Movie Moments from My Mission‏

Movie Moments from My Mission (that was great alliteration):

1. Walking on the sidewalk on an unusually warm day. My comp starts to scoot over and says hey come on! And I am completley oblivious to what is going on. Then a wall of gross sluch water hits me as a car drives by. My comp says, `That was like a drama.` I wiped myself off then went on my way.

2. It is cold and we have been walking forever. We are looking for a bus. We find the bus. We run across the street. As we get there the bus pulls away. We laugh and keep walking.

 

So, this week my poor companion got sick so we have been taking it easy. But, some miracles happened. After walking home from an appointment that fell through and feel sorry for ourselves we met a girl on the street, got her phone number, and are planning on playing basketball with her!

Also this random lady came to church yesterday. She is from Korea and moved here about a month ago. We set up an appointment and I think she is going to come to church next week! Can you say golden investigator?!

 

So, because I am american my comp thinks i need to eat a ton. So she makes me a lot of food. But, she is a really good cook so I eat it of course.

 

I use to think it was weird that asains wear masks, but it totally makes sense. Ya I totally wore a mask this week!

 

Sorry, this email was so random! But I love you all!

 

Kempner Shimai

 

Finally went to a temple!

My dying companion.

 

Tender Mercies of the Lord‏

Let me just start by saying this morning I say them melting the snow on the road with this truck that had flames coming out the bottom. Hokkaido Missionary. Frozen Chosen. Ya.

So this week we experienced some tender mercies! Heavenly Father is aware of us. He knows are needs and what is best for us!

So first, we were going to Higashikawa which is way far away and taking a bus is the worst, but a member was going there and offered to drive us! So that day was freezing and there is nowhere is Higashikawa to go in and warm up because it is pretty far the in the country, but a ward family lives close by. They let us in and gave us some hot mogicha and chocolate and it sounds sill, but it gave us a needed boost and we were able to go out again. Then we began our long trek home and it was awfully cold, and this car stops us and we can`t tell who it it, but then a ward sister pops out and says get in. Then she drove us to a bus stop! It was fantastic! We were also able to teach a lesson that day! SO WAHOO!

I have almost been out 6 months it is pretty crazy how fast time flies. But, I love everyone and this church is true! Have a great week!

Sister Kempner

 New Years Party

 Just another day in paradise...

 

A missionary`s worst nightmare

The Church is True‏

Here are some fun facts about Asahikawa:

It snows every single day without fail.

It snows so much they have grates in the street you shovel snow into so it will melt...

I am not actually serving a mission I am walking across Hokkaido like Forest Gumb runs across America (we walk a lot.)

People in Japan are really good at Ping Pong.

You will slip and fall and laugh.

I don`t have much this week, but I had an awesome experience in Sacrament meeting. By the thrid hour of church my brain has literally turned to Jello and to keep myself from slipping into a Japanese induced coma I turn to the scriptures, naturally. I have been feeling a little discouraged lately and found some amazing scriptures!

D&C 121:7-9

D&C 122: 7-9

D&C 123:17

D&C 100:12

I would just like to testify that Heavenly Father knows us and is aware of our situations and needs. So, if you are feeling down feel free to browse through these scriptures. Hey, everyone the church is true!

Kempner Shimai

 

We sure love each other

 

A members daughter we taught before she got baptized.

 

Not much to report this week‏

Hey everyone! It is aleady 2015 can you believe it!? So these last couple of weeks have been kind of boring because of New Years. New Years is a really big deal here and trying to proselyte is really ineffective.

So oneday was District Training Meeting, another day was PDay, the next day we got to read the Book Of Mormon all day long, and the next day was cleaning day! So, there isn`t really much to say haha!

But Christmas was great. Talking to my family was such a blessing! We also had a really fun Zone Activity on Christmas Eve.

This last week we got fed by members almost every single day. It was nuts, but the food was so good and the members in Asahikawa are amazing!

I really loved having the opportunity to immerse myself in the Book of Mormon for a whole day. It was really cool. I know that book is the word of God and was translated by Joseph Smith! IT IS SO GOOD READ IT!

Well, honestly that is all I have!

I hope everyone had a good Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Kempner Shimai

 

 

 

 

Asahikawa Zone

 

P-Day

A meal at a members house!

