02/23/2014 - Miracles Continue, Peace Park & Comforting Others

Hello!

This week was really busy! Okay, starting from Monday, we went to Peace Park and saw all the statues and sights from where the bomb fell. I got to see the epicenter, which was cool. After that we ate indo curry, which was so good!

We did junkais (splits) in Sasebo this week and it was really fun. I got to work with Maeda Shimai, yes a Nihonjin. I've missed dendoing with a Nihonjin, so that was way nice. She was just baptized 5 years ago and has such a strong testimony!

We had a lesson with Aiko Shimai, a recent convert. We had Tsujigo Shimai come and we talked about family history and Tsujigo Shimai helped her get started on her family history! We have a temple trip coming up in April and Aiko Shimai wants to be baptized for her mom so badly!! That will be such a neat experience for her. 

We had District Conference on Saturday and Sunday, so it was nice seeing all the missionaries in the Zone as well as Kaicho and Gustafson Shimai. Kaicho's Japanese is way good! All the missionaries sang, "High on the Mountain Top".   

So, yesterday we were housing and we stopped to talk to this lady that was digging something in her front yard. I could tell she was crying so I asked her if she was okay. She said that her pet had just died and that she didn't really want to talk. I guess it was her pet that she was burying, so sad! So we just gave her a flyer and left wanting to give her her privacy. Well, after we left I felt bad not being able to comfort her more, so we went to a nearby shop and I bought her some flowers and we took them to her. SHE WAS SO HAPPY; IT WAS SO ADORABLE! She was so grateful and we were able to talk more. It was her little hamster that had died and I tried comforting her by saying that I had had two dogs die that were awesome pets. Haha Then, we got talking about the Plan of Salvation and it was awesome! She doesn't have much interest right now, but at least she knows what our Church is all about! That was such a cool day, and I felt the Savior's love for her so much!

This week we had a really cool miracle! We were housing on Sunday before dinner and had about 10 minutes left before dinner, but we felt like we should just house one more level of this one danchi. So we go to the last door, and a young mom answered. She was holding a little baby and I just knew as soon as I started talking to her that she would become a new investigator. Well she did and we are going back on Friday to teach her about the Plan of Salvation!!!! I am so grateful that we housed that last level, even though it cut into our dinner time. I know the Lord blessed us for being diligent, even though we were hungry!!!

Still waiting for transfer calls; I think I'll stay here in Nagasaki, but who knows! I know this work is the Lord's work and I love seeing this gospel affect peoples' lives in such an amazing way. This gospel is true and I just wish everyone we talked to would accept it because it can help their lives so much! They just might not know it yet. I know this Church is true and I'm so lucky to be able to wear a nametag every day! I love missionary work! Love you all and pray for you daily! Thanks for all the support and emails!

Love you!

Klein Shimai

02/23/2015 Pics

Curry!

On Splits w/Maeda Shimai in Sasebo

Tanaka Honami Shimai from Taniyama Branch - she lives here now!  

At Peace Park - this is the epicenter of where the bomb fell in Nagasaki

People make origami cranes & hang them in one of the memorials

An ad for the Lantern Festival, which we will be going to tonight!

02/15/2015 - Ping Pong & Prayers for Shiori Chan!

Hello! This week was really great; we were super busy! On Thursday, like 4 zones in our Mission went to Fukuoka to have a huge traning from a general authority! It was Elder Whiting.   He is the 2nd counselor in the Asia North Area Presidency. He was so awesome! He reminded me of Elder Holland! He talked about petitioning to the Lord in prayers, like giving Him the `why` behind what you ask for/ give the result you hope to see. I've really been trying to do that more this week and I've really seen my prayers become more sincere and heart-felt! He also talked a lot about becoming the missionary you want to be through the power of the Atonement. We really are converting right along with our investigators! He also talked a lot about desire, and it made really really think deeply about my desires of being a missionary! Yeah, it was an amazing conference! 

One of the coolest things that happened this week was when we [randomly} housed into a former investigator! After the Whiting conference we realized that we wanted to be better at nightly planning  with the Spirit. So that night we really tried to have an effective nightly planning with the Spirit. We planned out exactly where we wanted to go the next day, and felt really good about it. So, the next day came and we went to the place we had chosen the night before. We had quite a few kekkos right when we started, but we felt like we should keep housing that danchi. Turns out the last door we housed was a former investigator from like 30 years ago! She said that she had forgotten most of the stuff the missionaries taught her and that she wants to learn again! We were able to teach her the Restoration right then and she said that she wants us to come back. We knew that the Lord led us there, starting the night before. It's amazing how the Lord really does lead His missionaries to find the elect, the people whose hearts are ready for this gospel!

