Earthquakes and Promises

Dearest Family,

 

So many amazing things in my life as a missionary! We were surprised on Saturday morning to an earthquake alarm going off on our phone, and huge megaphones saying, "This is an earthquake." I shook my companions shoulder gently and said, "We need to get up Sister, thee is an earthquake." I think that missionary work has prepared me to handle more gracefully the panics that must come with motherhood. Last night, we were riding in the poring rain for 30 minutes, and I just laughed and laughed. It was so funny and so wet! We both forgot our rain coats. It was a pretty great sight. I actually felt like for the first time in over a year, I'd gone swimming!! So great, and really foreign ha ha. (The earthquake alarms were intense but we didn't really feel the earthquake here, it was in a part of the mission that used to be in my zone while in Akashi called Sumoto... we are all safe! Thank you for your concern.)

Conference was so wonderful, wasn't it? There are two things I am really touched with. One is the fact that we are here on earth to gain experience. We will have desperately hard times, happy times, lonely times--because that is what we are here to do, so we can "prize the good." But, we do not have to face them alone. Because Jesus Christ came to earth and experienced  every joy, sadness, loneliness, we too can rejoice in experience, and really feel it, whatever feeling it is, and turn to Him. He is so amazing. I read this morning about the Savior being the only one, "from a mortal mother and immortal father... who could voluntarily lay down His life and take it up again." (Elder Nelson from this month's Liahona) Isn't that incredible? Our Savior was the only one born who didn't have to die, and yet did because it meant that we could then choose to live with God again, and our families. The second one is just about the eternal nature of families. I was so impressed at Conference at the joy that comes in family, the work it does take, and the incredible blessing my family is. I thought of you, sweet people, and the influence you have had in my life. I had a lot of individual thank you's, but this is for all of YOU. I love you so much!

 

Our beautiful investigators... Some of them are starting to weed out a little more, to the ones who are willing to act and meet with us, and the ones who had just been meeting with the sister missionaries before. We have been meeting Hino Shimai a lot, and had a wonderful lesson about the Spirit, one of the best we've had. She had said when we watched "Finding Faith in Christ" that she had a warm feeling inside. So for the lesson on the Spirit, we brought a big blanket, and almost put it on a few times, and then put it all around her to show what the companionship of the Holy Ghost is like and what it feels like. It was a fun lesson! She came to all of Conference, and Melody and Sayuri also came. This nice less-active walked into listen to conference and the members did not recognize him because he hasn't been to church for so long. We will make sure he comes back! I just wonder how many people there are like that in the world, who aren't thought about a lot and still want to come to Church, still love their Savior, but are staying away.  If they were just invited, given callings, hugged and invited to the second row to listen, how "at home" they would feel and how they secretly, in their hearts, want to return. Isn't that exciting! It is like the most serious treasure hunt in the world - the treasure hunt for souls, and it is precious. They need us. I've realized what a completely different member of the Church I hope to be when I get home. Missions change your membership forever. Members are NEEDED so much and they feel a role that we can't as missionaries if we want our investigators to stay. Their ties must be strongest with the ward. They need members and the service you all have to offer. Spend your time working on their salvation, going and finding those sheep! We need every lost one. (is my plea!) And it is the sweetest work in the world - bring souls to Jesus Christ who loves them.

 

I love this work. I feel so inadequate, but I think in the right degree, it is a component of the work. I realized again this week at interviews and training that I do NOT have the power to change a heart by myself. It doesn't matter how amazing my teaching skills might be, or if I have six flip charts and eight videos - what matters is that we find out what they need from the Spirit and teach them, with the spirit IN us. That was something we discussed in training from Ether's example.  "And he could not be restrained, for the Spirit of the Lord which was in Him." My prayers have changed this week. I want the Spirit IN me. I love the Spirit so much. I am grateful for this tool. We cannot, cannot, cannot strive to do this work alone - it will be empty. But by relying on the Lord, going slow enough to feel those promptings, with the faith of a mustard seed, as Elder Holland so beautifully taught this week, we can work miracles in bringing our brothers and sisters home. What a privilege! Every Sunday meeting is a family meeting, and who is missing there? Our less-active friends, families? Our neighbors who haven't heard? We should share the Gospel because we love it, like a life-vest in open sea, or a mask in a dangerous wind storm - it saves! We, of course, love and respect agency but do EVERYTHING IN OUR POWER with the Lord to help them.  We have a lot of power if it is with Him. He is amazing! We have all of the tools we need to be successful missionaries, spouses, friends, visiting teachers, home teachers, members, and active participants in helping others on their walk to salvation. What is needed is not a perfect understanding of all things, or even a perfect US. We need to be perfectly reliant on HIM, and He has the "being perfect" part of the equation covered. What is asked for, and I know this through my mission here in Japan, is a heart of love for the people, and to work harder we've ever worked before. It is daily repentance, devotion, picking up and always keeping going. I think that is the definition of heart, might, mind and strength to me. It depends on where our hearts are in the right place then our feet will be moving in the right direction. We will be effective instruments in His hands, for it is His work. Amen!!!!

