We are part of a wonderful work!

Dearest Family,

So! Not a lot new here--yet. Lots of wonderful learning that I want to apply so much this week! I love a new week. It's like something good and clean in a new light, still the same life, but all washed full with Tide and ready to be put on with experience. It is a wonderful work!!! Thank you so much for your prayers for those we are teaching! I really know as we continue to pray, the Lord's work is perfect--and His sheep will be gathered. I love this work - the Takamatsu Sisters will not give up on anyone!

How blessed we are! I marvel at the goodness of my Father in Heaven letting me come to this beautiful place, to serve such wonderful people. There are so many challenges, but there is no way that I could have learned the lessons He is teaching me any other way. When I am facing something hard, something that is trying, I can rejoice in the goodness of God and remember that Jesus Christ experienced EVERY trying thing--so that we could experience life, and so we can return triumphant through Him. Isn't it amazing, our Father's plan?

We had a baptism on Sunday! Isono Kyodai was baptized!

His is a really interesting case, so it wasn't a normal baptism and we actually haven't taught him a ton. But, Sunday, he entered the waters of baptism. It was neat to see him, who is always in dark dark clothes, in his beautiful white clothes--even if his smile wasn't there. I think about how Heavenly Father wants that for us--we who are sometimes scowling, in our habits and such. He looks at us and smiles because He sees what we can become. I know He loves us!

We are part of a wonderful work!! This is the final work before our very Savior and Redeemer comes to earth again. It is so precious. The missionary force is increasing!  What could be better?  In our mission next July (after I am home) there are going to be 11 new sisters coming in one transfer! President Zinke has told us that there may even be more!  All the sister missionaries who are still out will need to be trainers for the new sisters! They will be amazing!

I love you! Rejoice in our sweet Savior this week--He loves you so much. He wants you to look into the future, clothed in new-ness, prepared to go forth shaking off yesterday--one step forward to the possibilities of a rich eternity. How He loves us. And how I love you! Thank you sweet people, you are in my heart. 

The work is TRUE!
Love, a blessed Sister Anderson

PS  The new MTC program sounds incredible, the Lord is "hastening His work in the latter-days"... I think it will be so good!

 Cold weather has hit us! Gotta love it!!!

Akemashite o medeto gozaimasu! (Happy New Year!)

Tashibu fufu, one of the incredibly faithful couples in our ward

To announce... we are staying! 

Dearest, Beloved Kazoku!!!

You are so great. I sure love you. I can't believe how fast and slow time is ticking, time is so weird on your mission. We have had an incredible week. 7 of our investigators came to church this week... and did I tell you, we are sinking on our roots for transfer #4 together as the Takamatsu Sisters! ha ha. No transfer!!!! I LOVE BEING SISTER DOBSON'S COMP!!! WE LOVE IT HERE!

Things are going so well though. Izumikawa San (our beautiful, golden contact who we love so much) is moving forward to her baptismal date on the 20th, and her cute 8 year old is doing so well. One of the boys hasn't been able to come to church yet, so he can't make that date, but we are rooting for them. They are so cute. We made quiet books for them and the other kids that come to church!

We taught a "walk through" plan of salvation and the Gospel of Christ, complete with backpacks and compasses (receiving the Gift of the Holy Ghost). They loved it! We had another pretty amazing miracle. The first deaf family we met, the mother has had a hard time coming to Church and really progressing. We put her name on the mission fasting list this month - praying that she would come to Church. But Heavenly Father knew what we would be praying for even before the actual prayers, and guess what?! The faith of our mission helped--after Church started, Haruka Chan (her cute 9 year old) walked in, towing her sweet mom for her first time coming to our Church. It's a miracle!!  

We have miracles every day. I can't tell you how blessed I am to be in this area, and how much I love it. I LOVE BEAUTIFUL TAKAMATSU AND I LOVE YOU.

Sunrise from our apartment window...

Sunset from our apartment window...

We are all on our quest of discipleship. We show every day how we honor our Savior. What a privilege to live! Shogatsu was this week as well, it is like the Christmas of America as far as big-ness. Everything shut down from Tuesday-Thursday and people are with their families. They go to the shrines and pray. A few members had us over for traditional food, it was so much fun!