Some fun things this week- we made cake with the Relief Society and our two investigators came, so it was way good for them to build kankei with the members! Also we played ping pong with the elders and all of our investigators; it was way fun! I think I've gotten a little better since I came to japan - haha!

On Tuesday, we decided to dendou around the Sawa family's house. They are an adorable young family in the Branch that recently moved here. So, first we went to their house and had Sawa Shimai pray for us to be able to see a miracle as we housed around their home. So she prayed for us, and then we went housing! We were able to teach the restoration to a Catholic grandma, give a Book of Mormon to a college girl who needed comfort in her life, and we testified to a young dad about eternal families. After we housed around there, we went back and shared our miracles with Sawa Shimai! She was so happy! She actually served in Nagasaki when she was on a mission! haha We asked her where her favorite places were to dendou! There is definitely power in member missionary work!!!

So our investigator Shiori Chan- this last week we taught her about the Atonement and she said she really feels why Jesus Christ is so important. But we kind of feel like shes not letting our message really sink deep into her heart ... like she doesn't want to change. But she keeps all of our commitments, comes to church every week and reads the Book of Mormon every day. We know that as she continues to read the Book of Mormon, she will be more and more converted! We read a chapter together and helped her see how to apply each verse to her life. She kinda thinks the Book of Mormon is like a history book. Well, its a roadmap and compass to have the happiest life you could ever live!!! Please pray for her to see why she needs this gospel in her life! Thanks!

Well that's about it for this week! This transfer is flying by so quickly! I LOVE Nagasaki; the people here are amazing! I know that this Church is true and I love being able to testify to people every single day! There really is a power when you testify about simple truths on the street. It amazes me how strongly you can feel the Spirit after talking to a person for just 3 minutes about prayer. This is the true gospel of Jesus Chrsit! I love you all and pray for you!

Love you!

Klein Shimai

02/15/2015 Pics

Got to see shimai from my MTC District at Fukuoka Conference with Elder Whiting!

Me & Shiori chan, one of our investigators

Made cake with Relief Society & two of our investigators came - yay!

Shiori chan & her sister gave me a Valentine

02/08/2015 - To Kurume on Junkai (splits) / World's Largest Tire / American Banana Cream Pie!

Hello!

This week flew by and we got to go to Kurume to go on splits (junkai) with Stevenson Shimai and Taufaga Shimai, who is from Fiji and has the puffiest/coolest hair in the world! We took a 2 hour train ride there and then got to work with them for a full day to see how they dendo. I am way glad we went when we did, because they both said they really needed the junkai. We were supposed to be the ones training them but we learned so much from them! Hopefully, we were able to help them in some way!

This week I've really been trying to focus more on the Restoration of the Gospel on the street. It's hard sometimes when you think you should just talk about God first instead, because these people have no idea who God is. So I've been praying lately for God to give me more opportunites to testify about the Restoration when we contact people on the street. Well God answered my prayer, and led us to a Buddhist lady who wondered why there were so many Christian churches. We were able to testify straight away about the Restoration and the Spirit was so strong! I'm so grateful God answered my prayer and led us to that lady!

The Roberts (a senior missionary couple) did cleaning checks at out apartment, and since they can go on the military base anytime they want, they brought us a Marie Callendar's banana cream pie and it was SOOOO delicious!!! Throwback to America!

Our mission has been focusing so much on baptism lately, and it is awesome. Last year, our monthly goal as a mission for baptisms was 20 a month, but in 2015 it went up to 30 baptisms a month!!! I know Kaicho is inspired and that he knows we can do it as we focus more on baptizing. We pray to be able to baptize in every single prayer that we say!!

Yesterday was SO cold, the coldest on my mission yet. I had about a million layers on, and still couldn't feel my fingers or feet. I just kept thinking about the pioneers and kept going - haha. Today, we bought foot warmers, so maybe they will help! It also has snowed the past couple of days! When we were housing yesterday, we had to run away from this really scary drunk guy, so that was quite the adventure.  At least we got warm from running - haha. 

2 of our new investigators from last week didn't show, but we were able to visit a potential investigator and have a really good lesson with her!  The problem is that she is so busy with school and work that making a next appointment was way hard for her...

We visited Kristy again; the less-active member that we have been working with. We shared a scripture and then she shared hers, which was so good because honestly, I don't think she has read the scriptures in years! She said when she read the scripture she thought about all the good times she had in Seminary growing up. Yes! Got her thinking about the good times she had when she felt the Spirit and was active!

Sorry this e-mail was all over the place! It was a great week!  We have Elder Whiting coming to tour our mission this Thursday, so we get to go to Fukuoka to get a training from him. He is from the Area Presidency, and both he and his wife served missions in Japan. I'm way excited!

