Thanksgiving, Dog Cafe`s, Curry, and a baptism make Kempner Shimai a Happy Missionary!‏

What a week!

This week was pretty good! On Monday the Single Adults put on this quiz game thing. I`m not really sure. But, we all went into a room and had to solve puzzles in order to escape Babylon. I`m sure it was more exciting than that, but it was all in Japanese so needless to say I was of no help! But, two of our investigators came and the really liked it!

Tuesday we went on splits with the Sister Training Leaders. I was with the cutest little Japanese sister, but I was really nervous because I can`t speak Japanese and I had no idea where to go. But, somehow we communicated and navigated the streets of Obihiro! Splits are awesome, you always learn so much.

Oh, HAPPY THANKSGIVING last week... So I have a really great mom who sent us a package full of instant things like potatoes and stuffing and strange bagged chicken. So, that night we had a feast! It was really fun to be so American in Japan.

Saturday this sweet little grandma in our ward, Doyama Shimai, invited us to her house for her birthday. She made us really yummy curry and I just want to put her in my bike basket and take her home!

So, we have been teaching this little girl in our ward. Her family are all members, and she is only 8, but her parents wanted her to hear the lessons from the missionaries before she got baptized. So we taught her. But, she got baptized and sunday and it was almost like having our own baptism, almost.

We had to drop 11 investigators this week! It was really hard, but no one was progressing or make commitments so we needed to let them go and try and find those who are prepared and ready to hear the gospel. We are still working with a lot of people, but now we have finding time which is kind of exciting! The Lord always provides a way, especially when we are doing His work!

I hope you all have a really good week!

Oh, and Happy December!!!

I know thanksgiving has passed, but I encourage all of you to read President Uchtdorf`s talk Grateful in any Circumstance. Or something like that. It is golden

 

Thanksgiving package from the most amazing mom ever!!

Christmas decoration from home.

A beautiful glittery nativity scene.

Such yummy food here.

Our Bounteous meal!!

Koharu Chan and friend at the dog café.

splits with the Sister Training Leaders

The Beautiful Doyama Shimai.

Tsubaki Chan and her Family. I think Japanese families take the cake for being the cutest!

My cute companion on Thanksgiving.

 

A Blast to the Past!!

This week was awesome!

We went to Sapporo for Zone Conference. It was sooo good! Everything that was said was exactly what I needed to hear. Crazy how that happens! Unfortunatley we were late getting there (we are always getting lost and late) and my heels started to bleed while trying to find the church. Oh, the adventures of a mission! Our mission president gave an awesome talk about love! You learn so much about love on a mission!

But, I was able to see Cooper Shimai at the train station, and Adams Shimai is in my zone so I got to sit by her during conference! Also I stayed in Yugawa Shimai`s apartment, so it was just a little blast to the past!

It is also beginning to look a lot like Christmas. Just in our apartment mostly. We listen to a lot of Christmas music and make far too many snowflakes. But, I love it!

Saturday, we got to go clean an old folks home. It was really fun! Then that eveing we went to Elder Neilson and Fa`alafua`s inestigator`s baptism! They are really killing it!

Well, there isn`t much to say this week. BUt, I love you all and hope you have a great week!

 

I am taking this baby home with me

With Cooper Shimai at the train station (MTC companions)

With Adams Shimai, (MTC companions)

 

`We really focus on failing`‏

Ohiogozaimasu!

So sometimes you go and get curry and nan with your district. The nan is huge right? And sometimes and elder eats 7 of them! It was ridiculous. That same day you also chase crows through the Japanese forest and meet a bunch of people from the Netherlands. Oh, the life of a missionary.

 

It is also freezing here. Apparently in Obihiro we dont get a ton of snow, it just gets really cold. So wahoo! I had to break out my huge winter coat.

 

We had a really awesome team up lesson with a Sister in our ward. I also had to read a scripture during the lesson. Let me tell you, it was rough. But, this sweet investigator is so prepared! I am really excited for her! We showed her how to use the BOM to answer questions and she told us that the questions we asked were the questions she had, so I think she will really dive into it now!

 

We also got to go to a Young Womens activity. It was really fun and we ate delicious gyozas! The Young Women were so cute. And I still cant speak japanese. Instead of telling them my ward really focused on personal progress and told them my ward really focused on failing. So that was awesome. But, luckily my companion cleared it up for everyone.

