DECEMBER 25, 2016 - LIGHT THE WORLD!!!

Well where do I start?!  FIRST OFF, HAPPY MERRY CHRISTMAS! Seriously this has been on of the best Christmas ever! Let's start with the beginning as usual because were else would we start? 

The week started off with a MultiZONE Pday. All the missionaries off the Island of Shikoku came up and we all got to play some basketball and just chill like normal human beings, but SEGREGATION IS STILL A THING!   One stupid Elder (he's not really stupid but his comments were) said "Let's just play elders with elders and sisters with sisters." -_-.......all of us sisters were bummed...mainly because we're no fun.....yes girl basketball is still really girly even if you want to play hard core, at least in my case.  I can steal the ball pretty well but because of the lack of ARM span shooting is difficult....But over all it was still fun :) 

Later on that night we were able to go to the train station and sing carols. Yamamoto Choro played his violin and it was awesome!  We all met in Okayama and then stayed the night in the sister's apartment.   I serenaded everyone with my ukulele playing. 

The next day, Tuesday, if you forgot that Tuesday comes after Monday, we had more sports and then set up for the Christmas Conference.  It started with the talent show, which included the Beefiest Elders Arm Wrestling, that included my district leader Wheeler Choro...he is such a weirdo...and then battle of wits were some elders tried to solve a Rubik's cube as fast as they could.  Then we got to see four elders put them selves through some intense mental, physical and emotional pain....they ate wasabi. The challenge was to eat a whole tube or really who could last the longest. Inaba Choro finished the whole tube and just dropped it on the floor like a boss... but all of them were coughing and it was painful to watch.  

Later I got to sing the song I wrote. It was awesome. The spirit was so thick you could cut it with a butter knife.  After I finished, the whole room stood, clapping and I felt this seriously overwhelming feeling of love from them and from My Heavenly Father. I sang about the tree of life.  It was essentially my testimony and it was awesome! From then on the rest of the conference was really spirit filled. We ended up staying again the night because we missed the bus back so we left in the morning, finally getting back, hitting the streets. 

Thursday it was 70 degrees...wooo...and then it rained and we got soaked all the way through. 

Friday we went to Tottori for District meeting and it was cool.  It was about enduring to the end, mainly directed towards me because this is now my last transfer.....WOAH, there is that bomb shell....12th TRANSFER! yesh.....that's scary.   Anyway moving on. Friday night we had our Christmas part and we had fun together. A ton of nonmembers came and that was cool.  There was so much food!!  My absolute favorite part was when Swasey Kyodai came up to me as said, "I need you to guard the door while I go find Santa."  "Aye Aye, Captain," I say saluting him.  Next thing you know there HE IS! SANTA SAN!  It was awesome!  He handed everyone gifts and then we got new neck warmer scarf things....so soft!!! 

Saturday was so busy!!  We went all over the place.  We visited less actives and investigators and managed to find someone. We were biking towards an area to try to visit a few potentials when I looked over to the side and saw this apartment and was like I should knock on that door.  We walked up to the first apartment door and a girl answered the door.  We told her that we have a message about Jesus Christ and that through him we can feel happy and return to live with God again.  We asked her if she wanted to learn more and feel more happy.  She nodded her head yes vigorously and told us, "Yes, I do!" Oh my goodness, when she said yes the spirit hit us so hard! I could only think of the words to a song I had been singing all week...

"You step into your genkan, after a day of doors slammed in your face

You turn to your companion, and say it was a really good day

Your companion thinks you're crazy, but you swear you saw the hand of the Lord

When someone came up to you, and said, "I want to know more."

Oh, how does it feel to see the one you've come to love dressed in white?

Now you remember what was said,

You are called to serve, go give it all you have

And leave all other personal affairs behind.

You are called to preach, and teach and search and love

The people of Kobe Japan (you know you said it) 

You're walking with the Lord, and raising the light

So open up your mouth, and give your heart to God,

'Cuz after all, you are called to serve!"

Background. I sang this song as well at the Christmas Conference.  I wrote a song, shared it with another Elder and he wrote this taking from my song.  It's about the Japan Kobe mission.  I really felt these words ring true!  

SUNDAY IS A SPECIAL DAY IT'S THE DAY WE WORSHIP JESUS' BIRTHDAY! 

Woah, this was a really good Christmas!  Sacrament meeting was awesome!  Amazing testimonies and love from the members.  They are seriously my family! I love all of them so much!!  I handed out candy canes that my mom sent and they loved them! After church I got to skype my WONDERFUL family and it was full of laughter and tears.  Later we went over to Brother Swasey's and cooked Christmas dinner.  There was so much food! So much butter, three pies, and actual turkey! oh goodness....

Man it was such a wonderful week! I love you all! I love Jesus Christ! I love that we get to celebrate his birth!! 

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Oswald Shimai

DECEMBER 18, 2016 - BONZAI!

Dear Friends,

Hello, once again I am on a bus to Okayama for our Multi-Zone Pday and our Christmas Tai Kai tomorrow. Yippee!  That's exciting!  It's really cold. Like really, really cold.  I have so many heat warmers stuck to my legs, that I might get cancer later.  I have a nice coat though that keeps wind out and actually gets a little hot sometimes. I have given in and started using my snow boots.  It hasn't snowed but my feet were getting too cold at night.  But enough about the weather, except for the wonderful sunny day that it is and that it snowed for two seconds on Friday! Woah!

Last Monday we lost our phone...chotto yabai...and then we go it back! Yay! It was in a member's car.  It fell out of my hand some how and I didn't notice...awkward. 

Tuesday is just service day.  Every Tuesday as you know we go and visit old people and play cards. Same four old ladies every time. One is so funny.  She cracks jokes about being old and being slow.  We also shouted bonzai! when we lost really hard core.  I love them so much!  Then of course we have eikaiwa which is also the best.

