A miracle filled week in Okinawa!!

March 8, 2015

Hey everyone! How was your week? It was a miracle filled week in Okinawa!! The sisters in the neighboring area taught a women ALL of the lessons and then realized she was in our ward, so she had to get baptized in the Okinawa ward! It stinks for them, but was awesome for us! Turns out she was one of our English students all along! Why didn't she ask us to teacher her? Who knows. But a lot of miracles happened because of that one baptismal service this week! 

We were able to meet with our favorite Minami san before the service, we had an amazing lesson about eternal families and happiness, and she told us that she has a feeling she needs to get baptized in April or May!! She is having a little trouble with the Word of Wisdom, so pray that she can she does not need that coffee everyday! She wanted to talk to Erina san, the lady who was baptized, before setting a date, so we are hoping she can move forward with baptism! 

Also, Emiri san came to the baptism! Emiri is also an investigator those neighboring sisters were teaching until they found out she is in our area as well!! (why are all of these people trying to avoid us? Where are they hiding? FUTENMA!) But she has said she wants to be baptized since the first day the other sisters met with her, we are going to try to start teaching her this week and hope she can progress as well!!
We were also able to meet Erina san, the lady who got baptized, 13 year old daughter Himari chan who is really really shy. I am not sure if her interest is completely there yet, but her mom really wants her to hear the lessons. She thought it was really cool that her mom was completely clean and we are hoping she can follow the example of her mother! 

Then on Sunday a ward member told us she wants us to teach her granddaughter who is turning 8 in April. Since the granddaughters parents are not members, we have to teach her the lessons in order to be baptized, so we are excited to help little Rea chan this upcoming month. 

We were also able to meet with our British investigator 3 times this week! She is progressing so well! We talked about baptism, and she said, "So do you think I could get baptized before I leave?" (she leaves island the end of this month to Korea or Hawaii) and we said yes, if you can keep those promises and commandments that our Heavenly Father has given us, do you want to set a date, make a goal? and she replied with "do you have time next week?" Wait, what? To be baptized? "Oh no, just to meet again" it was really funny! We laughed, and promised some blessings. She is working hard to follow God's commandments and we are hoping she can receive some divine help to follow them this week! 

I just got back from pedicures with the senior couple sister missionary who took us out. Let me tell you, my feet have never been so smooth nor pretty in my whole 20 years. That poor lady had to deal with my dancer, missionary feet. But she did well! I even had her sign her name on them when she was done they were so pretty! And we all know I have ugly feet. But we also got leg massages, and I don't remember the last time I was that relaxed. Oh Okinawa, how I do love thee. Almost as much as I love YOU! Have a great week! Remember to choose the right, and God is on your side! 

Love, 

Messer Shimai

I'm staying in Okinawa, eh?

Lunch with the district

Ok, so I know the first thing Aus will tell me is that I am using "eh" wrong, but I still haven't gotten the art of it down. My beloved half Japanese companion left me! We were in a members car driving home at 8 at night when the AP's called us for transfer calls telling us that Sister Jeffery was leaving me! My new companion is Sister Salmon from CANADA! Calgary, Canada for those that know Canada. We were really surprised and had to spend most of the next day packing and sending suitcases to mainland. Then we went to a National Day of Prayer on base and hear lots of crazy prayers and scriptures being read in different languages, but it was really cool!! Our goal was to get members from our church out to support this even because usually we kind of stick to ourselves, so we called all of the members, and we were able to have almost 60 members there. We prayed, and we ate! It was a good time! Then a ward member took Jeffery Shimai and I to the beach since she had never been to the beach the whole time she was on island! She took us to a place they used to perform baptisms, it was SO PRETTY and rocky! She even gave us some water shoes and we walked in the water for a bit before we had to head back to ship off her luggage. It was super awesome. 

A beach at Okinawa

Sister Jefferey was transferred

Then the next day I had to drop off beloved Jefferey Shimai, and then spent the whole day with the Naha sisters (the area with the airport in it) which just so happens to be my old companion, Hirata Shimai who is training a new missionary! So i was able to spend the day with them. They weekly planned for their area, it was....fun. Then I picked up Salmon Shimai at the airport! She is awesome! She is just starting transfer 5, so she has been in Japan 6 months! My other STL companion had a lot of stress, so Salmon Shimai is my new STL companion! So it will be nice being actual companions with my STL companion again! But it has been CRAZY trying to introduce the HUGE area and everyone to her! I just barely got here 6 weeks ago, So I don't really know what is going on either, but it is fun! Her bike still hasn't been shipped in, so we enjoy walking everywhere. We got to borrow the Elder's bikes one day...she broke it. So we were stranded out an hour bike ride away. THANK HEAVENS FOR SENIOR COUPLES WITH VANS, right? 

at the beach

We were able to meet with our British investigator and teach her the restoration and the plan of salvation. Oh my goodness we love her so much! She is so brilliant, and understands EVERYTHING we say! She even applies the stories she reads in the Book of Mormon! We love her a lot and are sad she is getting deployed on the 29 :( 

Well this week was a lot of planning, and packing so nothing super funny, although last night when we were housing we talking to a little Japanese man, maybe in his 20's, who had interest in learning English, but not Jesus, so we kept going. Then he was getting in his car to leave and just yells, "Hey, did you find any guys?" I dont know, now that I type it it isnt super funny, but it was funny to hear the cute little accent yelling English. Sorry, no we didn't find any guys. But I hope you will call us someday! 

Well I love you and hope you all have great week!!! Ai shite imasu!

xoxo

Messer Shimai

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!