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!

Through His life...life in abundance...

Merry Christmas! 

With love and gratitude 

from 

Scott and Angelle

Nate

and Sister Jen in Japan!  

My Dearest Family, 

I love this work, and I love you. I love to look at pictures of you all, and just count myself so blessed to be all wrangled in with you for eternity. You are so all so beautiful, every one of you!  So many accomplished children, who are sprouting up so quickly, it is just such a delight. I have received so many sweet birthday packages and Christmas packages and letters (thank you Grandpa and Grandpa Jan, The Georgia Anderson's, Soulier Fam, and Spen and Rach fam just this week!)  And so many others!! Thanks so much for your thoughtful love, support and prayers! Can I just say I love you all? And happy birthday to all of you who are celebrating in December! So glad to hear that Nate is on the mend after his surgery! :)

We have been reading Jesus the Christ frantically at mealtimes to try to finish by the end of the year, and I think the crowning hope the Savior has for us is just to love each other, to share the gifts He wants so much to give us to lead us back to our Father. Our Heavenly Father wants to bless us so much!

We had (are having) a pretty amazing spiritual experience with our investigator. We have been working for months on that faith bed, through prayer, scriptures, teaching for her--and we taught her the Word of Wisdom this week! I love studying principles again and again, if I am ready to learn, the Lord enlightens my mind with new ways to teach. We taught the Word of Wisdom a little bit to another investigator as well, and I had her put her hand out and close her eyes, I touched it lightly with a pen. She then put on one glove, two glove, three gloves, (blue fish?), and we tried again. She let me know when she could feel it. I touched it probably thirty times, and she said "hai" maybe three. One of the reasons we have these commandments is that we can feel the influence of Heavenly Father, through the Holy Ghost! We get to, throughout our lives and covenants, though we are not perfect, to take off those gloves--and receive that gift. No wonder it is a prerequisite to baptism! In Japan, breaking the Word of Wisdom is culturally.... approved, exalted, more than normal. We taught it to one of our investigators and she said, "But I love alcohol!" "Tea is my hobby!", and yet, she has been living it this week--because that is what Heavenly Father, Her Father has asked her to do. It is pretty incredible to watch these people change (this is Izumikawa San).

 She and two of her boys were able to come to Church for the first time this week, we had 4 investigators there and two others, it was pretty wonderful--just like the Christmas party, where you close your eyes, and just feel Heavenly Father's joy that His children are at His house. WOW. (not a pun for word of wisdom) (Even Ushiroda Shimai came, who we haven't met in a long time, and I sang in Church while Dobson Shimai played... we made a medley of "Away in a Manger" and "He Sent His Son," who knew they were in the same key right?)

So! That is an awesome story, we are teaching her tonight and she is moving right along--it is just such a testament that He knows who is ready. Our Rachel is also just progressing along, she is doing so wonderfully. She is so funny, and she is building such a wonderful relationship with the members. 

In this picture she is with her daughter. She is one of the funniest people I've met, and we are talking about some things from her "Rachel Kyo" (Rachel's Church) doctrine, but her problems go away so quickly. She was meant to come here and feel His love, and she feels it so well and so quickly. The lessons are just exploding out because we want to teach her so much, the Gospel has the answers to those questions. The work is moving right along, even though it is the last week of the transfer. So many other miracles, like an investigator the Elders had who wasn't doing well when we came, but came on Sunday and said he wants to know why we believe personally, and hear more about the Book of Mormon. We went caroling yesterday and it was so fun. Rachel San is also studying English as hard as she can even though she is in her 70s, I wish you could meet all of our investigators. Some other investigators dropped this week--we had two lessons in one day, one where someone testified that they knew that the Book of Mormon was true, and one where they could not accept it.  That is so hard - I know it is true! I love that book. You cannot get away from the witness of the Holy Ghost if you seek it. The fullness of the Gospel has been restored, which matters because of a babe born in a manger in Bethlehem over 2000 years ago. Oh, to sing to our King at this Christmas time. I would like to add my testimony to that in the Doctrine and Covenants 76 "This is the last testimony, that He lives! For we saw Him, on the right hand of God..." I testify that He has prepared a place for us there if we will but exercise our agency and choose to follow Him. This is the biggest adventure in the history of the world--what you are living now--more than movies or video games, all shackles of the biggest truth and adventure: You. Your life. Your experience on earth. Let us use what we have been given and follow our Savior. "For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 8:38-39). My last testimony, too, is that He lives. Our lives we live can be gifts to Him, never to repay as King Benjamin reminds us, but as solemn, wonderful gifts of gratitude and devotion: let us live. As our Savior Jesus Christ has said: "I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly."