Miracles, miracles, miracles. We think there is a way this sweet lady in our ward who is really old and probably has a little dementia can be baptized. Her son is so happy. Haruka Chan bore her testimony in Church, even though I'm not quite sure how much she understood about testimonies... most of it was about her skiing trip. haha...oh, well. Watching our beautiful investigators, sitting in that chapel...what a privilege to be a missionary!

Did I tell you I love you? I hope you all have a happy and heavenly new year!

The work is true! Onward, upward, and outward--in showing our love for Him. It is His work, and I testify with all of my heart that it is true!

Sister Anderson

 Here is Yoshiko Shimai who we taught in Akashi.  She got baptized!!!!!

Yummy!

  

The work is sooooooo good!

Dear Family,

AHHH! I love you so much! Are you having a great day? What did you do this morning? Did you have cereal for breakfast? So fun to hear more about Christmas and the celebrations! Happy birthday Spencer Roger and congrats on your ordination today! Congrats to Scott on becoming an Eagle Scout! You both are getting so tall! Sounds like so much fun with Hwasung there and Spen and Rach and the kiddos. I am so happy to hear that you are hobbling around without crutches Nate. You rock Pooks! Give everyone hugs from me. :)

Life is so sweet. There are always unexpected things, but it's just as Heavenly Father wants as long as we are just going on the path. It's so amazing! I love the Gospel. I love teaching it, reading it, I love prayer. I love teaching my investigators. I learn so much when I am teaching! I feel like I am the one being taught so much. I still feel so “osanai”, so young in the Gospel...I know I don't even have a grasp of what we have and yet, I love it so much!! WE HAVE THE GOSPEL OF THE ETERNAL GOD ON THE EARTH. Isn't that amazing? I loved studying about it this morning.

So, transfers come on a Wednesday this week, so I have no idea where we'll be next week! (I'm putting in some o-negai's for staying in Takamatsu...) Izumikawa San is looking great. She is doing so well. She and all of her cute boys came to Church on Sunday!!! Ahhh. Such a great feeling. This Gospel is meant for families. It is amazing to see the Spirit work in someone's lives. This mission has taught me so much that it's not ME, not me changing them—I just get to, as our President says “set the table for the guests”--our investigator, the Holy Ghost, and us. The most important ones at the feast are the Holy Ghost and our investigator!! It has been so neat for me to see the change in Izumikawa San's life. We went to our lesson last week and Dobson Shimai said, “she has such a light! She looks so different!” I am so humbled and amazed that Heavenly Father lets us do this work. It truly won't fail. My missionary friends, you can do it. No matter how skilled or unskilled you feel—it is the Lord's power, and He is all powerful. This will be the most wonderful adventure of your life.

So, we have a transfer next month that is only 4 weeks to accommodate all of the missionaries coming into the field. Our capacity is about 140 right now as a mission (for missionaries), it is projected to eventually be up to 250!!!(President was saying... that means, everyone get ready to train! Ha ha.) Our coming home date will be moved up 3 weeks, which means our new date is June 7. (I will be home for Father's day! Isn't that weird and fun?!) Something else wonderful, Yoshiko San got baptized in Akashi yesterday!! My district leader from the MTC is the missionary there who baptized her. :) Isn't that great! Rekimoto San (who got baptized when we were there) is now blessing and passing the Sacrament, and another investigator is moving towards her baptismal date there. The field is RICH. The work is GOOD. It really is about losing yourself and focusing on Him.

I love you!! Try to find a way to PUT ON THE GOSPEL TODAY! It's the best.
Love,
Sister Anderson

We had a Christmas taikai and sang the 12 days of Christmas .. this is the partridge in a pear tree. ha ha

 Christmas gifts to give away... the best kind!

Pray lots. Work hard. See miracles. Eat Chocolate!

Greetings from your missionary in beautiful Akashi!