 

I love you all so much, and rejoice to be having this earthly experience with you. Whether you are in pouring rain or an earthquake on the other side of the world, or the only thing quaking is a little piece of your heart, like Elder Holland encouraged -trust Him. If our whole heart can muster just that flame, ignite that. Flame that in others. We have that power.

 

I love you, and delight to be your fellow servant!  There is no place I would rather be in my journey through mortality than in the vineyard of my divine, resurrected Lord. I never want to leave that place. This commitment is longer than a few plane rides, or even exits and entrances to life. This is our destiny and privilege. 

 

Love, your missionary in Japan,

Sister Anderson

Report from the mission president:

6.0 Earthquake Near Kobe by Richard Zinke We were awakened by an earthquake this morning at about 5:30.  Everyone is fine and there seems to be no damage of any significance.  It was centered about 25 miles south of Kobe. We have a couple of Japanese sister missionaries just a few miles from the epicenter serving in the Sumoto Branch.  They called within a few minutes of the quake.  They reported that they were fine and that some church members were with them already.  They were nervously laughing with the members.  A lot of things in their apartment had fallen off shelves but nothing was broken. The sisters were a little shaken and began running to the mountains in their PJs in case of a tsunami. After a bit of clean-up they dressed and went to assist some members at their homes. Today and tomorrow the saints here gather to see General Conference broadcast at the stake centers, wards and branches. A media report is attached below. Strong quake in Japan but no major damage reported April 12, 2013 05:41 PM EST |  TOKYO — Japan's Meteorological Agency says a magnitude-6 quake has struck near the southwestern city of Kobe, but public broadcaster NHK reports there is no major damage and no tsunami alert has been issued. The quake hit at 5:33 a.m. Saturday and was centered on Awaji Island, just south of Kobe, the agency and NHK said. It struck at a depth of 10 kilometers (6 miles). The quake was centered near the same area where a magnitude-7.2 quake killed more than 6,400 people in 1995.

 

 

The Japan Kobe Missionaries - true disciples every one!

Mission Conference!!!

I LOVE YOU SO MUCH FAMILY!!!

Wow - you are so special to me. I get pictures and I can't believe how everyone has grown!! It is so fun to see. Happy birthday to all of you who celebrated lately! Thanks for the letters and all the support!!!! I love you so much!

This week has been so wonderful. We have 10 investigators right now that we are working with, and they are all at such different phases--most of them, probably all, at the very, very beginning stages of learning the gospel still. It is so fun to have the chance to teach them, and still an interesting challenge to be new in this area, and working with everyone and still new as companions, but it is fun and SO GREAT!!!!!


This week was Hina Matsuri, a special celebration only for woman (especially girls) to get good health for the year. One of our investigators brought us this gift! They are so cute. They have little food for everything. I will send you the king and queen (traditional) picture! 

These are hina matsuri treats, cute right?! I love Japan!

This is Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ's work. It is so wonderful to be in their service. The meeting as a mission (taikai) was more than AMAZING! Elder Tad R. Callister came and taught and inspired all of us! So wonderful! I was filled to the brim with love for each of my sweet comrades in this work.  How I love all my comps - past and present!!! It was so fun to see everyone including my awesome cousin Elder Lythgoe! We have an INCREDIBLE mission of true disciples. President Zinke and Elder Callister talked about the atonement, and about being a consecrated missionary. When we sang our mission theme song as our beloved leaders walked in, the tears could not be stopped. There was so much power in the room, evidence yet again of the presence of the Spirit and the unity of the Japan, Kobe mission in teaching of the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. 

