JANUARY 22, 2017 - HOMEOSTASIS

I must be a nerd, because the whole week I was trying to figure out what the heck it meant when the body sweats or shivers you know? So I started trying to figure it out. I called it hypoglycemia or photosynthesis (?!) ...yeah...well I finally figured it out so I'm pretty happy, hence the name of my email.

Well, this week was cold...oh, it got way cold and now there is a blanket of snow outside...sigh.  It was wet and cold and it went right into your bones! Last weekend, because it snowed, it was difficult to get around so we walked most places and it takes so much of our time!!  As the week progressed, parts of our area started to melt but other parts still had more snow, so we couldn't get to certain people.

Every Tuesday we get to serve our lovely old people at the old people's home and play cards with them for an hour.  Today I'd like to share with you what happened this particular week which pretty much happens every week and gets funnier every time we go.  We showed up just a few minutes early this time.  Nakano San calls us over to do exercises with her and the rest of the obachan and ojīsan Tachi (grandmas and grandpas) after it's over everyone greets us and they say welcome back and hello, they are all so happy to see us but only like four of them play cards with us every week. There is Nakano San, Achan, Okasan (that's what we call her because we don't actually know her name ) and me and Laxton Shimai are Ne chan. When we started Nakano San asked an old man (I call him mustache man because he's the only Japanese man with a mustache in Japan and its big:) if he wanted to play cards with us and he just sat there for a moment and then said, "This jacket," pointing to his jacket, "is warm...and white...so no," and Nakano San being sassy said, "that has nothing to do with playing cards? Kankei nai wa!" After that he walked away.  It was pretty funny though, she turned to me and shrugged her shoulders. So then we were playing a game that's like go fish but not...anyway it was Okasan's turn to take a card and she got severely confused and she started shuffling her cards for the next person to take.  We told her no, that she needed to take one and she wouldn't listen and it was so ridiculous that Nakano San stood up because she couldn't handle it.  We were laughing so hard together and then Okasan realized and she said I'm sorry, I'm stupid! (In Japanese its not as mean sounding.  It was pretty funny!) Later we played a game called sevens (translated) where we lay out all the sevens and okasan slaps down a 3. She's feeling pretty confident about that three and then we told her that it isn't a seven and she looked at it and said....wow...and picked it back up and said I don't know where that came from it was a seven before.  Everytime it is her turn to lay down a card she shouts...paaaaaaassssuuuuuu ja nai wa! (Ja nai turns pass into its opposite...) and is like passss, nope wrong I can play! Yes! They are cute old women. They make my world happy!

Tuesday is just service day.  At Eikaiwa we had so many people come.  We were able to play a game called do you love your neighbor?  We ask people the question and if you say yes, your neighbors switch seats and if you say no then you say something you do love and those people who have that thing switch seats and the person in the middle tries to sit down.  It's fun crazy and full of laughs. Omae Kyodai likes to dive for his seat and it's super scary because at one point he and I were trying to get to the same seat.  As he was coming towards it, I tried to sit down but I freaked out and pushed him over, he fell and because I felt bad I let him have the seat.  Our branch president and was like "Wow, tsuyoi ( Interpretation meaning "strong" but it didn't feel like a compliment more like he was making fun of my mistake, pushing over and old man...who in actuality is a child!  I love Omae Kyodai, he came and had fun with us! It was good time. One time a student asked "Do you love me?" instead of  "Do you love your neighbor?"   The whole class died.

Wednesday we were actually able to use our bikes.  While we were housing this one house, no one answered and so we left a flier and started walking away.  As we did I suddenly didn't feel any ground under my left foot.  It happened so quickly and next thing I know I am down for the count. I fell in a hole.  It was huge and it came out of no where!  It was actually a sewage drain and so it smelled really bad! I have a bruise on my elbow and knees now but man it was so surprising! I can't believe I fell in a hole! Realizing that I'm not a magical plummer I picked myself up and walked with my smelly boot for the rest of the week.  (?!)