My wish for you, my sweet family and friends, is that first you feel that love from Him for you--and then, together, we go forth in sharing that gift so other may live in Him, that we may attain that abundant life together and eternally. (what a message!) I am your companion and servant in this great work, let us go together. I love you all, Merry Christmas--for it is about Him, it is worth celebrating. 

"God be thanked for the matchless gift of His divine Son." -The First Presidency, "The Living Christ"

Love you forever, because of His love,
Sister Anderson

Santa came to the ward party! Isn't he cute?

 I am soooooooooooo spoiled!

 Thanks Dobson Momma!

 Thanks family!

 Christmas town!

 The Takamatsu Shimai, rocking the new looks!

 My gifts from Spencer and Rachel, Ella, Caden, and Claire!  They had my name for the sibling draw! :)

To my Colorado Family: Thanks for the Christmas!! You are so sweet, and your kids are getting so big!! Thank you so much for thinking of me this Christmas season! I LOVE YOU! Love, Sister Jen

 The new mini "hand size" PMG!  

In our humble apartment...

celebrating the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Oh my sweet sweet fam fam fam!!!

What an adventure it is here in the land of Japan! I don't even know where to start in telling you about our week. It's been crazy!

So...

I was asked to bear my testimony in Church this week! I love our ward and the people here. Testifying was so fun! I know that the Lord TRULY does answer prayers. Every day I pray for you sweet fam! I know He hears me, even if it's a little prayer when we are biking in the rain. I miss you so much. Sometimes I just see all of your cute faces, or think about what you would love over here and want so much for you to share in my experiences. I love you! Thanks for being the best family ever. :)

Having that said!! Yesterday was crazy. After I got to speak in Church, one of our investigators came and handed my companion a paper talking about a cultural event that was free to showcase talents... that day next door. (She can beat box!) We went over and ended up singing "I Am a Child of God" in English, and she beatboxed it after. Life can be so surprising sometimes! I never thought I'd see a Sunday standing in front of thirty people, many intercultural but all speaking Japanese, announcing that we were missionaries... (I don't know if we are supposed to do that, I'm probably one of those awkward missionaries!) I never thought I'd be dragged into doing the Tokushima dance Awadori... ha ha. Missionary work is a lot different than I thought it would be. Each day, I just pray that I can follow His will and find those people that are ready to recieve.

As far as miracles, I want to tell you about a few amazing days. One day we got out of our apartment and there was the sweetest, happiest Japenese lady walking two little dogs. (In the MTC, I always wondered why they told you what form of language to speak to dogs in... we thought that was weird. Remember that this lady has dogs, and keep reading.) We invited her to our English class and she came this week. We got to go walking with her, and my companion was telling her we have a message, but I don't think it came out . She looked at us and said "Kikitai!" which is like... "I want to hear!", which preceded, "Oshiete kudasai!" which is like... "Please teach me!" We get to meet with her this week and we are so excited. We really felt as if the Lord had prepared people and we are looking for them... and we really feel blessed to have found this sweet woman of God. She told us in our first meeting that she had a bible and was reading it. This is Tani San! She is so great and bursting with happiness, I can't wait to just give her sweet spirit more, and how it seems like maybe she's on a search she doesn't know that she is on.

As for our Yamamoto's! One is a woman and one is a man. We got to meet Yamamoto Shingo San a few times this week. He is a former investigator (of about 10 years), so it will be interesting to see how his story pans out. This week we asked him to start to read the Book of Mormon again from the beginning, he is very smart and I can't tell yet exactly where his interest is. Whenever we send him a passage to read, he reads it and really enjoys it though. Hopefully he can read this book from God and recognize it as such. I think he can if he wants to. It will be wonderful to see how the Lord can work with this man if he chooses to turn more to Him and accept more light!!

Our other Yamamoto (Miyuki) is doing great. Our lesson with her went well, but we haven't been able to meet with her a lot. I think she is starting to feel more of a difference in her life by learning about God. It was like when I was speaking on Sunday, and I looked out to see the Elder's new investigator in the audience, beaming at me. Later he told the Elder's that from the testimonies, he is starting to believe in God. Tehre is like a pre-step in Japan, and for a lot of the sweet Japanese people it is learning to accept that there is a God. And she is coming!!