And what a work it is! "The standard of truth has been erected... the truth will go forward boldly, nobly, undefeated .. until the Great Jehovah shall say, 'The work is done.'"

I love you so much. I know that the Savior wants us to feel that joy in each of our lives, and the biggest joy is to SHARE HIS GOSPEL! It truly is. This life is so much about the people we help. We talked about joy in one of the talks at the conference, and it just kept coming back to me as everyone was saying what reasons WE have to rejoice, that the privilege to share the gospel and help OTHERS is the work of my Savior and yours, and it is powerfully, masterfully, undoubtedly, true.

I love you!! We also talked about the spirit as evidence of the healing process taking place in people's lives, and in being forgiven--isn't that amazing?! We are too blessed NOT to do missionary work. I used to think i wanted to just stay in bed for a week after I got home from my mission...and just think of myself - haha...but my heart is so full of love for mankind that I just want to keep up the pace, and serve in whatever place my Heavenly Father puts me. Can you believe the goodness of this work?

I love you sweeties!

Love, Sister Anderson

Chocolates from our neighbor, who we are starting to teach!

 I love my companion! Twins in matching yellow. ha ha.

Fire in my bones...

Ritsurin Koen in Takamatsu

To the Sweetest Family in the Entire World--

I AM ON A MISSION!!! Right now! It's Christmas Eve! (or Christmas month eve). I love you all so much! Wow - what a big week at home!  Birthdays, parties, ordinations, and Marissa's  baptism. Not to mention all the mission calls!  I am so excited for Lindsay and Emmy - please tell them! And Drew Hunt, too. Let me know when Brandon and Jeni get their calls. Thanks for the pics and congratulations to everyone! What joy!!!

This week was AWESOME. Our investigators are so incredible. We had an amazing Zone Taikai yesterday, and a Zone Meeting on Friday where I got to see Cousin Elder Lythgoe again! So great! We are so full of dendo fire and haven't had that much time to do much more than attend lately!  It has been so amazing though. I was so spiritually fed!! The training we received was so incredible. The theme was about "remembering..." President said he didn't want us to learn anything new, but to remember (and apply). It was so good for me. I felt my missionary purpose sink deep into my heart. I felt the Spirit. I love the Spirit! 

Today the wind knocked over our bikes at the dollar store after we'd brought groceries and some things got a little squished and... cracked the eggs... ha ha.

The investigator that came to church was the ten year old daughter of the investigator family that is deaf. They sent her with the neighbor, and it was so great to see them come in! She and her little sister came. They were to leave right before Sacrament meeting ended to be home on time. We were able to send a little note home with them (with help from the member) for the family, pass her a little card with an attached note of how to pray, somehow get little treats, little notes for each of them. The Lord is so great. I definitely am making a "mom bag" for Church as we are preparing, praying, and hoping our sweet investigator families can come! Any great ideas sisters and mom? We got some stuff today that I think will work great. 

The Lord truly knows His sheep. We had another experience this week where we were walking in a quiet neighborhood and this young lady was walking down the street out of nowhere. She was going to work and we chatted for a bit, and said we could share a message with her. We have an appointment this week. Isn't the Lord so amazing? I count so many of my lucky stars when I think that I get to be on a mission, and that I get to serve my fellow men, and then I get counting again when I get to be in this incredible, obedient mission. It is amazing. I love Japan, I love the Saints, I love their respect, I love their sweet, giving souls. I love Heavenly Father's part of the vineyard here. It's amazing how the Lord just makes a spot in your heart for a place you didn't even know before, you know?

So, our Preparation Day became today because of the taikai yesterday... and here we are! We went to Ritsurin Koen today, it is famous in Japan and everyone said we had to go if we lived in Takamatsu. We will include some pics next week! We went today with our incredible investigator Ushiroda Shimai. She is so wonderful, and has no daughters, so she is becoming (one of) our Japanese moms. She is so great!! Her lessons were SO AMAZING this week. She taught the Gospel of Christ back to us perfectly. It is SO FUN to see someone have it CLICK so much, so quickly. She is alight with the Spirit of the Lord. Her family is a little against the idea of church, we want so much to help them! Pray for us to find a way into their hearts. We had a miracle this week. The mission united in praying and fasting, specifically, by name, for those with opposed family members... and right after, a heart was softened, a mother said her son could be baptized, and she wanted to hear more. The Lord prepared them in a situation where they were asked if they would like to receive Priesthood blessings, and after she received one she said he could be baptized, and called the Elders later to ask to hear more!!!!!

