An American investigator-Like, how do I even answer her questions in English?

Companions Messer & Jeffrery Shimais

February 8, 2015

Hey hey hey! 

It has been a great week! We are so spoiled in Okinawa! I can not tell you all of the American food I have eaten this last week! Is that a good thing? I don't know, but it is weird having that food again. 

We have seen a lot of miracles lately! We do this thing where when we plan for the next day at nights, we plan the specific person we want to meet. We be VERY specific, down to the hair style, color, the color of clothes, age, number of kids and everything. Then we pray that we will meet this person. All we want to do is meet this person, and make their image about the church a little bit better than before we met them. It has been way cool. We have met almost every specific person! For example on on Tuesday we met a young mom with two kids, a long sleeve shirt, wearing maroon and had a pony tail. It was SPOT ON! It was crazy! Then on Thursday we met a grandma with a cane, bent over with a hat with some lighter eyes. met her! We met a woman with curly, shoulder length hair with bangs, wearing red, and sweater and no glasses. met her! It is so weird! Those are just some of the examples, we meet prepared people everyday! It is super cool to see the Lords hand in our work! He wants us to see success! 

We had a cool lesson with a new investigator who guess what? Was American! So that was cool. It is so different teaching in English, with somebody who has a Christian background. Li

With Jefferey Shimai in front of the Shurijo Castle in Okinawa

ke how do I even answer her questions? But it is a lot of fun seeing the difference of my teaching style in English and Japanese. But we went on the base a LOT this week getting to know members and having them help us with Recent Converts and what not. It is fun seeing this different kind of missionary work. There have been SO MANY planes flying around! It is so stinking cool! There are these super fast little jet things and I love watching them fly around. Jeffery Shimai thinks I am weird. But they just fly around and keep me entertained.

We have also been teaching Minami. She is awesome, she has been meeting with missionaries for a little over a year and has been taught all of the lessons. She is waiting to receive an answer that this is the only true church. She has been praying to get her answer, and reading the Book of Mormon but has not received her answer yet, or so she thinks. But she is a lot of fun and she came to two of our sacrament meetings yesterday since her English is good enough to come to the Military branches as well. 

But we are having a lot of fun, it is COLD here compared to what the Okinawan's are used to! So they always think i am weird when I dont have a jacket on, but I am becoming accustomed to the "cold" and wear jackets sometimes. Welp I hope you have a fabulous week, I love and miss you all!!! 

愛しています！！

Messer Shimai 

Through Christ's atonement we can change in just one day!

February 15, 2015

Cox Shimai & Messer Shimai infront of Sakura Blossoms

What a crazy week in Okinawa. We did so much, yet so little at the same time. On Monday we went to the second largest aquarium in the world. It was SUPER cool! and SUPER big! We spent all day looking at all of the little fishies and we could have looked for even longer. It was right on the ocean, and when you watched the dolphin show outside it was on the edge of the ocean, and you could see a cute little island in the background. It was super cool. But guess whose camera died? Messer Shimai's! So that stinks, but we plan on going back sometime! We loaded up the big van the senior couple had, and all went as a district! We had to set up some folding chairs in the back of this van, and two elders just hung on. It was quite the sight. 

On Friday Elder Whiting of the 70, and his wife came and spoke to us. It was SO GOOD! He spoke a lot on desires, and how through Christ's atonement we can change in just one day! If we have that desire to change and become better, we can! It was amazing, he is definitely a man called of God! I love being spiritually uplifted!  We were exhausted by the end of it. But I was able to go home with some of the sisters in my zone for a companion exchange!  I went to Naha and worked with Sister Cox. And guess who her companion is? SISTER HIRATA, my old companion! So it was super fun being able to catch up with her and talk about old investigators and what not! My STL companion is Sister Kimura, and so our poor little companions had to go on exchanges as well. So pretty much the whole zone was on exchanges! But it was a lot of fun and I learned a lot from Sister Cox! She is a 5 transfer and was originally called to Ukraine until her mission was closed because of the war going on there or something crazy. I loved Naha, it reminded me a lot of my old areas so it was kind of like going home! That was on Valentines day, so I didn't even get to spend the day with my own beloved companion. But that night we were able to go out with Minimai and eat at an Indian restaurant. Happy Love Day! 

These things are all over Japan to keep evil spirits away!

Yesterday we had church for 10 hours because some of the wards were moved around due to a marathon on the island. I am almost at church as long as dad! But we are completely clean taking the sacrament three times! It's nice because if I forget to pray about anything, I have 2 other chances. 

