Alright another week has flown by and left and right miracles happen! This is so cliche but I have never felt more alive! So many miracles! 😇 They are always there you just have to look for them!
Tuesday! Man oh man. There was a hurricane! No joke it was crazy and we had to travel to Kobe for TTTM (trainer, trainee, training, meeting) which was really great! Learned a lot, also had Costco pizza! Yum! It was cool to meet and see the other trainers and friends! While the meeting was taking place the windows were shaking and the wind was crazy! We all got alerts on our phones but it was all in kanji so no
reading that! But by the time the meeting was over the storm passed so all was good :)
There have been so many meetings this transfer that we have barely any time in our area! So sad but it all works out. Wednesday was a really good day, got lots of dendo in, but the best part was when we went to Sister Mizutanis house. She looks 26 but is like 43. Anywho, we biked to her house and inside she had a bunch of pictures of Christ and things that the missionaries gave her over the years. Inside the members homes here, they have so much to remind them of Christ.
So we sat down at her kitchen table and we listened and cracked jokes about speaking English, and then I asked her to tell her conversion story. As I sat there I saw this woman and I was actually understanding her words. Her heart poured out onto the table as she shared with us her pleasure to be baptized. My heart hurt and I was so happy I couldn't contain my tears. I don't think I've ever been more full of joy to hear the conversion of such an amazing member, sister and friend. I then took my turn and told her that she was a daughter of God and testified of the living Christ. We cried together. I have never before felt a stronger spirit in a member lesson. She and I both knew that Christ is our Savior. So good. So good.
Later that day we helped a woman down the street from the church, asked if she wanted to see the inside and said yes, we taught her, sang a hymn, boom new investigator. Her name is Fujita San!
Friday I went to Abeno for a companion exchange and Dayley Shimai and Zhou Shimai stayed in Higashi. Wagstaff Shimai and I taught a bunch of people, and this old grandpa who runs a fruit stand his name is Kyoshi San. We talked to him about baptism and asked him to be baptized and on a dime he was like, "Sure! Wait...hold up..are baptismal services held on Sunday? Yeah, we are way busy I have to work at my fruit stand." We were so surprised that he wants to get baptized! It was real cool but also frustrating. We didn't give him another day because we want him to come to church first. Man...well besides the guy turning around to say, "Yo, you Mormon?" And that was surprising! He was so straight with us and was like, "ya tell me, I want to know." So cool. Well, while I was eating free Chinese food from a member, my
companion was being way too cool and taught 21 lessons in one day and got a new investigator for us! Heck yeah! I got like the best trainee! She's training me more than I'm training her! So awesome!
Sunday was amazing. I love these people so much. During the sacrament I was listing all the reasons why love them. Everyone is my family! As I took the sacrament the thought from the Spirit came to me, "Do you understand why I love them?" My heart was full of spirit, love, and happy stuff! It was a tender experience!
Later that night when we left to go out I turned to my companion and said, " I think we need to visit Fisher Shimai today," and she was like, "What? I literally was just
thinking what if we go talk to Fisher right now?" It was a really cool spirit brain bow! We were able to visit her and uplift her in the way she needed. The spirit is so cool!
We also got another investigator, Aki! We are going to meet her tomorrow and it's so happy!
Monday again and also I really enjoyed going to Nara to go pet some deer again, that was fun!
I want to say Happy Birthday to the best Nonnie in the world! (That's my brown grandmother). I love her so much!!! She is an amazing woman and example to me for serving a mission a few years back! I love her a bushel and a peck, and hug around the neck!!!
Remember that over in rice land there is a girl who loves you so much!!! That's me!
Ozu chan (Sister Oswald :3)
Monday, September 26, 2016
Tuesday, September 20, 2016
SEPT EMBER 18, 2016 - DEAR MOMMA, I PROMISE TO DO THE DISHES WHEN I GET HOME!
Well we really did have a busy week. Taking trains everywhere, awkward encounters, singing, and dancing, late nights and food. So much food.
This week we were able to go get lunch with the closest to a young women member, and talk to her about going on a mission, together we got udon and she talked about how she really wanted to go! It was really exciting! I got to share with her why it is so amazing! She is so funny, her name is Nanami Yata. She loves to make jokes and is
super sarcastic. She likes making fun of English words, like the word 'hot' she keeps telling me, "no no no...hato," she's a cutie. We got her to come with us to Zone conference (which is a meeting about every 4 months or so (I actually don't know how far apart, things just happen and I go where they tell me to go) there is a meeting). There we heard from our mission president, about how to be better missionaries. So happy that she came!