Friday we had Zone Training Meeting in Yonago like an hour and a half train ride but whateves.  We learned about our new English program that will actually help students learn the English they need for their tests! Yay!! Effective!  I'm just sad that I can't help more with it with the lack of time and all.  At the end of the meeting (the zone
leaders called earlier in the week and asked me to sing at ZTM) I sang the closing hymn.  With the help of Yamamoto Choro playing violin, I sang "I Know That My Redeemer Lives."   The first two verses were in Japanese and the the last two English.  The first three were with the violin but the last verse I sang with out.  The words were my testimony.  I had the opportunity to sing it slower and with more
feel

He lives! All glory to his name!
He lives, my Savior, still the same.
Oh, sweet the joy this sentence gives:
“I know that my Redeemer lives!”
He lives! All glory to his name!
He lives, my Savior, still the same.
Oh, sweet the joy this sentence gives:
“I know that my Redeemer lives!”


As I sang this last verse I felt in my chest a burning sensation I've never experienced before. The warmth was over whelming.  I felt as though it moved through my whole body and the spirit was just so powerful.  He is your Savior.  And He lives, nothing can change this fact nor the joy that you feel because of it!

Later on that day we were able to have a great lesson with Kiyoshi San! And Misa Shimai was able to doseki for us! She doesn't have a job right now and so she has been our best member for lessons!  It's awesome!

Saturday!  We had a mochitsuki!!!!  We pounded rice into an old hallowed out log and made this white goop that is called Mochi. 

It is so delicious with sugar and this brown powder stuff! It's so good! And fun! Then our branch, being awesome, shared a video about missionaries and what they do day to day.  It was really an awesome dendo tool! That night we visited Natsumi and Kyoko Yamamoto.  We taught them about the Plan of Salvation and Nataumi is so ready and just wants to learn more! We invited them to church and mom (Kyoko) said she was busy but that if Natsumi chan wanted to go that she could. We offered a ride through our church members and the next day...THERE SHE WAS!  We had gone with Misa Shimai and picked her up!  She loved church and the members loved her!  Our youth were right on top of it, fellowshiping, helping her adjust!  She brought her Book of Mormon, she said she liked the class that she got to learn with the other youth. She also asked, "Is church every week?" And we're like yup! "Well then I'm coming next week!" YESYESYESSUUUUUU! , "Of course you can come next week!" She is so cute!  She is such a smart 12 year old!  I love her so much!  She has found what she didn't know she was looking for! Really and truly!

I know that this is Christ's true and Restored church upon the earth!
I love the Book of Mormon because it contains the truth! It is full of knowledge that I crave and I cannot get enough of this gospel!

I love this opportunity to share what I know is true.

I love you all, take care!  I'll be home soon!

Love, Oswald Shimai

Mom my companion called tata a tator Ta Ta...we were talking about him
and then about sonic later so some how it came up in conversation.

Tuck-N-Roll

JANUARY 15, 2017 - I FOUND JESUS! HE WAS IN MY SUIT CASE!

As you can tell from the title, I have found baby Jesus. He was sitting there in my carry on case. Why he was there I know not, I felt like a king! Maybe there was no room in the bigger suit cases....I know I'm not good at jokes, but I try.

They finally put our pictures up at church.  I don't know if I've mentioned but in Japan (maybe they do it in America I don't know, I don't ever remember anything before I started my mission but whatever) they put the pictures of the missionaries serving in that ward.  We're supposed to put our names, hobbies, and family size on a card. Well I've got like 3 more Sundays and they (Brother Swasey) just now put our pictures up. Woah! Procrastination! But granted I'll probably be up there for another month or two because my last comps picture didn't get taken down for like 7 weeks after she left.

The week was good.  We left Wednesday morning for the Whiting Choro conference. While we were on the bus we received a text from our ZLs (that should have been sent like four days earlier) that we needed to be ready and seated in our seats by 9:30 or we wouldn't be able to participate in the morning session. We wouldn't get to our destination till 9:26...oh man....we got off our train that was a good walk to the
church and we ran! Oh man it was cold and my lungs were on fire! So ridiculous. But we made it...in like 6 mins. A little late but it didn't matter because Elder Whiting and Welch Kaicho were late! 

So we were in! BESIDES the craziness of it all, we had a great conference with Elder Whiting. He is the president of the Asia North presidency.  He first let us ask questions that we had and we talked a lot about the Spirit and being prepared to preach. He talked about how pondering is really a way to study the word and sometimes gets over looked.  It was really a great conference.