 

That's all I got this week. Being a missionary is so cool! I am seeing peoples lives being changed through the BOM and through our Savior. I wouldn`t change it for the world!

 

 

We welcome people who come to church. Today many people felt their love.

Today's Mission Coordination Meeting. Our missionaries has been working hard to prepare their investigators for the baptism. Our discussion is so spiritual because they share their special experiences with each other.

It's a Small Small World

Nakamura Family invited all the young women and Sisters in our ward to their house and had dinner and many interesting activities. They made gyoza, which is Chinese food and is like Lasagna. Sisters said,"They are cute." Sister Nakamura found through the conversation with Sister Kempner that she were serving in the same mission as Sister Kempner's father was in the same period. Her name before marriage was Sister Shimizu Ryoko. Sorry, Sister Nakamura took this picture. It means she is not in this picture.

I still can`t speak Japanese‏

Well I will be honest. Email time is stressful! But I love it!

Every week I realize how blessed I am to be a missionary! I have such amazing experiences and meet extraordinary people.

I am also frequently humbled. This week I have come to learn that this truly is the Lord`s work, and He is preparing people, and things work on His time table. Not ours. I still really need to work on understanding that.

But this week we FINALLY had an investigator come to church! She previously had a baptism date that fell through and she started to fall away. But we kept visiting her and she came to sacrament and wants to go to FHE and we have an appointment with her. I am so excited for her!

We also work with a lot of interesting people here in Obihiro. But I keep thinking of Elder Holland`s talk from this last conference. Are we not all beggars? It is an awesome experience to try and show Heavenly Father`s and Christ`s love to those who need it most.

Oh, this week was transfer week, but because I am a bean nothing changed for me. Our whole district stayed the same except one elder transefered. He will be missed!

Sorry I don`t have much to say this week! But I love you all and hope you have a great week!

Kempner Shimai

Oh, and I still can`t speak Japanese :)

 

They put sugar on their corndogs here...  A cute member we did a team up lesson with gave them to us haha. But it was actually delicious

Hooray for packages!!

 

Happy 1 month in Japan, Happy Baptism, Happy Halloween. Happy happy happy!‏

So this week has been great!

We have been trying to get one of our investigators to read the BOM. She loves the bible, but she wont read the BOM. So last week she promised us she would. We asked her to read the first chapter of 1st Nephi. Well she misunderstood our Japanese. This week when we went to visit her she told us she read the whol book of 1st Nehpi!! We were so happy! It was awesome. She still wont come to church, but I have faith that good things will happen with her. We also prayed with her for the first time, so that was awesome! Sometimes you pray for the gift of tongues and sometimes that gift works in mysterious ways!

 

Saturday we had our Harry Potter Halloween Party. It was the best. I never thought Harry Potter would play such a role in my mission, but I am not sad! We had a lot of investigators come so that was really great! But they still won`t come to church. The Japanese are quite stubborn!

Nelson Choro and Fa`alafua Choro had a baptism on Sunday. It was a really neat experience!

 

Ok I am gonna be a missionary real quick. I have learned how important member missionary work is! We finally had a lesson with a member there and it was amazing! And when the members fellowship investigators they progress so much faster. I never realized how crucial it was before a mission.

 

I also read an awesome talk about the enabling power of the Atonement, which I never really understood. It is by Elder Bednar and called In the Strength of the Lord. So yup yall should read it.

 

Well thats about it! I hope you all have a great week!

 

Ai Shite Imasu!

 

Happiness

 

 

Baptism

GO GO GRIFFENDOR! (if thats how you spell it...)

 

Brother Kasahara's baptism and celebration

Yesterday, after Halloween Party Elder Nielsen and Elder Fa'alafua started to prepare for the baptism service for Mr. Kasahara. They cleaned the baptism font. When Elder Nielsen turned the faucet of the baptismal font, the brown rusty water came out. It told us how long we haven't seen anyone baptized.
This morning they came to church at 6:00 and put hot water into the baptismal font. Elder Nielsen wore a white shirt, pants, and tie. They worked so hard for Brother Kasahara. So tonight we celebrated on Brother Kasahara's baptism at my garage. After that, we talked in my house and heard a message from Elder Morgan. It was a wonderful message. He taught us that anybody had a good trait.