At zone conference we heard from Welch Kaicho (president), and the APs (assistants to the president) and our Zone leaders and Sister training leaders. There was such a sweet spirit there, but it was so long!
Something that I over all really enjoyed was what the zone leaders shared with us. They talked about charity. Recently, like this whole week, the theme has been charity. In Japanese its 'jiai,' and the kanji is 慈愛, now I know what your thinking, wow that's great...but why are you showing me this? Well the first kanji is mercy and the second is love. Just think about that for a moment.... Okay moment up! In the Book of Mormon and in the Bible is says tIhat the pure love of Christ is charity. Christ's ultimate love for us is charity. He is constantly showering mercy on us and more than we can comprehend is his love for us! To have charity is to be like Christ, to have charity is to be merciful, to have charity is to love unconditionally.
I read this quote like hours before we had talked about this and found it really
interesting. "Perhaps the greatest charity comes when we are kind to each other, when we don't judge or categorize someone else, when we simply give each other the benefit of the doubt or remain quiet." Charity is accepting someone's differences, weaknesses, and shortcomings;having patience with someone who has let us down;or resisting the impulse to become offended when someone doesn't handle
something the way we might have hoped. Charity is refusing to take advantage of another's weakness and being willing to forgive someone who has hurt us. Charity is expecting the best of each other.
Charity is so important, there is a scripture in D&C 88:125 where it talks about a mantle of charity and how we will be made perfect as our Father (or given the opportunity to become just a little more like him) if we just wear it. A mantle in scripture language is also a cloak. Cloaks cover us from head to toe, they protect us and not only that, they keep us in a bond of "perfectness" or completeness and peace.
Before I had ordered us some new futons for our apartment and the Welchs brought them to the conference but we had no way to get them home so we had to wait till they could take us home to drop them off for us. Welch Kaicho had to do a last interview for Elder Weakley because it's his last transfer. (P.s. So sad, love Elder Weakley, he's a
good friend of mine! Also he and my companion make jokes about their names, Elder Weakley and Sister Dayley, lol).
While we waited we, Elder Brailsford and Elder Vui and I, on Monday had come up with a version of I'm a child of God. Elder Vui brought his ukulele and we all sang in a different language. Brailsford was Japanese, I was English and Vui sang in Samoan. I'll send the video. Yeah. Then afterwards we rode with president Welch and the APs and it was like riding with your parents home from some church event or something. It was nice, but we were late to eikaiwa...woops!
At eikaiwa, a student gave me these papers of Japanese slang and wrote on them saying, "copied by Terry, from Osaka Japan, please study Japanese kansai Ben (slang) so you can blend into society." It was super sweet of him! Also I have discovered that our English class is filled with a bunch of creepy but lovable old men....like all really sweet but all just a little off.
We got to finally meet with Shannon, but she is now going to China for a month so I don't know if I'll see her again so we taught her and talked about the Book of Mormon and I bore my testimony and the spirit was so strong! I told her that this Book of Mormon was true. That's about all I did well, also that Christ was our Savior but it was very simple and then we prayed together. We all kneeled together and afterwards when I finished praying Shannon just said "wow," I know she feels the spirit when she is with us.
Over the course of this week we have eaten so much food! Curry, nan, rice, so much food I don't have time to list it all! We were able to help Irie Kyodai with his English presentation for his new job which was really good! We had lots of laughs and more food.
Friday we had sushi and then we went to a family's house for Yokoo brothers birthday and there was many food there. Yes, me English is slowly dying.
Also we met with my favorite Fisher Shimai. She is so sweet, I felt a need to call her and when I did I asked if we could come over and when we did it's exactly what she needed. She's right now housing a couple that recently got married...3 weeks ago. It's their honeymoon....oh, so awkward. Monday we met them at her house as well and it was just an awkward feeling in the air. I won't say much more except that Fisher Shimai turned to me and asked, "Oswald Shimai, how do you treat just married couple?" And I laughed and said "I don't know," and she'slike ,"yaro!?" (Translates to "like right?") she said it so straight faced. She also feels awkward about it..,yay! Note to self: not coming back to my mission for my honeymoon!
Well I have one last thing to write about. Earlier today, while I was typing this lovely email I got a phone call. Do you remember Aki? This woman that I talked to on the train and she just freaked out and decided that we are best friends! I'm not complaining! She so sweet. Well I got a call from her today and said, "I want to meet you! Oh, also you're a missionary right? I want you to teach me about Jesus Christ. I really have interest!" Say what?!?! OHMYGOSH! She's so cute! She always calls me ozu chan! It's so cute :)
So yeah, miracles happen literally everyday of every moment.
