3.11 in memory of the tsunami.

Dear Mama, 

You know when its March and the end of a long winter, and your soul is ready for some sunshine and birds chirping? Well, last night in my prayer I asked that today could be sunny. And oh how happy I was when I opened the curtains this morning and saw the sun! And as we rode our bikes to the church to email today, I heard birds chirping! 

This week marked the 3 year anniversary in Japan of the tsunami. Me and George Shimai were riding by the big city hall on our bikes and saw sort of a gathering and cameras and a speaker, and then George Shimai also said that she'd seen the Japanese flags flying at half mast. We thought for a minute and then remembered that it was 3 years to the day of the tsunami. Then later in the week at zone training meeting, they showed a video called 3.11 in memory of the tsunami. Before my mission when I watched some of the videos of the tsunami on youtube, I remember being blown away at how fast and powerful it was, but it didn't make me cry. But this time as I watched 3.11 and watched the tsunami, heard the stories, watched the aftermath and the reconstruction, and then watched as these sweet people bowed and told the world thank you for the help they received...this time, I cried. 

Yesterday, me and George Shimai went to Fukushima for church, and then rode the bullet train back to Yamagata! That was my first time to ride a bullet train! Then last night our ward had a going away party for a family in our ward who is moving. We had dinner and made cotton candy on our chopsticks. I think I am starting to love these people! 

Last night a sister in our ward, Niwa Shimai, out of the blue, told me that my Japanese is beautiful!! And that when I talk it doesn't even sound like I have an accent!! YEEEESSSSSS!!!! It made me feel so so good! Its nice to get a compliment from someone! 

We went to a doll festival this week, to see really old Japanese dolls! 

Well, today is my 8 month mark as a missionary. I don't know if its bad to be keeping track...some folks might not think that is good. But Spencer told me in a letter awhile back that its okay to keep track, on the good days and on the bad days, because it can motivate and give me hope too. I don't know if its going by fast or slow. A little of both, I guess. My homesickness is getting better! I still sometimes have some rough homesick moments, but thank heaven, my soul is getting stitched back up! I love the words in the song Amazing Grace, because this is how I feel: His grace hath brought me safe thus far, His grace will bring me home.

Here's a photo of my desk!

This week we taught our investigator Shindo san with a sister from our ward. We walked to her house from the church with the sister from our ward. It was raining and I loved that moment because it felt very missionary-ish, walking with my companion and a ward member in the rain with our umbrellas in Japan to go teach Shindo san! She doesn't really believe in God, because she feels like when she's asked for help in her trials, He hasn't helped her, and so she doesn't believe in Him. After being at her little apartment for awhile, me and George Shimai were back at the church, and we both smelled like her cigarette smoke. We were talking about how now we smelled like smoke, but then I said how if you smell like smoke, it means you've been trying to do good things, trying to help someone. 

We had a stop smoking workshop this week for Tess san (the sister with the baptismal date) and a less active sister who smokes came too and brought her nonmember brother and mother. It went really well and all of us missionaries taught it. Tess san is so good! After wards, Tess san gave us a ride and I felt so much like she is becoming like family. As we drove and were kind of getting lost in all the little streets in Japan, she would just kind of sing the words "Chotto matte" which is like "just a minute!" as she tried  to find our way back to her house. It felt so safe and comfortable and fun to be driving around with Tess san and have her being funny and singing to us. 

I love you all!!!

Love Kingu Shimai

I know He is taking care of us

Dear Mama, 

Whew. The work is HASTENING! Yesterday at church, so many people came! Between the 8 of us missionaries in the Yamagata ward, 3 investigators, 3 less active members, and a potential investigator all came to church!!

Me and George Shimai taught Sunday School about the creation. We sang Whenever I hear the Song of a Bird as a class. At the end I shared my testimony about how there is a scripture that talks about how Heavenly Father knows even every little bird, He knows when a swallow falls.

At the MTC there were these cute little fat birds everywhere in the beautiful gardens. I loved watching them when we would study outside. They made me so happy!

Then here in Japan, there have been some moments of looking up and watching some birds flying in the sky, and thinking how Heavenly Father knows THAT bird, right there. And if He knows the birds, then He knows me, too. I love looking at the birds and remembering that I am being taken care of. I know He is taking care of us. I know His tender mercy is real. 

We are teaching this cute little family! The Endo family! Our favorite thing is to sing Once there was a Snowman and Jesus Wants me for a Sunbeam together with actions! We love them!

The Japanese is coming along! Like the scripture that talks about growing from grace to grace, It really does grow one word at a time. Sometimes it feels so slow.

 But this last week I wanted to learn the words for "left" (hidari) and "right" (migi). I wrote them in my planner and worked on them. Then just a day or so later, when we were talking with a member and her friend at our lesson, they were talking about how they do folk dance. I didn:t understand everything, but could kind of follow that at least they were talking about dancing, and then I heard "hidari" and "migi"!! And they were laughing, so I think they were talking about how one of them has a hard time dancing and knowing if they:re supposed to be going right or left!

That is kind of how it goes talking with people...just smile and nod and say "hai" which means "yes" and in your brain your just try and pick up on the words you recognize and strand it together...something about this....something about that.......It all kind of comes together, sometimes! 

How is Nikki and Aunt Tonya doing? Have they had their babies yet? 

Mama, this week I was thinking/praying about how happy I am for you to be home again and that you don:t have to work the rest of your life!! Even still, when I pray, and I really try to pray from my heart, prayer is some of my most wonderful and sacred moments for me on my mission. I love praying. Really praying. I love this quote that says something about how it is better to have a prayer full of heart without any words, than a prayer full of words without any heart. I thought about how brave and strong you have been, through all these years of working. Its been hard. But you did it. And I feel so so proud of you!

Japan is still getting some snow, but we have some blue sky and sunshine too and boy, it is good for the soul! 

All my love!

Love Kingu Shimai