Week 70. February 1, 2015. The last one. What a wonderful and full mission it has been

Good morning everyone! In case you didn't realize, this is the last time I send one of these, ever! I'm really, really sad, yet so happy for the time I have had. It really has been the best. 

This last week was a little out of the ordinary as well. We had an emergency transfer! During my last week! Luckily for the area, Wallwork Shimai and I stayed, but a sweet little sister name Pinto Shimai joined us. Last week in the mission, spent in another threesome, ha ha. The two of them were MTC comps so they had a lot of fun. And it boosted my bean count up to three! I really became the mother of many! 

We had a really busy week, full of visiting all of everyone. I really love these people, it was hard saying goodbye! There was also a mochitsuki, like a ward party where you make mochi, and three of our investigators came.

On Sunday I got up and shared my goodbye testimony. I read 1 Nephi 11:21-22. This is the love of God, it is for everyone, and it is always accessible. And this is the gospel, real, true joy. I love this church, and know that it is Christ's restored church once again on the earth today. 

See you all in just a bit, can't wait to share my stories with you in person. 

Love you all. 

Week 69. January 25th, 2015. Volleyball butt-kicking by Japanese grandmas...and Tsuruno san came to church!

Hey, it is cold! And 5 am. We had to take the early shift for emailing this morning. Its just how it goes when there are eight missionaries and only one computer at the church. Hope you are all doing good though. It has started to snow quite a bit lately, my not so secret wish right now is that it will snow everyday until I leave, ha.

We started this week off really well with a mogi with a non-attending member. She hasn't been to church for more than 10 years, but she used to be the relief society president! I've been visiting her since I came, but haven't really seen her make an progression or anything. We would just go and do some various service around her yard. She has pretty bad eyes and lives by herself so she needs help every once in a while. I've done all sorts of things from trim her bushes, pull out the finished bean vines in the fall, and chisel away the ice/snow in front of her front window. From serving her, I've really come to love her and was so happy to be able to finally schedule a mogi lesson with her! It ended up going really well, she told us about her conversion story and I could tell that she was feeling the spirit again, and that it had been a long time. With just a bit more time and love I pray that we will get her back.

We were also able to go play mini volleyball with a potential investigator and make her a real investigator. The volleyball itself was surprisingly intense, and more surprisingly a lot of fun. There were eight really healthy grandmas playing, and they kicked our butts! I had to keep myself from just smacking it the ball down over the net when it came to me, I was a good head and shoulders taller than the net, ha ha. Afterwards we were able to go to the lady's house and teach her a lesson too. 

The very highlight of the week was yesterday though. Tsuruno san came to church!! Everything was going so well with her until we taught the Sabbath day lesson. She hasn't ever been before and said that she was really busy and wouldn't be able to come until March! Then she just showed up! I guess she finally told her husband that she wanted to go and he drove her down to us. :) She had a really good time, it seemed that all of the lessons were really meant for her. I hope that she will be able to come from now on! 

Love you all. 

Week 68. January 18, 2015. The unavoidable doom is coming! And lots of finding

My Pdays are getting closer and closer together it seems! And after this email session, you will only hear from me two more times.. Oh, the unavoidable doom is coming! I better think of some good things to say, ha. 

We had a lesson with Tsuruno san again this week. It partly good, she is keeping the word of wisdom like a champ, but she told us that she won't be able to come to church until it gets warm and she gets less busy. Which is of course Satan getting her to put it off and lead her slowly away. I'm feeling pretty sad about it, but we will just keep trying our best to get her to come as soon as possible. You have to come to church 3 times before you get baptized, after all. 

We also had interviews with Nakatsuka Kaicho this week. He came up for sacrament meeting to speak, and did 30 minute interviews with everyone. I told him a bit about how I was feeling with the area and having most of our investigators not work out lately. He listened really patiently and advised me with some scriptures. D&C 58:3-4, He told me that I don't know all the work I have done, and that I need to trust God, keep doing what I can. Sometimes things don't work out like you wanted them too, even when you really, really tired, but we can trust our Father in Heaven and have that hope that comes from our foundation of faith. 