I got the most glorious phone call on Valentines night. My old investigator, Fukuda san in Fujisaki was baptized!!!!!! The background story with him goes like this: when I was a new missionary in Fukuoka the STL's were in Fujisaki. They came on exchanges with me and told me about one of their investigators they were struggling with because he was an alcoholic. Fast forward one year when i transfer to Fujisaki one of these sisters is going home. We meet at the train station and she asks me to follow up with him. I tell her of course! I go to Fujisaki and the ward members, and my roommates all told me to avoid him because he was crazy. His record even said "best to stay away from this one" his phone number said "DO NOT ANSWER" when I looked up his number. We were riding bikes, and I felt like we needed to go to an apartment. The next week we decide to go visit Fukuda san, because I trusted this sister who had started teaching him, well he so happened to live at those apartments I felt like we should go to! Anyways, he says he doesn't want to study, until we run into him the next week on the street and he asks to meet with us. From then on he came to church and now he is baptized!! It is so fun being able to see the people you teach learn, grow and find the truth! I haven't been able to SEE a baptism on my mission, but I still love hearing about past people I have taught come unto Christ! 

The church is true, God loves you and is mindful of us all! Have a great week!
Messer Shimai 

I haven't seen anything with that much sugar in it since I left the MTC!

Hello everyone!

Well it was a good week in Okinawa. It is weird adjusting to to life with Americans, and warm weather. But it is a good life. We have a box of poptarts in our apartment, and 1. I havent seen anything with that much sugar in it since I left the MTC 2. there was a picture of some Justin Beiber look-alike on the box that I had never seen before. Austin Maloone, Malone, Maloon? How long have I been gone for? Why don't I know this pretty boy on my poptart box? Oh, and we got Cheerios and I read the back of my cereal box. That was a miracle for the day. 

But the work here is good. I am not going to lie, it is kind of slow but we have a lot of fun! We have been trying to find 1 Japanese and 1 American investigator in order to learn how to teach in both languages. Well guess what? We found an American investigator! We got a referral from the senior couple who heard there was a girl on base looking for a church to go to! She has been to a lot of other churches in the past, and wants to check out our church! So one of our fabulous ward members gave her a ride, she came to church and we have an appointment with her this Saturday! We are excited (and scared) to teach in English! 

Yesterday was stake conference for the WHOLE island of Okinawa for the Japaneses members, so we got to see all the missionaries on the whole island, even President and Sister Gustafson came! Scary! Long story short, with all three wards there, we were at the church for 10 hours. I think i am turning into dad! But it was good and a lot of fun but we were starving when we came home, we could barely bike the 10 minutes home! We love fast Sunday's, don't you feel like you are just getting so many more blessings? I love it. 

We had a super awkward lesson this week when we taught our cute investigator about honoring and obeying the law, and she revealed to us all of the criminal things she did as a teenager, we couldn't help but laugh because it was so funny. Oh teenagers are dumb. But it kind of ruined the whole 'Spiritual' aspect to the lesson! hahahahah But we love her and we are going to see a castle with her today.

YES I spoke to Nick Green! (A cousin from Vegas who is ward clerk in Pres. Finlayson’s branch) he is so cool!! he went in to give me a hug and I didnt know what to do! He hugged me, and I just stood there hahahahahah awkward missionary probs...But I met him and his wife and his three kids and he said he will invite us over for dinner some night, and I can send stuff from his address, or you can send stuff to him! He was way cool, we were trying to remember all of the Swapp family history stuff...rough stuff. We will have to brush up on that. We both know wandering home, and going on a lion hunt! hahaha 

Hope you have a fantastic week! love you!!

Messer Shimai

What even happened this week?

Konnichiwa!!

I hope you all had a great week! We sure had a good time in Okinawa this week! It is warm, no more tights for Messer Shimai and Jeffery Shimai! 

My Japanese Dad, Yamamato San, gave me these chopsticks before I transferred!

I can"t say we did much this week. We have been working a lot with recent converts and trying to find people to teach! Right now our teaching pool is at....zero. But it is a lot of fun! Jeffery Shimai is amazing, we have a lot of fun! She grew up in Japan until she was 8, moved to America and forgot all of her Japanese. Then her second transfer here, her little girl brain drawers opened up and she remembers all of her Japanese she learned as a child. She is a lot of fun!