I am so amazed at the Lord and His goodness. I wonder how often we live under our privileges! I am amazed at His bounty, and how He keeps reclaiming us back. THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT WORK IN THE HISTORY OF THE WORLD! An Elder shared yesterday a quote from Elder Eyring stating (in part) that we should have NOTHING LEFT by the ends of our missions, that we will need to be taken home in an ambulance from the plane—and I want to be that much more dedicated. I am so happy! I love my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ so much. I have been thinking a lot about how to explain that to my brothers and sisters here. Simply put, the Savior provided a way so that we could return home to our Heavenly Father. He suffered for our pains, sins, and death. We can become new through Him. Something comes alive in my heart when I think of Him. Our wonderful Zone Leaders are so inspired, and we are reading Jesus the Christ as a zone now. I want to testify that I know He lives. He can heal broken hearts...heal us.He is alive and well and “needs volunteers.” Mom and Dad, get the ambulance ready!! ha ha. This really is the best work in the entire world. We are shaping history today, in the eons of time this is the work that will be in books to be told in future councils. I love it! I am imperfect, but I am a disciple of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I will be His witness whenever and always, and as He calls on me.

So, I just would love to share with you everything, to plop you down in our cultural hall in Takamatsu and have you listen and feel the Spirit of this great work, hear of the miracles, see the beaming faces of those teaching us these last few days, and feel Heavenly Father in His Church. I know this Church is run by Jesus Christ at the head. Wow! Our commission IS “above the kings of the earth,” like Elder McConkie says. I don't want to go home. I don't want to be done. I want to save souls, to tell them how they can feel that balm. I love Jesus Christ! I love Him so much. I love my sweet brothers and sisters in Japan. I wish you could know them. I wish you could see the little man in his eighties that comes and sits on the front row, who can hardly hear or read, but comes every week to pass the Sacrament because he made a promise with God. There are so many stories like that here! 

There is a fire in our mission, a fire in my bones, to find those who are ready. I am so grateful that my brothers and sisters are patient with my Japanese. I am so grateful to be born of goodly parents. I am so grateful, like Elder Holland says, that I have something to give, that I have "more mission in me." This is the best work in the ENTIRE WORLD. It is a privilege and hardly a sacrifice to leave things behind, but I want to sacrifice! I am giving my all to this work.  We have this life TO GIVE, and give 100%, and a little extra. I love my God. I love my Redeemer. I am so grateful He has saved me from death, from the pains of "heck."  I love you all! I am so grateful to be a missionary at this time and in this dispensation. 

I love you fam! Thanks for your examples. I got to sing at taikai yesterday! Way fun, but the Spirit was so strong, standing there I knew the Lord's love and my inadequacies and how purely I wanted to rededicate myself to His service. I am so grateful to still have time in this beautiful country. I want to “Let [my] light so shine," teach people of Him - for it is His light, and keep witnessing miracles!

Have a great week, sending prayers for everyone and especially those who were in the hurricane's path.

Love forever,
Sister Anderson

Sister Jen's cousin Lindsay Castleton...
"Feeling extremely blessed to have been called to serve in the Chile Vina del Mar mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints! Leaving January 16th."

Sister Jen's dear friend and ours - Drew Hunt...

"I don't even know what to think right now, but I'm soooooooooooooooooooo excited to announce I have been called to serve in the Mexico, Culiacan mission!!!:) And I report to the MTC February 20th~:)"

Here is a note form the last post:

Sister Jen's cousin Emmy Anderson's mission call:

Sister Anderson, You are hereby called to serve a missionary of The Church of 

Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. You are assigned to labor in the 

France Paris Mission. 

Sister Jen's niece. Marissa, (daughter of Angeli and Evan Child) got baptized November 3rd!

Sister Jen's nephew Joseph (son to Jana and Jeff Christensen) turned twelve  

on Nov. 1st and was ordained a deacon November 3rd.

Quincy Warne (Sister Jen's first cousin once removed) was ordained a deacon November 4th!  This pic is of Quincy and Joseph.

                                         

Sister Jen's nephew Eli (son of Angeli and Evan Child), turned twelve on November 1st and was ordained a deacon on November 4th.