Man it was cold Wednesday.  Like really cold.  We visited a less active named brother Okudaira.  He was home because it was raining that day so we got to see him.  We talked about Christmas and Jesus Christ. He was so touched by us coming all this way.  He thanked us for coming.  We were able to testify of our love for Christ and the Spirit filled his genkan.

I love Jesus Christ, and that I get to share that love with others. Then later we had an interesting lesson with our investigator Aritomi San....it was obvious that he was under the influence of a certain drink the Word of Wisdom prohibits....he was drunk. We were actually planning on teaching Word of Wisdom in that lesson.  He had misconceptions about baptism and the spirit, and wouldn't stop his habits....sigh. It was a tough lesson.  We told him if we are going to meet with him again he can't be drunk.  No one can feel the spirit that way....sigh...but on the bright side of all of this we had a awesome doseki (member present)! And she helped us out a ton!

Thursday we finally fixed my companions hair and the lady who did it was Christian! Say what?! That was cool and unexpected. And then we were able to teach so many people-yay!  

Friday we had district meeting....our sad district....it's so small. But we're doing a skit in the talent show tomorrow so that will be fun! It snowed and it was more like hake than anything and it didn't stick... :( Later that night we got to go to another old persons home and sing Christmas carols to them!  With our ward!  It was so fun! When we sang our last song, Silent Night, the Spirit hit me, testifying to me of the Savior.  It was a great experience, also there was this old grandmother who was like 125 years old and still looked 75... No joke. And another kept cat calling our branch president ...so funny!


Saturday we had another awesome lesson with Kiyoshi San, he's in Alma now in the Book of Mormon! Our doseki, was so surprised and was awesome at explaining the law of Moses which he had questions about along with, "What is baptism?" It was a great lesson! Then on Sunday that member announced to the whole ward how awesome this investigator was and that we need more dosekis for him!

Later on Saturday we visited with Omae Kyodai as usual. We sat down on the pillows he had set out and in front of the space heater that was ready! My companion told him a joke about a cockroach.   Now he calls her, "my cockroach daughter..." He also freaked out that she doesn't like tofu...it was funny and he told her that she won't become Japanese with out eating tofu. He's so funny :) That night we taught about prayer by watching a talk by President Eyring.  Afterwards we committed him to pray more specifically for his family.  Then at the end of the lesson he prayed and again another beautiful, wonderful prayer that just brought the spirit.  His prayer was sincere and so loving.  He prayed for his family and for his friend, his grandparents, and then he prayed for us and how much he loves the missionaries, and asked for our safety, and thanked that we could teach him about prayer.  It was amazing! I love him so much!  He means so much to me!

Sunday we had another opportunity to go caroling but this time our whole ward went, which isn't huge but pretty decent sized. We went and sang at an orphanage. Oh my heart hurt for a split moment, when I saw little boys and older kids, girls and boys, and how they just live here. They have no family...the babies were hard to see. There was this one little boy- he and I got along.  He had the sweetest smile and he just laughed! After we sang we played a gesture game and he tugged my skirt and I came and bent down to where he was and he did the gestures to me. My heart melted! I wanted to take him home with me! But it made me realize two things: one that I'm so grateful for the family I have and how much I love them and that Heavenly Father gave
them to me! Two, was how grateful for the knowledge that Heavenly Father loves these children! He loves them so much and you could see it all in the members faces when we got the chance to play games with them.

Later that night we went housing and man it was like everyone rejected us....it was the only time I felt like Joseph and Mary.  I was bringing to them Jesus Christ and they would say, there is no room.  All last night I sang Joy to the World, the Lord is come, let earth receive her king, let every heart prepare him room and heaven and angels sing! Glory to the new born King!  Ahhhh I love it!  It was still hard to be rejected but it taught me how important my message really is!

I love you all and MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!!

Love, Oswald Shimai

DECEMBER 11, 2016 - WELL, THIS WEEK WAS FILLED WITH MIRACLES!

The brisk air hits our faces with an icy tinge.
The rain seems to be as endless as the eternal life I be preaching.
I swear I look like a Umpa Loompa with my get up but its all worth it! 

As the title states this week was filled with miracles! 

So many times we saw the hand of the Lord and man there is definitely not enough time to write them all in this email. 

This last Monday we had great FHE (Family Home Evening) with our Branch president and a few other sisters in the ward. All of them are under 26 years old. Our branch is so young and also very old...we do have a few dinos but their just as spry and genki as our 9 year old, Kouta. Anyway! NONE OF THEM ARE MARRIED!!! UGH! It is frustrating....for us and obviously them. Anyway, at Keishi Kaichos apartment we listened to some jazzed up primary songs and met his girl friend....which is really his pet rat....sigh....hey at least they are all return missionaries! The miracle of Monday was that I didn't completely destroy my companions hair! Why is this a miracle?! Well....let's just say that I have no plans of becoming a hair dresser, and I don't do bleach.....I'll send pictures, I promise it looks good now. 

Tuesday we played cards with my favorite people at the old folks home and of course...it rained and we went out to go find some possible investigators that other missionaries before us had housed.  Anyway, so we were going and it was getting kinda late and we were about to head back.  We passed by our investigators house and the thought comes to me...stop and say hello...and I was like...but....fooooood.. I want to go home and get out of this rain....but I know better than to argue with the messenger of God...aka the spirit....man he's like that friend that says, "Foo! what are you doing eating that jelly filled doughnut! you know if you eat that you'll feel bad later...." Well I turned around, and we rang the door bell. nothing. wasn't home.....well I'm not mad it's what-eves...I listened to the spirit and I feel better for doing so.  I pulled a paper out to write a note when all of the sudden after like 10 minutes she opens the door! WHAT! SO COOL! And kinda scary, we scared each other ...like woah.. anyway, we were able to finally meet her and teach a great lesson about Christ and Christmas! Also she gave us hot cocoa and cake, and tasty fruit things. So good!  God is good.  Later that night we finally had Eikaiwa for the first time in a few weeks. When Omae kyodai came in he was so happy to see us! I seriously love him so much..he is such a punk. 