At the end I said goodbye to some missionaries that had come from another zone for the last time..it was actually really sad.  I won't see a lot of them again or for a really long time. I love people so much.  Seriously I found so many, so many who mean a lot to me! Gsjdjdfndnfh I love people too flippin' much! Heart hurts....anyway moving on!

Friday it snowed lightly. But nothing stuck so we still were able to use our bikes. We went out to the old folks home and got to see my favorite old lady, Nakano San dressed in a kimono. She didn't know we were coming and she was so happy to see us! So were the other people there who we usually see! It was for a green tea making ceremony...we didn't drink, only watched and they gave us hot water instead and
sweets :) it was cool! Then the snow began to pick up. We were out housing and man it was so cold. The wind was literally icy.  Apparently this is the coldest it has gotten in Kurayoshi in a long time.

We woke up Saturday morning to find a wintery wonderland. Blanketing the ground was about 4 inches of snow. The snow here is so weird! It falls in little balls, small chunks, at high speeds and in large quantities. They look like dippin' dots. We went without bikes because there was no road or side walk that wasn't converted in snow. It was a good thing that we first had a warm lunch with Omae Kyodai and his wife. She is seriously an amazing chef! So delicious! She loves to give us food to take home. She is from Osaka and acts like it too. She's funny and makes fun of Omae Kyodai for us.

Then we walked back to the church to meet Matsumoto Shimai and her husband to go visit our investigator, Kiyoshi. We had the lesson in her car. We asked him what he thought of the Book of Mormon (he's like in Helaman..no big) and he said he liked it but then turned to us and asked, "What is happiness?" Oh my, what? I was not prepared and at the same time I was and something like way cool happened!  We talked for a moment about what happiness is, and a scripture popped into my head,
Mosiah 2:41. We read it together and then lead into our lesson about the Plan of Salvation. It was amazing and our doseki was also fantastic!

Then we returned to the church and waited for our next member to come pick us to take us to our next appointment with Kyoko and Natsumi.  When we visited, we talked at their door and the snow and wind was blowin' like crazy! But we talked a little more about the BOM and they READ! I tried to commit them to read a chapter and they were trying to find it and it was such a struggle because our hands were to cold to flip open pages. Eventually after like 3 minutes of awkward, we got it and then we all laughed at how difficult it was....sheesh. Ahh so awesome! Man, I love them! They are so cute! So is their little boy! He's a cutie! Man, so many good things on Saturday!

Sunday was also great!  We shoveled snow. Speaking of which! They do not clear the roads or the side walks so it's a slushy mess EVERYWHERE!  It's crazy! Anyway! Later from our ward mission leader we heard a dream that he had about a pig and that was the highlight of our meeting this morning. No deep doctrine just sitting in a room laughing about a pig. Yup! Anyway! Later we walked to Iwagaki Shimai's house and we sang to her.  We could see our breath inside of her not warm house! But she was really happy to see us so that was nice!

Well there is another layer of snow on the ground and we are still walking everywhere making the work slower....oh well, maybe we are supposed to meet somebody. We'll see.

Did you know all Brazilians love chocolate and will eat it by the kilos? We have a few Brazilian missionaries and I can confirm this truth and the next truth is I might be turning Brazilian.

Love Sister Oswald Shimai

P.S. Mom...
I'M SO GLAD WE BOUGHT A HONDA!

JANUARY 8, 2017 - JAW DROPPING EVERY WHICH WAY

With each passing week I get a little more insane, weird things happen and miracles do not cease! .... I also have lost all ability to speak English. For example I was trying to ask my district leader about how many months before his mission did he go through the temple and it, no joke, took like 5 minutes to ask because I couldn't figure out what the order of the words and such. It came out like, "before you entered the mission, going to, no, through the temple how many months did you before you started and went to the MTC, wait....how long did going through the temple take before going into the MTC...is that right?"  My district leader just stared at me and said with a very confused,"No". Complete struggle bus...

Anyway! Monday was a thing!  We actually did something!  We took Chika Shimai with us and we had a fun sandy time at the beach and sand dunes! The drive home though was so quiet because we were so tired!

