Feb. 15, 2016 
 This week flew by! We have a special moms eikaiwa class that meets Friday mornings and they all bring their little babies. It's a couple of the members that initially suggested it and they bring their cute mom friends. So this week for Valentine's Day we had a party with them! It turned out so well. The party day was actually a holiday here so all the kids had school off and a couple husbands came also! I asked people why it was a holiday and none of them actually knew why the day was special. But it worked out perfectly that they could all come! We played games, made valentines, learned some songs, and ate. Anderson Shimai and I shared a spiritual thought and video (what matters most by president monson) in hopes that some of them would be interested in taking the lessons. It was a little hectic with all the little kids while we were sharing and my Japanese certainly didn't help the situation, but we are praying that they felt something and will desire to know more about the gospel.
Yesterday we had another lesson with Shigeharu San on the godhead. We needed to review it again with him and really have that as a solid foundation to build off of with the other lessons. I think he now has a better understanding of the separate roles of God Christ and the Holy Ghost. Chris Kyodai, the American who served in Japan then married a Japanese girl and they are now living here with her parents, was our joint. He and Shigeharu San are great friends which is wonderful because it makes the lessons and information seem less overwhelming I think. It was so helpful having him, and another man from he ward, there to help us explain things. I certainly don't know what's going on a lot of the time in lessons and am not much help. Anderson Shimai is such a champ. She is only transfer five and is already a trainer and senior companion. She does so well teaching lessons and just communicating with people in general. Naturally though we can't explain things as well as we would like, both being really young missionaries. So joints are very important. During the lesson I was feeling a little overwhelmed and inadequate with my minimal Japanese skills. I didn't feel like Shigeharu San could very easily understand my explanations and I certainly didn't feel like I was making things easier on Anderson Shimai. But we finished the lesson and gave him a commitment to read a certain scripture from the Book of Mormon and write down any questions he had. As we were leaving the lesson Chris kyodai pulled us aside to talk to us, and we thanked him for his help explaining things. He said 'I know it seems like I explain things really well and that Shigeharu San really gets it when I'm talking, but that's not the case. He can understand everything perfectly when me or Fukuyama kyodai explain things, but he FEELS it when you two speak. He really feels it. And that is what is important.' As he said that he got a little emotional and teary (and I love when people get emotional about the gospel). Anderson Shimai and I were just doing everything we could to keep it together and not start bawling! He said exactly what we needed to hear and it was so simple, but meant so much to us. He then talked about how this is interesting for him because he's never been the member in lessons, he's only been the missionary before. He knows exactly how we feel because he's been in the exact same position, just a few years ago. Babcock Shimai, one of my MTC teachers, said something in the MTC very similar to what Chris kyodai said. You can hand someone a pamphlet to read, and they can understand it perfectly, but feel nothing. But when we testify of this gospel with all our hearts, albeit in broken Japanese, they can feel it. And that is really all that matters. If they feel the spirit and the special feeling that only comes from this true, restored church, that is what they will remember and ultimately desire to always have.
Before my mission, When I was on a bike ride with my dad and team 04:50, I talked  a little bit with a guy who wasn't a member. I told him I was going on a mission and he asked where and I said Japan. He responded "Do you speak Japanese?" And I said, "nope! Not at all." And he said "Then why are you going to Japan?!" The tone in his voice was so funny and I've thought about that little conversation a lot since then. It is nuts that this church sends 18 and 19 year old guys and girls to different countries to preach the worlds most important message in a language they don't know! It's not logical! But not knowing the language really isn't important. Teaching with the spirit is what is important, because the power of the Holy Ghost transcends all language and culture barriers.
And with that I leave you all Moroni 10:5 to read and ponder about.
"And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things"

I love you all!
All my love, Sundell Shimai

Valentine's party! (That American isn't Chris kyodai)