Wednesday our miracle was meeting Nishimura San. When we showed up at her house she was outside and was about to leave but she listened to us teach and testify of the 'good book' aka the Book of Mormon. We shared with her our favorite verses and she loved it! She said she would read it and asked us to come back! AHH! YUSSS! She is so cute...I think if Christine, my cousin, were older this old woman is what she would look like. She had crystal necklaces, really steky (nice) clothes and she was soo cool! She is our new investigator now :)

Thursday's miracle was way cool! So we were down in Misasa visiting a less active and we were actually able to meet her and she was so sweet but after we visited her we get this phone call. I answered in Japanese and I get a, "Hello? this is Ayaka, I'm in front of the Church right now, can you come meet me?" "Uhhh ya..but were a little far away right now can you wait for 15 minutes?" "okay!" *closes the phone and looks at companion* "okay so we need to make it back to the church in 15 minutes or less..." 

"but its a 25 min bike ride..."

"but someone called us and actually wants to meet!" 

We took off and might  I add that we made it in 15 minutes on the dot. yosh! When we got there we met Ayaka. She was a previous investigator but couldn't meet because she was busy and she was telling us about how " I'm a child of God" is her favorite song and how she stopped smoking and drinking and hanging out with her bad friends. She said that when she was sick she prayed and God told her to come to church and to call us...say what? She has had all the lessons, all she lacks is baptism!!! Oh my lanta! she is so sassy! She also sings with as much soul as Aretha Franklin. She is so cool! I love her already and the amount of faith she has! 

Friday we went to Yonago for Zone Training Meeting and we made a human pyramid and I didn't die! YES FAITH!! Anyway...we used it for a an example of how the younger missionaries will lean on the foundation of the older missionaries. I was on the bottom row...sad...but also not too sad :)  Miracle of that day was that a member gave us a discount at his Ramen shop and it was delicious. Ohhh i love ramen.....YUMMMMM

Saturday's miracle was first that Kiyoshi san (another recent investigator) read all the way through Jacob!!! AHHH SO AWESOME! He thinks Nephi is cool and that Laman is an idiot and that Sam is also a good brother...ya.. that was awesome. THEN later that night we visited and found a new investigator, Tokuoka san! who LOVES JESUS! SHE LOVES HIM! She told us as soon as we opened the door that she reads the Bible and we invited her to the Christmas party and she was so excited! Gosh I love her enthusiasm when we showed her the video for Christmas she was like, Oh look at Jesus, he's cute, he also is doing miracles! She's like 70 plus...then later that night we visited Omae kyodai and he bought us chocolate (he knows that dark is my favorite :) and i actually happened to do the same ( i bought him chocolate). We shared the Christmas video with him as well.  

Sunday, we had a mochi party at a members house which in actuality is just mini America. Swasey Kyodai's house is huge and pretty much the whole branch came over to each mashed up rice cakes. So fun! SUCH AN AMAZING WEEK! Wouldn't you say so?

Do you know why this week was amazing?! Recently there was something said in Zone conference a few weeks back by our mission president, "If i asked you to work your absolute hardest just so Wakayama can see a baptism would you do it?" and I said to myself well of course I would! While we were out and about this last week I thought to myself, who is working so hard so that I can see these miracles? because as hard as I am working...it isn't just me or my companion....then it hit me that the faith of the people I love most are helping me. Often we hear of stories of the faith of the missionary blesses the lives of the family and although this is true it also works the other way around. Of course this isn't the whole reason for when and why miracles happen when they do, but I believe the faith of my parents have helped me find the people and serve them the way I have been given the opportunity to. My parents, Grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins. teachers, leaders.  All of them have helped me to see miracles hourly!   I love you all!  Thank you! 

Love

Oswald Shimai 

"Blessed art thou, Nephi, because of thy faith, for thou hast sought me diligently.."

1 Nephi 2:19

DECEMBER 5, 2016 - I TOOK MY TEMPERATURE AND I AM DEFINITELY COOLER THAN MY COMPANION

This is Kokun that I wrote about last week. 

Wow to even describe this week...we did everything and also nothing all at the same time!

 As you know Monday we had a zone Pday. We played soccer and basketball and it was so nice to act like normal group of young adults together, but seriously everyone was so tired afterwards, also sore, very, very sore. We ride bikes all day but we don't move the way we normally would for a sport. The whole zone was hurting-haha. 

That night we stayed at the STLs apartment and had zone conference the next day with Welch Kaicho and the assistants. We received training from them and a new Book of Mormon challenge. We have been asked to search for faith and repentance in our book of Mormons.  I just barely started but man the whole Book of Mormon is all about that too!  I'm so excited to learn moe!  We also had a mogi!  Also known as a role play lesson. The APs asked the two members to come demonstrate and one of them act as a member and the other investigator and the APs taught them about coming to church.  It was really good mogi, just sitting there watching them teach about church and its importance but that wasn't the coolest part.  Elder Griffiths extended the commitment to come to church this next Sunday and normally mogi's go down like, "Well of course, I'll come and I'll just get baptized while I'm at it," but no she instead said, "No, I'm okay," we all were like wait what? That actually was a really good lesson, used some good scriptures, examples, a doseki (member present) and you said no?  Believe it or not this is sometimes how it works out but that's when they asked her,"What would be preventing you from coming to church?"  She gave her reasons and that's when our doseki stepped in.  She began to testify of God and Jesus Christ, the importance of church, how she cared for her friend and wants her to feel the same peace that she has. That testimony was so powerful the whole room shouted for joy when the faux investigator, said yes!   All clapped their hands and were like man that was good.  It was good because that member was like a missionary and had near the same spirit too.  And it was a really good mogi, kinda silly when you hear a bunch of young men and woman getting happy over that but the spirit was there.  