You asked what a typical day is like for me. SO BUSY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We get up, exercise, shower, breakfast, study... seek revelation, prepare for teaching investigators, eat lunch, hit the streets on our bikes while trying to keep our skirts from flying up in the wind. haha. Teach a lesson (hopefully!) Seek revelation where to go next and go - knocking on door after door  to try to find those seeking truth...every working day. Pray lots. See miracles. Eat. Pray more. Go to bed. :) There you have it in a nutshell! And...I love it!

Wow, my sweet family. I love you so, so much. Happy birthday 誕生日おめでと to all of you who have one this month - I hope you have fun celebrating! Thank you for the letters, packages, and prayers. I could never be grateful enough for my wonderful family and friends! Thanks for the very fun package Child fam - loved it!!!

Thanks so much for everything you all do for me - I love you! I wish I could show you all of the wonderful parts of dendo (missionary work). Like the other day, walking out of the park from a lesson, seeing a PI (potential investigator) who we have been calling to come to Eikaiwa for like 2 months (who I've met once) who stopped us to talk, and was actually able to come to the baptism on Sunday!! The baptism was a man whose door we knocked on my first transfer in Akashi.  His body is partially paralyzed. We visited once more (with a different companion) just to ask if we could send the Elders to visit him. He didn't really want the Book of Mormon. We were able to pass him to the Elders, and they taught him. This week he was baptized into The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It was such a neat meeting. Even Kaicho (President) came!

Other things this week... there have been so many wonderful days. Sometimes we just fall into our beds at night we are so tired. It is so great. It is so fun to be thinking and studying and seeking ways to bring Heavenly Father's children to a knowledge of His Gospel. We got a challenge from our leaders to contact all of our potential investigators before a certain day, and we were doing that. We went to this random store where this lady worked, but she wasn't working. As we were leaving, (we bought some chocolate to check out and see if she was there and... to eat!).  Eating our chocolate, we went to grab a drink. This other lady was eating ice cream by the vending machine, and we started talking. She asked us to come visit her anytime! She is a housewife and not doing anything (in her words) and asked for a paper with a map of the church on it, and said she would come to Church with her husband this week or next... have we even told her about our church yet? awesome! the Lord is preparing His children. It is so amazing that they are out there, and though we spend a lot of time talking to people who aren't interested, we hang onto hope and faith that there are people who are ready to accept the truth here, in Akashi, and it keeps us going. And we go! We've been so busy, it is the best way to be in the service of the Lord.

I started reading Jesus the Christ again this week, and it felt like going home. I love that. I love those experiences. Heaven is so close, my sweet fam. We are on the verge of miracles. That is Heavenly Father's love, just pouring through the cracks of our separation. I love you!

We taught a lesson this week about the Restoration but employed more of what President Zinke had taught about teaching the Restoration to the beautiful people of Japan. We talked about how Heavenly Father called Joseph Smith by name. Our investigator seemed so surprised when we told her that He knows her name. We who have grown up with the truth sometimes forget how precious it is. Yes, he does know each of us! And he hears every prayer, anytime we pray, in our hearts or out loud. There's not a certain time of day or time where if we miss it, when He won't listen. Isn't that amazing? I love Heavenly Father so much. I got His beautiful guidance IN a lesson to help our investigator understand. It just left me in awe of His glory. Oh, our Heavenly Father and our Savior! Oh, how this work is amazing. My sweet family. I do nothing of myself. We all cannot do it alone. I know that my Redeemer lives, how I love His majesty and glory. My sweet, sweet family, what a gift it is to know the truth. 

I got a letter from Grandma Jan this week!! I loved it so much, I put it in my journal. Thank you Grammie!! Thanks to all of you sweet people who have been writing! You are all so wonderful. Thank you for your time and thoughtfulness - it means so much to me and helps me soooooo much - you don't even know!

I felt this week a lot about trust as well. WOW I LOVE REVELATION. I love this Church! I probably forget to tell you what we've done in our weeks because I just get writing my testimony and it keeps bursting out. I love this Church. I love the SPIRIT. I love Heavenly Father. I am amazed at how the Spirit can lift us up. I know Heavenly Father blesses us with experiences so that we can help others.