Then that night we went out finding, and find we did! We met two really great potential investigators! One is a young mom who will come to Eikaiwa, and the other lady let us and and talked with us for a long time. We made a return appointment for next week. :)

It was another good week! Love you all.

Week 67. January 18, 2015. Last zone conference, so many emotions. The overwhelming emotion, gratitude. Staying up late and playing Samurai Sword with Miller Shimai at ZC in Kushiro. Last splits and 'daisuki'

Hey,

So we were off in Kushiro for my very last zone conference at the start of the week. Talk about a ton of emotions. I didn't really know what to share for my last time at the testimony meeting, and I honestly don't remember anything that I said, must have not been all that profound. I do remember how I felt though. I was feeling, and still am, just an overwhelming sense of gratitude. My mission was really great, is really great. I honestly didn't know what to expect coming in, but it has been exactly what I needed. It has become the basis for the rest of my life. I have learned things I don't think I could have any other way. And I have no idea how to really package it up into a nice little testimony for everyone to understand. That is why you just have to experience it for yourself I guess. But, I can say simply that it really is the best, and that this church is true. 

We did have a really fun time though in Kushiro, hanging out with Miller Shimai is always the best! There was a card game that Auntie gave me for Christmas that we taught to them, we stayed up much too late playing, ha. Yeah, Samurai Sword! It was a fun little last sleepover. 

When we got back we went on splits with the STLs, another last for me. We didn't have too much time, so I took cute little Yoneda Shimai on a bus and we went to visit Kikuchi(2)san, she and Yoneda chatted a bit, usually the Nihonjin takes over a bit like that. At one point Kikuchisan started to talk about how much I always say that I "daisuki" (really love) everything, the Book of Mormon, God, my companion, her...  I thought it was really funny that she thought that about me. It might just be because I don't have a big enough vocabulary, which is the reason she thinks that. Or maybe it's that I really just love everything, ha ha. It sort of was an eye opener to me though, a small thing, but it was cool to see that that is the image she has of me. Sort of childlike, but nice. 

Other than that, we have just been out visiting people and sharing the gospel, it has been good to be back to work, especially with the end looming.

I sure love you all, have a great week!

Week 66. January 4th, 2015. Just a few days since last email- so here is a short one. Great American-like food and hanging out with a 'real' family.

It seems like I was just sending you an email a few days ago. Probably cause I just did. Not too much has happened since last Friday so this may be my shortest one yet. Ha. 

Last Friday after we got done emailing we went with a member and her daughter and took some sweet 3D pictures at a local mall. They probably turned out neat, but I haven't seem them yet. Pictures to come . :) Afterwards we went to another member, Kawada family's, place and had the best food I've had in months. Kawada Shimai is a food wizard! She went to school in Hawaii and I guess knows how to make really good American-like food! It was a lot of fun just being around a family!

Oh yeah, I forgot I was typing this... and my time is up, ha. Whoops! Love you all, next week! 

Ha, sorry! 

Week 65. January 1st, 2015. New Year in Japan and not a lot of missionary action! The big 'read the BOM all day' challenge

Hey all you people, hey all you people...

That was for you, Sophie.

I really have nothing to tell you! We have pretty much been just hanging out all the time with our district and with the members. The week of new years is really weird for missionaries in Japan, ha. I really love the members though, they are so self sacrificing and will do anything for us.

We did the big 'read the Book of Mormon all day' challenge though, that was neat. I went through and drew a little red heart on all of the action words that had love for the motive. All good action is motivated by love, and the Savior always is. 

And I love you all, have a great week! You will be hearing from me in like three days, ha. 

Week 64. December 21, 2014. Last transfer, good-bye to Kempner Shimai! :( New companion to train, from New Zealand. Japanese is way cool with an accent :).

Hey there.