This week we biked for about 30 miles in one day. It was crazy, but it was fun to see a lot of the island! It is so pretty here, it is a lot of green and military bases! Which I got to go on base this week to eat at a members house! We at the Popell's house, and we didn't even have to take off our shoes when we entered the house..it was weird let me tell you. Then we ate Alfredo and broccoli, when was the last time I ate food like that? Who knows! 

Okinawa is a lot of fun. It is weird planning to teach people with normal names like Kelli, Jack, Sam, Jonathan. Like what? That is so easy! But I am learning that being a missionary in America isn't as easy as I thought it would be. Having three wards on Sunday, and trying to get to know all of the members is a lot of work! We kind of go home afterwards and just collapse on the ground. But I feel like it is the perfect mix here! I get to learn how to be an American Missionary, but can still go out and tract in Japanese, so we always look forward to our finding time! I feel really blessed to be able to teach people in both languages! Right now we are praying to find 1 american investigator and 1 Japanese investigator so we can learn how to teach in English, while still keeping up our Japanese. 

Pray something exciting happens next week, so my weekly email wont be so boring! I love you all and miss you a lot!! Have a great week!!

Messer Shimai

I transferred to America!

Konnichiwa! How is everybody doing? One thing I didn't really grasp when I got my transfer call last week is that I was really being sent to America! Okinawa is so much fun! We work with two Military branches and 1 Japanese ward, so it is a lot of English! I gave a talk in church on Sunday and didn't even have to read notes or anything! I just spoke about whatever came to mind! It was beautiful! EVERYBODY knows Logandale! First of all, that is where one of my branch presidents is from! TJ Finlayson! Talk about small world! I was so surprised when I heard his name. Another member served in Logandale, one has family there- Phil Leavitt and then another is friends with a lot of families down in that area. It was weird. Am I still in Japan? How have you heard of it before? 

But Okinawa is a lot of fun, I miss the people I used to meet in Fukuoka like Yamamoto san, so that stinks, being in Fukuoka for a year is a long a time !I have a lot of friends up on the mainland! But I flew out to Okinawa on Thursday, it was SUCH A PAIN to pack and get my bag under 20 kilos, and ship everything else through the post office, but I DID IT! The flight was only about 1 1/2 hours, I landed and we got to spend the WHOLE day in the airport waiting for other missionaries to fly in. There are only 6 sisters on this whole island, so i feel pretty blessed to be down here, and we have the most wards to work with. 

Sunday was CRAZY! Since we have 3 wards, we have to go to all three, right? We have to have meeting for each ward separately, we started at 8, with a ward council meeting, So we went to THREE meetings, I spoke in only one of them and then we stayed for the whole Japanese ward, so the wards got done at 4, and then we had another meeting until 5:30. My bike is still on mainland, so we walked home and got home around 6, ate dinner and then only had 2 hours to go out to find! It was crazy, and our brains were so tired after the 2 English branches, and three hours of Japanese, but it was SO FUN!

I haven't seen much of the island, a less active we are working with, Sam (what an easy name to member, none of this Japaneses stuff!) took us to a beautiful light house on this rocky peninsula, I will have to send pictures if I have time! We ate pancakes, and talked in English! It was so fun! The weather is amazing! no coat, no tights, beautiful! I know it will heat up fast though! 

We were able to teach a recent convert, Elina, and she is amazing! The lesson was all in English, in a members house, sitting on COUCHES and I would randomly catch myself smiling because I thought it was so cool. The couch was so comfy, I didn't really know how to sit...but it was fun, it was my first real lesson in English with a ward member who was a well, she is Korean but fluent in English, like beyond fluent, so it was my first time with a ward member who could also speak English. But it is great to also have a Japanese branch we can work with so we can have the best of both worlds! We have another recent convert we get to teach the same lessons to, but in Japanese, so that is such a big blessing! 

Good bye Doi Shimai!  A wonderful companionship!

I am so excited to see what is in store these last 3 transfers! I love you all, and hope you have a magical week! 

xoxo,

Messer Shimai

Good bye Fukuoka!  A wonderful place!

Flying with old companion, Hirata Shimai

Hello Okinawa!

I AM GOING TO OKINAWA!!!

January 12, 2015

Kimonos!

I hope you all had a good week, we had a GREAT WEEK in Fujisaki! 