I don't know what I did before I came. haha!  have all of these random, disjointed memories but the time just flows here, it goes so fast! AH! Oh, it is so great. To anyone thinking of serving a mission: DO IT. The Lord will bless you, but more than that--we are too blessed. We are way too blessed. Our brothers and sisters are starving for this Gospel. The Lord will shape you and hone you and it will hurt, but it will be the best thing you've ever done. You will learn lessons you couldn't learn any other way. He will push you, but never too much. I know you can do it, sweet missionary-thinking friends. GO! You will LOVE IT, experience a joy deeper than you've ever felt before, learn to live as you never have before. (Probably, my awesome brothers knew this when they went. Thanks for your examples Spen, Jon, Nate! Dad, thank you for your example! And all you other returned missionaries in my life...) I want to become the kind of teacher who teaches with the Holy Ghost to help my investigators REMEMBER. As President Packer says in PMG, "we are making touch with the light of Christ that is already there. The Gospel will have a familiar 'ring' to them."

We got to sing at Rekimoto San's baptism. Our Zone Leader played the pin flute and I started out singing "Praise to the Man," just us and the Zone Leaders! It was really fun. Life is so PURE, life is so rich. Heavenly Father put us on earth to learn, grow, and prepare to return. This is the best experience ever. You know those moments where you are riding a roller coaster (or... a jet stream boat in New Zealand! Yeah baby! ha ha)... things like that, and then the peaceful moments like being in a boat on a calm lake (Jon and Kristy's backyard!)...its all part of the plan for us, all for a purpose that I think is simple, really. What a blessing to experience it all! We are living it! So awesome...

I love you folks! Thank you for everything! You are so precious to me, and so eternally precious to Him. I love you all! YOU ARE ALL WONDERFUL!!!

Love,
Sister Anderson

Also, yesterday we made banana bread to try to take to a dinner appointment and... we were like, why is this so moist? We keep cooking it and it is not getting any less moist... and I was telling my comp the ingredients, sugar, eggs, flour... wait. Flour? Ha ha ha ha! I will attach a pic. We decided that we would rather have the "gift of tongues" than the gift of baking. :)

my Doki (people i came with...) all serving as trainers now.

 Met at trainer/trainee training (that's a lot of train in one sentence)!

Zone conference in August

Note from Sister Jen's mom:

I thought it might be fun to include some comments from Sister Dobson:

I got assigned to be with the genki-est missionary in Kobe. Actually probably in all of Japan. Anderson Shimai is just the greatest!!! She is from Bluffdale and is the youngest of 7 kids. We are on flipped ends of the family cycle [oldest, youngest]. She was at BYU studying a conglomeration of things before the mission. She`s still not exactly sure what she wants to do.

She has been here in Japan since March, and is as courageous as a Lion when it comes to dendoing (proselyting). 

... I`m way way WAY excited to be with Anderson Shimai. I think she is just what I need to learn how to become a great missionary. 

The ward members here are great! They are all very nice and supportive. When they met me on Sunday they kept saying that Anderson Shimai and I have the same `environment` - the direct translation. We act a lot alike I guess. To me, that was a huge compliment. I want to be able to emulate some of the love and joy that Anderson Shimai has.

...Anderson Shimai is very funny. She is very good at being happy all the time. She never has anything negative to say about missionary work. She has an awesome can do attitude that can be hard to keep up with. She is good at listening when I have a hard day.  She`s really good at seeing the bright side of things. 

Pics of the two of them when they first met.

These pics are from Sister Zinke's blog of the sweet missionaries and their families who cook for some of the zone conferences  - so darling and so giving! 

So cute! Love the aprons...

Flowers in my rice, Akashi Ads, and good news!