 Sister Jen's nephew, Coy Christensen (our oldest grand child), turned 18 on November 2nd.

And...Sister Jen's Aunt Crys had a birthdaythis last week, too!

Did we miss any other relatives????  Very fun and busy week!

Miracles happen!

So...many of you know that our son, Nate, is in Asia.

We could almost hear the ecstatic scream half way around the world as he set foot on beloved Japanese soil!

He has been looking forward to returning to his ol' stompin' grounds for over six years! About that long ago, he played drums in a jazz band that performed at Universal Studios Japan. He was living in the boundaries of Jen's mission for a year. She even visited him when he was there! 

This trip, Nate will also visit Korea - the land of his mission.

And yes...the nice people at the airport allowed him to check his garbage can drum set! 

He worked for weeks to build a portable set that he could carry, pull, store extra items in, set up anywhere, and still be within airline luggage checking limits...not to mention one from which  he could make music! We nicknamed him "Maurice" (from Disney's Beauty and the Beast - haha, and only because Nate kept calling himself crazy! What an invention - complete with attached plastic buckets, a cymbal, bass pedal, foot tambourine, etc.!  He sits on a bucket to play the set, which is also stored inside the Rubbermaid garbage can/drum. You can see from the pic that his garbage can set is labeled with his name (right side up to transport, and upside down for when it is a drum). Amazing, right? Nate said he is glad he put padlocks on the lid to keep it shut (and protect the innards) - because people keep trying to put trash in it! :) You can see  more pics of his adventures on Face Book.

On May 9, Nate and his friend Yuri rented a car and took a morning road trip from Osaka to Tokushima. 

...and look who they found there!!!

Nate had contacted Sister Jen's mission president who gave him permission to see her!!! 

His report:

She is doing great and her Japanese speaking skills are fantastic - really doing well speaking this complicated language!  We are so grateful all this worked out, and these two kids of ours got to see each other half-way around the world from their home in Bluffdale!  

Miracles do happen...

On Mother's day (Monday in Japan)

we Skyped (sound only) our sweet missionary and had a glorious conversation - clear as a bell - another miracle!

The conversation included:

Souliers in California

Andersons in Colorado

Andersons in Georgia

Nate in Korea

And her Utah Sibs and Family

From our conversation we learned:

Sister Jen sleeps on a futon and hangs her clothes on a clothesline to dry.  

Her apartment has a washer and a shower.

She studies for about four hours each day.

Her legs are really strong from biking two or more hours every day.

She can not see the ocean from where she lives, but there is a beautiful river nearby.

The rainstorms in Japan can be fierce - the windows of her apartment rattle!

The strangest food she has eaten is octopus.

There are wonderful people who take good care of the missionaries.

That the Japanese language is hard for her to speak but she is getting better at it!  The   

         nieces and nephews told her that the "Madgab Game" she challenged them to do (see 

         letter on May 1st) is hard to figure out - so they know she is doing amazingly well  

         learning Japanese!

She was on TV the other day answering a question about Japanese food.

She prays a lot!

Sister Jen loves her mission and is so grateful for all the love and support!!!

When we were trying to make the call and were having some difficulty, I emailed the mission president's wife, Sister Zinke. When the call went through to Sister Jen, I let her know that we worked it out. Here is her reply:

Dear Andersons,

I am so glad that you were able to figure it out!  She is such a sweetheart...we love her so much!  We are grateful for her cheerful service!  Hope your day was wonderful.

Love,

Sister Zinke

To my beloved fam!!

HELLO from the other side of the world!! This is your daughter reporting here, from her first area in... Japan... in...

TOKUSHIMA!!!!!!!!!!!!! We are on the Shikoku island down south and it is AWESOME. There is so much to say, its hard to know where to start... plus the keyboards are a little different here, which makes it a little harder to start... ha ha.

My first day in Japan, the trainers were out and we wanted to go streeting. I grabbed the two sisters waiting for the interviews and off we went! Luckily, one of our sweet sisters was Japanese, and wow that helps a lot... mostly we just walked around and looked at people, holding our little pass alongs and shaking ha ha! That was our first experience streeting in Japan.