We have a few other people that are really informal as of now.... oh yeah, back to the miracles! So that day we walk out and found this sweet Japanese woman standing outside of our apartment, and then we go to visit a member who got out of the hospital. She isn't in, but as we are walking, we say hi to this sweet obachan (grandma). She is excited to see my blonde hair and explains that her daughter lives in Canada. She asks us to walk with her (I think that's how it happened), walking arm in arm and she just keeps saying how HAPPY she is, and how lonely she has been. After our walk around the block, we tell her we will come back and walk again. We just keep finding these people who seem very primed, talking to US, etc. We are excited to go visit her and her sweet family again!

We had a nice, what felt like, interfaith conference with a Jehovah Witness missionary this week. We also found this wonderful park right by where we live! Some places just have a good feeling, like you know you will find people there. There is a big daigaku (university) like 20 mins from our house... and then we find out that there is ANOTHER UNIVERSITY so close to our house, by this pleasant little park!

Let me tell you about my evening last night!
We met the sweetest Catholic grandma who speaks wonderful English, and we had a great chat with her; as well as another older woman walking her dogs one day. We decided to chat with the first lady again, and that was last night. As we chatted, we saw the second lady and she invited us all to her house earnestly. She is super funny. She graduated from the university close and worked there, and told us the first meeting that she only speaks Japanese and she is Buddhist, but she is super funny. So we go to this sweet lady's house, end up with orange juice in front of us, kneeling at this table. It is common to heat something where everyone kneels as far as I can tell; this one has a heater underneath it with thick blankets on the outside... and she LOVES DOGS. She is showing us photo albums and probably every three pages is another row of pictures of her dogs. The picture on the wall is of her dogs. Her dog is under the table getting warm (her dogs are both very nice)... Both of these ladies have such big hearts, and are SO SWEET. I wish and hope we can find a way to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with them! So we are sitting at this very Buddhist, sweet, kind ladies table drinking orange juice, being giving gorumet treats, being given hand made oragami roses that are very difficult... after which we make our own paper cranes from Japanese oragami paper. They are so wonderful and their hearts are so big. I wish I could tell you all about it. I know that God loves every one of His children. We get to walk with them again this week, I hope we can find a way to share what we do with these sweet ladies. We've talked a little bit! I hope and pray that we can find a way to share with them what they aren't sure they are looking for yet... they are so sweet though, and just like our friends. It is truly an incredible experience, and I feel blessed that the Lord is helping us learna little more about the Japanese people and culture.

It's strange, but I told my ward that this feels like home. It is not my home, but it is like my home. It is so hard to describe, but when you are on a mission... it feels like you came home to a home you didn't know you were away from, a different kind of home. I love the sweet people here. I love their beautiful hearts, I love their wonderful honor for good things, I pray each day for the Lord to help us find those who are prepared to hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I know that they are here!

So much more has happened, I wish I had time to tell. We have District Meeting every Wednesday, and it is SO FUN. We get to rent these little bikes and follow our crazy Elders, who are doing tricks, cruising around Takamatsu. We go out to eat after... I could not figure out the menu, so I just went with the Elders (we are the only sisters in the district) and pointed to the same thing. First mistake! you NEVER WOULD HAVE BELIEVED the size of these bowls. There is a huge bowl of rice and a huge bowl of RAMAN with egg and meat... Nate would have LOVED IT! After we are eating for a while (we walked in this restaraunt and everyone's GLASSES FOGGED completely, it was so steamy!)... the sweet waitress brings us scrunchies on a little roll and lets us pick one to TIE OUR HAIR BACK ha ha... living the dream. I swear I was full for so long afterwards! For another 100 yen, you could get ANOTHER bowl of ramen to put in your broth... which the Elders loved and I definitely couldn't eat it in my wildest dreams ha ha.
 
So! That is more or less the work. It is hard work but so rewarding when you get to feel God's love for others.  But I also know that the Lord is preparing wonderful souls to hear the Gospel, who have been primed to learn of all of the wonderful joy ahead of them. I hope this letter makes sense! The work is true! Pray for us like I know you always do. We want to teach so much, I know that the Lord will help us find and teach these wonderfully prepared people.