I know this Church is true and I know that the Lord is watching over our mission. I know our Mission President was called of God and that he receives revelation for our mission. I love Kaicho! Nagasaki is an amazing place, and I'm so lucky to be here finding the Lord's elect. The Church is true!!!  I love and miss you all!!!

Klein Shimai

02/08/2015 Pics

Kurume has the world's largest tire - haha!

Chapman Shimai & me on the train ride to Kurume

Stevenson Shimai & me on junkai (splits)

From left:  Taufaga Shimai, Chapman, Shimai, Stevenson Shimai & me!

Letter & card from Mom

I made these origami dresses for all the Shimai in our Zone

Transfer 5, Week 2 - Witnessing the Lord's work in Nagasaki

Konnichiwa!

I can't believe I'm already e-mailing again! This week flew by; the time on your mission is crazy.  Well, this week we really focused on finding with the Spirit.  We pray all the time at decision points, and it helped us find 5 new investigators this week! If we are housing and just aren't seeing the success we want, we pray and ask the Lord if we should keep housing in that area or go somewhere else. Also, planning specific places to go helps so much! This really helps us feel like we aren't wasting any of the Lord's time because we counsel with Him throughout the day! So one of the new investigators, Youko san, has so much interest about the Book of Mormon, it's awesome!  We met her on the street and she was actually reading a book as she was walking, so we felt like we should give her a Book of Mormon. Well, she accepted it and was way exciting to set up another appointment! 

We also found two college girls who have lots of questions about the purpose of life. We are meeting with them on Tuesday, so hopefully they'll show up! There are two big colleges here in Nagasaki so there are lots of college students; it's so great! I also see a foreigner like every other day, which is so crazy! In Taniyama, I saw a gaijin maybe once a month!!! 

When we were streeting on Wednesday, we had the coolest totsuzen with this girl. As soon as we stopped her, I just felt like we needed to talk about baptism. She looked like she needed to feel God's love in her life. We went on to ask her if she had made any mistakes in her life that she wished she could get rid of. Her eyes immediately starting tearing up and she almost started crying. As we testified to her that through baptism her mistakes can be washed away and that she can have a second chance in life, the Spirit was so strong! I felt SO much love for her and I know that I was feeling a little piece of the infinite love Heavenly Father has for her. She couldn't make an appointment then on the street, but we got her phone number and will definitley be calling her!

So our investigator Shiori chan is 23 and is so cute!! She reads the Book of Mormon every day and has received an answer for herself that she needs to keep meeting with the missionaries and keep coming to church and reading her Book of Mormon. So she does all of those things, but she doesn't want to enter the church at all. We really want to help her see that setting a baptismal date can be a goal for her to work towards. She came to the elders' investigators' baptism on Saturday and said she felt really good. So I don't know why she still doesn't want to get baptized! But we were able to testify to her of the blessings of baptism. She is the type of person that has to do things on her own; she doesn't like feeling forced to do things, which is good. This needs to be HER decision. Our job is to teach and testify.  But I know that as her heart continues to soften, she will want to receive baptism!!! 

We met with Renee san, a new investigator from last week. She is 33 and from New Zealand. She is a way strong baptist, and loves the Bible.  IT WAS SO WEIRD TEACHING IN ENGLISH. But she asked lots of questions about the Restoration, the Book of Mormon and Joseph Smith. She took some of the lessons from missionaries 5 years ago. She didn't really want to accept anything we said. She feels like everything she needs is in the Bible; we testified to her that we use the Book of Mormon as a 2nd witness to Christ, as well as the Bible. She also doesn't want to pray about the Book of Mormon. So, that,  lesson was sort of rough - haha. But, she was a neat lady.

We visited Maiguma Shimai this week, a member in the Branch (congregation). She is the cutest grandma ever!!! She is also hilarious and has quite the personality. Before we took a picture with her, she insisted on looking in the mirror first - haha. She also hugs you for like 5 minutes straight when you leave, and forces you to put your ear next to her hearing aid so you can hear the super weird echo. Haha - she is hilarious and I love her so much!!!

Well that's all I have time for this week! Chapman Shimai and I have been so blessed lately to see the Lord's work here in Nagasaki. I know that you cannot do missionary work wrong when you rely on Him! I know that He answers our prayers! I love this gospel! Love you all!

Klein Shimai

02/01/2015 Pics

with Maiguma Shimai - the cutest grandma ever!

with Chapman Shimai in our capas - what we wear when we dendo & ride our bikes in the rain

Nagasaki sunrise - beautiful!

The Elders with their brand-new member, Matsukuma san - he's awesome!

I'm wearing a skirt under my pants & I have about 5 layers on my top half...

Staying warm in gorgeous Nagasaki,   Love this place!