Konichiwa minasan! Watashi wa Andason Shimai desu! ha ha. 
Welcome to a short filler on... Akashi Advertisements! (wait... I think that's the
wrong headline...wrong button!)
So! I live in Akashi, in Japan. I talk to people who speak Japanese. A

lady we stopped the other day said I was the first Gaijin Onesan (foreigner...) 
her son had met . It is so great. This week when we were housing a lady 
stopped US and asked us to visit her friend! It's so great that she recognized 
us as people who could help. The work is good. Our investigators are a little 
up and down, but coming. Kana Chan is actually a little sick, so her baptism is really important. We got to talk to her Mom (I got to meet her mom) last night, and I think
she will support her in keeping the Word of Wisdom. We have our last
real lesson with her tonight (PMG lesson). 


Kana Chan (age 11)

We have 2 other investigators working towards baptism. One we met with 
this week we had a maze lesson... that I actually did in Oakrest and stole the
idea! (a rope and the "Holy Ghost" helping, at the beginning after you
raise your hand the helper comes... the end is a room with a picture
of the Savior... so iu kanji) More "experience" lessons will help our
investigators "feel" more we think. 


Shimaitaikai (women's conference) was great. (we did our ansho! It was a little stumbly but we made it! Yeah D&C 4! I definitely was up early still trying to memorize. 
I know that the Lord really helps His servants!) At the conference all of the sisters made a lamb, that was the theme...and talked about the virtue of sisters! I guess I don't like things where I have to do the same thing over and over again, like I was supposed to do to make this sheep, so my companion finished him for me... she is so nice! My sheep is George on the left sitting on his ball of yarn. . ha ha. President asked us to rise up to the virtues we know we have, they had a great list. 

Yesterday we had Stake Conference, but it was broadcast to the saints from the
states... and President Uchtdorf and Elder Oaks spoke! It was so
great. Whenever I hear talk about the youth, I get so excited. I've
probably written that in my journal like 6 times recently, how much I
love the youth and want to work with them! The rising generation
really is the future of the Church in Japan. So great! It was cool
because President Uchtdorf held up a temple recommend and the new
FTSOY (For the  Strength of Youth) book, and commented that they are about the same size. He promised that the standards in there would help the youth get to the temple. I wanted to write our youth (my buddies!!!) and tell them the value of following these standards... and to get a FTSOY book and remember to follow these standards. A lot about commandments also, and the rescue of less-actives. So great.


We ate with a member this week, and she prepared such a yummy meal with all sorts of dishes! I'll send a pic. So sweet. We had sakura rice... which actually has
flowers in it...and a lot of other great things. Who knew???

All of the spiritual feeding must occasionally have some really good physical food... (which happens a lot in Japan). Afterwards, my comp told me we can't visit her often because she goes all out and she doesn't have very much money. So sweet.


And! At Shimaitakikai I found out that our sweet investigator got permission from her mom to be baptized!!! Yes! I was so excited. 
This gospel is miraculous. I feel so often that I am just a simple teacher, but He 
is the master teacher. I feel privileged to get to bear His message. He is miraculous 
and the work is true!


Love until next time, 
Andason Shimai 


And, I love you you sweet fam!!!
You are so great, every one! Press on and rejoice in the work... how
he wants us to be happy! :)


Getting crafty in the kitchen to take some treats around!

We saw this truck with a truck. So funny.

Wow, can I just say... Dad looks great in a captain's suit! And

his beautiful ship wife! (ha ha. what do you call a captain's wife...)
So fun! How fun to spread the joy of the gospel. What lucky young adults 
to have you as leaders!


Note from Sister Jen's mom:
Here is the picture of which she writes, and an explanation...

Scott is the second counselor in the Riverton, Utah Young Single Adult Stake, and has many opportunities for fun service in this calling.  He was asked to pull together a "Summit" (conference/activity) for the stake and one other stake.  It did come together due to much diligence and a lot of help...and it happened this week-end. Approximately 1500 young adults gathered at the Jordan Institute of Religion and the adjacent Salt Lake Community College South Campus for a "Cruise" complete with "EFY" young adults leading group games, amazing entertainment (including Jessie Clark Funk, Susan Gray, Josephine Scere, Polynesian Dancers, and the Nate Anderson Trio), spiritual nourishment (including Sherrie Dew and John Bytheway), an incredible luau, and a dance.  Scott dressed the part of the "ship captain" and did his thing. Thanks for the hat, Laura! The Summit ended with a Sunday night fireside at the tabernacle in SLC featuring a YSA choir, a speaker (Dan Clark), and his daughter, McCall who sang some solos and a duet with David Osmond (who also did a solo), and a choir. Such a great event!  Thanks to all who helped!!!