The most striking part about this story is when I turned to the sister next to me, Miller Shimai had tears in her eyes, "She is not a member," she said quietly and a smile on her face, "Her parents are against the church so she can't get baptized but she wants to serve a mission!" As soon as the words left her mouth tears on my own face fell, this girl was completely converted and desires more than anything to be obedient to her Father in heaven.  She is wonderful and amazing!  Someday when she is able to
be baptized, the Angels of heaven will sing!  I will sing!  Ahh so good! I gave her the biggest hug later and told her, "Someday!"

At the end of the day we took the train with a bunch of other missionaries and then realized that our train wasn't going to make it in time to go buy our tickets to the bus, the last and only bus to our area.  I turned to Laxton Shimai and said, "You need to run like a bomb is about to go off and your about to save the world in four minutes, got it?" As soon as the train doors open I was out! There were people everywhere and I got ahead. I looked behind me and saw Laxton Shimai trailing behind. I ran as fast as I could, put my ticket through the gate and just booked it.  Everyone was staring! It felt like a movie and a few people even cheered us on!  Finally got to the booth for the bus tickets and I said something and the lady somehow understood me and I payed for both Laxton Shimai and I.  By the time I was done Laxton Shimai showed up and I was pounding on the bus door. We made it on the dot. It was crazy!

Wednesday I got sick.  Giant head cold.  And I was out for the count. For like two days.  It was miserable.  I slept for most of those two days except when we woke up and had a lesson with a new investigator and signed him up for a baptismal date which he accepted and then the next day another guy asked us for the Book of Mormon.  So that was cool. 

Then Friday off again to Okayama, another five hours on a bus (that's over all two bus rides, there and back) for a companion exchange.  I switched with Miller Shimai, she is a fire cracker! I love her!  We did some awesome dendo and visited an investigator of theirs that is an x sumo wrestler but seriously is the kindest man alive! He is a giant (quite literally) teddy bear that is very, very interested in the gospel.

Before we ended the kokan I got to meet my trainer (and first companion in the field)!!!!  UCHIDA SHIMAI! She has long since gone home, and finished her mission, but she came back to visit Okayama and I got to see her!  We had such a happy, tender reunion!  She told me I got better in Japanese and I actually can talk to her now!!! Oh my lanta such a happy day!  But the sad thing is now my comp is sick. Nooooo! The struggles continue.  But that doesn't mean we didn't have a bad week! We learned more about the atonement and faith and repentance and man it is amazing!  I love you all!

My Trainer and 1st Companion in Japan, Uchida Shimai

Romans 13:11-14

11 And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out
of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.

12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast
off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.

13 Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and
drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and
envying.

14 But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the
flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.

This is by far my new favorite scripture about repentance!

Love Oswald Shimai

NOVEMBER 27, 2016 - HERRO

Gooooooood moooorning Vietnam!

No, I didn't switch countries over night I just really wanted to say that because it's so flippin' early!  Right now at this very moment, I sit waiting for a 6:40 a.m. bus. Why? 
A.) we live out in the boonies and getting any where takes two hour buses
B.) we have what's called Zone conference tomorrow so we are taking pday with the rest of the zone in Okayama:) yay people! (We don't seem them, missionaries,often).

Happy Thanksgiving!!!!!!  To celebrate we went out and ate Indian food!  Yes, curry and nan, in Japan, celebrating an America holiday! I can say that dad's turkey looked super good and all the members think dad is cute, or really cool looking! Like Ko kun, 9yr old in our ward, last night was looking through my photos and was like, "eeeeeeeeeeeeehhhhh! [this mustached figure is] cool!" As translated. Right on dad. They also think Hachi 's name is funny because it could mean the number 8 or honey.

Well Monday was relaxed. That was good.  In the middle of pday though, we were chillin' at the church and Swasey Kyodai comes in and scares the crap out of us (actually probably just me).  He came to pick up Blu's bike and decided to come give us some home made cookies in the process. They were so good! Swasey Shimai doesn't bake, probably because of the lack of oven usage in Japan, but Kyodai on the other hand loves it and shares with us his treasures.

We had a great week! Taught lots of people. 

Tuesday was another eikaiwa miracle! So many people came! So happy!
Omae Kyodai is way silly and he likes to crack jokes about boyfriends, awkward situations, his wife. We were talking about work words and the word boss came up and he points to me and says, "you're my boss," I told him no and then, feeling pretty snarky, asked, "Wait, your wife isn't your boss?"  He looked at me and got this "Oh I've been caught" face with the cheesiest grin on his face.  The whole class is laughing and I'm feeling pretty accomplished, mainly because I made a funny :).  He shakes his figure at me and says, your good, you got me!  He is constantly afraid that I am going to get him by not hitting his high five.

Wednesday we did soft volleyball with an investigator, but to be honest, I didn't really want to go. Why you may ask?  Well Oshita San is a interesting person, ちょっと気持ち悪だけど…we went because he has been begging us to come but he doesn't really want to learn about the gospel but this was our last shot with him! So we went with another investigator Asami. When we got there everyone else who was playing seemed....have you ever seen the movie dodgeball? Well a few players were a little
intense like that. This wasn't just your friendly game of beach volley. Well we start playing and everyone is already pros, and they're all like 75+.  We're like okay, let's at least try to make this fun.  So if any of you have seen Avatar, Oshita San plays volley ball like Azula.  He would cut you off...but at the same time worse than Azula, because she actually worked with her team....I was so frustrated, and then he told us that we were bad at playing, but that's only because he stole every shot....sigh. It was over all awkward. And cold.