So I have officially started my last transfer! How did that happen! As you probably already know, I am staying in Obihiro (poor people couldn't shake me off since I came in July!)  My new companion is Wallwork Shimai, she is fresh out of the MTC. Also, she is from New Zealand! Japanese with an accent is way cool, in case you were wondering. Sometimes when she talks to me I have no clue what she is saying. It's English, but not, ha ha. We are going to have a lot of fun and work really hard!

We were stuck in Sapporo for like three days because of an intense storm that hit Hokkaido, it pushed back transfer day, and almost stopped the returning missionaries from going home on time for Christmas! It all worked out though, probably thanks to all the prayers we said, the entire mission was in on it. :) We weren't in Obihiro for very long though, and our dendo was really on the slim side, but these next few weeks with Christmas and New Years is going to all be sort of weird.

Love you all, talk to you next week! And Christmas!

Ps, I miss Kempner Shimai!

Week 63. December 14, 2014. Last Transfers! Staying in Obihiro to finish mission. Will so miss Kempner Shimai!

Hey you all,

It is cold! I mean it, cold! And everyone keeps telling us that it will just get colder from here on out too, ha. And that is just fine! We don't mind. :) 

We had a zone training meeting in Kushiro again, it was good. We had an awesome workshop about how we are representatives of Christ, and even though we are all human and make mistakes all the time, we have a sacred trust in our calling and we are promised that we will become stronger and work miracles. It was neat, and just what I needed to hear. 

On Friday we met with Tsuruno san and taught her the word of wisdom. Even though I was really worried about it all since she drinks tea and coffee regularly, after we had finished the lesson she told us that it wasn't going to be a big deal. And then asked us if she had to give up eating meat too! Not sure where that came from, but we told her that she could eat meat if she wanted to, ha. Sparingly of course. Heavenly Father has been preparing her! I think she is going to make it to her date, easily. As long as we can get her to church and make her family be nice about it all. 

Ah yeah, I got my transfer calls last night. Looks like I will be dying in Obihiro, with a new companion. One fresh from the MTC. Training again! That was a shock! Kempner Shimai is going to a place called Asahikawa, one of the coldest parts of the island with a Nihonjin. She is going to be incredible. And I am going to miss the little potlicker so much! 

Love you all, see you in only one more transfer! 

Week 62. New investigators through miracles! Baptism date for Tsuruno san, and a whole family to possibly teach

This week was awesome! Since we decided to let some of our old investigators have a little bit of a break and put more time into finding those that will receive us we have seen some miracles! There were three PIs we found that I am really excited to go back and see, two of them younger women who we were able to give the Book of Mormon to, and a man who had moved from Tokyo that has a lot of member friends and used to go to church and still reads the Book of Mormon. I really felt the Lord's hand and guidance in showing us the way to go as we were looking for people to teach. 

We also were blessed to make a date for baptism for Tsuruno san. She recently has been doing a lot of studying on her own, including filling out the additional study questions in the back of the pamphlets that we gave her. She even tells us herself that she knows she needs to come to church, half of that battle is already won. I really am praying that she will get an answer to her prayers that the church is true, and that she will come to church. We are teaching her the word of wisdom next week and have a member coming with us. Things seem really hopeful!

Right now we are also in to process of getting a pass from the elders. She is a sweet little young mom named Yamamoto san, she is doing the free family English program with us with her friend, but last time her husband came too. With a combined effort from us and the Elders, we were able to get the whole family to come to church. I feel so close to my dream of teaching a family! I'm really grateful for the elders and all of the work they have put into them and that they are letting us work with them as well.

Love you all, have a good week! 

Week 61. November 30th, 2014. Dropping investigators, curry rice with member grandma that rides giant trike with helmet. Week culminates with Tsubaki Chan being baptized and primary program. :)

Hey everyone!