From the mission president's blog (address is on the side bar)

We attended a baptism Sunday.   This one was for a young married couple from China.  They are here doing post-graduate work at one of the universities in Kobe, Japan.


They were introduced to the church by one of their professors who is from Venezuela.


They were taught the gospel by a New Zealander from Australia and an American.  


At the baptismal service the opening prayer was given by a young man who was just baptized last week.  He, too, is from China.  There was a talk given by an elder from Brazil.  The chorister was Japanese.  The pianist was American,  and the congregation included saints from England, The Philippines, USA, Brazil, China, Australia and Japan.  Quite a little meeting of the United Nations!


Heavenly Father truly does love all his children.  The prophecies of the gospel reaching every nation on earth are rapidly being fulfilled.  I know of almost no other place in the world, other than in this church, where a simple, modest baptismal service like this one could take place with participants from such a vast array of countries and appear relatively normal.  The Church of Jesus Christ takes the Savior's admonition to, "Go ye into all the world..." seriously.  The fruits are sweet, aren't they?

Hard...but rewarding...and fun and funny! Sending love!

My fam!!

Wow, so much has happened and it's so hard to remember everything at that moment when you are looking blankly at a moniter screen... ha ha!
Today we walked in the Church and the Elders took a call on the Church phone announcing that the Church would be receiving flowers!! It was so funny. They came and I had a photo shoot while my comp was writing. I almost decided to pretend that they were from one of our investigators... It's funny because they are HUGE!!!

Also, I looked over at the kiosk that is always there with pamphlets, Morumon Sho, etc... and then I saw him. Santa was dressed in yellow, hiding behind a Book of Mormon, throwing a wink!! It was so funny, I laughed for so long. I guess he hangs out in Japan in the off-season. The other Elders and my companion were like... what??! ha ha. I will send you a picture of him. Seriously...where did this random pic come from? Santa!!
Wow how I love you all! Thank you so much for your thoughts and letters, I feel like I truly came to one of the best homes in the world. Thank you for raising me right Mom, Dad, siblings, uncles, aunts, Grandmas, Grandpas, neices, nephews, and everyone else I love so much. How much easier you make this beautiful time on Earth! I just love you all so much, I can't even take it. I know the Lord expects a lot of me because He sent me to such a wonderful crew like you. It looks like the kids are getting bigger and having fun! The pics I saw of Mook and Coy looked like they were 7 feet tall (are they?!?!?)... and also the computer may have stretched them. Ha ha! I think not. Eli, Isaac, Annie, Joseph, Spen, Hyrum, Brigham, Marissa, Derek, etc etc etc from the pic I saw - you all look so grown up!! I love you all so much. I hope that all my nieces and nephews will remember all the aunt dates, phone calls, parties, visits, letters, and memories...and take all that love I have for you, zwink it into tiny atom form, and carry it in your pocket for these 14 months. I love you!!

Having that said, missionary work is HARD but so rewarding. Wow, the Elder's investigator was baptized this week (Morishige San to iu) on Saturday. My comp was a little under the weather with a kaze (cold), so I ended up singing the Primary song, "I Like to Look for Rainbows" all by myself in Japanese at his baptism! ha ha. I was looking down at the music the whole time trying to make sure the hiragana was right... ha. Wow it was so neat to see the light that was in his eyes after he was baptized. It is so fun to see this change for him, knowing a month ago he didn't believe in God...and seeing the light that has come into his life, and his courage to follow Jesus Christ - it is so incredible. I know that Heavenly Father looks at that infinite potential in all of us, and loves every part of us. I know through Him we can do great things, through the gift of His Beloved, Incredible Son. I want to learn to follow the Savior's example a little more each day. How I love Him! In President's training plan for this month, he talked about how Satan will jump all over any negative thought we have to influence us as missionaries. I know that the antidote is Jesus Christ. His beautiful, sinless life means that I can continually grow, learn, and be imperfect now. How priceless was His ransom, how infinite His love! I love Him so much and pray to see the beautiful people of Japan more as He does, to learn to teach them as He would.

