May 1st, 2017

The infamous last email...

So much stress to say something profound!.But I just wanted to share my simple testimony. 

 I can't put the last year and a half into words. It's been the most profound, stretching, exhausting, rewarding, miraculous year and a half of my life. It's changed me and shown me time and again how much our Savior and Heavenly Father desire our happiness. They reach out to us constantly, never giving up. They are perfectly patient, loving, and all knowing. If we follow them, we will be protected, we will be happy, and we will be at peace. We follow them through daily prayer, feasting on the scriptures, and keeping their commandments. If we do those things, we have no need to fear! This is Christ's church. It is as true as Japanese babies are cute. 

I love you all! 

All my love, Sundell Shimai 

April 23, 2017

Hello from sunny, flower blossoming Taniyama! The weather this week has been unreal and there are beautiful flowers as far as the eye can see. This week I have had one of my favorite primary songs running through my head that goes 'I feel my Savior's love, in all the world around me.' I think the beautiful nature in Japan has been a constant testimony to me of how much our Savior loves us. His love is manifest in things as grand as the mountains, and small as the petals on the tiniest flowers. 

Funny story this week: we miraculously met a sweet 17 year old boy housing and ended up walking to a close park and having a lesson with him. He kept shivering and saying he was cold, so I gave him my pink rain jacket to wear, which he slightly embarrassingly put on. When we tried to make an appointment to meet with him again the following night, he said, 'it will be cold again!' And I said well then wear pants next time. In Japanese there are things called katakana words that are basically just English words with Japanese pronunciation, and I thought pants was one of those words. So I told him to wear 'pantsu' next time and he kind of looked at me weird and then Henderson Shimai told me that 'pantsu' in Japanese means underwear. I can't count the number of times I have seen people on the street and complemented them on their 'pantsu'! Still learning new things, and embarrassing myself, every day, even a year and half into my mission. 

There are so many things I want to share, but there's just no time, so I'll end this week's email with a simple testimony. 

There were many times this week that I was overwhelmed by how much God loves us, His children. We got to meet with so many sweet people who are in varying situations and circumstances in their lives. With each one of them, we were able to testify how much God loves them. No matter where they are, what they have done or not done, or what situation they are in. His love is constant. There's not a way to express through email the multitude of sweet experiences we have. I'm just very thankful for a Heavenly Father that has blessed with with countless of those experiences the past year and a half I have been in Japan. 

This week I hope each of you will take a moment to look at the world around you and appreciate the love with which the Savior of the world created each of those things. 

All my love, Sundell Shimai 

These bushes are blooming like crazy! Pinks whites and reds 

Spot the Mormon sho 

April 16, 2017

Happy Easter

We had a wonderful easter yesterday! A few of our friends came to church that haven't been in a while, and we were able to feel the spirit together. Then yesterday night we coordinated with the elders in our area to do a special easter activity. We went to a nearby trolley car stop and laid two big pieces of paper on the ground. Henderson Shimai then drew and easter bunny and then on a separate paper a picture of the savior. As she drew we stopped people and asked them what kind of connection the two pictures had and then we were able to discuss with them the true meaning of easter. It was so special getting to spend the entire evening talking to people about the peace we can obtain through turning to Christ and following him. We met a really special girl that we set up a return appointment with and are so excited to get to meet with her again. She just glowed and is so kind. 

At one point in the night I stopped a girl and asked if she knew who the person Henderson Shimai was drawing is. She said no and I then pointed to my name tag and said 'it's this Jesus Christ.' And I just got so overwhelmed with gratitude that I've gotten to wear the Saviors name over my heart the past year and a half. 

Hope everyone had a beautiful easter and was able to feel of the peace that comes because of our Savior Jesus Christ. 

All my love, Sundell Shimai 

We had to pass asayama san over to the elders this week. We got a picture with him In Our last lesson together though. 

Sweet random grandma this week sat down and talked with us and then pulled apples out of her backpack and gave them to us 

A Duck duck goose with our kids English class gets intense!

Cutest kids ever. We wer practicin words and on the board there was a picture and the word below it and Henderson Shimai erased the word beneath to test them if they knew it or not, and as she erased it she said 'oh no!' And e little boy on the left goes 'you're the one that erased it!' He's so cute and sassy. 

Junkai with sweet Wright Shimai! so thankful I got to be a sister training leader and learn from so many sweet sisters in the mission. 

April 9, 2017

A week even crazier than last! 

Remember that crazy promising 19 yo that I talked about last week? He came to the return appointment on Monday. And we met with him Wednesday. And Thursday. And Friday. And he came to the Sunday morning session of conference. HES SO AMAZING. 

He rides a motor scooter and it was raining HARD this week. Two of the days we met with him he showed up very wet and casually walked in with a little rag and dried himself off and sat down ready for the lesson. When he says he will come for an appointment, he comes! 

