Parting is Such Sweet Sorrow

         

So I made it through another week. Time is going by so fast it actually freaks me out. I only have about two and a half weeks and then I'll be in Japan!

We said goodbye to our Senpai (the older district in our zone) and our cousins (the other older district not in our zone) on Sunday (hence the title of this email.) We just really love them and miss them so much. We were so sad and still are! But, they are in Japan now being awesome missionaries!

Sometimes Cooper Shimai gets a box of delicious pastries and cookies and my companions and I eat the whole thing in a matter of 30 minutes... Our we sad about it? Nope. Not at all.

So 2 of our new sisters our from Brazil and basically they are so funny. Sister Barbosa doesn't really speak english, but she is trying so hard. I admire her so much, she has such an amazing testimony and is essentially fearless. You can also add hilarious to the list of her redeeming qualities. She likes to teach me funny things in Portuguese. I will probably be tri-lingual by the time I'm done here. Sometimes she throws me over her shoulder like a martial artist whilst we are doing laundry. Basically I love her lots.

We got to Skype a real Japanese member last night and it was soooo cool! I was super scared and my Japanese went out the window, but it was such a cool experience. The man was so sweet and I just really love all the Japanese in the whole world!

We got to hear from Elder Sitati from the 70 on Tuesday, it was an awesome devotional.

That's really it for this week. I am so happy to be here. Some days are hard, but when I think about the amazing gift I get to share with these people nothing else matters. I know the gospel is true. I know Joseph Smith saw God the Father and His son. I know he translated the Book of Mormon through the power of revelation. I know God is our Father and knows each of us individually. I know Christ is our Savior, and older brother and that He loves all of us. I miss you all and hope you have an amazing week!

Gambatte Kudasai!



This is a picture of us with our cousins! From left  to right: Ellsworth, Allred, Harrison, adams, cooper, Me, Eccles, Harrison, and Muchado. Sad story about Muchado. He broke his arm in 2 places a couple weeks ago and he couldn't fly out with his district because he's in a cast. He's from Brazil and I love him to pieces. But he has to stay in the MTC for who knows how long. Pray for him! 

This is a picture of my companions and some of our dearly departed senpai! 

Front row from left to right: Driscoll, Kubera, Adams, Cooper, Me.

Back row left to right: Petit, Hilton, Day, Farias, Laird.

And in the very back: Mitchell

 

 

13 Bowls of Cereal Later...

 Konnichiwa Minisan!

Well, well, well. I have survived one more week. It was actually a great week though. We are officially halfway through our MTC stay, so our district was pretty excited about that!

We got another new district in our zone. They are super fun! There are two brazilian sisters we picked up a day early and got to know and they are hilarious!

However, our Sempai (the district that got here before us) are leaving on Monday. We are SO sad! We got very close to them and we want them to stay for three more weeks with us! But, they will do amazing things in Japan and I am sure we will see some of them again. It has been an amazing experience to get to know so many great people!

Last night we(some members in our zone) thought it would be a good idea to participate in a cold cereal eating challenge... Hence the title of this email. I was 5 bowls in when I realized I had no hope going up against my companions. Adams Shimai valiantly ate 9 bowls. And Cooper Shimai stole the show with a whopping 13 bowls of cereal! Yes she beat all the Elders. It was hilarious! We had quite the crowd surrounding our table. But, we all suffered the consequences. Still, it was quite fun!

Today was very neat because we got to hear from a Japanese brother who is a convert, served a mission in Fukuoka, and then taught at the MTC. It was amazing! He spoke in Japanese for part of it and me and my companions were so thrilled that we could understand some of it! But, it just got me super excited to love the people in Japan and bring the closer to Christ!

Also, in sacrament we are randomly called from the congregation to give a talk in Japanese. No one from our district had been called yet. No sisters either. Until they called my name... Yup I am pioneering the way for my district and sisters alike. I was terrified, but it is over and hopefully I won't have to speak again.

Missions are hard, but they are the best. Never have I done anything so rewarding. I am so excited to get to Japan. I love you all and hope you have a great week!

Ai Shite Imasu

Kempner Shimai


So here is some of the cereal challenge pics.Cooper Shimai in the first pic was the winner.

 

Apparently I was really enjoying myself... Also look at the throng of people around us.

 My mere 5 bowls seem like a poor mans meal compared to everyone else's loot.

 

Here's some pictures of the Brazilian sisters

... and our zone leaders!  

This is our hump day party.



My cute zone (minus the 2 new districts)

 

I Don't Play the Violin!

Sometimes on a mission you do things you don't want to, or don't know how to. For example: Sometimes your companions want to sing the musical number in sacrament, but when you sing it sounds like a dying walrus. So, because you play the viola you offer to play a simple accompaniment on the violin because they don't have a viola here. (Why people hate on violas I will never know.) Then your Zone Leaders want to get involved and one of the actually plays the flute. Long story short... It turns into a trio with me on the violin, Kubera Choro on the flute, and Hilton Choro playing the piano. I still don't understand what possessed me to follow through with that, but it happened.