I LOVE YOU MORE THAN WORDS CAN SAY! I know that the Lord will be with all of us, He always is. Know that the Lord LIVES and loves you!!

With so much more to say and even more love,
Andason Shimai :) (my katakana name)

Letter #6...Almost half way - Japan...I am on my way!!!

Hello to the Sweetest Kazoku in the World!

First off, I want to THANK YOU for all of your love and support. Thank you for your sweet uplifting letters, for filling me in on your children's lives, and for all you do for me. Sometimes I just think about how blessed I am. Sometimes I get a little discouraged, and then one of your letters arrives!!! I truly feel like I have ministering angels around me in my life--and they are from you! THANK YOU SO MUCH my family and friends for your sweet letters. How I love and appreciate you and who you are - I feel blessed to associate with you! :)

Second, I hope this letter gets to you before the ER bill. ha ha. I'm really sorry about the cost, I don't know if I told you that I was having a lot of ear pain last week. I went to the health clinic twice and they said it wasn't infected, but finally on Saturday night it woke me up at 2 in the morning, and I went crying to my roommate sister who is in the nursing program. We went to the counter, and since it was now Sunday, the only option was the ER and they wanted to get me on antibiotics. So! We had an exciting weekend... FYI - the ER beds are remarkably more comfortable than the beds here at the MTC... It turns out, it still doesn't look like it's infected but they have me on antibiotics and I was on ear drops for a while and they have helped. I'm feeling a lot better. I got a blessing from my sweet district Elders where I was promised health throughout my mission, and I know that the Lord is with me. I was blessed with faith and I feel Heavenly Father so close to me. I feel so blessed to have experiences that bring me closer to Him and help build my faith and my reliance on Him. **overall, it wasn't as dramatic as it sounds. As great of a story it is, don't worry too much!  I thought I should keep you in the loop. ;) Also, I got to the pharmacy and they said I don't have insurance... ha ha. What a night. I really hope that gets worked out, I had my card and enough on it to cover it. But guess what! - we almost got into a missionary discussion with the lady next to us at 4 am on a Sunday morning in the pharmacy line. It's too bad her prescription came when it did or we might have had a great referral!  ha ha! :)

Another experience: This week on Saturday the Elders in my district found out I was a little down...so when I came into the room they all stood and sang "There is Sunshine in the Soul" to me.  Whoa! The district leader commenced to announce the meeting, and it was all about me. What????? Everyone in our district went around and told me why they loved me. It was during what was supposed to be weekly planning time, so even our Sensei said some very nice and thoughtful things. At first this was very hard for me to deal with. I am pretty proud and I don't like people to know when I struggle, and I felt very exposed. I don't like attention like this when I am not in control.... despite what my older siblings may think about being in the spotlight... ha ha ;) I was mortified! But at the same time, I felt very blessed. Our district has bonded SO MUCH, and this was SO HUMBLING for me. I know that the Lord only gives us experiences we need to bring us higher! I am so grateful for such a caring district! For all of the Elders to make this much effort made me feel so loved. They truly are wonderful, and the Lord keeps giving me these sweet experiences where I am shown very directly of His love. I am so grateful for Him and for all of these wonderful people!
Our district is like family. I feel so close with them, and it is so fun. We really are all so close now. It is amazing to watch people be buoyed up and minister to each other. I love them, and we truly are all in this together. We have gotten SO CLOSE, and I am so grateful to have the district I do. I truly want the best welfare for all of my district brothers and sisters. What great missionaries they will be!

Elder Nelson and Elder Holland came this week to commemorate the MTC being open for 50 years! The renovations were dedicated by Elder Nelson and it was a really amazing meeting. I got to sing for Apostles of the Lord!!! We sang "Precious Savior, Dear Redeemer," and apparently the camera panned us 3 times. One of my goals even since my younger years was to find ways to glorify the Lord with music. I've been studying the role of our desires, and the effects of our "heart's desires" - and the Lord taught me so much about worthy desires through this experience.

Also, on Sunday it was the Senpai (older group) and Nihonjin senkyoshitachi's last day at the MTC. In the middle of the week last week, one of the sweet sisters came and asked me if I would teach her the "kansha" (lyrics) to "Come Thou Fount." She loves it. Maybe I got carried away, but all of the Shimaitachi (Sisters) ended up with a musical number in church. This was mostly for the Japanese sisters... I hope this was a nice good-bye present for them!! They are so sweet.