**Visited a less active ended up taking a billion pictures of the sun.  We then went to institute and talked about eternal marriage. That was pretty exciting.  Friday was cookie brigade...realizing that I didn't actually know what brigade meant and then we looked it up. #When words have a vibe but I can't recall the meaning.  Anyway, found lots of peeps that way.  We met a guy who paints, he asked what we'd like to see him paint, we said God and then we went inside.  Later, we came back out and he showed us his paintings of Eve....or a really old Shikira album, because he painted what he saw, there was Shikira and vol. 2 paintedon it. At least he recognized that it was Eve....sorta.  Also when you think you're talking to a 22-23 year old and he's a
first year in high school.  I can't tell what age anyone is anymore! z😩😯

Saturday was awesome! As we were housing we got this call from...Kurayoshi Elders?  Well....they don't exist so that was confusing. It was actually a call from Amagasaki Sisters, telling us of this investigator who wants to meet and had met with Elders before.  After some texting, we were able to get his number and called him.  I
talked to him about the plan of salvation, Christmas, Easter, when the church started and arranged what time we could meet.  Aritomi San, came!  Woah...what? That was so crazy! Just hoping that he is actually good and not....in the nicest and most legal terms possible....weird.

Church! You know your a missionary when you get excited about church! Actually lies, you know your a follower of Jesus Christ when your excited to go to church!
I Love Swasey Kyodai!  I feel like I'm learning from an old master, with the way he teaches.  He use to be a stake president for like 8 years in Japan.  Throughout DCS, and the rest of church he gives us clues to how the atonement, and the universe works...my mind is constantly blown.

Later that night we had a dinner/birthday party for Kouta! I love him! He is seriously the sweetest and funniest kid! We played Uno and I explained Uno's true meaning....they were all surprised to find out that uno is one, and that is was Spanish. I love them so much. So they had a friend who isn't a member but came and he started asking questions about who we were.  We talked about how we are chosen to come to different places and Kokun totally started teaching about prophets! He is 9!!! He was like well, God chooses for us!  It was awesome!!!!

Today we are going to have a zone pday so that's exciting!  But also not much time to type...I love you all! Also I love Christmas!  It's been here for like three weeks now I can share the Christmas videos to people and I'm so excited!


Love, Oswald Shimai

NOVEMBER 20, 2016 - MY EYES ARE SO BIG AND TANGLES EXIST!!!

So,  I made a discovery yesterday when I was putting my contacts in.  I went the whole week with just using my glasses to spice things up a bit and then Sunday, I popped in my eyeballs and I looked in the mirror and and discovered my eyes are huge!!  Why didn't anyone tell me!?!  It's probably because I forget I'm a foreigner and I think I look like everyone else..but alas, I don't have small eyes.  As to the tangle comment in the title, longer hair=tangles....so sad. 

Well, this was the last few days with my beloved Blu.  We had so much food!  Members fed us every chance they got.  We went and saw some fancy autumn leaves (Oh my, it's almost Christmas!). Brother Swasey took us out there and it was like taking a drive with your dad.  He really is like a dad.  He made puns about the things we saw and jokes about bowel movements....it might not sound fantastic but we were laughing pretty hard on the way home.  He even bought us ice cream! Yum!

Food schedule last week was:
Monday-Ice cream with Swasey, dinner and Tim-tam-slam with the Maeda family.

Tuesday- sushi and shabushabu with Matsumoto couple and Chinese with Asami,                                                                       Wednesday-lunch at Tomato and Onion (a restaurant) with Kameya Shimai, and thenndinner with Swaseys. Oh my I'm so stuffed! 

Tuesday our eikaiwa class was huge!  I'm not entirely sure why but Sister Ito brought her four daughters who brought boys with them and then a new student and Omae Kyodai and Asami.  It was wonderful!  Then Ito Shimai surprised us and brought out banana brownies! Oh, those were delicious!!! 

Wednesday night we were given a ride by Brother and Sister Swasey to Yonago (we had to stay the night there for transfers) and when we got to the Yonago Shimai apartment they weren't home yet so Swasey Kyodai was like, well, I'm hungry are you? So he took us out.  It felt kinda like a little family.  He and I made fun of Blu Shimai and we were just dying of laughter. 

Thursday morning, I walked my dear sister to the bus stop. I was still in my pjs, green shorts colorful socks, plaid blue shirt...I was a sight.   As she stepped on the bus, she shouted, "Mohana you ugly, I love you!" I died!  I was laughing so hard! Right as the bus door shut I held my invisible gun and shot and she pretended to fall and every old lady on the bus was so confused! Man we had some fun!

Later that day I waited at the station for my new companion, Sister Laxton! She is so cute!  Very different from my last companion but just as amazing! She is from North Carolina and this is her fourth transfer!  I'm pretty sure that she thinks I'm a giant weirdo.  Like, she is so sweet and I am so strange.  I'm definitely the brownie with nuts in this relationship.  But we have seen already so many miracles! Like a Pi (potential investigator) that we haven't been able to meet suddenly was home and we gave her a Book of Mormon! Her name is Gloria pray for her! 

Then we had a weird encounter with a bald guy who had tape all over his house and tape all over his motorcycle and his boots...and he was talking to us about children and babies....I was so confused. 

We also met a woman out side of her house and we started talking about the Restoration which she though was nice but obviously not too interested, but we started just chatting and turns out her mother past way a month prior and so we talked about how through Jesus Christ we can over come death.  We testified that God is our Father in Heaven and he gave us Jesus Christ. That seemed to hit her a little more and you could see the spirit start to tinker at her.  She couldn't talk longer but it was way cool to meet her. 

Sunday was good.  I love the members so much!  Also Hayase got to bless the sacrament this week!! Ahh!  He's our recent convert, and he said the prayer so pretty and clean and you could tell that he practiced!  And then!  Franco was given the Aaronic priesthood!  It was so awesome!  Yay!!!!  Now he can pass the sacrament!  As usual,  before church we met with our Ward Mission Leader, Brother Swasey.  He loves the gospel so much!  He likes to tell us (more like teach us) things about it all.  What we learned this last week was really cool so I'm going to share.   (If you don't know the story, pull out your Book of Mormon and go to page 490).

Jared. Or really the Brother of Jared. Cool guy right? Well what happened?