                                                                         Kobe

So, I will tell you about a few experiences, the first one which I think will amuse you. (funny stories first, salad before meat and dessert)

On our first full day in Tokushima, we attended a potential investigator's English class with her. So picture a bright pink room. Now put pictures of kittens and fish on the walls. Add a little bright music and ten Japanese women learning English from a teacher that studied in Britain. Stick me in there, on my first day in the field, trying to speak Japanese and English... and realizing that, unbeknownst to me, I can't speak English either!! ha ha. Stick us in front of them on two seats, asking them questions in English... I don't know how from their persistent urging they found out my first name though I thought I explained that we go by sister, and why they didn't ask my companion, or why somehow I got a few lines of "my heart will go on" out in sheer horror because the teacher kept begging me to sing with her... ha ha. For a while I don't know if they knew what I spoke! But, the Lord is always with us and helping us, and hard days and good days are both SO GREAT for what we learn. The bike... I ordered a bike that should be here Wednesday, so the one I am riding is on loan. They call these bikes "mamachari"s because they have a basket and a low bar, made specially for mom's who take their kids around, do the grocery shopping, etc. I'm on this mamachari riding my bike when I catch sight of myself... I'm on my teal mamachari with a big basket, wearing my coat unbuttoned and it is flapping in the wind, with my big white bike helmet on, and a skirt that looks suddenly very much like a tablecloth. I had to just start laughing... I've never looked so much like a witch in my life!

Enough about me! The ward is wonderful. They BUY US OUR FOOD here in Tokushima, and I get to bear my testimony in Church next week! I got to pray a few times at Church... and sometimes the little kids laugh when you pray ha ha... but I love it. I felt just like I was at home in Tokushima, I didn't feel strange... which is weird to me. I just feel so at home here, like it is familiar, and I love it! It's a little like Salt Lake City with a little safer streets mixed with huge stones and beautiful parks and huge green mountains... typical Japan rugged beauty. It's a city, so it's not on the edge or the coast.... ah I just love it! I can feel that there are souls being prepared to hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ here. Every person we talk to who says they don't want to listen, every person who turns away is one person closer to those prepared we are looking for. I feel them here, and I am undeniably full of hope. It is SO FUN to get to talk about the Gospel.  

So, on Saturday night we had game night. A former investigator came named Yamamoto San, and he wanted to learn to pray in English. My companion did most of the teaching, but after when we were back with everyone, she asked him a question about a scripture she'd given him. We were talking to him about it when another potential investigator came in. As she greeted her, I had the privilege of teaching him. I've never felt Heavenly Father so with me, though He is always with me. I felt like the words I said, especially looking back, were His words. He speaks excellent English, so I got to teach him in English. It progressed naturally to the introduction to the Book of Mormon. After reading it, he looked up at me and said: "How do I know?" I knew he was talking about the promises we'd read and asked me about proof. I got to turn with him to Moroni 10:3-5 and testify to him that the proof was the Book of Mormon. He wants to meet with us again this week to discuss "this book." I know that this promise is true for ANY that want to seek, that we truly can read the Book of Mormon and find out about the validity of the Book of Mormon and that this is Jesus Christ's church, if we but ask. What a miracle! I sincerely hope and pray that he will read!! We have another investigator names Yamamoto San who came to Church. She is very sweet and we get to teach her and have dinner with her tonight! There is a university here in Tokushima and that makes me so excited. I love the university students, and feel blessed to be in a place they have a university... I think I just love the youth so much. Even talking at a stoplight the other day, I know that so many of these sweet people are being prepared... whether they know it or not!

So Thursday we got our assignments... we had a wonderful testimony meeting on Wednesday night with our doki (group we came with). I got my companion and my area.... we stand up and President opens a letter dramatically and announces it and our trainer comes up to get a picture with us! My trainer is Sister Uyema and she is super nice! I feel like with all of the wonderful members and already wonderful people we are starting to teach, we are only going uphill. I feel so blessed abnd can just FEEL that we are on the berge of miracles here in Tokushima. Welcome home!

On our new program (also we have an hour to write... so my emails will probably be a little longer and fluffier, I'm sorry about that!)... we study for a little bit longer for the first 12 weeks. We don't get out of the house until roughly after lunch, it's a long time to study, but everything comes to an end! Now we can just appreciate it and get extra training from our companion to prepare for an even greater STORM of missionary work! It is so great though. I thought I would feel stressed, a sense of urgency in a sense of almost panic, of finding prepared people. But I think that the Spirit works a little differently. I feel so at peace, and just WANT to work, but feel at peace that the Lord will lead us to them, or lead them to us (a PMG idea!). It is so great, and doesn't de-motivate me at all, but it makes the work SO FUN. We just get to go out and do our best everyday, and the Lord will help us... it's a sweet peaceful feeling.