I love you all, I hope that this week is amazing and if you don't think it will be remember happiness is a choice, but so is peace, and joy, and life.
I love you! I also love Jesus. Moments from this week:
Turning to Dayley Shimai randomly during study, "I love Jesus," I think I was almost crying when I said this too!
English student said this to describe a fruit, "banana is a type of mango," Elder Nakamura thought this was the funniest thing ever.
When guy at the drug store hits on you and your like, "I'm Jesus Christ's representative." 😇😅
Okay bye!
Oswald Shimai
This week we were able to go get lunch with the closest to a young women member, and talk to her about going on a mission, together we got udon and she talked about how she really wanted to go! It was really exciting! I got to share with her why it is so amazing! She is so funny, her name is Nanami Yata. She loves to make jokes and is
super sarcastic. She likes making fun of English words, like the word 'hot' she keeps telling me, "no no no...hato," she's a cutie. We got her to come with us to Zone conference (which is a meeting about every 4 months or so (I actually don't know how far apart, things just happen and I go where they tell me to go) there is a meeting). There we heard from our mission president, about how to be better missionaries. So happy that she came!
At zone conference we heard from Welch Kaicho (president), and the APs (assistants to the president) and our Zone leaders and Sister training leaders. There was such a sweet spirit there, but it was so long!
Something that I over all really enjoyed was what the zone leaders shared with us. They talked about charity. Recently, like this whole week, the theme has been charity. In Japanese its 'jiai,' and the kanji is 慈愛, now I know what your thinking, wow that's great...but why are you showing me this? Well the first kanji is mercy and the second is love. Just think about that for a moment.... Okay moment up! In the Book of Mormon and in the Bible is says tIhat the pure love of Christ is charity. Christ's ultimate love for us is charity. He is constantly showering mercy on us and more than we can comprehend is his love for us! To have charity is to be like Christ, to have charity is to be merciful, to have charity is to love unconditionally.
I read this quote like hours before we had talked about this and found it really
interesting. "Perhaps the greatest charity comes when we are kind to each other, when we don't judge or categorize someone else, when we simply give each other the benefit of the doubt or remain quiet." Charity is accepting someone's differences, weaknesses, and shortcomings;having patience with someone who has let us down;or resisting the impulse to become offended when someone doesn't handle
something the way we might have hoped. Charity is refusing to take advantage of another's weakness and being willing to forgive someone who has hurt us. Charity is expecting the best of each other.
Charity is so important, there is a scripture in D&C 88:125 where it talks about a mantle of charity and how we will be made perfect as our Father (or given the opportunity to become just a little more like him) if we just wear it. A mantle in scripture language is also a cloak. Cloaks cover us from head to toe, they protect us and not only that, they keep us in a bond of "perfectness" or completeness and peace.
Before I had ordered us some new futons for our apartment and the Welchs brought them to the conference but we had no way to get them home so we had to wait till they could take us home to drop them off for us. Welch Kaicho had to do a last interview for Elder Weakley because it's his last transfer. (P.s. So sad, love Elder Weakley, he's a
good friend of mine! Also he and my companion make jokes about their names, Elder Weakley and Sister Dayley, lol).
While we waited we, Elder Brailsford and Elder Vui and I, on Monday had come up with a version of I'm a child of God. Elder Vui brought his ukulele and we all sang in a different language. Brailsford was Japanese, I was English and Vui sang in Samoan. I'll send the video. Yeah. Then afterwards we rode with president Welch and the APs and it was like riding with your parents home from some church event or something. It was nice, but we were late to eikaiwa...woops!
At eikaiwa, a student gave me these papers of Japanese slang and wrote on them saying, "copied by Terry, from Osaka Japan, please study Japanese kansai Ben (slang) so you can blend into society." It was super sweet of him! Also I have discovered that our English class is filled with a bunch of creepy but lovable old men....like all really sweet but all just a little off.
We got to finally meet with Shannon, but she is now going to China for a month so I don't know if I'll see her again so we taught her and talked about the Book of Mormon and I bore my testimony and the spirit was so strong! I told her that this Book of Mormon was true. That's about all I did well, also that Christ was our Savior but it was very simple and then we prayed together. We all kneeled together and afterwards when I finished praying Shannon just said "wow," I know she feels the spirit when she is with us.
Over the course of this week we have eaten so much food! Curry, nan, rice, so much food I don't have time to list it all! We were able to help Irie Kyodai with his English presentation for his new job which was really good! We had lots of laughs and more food.
