October 31, 2016

I don't know how the weeks go so fast! We had so many incredible moments this week and I'm so excited to share some of them.

First our investigator chika chan. There are honestly no words to describe how well she is progressing. We had three lessons with her this week and made a baptismal date and baptismal calendar! Friends, she is gold! She loves everything we teach her and it just speaks to her heart. She asks incredible questions and desires knowledge. Our joint for her lessons got baptized when she was 21 so she shares the best personal experiences! Member joints for lessons are such a key to our investigators progressing! Chika chan is so excited about baptism and the baptismal calendar. I was just speechless the whole lesson, well besides for the points when I did speak, but it is SO incredible experiencing her conversion! When people are truly prepared, there's no convincing, pleading, or coaxing that has to be done on our part, just guiding them in the right direction. Please please pray for her continued progression towards baptism and lifelong membership in the church!

We got a special visit from iwakuni this week! Sister white and her family were in sasebo for a track meet and took Jorgensen Shimai and I out to lunch, because we had both served in iwakuni. It really felt like a piece of home seeing them. I'm so thankful for the eternal friendships we are blessed with!

Went on my first junkai, or exchange, as stl with Matthews Shimai!

She's from Australia and is an angel. It was like being with my sweet Mckenzie Shimai for a day! Matthews Shimai taught me so much about love and heartfelt testimonies of our savior to everyone we meet. It's such a blessing getting to live with Matthews Shimai and whitworth Shimai in a four man apartment. These Shimai are incredible!

This week I found an incredible quote by president hinckley that I want to end in sharing. Concerning his mission, and life, he said "

The best antidote I know for Worry is Work. The best medicine for Despair is Service. The best cure for Weariness is the challenge of helping someone who is even more tired."

There are times in the day when I just feel sooo exhausted and down on myself, but time and time again the Lord has shown that the true cure for weariness and despair is reaching out in service to others.

Getting on our bikes and riding up that one last hill. Walking around for ten extra minutes to talk to just a few more people. Refocusing our self centered thoughts onto helping the person we are talking to feel of our Savior's love. It's a constant effort, but so worth it. I love this work, and have a testimony of the healing balm of service.

I love you all!

All my love, Sundell Shimai

By the end of each day

The Whites!

Had a Halloween party with the Eikawa students

Look at all the purple flowers! Mom, they're your favorite ones that look like they have a light inside.

My toe decided to get festive for Halloween

October 25, 2016

Hello loved ones! We had some interesting miracles this week as you can tell from the email title. Yep, I did get hit by a car, but it was going approx .5 miles an hour and only cracked a little plastic piece on my bike. But the car was being driven by a former investigators dad! They hit me and immediately got out of the car to see if I was okay, and the girl goes 'are you okay?! You're Christian missionaries right?!' And I was like what how do you know that! Turns out she met the missionaries about 7 years ago when she was 16 ish and look the lessons for a bit. Then came to eikaiwa for a while on and off, moved away, and just moved back to sasebo a bit ago! She and her dad are the nicest humans I've ever met. My bike is honestly fine, but they insisted that they take it to a shop and get the little piece fixed.

So we did at with them for a bit last week and will finish it up this week, but tell me acts not the most crazy non-coincidence miracle ever! As I was biking this week k was day dreaming about e conversion story he tells everyone after he gets baptized- 'well you so it all started when I hit a sister missionary with my car...' And the rest shall be history.

Wednesday was Jorgensen shimai's birthday and it was a blast! We found a new young mom who we were able to teach a lesson to and pray with.

Birthday miracles. I'm so blessed to be serving with Jorgensen Shimai right now and love her so much. She's such a hard worker, yet takes time to give little compliments and uplifting thoughts. It's so fun being companions with someone who immediately becomes your best friend. As always, blessed with the most amazing companions.

My favorite moment of this week was a miv we did with a Japanese member. We had planned to share a couple scriptures about missionary work, but as we talked to her, we realized that's not what she needed.

What I had studied in personal study that day came to mind and we instead shared that with her and it was exactly exactly what she needed. It was so amazing seeing how the lord directed my personal study to be just what this amazing member needed to hear. It's the little miracles like that make me eternally thankful for this mission experience.

The scripture we shared with her was from Mosiah 27:14 and the thing I realized from that verse that I hadn't before, was that the angel appearing to Alma the younger was a result of countless, faith-filled prayers of his father, Alma. We testified to that member of the power of a parent's faithful prayers. Thank you, mom and dad, and my parent siblings, and everyone else, for the faith filled, whole hearted prayers you've offered to our Heavenly Father. He hears them, and he answers them. Thought not always immediately, he answers them.

I love this work and I love my Heavenly Father and his son Jesus Christ. Have a joyous week!

All my love, Sundell Shimai

Look how cute she is!

Our diligent /zone Leaders that we have gotten to plan trainings with.

Japanese self defense members that we have been teaching English to.

October 18, 2016

What a week! Ah so many things happened, and so many new experiences!

First new experience was getting the opportunity to go to MLC missionary leadership council. We got to meet with kaicho (our mission

president) and the other leaders in the mission and talk about how to best help motivate everyone and help them progress in the work. Our mission president LOVES his missionaries. I couldn't imagine having a more loving, supportive, kind mission president. It was a blessing getting to feel of our Savior's love through him.

Next new experience was getting to plan for and present a training at zone training meeting with the zone leaders. Our zone leaders LOVE our missionaries. The training went amazing thanks to the participation of all the incredible missionaries we have in the zone. The Japan Fukuoka mission has some rockstar missionaries, who are completely dedicated to this work.

Next new experience was 6 HOURS of church. Half English, half Japanese. We were at the church for 12 1/2 HOURS yesterday between meetings, lessons, church, and a special devotional broadcast. It's so fun getting to have church in both languages and converse with so many members! Since we are at the church for so long and we only have an hour break between English and Japanese, a Japanese member makes and brings lunch for all the missionaries every single Sunday so we can eat! ANGEL! Welcome to the church in Japan.

 I'm sure you have all been meticulously keeping track of how many days I've been out on my mission and all already know this, but I hit my year mark on Friday! On initially reflecting on the past year, I was kind of stressed in thinking I hadn't done enough, spiritually progressed, etc. But as I cast that greedy little devil out that was inflicting self doubt in me, I was able to think about all the joy that was experiences the past year. Joy. Not just happiness, but pure joy. As I though, I was able to realize that the times I felt joy were in seeing others pray, feel the spirit, come to church, feel hope, love more readily, and feel of their Savior's love. My favorite quote from conference was by elder Nelson when he simply said "Jesus Christ is joy!" I have such a solid testimony of that! Our savior really is joy! I've been able to see that joy in others both lost and gained based on their willingness to follow Christ. If we exercise even the smallest particle of faith and action into following Christ, he will bless us with pure, perfect joy.

So that's my recommendation for everyone this week: think about what things in your life make you happy, and what things in your life bring you joy. Then, do more of the things that bring joy!

I know this church is true, and wouldn't trade the past year for anything. I love you all!

All my love, Sundell Shimai

Our adorable new investigator! The best year mark present ever! (So much joy in seeing someone hold and read from the Book of Mormon)

Island boat tour with my best friend companion Jorgensen Shimai

Joy in seeing Anderson Shimai!

Our joyous zone

View from the MOUNTAIN we hiked up. Friends, the mountains here are no jokes. Don't be surprised if one of my future emails is titled 'death by mountains'

One of the Japanese members arranges a flower arrangement every Sunday to go by the pulpit and this was this weeks.