our own zone, and then the next day Salmon Shimai and I went over the Naha, and trained their zone since we are over both zone's sisters. It was a lot of fun. We split the training 1/2 with the zone leaders, so we had to facetime them to plan the training, then plan the training with the other zone leaders, then we had 2 days for training. So by Friday we had a grand total of talking to 2 people on the street. But on Saturday we had FIVE LESSONS! That is more than I have most weeks! The Lord is definitely keeping us busy, we feel really blessed! 

The Chinen family is progressing very nicely! The mom and the 12 year old daughter are really interested and we are able to meet with them every week! There are 5 kids, so it is always a lot of fun going over there, especially the 3 year old twin girls! ADORABLE! The other family, the Yamashiro's were sick this week, so we went over, but they could barely talk, so we weren't able to teach a lesson :( 

Holding a lighthouse!

Our military investigator is amazing! We love teaching her! We hope her husband, who is stationed in Alaska, will let her continue meeting with us! But we want her to talk to him before she decides to be baptized or anything. Although, she said she would be baptized when we asked her! 

It has been quite an emotional week. The senior couple we love so much had to go home due to a family emergency, it all happened so fast! But we got a lot of their food! But they were our mom and dad on island, so it was hard saying bye to them. Also, the zone leaders are mean and made me bear my testimony at both zone conferences since I am getting close to the end.....and I bawled like a baby at the first one. It's ok, I didn't even tear up at the second. I am so exhausted I have almost fallen over like 6 times because I just fall asleep riding my bike! It's the only time I get to myself after all! And there aren't very many people walking the streets of hott, humid, rainy Okinawa. But the exhaustion just makes me want to push on even harder! This work is true and I find so much joy in it!! I love you all and hope you have a fabulous week!! 

Love,

Messer Shimai