So we decided that we needed to go through and decide if we were going to continue to teach a lot of our investigators or not this last week at DKK, and ended up dropping almost half of them.  I've really been feeling like something wasn't quite right with how we have been doing our dendo recently, and now that we have done that and decided to go out and do more finding than we were before, I am feeling a little bit more at ease. Dropping investigators is really hard for me, but I think this is what we were supposed to do, it seems that the time just isn't quite right for a lot of them, and we need to be putting in more effort to find those who are waiting.

Traning is still going really well, I have been really happy with how Kempner Shimai is learning and how she can do so many things already that took me a lot longer to do. She is a very dilligent missionary, I know that it is going to serve her well. I have loved the time we have had together and would stay with her until the end of my mission if I could! But we both know that is unlikely. Her next companion will love her so much. I know she is really nervous about the next transfer (oh, wait, so am I) but I also know that what ever happens is the Lord's will and what happens happens.

Saturday night we went with all of the elders to a members house for a birthday dinner. She made curry rice for us all and we got to hear her conversion story and just enjoy being with her in her house. This sweet little sister is like 70 and rides a giant trike with a helmet, I guess that is how the missionaries started the contact, ha.

On Sunday we got to see Tsubaki Chan get baptized, she is the daughter of a family in the ward, only the dad is coming to church so they asked us to teach her the lessons. It was fun (and exhausting) to teach her and great to see and feel the special spirit that kids have. The primary program was also going on. I haven't wanted to have children anymore in my life than I did yesterday! They are so cute! Someone let me hold their baby, please!

Love you all, have a good week.

Week 60. November 23, 2014. Inspiring zone conference, a great week despite low numbers- including a big ward service project

Hey you people,

So we went up to Sapporo for three days last week for a big combined zone confrence. It was really great! Nakatsuka Kaicho did two, two hour long, workshops for us. I really love him and always get so excited to hear whatever it is that he has to say. He ended up talking about charity and love, as well as what we can do as missionaries to help people keep commitments. Lately pretty much all of our investigators have been really terrible at that, so I felt like it was all very applicable. Essentially, through really loving them so that they feel God's love through us and doing what we can in the way of teaching skills (following up, promising blessings, sharing your testimony, etc.) we can help them repent and change. It was really a good workshop! Wish you all could have been there. :)

Then we proceeded to have the most low week regarding numbers that I have ever had. No one was home for any of our scheduled lessons and we did some mogi lessons with members and then a big ward service project and went to the Elder's baptism. The things we did were all really good things, but sometimes it just doesn't show in your numbers at the end of the week. Which is just a reminder that numbers are not all that important because you can do good, effective things that aren't in your key indicators each week. Its about the people you are serving and helping them all feel their own worth and God's love.

I bet we do a bit better planning next week though, ha.

Well, love you all, hope you have a good, safe week!

Week 59. Yoshida san (bowling date :)) and gyoza with the Young Women on Sunday

Hey you people, how are you all doing? 

It was just another week in the life of Sister Johnson. We rode our bikes all over the place, talked to a bunch of people, taught lessons, almost lost half our fingers because we were not adequately dressed for the winter one day.. and ate a lot of really good food. You know, the usual. 

We met with Yoshida san again this week, it was our third time. She was able to tell us a lot of the things she believes and heard a bunch of concerns. We weren't able to do a lesson like we had planned, but it was really good to establish a relationship with her! She told us that we could come back and maybe meet with all of her family and talk about the Book of Mormon! She also scheduled a time that we could go bowling with her, ha.

At the church we had Family Night, a sister that is less active came with us and had a really fun time, she told us that she wants to come again next week, so hopefully we can get her to come back to church on Sunday one of these times. She was baptized like 30 years ago and fell away, but recently she had the desire to meet with us again and start reading! 

On Sunday we had a little party with the Young Women of the ward, ate gyoza and talked about some experiences we had in Young Women and how it helped prepare us to be missionaries. It was fun to take some time to think back and remember all the good times I had had, and all the awesome leaders. I am so grateful for them all and how they strengthened my testimony when I was a young(er) woman. 

Love you all, have a good week! 

