A Mexican Thanksgiving

My comp is from New Mexico so naturally her and I share a love for
Mexican food. She recently received a package with green chiles in it.
So we reeaaallly wanted to make something Mexican. So the sweet
American family in our ward went to Costco bought us 40 tortillas, a
huge thing of Salsa, and a block of cheese. They couldn't find any
tortilla chips so they gave us some of theirs!!! People are the best.
Transfers are on thanksgiving so we are planning on eati as much of
that before then.
This week was awesome! We had zone conference and stake conference.
Got to her from President Nakatsuka like 12 times. Needless to say it
was the best and he is a man of God.
In Stake Conference he shared the story of Naaman, who was a leper and
was told by the prophet Elisha to wash 7 times in the river Jordan.
Naaman wasn't about that but his servant asked him, if Naaman had been
asked to do some great task would he do it? Then why not something
simple?
Sometimes I am a lot like Naaman. The gospel is so simple, we just
have to humble ourselves enough to see it is the best thing for us.
Loooove that story. My ponderizing scripture this week comes from 2
Kings 5:13.
A less active member we have been visiting a lot came to Stake
Conference! She said she wasn't going to so we were really surprised
when we saw her there. MIRACLE.
I can't believe it is almost December! I have loved working in Moiwa
with Sister Zollinger. I'm sad we won't be together anymore but she
has taught me so much!
I have so much to be thankful for! I hope we can all take a moment
this week and remember all the good God has given us.
I love you all!
Kempner 姉妹

The Sweet Potato Truck

I never ate sweet potatoes before the mission. But, boy do I eat them
now. There is a truck and it drives around the streets of Hokkaido
playing this impossible to understand song selling sweet potatoes that
were cooked by the sweet potato Angels. Only come around in the
winter. I've been hitting it down my whole mission. And last week it
decided to park itself outside our apartment. So naturally Zollinger
Shimai and I barrel down the stairs and buy ourselves some goodness
and enjoy it as we walked to our investigators.
Anyway! Last Monday we had a double zone activity. We played lots of
sports. Sports to not bring out the best in me... We also had ZTM
where I stumbled through my hour long workshop of teaching about
Christ.
I also got to go on splits twice this week. The first split was to
Otaru with Yoshimura Shimai. It is this little town right on the
ocean. The hills are killer on a bike, but I would live there in a
heartbeat! I also got to go on Splits with Milne Shimai. I feel so
blessed to be able to go on so many splits and work with so many
people and meet tons of members and investigators. I know I have been
given this opportunity because there is so much for me to learn from
everyone!
We fasted this week as an area to be able to find investigators. We
found 3. One is super strong and is looking for religion right now.
Prayer and fasting is real people.
Also dyed my hair. It went a little darker than expected. I guess I
just want to be Japanese.
We met an investigator named Mitobe San last night. It was a little
early but we talked to her about Christmas. She told us how she thinks
about Joseph and how hard that must have been on him and what her
husband would think about something like that... Super funny. Plus she
said she has been reading the Book of Mormon. It is a slow process but
I really love her!
I hope you guys all have a great week. love you all!
Kempner Shimai

Oh my ponderizing scripture for this week is Jacob 5:71 all about
laboring with the Lord in His vineyard.

For every door you knock there is a baptism in Brazil

These are the very wise words a member in my ward told me. So I will
keep doing my part here so people can find the gospel in Brazil.
This week we had Mission Leader Conference. It was suuuuper great
because I was able to spend the night with Cooper Shimai and Free
Shimai. Plus MLC was of course very spiritual. And we went to the
Temple. It is soooo close to being done. But I probably won't see it
as a missionary. Dang it.
I also got to go on splits with Chambers Shimai Moshe is a suuuuper
good missionary!
I really don't have much this week. But tomorrow I have to give a
workshop. In front of my whole zone. In Japanese. For an hour. Please
pray for me.
Love you all have a great week!

November equals Christmas

Well actually if we are being honest we have been playing Christmas
music since July.
Here are some highlights from my week.
Made a baptismal date. Her mom told us if we came back she would call
the police. So we had to cancel that.
Went on splits with my dendo granddaughter. She is the best. She is a
killer missionary.
Went out and worked with a member after church and she blew us out of
the water. She was stopping people in the middle of the street it was
awesome.
Also got fed by a member. She used to be in the food business so that was fun!
Had a Halloween party. Lots of people came. My district dressed up
like Mexicans. No clue why but the pictures are good.
I love you all and I can't believe it is already November!
Shout out to my Grandma and Jentry. Happy Birthday!