So, on the upside (or down), I've never been so sore from biking in my life! We biked an hour one way the other day to drop something off at an investigators house. BUT IT'S AWESOME. There is nowhere else I'd rather be, the Lord is so with us. I know that He is in my life so much and we are living a miracle, right now. We are living on the threshold of miracles every day of our lives. I testify to you that is true! We can live in the present... it is here and now, and the Lord will guide our tomorrows. Mmmm so good. They think I am quite genki here in Japan ha ha.

I LOVE the Japanese people. I just want all of them to come to know their Savior, Jesus Christ. If they only knew, and they are so good. But I also rest with a sweet peace that even when they turn away, maybe they will be prepared at another time. Maybe it will foster something in their hearts that may take years to bloom; a simple thought that may come back to them.

I was thinking of Auntie Sue... she would love Japan! I'm still getting accustomed, but MAN the presentation of food here is amazing. When Sister Zinke pulled out tiny spoons and bowls, I knew I had come home (all those years eating from tiny bowls just cuz I liked them has paid off! Maybe I'm more Japanese than I thought...) The ward had a potluck for members that were leaving. and we got to stay with our investigators... I love this place and how much they love food. They bring out beautiful tiny sandwiches and tiny treats along with traditional noodles, rice, etc... and some other dishes. AHHHHHH...love it! Excited to see more of that in the future... ha ha. Also you will see moms with two or three kids biking... one on front, back, and often in a front pack they are wearing or dads walking with a child in the park... it is so fun. The parks are BEAUTIFUL here! We met such a fun couple walking in the park and they are going to come to English class - I felt like we were friends so fast. :) And it made me feel like I was at home with all of the fun couples that are in my life! Thank you, fun couples.

All right, enough of that. The work is true and it is SO FUN to be here! I promise you that there are missionary opportunities you can find if you seek them, you are all so good at that. The Church is true and I promise that it makes us happy... with a deep, lasting happiness beyond what we know.

LOVE IT. Love the Kobe mission. Love this work. Even when all you can do is put your bike in first gear and keep pedaling! (it's kind of like enduring to the end, huh? ha ha) LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVEEEEEEEEEEEEE ITTTTTTTTTTTTT. And my health is good Mom. :)

Love you! The Gospel is the best gift, never be afraid to share something so wonderful. I LOVE YOU ALL!

Love,

Anderson Shimai, officially in Japan

MMMMMMMMMMM misionary work is good!                                                           

We all got up early and hiked up Rokko mountain behind the mission home to see a view of Kobe, and as Sister Zinke said, "Get a feel for how many millions of people are in the Japan Kobe Mission!"

 At the airport in Osaka...

 Signing the True Disciple Quilt...

 Waiting to interview with the mission president...

 Testimony meeting (I was in this very room when I came to Japan before!)

Click here for more images of TOKUSHIMA, JAPAN where Sister Jen is serving...

Tokushima (徳島市 Tokushima-shi?) is the capital city of Tokushima Prefecture on Shikoku island in Japan.

As of May 1, 2011, the city had an estimated population of 263,372, with 114,325 households, and a population density of 1,377.25 persons per km². Its total area is 191.23 km².

The city is situated in the north-eastern part of Tokushima prefecture at the mouth of the Yoshino River. In terms of layout and organization, Tokushima displays the typical characteristics of a Japanese castle town.

Tokushima was developed under the Hachisuka clan. Its prosperity was built on a strong indigo dye industry.

Every August, during the Obon Festival, Tokushima holds a cultural dance festival, the Awa Odori. Awa Odori literally translates as "Awa Dance" (Awa being Tokushima prefecture's ancient name). During the festival, residents ranging from young children to professional dance troupes perform a distinctive style of Japanese traditional dance in regional costumes, accompanied by strings, drums, and singing (usually by the dancers themselves).

The modern city of Tokushima was founded on October 1, 1889. At the time, it was the 10th largest city in Japan.

The city is served by Tokushima Airport (recently renamed to Awa Odori Airport), in nearby Matsushige.