Week 58, November 9, 2014. Still in Obihiro four straight- no transfer! Trying not to panic that time is flying by so quickly..3 Nephi 9.

Hey there, 

Just another week in Obihiro, which is profound because it means that I didn't transfer! I am blessed to do four here and finish training Kempner Shimai. Not that it was a huge shock, but I was a little nervous.

This week we were able to do another team up lesson with Okuda Shimai for Tsuruno san. Having members in your lessons is so neat, I never want to go visit her with out Okuda Shimai ever again. I feel like with her there, they can become friends, and then when Tsuruno san comes to church she will have someone she knows to sit by and answer any questions, even when the missionaries are not there. Also her testimony is so powerful. I love how the converts of Japan are so strong and solid. When they convert, they really believe. It strengthens my testimony every time. 

We also were able to meet with Masuda san again, and she came to church. I guess her back is feeling a lot better now too! But she told us that she was having issues with her ears because of stress now and going to the hospital for it. We have another appointment with her, so we will have to see how it all goes. 

Lately I have really been trying to work on giving my all to every day I have. They all just fly by so quickly that I honestly start to panic a bit when I think about it. I recently read in 3 Nephi 9, I think it was, about how we shouldn't worry about tomorrow until it is today. I know that as I really focus on loving and helping these people everyday I will do more good than stressing about how quickly my time is going. 

Love you all, have a good week! 

Week 57, November 2, 2014. Laman and Lemuel are jerks and Harry Potter Halloween mixed with missionary work. The best

We had two really awesome lessons this week that I want to tell you all about!

So, Kikichi(2)san! We had been trying to get her to say she would read the Book of Mormon for the last 3 months, and finally she did! And she ended up reading the entire first book of Nephi! That was due to the fact that sometimes my Japanese is still terrible and she thought that was what I was asking this whole time. Won't say I'm sad, at all! Her impressions were that she thinks Laman and Lemuel are jerks, ha. I think so too. She told us she would keep reading too. I am perfectly confident that she isn't going to be able to put it down until she finishes it.

We were also able to do our first member present lesson in a really long time with Okuda Shimai and our cute little Tsuruno San, she was able to answer a bunch of questions she had and help with the Japanese as well. It really is so true that members do awesome work. :)

Our halloween party was this week as well, there were more than 100 people there, twice as many as we had hoped and about half of them weren't even members. The play we put on went well, and was a lot of fun. I was just so happy to be doing missionary work and Harry Potter at the same time. It was a once in a mission chance, and I am so glad we took it!

Love you all!

Week 56, October 26, 2014. Kimono dress-up, new investigators and Japanese Harry Potter!

Hey all!

We had a good week.

We went to a cute little ice cream shop working lady who comes to our English class. She gave us free ice cream and put us in kimonos! She holds a legit permit to do that kind of thing. Pictures to come! The one she put me in was a pretty light sage green, Kempner Shimai's was yellow. It was so fun to get all dressed up, I was worried that I would never have the experience, so I'm really grateful!

There was also a nice lady we met on the street who we were able to make an appointment with next week at a park, if we are able to meet with her I think that she may progress.

Right now we have two really awesome ladies we are working with, Tsuruno san and Takahashi san, I have high hopes for both of them. We really are wanting to get the members involved, so we have plans to do some member present lessons and to get them to church.

This next week we have a halloween party planned, with a Harry Potter theme. You know I am over the moon. :) We made wands for our district activity (I saw it on pintrest before the mission, ha) and are putting a play on, thanks to Ogasawara Kyodai. It is going to be a lot of fun, and I think a really good turn out as well..

Love you all, have a great week!

Week 55, October 19, 2014. Masuda san back update, new investigator's answer to prayer and baseball. Zone training and soba noodles

Hello,

So, we were able to meet with Masuda san again for the first time this transfer. She is doing pretty much the same as she was before, still in a lot of pain. She also has stopped really reading the Book of Mormon and praying, still just unable to focus on anything other than her back issues. It was really fun for me to just get to see them again though. I really just love them so much! She told us that she wants to go to church this week again, but then wasn't able to because of her health. Hopefully next week!

