"Nephi" NOOOO!!

July 13, 2014

Messer Shimai with Johnson Shimai in front of Fukuoka, Japan Temple

Trying the nihonjin squat like the Japanese do...

With Johnson Shimai at Baskin Robbins on Messer Shimai's 20th birthday

Hello!!

No worries, the typhoon came and went with pretty much no damage whatsoever. Wait, what? Was there even a typhoon? We got a text from the mission home telling us to stay in Wednesday afternoon and Thursday, and to bring our bikes INSIDE, and prepare and everything. So Wednesday morning we were at out flower arranging lesson with our 91 year old investigator, and she was all paranoid about the typhoon. So we hurry and arrange flowers, it starts raining (like misting, barely anything) and she goes, "oh no! it is raining, we much hurry!!"  she tells me to take pictures of my flowers, so I take a picture and my flash was on, and she goes "OH NO! LIGHTNING! LIGHTING! Hurry, I will help you finish!!" She starts stuffing flowers in the flower foam, grabs some scissors and starts cutting stems in a hurry, saying "sensei will help you, sensei will help!" (she calls herself sensei = teacher) It was scary seeing her so paranoid, so we run home (two doors down) bring our bikes into the living room. and start area book dendo. Which is just calling everyone in the area book, seeing if they will meet with us. There were times when the rain would come down at a pretty good slant because of the wind, but only last for about 15 minutes, and then stop, and then start. But it never got crazy and they even let us out of the house on Thursday after our studies. Nothing bad at all! Bit of a let down, I mean we were prepared for this typhoon. We wanted to do some service! But whatever, maybe next time. When the sun was setting the sky went a deep purple, and then changed into red, so that was cool!

Oh man, but it is getting hotter, and the spiders are coming out!! There are spiders EVERYWHERE! Just on Saturday, we were housing and talking about the movie arachnophobia (I have never seen it!) Johnson Shimai's gaze goes from my eyes to my forehead and then all the sudden *SMACK!* Then she sees the look of confusion in my eyes and realizes what she has done..."I am so sorry! There was a spider!! Oh my gosh, I am so sorry!" Ya, whatever Johnson Shimai. That's why we have "companionship inventory" every week so don't go around hitting our companions... ;) 

But the work in Kurume is going on, we are kind of teaching people. Trying our very hardest! Going out and contacting everyday! Oh, GOOD STORY I almost forgot:

So we are meeting with this guy named Nicholas in the Culture Center park recently. He is 67, and from England but married a Japanese woman and has been in Japan for 27 years now. He is always smoking, and is drunk a lot of the times unless we have an appointment, then he is sober. He is very intelligent, teaches doctors at a university and loves reading! But he is very poor because they only call him into work when they need him. So he sometimes makes his own cigarettes, yesterday he was smoking and I notices on the paper "Jesus" "holy" and "Messiah"  I almost asked the guy which poor religion he was smoking, until I saw what no missionary, or Mormon ever wants to see written on a cigarette..." Nephi" NOOOOOOO he has been RIPPING pages out of the Book of Mormon after he reads them and has been rolling them. *palm to the forehead* sighhh...we will work with him.

I love you!! Have a great week, don't worry, I am safe here in Japan!! (famous last words?) 

LOVE YOU!

Messer Shimai

 

Stacking bikes in apartment to be Typhoon safe.

Supposed to have a TYPHOON this Wednesday!

July 6, 2014
It has been a fun week this week in Kurume! It is crazy it's already P-day. Wasn't is just Monday yesterday? It is starting to be really rainy!! Supposed to have a TYPHOON this Wednesday. So pray for us! The rainy season is supposed to be over with...but it seems to just be starting! uh-oh! It's fun. We look cute with our white helmets OVER our bright blue rain suits. Yes, me and Johnson Shimai have the SAME rain suit, we bought them in our last areas. So I think people think we are weirdos but that is fine!