Friday we had sushi and then we went to a family's house for Yokoo brothers birthday and there was many food there. Yes, me English is slowly dying.
Also we met with my favorite Fisher Shimai. She is so sweet, I felt a need to call her and when I did I asked if we could come over and when we did it's exactly what she needed. She's right now housing a couple that recently got married...3 weeks ago. It's their honeymoon....oh, so awkward. Monday we met them at her house as well and it was just an awkward feeling in the air. I won't say much more except that Fisher Shimai turned to me and asked, "Oswald Shimai, how do you treat just married couple?" And I laughed and said "I don't know," and she'slike ,"yaro!?" (Translates to "like right?") she said it so straight faced. She also feels awkward about it..,yay! Note to self: not coming back to my mission for my honeymoon!
Well I have one last thing to write about. Earlier today, while I was typing this lovely email I got a phone call. Do you remember Aki? This woman that I talked to on the train and she just freaked out and decided that we are best friends! I'm not complaining! She so sweet. Well I got a call from her today and said, "I want to meet you! Oh, also you're a missionary right? I want you to teach me about Jesus Christ. I really have interest!" Say what?!?! OHMYGOSH! She's so cute! She always calls me ozu chan! It's so cute :)
So yeah, miracles happen literally everyday of every moment.
I love you all, I hope that this week is amazing and if you don't think it will be remember happiness is a choice, but so is peace, and joy, and life.
I love you! I also love Jesus. Moments from this week:
Turning to Dayley Shimai randomly during study, "I love Jesus," I think I was almost crying when I said this too!
English student said this to describe a fruit, "banana is a type of mango," Elder Nakamura thought this was the funniest thing ever.
When guy at the drug store hits on you and your like, "I'm Jesus Christ's representative." 😇😅
Okay bye!
Oswald Shimai
Monday, September 19, 2016
SEPTEMBER 11, 2016 - I DON'T HAVE MUCH TIME, BUT HERE TAKE THIS FLIER!
Alright yALL,
Monday! Played some fotsal, smaller version of soccer, way
fun but I like destroyed my leg while playing. Gotta love mission joints.
Anywho! Then that night we went to Fishers and it rained
again! So much rain.
Tuesday it poured, more rain. We got to out to eat with
Fukuda San so good! She's so cute! She wants to learn English because her
grandson doesn't speak Japanese...she's so cool! Also taught English! Yusss so
much fun!
Wednesday we had a kokan (exchange) and I got to hang
with my Chinese bestie Zhou Shimai! She is so much fun to hang with. We did so
much biking and met with super awesome member who said she loved us back which
in Japanese its weird to say I love you...ya weird. But she said it back
instead of just saying thank you! Yay! The small things!
Thursday we planned and ate out with the Elder's
investigator, and that was good. Not much there.
Friday! Such a good day! First we went to zone training
meeting, and my cousin Elder Westhoff and my favorite Zoneleader Elder Weakley
were in charge :3 Anyway it was really good and spiritual! There was laughter
and tears and we are so pumped to go out and dendo!
Afterwards I took our district to go visit Yo, our
investigator who runs a burger shop. We all had like the best burgers in the
world and then we all taught him from the Book of Mormon no big. Just feeling
the spirit, testifying with my brothers and sister and getting him to pinky
promise to read and pray. So awesome!!! That night we had FHE with Brother and Sister Kimura and they drove us home it was so nice of them because other wise
we would have had to take train and had been late home! I got to hear their
conversion story. It's my favorite thing to ask members.
Sunday was also great! I love our members so freaking
much! They are the best! So much love when I see them! It's going to be heart
wrenching when I go. We had an interesting sacrament meeting. I had to
translate Japanese into English and type it into Google to translate it to
Chinese for these people from Taiwan. They patted me on the back because that
was exhausting...they were so sweet!
Then we shared a message in Primary and
that was cool because they were so intently listening. I love those kids! Later
that night we went to Brother Iries house and he fed us chocolate cake! Woah!
He told us secrets to missionary work and then turns out we were running late
home so in order for to qualify for the 9:30 we need to get a lesson. My comp
lost her shoe so I saw my chance and ran up to this kid (already in baptism
white) and told him "You are a child of God, and he loves you. I don't have much time but here take this flier. I want
you to come to church!" He looked at me so intensely and nodded. Afterwards my comp came up and we biked away! Wo! Missionary life!
I don't have much time to type all the miracles out! There are so many!
Remember that God is our Heavenly Father and that that is
one of the most important truths in the world!
I love you!
Sister Oswald !
SEPTEMBER 5, 2016 - YO, THE WEEK!