Tuesday was my companion's birthday!!!! YAY! She is now 2 decades old!!! So we went out for Indian food to celebrate!  Afterwards we got to play cards with our favorite old people and they are so funny just telling each other, "Wow your blind," "...what...?" "your so old I could push you over with my finger," "a chan its your turn,"
"watashi?" "I can't play a card, PASS," moves on to next person, "oops I lied, I can play here!" Looks like she just won the whole game...yeah, it's a party every week for an hour :) I love them so much! 

Then after that we visited Sonia our investigator and she gave us vegetables, a long root that is the size of my leg and a radish. It was an interesting gift and but I don't know how to cook it, it's called gobo.  Then after that we were to go visit some people but we felt we should change the plan (it honestly was like me trying to figure out time and not sure if we'd have time for dinner...it's funny how the spirit works through our stomachs) and as we were heading to a potentials house, instead we passed by a guy and he seemed to look at us differently like he knew us. But we didn't stop...that was a mistake because the spirit was like, "Hey, he's right there! Hey, hey! Oh fine I'll just crash your companion then!" Next thing I know my companion is hunched over her bike and in pain.  As I go to help her, that same man runs across the street and says, "Hello, I'm a doctor, can I help you?" This was in some English and some Japanese.  She told him she was okay but right after we said it he asked, "Just visiting? (No) "Students?" (No, we're volunteer missionaries for the
Church of Jesus Christ of latter day saints), "oh I have interest, please teach me," (what?)  "Yes, when I was younger the missionaries came to my house, except they were boys, please tell me about your church," (uuuhhhh), "By the way my name is Kazu," (uuuuhhhh) "I like American thinking," (uuuhuuuh), "I also want to know about God because Japanese people are Buddhist but they don't know about God so please tell me." (Uuuuuhhh...what?) Seriously I was so dumb shocked that I just said...."Wait really? You want to learn? " " Yes, I have interest.  Do you have time now?" My face simultaneously had a look of complete utter shock and a idiotic grin plastered on my face. I was half attempted to ask what's the catch? We unfortunately didn't have time to but we gave him our number and he said he'll come to eikaiwa next chance he gets and we were so happy till it hit me later after we had left....you didn't flipping get his phone number!!!!!!!  When this realization hit I nearly melted into a puddle..SO PLEASE PRAY THAT WE CAN MEET HIM AGAIN!!!! I PROMISE I'M REPENTING AND ALWAYS ASKING PEOPLE FOR PHONE NUMBERS.....IT still hurts to think about.

On Wednesday the adventures didn't end. We went out to an new area that's all the way out by the beach, a little ways, but we'll be fine we have bikes right? So I thought, yet again the spirit tells me things but either I was a little too slow to notice OR he tells me right as it happens. We were going over some gravel and I thought to
my self, you have never gotten a flat on your mission, that's an accomplishment but it would really suck if you got one right now, haha-funny we'd have to walk miles and miles home....well, I didn't get a flat.  I look behind me to check my companion and she has a punk (puncture) on her front tire....I was like gosh dang it....You're really funny Heavenly Father. Well because we had time and we were so close to the beach...we went! It was our ten minute break before our many hours long walk home. It was fine at first but by the end we were exhausted. Except for our one stop for dinner, it took us from 4:30 to 9:30 p.m. to get home. The last 30 minutes we sang primary songs and hymns and man....those truths of the prophet or Jesus Christ or the infinite love that God has for us...awesome...spirit is so good!

Friday we had district meeting with Swasey Kyodai! Such a good meeting :) then we all went out to sushi and the man was so sneaky and paid for it all..silly man...gosh I love sushi!  Well, after lunch we had service for a member that our Elders were helping us with and maybe this was wampaku (naughty) but he stuck in a CD that had funny songs on it and one was about a streaker....yes, I know not the most missionary appropriate pastime but man we were all crying out of laughter...Swasey Kyodai is the man... I love him so much!  After, we went to clean Kameya Kyodais house......gross....that's all I'm gonna say about it....it was.....sigh, everyone keep your house clean!!