16 And the Lord said: Go to work and build, after the manner of barges which ye have hitherto built. And it came to pass that the brother of Jared did go to work, and also his brethren, and built barges after the manner which they had built, according to the instructions of the Lord. And they were small, and they were light upon the water, even like unto the lightness of a fowl upon the water.

He built those barges according to God's instructions, and he was obedient and built them exactly the way they needed to be built.  God gave him instructions, but when they were finished, the Brother of Jared told the Lord that he had done all that he had said but there was still no light and where would they get air?  If it was the Lord's instructions, then why were there still problems? Couldn't the Lord just tell them how to do it all?  And the brother of Jared must have known that there were mistakes in the blue prints but what did he do? He built it anyway! He was obedient and even though he saw the problems he never tried to fix what he thought needed to be fixed, he continued to be obedient.

Well the Lord answered one of his questions:

20 Behold, thou shalt make a hole in the top, and also in the bottom; and when thou shalt suffer for air thou shalt unstop the hole and receive air. And if it be so that the water come in upon thee, behold, ye shall stop the hole, that ye may not perish in the flood.

So now they have air! Wo! (See picture below.) but now what? 

22 And he cried again unto the Lord saying: O Lord, behold I have done even as thou hast commanded me; and I have prepared the vessels for my people, and behold there is no light in them. Behold, O Lord, wilt thou suffer that we shall cross this great water in darkness?

23 And the Lord said unto the brother of Jared: What will ye that I should do that ye may have light in your vessels? For behold, ye cannot have windows, for they will be dashed in pieces; neither shall ye take fire with you, for ye shall not go by the light of fire. 

24 For behold, ye shall be as a whale in the midst of the sea; for the mountain waves shall dash upon you. Nevertheless, I will bring you up again out of the depths of the sea; for the winds have gone forth out of my mouth, and also the rains and the floods have I sent forth.

25 And behold, I prepare you against these things; for ye cannot cross this great deep save I prepare you against the waves of the sea, and the winds which have gone forth, and the floods which shall come. Therefore what will ye that I should prepare for you that ye may have light when ye are swallowed up in the depths of the sea? 

So why does the Lord give him the answer to one problem but not the other? Well let's first ask another question: what does air symbolize? It is a symbol of Life. 

We, children of God, are entitled to life. This is something that God gives to us freely, we need not do anything to earn it, the right to live is divinely ours.

In verses 24 and 25, the Lord speaks of the ocean and the storms and the floods which will come. 'I will send them but what will you do if you have no light?' Therefore what will ye that I should prepare for you that ye may have light when ye are swallowed up in the depths of the sea?  In our lives how many storms do we under go? How many times do we go under and are swallowed up in the depths of the sea? 

So what does the Brother of Jared do? He goes and finds some stones and brings them to the Lord. But not just any old rocks. Ether 3.1    (He) did molten out of a rock sixteen small stones; and they were white and clear, even as transparent glass; and he did carry them in his hands upon the top of the mount, and cried again unto the Lord. 

He has prepared these stones.  What does a rock usually represent in the scriptures? (I'm asking a lot of questions but it's hard to hear your answers so I'll tell you)  It usually means the Gospel. This isn't something that is just gifted to us. We need to work out our rocks so that when we bring them to the Lord it can give us light!  We learn the gospel, some are born into it and some are not, but we learn and come to understand.  But nothing comes out of learning the gospel if we, for ourselves, don't turn to the Lord and ask for ourselves, "Is this true?" The rocks in this story are the spiritual life or light that Brother of Jared and his people needed to cross the ocean of life, to get to the promised land (God's Kingdom). We need our own spiritual life and light to survive and pass through life. This isn't something that we can just ask from God and he gives us the answer.  We must work out our rocks, we must polish them and be ready for when we receive that testimony from the Spirit.  Without our physical life and our spiritual light we cannot return to our 'promised land' or the kingdom of God. 

I probably didn't say it that well but yeah, I love the Brother of Jared so much more now! 

My dear loved ones, turn to Christ!  He is the way, he is the Light! This Christmas is Light up the world with the light of Christ campaign by the church if you don't know about it yet go here! 

https://www.lds.org/church/news/church-encourages-small-and-simple-acts-on-worldwide-day-of-service?lang=eng&_r=1&cid=HP_FR_11-11-2016_dWEL_fEVT_xLIDyL2-1_ 

There is more information on it coming out on November 25th.

Also I forgot that Thanksgiving existed....we'll have fun over here in Japan, it's been Christmas since Halloween! Woah! 

I love you all so much! Please remember you are amazing simply because you are a child of the supreme being, who is Father to us all! 

Love, Oswald Shimai 

NOVEMBER 14, 2016 - OH PANTS!

Franco's Baptism! ( Franco- far right)

Kurayoshi Coast

Dearest (-insert your name here-),

This week has been an interesting one. Where to begin...probably from the beginning.  Maybe.  MONDay, FIRST OFF, IF YOU ARE WONDERING WHY THIS IS ALL IN CAPS....wait i fixed it...Japanese keyboards...also I'm typing this on the computer because sometimes you miss key boards but they go rogue and decide to freak out in Caps Lock.....I was also too lazy to backspace apparently. 

Okay, so back to Monday, we met with a less active named Kei.  She is so not supposed to be in Japan.  She went to BYU for a little bit and all she wants to do is go back.  We met with her and brought chocolate and cookies because she seemed to really be having a hard time with work, being sick and being `japanese` yes, it's stressful.  So, we talked and it was a mix of Japanglish and she was telling us about how she didn't want to use Jesus' name in vain.  So she tried to say "Oh Jeans!" but she said, "Man, that's too close" and changed jeans to PANTS.   It was so funny when she said it.  That has become our word of the week. 