We finally got to go on a temple walk! We haven't been able to because we are the Sister Training Leaders and we are in meetings for DAYS on Sunday so we always miss it. But, we finally got to go. It is essentially just that. You walk to the Temple and then walk back. But it breaks up the routine of the MTC. 

 So we have a Japanese teacher. First of all he is hilarious and just laughs at us because our Japanese is quite terrible. But we were just chatting one day and he asked where I was going to school and I said I had just graduated from a junior college. He said oh which one. I said Snow. He said, me too! So apparently we went to school together and graduated together and probably saw each other but never knew it. We thought it was pretty exciting. Our other teacher decided to mock us because we were so happy about it.

I don't really have a ton to say this week. Missions are hard, but so rewarding. I know this is where I am supposed to be and I am so blessed to be here. The gospel is awesome! I hope you all have one awesome week!

Ai Shite Imasu.


Adams Shimai and I playing in the rain. It was cool. There was lots of thunder and lightning.

Playing in the rain.

It Rained! We took a walk in it. These elders are going to Saporro with us.

 



This is a pic of our District with our Branch Prez, one of his councilors and his wife



I think this is the Temple walk that they get to do on Sundays. Which she said is
literally walking around the Temple.



So cute, and so glad that they have each other.



This is Yuki! We taught him at TRC. He is a member and everything, but we get
to practice teaching him. He is basically the coolest person out there and I can't
wait to get to Japan and just love those people!

Picture of the week sent mid week by a little angel via text!

P-Day really means Pajama day!!!

Sometimes on P-day your companions and you just wear your pj's and like it isn't even a big deal. 

Lots of good things happened this week.

One sad thing is the Japanese district who was here for a while finally left to Japan. Me and my comps are so sad because the two sisters in that district adopted us because we didn't have any older sisters in our zone. Also the elders in that district were super awesome and encouraging when we were discouraged with Japanese.

Last Saturday was Birch Choro's birthday and Rees Choro's mom sent us a chocolate bunt cake so we through him a surprise little birthday party. It was way fun! He is from Hawaii, so I think he was kind of sad he was so far from home, but he was quite happy after the eating of cake.

Last Sunday in Relief Society we got to hear from the Second Councilor in the General Primary Presidency, so that was really cool! And at our Tuesday devotional the Young Women President came and spoke to us. It has been pretty neat because every devotional they have mentioned Japan in someway. We feel quite proud. 

But I almost had a heart attack at our last Sunday devotional because guess who came... guess,, guess......... Jenny Oaks Baker. Ya I was just dying in my seat. She is probably one of the coolest people ever. (She is a super accomplished violinist and also Elders Oaks' daughter :)) She just talked about her life and then played songs in between. But she played them with her children accompanying her. Ya her daughter played the piano, another the violin, the other the cello, and her little boy the classical guitar. Can you say that that is my dream come true? Ya you can because it is. But she is AMAZING.

 Oh, we got a new district in our zone, and four new shimaitachi. Also there are like 23 new shimiatachi on our residence floor, so it is kind of nuts now. But so fun.

Mostly that's all I can think of for this week. Sometimes it just hits me that I am a missionary, and I kind of have a small anxiety attack. But, I have already learned so much. Ya, the language is hard and I probably won't understand anyone for a year, but again and again people have stressed that we are here to learn the language of the Spirit. I am so grateful for this opportunity to be serving my Heavenly Father and to be drawing nearer to my Savior. I love you all and hope you have a wonderful week!

Ai shite imasu.

Kempner Shimai

Happy Birthday Birch Choro!



Our cute friends who left. The small Hawaiian is Yugawa, she is going to Sapporo too!
The other is Horito, she is going to Tokyo.

I have this MTC angel that sends me weekly pictures of the girls during lessons.



Such a valiant group of young men and women.

Bed Bugs, Mono, and oh, so much more!

Konichiwa Minisan!

This week was quite interesting and different than last week.

First let me just address the title of this email. Attention, there are bed bugs roaming freely at the MTC... Ya, we are not pleased. But, we haven't had any contact with the vermin yet.

So Adams Shimai has been feeling sick. She had a fever and was feeling dizzy for a few days so we finally took her to the clinic. Turns out SHE HAS MONO! I feel so bad. She is a trooper though. She actually thinks it is funny. 

Side Note: before that we had our zone leaders, whom we love, give her a blessing and it was beautiful. I am so thankful for worthy priesthood holders! 

The so much more part. Being a missionary is hard. Here at the MTC we teach investigators. They are really just our teachers, but it is quite convincing. And it is super humbling. Trying to teach them in Nehongo is so extremely difficult. You know what they need and you know what you want to say, but you don't know how to say it in Japanese. It is really frustrating and I come out of almost every lesson extremely discouraged. But, we just try and remember this is such a learning experience.

Also every missionary has to prepare a talk for Sunday, and you don't find out you are speaking until you are sitting in sacrament. Also, it is in Nehongo... so SUPER ROUGH.

So sometimes I get really frustrated, but over and over again I have been told that the language will come and to focus on the language of the Spirit.