Saturday - pretty busy.   We visited a less active Kotake Kyodai and his pretty cat. Then we headed over to Omae Kyodais and had lunch with him and his wife. She made us okonomiaki. So good but I didn't need to eat the rest of the day I was so full! Later we housed and visited investigators and probably the highlight was when we taught Kyoko and Natsumi Yamamoto. We stood at their door and taught the whole Restoration to them.   Natsumi is like 12 but she knows.  She knows this is the truth and her mom may seem a little unsure but when we asked them to read the Book of Mormon and pray, Natsumi was like yes we'll do it!  She is so on top of it!  I love them! The spirit was so strong when we talked about Joseph Smith and the fiery (I meant first, but auto correct) vision. When that lesson ended...and the door shut. Again my jaw was on the floor, time and time again the Lord blows me away with
these miracles!

Man this week was so good! O how awesome it is to be a missionary!!!! I love it!!

I love you all and now a cool scripture,

17 I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me.

18 Riches and honour are with me; yea, durable riches and righteousness. 
(Proverbs 8)

Love Oswald Sister

JANUARY 1, 2017 - HOW GREAT WILL BE YOUR JOY!

SO this week was absolutely crazy!  Not really, but it feels like it was!  We taught so many lessons and found four new investigators this week and they're all like in middle school/high school! That's awesome!!! We just found them and every time we ask, "Do you want to be happier in your life and do you want to learn more?" they say YES!  WOW! One kid Hamada said, "Of course, I want to learn.  I am in middle school, so yes please!" I wish I had a camera on me this week capturing how many times my jaw dropped open in awe at the wonderfulness of what had just happened. It was a lot and I make some pretty funny weird jaw drop faces, that have happy dances that go along with them. 

Natsumi and her mother Kyoko have agreed to take lessons from us as a family!! WHAT! SO happy!  Man I was so doubtful on that one.  I never said any of this out loud but in my head I really didn't think they had interest and I didn't think anything would really come of it but my awesome companion the entire time had so much faith. It was amazing to be humbled and I am so happy now!  HOW GREAT WILL BE YOUR JOY! 

Now with that open headliner of this email, let me tell you about the rest of the week. 

Monday we skyped my companion's family and that was fun!  They seem way awesome and they told me that they loved me and that made me feel good inside...ya that's it.  We were also able to visit Ito Shimai, a less active who I've only met once but we were able to teach her a really good lesson and the spirit really touched her. It was nice and I think she really needed to hear what we had shared with her. 

Tuesday we had lunch with Omae Kyodai and his wife who isn't a member, but someday!  She has had the lessons before and all of the sudden she decided to take us out to eat and were like uhhh... yeah.. okay! So delicious! I don't know why she stopped receiving lessons from missionaries but she seems to like us so I feel like it could turn into something good!  Also she wants to make us food and I am so not opposed.  Along with our service and eikaiwa it was a long cold, windy, frozen, rainy, wet day. Burr. Oh man. So cold. But we pressed on!

We were able to talk with Asami (eternal investigator) after English class and we started talking to her about taking the lessons again we were able to teach to the best of our ability.  We testified and the spirit was really there with us!  BUT ALAS SHE STILL HAS NOT TURNED HER HEART TO GOD!  Man agency is tough....

FRIDAY, because we skipped the other days because there is too much to write in the next five minutes.  We are going to the beach today so not much time but I'm making the best... now only four mins... okay.

Friday we went to visit another less active and she took us out to eat!  She was so kind to us all of the sudden.  We were able to talk and teach her about Nephi and his amazing example (also heads up I really didn't like Nephi before my mission. I thought he was too perfect but not anymore because I really really love him!) It was such a great change that we were able to see in her!  SO happy!  Then we went out and taught more peeps. Like FRANCO!  I love him he, is so good! 

The next day the last day of the year! WOAH! and it was warm!!!! This was the day we got Natsumi and her mother to agree to take lessons from us and then like an hour later another girl just about to start high school said she too wanted to learn more! OH, I can see them all dressed in beautiful, heavenly, white now! 

The next day was Sunday, the new year!!!! YAY! Church was just good! So good! I love my members so much!!!!!!! SO MUCH! 

Miracles every where!!  I love you all!  Thank you so much for the prayers! I KNOW this is the true church and that Jesus Christ is the head of it! 

Love, 

Oswald Sista