It was just miracle after miracle this week with him! In our Monday lesson we asked him to pray at the end and he agreed and remembered exactly how to pray! It normally takes people weeks or months to remember how to start and and a prayer but asayama san remember after being taught once! Too many cool experiences to share from his lessons so I'll just share one. On Friday we met with him and followed up on how daily prayer had been going. He said that he previous day after the lesson he had gotten frustrated with someone and was really irritated, but then he felt like he should pray, so he did, and he felt at peace! And the bad feelings went away! YEAH ASAYAMA SAN! The lesson that day was focusing on the saviors atonement and we were then able to explain to him that he experienced the power of the saviors atonement! It really clicked for him and we were able to testify that the power of the saviors atonement can be felt in little ways like that, and in big incomprehensible ways as well. At the end of the lesson we shared with him our testimonies and as I said 'I know this church is true! It's true!' And I nearly jumped up on the table we were sitting around and yelled it I was just so happy and excited! This church really is true. 

Asayama san came to Sunday morning conference, and every single one of the talks I felt were perfectly for him! We were able to teach him the first three missionary lessons this week, and the conference talks perfectly aligned with all we had taught. Even scriptures we had been promoted to share in lessons were used in the conference talks! It was such a testimony to me of the simple truths of this gospel. It is the basic things that are most important. Daily communing with Heavenly Father through prayer, feasting on the scriptures, showing our respect to our Savior by going to church every Sunday. The truths of the plan of salvation that give us hope for a better future tomorrow and in eternity. I was just so overwhelmed with love for the plain, yet sacred and precious truths of this gospel. 

Can't wait to continue listening to and studying the conference talks more! 

All my love, Sundell Shimai 

Sorry in advance for the most boring picture week...

This mornings activity

April 2. 2017

What a week! 

Wow where to start with explanations. 

We have a cute young family with three kids that are investigators right now. When the dad was in his 20s he went to America for baseball and ended up in st George Utah and met a recruiter named Ted. Ted is, yes, Mormon, and they became good friend and our investigator, Yoshi,  just loved Ted and his family. Looked up to them all so much and really admired their family values, respect, and family relationships. Yoshi san eventually ended up back in Japan and now has a family here. A month or so ago Ted comes to visit Japan and asks Yoshi san to find a Mormon church for them to go to together on Sunday- and guess what- he lives literally ten minutes away from a Mormon church. Coincidence? Absolutely not! So they all come to church together and the family feels so welcomed and it was great. 

When I transferred in the missionaries hadn't been able to see the family in a few weeks because they had been really busy with work. But we were near their home one day this week and decided to drop by. And we got to talk with them for a while. They are SO prepared. Yoshi san seriously LOVES the church and mormons and Ted and missionaries so much. We got to teach them about prayer and it was so special. 

Then Yoshi san came to church on Sunday! Wooooo! He even stayed for a lesson afterward and was really into the lesson. All the members came up and introduced themselves and Yoshi san just kept telling them all how much he loves St George and how kind mormons are and it was so exciting! Unreal. 

Then after church he texted us saying how he had a great time at church and how he will come again next week and how he 'plans and has an arrangement' to come. I think it was the first time in my mission that the word 'yotei' in a text from an investigator was used in a positive way! Normally people use it to cancel on us or day they are busy, but not yoshi san! He used it saying he had arrangements to come to church next week! Yaaaaaa! 

Another miracle: Henderson Shimai and I were dendoing Saturday night in an area a little ways away. No one was really listening so we decided to go to a new are and look for some apartments. As we bike away we see this random big deep valley with a couple houses and apartments at the bottom. We stop and I ask Henderson Shimai how prepared the people who live at the bottom of the big valley are that the missionaries would get to bike down and back out to be able tot talk to them. We decided to go down and find out. And thus we find asayama san! 19 year old prepared person extraordinaire! We talked with him, gave a Book of Mormon and read a verse together and set up a return appointment at the church for the following day! As we were about to leave he says 'are you going home now?' And we say yes and he says 'wait a second' and runs into the kitchen and returns with two slices of cake he had bought from the store! And gave them to us! Sweetest, most prepared 19 year old you'll ever meet! But the story gets better... 

HE SHOWED UP AT THE CHURCH! Fifteen minutes early in fact! And we had an amazing lesson with him and a couple that joined in on the lesson. At the end he said a beautiful prayer and it was all just unreal. When we asked to meet again he said yes and I said 'how about tomorrow night?' And he said fine by me! So we will be meeting with him tonight, for he third day in a row! Please pray a for him! 

I feel like the longer I am out the more I realize that everything in this work is in the Lord's timing. Any successes we have or do not have in a week are simply just the Lord's will and a small piece of His greater plan. All we can do is work our hardest, rely on and put our faith in the Savior, and trust that all things will work out according to His plan. So thankful to get to experience the success and disappointments of missionary work! 