We met with one of our investigators who loves the Bible, but isn't sure about the Book of Mormon. It's nice to talk with her, she is a really nice lady, but until now she hasn't shown a lot of signs of progressing. So this time we went and she told us a cute story about how she was watching a baseball game and her team was losing so she remembered what she read in the Bible about if you ask God, you will receive, so she prayed and her team ended up winning! Kempner Shimai had just read a verse like that in the 3 Nephi so we shared it with her and she liked it a lot. After answering some of her questions about the Book of Mormon. We finally got her to say she would read the first chapter!

There was also a really sweet little family that we were able to give a restoration pamphlet to, I think that they will let us come back and teach them next week, so we are really excited about that.

Kikuchi san let us do lesson one with her again this week, but told us that she went to the dentist and found out about some tooth problem she has and for awhile won't be able to meet. I am not sure what that is going to mean for her baptism date.

We also went to Kushiro for zone training meeting, which we almost didn't cause we almost missed the train, ha ha. I really felt like the workshops were meant for me, and I felt really pumped after it. Miller and Soderquist Shimai, this transfer companions, were there too, and it was a lot of fun to see them together. They both seem so good, just doing their best!  I sure love them! We also did interviews with Kaicho, I really felt his love for us and me as an individual. It was a really good meeting overall. And we ended it with getting soba noodles!

Love you all!

Week 54, October 12, 2014. A very strange P-day with investigators- but with another, a wonderful experience of prayer and faith

Well, hey there,

What did we do this week?

On Monday we went and visited one of our investigators with a baptism date, and it ended up being really weird! When we told her that the transfers had come and that Nagamine Shimai had gone to Ebetsu, she sort of freaked out. Holding our hands and saying over and over, "I'm glad we met" (of course in Japanese), over and over. She then proceeded to slide down to her knees, still holding our hands and started to cry. This being my sweet bean's very first P-day, I quickly pulled out the Book of Mormon read the first scripture I flipped to, said a prayer and we booked it out of there. Not entirely sure what to do about her at the moment, but we are working on it!

Poor Kempner Shimai!

Then that night we were about to start passing out some flyers for our English class when we bumped into John, the American guy we found a month ago that came to church and then was never heard from again. And he didn't remember me! I guess he has some memory issues. We talked for a while and it was apparent that he really had no clue who we were, so we wrote him a note to go home and read the Book of Mormon and told him we'd sent the Elders his way. It was a werid day to say the least!

Our highlight of the week was going by and seeing Kikuchi san this week. She told us about how she had been feeling a lot pain in her hips lately and a few days ago she decided to pray about it, and guess what! The pain went away completely. We had a perfect opportunity to talk about faith, which just so happened to be what we had prepared to share with her. We were able to tell her that she has faith, and even though right now she doesn't know about a lot of things at church, she has a great starting point. We fixed her a new date and she told us it would be okay to go over all of the lessons again in prep for her baptism. I feel really good about it all, I think it should all happen without too much trouble.

We also were able to see Masuda san yesterday, finally. She had gone the hospital and we were having a really hard time getting in contact with her. So yesterday we felt like we should stop by and see if she was home, and the light was on! We were able to talk for awhile and Kempner Shimai got to say hello. We have an appointment to go see her next Tuesday.

And wasn't conference awesome! I know I am a week behind, but it was so good! Can't wait to read them all again. It was really sad since it was my last one as a missionary. So bittersweet.

Love you all so much, thank you for all you are doing!

Week 53, October 5, 2014. Johnson Shimai is a trainer, has a new bean- Kempner Shimai from Pleasant Grove. Bean power!

Weeeell... They made me a trainer. No one saw that coming. 