We have had a good week this week! We were able to meet with an investigator, Athena who is way cool. She is from North Carolina, and is a member referral. Member referrals are the best. Go refer all of your friends! Anyway, it is so fun to be able to teach somebody with a Christian background!!

I don't have much time this week, but I want to tell you that I am embracing the culture more. There are a few reasons how I realized. 

1. I already had my rain shoes on, and was about to leave the house when I realized I wanted my waterproof watch, so I yelled "DONT LOOK!" and ran in the house WITH MY SHOES ON. It was weird. Oh it was so weird. I never thought walking in a house with shoes on would be weird. But it made me feel like a dirty person.

2. we were eating at a members house last night and I was sitting in seiza (like on my shins....uhmm how japanese people sit) and she told us to collapse, so we did and I went to sit in criss-cross. I did for a while, but it started to HURT. WHAT? All i wanted to do was sit in seiza! Since when does sitting criss-cross hurt? I was shocked. So I just went back to sitting on my shins. 

3. Since we teach Athena in English, the prayers are in English. I haven't said a prayer in English for like 8 months now!! It was super awkward and I got to the end, and couldn't remember how to end it! In Japanese the order is: Jesus Christ's name, through, I pray, amen. SO i go to say, Jesus Christ....oh wait uhmmm In the name...... it was awkward. 

Well I hope you all have a great week! Keep being so cool and awesome! I LOVE YOU!! Pray I don't die in these typhoons!

Ai shite imasu!

Messer Shimai

It's official. This is a twenty year old typing this letter

June 29, 2014

Messer Shimai on her 20th birthday, in front of rice fields in Kurume, Japan

It's official. This is a twenty year old typing this letter. EEKKKK I am so old! I think I need to call President and tell him I am too old to be riding a bike everywhere.. ;) I love my bike, we all know that.

This was a great week! It is so fun to be serving with Johnson Shimai! We have been asked three times already to have our pictures taken since we are American! hahaha so that's always funny. Look for us on random Japanese blogs! 

So for my birthday we spent exercise time OPENING PRESENTS! It was perfect because I opened up Aus letter first which had tons of confetti in it and sprinkled all over and made the environment very open-presents friendly! Until we realized our vacuum broke and have had random glitter all over our house for a week now! hahah but it made things fun! You guys are the best, all of the presents were PERFECT for a missionary!! So awesome! That day we just did the norm, went housing, and streeting, stopped by a members house and prayed with them, had studies and what not. It was fun. But this week was EXHAUSTING!! having traveled for p-day on Saturday, so we havent had a p-day in over a week, so i was dead on my birthday. But I blame the old age.

We got to go to Nagasaki this week again from a conference! that is always fun! We always get to sleep on the bullet train, so we dont mind!! But in order to get home in time for our English class we had to leave the conference early. But President didn't want us to miss the last part, so he ended up DRIVING us home! It was about a 2 hour car ride with President and Sister Gustafson, and the AP's. It was fun! until President got pulled over for speeding! hahaha Poor guy, it was raining so they made him get in the police car and fill out papers. It took about a half hour with six of his missionaries just crammed in his van waiting! We took pictures.. don't tell him! hahah You could tell he was a little embarrassed when he got in. He get's in, and goes. "Well, kids do you know what this is? This is a speeding ticket. I am glad you saw this happen so you know that nobody is perfect." hahah I feel like our relationship blossomed even more after that two hour car ride. Unfortunately the ticket happened right at the start of our journey. We felt pretty special to be in the car with him. There are 250 missionaries in the mission, and you know missionaries come, they go, so in the end the Gustafsons will have had tons of missionaries, and we got to ride with him! Holla! 