Every Tuesday for the last three weeks, rain!.... we usually go to the old folks home and play cards which was fun but they all seemed tired and there was one old man who joined us this last week that sounded as if he had a bunch of grease suck in his wind pipe making him cough and gargle like a old engine...it..startled me.  Later that night we had eikaiwa and Omae Kyodai brought me Nato because he thought it would be funny..(Nato is fermented beans...and they smell, I can eat them but not by my own free will or choice) and then he whipped out like 6 bars of dark chocolate.  He is a very interesting man.

Wednesday, it was so windy!!  Where did we even go?!  I don't remember except the fact that we found someone housing!! WOAH! SAY WHAAA?! Yeah. Her name is Hasegawa and she just had a baby and when we knocked on her door she told us she is interested in God, The Bible and going to church...ahhhhh!!! So cool!  We were able to give her a Book of Mormon. She was so cool!   She had "Hope" tattooed on her fingers and a bright neon pink statue of a dog.  PLEASE PRAY fOR HER! 

Me and Sister Blomquist aka Blu

 Thursday was pack day.  For those who don't know, my lovely companion is leaving and returning back to America!  Man, Blue and I have lived like 4 years together with in these six weeks.   It's been too fast and at the same time felt like forever.  Our "doryo ichi" (apparently in English this translates to companionship unity) is so through the roof that we have come up with a code word every time so we don't take like 10 minutes to react about it's awesomeness.  That word, really two words, are Shiny Peaches....I seriously have no idea where that came from, but for the last 3 and a half weeks we have used it.  Even just now I turned to Blue and said "I'm writing about shiny peaches" "Hey, I am too!" she replies.  Man, I love this girl!  She just said the nicest thing to me!  "You're like one of my favorite people ever!"  AHHH! SO HAPPY!   I wish I could just tell you all in person why this is so fantastic but because of my lack of ability to type quickly it will have to wait.  She is my Hawkeye, and I am her B.J.  She is my Blue and I am her Oz and over all I am the Shiny peach! 

(this last paragraph probably didn't make to much sense...gomenkudasai) 

Friday we actually had district meeting together that was cool. 

SATURDAY! We did SERVICE!   It lasted from like 8:30 to 3 pm.  It was way long but way cool.   Us and a few other members came and we all wore the Helping Hands 

Guess what we did today?... wore pants... and filled sand bags!

Jerseys and it felt so awesome to do service!  We met some really cool people and a guy from New York.  His name is Sunday!  He was really cool and our members were right on top of fellowshiping him right then and there.  Unfortunately he lives in the prefecture over so we couldn't meet even if we wanted to so I gave him a mormon.org card.  yay!  Miracles!  

We then we went out the rest if the day and ended our day with visiting Omae Kyodai.  We showed him the conference talk,  "The Master Healer".  (See text below). Wow.  That was so cool. As we watched he leaned in close and he was so focused in.  When it was over he immediately turned to me and said, "I understand! okay, well not all of it but I understand.  When I had the accident (he has some sort of head injury from before but I don't know exactly) I forgot a lot but now I understand just a little more about the Atonement." I was grinning ear to ear.  We testified of Jesus Christ how he is our Savior!  The spirit was so strong.  He then prayed to end and gave the most beautiful prayer, speaking of how he was grateful for the gospel and that he could become Mormon and such!  He seriously is one of my favorite people. He's like our crazy uncle, he's like my brother! 

Sunday we had our minds blown away by Brother Swasy and his deep doctrinal discussions.  We talked about other worlds and wheels and Cheribums...oh my....I was going to try to explain something that I learned, but realized that takes too much effort..over all, obey the Word of Wisdom, it isn't just for our health.  

Blu gave her last testimony in church and we cried!  AH! Later we met with Sonia and taught about the plan of salvation and then invited her to be Baptized.  She said she didn't think she was ready....she is so close though...please pray for her my friends and family!  Pray that she will be able to feel the spirit testify to her of the truth of the gospel!!

and that's my week.....

The Good Fight

 8 He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?

I love this scripture.  Sometimes our weeks aren't as exciting or I just am lame at writing about it but I do know that with each week I find something more that I love about this gospel.  I often find myself turning to my companion telling her how much I love Jesus and what he has done for us.  I know he is my Savior and I will serve him forever.  I love you all! 

Love, 

The Wizard of OZ,  Sister Oswald

Me sending my comp home, when you complete you mission, you "die."
It's a mish thing. 

The Master Healer by Carole M. Stephens

One of my most rewarding opportunities is to travel—to learn from my sisters throughout the world. There’s nothing like being arm in arm, face to face, and heart to heart with you.

During one such experience, a Relief Society leader asked, “Is there something specific that women should focus on?”

I answered, “Yes!” as President Russell M. Nelson’s talk “A Plea to My Sisters” entered my mind. President Nelson taught, “We need women who have a bedrock understanding of the doctrine of Christ.”1

Nephi described the doctrine of Christ this way:

“For the gate by which ye should enter is repentance and baptism by water; and then cometh a remission of your sins by fire and by the Holy Ghost. …

“And now … I would ask if all is done? Behold, I say unto you, Nay; for ye have not come thus far save it were by the word of Christ with unshaken faith in him, relying wholly upon the merits of him who is mighty to save.

“Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end,behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life.

“… This is the way; and there is none other way nor name given under heaven whereby man can be saved in the kingdom of God. And now, behold, this is the doctrine of Christ.”2

Why do we need a bedrock understanding of these principles?

I often meet Latter-day Saint women who are desperate for help, yet they do not turn to the One who can provide everlasting help. Too often they seek for understanding by searching “the great and spacious building.”3

As we increase our understanding of the doctrine of Christ, we soon discover that we are developing a deeper understanding of “the great plan of happiness.”4 We also recognize that our Savior, Jesus Christ, is at the very heart of the plan.

When we learn how to apply the doctrine of Christ to our individual circumstances, our love for our Savior grows. And we recognize “that regardless of perceived differences, all of us are in need of the same infinite Atonement.”5 We realize that He is our foundation—“the rock of our Redeemer, … a sure foundation … whereon if [we] build [we] cannot fall.”6

How can this doctrine bless us as we seek peace and understanding and strive to endure joyfully in our unique mortal journeys?