All my love, Sundell Shimai

This summarizes how much I love our mission president. 

Cute babies that steal my heart every day. 

March 26, 2017

Sorry in advance if this email is a little scatterbrained, I just saw a picture of my best friend with an engagement ring on her finger and my heart is freaking out! 

You'd think transfers would get easier the more times you do them. I guess to an extent they do but it was still hard leaving Sasebo that I love so much. 

Wednesday nights we teach English class and the last one was so special! So many of the students I love came and we got to spend a great last class together. After eikaiwa the members had prepared a  big meal for Elder Bryans because he was going home, and me because I was transferring. There were a lot of members and all the eikaiwa students participated too. At the beginning we said an opening prayer and then Elder Bryans and I got to share some thoughts and testimonies. It was such an amazing opportunity to get to express to our eikaiwa students the joy and peace that the gospel has brought into my life. Normally in eikaiwa we don't talk about religion, so it was great getting to share with them my testimony of the Savior Jesus Christ. I love and miss them all! 

And now I'm in Taniyama! With Henderson Shimai who is a hoot! We have a ton of fun together and are so excited for this upcoming transfer. 

The members here are so gung-ho! We were able to meet with them and talk about ways to strengthen the branch and they were all for the ideas we had! 

Funny story this week: so Henderson Shimai is full Chinese but was adopted and raised in California. Most of the time we contact people they assume she is Japanese. So we knocked on a home this week and an old grandpa answers the door and I think I I'm having a pretty decent conversation with him, but then he sees Henderson Shimai standing behind me and says "I don't understand what you're saying, can you move over and have her translate for you please" and motions me away with his hand. So I feel that will be the general overtone of this transfer! 

Despite being in a different area with a different companion, dendo is still much the same, which is so comforting. Though I don't yet feel comfortable in this area, I feel so all home being able to  bear testimony to those we talk to about Jesus Christ and his perfectly restored gospel! I'm very thankful and excited for the next while in this area and for more time to serve as a missionary. 

All my love, Sundell Shimai 

Millet Shimai and her mom came back to Japan an miraculously visited her old area, taniyama, they week I transferred here! 

Hopefully more pictures next week...

March 20 2017

Transfer calls came and I will be going down to Kagoshima in an area called taniyama! My companion will be Henderson Shimai, which I am SO excited about. I was so nervous to find out who my last companion would be, but was thrilled to hear it was her! She and I were in the same district together in iwakuni, so I'm really excited to get to serve with someone I'm already so close with! I remember after one district meeting walking with Henderson Shimai to lunch and telling her, 'I think we are going to be companions at some point' and now we will be! It brought me a lot of peace about transfers and I am really looking forward to it. 

Yesterday was Steed Shimais birthday! It started with making French toast and homemade cakes and ended with us both getting separated for an HOUR as we were biking to an area. We were biking up a hill and somehow got separated and it took us an hour, with the help of the Henry's, to find eachother. I have never questioned the safety of Japan as much as in that hour at we were separated! Luckily all turned out okay and Japan maintains its incredible safety. It made me realize how thankful I am that we get to have companions and preach the gospel two by two. It would be so lonely and scary if we had to do it alone. I'm thankful to now have Steed Shimai by my side again. 

This week we had probably a last lesson with one of our investigators that we have been teaching basically since I got to Sasebo. She wasn't able to get work off on Sunday's and had kind of stopped reading the Book of Mormon and praying so we just had a last meeting with her and bore our testimonies. She was a referral from a recent convert, and we did the lesson in his restaurant. After the investigator left, the member came upstairs and talked to us. He could tell I was feeling a little down. He talked about all the missionaries instrumental in his baptism, the huge progress our investigator had made up until this point, and many other comforting. He reassured me that she now knows about the blessings of the Book of Mormon and prayer, and that in the future she will be ready to fully accept the gospel. It was a very special experience with him and I was thankful for the reassurance he gave that we had done everything in our power for the investigator we love. 

I love Sasebo with all my heart, and am thankful for the time I have had to spend here with Jorgensen and Steed Shimai. We did not have many investigators in my time here, but am indescribably thankful for the relationships and friendships I have been blessed to have with members and less actives. As we have biked the hills of Sasebo for hours on end, I feel I have grown to greater understand the love our Heavenly Father has for each of his children. He knows exactly where each of us are, and desires each of our happiness, peace, and success. Because He loves us so perfectly, He sent His son, Jesus Christ to provide a way for us to return to our heavenly home. It is truly through following our Savior, that we find peace in this life, and eternal life in the world to come. I'm thankful for the gift and blessing of getting to serve in sasebo for six months of my mission, and life. 

All my love, Sundell Shimai 

The sweetest English students ever! We had been volunteering at a Japanese self defense force English class for the past few months and this week was the last class. Our four sweet women that put all the guys English to shame! Such hard workers.