April 23, 2017

Hello from sunny, flower blossoming Taniyama! The weather this week has been unreal and there are beautiful flowers as far as the eye can see. This week I have had one of my favorite primary songs running through my head that goes 'I feel my Savior's love, in all the world around me.' I think the beautiful nature in Japan has been a constant testimony to me of how much our Savior loves us. His love is manifest in things as grand as the mountains, and small as the petals on the tiniest flowers. 

Funny story this week: we miraculously met a sweet 17 year old boy housing and ended up walking to a close park and having a lesson with him. He kept shivering and saying he was cold, so I gave him my pink rain jacket to wear, which he slightly embarrassingly put on. When we tried to make an appointment to meet with him again the following night, he said, 'it will be cold again!' And I said well then wear pants next time. In Japanese there are things called katakana words that are basically just English words with Japanese pronunciation, and I thought pants was one of those words. So I told him to wear 'pantsu' next time and he kind of looked at me weird and then Henderson Shimai told me that 'pantsu' in Japanese means underwear. I can't count the number of times I have seen people on the street and complemented them on their 'pantsu'! Still learning new things, and embarrassing myself, every day, even a year and half into my mission. 

There are so many things I want to share, but there's just no time, so I'll end this week's email with a simple testimony. 

There were many times this week that I was overwhelmed by how much God loves us, His children. We got to meet with so many sweet people who are in varying situations and circumstances in their lives. With each one of them, we were able to testify how much God loves them. No matter where they are, what they have done or not done, or what situation they are in. His love is constant. There's not a way to express through email the multitude of sweet experiences we have. I'm just very thankful for a Heavenly Father that has blessed with with countless of those experiences the past year and a half I have been in Japan. 

This week I hope each of you will take a moment to look at the world around you and appreciate the love with which the Savior of the world created each of those things. 

All my love, Sundell Shimai 

These bushes are blooming like crazy! Pinks whites and reds 

Spot the Mormon sho