This week the scariest things of my mission happened. We were housing an apartment and found THREE potential investigators. The last house we knock on, the 30 year old guy opens the door, sees me mumble/screams and slams the door, so we put in a flier and walk out of the building. We hear him rip the flier out of the box and unlocking the door. Johnson Shimai says "run!!" So we run to the back of the apartment where our bikes are, we are hiding right up against the wall and we hear him yell like "hara!!" or something crazy. We are just like talking, calming down, get on our bikes and when I turn around to where his apartment was (second story) His face is squished up against the screen, mesh cover that keeps birds out of the aparment complex and he starts yelling again. I just say "johnson Shimai, he is staring at us. go go. GO!!!!" so we bike. He had the crazies eyes I have seen in my whole life! scariest thing ever!!! WE couldn't feel our legs so we had to sit for a while and calm down..we were paranoid all night long! But we are just glad he didnt follow us! ew!

But now that I left you with that lovely story. I LOVE YOU thanks for all of the love on my birthday!! I love you and miss you all so much!!! Ai shite imasu!!

Messer Shimai

New companion and visiting Fukuoka temple

Sunday, June 22, 2014

こんばんは！

How is everyone?! I am back in FUKUOKA for the weekend! It is so great to be back! So weird, let me tell you!! First of all, YES I got Sister Johnson as a companion! She is great!! She is 21, from South Jordan, and is on transfer 10. So she goes home in October!! She is amazing. It is weird to be with an American! hahah It was SO FUNNY when we were saying goodbye to Suzuki Shimai at the station on Thursday, a lot of ward members came to say goodbye to her and Oi Shimai who was also going home. We were running a little late, so Suzuki Shimai had to run to get her train. To get to the platform, you have to go down an escalator, we were all waving, yelling, saying bye and then she gets out of sight and we hear this crashing noise! Her suite case had fallen all the way down the escalator. We all kind of just go silent, look at the security guard who is watching the cameras, he runs over, looks over the edge and gives us a thumbs up and says "daijobu!" Which is like "OK!" hahah it was so funny! We all just looked at each other and started busting up laughing...that is so typical Suzuki Shimai! hahah perfect last impression!

But yes, I am in Fukuoka! We woke up, rode the train to Fukuoka, rode a bus to the temple and got to go through a session there. It was such a small temple, the baptismal font is on the same floor as everything else! There are four of us Americans now in Kurume, so it is an adventure! The temple workers had to give us the biggest sizes of shoes and dresses they had just to be long enough! Luckily, the biggest shoes they had were 9, so they fit fine. The dress was still a little short...but what are you going to do? hahah It was interesting, I had to have a headset, neat experience! 

After the temple we walked to my favorite Indian curry place, caught a train to the shopping place in Fukuoka and then went shopping in Forever 21, and H&M. It was pouring rain, but so fun! None of us even got anything though!! And who said Americans cant read kanji? We made it all around Fukuoka!! On the way to the station a miracle happened. We met MICHIKO SAN!! I had emailed her I was going to FUkuoka, but we never decided a time. She had been waiting all day in the shopping place for us, but when we never showed she left. We met her on the way home!! it was SO GOOD TO SEE HER!! She is the cutest! The missionaries don't meet with her anymore..:( but hopefully soon. 

Well I hope you have a good week! Next time I email I will be 20! CRAZY!! I dont want to be old!

Love you!!!

Have a great week! 

Ai shite imasu!

p.s. I was so excited to email pictures this week...but we dont have time! booo!!

Messer Shimai

Crazy crazy Kurume

Sunday, June 15, 2014

Crazy crazy Kurume. That is all I can say. It has been a crazy week.

Unfortunately, Suzuki Shimai is going home :( There are some things that need to be worked out, which means I get a new companion :( I am so sad!! President actually called me on Thursday (scary scary scary) and when I answered he said, "Awee Messer Shimai, is this my girl? I am so sorry. This is your dad. Your sergeant dad. How are you?" It was so sad, but so nice to hear from him. He told me he would be sending my companion home and my new companion would be great. He promised me an amazing companion. I said, "Do you promise?" and he said "Well ya, actually it's Johnson Shimai" ahhh! He told me a whole week early!! We still haven't gotten transfer calls, but he said as long as nothing changed I would be staying in Kurume with Johnson Shimai. An American! can you imagine?! That's going to be really awkward if something did end up changing....

