May 31st.2016

Gender reveal and bird crap

Where to even start with this week. Well this week started out pretty crappy, literally. Luczak Shimai and I were riding  bikes down he street and I feel something fall onto my head with incredible force. I looked around to hopefully find some kids playing with a ball that veered and hit my helmet, but nope, my initial fear was confirmed, a bird had taken a massive dump on my head. Have I mentioned before that missions are not glamorous? See attached photos. 

But besides that little incident this week was incredible! We FINALLY found out that our mystery investigator is..... A guy! We asked a member to joint for us in the lesson and warned him ahead of time that we didn't know whether or not we were teaching a guy or girl and that we needed help. He took one look at the investigator and said 'guy. Absolutely.' Well that solves that! May I just say that I was right all along even though Luczak Shimai and Healey Shimai thought it was a girl. I hope we don't have to go through that big gender ordeal again anytime soon. 

THIS WEEKS MIRACLE: SHOMIN CHAN. where do I even start with this girl. She's fifteen and reminds me so much of hinata chan. We found her housing Tuesday and have already had two lessons with her! She is Chinese and lives with her parents and grandma who all warmly welcome us into the house when we come over. We've taught her about God, Christ prayer and the restoration. In the first lesson we taught her how to pray and committed her to pray the rest of the week. We asked her if she would like to pray to close the lesson and she did. I've said it before and I'm sure I'll say it again, hearing people pray for the first time is my absolute favorite thing about being a missionary. I love it. It's indescribable. Shomin chans prayer was so sweet. She thanked Heavenly Father for us coming to teach her, and for  Christ's kindness. She said she was so excited to learn more about him and for us to come back and teach her more. Then she closed in Christ's name. It was so pure. We set up another appointment with her and when we came back she invited us into her house again, her room, and we had a great lesson. The first thing she told us was that she had taught her family how to pray this week and they all thought it was so cool! Look at her already sharing the gospel with them! Then she told us about an experience she had with prayer. She said she had been praying like we asked her to and one night she was laying in bed for twenty minutes and couldn't fall asleep. She said she said a prayer and then fell asleep really fast! She was so excited about prayer and how she knew God answered her prayer. WOW! She really reminds me so much of sweet hinata chan. They are both so humble and teachable and so receptive to the spirit. Luczak Shimai and I are so blessed to be able to teach her! 

We had a lesson with Holly this week on the restoration and she basically taught the lesson. She just kept saying 'that just makes so much sense! Why wouldn't God answer our prayers asking if something was true or not?' We committed her to pray about whether this message is true or not and receive an answer for herself. We have another lesson with her tonight! Oh but the best part was in the middle of the lesson out of nowhere she goes, 'and just so you know, if I did join your church, I firmly believe in paying tithing and giving a portion of what we have back to the lord and those in need.' WHAT ?! She just volunteered to pay tithing before we even brought it up. I was sure we were being filmed and Ashton kutcher was going to jump out of her closet at any point. But alas, Holly is just really that incredible and prepared. We are so excited for our lesson with her tonight. 

This week ended meeting with a less active we have been working with. Some of the most incredible experiences I've had on my mission have been with less actives. The one we met with last night is amazing. We always leave our lesson with him on such spiritual highs. He really opened up to us and thanked us for the influence we have had on him. He says being with us brings back so many memories from his mission and reminds him of how much he loved his mission and how much he loves the gospel. I don't really know how to summarize everything he said, it just wouldn't do it justice. But we love him so much and are so so blessed to meet with him and both strengthen one another. He's amazing!

Time is flying no I have no clue where the last month and a half went! We have transfer calls today so we might be having a change. I love this work and time more and more and am ever more convinced how important and life changing missions are. 

Oh! And Davis Shimai and I got to go to the temple! Too many good things all in one week! 

Have a great week! 

All my love, Sundell Shimai 

Look at that splatterage!

This weeks Japan flower, toe thumb, Book of Mormon picture 

We walked up this hill to a little house..

And found this creepy little cave 

We proudly present, Japanese politician version Elder Holland! Twins.