This week was wonderful!

5/25/2014

1 year

Heather's 1 year mark

This week was wonderful!

Full of some of the most awkward moments of my life that all turned out for the best! haha

Some stories I will just have to leave for after the mission. They are too long. But don't worry, I write about them in my journal, so if I ever tell you I don't remember any stories from my mission...tell me to get my journal out. its jammed packed.

In one day we found a new investigator, ate at the fanciest restaurant I have ever been to in my life, got a referral for the elders in the form of our french waitor at a little bakery a CRAZY less active lady took us to, and held hands with an old woman all the way through the shopping center.

It has been a whirlwind of a week. It all molds into one week, and I don't know how to separate the weeks much less the days.

........................

had a nightmare that three of my toes fell off. BOY was I happy to wake up. I have never been so grateful for each individual toe in my life haha.

Suen is progressing along swimmingly. I will tell you her full story the week of her baptism. She is SUPER excited to be baptized, and she picked a time too! June 14th, 10:00am!!! The only problem is......she told us that because she is coming to church for three hours every Sunday, she doesn't have any time to meet during the rest of the week....WE STILL HAVE THINGS WE NEED TO TEACH HER! Anyways, we tried to negitiate but she couldnt. SO PLEASE pray for her, pray that we can teach in a simple way that she will understand very well and not get overwelmed. If we dont teach her everything in time we will obviously just postpone the baptism, but she really wants to be baptized on the 14th so we are gumbaruing through it! She is amazing. I love her to death! If you all knew her and got the opportunity to teach her, you would all be better people haha she teaches us so much. her favorite scripture is alma 32:21. I love her.

Aiko.

Aiko aiko aiko.

She wants to be baptized on the 7th, right now it looks like thats not going to happen BECAUSE she still needs to figure everything out. I really don't know what else to say without explaining everything, but I don't have time to explain everything so this will have to suffice!!

MOM AND DAD!!!!!! HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am so happy for you! man Im lucky to have you two as parents. And goodness im happy im alive. thanks for being awesome beyond belief.

My bean. I love her so much haha (you call a new missionary a `bean` here. Who knows why). Anyways, we were talking yesterday and she was commenting on something- and I told her that a lot of missionaries dont wake up at 6:30 like they are supposed to....

she started crying.

you gotta love the green beans! So pure and precious haha. She said she had no idea. She is adorable.

So Cook shimai told yamamoto shimai that purple was her color, right? Yamamoto shimai took that as Cook shimai being able to see into her soul or see her aura color or something like that....anyways, super funny. Yamamoto shimai wears purple every.single.day now.

Gotta love Japan!!!!!!

ps. Kimber Lee Lane is the most beautiful, pure, adorable, fun, loving, hard working person in the whole world. Nobody mess with her. I mean it.

Go read Jacob and Enos for Fathers Day. Its adorable. Talks about how much Enos loves and respects his father, and how that influenced his life...

Fathers day is quite a ways a way...still.

Enos is amazing!

I will start sending quotes again. Sometime.

I love you all so much! I am praying for you! Be genki! If you ever want anything from Japan, just let me know! Thats kinda where I am right now!

LOOOOOOOOVE,

Lane Shimai

Oh hey!

Oh hey...didn't see ya there....

alright. 

huh...

this week...

Went by crazy fast. Yuu chan is gone. She is in California now! If you are ever up in Fresno---please visit her! She is an angel. And she is definitely going to be coming down to Carlsbad to visit sometime. You will all fall in love with her! It was so hard saying goodbye to her. And so weird. I felt like she was a dying missionary. She is like my little sister here. But she is gone now. She is going to do great. And you will all meet her!!!

So there once was a cute little grandma...who boarded the densha and so I let her have my seat right? So she starts talking to me in English, we tell her our purpose as missionaries, and she was like "if you want, I can give you my address, phone number, and name!" and we were like uuuuuuuuhhhhh YES! (this seems to happen a lot with us and old ladies) anyways, so we set up an appointment and we were way excited. so we go to her house and she smuggles us through someones apartment building and to her house, shows us her garden and everything, and then tells us she made us dinner, but that we need to eat it in the genkan because her house was dirty. (everyone here always says that they made us a little snack, when in actuality it turns out to be a feast), which was the case this time. She gives us TONS. Let me try to remember....stew, rice, edamne, juice, boiled egg, more beans, watermelon, umeboshi, nato, cake, and then apricots. she brought them out one by one by one. It didn't matter how much we told her we were okay...it just kept coming....anyways she was a super sweet old lady, we chatted for a moment and then we started talking about the Book of Mormon. I don't know if I have ever seen a smile drop so fast haha....yeah. She told us we could talk for a moment about it. So we did. After which we got quite the earful haha. After she was done she told us our bus was coming, and literally ran with us out of the house, through the apartment, and to the bus stop. (she is I think 67 years old). That appointment didn't go exactly as planned....but! Boy it was fun! I actually think she has some potential.

anyways...

living in an apartment with all Japanese people is quite wonderful! I try to speak only Japanese except in Doryo benkyo, which does a lot! 1) helps me realize I actually know a lot more than I thought, 2) fixes the mistakes I make all the time, and 3) I learn a TON everyday. I love Japanese. I think its beautiful. Mostly because these people are beautiful. Every single last sassy old lady. I am so lucky to be able to be in Japan. Hey Kimmy, maybe you will get called here too! they would just eat up your huge blue eyes and blonde hair. 

