Rememberiing Dad

Hello my lovely family! I LOVE YOU!

Well, winter has finally made its mark here in Japan! Living in Yamagata right now feels like living inside one of those little glass snow globes that you shake and then all the little snowflakes swirl around and snow onto the little city inside the snow globe. We got about a foot of snow 2 weeks ago, and then this week in one day we got about another foot and a half of snow, and today its snowing again! I love snow!

This week I had a funny life moment called trudging through the snow with George Shimai and a sister in our ward to visit 2 less active members. The first sister we went to visit, when she saw us, immediately grabbed a towel and started wiping us off, which was nice, but then she got a little carried away, and as we tried to share a message about Heavenly Father, she started putting these gigantic plastic bags on our heads, draping them over us like teepees, to protect us from the snow. It was so funny! Lets just say, she wasn:t too interested in our message :) She was nice though!

Jan, I was reading through one of your letters you sent me back in the MTC and you asked if I:d seen the photo booth pictures of you and Mama and Chels and Bella at Sasha's wedding...and that you could send them to me. I would love to see those if you can email them to me!

Chels, remember how scrunchy Bellamy was when she was just a brand new baby? Is she still scrunchy?

Mama, sometimes I still think I can just pick up the phone and call you and ask you a question. Like this last week for example, I wanted to make some pumpkin that we had in our fridge, but I didn`t know how to, and for a second there I thought, `Oh I need to call my Mama and ask her how to cook pumpkin!`

Mama, Yes, I am getting your letters....pretty regularly. Sometimes they get backed up and I don:t get one for a week or two, but then I will get 2 or 3 letters all in one glorious day! The valentines package is still finding its way to me, I am hoping it comes soon!

This week was Dad:s birthday! I wanted it to be special since I will probably only ever be in Japan on February 14th once in my life. I thought about Dad a lot and felt happy. I have been wanting to write down all of the memories I have of Dad, so that I won:t forget them as I grow up. So on his birthday I started working on my goal and writing memories I have of Dad! I loved it so much and am amazed how many memories are coming back to my mind! Here are a couple in honor of Dads birthday this last week:

- I don:t remember exactly where we were going, but we were going somewhere together as a whole family. We stopped at Dad:s work to let him run in and grab something. He started walking in towards the building. I was sitting in the van eating saltines and decided I wanted to go too. I started running towards Dad to catch up with him with my mouth full of dry saltines. Dad started running away from me, and I remember we were both laughing and I had saltine crumbs flying out of my mouth from laughing which made us laugh even more!

- I remember at our home in Tremonton, being in the kitchen and watching Dad walk through the kitchen in his robe with 2 balloons tucked up in the back of his robe to make his bottom look huge! So funny!

- I remember going on my Daddy Daughter Date to Feldmans in Tremonton to get ice cream. I think I maybe got bubblegum ice cream.

I love Dad so, so much. I pray very often that he can be close to me, while I am here in Japan. But I also prayed that he could be with each of you too on his birthday. My gratitude for our eternal family is so deep, and has become something sacred and so much more to me than ever before. I love you family! I am so excited we get to be together forever!

Today I read a beautiful chapter in one of the prophets books talking about Jesus Christ. My favorite part was when it said how Christ takes captivity captive. Isn:t that beautiful?

I love you! I love you! I LOVE YOU!
Love Kingu Shimai

Keep Trusting

Dear dearest family of mine! I love you from the bottom of my heart!

This week I had 2 beautiful moments. The first one was on Friday night, when me and George Shimai were working on weekly planning. We were discussing one of our investigators who is not progressing, and we just can't seem to reach her heart. I sat there and gave the idea that maybe we could teach her about Jesus Christ again, about His power to cleanse us and having faith in Him. 

I said to George Shimai something like, we can't reach her, but maybe He can. And when I said that, I got tears in my eyes and felt something. That something I felt was so real, I think its the feeling of believing and trusting in something and Someone bigger than yourself. A feeling of His love and His power. Sometimes I feel a little far from Christ and I don't quite understand how to come closer. But its simple moments like this one for me this week that connect with my soul and reassure me. He is real. Keep trusting. 

The next beautiful moment, was with our investigator Tess san. We went to her house with our Relief Society president for a lesson. She lives really close to our apartment which is fun and she gave us churros and hot chocolate. She is so amazing and she really desires to have God in her life. She wants to get baptized, but she works every Sunday but recently talked to her boss and is able to come once a month to church. We cleared it with President Rasmussen and he said she can get baptized! We set a baptismal date with her! She went to her calendar and marked the day and was so excited! She said how she has been to other churches, but now she thinks she has found the truth. She looked up heavenward and simply said, "Thank God." And it was so sincere and heartfelt. We both had tears in our eyes, and it was a very good moment. 

