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!

Week 50, Three baptism dates, but investigators probably won't make requirements. Japanese BBQ!

Hey there,

What a week we had. We currently have three baptism dates, but I am afraid that not a single one will go through now. Not to be completely negative or show a lack of faith, but I'm afraid they might be impossible since they won't reach the requirements. 

We were finally able to meet Sone san again, he finally came back home. He didn't let us in, but told us to call in a few days and make an appointment. I have no idea what it is that he is thinking right now, we will see probably later this week.. Which takes me to Masuda san, our young mom in a wheelchair. She is completely unable to focus on anything other than her back problem, which is a huge, terrible thing. It is so frustrating for us though, becuase although we can't take away her pain (although we tried offering her a priesthood blessing) we have something that is of so much more value, but she won't do anything anymore. Even teaching has become nearly impossible. We have scratched her date and are trying to help her the best we can but not meeting as often as we were, it just isn't being effective. 

Tomomi san, the referral from another area, also won't let us make any contact. We are going to go by again and try to catch her. We are pretty sure she was drunk last time we met, so going during the day will be best. I have a lot of hope for her though, she told us that she was in the middle of Alma last time we talked, she really loves the reading the Book of Mormon. 

We also had a really awesome first lesson with a lady we found last week named Tsuruno san, she is a really adorable grandma who got a Book of Mormon like 30 years ago and still has it. Right now she likes to listen to us it seems, but doesn't know yet if she believes. I'm really excited to go meet with her again! Last time she gave me and my companion some neat metal bookmarks that she bought in Taiwan 20 years ago. She is so sweet. :)

Yesterday we went and had a BBQ with the ward, it was a lot of fun. I really have started to build good relationships with the members and just love getting together with them. Also, I love Japanese BBQs! And all of you guys, have a good week!

Love,

Megan

Week 49, September 8, 2014. Young mom investigator, having back problems. Elders keeping sister's spirits up!

Hey guys, 

So, my investigator Masuda san, the young mom that has a date for the end of this month has had a rough week. She has a bad back for a long time, but suddenly it started to hurt her really badly and when she went to the hospital they gave her a wheelchair to use from her on out. 

From this we have had a hard time meeting with her and it looks like she is having a hard time keeping commitments, namely keeping away from coffee. We are trying to keep our faith and hope up, but to be perfectly honest it was a bit of a rough week! 

On a brighter note, we did find a few new people that seem to honestly be interested, I'm really excited to meet with them again. They both took copies of the BOM too! Also, the Elders have been pretty sweet this week to us, leaving us cookies and ice cream and heart attacking our door. It is nice to have other missionaries around sometimes! 

We don't know if Masuda san will be able to make it to her date or not, but we are going to give it all we've got to try and get her there. I know that this gospel is what she needs, even if it won't cure her physically, spiritually she needs it more than she could possibly realize. 

Hope you all have a good week, love you!