June 20, 2016

WHITE SHIRTS AND CHURCH

I'm pretty confident that yesterday I experienced the happiest moment of my life. A less active that we have been working with came to church. We've been talking about it for a long while now and have been praying and praying and praying for him. Church started and we were bummed he wasn't there, then a few minutes later the back door opens, and he waltzes in in his brand new white dress shirt. I turned around and saw him, audibly gasped, slapped my hand over my mouth, and just started crying. He kind of laughed a bit, and smiled. It was the purest joy, seeing him come back after a while away. I never want to forget that moment and am still just overwhelmed with joy! 

Then last night we got invited over to a couples house for dinner. We found them housing recently and were able to have a good discussion last night. The husband told his life religion story, from being Catholic to turning Christian, and everything he said just hi- lighted and supported so many truths of the gospel. It's experiences like that that confirm to me over and over again the truthfulness of the gospel. We are so excited to start teaching them because they are so incredibly prepared And kind. 

Naoko came to a bbq a ward member was throwing this weekend and it was incredible! She was able to hear so many of the members testimonies and heR faith was strengthened so so much. It was funny, in one of the conversations she was asking someone how long after they met the missionaries that they were baptized, and they said a couple years. She then went off a little about how fast we were trying to have her be baptized, but it was funny and all in good fun. We don't dilly dally with baptism dates! I then got to talk with her about my testimony, and talk to her about hers. I love her! Funny story: we visited her and her daughter this week, and as we were leaving I gave her daughter a hug and said 'I love you!' In Japanese, and Naoko goes, 'that's creepy! We don't say that! You Americans say that but we don't say that in Japan! It's scary!' And so I turned to her and went to give her a hug and kept saying 'I love you!' In Japanese to her and she little ran to the other side of the room and shielded herself from my hug and I love yous but I hugged her anyway, it was hilarious. Maybe a 'had to be there' moment, and definitely a 'have to understand Japanese culture' moment. But then as we were walking out of the house she said I love you so it was all good again. We joke about it with her all the time now. 

The miracles of these past few days are a testimony to me of Heavenly Fathers love and care. He has blessed me with moments of hope and success when I was really in need, and time and time again shows little signs of growth from the many seeds we plant as missionaries. I'm so thankful for the recent fruits of our efforts that we are seeing. 

Working with Hilke Shimai is going well. Her patience never ceases to amaze me and I don't know how she does it sometimes. We have some very patience trying times, but she just breezes through it all. She's so loving to everyone around her, and I'm so thankful to get to serve with her. 

Onto yet another week of crazy miracles! 

All my love, Sundell Shimai

Our stinkin cute eikaiwa students!!

From the rooftops of Japan