Hello,
Okay, sometimes I wish my brain could just type out what I
want to say because the weekly email always takes too long!!! So, I'll try my
best to get it all in but no promises....
Monday it rained!!!! Oh it rained. So much rain all day
long! We went to Fisher Shimai's house and we talked about Heavenly Father and
how much he loves us. I talk about this all the time but it was in relation to
loving those who have agency and how Heavenly Father feels so much love for us
even when his children are noobs. We also had fried bananas....oh so good.
Wednesday we did some finding! It was soooo good! We saw
so many miracles. Having a trainee and being a trainer, God puts in
your path the people who are ready! We have met so many people and they all
seem to enjoy the gospel or what we have given them so far.
Also, great news!!! After like 6 months I have finally bought new brakes on my bike! Yay me!! It's taken forever but finally I have
both front and back working so I no longer have to hold my back brakes for a
minute before I stop....don't you love brakes? I do :) [ FYI!!!!!!!!!! I offered to buy her a whole new bike back in February!!!]
Thursday was planning day and I very much dislike planning
day because I'm like a sloth with the mind of a gold fish....it is not fun. But
we made it through! 🙌
Friday we had district meeting!! Woo! It was fun, talked
about things only really missionaries talk about and if you heard our meetings
you would think I'm insane especially because it's a combination of
enlightenment (I meant to type English but that works too) and Japanese. We
also played a game where we have one person draw on a double sided white board and
the audience has to describe in Japanese to our only Japanese Elder what it
is. We got some pretty funny pictures. Elder Ray drew a polar lion. Looked like a polar bear
lion.
Afterwards we went to Indo curry and had delicious nan! It's so huge!
Then later we went down to one of my favorite people's burger shop, Yo. (That's
his name). He was so cool we talked some more about life, incorporating the
gospel where we can. He always smiles when I call him my brother. He ended up giving me a pin with his logo on it. He
seriously makes the best burgers in the world. They are so good! My mouth
waters as I talk about it....sigh. Well, before we went to his shop we did some
housing and we climbed these stairs that go round and around in a circle and we
did that for ten stories. We got to the top and had some vertigo..we only
knocked one house because of time but that one door, we found Taisho! He is so
cool! When we talked and taught about the gospel he genuinely seemed interested
and when we asked if we could come back he was like sure! And not a hesitant
sure but like, 'y'all are cool and I want to learn more,' kinda sure. Such a
miracle and a blessing! We got his number and now we have his address! Woah! So
happy.
Saturday we went to a birthday party for the Tani's
daughter Yuka, who turned one! So sweet! We helped prepare food and watched
baby tv. We all turned into idiots in front of her because she is so dang cute!
The party was a blast and the Filipino food was absolutely amazing!!! So so
good! Then after that we biked to go visit Brother Hirano.
He had a
stroke a few years ago that kept him from speaking (he spoke perfect English
before) and moving. But he has gotten so much better since I've met him. Before
we couldn't have any form of a conversation but this time I could ask him
things and he could respond. I was so happy. There is such a light that you feel
when you are with him. We all took him (with his wife) to go get ice cream down
the road. He started to cry, not sure exactly why but he was so happy:) Nakamura Choro whipped out a cool magic trick with
cards that explains the atonement. It was way cool and made Brother Hirano so
happy. That night we went to the first session of stake conference and it was
way good!
Sun daddy because auto correct is a thing... Sunday! We
went back to Abeno for the Sunday session of conference, and got to listen to
many members. It was nice but we were in the very back so it was hard to hear and
very hard to translate. I could do only one brother's talk and that was because
I knew part of the story and I know him and his Japanese. He spoke about how he and his family were recently sealed
in the temple, he got a little choked up and the Spirit was so strong oh loved
it!
We heard from our mission president and his wife as well. That was so nice to see them, after the meeting I saw
Welch Shimai and she was like, Oswald Shimai!! How are you? I love you so!! Are
you dying? She always asks me if I'm okay physically, ever since last
February. We talked and it was so good to see her. That night we did some
awesome finding, taught this nice old man. And called Mike. He encourages us do
do missionary work but isn't entirely ready to join or listen just yet, he
talks a lot. But he's cool!
Today, Monday, we went to Nara, and played soccer with
some missionaries and it was so much fun! We are so sticky and gross though.
Well life is good!
Just tsunami weather warnings and other such things :) I
love you all! Everyone needs to remember that they are a child of God, a child
of light and that God loves you more than anything in this world, this is a
simple but life changing truth. We told a man the other day this and his whole
demeanor changed. Such a beautiful thing.
I love you!
KTWK (kill them with kindness)
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