For our "maze investigator," we added paper flaps that represent the Gospel of Christ on his "maze of life." For our lesson tomorrow, we are planning to bring a cup of dirt and physically plant a seed, pushing it down with a stick that has flags of "prayer" and "scriptures" and "going to church." He's "coming to church" this week! We love getting commitments, but most of all we are just beginning to LOVE our investigators. The days we get to teach it's a little bit like Christmas! It is just so fun to begin to be led by the Spirit, and we have had wonderful opportunities...and it is wonderful. :)

In other news... the other day I wrote "sanbiga" on the board instead of "sanbika" (hymn)... which was just funny... (just believe me...) When we first came, one of the Elders was blessing all of the pirates instead of his family (kizoku v. kazoku), and we had an Elder praying for about a week for the "tongue of food" instead of "the gift of tonges" (tamemono v. tabemono). Life is a little on the wild side! We got up at five this morning to do our P-day laundry, and there I was wearing my autographed sharpie shirt (with all your names and scary art work on it) thinking of how great you all are. I LOVE THIS WORK, and I am loving learning Japanese... the Lord is SO WITH US! We have been testifying like crazy as a companionship goal (in Japanese), and we stop people all the time to let them hear us. Yesterday our goal was 5 and we met it! Woo woo! THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT and the Lord loves you! I love the scriptures and get personal revelation whenever I read. Really. I love them! I love prayer! Through prayer, Heavenly Father ministers to our needs. Apparently I smile a lot when I pray...just who had their eyes open watching...huh???
Have a wonderful week, and know how much you are loved!! The MTC is becoming more and more WONDERFUL, the Lord truly is with us and I am feeling a peace grow in my life I haven't felt before. I know that He is polishing me for this work.

With all the love I can muster!
Anderson Shimai, the very blessed!

Iesu Kirisuto wa ikirimasu!!!!!!!!

comps!!!

are they like this while in Japan, too???

MTC Letter #5 Full to the brim!!!

Hello to my SWEET KAZOKU!!!! (yasashii!!)

How much I love all of you! I have been overwhelmed at the love and notes I've received each day here at the MTC. How I love you and your sweet inspiration!!! You truly fill my life with joy. I don't think that there has been a day when I haven't had more than one letter. Thank you to my wonderful friends as well... I love hearing from all of you!

What an amazing family I have. Sometimes I think of you and get OVERWHELMED with my blessings! I love you so much, thank you for your support. I know Heavenly Father loves me for sending me to SUCH a wonderful family! I never tell you thank you enough. Thank you. :)

Time FLIES at the MTC (em-tea-shi... Nihongo pronounciation). My English is getting worse and I hope my Japanese if getting better! I had a few requests to share what our days are like... so I have a few things for you this week!

One of our investigators has been a little tough (our teacher!). We had a lesson that didn't go very well, and we were having a super hard time holding his attention. SO! I testify that prayer works, even more than we think. Heavenly Father is so anxious to bless us! The Bible Dictionary says something to the effect that prayer "is a form of work... to bring the highest of blessings that God is willing to bestow but are made conditional on our asking for them." So! With a lot of prayer, we took a different approach from a few inspirational sources. We made a maze out of paper (maybe I was an Aspen Grove and EFY counselor for too long!) out of lined paper. We made a little "Yoshi San" (our investigator) figurine, with a hole atop. The maze didn't have a straight way through, so we had him try it and he got stuck (he is funny and tried to cheat, but we told him it wasn't allowed). Then, we had string and offered it to him (he is "hypothetically" having a hard time with wanting to pray), and we told him that this was like prayer and reading your scriptures. When we face problems, Heavenly Father gives us those tools we need to get to "eien no inochi" (eternal life.... the end of the maze). The Spirit was so strong! I am so grateful that the Lord teaches us through both hard and very sweet experiences. We are working on strengthening his relationship with Heavenly Father like the Bible Dictionary encourages... our whole class is teaching him at different times, it is so fun to be gaining insight from the scriptures and learning how to teach. I love the Gospel and praying for our investigators (even if many of them are our teachers!) It is amazing that love Heavenly Father gifts us as we earnestly seek.

