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
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