It's Coming!

Well, it snowed. It's gone already, but it snowed. It's coming. The
winter that gives us claim to being the "Frozen Chosen". It's coming.
But, I'm excited about it!
This week was good and of course fast. Here are some highlights. The
ones I can remember anyway. Seriously I can't remember what happened.
Monday- found a house full of people from America and England. They
weren't interested, but it was way cool!
Wednesday- visited a member. She gave us waaaay to many treats. But, I
left her house happy.
Thursday- had dinner with a member and the elders. She invited her
friend over who got baptized because she introduced him to the
missionaries when she got baptized. She is an awesome missionary.
Saturday we got two new investigators wahooooo!
And Sunday of course is great because the church is true and I love this Ward.
I can't believe it is already Halloween, but happy Halloween.
Love you all. have a good week!

Kempner Shimai

Shout out to my trainer who got married this week. Woop woop!

Be Happy! ALWAYS

This week we got transfer calls! And I'm staying in Moiwa with my
sweet bean Zollier Shimai. Our ZL became AP so he gave us our transfer
calls, but usually we get them from the APs so I didn't believe him.
Thought he was just joking, but nope it was real. A little
anticlimactic.
So Friday we had the opportunity to dendo with a member who is leaving
for her mission in November. It was way fun! Unfortunately they two
people we wanted to meet were busy, so we did a lot of finding! But
before we met up with the member we stopped this cute Grandma on the
street. And, she just starts talking to us in English and telling us
how she is 80 and starts reciting her favorite poems. It was adorable.
Then she asked why we came and missions and we told her because this
gospel makes us so happy. She says "yes, I see it in your eyes. You
look So happy!" As she was leaving she just kind of shout to us "Be
happy Always!" It made our day. This gospel really is what brings us
happiness and people can see that!
Saturday we went out to dinner with Mari Chan a recent convert then
had an awesome lesson about prayer with an investigator Mitobe San.
She was kind of closed off at the beginning but know she is really
open to us and always starts the lesson on her own.
We decided as missionaries to feed the bishop and his wife. So we sent
the elders to get stuff and we receive a call from the grocery store
asking what needs to be bought for salad... They actually ended up
making a good salad though! It was really fun though to work together
and show our love and appreciation for the bishop. And now they
invited us over to their house to feed us. It is crazy. No matter how
hard you try to give away you always get more.
I love you all and hope you have a great week!
Kempner Shimai

Love, the essence of EVERYTHING

And another one bites the dust. One more week gooooone! But what a good week!
Tuesday we had ZTM and somehow I got thrown into a musical number that
morning. #stillcantsing. Our district leader and one of our ZLs
decided to take on an eating challenge after the meeting. It was
disgusting.
Wednesday we conquered a mountain in order to decorate the little
American girl on our ward's bedroom for her birthday. Ya, that was
rough. If you don't have gears on your bike you end up walking.
Thursday we were graced by the presence of a tsunami. It wasn't as bad
as other parts of Japan, but whoa was the wind blowing. So walking
around in that was quite the adventure.
Friday, after being fed by a member at a very fancy all you can eat
hotel buffet, we went to try and contact a referral we had received.
She is by far one of the most energetic grandmas I have ever met. She
talked our ear off for 45 minutes. But, it was a miracle that we
actually found the shop where she works and that she actually talked
to us! We also tried, as missionaries, to start our own FHE for
investigators and members and stuff. The turn out was pretty small,
but that is how these things start and I think it will take off!
Saturday and Sunday were crazy good because of General Conference of
course! It is amazing to see how God calls His servants and how the
Spirit of Revelation works through them. And also to see how it works
through us when our prayers and questions are answered. Man I just
love conference! I am so sad it is my last one as a missionary!
Sunday evening we were fed by the cutest little family, the Domons.
They also invited over two other families one of which was the new
American family, the Tulls. It was so cool to see the boundaries of
language and culture transcend as we all tried to communicate with one
another. It was just a really beautiful evening full of so much love!
Love can overcome any obstacle.
I am so thankful to be serving here in Japan. I have fallen in love
with this place and with these people. I love sharing the gospel and I
know that it is true. I love you all and hope you have a great week!
Love Kempner Shimai