This week something horrible happened (bad news first) I GOT TWO FLAT TIRES!! I was about 25 minutes away at a less active members house, and when I was biking home, every time I would turn a corner I could feel like a slipping feeling. I realized, duh! You need air! We were going to the train station about 45 mintues away by bike. Oh shoot! It got all the way flat, to the point where I couldn't even ride anymore! So we walked to the station, ditched my bike there. Went to our appointment and took a bus home. The next day we had to walk to the station, went and got it fixed, and then on the way home I was so happy that my bike was fixed I got off of it and went to hug my tire. When I was embracing the tire...I heard a horrible "ssssssssssssss" noise. NOOOO LITTLE MIKEY!! So I said "Suzuki Shimai we have to go back to the bike shop!!" I biked like the wind, we got half way and it was completely flat again, walked back to the shop and this time they fixed it for reals. FOR FREE! yay! They said I have to go back EVERY week! Pshh..maybe every month. Aint nobody got time (or money) for that! But no worries. little Mikey is all fixed, and if anybody reading this thought I was weird for hugging my tire, it saved me, so I don't want to hear it! 

Now for the miracle moment!! This week we were eating at a members house, she said she was bringing a FRIEND!! This member is an English teacher from Washington! An RM! She is so cool! Her friend was AMERICAN too! She speaks ENGLISH! Her name is Athena, from North Carolina. SO COOL. So cool. We gave her a Book of Mormon, were able to eat dinner with her at the church on Saturday and she showed up to church on Sunday with her member friend!! She says she just plans on coming every week, except next week since we will be in FUKUOKA for stake conference! Oh ya, so I will email Saturday (your Friday), and wont email Monday. So like 4 days! hahah By then I will know who my companion is!

Riding on train to Nagasaki

Sunday we met a TOTALLY WASTED British man! We were in these beautiful rose gardens with a member, and a drunk man walks over and starts talking to us. He is so drunk, but so funny. He is like a super genius. We ended up talking for like 1 1/2 hours. He teaches doctors (ok, so he was drunk, but not lying..) he speaks like every European language. He is a super genius, which I think makes him a little wacky. We followed him home, so we know where he lives, so we can visit him when he is sober! hahah. Nice to talk in English! Plus, the member was fluent in English. holla! 

Well, crazy week. I wish I could send you pictures! We got to go to Nagasaki again, and I stayed awake for the train ride home! that's a first! Took tons of pictures! Maybe my next area I will send you everything! hahh 

Have a great week! Thanks for letting me ramble to you! I love you all! Enjoy your summer!

Ai shite imasu!!

Messer Shimai

"Is this your first time seeing natures?"

Companions Messer and Suzuki

Happy P-day everyone! The sun is shining, and the humidity is drowning me, but other than that we are happy it is P-Day!

We have had quite the week here in Crazy Kurume. Quite the week. It started off so good, a member gave us TWO referrals! Members referrals are the BEST!! They were two dancers from Russia! How cool is that? We were so excited, we got Russian Book of Mormons, and went and met them. I was so excited to meet them. Wow, if they are in Japan they must be really good dancers. This ward member is a singer, and met them at one of her gigs. When I met them, I asked, so what kind of dance do you do? Turns out they're strippers. The ward member, answered in ENGLISH, "sexy dance." oh gosh. BUT they were really nice, and super fun. We actually randomly ran into them just before coming here to email. But they are moving this week :(They are really prety, tall and skinny. I should have know. hahah it was funny. That member just last week had referred a six year old to the other sisters in our apartment. We prefer those above the age of accountability. But she was cute.