It poured this week. Thank you thank you! It was beautiful. We were on this one super busy road (so it was super load) only there were no people. You best believe I sung primary songs in Japanese at the top of my lungs, and loved every minute of it. Heavenly Father gave us load voices for a reason! And its not in order to yell!! Its to SING!!!!!!!!!

I will share a quick little thing! Its from president Kimball, and he is talking about an umbrella, and comparing it to how if we know we should do things like daily family prayer, FHE, etc. but we don't do them---that's like having an umbrella but keeping it closed. But when we actually do those things we know we should be doing---when the umbrella is "spread out", it "makes the silken material taut. When the rains falls, it runs off; when the snow falls, it slides off; when the hail comes it bounces off. When the wind blows, it is diverted around the umbrella". Heavenly Father gives us guidance whenever we look to Him!! Just cause he loves us! He knows us better than we know ourselves, and He knows how we can be eternally happy!!! if you aren't reading your scriptures everyday, going to church every week, and saying your prayers morning and night---just try it! Set a goal...tell yourself that for one month you will do these things and see if it makes ANY difference in your life. And I promise you, I promise promise promise that you WILL be happier, and you will feel stronger than ever how much God loves you. There is a God in Heaven, and He is our eternal Father. 

Love you all! Have a great week! Dad- I am waiting on pins and needles to get your letter!!

LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! To the moon and BEYOND!

Sincerely,

Lane Shimai

shishasho

5/11/2014

Lucky me! We get to do normal email time and skype!

Only I dont have much to say other than the things I will be saying when we skype! So.

I will tell you a couple jokes!

What did the green grape say to the purple grape?

.....breathe!!!

Chisai chicken wa chotto hen hahahahahaha (that one is from cook shimai)

Speaking of cook shimai...she transferred. I miss her so much! We cried like babies. but its all good. We will see each other again after our missions!

And I got a baby!! (new missionary). Branspankin new. She is from Tokyo. Went to high school in Utah. half american. Speaks english pretty darn well! I have been learning Japanese like crazy. I love it. She is a sweetheart! She got me chocolate for mothers day cause im her mission mama. hahaha goodness...

what else.

I shall write a quote that I never have time time to type!

---Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are more powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, whop am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small doesnt serve the world. There is nothering enlightened about shrinking so that other people wont feel insecure around you. We were born to manifest the glory of God that is within us. It is not just in some of us; It is in everyone. And as we let our own lights shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fears, our presence automatically liberates others-----

:D

Im about to skype you guys! I love you!!!!!

 :)

PS! AIKO HAD HER BABY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! THEY ARE HEALTHY AND STRONG!!!!!!!!!

Have a great week! Read the Book of Mormon. It will help you be happier.

---Lane Shimai

manshe

5/5/2014

Goodness this is gonna be a short one.

Aiko is a BOMB! We taught her the law of chasitiy and boy is she gonna keep it! Pray for her, she is due on the 10th! im excited for you all to meet her. Someday. She gives the best hugs, even with her pregnant belly, and she already acts like someone who has been a member for years and years. 

Look up the Logos Hope---its a christian boat or something. We were finding down by the Dejima warf last week, and met a ton of people from it! We are going today for pday!!! HUZZAH!

Today is transfer calls....oh yeah---which is a good reminder....if I DO get transferred- then the skyping time for mothers day will most likely change. So. They will let us email later today if we are getting transferred, but If you dont hear anything-- it means I am staying here in Nagasaki!!! (I am pretty sure im staying :)))) ) SO! yeah. Just so you know!

Mothers Day is this week! Give a HUG HUG to ALL the mothers around you this week! There is a lady in our ward Cook shimai and I call our nihhonjin mama. We asked her if she was doing anything for mothers day. she said no. We asked her if her sons were. She said last mothers day her son texted her early in the morning and said "Happy mothers day....give me money"....hahahahahaha yeah. needless to say this mothers day she will be getting a HEART ATTACK!!!! In the form of paper hearts all over her door. 

So much has happened these past ten days without a pday, and yet...I cant seem to remember any stories. ummmm. Things are going good! Set up Suen with Zhan on sunday (zhan is a chinese man, recent convert) and Suen is chinese too. They are going to get married. Someday. In the temple. Weddings all around!! Life is so good!

alright- investigators--

-AIKO! (baby due) BD

-SUEN!! (Chinese 19 year old) BD

-YUU!! (moving to america) BD

-Kitagawa

-Atsuko (got some good stories haha)

-Ayano

-Minami

-Yamamoto Shimai (RC)

-Maiguma Shimai (LA)

DAH! I talk to you in a week! Way weird. Hopefully I will be able to think of some funny stories. In the mean time- be happy! Read your scriptures! Go to church and as many activities as you can!! Say your prayers. I cant tell you how COOL it is to teach someone to pray for the first time, and then to have them come back and tell you how much they love praying. That has happened here in Nagasaki to Aiko, