April 18, 2016

What a week! Thank you for all your love and concern About the earthquakes that happened here this week. We are all safe! The first one hit during daily planning around 9:30 Thursday and it was pretty terrifying. Having never experienced any form of natural disaster before, Anderson Shimai and I were a little freaked out. It's was so interesting being in that situation where you have absolutely no control, and all you can do is pray and just wait for it to pass. After the first earthquake there were a few aftershocks throughout the night, and after one of them Anderson Shimai and I needed a little peace and comfort so we watched my favorite Mormon message, 'The Hope of Gods Light.' The peace and hope that this gospel brings is unparalleled. The spirit filled the room so strongly and we both just felt so protected and loved, even though we were so far from our families.   

This weekend after the second large earthquake two of the Shimai from Kumamoto were evacuated from the area and came to stay with us. They told us about how bad it was there and everything they experienced, and after hearing about how bad it was for them Anderson Shimai and I realized what we felt was nothing compared to them! They are both so strong and held up so well in the middle of all that chaos. 

So this week is transfers and our poor mission president has been having to juggle that and the earthquakes and evacuation and repairs. He and the Ap's have been working like crazy reworking the transfer calls. We got the call last night and I'm going to be transferring to Iwakuni next to the military base! I've heard that most of the time the Shimai are on base teaching marines, and we will go to church on base too (in English!). I'm dreading leaving my Maebaru that I've grown to love so much, but I know that change is necessary and through change we are stretched and grow. I've learned so much from the members here and am forever thankful I got to know them and learn from their examples. Leaving Anderson Shimai is not going to be easy either. She has become my best friend and we have grown and experienced so much together. She has been such a blessing in my life and is truly one of the most patient, loving people. She is getting a new missionary and will be training again. Her new missionary is SO lucky to get her as a trainer and to have Maebaru as her bean area! 

This week I've been thinking even more about the friendships that are made on a mission and I am more and more grateful for those relationships every day. This week Anderson Shimai and I went to dinner with a mom and daughter from Iran who are living in Japan for a little while. The daughter is working at the university here and her mom came to live with her for a little while. They are two of the most kind, tender women I've ever met and the more I talked with them the more I was amazed by them. So far I've gotten to become friends with a Nepali man, three Chinese people, two Iranian women, and an Egyptian woman, and loads of Japanese! This whole mission thing is pretty neat. 

Thank you again for all your love and support. Please keep those affected by the earthquakes in your thoughts and prayers.

All my love, Sundell Shimai 

Elnaz and Susan, our gorgeous Iranian friends