My comp and I were in our classroom for language study, and everyone else was gone... and we were writing on the board in Hiragana. I thought I wrote: "I speak Japanese. I write Japanese. I AM JAPANESE!" I'd written before on the board, "totemo jodan" for something else.... which is like, really, JOKE... but we realized later it had said, "I speak Japanese. I hear in Japanese. I AM JAPAN! Joke." ha ha. There are so many fun times and moments at the MTC!

Two weeks ago we had senkyoshi (missionaries) from JAPAN arrive for their three weeks at the MTC! We have really bonded with the sisters and it has been SO FUN. The other night they came into our room, these sweet, tiny, so polite sister missionaries, to thank us for our friendship, kindness, and for taking the Gospel to their country. They were crying with gratitude. My eyes tear up just remembering it. They gave us gifts of Japanese candy and origami... and this is when they had only known us for a little bit! We asked them their favorite candy (it is so fun to talk to them, but sometimes both sides have no idea what the other side is thinking)... and we found out that they like chocolate! We doorbell ditched their door with chocolate and a note in Japanese. The other morning we awoke to a "heart attacked" door with a chocolate bar taped on it. They are SO FUN. We have had so many experiences laughing together, crying together, and just sharing that we love each other... even when it is hard to find words to get anything else across! It is amazing how the Spirit speaks so strongly and overpoweringly to the heart that we can be such wonderful friends. We will miss them when they return to Japan!

So... they are leaving next week with the missionaries who are finsihing their 12 weeks, and then it is almost our half-way mark! OUR kohai come so soon, and then we will be the next group to leave with the Japanese missionaries that come!

One of the other districts has not been bonding as well as ours, and to help them the other day we made little sacks of M & M's I'd found in the giveaway bin that day.... an almost full bag of new M&M's, it was like a tender mercy for the purpose of this! We made little bags of M&M's and peppermints (thanks Mom!), tied with dental floss, and left a short loving sentence on the board before they got to class the other day. I love doing secret service, and all kinds of service, and anything that brings us closer to the Lord!  I guess that explains why I have been told several times from Elders in my district that I will make a wonderful grandma. On occasion they call me grandma. Its a compliment to me because I love all my grandmas and want to be like them!!! I was also informed that I would make an excellent pioneer woman (this was in reference to positivity....) from two of our Elders last night. The other night, I tried to dry my roommates socks with my blow dryer and we ended up just laughing for 10 minutes while I was having sock drying races and having far too much fun. This is really entertaining if anyone needs ideas.... you know you are at the MTC when your entertainment for the week is drying socks with a blow dryer and your high social point of the week is hanging out in the laundry room on Pday! ;)  

Time is short, and now I have to just share pieces of my heart! The MTC is amazing. The Lord is SO aware of us and so with us, it fills my eyes with tears.

Our days: we teach 5-7 lessons a week typically (including the TRC, which is really fun... we get to teach them as themselves and seek to help them grow from wherever they are!), we prepare a talk in Japanese each week and two missionaries are called by inspiration to bear their testimonies each week, WE LOVE THE TEMPLE! I went this morning and had such incredible feelings, I truly know that the Temple is a sacred place. What beautiful experiences and love Heavenly Father has to offer all of His children! I love being a missionary and being in this place, preparing to share HIS Gospel and His love (the most important thing to establish!) with His children that He loves so much. It is so exciting! We have a lot of class time, eating time, study time, planning time... we love our Sensei's.... one especially is SO GOOD and is really helping us grow, I think my comprehension is growing!  And truly, our district has been blessed. I love it! They are all great.

My brother would consider me officially a good sister missionay, because... I cut my hair today!!He used to say that good sister missionaries don't spend time on high maintenance hair. :) It just bruches my tag with a few layers, just longer than shoulder length. I've arrived! ;)

TIME IS OUT but oh how I love you. I am truly learning to depend on the Lord and Jesus Christ's atonement. I am filled with wonder when I think of His sweet sacrfice and His love. I feel the enabling power of His grace daily, all day, every moment. I thank my Heavenly Father for each moment of supreme joy. It is a privilege to live and experience such a wonderful thing: THE GOSPEL!

Love you forever! God is watching over you and so aware of you, I promise as you turn to Him He will make more of your life than you could ever dream of. :)

Love you Forever!!!!!!! 


Love,
(a full to the brim!) Anderson Shimai  

NOTICE: This email message is for the sole use of the intended recipient(s) and may contain confidential and privileged information. Any unauthorized review, use, disclosure or distribution is prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient, please contact the sender by reply email and destroy all copies of the original message.