Yesterday an area of the 70 came to our ward, and gave a devotional afterwards, Elder Tashiro. He is way cool and gave a way good talk. It is always so great to get spiritually fed. We study everyday, but it is nice to hear other peoples testimonies and what not.

A couple of weeks ago, actually right before using the squatter toilet for the first time, we were sitting on some really hard grass, that was like half dead. We were waiting for a member and I was picking at it because it was kind of stabbing me and hurt really bad. Suzuki Shimai looks right at me and says,

"is this your first time seeing natures?" I just looked at her...huh? "you live in the desert, is this your first time seeing grass?" hahahahah She was completely serious, I had no idea what to say...I just replied, Well we try to grow grass in Nevada, but I lived in Utah when I went to college. I have seen grass before. she was really concerned, her expression eased up and she said, "oh that's good." hahahah Sometimes havng a Japanese compaion is super funny.

I had octopus for the first time this week, suprisingly good! Who would have guessed? Not Messer Shimai!

Well, next week is transfer calls so I will email on Tuesday! I hope you all have a great week, and enjoy the dry desert! I love you and miss you all!!!

Messer Shimai

Sick masks are popular in Japan!

Baptism talk in Japanese and too many strawberries and mosquitoes.

Nagasaki District-Sister Messer's companion is on her right, Suzuki Shimai

Konnichiwa from Kurume! Ahhh it is June! Perfect time to get your packages ready and send them for my birthday ;)

Yesterday we had a BAPTISM! It was an 8 year old in the ward, but we had to teach him the lessons because he wasn't prepared.

I got to give a talk. in JAPANESE. Did you read that? JAPANESE! It was scary, but I had notes, so it was no biggie. But I also had to lead the music. Thank goodness for Logandale 2 ward, all those weeks of practice as the ward chorister! hahah Plus, I had to sing with the other shimai at the baptism. The Bishop was playing the piano and it felt like between the two of us, we were running the show! We sang SO MANY SONGS waiting for the family! It was fun!

Last Monday we went to a STRAWBERRY FARM! One of the members took us and it was SO FUN! There were about 7 green house things, with rows and rows and rows of strawberries! They were about to go bad, so they said "pick as many as you want, and please eat while you pick!" who let's three girls eat as many strawberries as they want? BAD IDEA. We got HUNDREDS of strawberries, just filled up boxes and put them in the back of the car. We ate SO MANY. Poor Suzuki Shimai had to knock on a strangers house to use the bathroom. She said the strawberries "had too many vitamins, and cleaned her out!" EW. TMI. But it was fun, since she had to go to the bathroom, I had to go into the house with her and try to small talk in Japanese to some strangers. I just stood the genkan ( the place where people take off their shoes before entering the house) and the wife kneedled on the step beside me. The husband came home and looked kind of scared and then commented on how tall I was. hahah what's new? It was an awkward time. But that's the life of a missionary, right?

This week the mosquitoes ATTACKED ME! My legs look like I have the chicken pox, or some crazy disease! We counted them last night, I have 59 on my left leg, and 79 on my right leg. But we kind of got tired of counting, so i think there might be even more! I don't know why! Suzuki Shimai doesn't have ANY and my roommate only has 3. So who knows? But the ward members are so nice! Once gave me horse oil that is supposed to help, another gave me lavender doTerra oil, and another a $52 bottle of some fancy skin lotion. between the three, they don't itch as bad, but they are BRIGHT red!! hahah Let's just say we are buying bug spray today.

Mom, you were asking about houses here. Yes being more in the country, I go to more houses, not apartments. They are either outrageously clean, or super super super dirty, like horders! Not really a lot of courtyards, I have only seen one tea room and that was in a buddhist temple. But the temples have really pretty yards and they rake the rocks in straight lines so it looks really pretty! I will have to send pictures! I live really close to a lot of shrines! Super pretty!

Well I ran out of time, I hope you all have a great week! I love you and miss you!!

xoxo,

Messer Shimai