Her name is Kempner Shimai, and I like her. A lot. :) 

I was really surprised though, really. There was a part of me that was thoroughly convinced that I would be able to go the whole way as a junior companion. There is certainly a lot of stuff I'm now in charge of that I wasn't before. I'm the primary Japanese speaker now, I call the people on the phone, answer when they call and get to lead in all of the lessons and contacts. But it's working out, ha ha. I know I am getting some major extra help this time around. From Heavenly Father and my sweet companion. Even though she doesn't always know what is going on, she is always quick to help, always reminding me of things I've forgotten, and so patient with me when I have to take a second to figure out what on earth we should be doing. 

It's going to be a good transfer for sure. 

Also, bean power is real! We have had some really amazing contacts this week! We found several people who seem as though they have real interest and were able to get numbers and make appointments. 

Right now our biggest challenge is trying to figure out who of our investigators that we already have will really progress or not, and try to make the most use of the time we have. 

We had a cool experience this week when we did a member mogi, lesson practice, one of the sisters who hasn't been coming to church that much. I felt the spirit really strong and it was a really good, fun time. I'm hopeful that we will be able to keep building the relationship with her and help her come back to church.

Love you all! Have a good week! 

Week 52, September 28, 2014. No baptism for Masuda san. Megan reminded to just love them, be patient and remember faith, hope and love. Transfers are this week, Nagamine Shimai leaving?

Heeello,

Well, I'll tell you first off, Masuda san did not get baptized. It was all very heart wrenching too. We went by on Monday right after I had finished emailing, when we got there she was again laying down, unable to sit up again. She told us that for now she is not really sure that she can really focus on anything right now and for the moment that she is putting it all off until she recovers. We haven't been able to make another appointment and go back since. I was so sure that if she could realize that even though the gospel can't take her physical pain away, but that it is what she needs, that things would work out. We can't make people understand that though, its up to them. Sometimes that is the most frustrating thing as a missionary! With time I hope that we can help her get things figured out.

Right now my area has a ton of investigators, three of them having baptism dates coming up in the next few months. Normally that's exactly what you want but they all struggle so much with their faith and have a hard time keeping commitments. I'm not entirely sure what I need to change to get them to where they need to be, but I'm working on figuring it out. My mission president recently reminded me over email that I just need to love them. I guess it all starts there, ha ha. He asked me what kind of love I have for them, which has really made me think. I know what it is that they need for eternal happiness, but they don't understand that now. 

I need to be patient and show some faith, hope and love and things will work out. Maybe not how I want them to but that really isn't the point, ha. Heavenly Father has a plan for everyone and I get to be a small part in it for all of these people. 

Love you all, have a good week! Be looking for my email next week, transfers are upon us and I think my sweet companion Nagamine Shimai and I are parting ways! 

Week 51, Masuda San roller coaster ride is back on, Johnson Shimai hits her one year in Japan mark- Indian curry celebration with district

Our Masuda san roller coaster has been all up and down this week. We went to see her this week, it had been a while since we had been able to go and it turned out that she had gotten a shot in her spine that helped her pain go away and she is now wheelchair free! We asked her what she wanted to do about church and baptism since we had missed a lot of lessons and it was going to be hard to make it by the 28th and she told us she wasn't sure. So we all decided to pray and think about it. 

She had told us that she probably wouldn't be able to come to church but to our surprise she showed up for the last hour! A lot of members talked to her and she had a really good time. Afterwards we went to her house and had a lesson and the old Masuda san was back! She was laughing and having a good time and just seemed really good and healthy. I really believe that her going to church and feeling the spirit changed her! We all decided to try and make it to our goal of the 28th for baptism! She is going to have a week full of trails I think, but we are going to do our best to get her to the font this next Sunday.

In other news, Amada Shimai came and went on splits with me this week, it was a lot of fun to work with her again, and I'm so glad that we got to before she goes home.

I also hit my one year in Japan! We celebrated by going to a indian curry place with the district (four of the members being my doki (the people I was in the MTC with and came to Japan together)) It was great. 

Love you all, pray for Masuda san this week, please!