May I suggest that we begin, as Nephi says, “with unshaken faith in [Christ], relying wholly upon the merits of him who is mighty to save.”7 Our faith in Jesus Christ enables us to meet any challenge.

We, in fact, often find our faith deepened and our relationship with Heavenly Father and His Son refined in adversity. Let me share three examples.

First, the Savior, the Master Healer, has the power to change our hearts and give us permanent relief from the sorrow caused by our own sin. When the Savior taught the Samaritan woman at the well, He knew about her serious sins. However, “the Lord looketh on the heart,”8 and He knew she had a teachable heart.

When the woman came to the well, Jesus—the embodiment of living water—said simply, “Give me to drink.” Our Savior will likewise speak to us in a voice we recognize when we come to Him—for He knows us. He meets us where we are. And because of who He is and what He has done for us, He understands. Because He has experienced our pain, He can give us living water when we seek it. He taught this to the Samaritan woman when He said, “If thou knewest the gift of God and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.” Finally understanding, the woman responded in faith and asked, “Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not.”

After the Samaritan woman had this experience with the Savior, she “left her waterpot, and went her way into the city, and saith to the men,

“Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ?”

She had received a witness—she had begun to partake of the living water—and she desired to witness of His divinity to others.9

When we come to Him with humble and teachable hearts—even if our hearts are heavy with mistakes, sins, and transgressions—He can change us, “for he is mighty to save.”10 And with hearts changed, we can, like the Samaritan woman, go into our own cities—our homes, schools, and workplaces—to witness of Him.

Second, the Master Healer can comfort and strengthen us when we experience pain because of the unrighteous actions of others. I have had many conversations with women weighed down under heavy burdens. Their covenant path from the temple has become a difficult journey of healing. They suffer from broken covenants, broken hearts, and lost confidence. Many are victims of adultery and verbal, sexual, and emotional abuse, often as the result of other people’s addictions.

These experiences, though no fault of their own, have left many feeling guilty and ashamed. Not understanding how to manage the powerful emotions they experience, many try to bury them, pushing them deeper into themselves.

Hope and healing are not found in the dark abyss of secrecy but in the light and love of our Savior, Jesus Christ.11 Elder Richard G. Scott counseled: “If you are free [from] serious sin yourself, don’t suffer needlessly the consequences of another’s sins. … You can feel compassion. … Yet you should not take upon yourself a feeling of responsibility. … When you have done what is reasonable to help one you love, lay the burden at the feet of the Savior. … As you so act, not only will you find peace but will demonstrate your faith in the power of the Savior to lift the burden of sin from a loved one through his repentance and obedience.”

He continued: “Complete healing will come through your faith in Jesus Christ and His power and capacity, through His Atonement, to heal the scars of that which is unjust and undeserved.”12

If you find yourself in this situation, sisters, healing may be a long process. It will require that you prayerfully seek guidance and appropriate help, including counseling with properly ordained priesthood holders. As you learn to communicate openly, set appropriate boundaries and perhaps seek professional counseling. Maintaining spiritual health throughout the process is vital! Remember your divine identity: you are a beloved daughter of Heavenly Parents. Trust your Father’s eternal plan for you. Continue daily to increase your understanding of the doctrine of Jesus Christ. Exercise faith each day to drink deeply from the Savior’s well of living water. Rely on the endowment of power made available to each of us through ordinances and covenants. And allow the healing power of the Savior and His Atonement into your life.

Third, the Master Healer can comfort and sustain us as we experience painful “realities of mortality,”13 such as disaster, mental illness, disease, chronic pain, and death. I have recently become acquainted with a remarkable young woman named Josie who suffers from bipolar disorder. Here is just a little of her journey toward healing as she shared it with me:

“The worst of the darkness occurs on what my family and I have deemed ‘floor days.’ It begins with sensory overload and acute sensitivity and resistance to any type of sound, touch, or light. It is the apex of mental anguish. There is one day in particular that I will never forget.

“It was early in the journey, making the experience especially frightening. I can remember sobbing, tears racing down my face as I gasped for air. But even such intense suffering paled in comparison to the pain that followed as I observed panic overwhelm my mother, so desperate to help me.

“With my broken mind came her broken heart. But little did we know that despite the deepening darkness, we were just moments away from experiencing a mighty miracle.

“As a long hour continued, my mom whispered over and over and over again, ‘I would do anything to take this from you.’

“Meanwhile, the darkness intensified, and when I was convinced I could take no more, just then something marvelous occurred.

“A transcendent and wonderful power suddenly overtook my body. Then, with a ‘strength beyond my own,’14 I declared to my mom with great conviction seven life-changing words in response to her repeated desire to bear my pain. I said, ‘You don’t have to; Someone already has.’”

From the dark abyss of debilitating mental illness, Josie summoned the strength to testify of Jesus Christ and of His Atonement.

She was not healed completely that day, but she received the light of hope in a time of intense darkness. And today, supported by a bedrock understanding of the doctrine of Christ and refreshed daily by the Savior’s living water, Josie continues on her journey toward healing and exercises unshakable faith in the Master Healer. She helps others along the way. And she says, “When the darkness feels unremitting, I rely on the memory of His tender mercies. They serve as a guiding light as I navigate through hard times.”15

Sisters, I testify that—

You don’t have to continue to carry the burden of sorrow caused by sin—alone.

You don’t have to carry the pain caused by the unrighteous actions of others—alone.

You don’t have to experience the painful realities of mortality—alone.

The Savior pleads:

“Will ye not now return unto me, and repent of your sins, and be converted, that I may heal you?

“… If ye will come unto me ye shall have eternal life. Behold, mine arm of mercy is extended towards you, and whosoever will come … will I receive.”16

“[He] would do anything to take this from you.” In fact, “[He] already has.” In the name of Jesus Christ, the Master Healer, amen.