First off, we were able to meet Yamamoto san a couple of times. He took us to eat Udon, and Chanpon, both Japanese noodle's which are super good, he is really good at always showing us Japanese food. He is so nice! I am going to miss him SO MUCH! 

We were also able to meet with an old Fukuoka investigator, Michiko san who took us to a Western, American restaurant and we ate steak! It was so good, there was American music playing and I had to try to hard not to listen. The waitresses were wearing bandanna's and cowboy hats, it was fun. 

We taught Zone Training Meeting as STL's, it was scary, but fun. Our Zone Leaders really like to talk, so that made our parts a little short and stressful to fit all of the information in, but it was fun! 

KINJO SAN WAS BAPTIZED! Remember my old investigator from Kurume who wouldn't look at me because my eyes were too blue? He was baptized! A beloved Kurume ward member called me and thanked me for finding him and teaching him! It was so cute! I was so happy to hear that something I did lead somebody to baptism! Kinjo san is not a normal name, it is a very Okinawan name, he is FROM OKINAWA which is WHERE I AM GOING!!! 

I got a call from THE PRESIDENT this morning before studies even ended "Hello Messer Shimai, what are you doing? Are you emailing your family?" 

Me: "No Kaicho, I am doing companionship study."

Kacho: "oh, just what you are supposed to be doing. I am calling because I am transferring you down to Okinawa.."

Me: "--squeel--" oh shoot... 

Finally being able to see the movie "Frozen" on Christmas

hahah anyways, he gave me strict instructions on what to do while in Okinawa, I am so excited. Okinawa is where everyone in the mission wants to go, it is an island off of the coast, with American bases, so I will have 2 American wards, and one Japanese ward. It is the most baptizing area in the mission! It is the "Hawaii of Japan" and just bad bad stories about the humidity, spiders, and bats, but I am so excited to go down there! I get to fly on an airplane! My new companion is Jeffrey Shimai, an 8 transfer that I lived with for two weeks at the beginning of my 3 transfer. Can you believe I am going on transfer 10? I am in the double digits! That's just scary! 

Eating at the Bishop's home

We also got another reactivation this week, that is three in Fujisaki! It is so great to see the gospel blessing these people lives again! Seeing the change that church really does have on people! 

I hope you all have a great week, I am praying for you! I love you all! 

xoxo,

Messer Shimai

One year in Japan!

Jan. 5, 2015

Hello!

I hope you all had an amazing New Years celebration!! It marked my YEAR IN JAPAN! Can you believe it has been a year since I have slept in a bed? Crazy stuff! But this year on New Years Day I was in the EXACT SAME PLACE AS LAST YEAR!! We went into the Fukuoka church to get training! Last year I was in the cultural hall receiving bean training on how to be a missionary, and this year I was in the same room at the same time receiving training on how to be an STL. Who would have ever thought? Then after that we went and ate out with the Zone Leaders at a really fancy restaurant called McDonald's. It was good, then we had another meeting with just the Fukuoka Zone Leaders to plan for a training we will be giving tomorrow. Let's just say it went really long. We were going on exchanges that night to a place called Nakagawa, which I used to work in when I was a Fukuoka missionary, it is a new area! So we ran to station to get the train, we hoped on and the train never stopped. It just kept going and going. We had hopped on the SUPER SUPER express train!! The next stop was in a DIFFERENT ZONE! We had officially made it out of our zone in 10 minutes flat, that thing was hauling! We were so scared. Our curfew is 9, and it was already 8:40. So we hopped off at the next station, and waiting for the next train which didn't even come until 8:57. Then we had to wait for the next bus to take us to the sisters apartment which didn't even come until 9:20!! We finally arrived to the sisters apartment just before 10. Our poor Zone Leaders kept calling us to see if we were ok, and the AP's were in the car to come pick us up when we told them we were on the bus. It was a stressful way to bring in the new year, and celebrate my year in Japan. But it was fun. 

Yesterday we had three people at church! Akutagawa san, an investigator who dropped us at Thanksgiving came to church and agreed to hear the lessons again, we are teaching him after we email! Also, Fukuda san came to church, he has a hard time remembering things since he has drunk so much alcohol in his life, he has brain damage. But guess what? HE REMEMBERED! He remembered Joseph Smith's name and everything! yay! we were so excited! His New Years Resolution is to quit drinking, we will see!! We are praying for him!

It has been SNOWING recently! It is pretty, but we hate biking in it! But don't worry, it never sticks! Love you, hope you have a magical week!

xoxo

Messer Shimai