She came to church for her first time yesterday and everything went well!

We have been so blessed lately with lots of investigators and opportunities to teach! On Saturday night we taught the Sato family again! We had dinner with them, which was way authentic Japanese food. We had build your own sushi and this green slimy stuff from the ocean in vinegar....it was..........good.

Mama, thank you so much for your letters! I am really grateful for how much trust we have and that we can share how our hearts are doing. I liked the part where you shared about Dave's testimony, and how he said that he has the gift to believe. I liked that, because I think that is one of my gifts too. As I read what he'd said, I felt the exact same way....I've just always believed. 

Chels, I loved, really really loved how you said that with Micail coming home this week, it is like a part of Court is coming home. Bingo. So true. Me and Micail are soul sisters and it means a lot to me that you would feel that way about Micail! I hope you all see her soon and give her the world's biggest hug!

Jan, the picture of you and Mama shopping for wedding dresses is so beautiful! I am so happy my Mama and sisters are happy. I'm grateful you and Chels are helping Mama and being supportive. This would be really hard if we were becoming divided, so I am so grateful that our family is coming closer! I do wish I could be there, but this is where Heavenly Father called me to be right now. Keep trusting. 

I love you!

Love Kingu Shimai

Photos and update

Me and a big snowy statue! This was back around Christmas.

Me doing the weekly phone call with our district leader. Just sittin on my futon. You can see me with my scarf and pajama pants on, keeping warm! 

At our church with some members

Oh Mamanoff you are beautiful! Absolutely stunning! For real! Your smile and your countenance are glowing! And I love your new hair cut. I got your letter telling me about Sister Fotheringhams haircut gift to you. When I show people our family picture, you get a lot of comments about how young you look! I love the picture of you and Dave at sunset. Its beautiful! 

How is work? Have they found someone to replace you yet? I am so so so happy that you get to be my mamanoff at home again! I loved it when you said that in one of your letters, that you get to be home and that you will always be there for me...I know you always have been there for me even through these years when you've worked...but this is just 1000x better! I am so happy for you Mama! I love that you get to be home again! 

My email time is almost through, I haven't really written a big newsy email. Sorry. I've been emailing Jan and Chels and Katie, and one of my MTC teachers ...don't worry, he's married ...But I am so happy to talk to my Mom in almost real time! It brings me a lot of comfort just to know you are there, and that we are talking. 

Here is a fast little update for the week...

We are being so blessed recently! Me and George Shimai currently have 8 investigators! Not all of them are really strong investigators, but one of them Tess san is doing well! 

She is the one that is trying to quit smoking. She is down to just 2 cigarettes a day! She is coming to church for the very first time next Sunday! We are super excited!

Last Monday we also taught a FAMILY! It didn't really hit me until afterwards, why our lesson seemed so different...and then it hit me...we taught a family! Like a dad, and a mom, and their daughters! It was wonderful! I loved it!

We went on a split to Aizuwakamatsu this week. I worked with Gass Shimai, but I also got to see Robertson Shimai...my dear MTC friend from Idaho! I love her so much and we had so much fun talking and catching up!

How is your heart today? My heart is feeling good right now. This morning I had a really good personal study time. Remember my New Years resolution to read my call letter, Patriarchal blessing, and Dad:s letter to me every month? Now that its February, I read them all again this morning. I love it so much! I think it is amazing how my patriarchal blessing and Dad:s letter to me have a lot in common. My Heavenly Father and my heavenly father, both know me and love me so much. They are so good to me. This morning I cried a little, thinking about Dad. But it felt good, and was a sacred special moment for me. 

I'm sad to hear you were so sick. Are you better now? How is little Bella doing? Chels said shes been sick too. I:ve gotten a couple colds on the mission, but nothing to serious. I think my watery, stinky ear is coming back though.

Thanks for sending pictures of home and dads memory box the other week! I also want to see more pictures of you! And more pictures of Dave too. 

You said in one of your letter to let you know if I wanted more music like The Trek...YES! I would love more music. You can just send it via CD, because we have cd players here.

 

There is the little update. Not much snow here. Its been warm enough to rain lately. 

I love you I love you I LOVE YOU!!!

Love Kingu Shimai