...wasn't Sotaikai (conference) AMAZING?! Wow. It felt so short, watching those talks. Like a funnel of personal revelation for myself and others! I used to feel like a talk wasn't for me at the beginning sometimes and not get as much from it... but it's amazing, no matter the content I felt like it was all gold and for me and the ones I love! I love watching Conference as a missionary. I thought of all of you and your sweet examples! Thanks to all my married siblings for raising your families and being the people you are. You deserve the biggest tribute of fanfares and pom-poms, and yet each day you just continue living your beautiful lives continually and steadily following Him. How much I admire and look up to you! What would it be like if we could share that light? I'm so proud of all of your successes, triumphs, and who you are. Each day you triumph as you teach your beautiful kids. Nate...you are included in that too. I love you!

Fun stories: This week when streeting, we'd been talking to this girl for a while and it was wrapping up, and I just wanted to bear my testimony to her. I didn't know why, but I had a small feeling that I should. I asked her in broken Japanese if before she left, if I could share my feelings. (ha ha!) I started in, trusting and hoping in something good. Book of Mormon messages started popping out of my mouth. wow... My companion then taught her about prayer and we prayed with her, right there in the park. She started asking some insightful questions about Christianity and Christian churches, and we gave her the Book of Mormon. She asked if she needed to return it and we said no...It's a gift! It was so amazing to see her go from almost leaving, to accepting the Book of Mormon. I was so excited for her. At least now she had some thing to go on, and she had somewhere to turn. I told her again before she left that she could know this Church was true if she read the Book of Mormon, and prayed to know.

I had my own experience with the Book of Mormon last night. As I opened to read, I started again in 1 Nephi. As I read, I received revelation, right there in 1 Nephi 2. It is amazing that that little book has so much power. I know that it changes my life, each day I read it and heed its counsels. Friends and family, will you read from The Book of Mormon each day? I know as you do you will come closer to Him, and that is what I pray for you each day. I love you!

Another time this week, this lady we passed pulled out her ipod earbuds when she saw us. We were crossing the street and she as crossing, so I was keeping a tab on her. I'm riding slow...so she's right behind me, and sure enough I hear, "Sumimasen!", and she's asking if we have Eikaiwa (English conversation class). As we are talking, she asks a long question that ends with "...dekiru? Nandemo dekiru?" As she had been talking about Church, I nodded and said, "Dekiru. Nandemo dekiru." She looked surprised but I was answering with a lot of confidence.... only to find out she was asking if we could teach her kids private English lessons, and I'm saying,"Yes. We can do anything." ha ha ha. She asked if they could come to Church though! She got confused and thought Sotaikai (conference) was Eikaiwa this weekend, so she showed up with her daughter... ha ha. They are really excited about Eikaiwa though, and both super nice.

Dakara... mmm.... We met with some less-actives this week, one of which is THE FUNNIEST grandma named Ono Shimai. We love her! I don't know how she got us wearing her hats and glasses and taking pictures with her, and she knows some... fancy English words... but talked so much about how her heart was happy. She came to the baptism and it was SO GREAT to see her there. We were just laughing and laughing.

We got to have dinner with our other older friends this week, and at the end of the meal, they look at each other and say that they want to treat us today. It was like a six course meal with limitless bread continually brought out to us. It is so Japanese, the Japanese people are always GIVING. They are so, so good and so good to us.


Hoka ni? Sakura season is here and it is BEAUTIFUL. We got to go with a member and an investigator this week to have lunch, share a message, and see the flowers. Isn't this incredible?

The work is true! When we follow small promptings, miraculous things happen. I know that the Lord is watching over us and is aware of us. My first koukan (exchange) is tomorrow!  I'm going up to Akashi for a few days!  

Onward and upward!


Love you forever,
Andason Shimai