SOO our district is full of 18 year old boys right? Well it shows. One of them is in love with a girl, and they got this other district to play along and they told me and my comps that he had got written off! Like they made a huge scene. We are upset and are currently planning revenge. 

We had an amazing lesson last night. I don't think we have been as focused as we should be. I think our district has kind of forgotten we are actually on a mission. So we had a lesson about why we are here and how we are representatives of Jesus Christ. It was so good and heartfelt and I think it really helped us recenter our efforts. I love our teachers and I know they care about us and want us to do our best.

Ya sorry, sometimes I feel like my emails are written by someone with no brain because when I try and remember things to say I come up blank! But I love you all, missions are hard, but I am so happy I am here. I am so grateful I have the opportunity to devote 18 months to the Lord. I am already seeing the blessings and having my testimony strengthened!

Kempner Shimai

At the Temple



These are some of her close friends, Carley, going to Milan, Italy. Kenzee going to
Edmonton, Canada. and Carley, going to Lisbon, Portugal.



This is the Sapporo gang in my district. Adams, Me, Cooper, Rees (District Leader), Birch.



Cooper Shimai got her coat so she is showing it off. The Asian is Yugawa Shimai form Hawaii. She is 4ft11in and is
HILARIOUS (She is also going to Sapporo). Her and her companion, Horito Shimai are our favorites and they leave
on Tuesday:( And I rarely make an attractive face in a picture, so cherish the ones where I look normal, it doesn't happen oft.



Throwing flowers in the air?

Life in the MTC

So cute, her Tri-companionship.



I love to get her pics. She looks happy and it warms my  heart.



Still trying to get moms names so we can pow wow about our girlies.



Looks like they are having a blast!!



She says the language is really hard. Most of the boys have had some
sort of history with Japanese, so they are catching on a little faster.



She found two of her best friends, says she runs into them quite a bit. It makes me
feel better too, because they were like her sisters. Here, Carley is headed to Portugal.



Looks like exercise time, here with another bestee Kenz who is headed to Canada.

2nd Email August 7, 2014

On Thu, Aug 7, 2014 at 9:27 AM, Alexis Kempner <alexis.kempner@myldsmail.net> wrote:

Konichiwa!

Or I guess since it is only 9 AM it would still be ohaiyo gozaimus. (I'm not sure if that is how you spell it. Dad don't judge me.) So I have officially made it through my first week of being a missionary. People say the mission goes by so fast, demo(but) so far that is not true. My and my companions feel like this has been the longest week of our lives.

I am in a tricompanionship. Their names are Adams Shimai and Cooper Shimai. Adams is from Kaysville, Utah and Cooper is from Payson. We already have lots of plans to go horseback riding and boating at Lake Powell when we are home. They are so sweet and fun and I feel extremely blessed to have them as companions!

So, I am sick. Ya, that would happen. I never get sick, demo I do the first week of being at the MTC. But my companions have taken the role of being my mom. Adams gives me airborne and Cooper Shimai forces awful doterra oils down my throat. Mom, she has that little travel pack I think you were talking about. Anyway, I also took nyquil last night which was like manna from heaven!

Basically, Japanese is really hard. I get super frustrated because all the Elders in my district but one have some kind of background with Japanese so they are farther along than me and my comps. But my teachers keep telling us we aren't here to learn Japanese. We are here to learn to teach the people of Japan. Another thought I also really liked was that we don't need to learn the language of Japanese, but the language of the Spirit. I just need to have more faith that Heavenly Father will fulfill His promises and help me. He also is sending me to Japan for a reason and I just need to remember that. (But it is still frustrating.)

The elders in my district are all 18. They are teaching us to have lots of patience... Rees Choro and Birch Choro are also going to Sapporo with me and my comps and Smith Choro, Brodie Choro, and Spenst Choro are going to Sendai. Also my comps and i are the only shimaitachi (sisters) is our zone so we are already Sister Training leaders. So there is that. Oh, side note, Dad one of my teachers went to Fukuoka. I LOVE my zone and like all of the Japanese missionaries. Everyone is just so friendly and actually really really funny. So I feel very loved and it is like having one big dysfunctional family who are trying to speak Japanese.

Yes, the chocolate milk is as good as they say it is. But apparently something is wrong with orange juice. I guess it gives you the runs or something,.. no one will really tell us. So we are steering clear of that! 

Email time equals anxiety because you only have an hour and there is lots to say and many to email so it is stressful. But all in all, all is well. I am still alive. We are all already tired all day everyday and Japanese is hard. But the MTC is pretty awesome. I am meeting so many AMAZING people from around the world who I already love. The Spirit also just has free reign here. There are no distractions and if you let it it can just constantly flow through you.

AI shite mas!

Kempner Shimai 

PS Sorry this email is so long. Also write letters! They are missionary gold. And thank you for the letters and packages i have already gotten.

P.P.S Funny story. The other night there was a loud noise (I don't remember this.) But Cooper Shimai woke up and said what was that and I guess I said I'm scared and Adams Shimai just started yelling in Japanese "Wakarimasen!" Which is I don't understand. Oh, the happenings of the MTC.