Japan Journey: Roller Coaster

Hello my dear family!!!
Oh my goodness thank you so much for all of the letters and for sending pictures! I love them! I can't believe how different little Bella looks! She looks EXACTLY like Chels! (Sorry Spence :) )

I love hearing about all the memorable wonderful things you are experiencing! Congrats on owning your very own home Chels and Spence! Janni, that is so sweet that your nephew was born on your birthday! Feel free to put whatever letters on the blog you want. Just edit whatever you think shouldn't be public knowledge :) And if you go to the fair this year, please eat a caramel apple for me!

Well this week in five words: The white roller coaster at Lagoon.
Its like its supposed to be fun, cause its a roller coaster, right? And it kinda is, but you have to hang on real tight and you get jostled around and when you get off, your body kinda hurts.

I don't know if you've gotten my letter in the mail yet, but if not, the news is that my companion is thinking about going home. She really misses her family and her heart is not really here. Not to mention how difficult this MTC experience must be for her not being able to speak fluent English. Her decision has been so back and forth that as of this moment, I'm really not sure what will happen. She talked to her mom on the phone on Monday and her family committed her to stay one more week and then decide. So we've been fasting and praying for her to have the Spirit to guide her. Our relationship needs all the faith and prayers you can give, please. I need all of Heaven's help I can get to help me love my sister who is different than me.

If you haven't sent the package yet, I really only need my check register (or you can just write me the amount in a letter, either way is fine). And I love Charleston Chews :)

So one of the best things ever happened on Sunday Night. Me, my companion, and a couple sisters in our district all went to the "Joseph Smith - Prophet of the Restoration" film in French here at the MTC. Even though I couldn't understand it, it still brought tears to my eyes because you can just feel the power and spirit of the movie. As we were walking out, we met some sister missionaries who had also watched it in French, because they have been called to Tahiti! I started telling them, "If you ever meet a Soeur Mann..." and they were like, "Micail Mann?!" And I'm like, "What!? How do you know her?" Turns out, they all came across her blog as they researched Tahiti before coming on their missions! I told them she is my soul sister and that they will be very privileged if they meet her! They were saying how she seems like a really down to earth person and one of the sisters said that she hoped Micail is her trainer! It was a wonderful moment! Oh Tel!

So my companion and I share a room with just two other sisters. There are just us 4 sisters in our district. Two of them, are island girls. My companion from Tahiti, and one sister from Hawaii. Then there are two country girls, me from Utah and one sister from Idaho! So us country girls have been "learning" how to hula!

There is a clock on the BYU campus that we can hear from the MTC and it chimes "Come, come ye saints" and I love it!

I got a lovely package from the Jermans this week! It had Muddy Buddies in it! What a fabulous package! Thank you Jerman Crew!

How was the family reunion? Did that happen yet? Or is that this weekend?

Mamanoff! Have you been released then? Did that happen this Sunday? How are you faring? I love your letters. They are the best thing in this world to me.

Today we were all excited, because at 3:00 pm our district got together to have a "class party" as in we went to our classroom to eat treats and watch Mormon Messages together! Our district plays volleyball together on Monday mornings out on the sand volley ball courts! I love it so much!

In one of our Sunday meetings, one of the speakers was talking about our own personal conversions, and how it is a sacred experience. We are becoming new creatures. Sanctified. Consecrated. I'd never thought of it like that before. But I love that. Also on Sunday, we got to listen to a recording of Pres. Wilford Woodruff's voice. It was really hard to understand, but it was so neat to literally hear the voice of a man who knew the Prophet Joseph.

Cade and Katie: I love you! Thank you for your letters! Cade, I LOVE THE JOURNAL THING. I am so happy about my journal these days! Katie, I love you. I am currently wearing the "turquoise" earrings you made me. I love them so much!

Tomorrow, new missionaries who are going to Japan are coming! Which means, we move up from being "kohai" (like junior) to "sempai" (like senior)! We are so excited!

Spencer, congratulations on receiving your Masters degree! That is amazing! Chels, thanks for sharing Dad's advice with me. That meant so so much to me.

I think one of the big things I've learned so far on my mission is my need for humility. I thought before coming on my mission that learning a language wouldn't be that hard, and that I would just always be pumped up and a mission wouldn't be very hard. Wrong. The last couple of weeks I have seen that I need others so much. I've needed support from my Branch Pres, and my other sisters in my room, and from my Sister Training leaders. And from that, I've learned that its just the same in life. We think we can do this on our own, but we can't. We need our Savior so so much. I need Him now.

The picture is of our French, Japanese, and English Preach My Gospel manuals!

I love you I love you so much! Thank you for everything!

Love King Shimai