 

I wish I were a Penguin

This week was quite eventful!
Apparently there was a hurricane and it reached Hokkaido which is crazy
because storms never reach us.
Well all the missionaries were gathered in Sapporo for transfers, but we
all got calls saying we couldn`t leave our apartments on Wednesday because
of the storm. Weird thing is it was such a beautiful day, so I think they
were just being cautious. So, we sat in the apartment ALL. DAY. LONG!
But, no worries everyone is safe!
I got my new comp, Osugi Shimai. She is so sweet!!! Sometimes I think we
both pretend like we know what the other one is saying just for the sake of
time. I usually just end up doing what she does becuase I have no idea what
she said haha!
We got to go caroling to investigators, had our ward Christmas party, and
last night the seminary students fed us dinner. So a really good start! Oh,
except I had to speak in sacrament, that is never fun!
So Asahikawa is nuts. It has not stopped snowing since I got here. People
keep saying it is the coldest area they let sisters go to... I slip every
single day. I just wish I were a penguin so I could get everywhere faster!
But, I will most definetley have a white Christmas!
Osugi Shimai is amazing! She is always thinking of others. This morning we
woke up at 5 so she could make cake for members because we wouldn`t have
time today. She is crazy!
Well, I can`t believe it is already Christmas! I hope you all have a
wonderful week and enjoy time with your families and remeber why we have
this season!
MERRY CHRISTMAS!
Sister Kempner

Hey look at how cool the moon looks! Oh, that`s a satellite dish...‏

Well, hello hello! Can you believe it is the middle of December? I can`t! I hope you are all having a really good Christmas season!

This week was kind of crazy. But first of all, I found my camera! Thank heavens for that!

Monday we went to Kushiro for a Zone activity and for Zone Training Meeting. We played a mean game of capture the flag with little nerf guns. Senior companions against junior companions. It was really fun! Zone Training Meeting was also really good!

On Thursday some of our friends took us to get sushi before transfers came. It was so good! I ate some eel and fish egg sushi. That was not my favorite.

Friday we had an awesome lesson with Tsuruno San. She has a baptism date so we started teaching her the commandments. The only one we thought she would have a problem with is the Word of Wisdom, so we decided to get that one out of the way. When we asked her to keep it she said `Well, if that`s all it is I can do that. I don`t really do any of that stuff anyway.` We were shocked and so happy! She is definitely prepared!

Saturday we had a really good lesson with two of our investigators, and a ward member fed all the missionaries lunch, so that was a good day!

Then came Sunday. We have been expecting transfer calls either Sunday or Monday. We have been nervous messes all week. If it came on Sunday that meant one of us (Johnson Shimai) was training. Well sure enough the phone rings Sunday night. Johnson Shimai is training again! I am transferring to Asahikawa and my new companion will be Osugi Shimai. I am kind of terrified because she is Japanese and my Japanese is not good! But, the Lord is  in all things and I know that I will learn a lot next transfer!

Oh, this morning while walking to email Johnson Shimai says, Hey look at how cool the moon looks! So I look and it did look really cool. Then she said, oh that is a satellite dish. And we laughed and laughed. Hence the title of this email!

Well I hope you all have a really good week!

Kempner Shimai

Sometimes the Elders in our district make us really nice Christmas Presents

This is cute Tsuruno San



Our ward mission leader gave us way cool Japanese shoes... everyones feet are too big for them haha.

 

Some things lost, others gained‏

Missions are extremely interesting experiences. Each week, each day is so different from the other. But, we had a really good week this week!

First of all it snowed. The first snowfall of the year is always so magical and Johnson Shimai and I were just tickled! 

We also had an awesome experience last Monday. We were going to visit and old investigator, but they weren`t home. We were kind of discouraged, and to add to our deflated spirits it was pouring rain and we were soaked! We decided to go knock on some doors. We ended about finding this man named Kato San. He recently moved from Tokyo. Well, he knows lots of LDS people, has met with missionaries before, and has the BOM and reads it occasionally! He wasn`t like Oh! Come in and tell me more! But, he has totally been prepared! It was such a testimony builder for me. This really is the Lord`s work, and He is in charge of it all. He puts us in the right places at the right time!

We also made a baptismal date with our investigator, Tsuruno San! She is just the sweetest little lady. She filled out the questions in the back of the pamphlets we hand out, all on her own and wanted to make sure she had all the right answers! We were so shocked! It might be slow going with her, but I am confident she will be baptized! 

We also, finally had some investigators at church! We are kind of doing this team up thing with some of the elders to teach this family. I am not sure why, but that is just the way it worked out. Anyway, the whole family came to all of church! And one of our other investigators came to sacrament. It was pretty great!

However, I am still me and do stupid things like lose my camera... So our ward mission leader is a saint and took us to the Police Station (because in Japan people are awesome and don`t steal things they find and turn them in to police stations!) and they think they have it. They will call us today. So you lose some things like your camera, but gain other things like investigators coming to church! Oh, so no pictures this week haha.

Also! Transfers are next week!!! Either Johnson Shimai or I will be transfered and we are so sad! She is such an awesome missionary and a stellar trainer! But, we are so sad because we have been getting so prepared and excited for Christmas, but we won`t even be together! Oh well, it is all up to Heavenly Father!

Well, that`s about it for this week! Sorry, it is kind of long! But, I hope everyone is enjoying the Christmas season! I am not sure if I shared this, but there is a video on LDS.org called Share the Gift. WATCH IT! It really puts this time of year into perspective, And once you have watched it, don`t forget to share the gift!

I love you all!

Sister Kempner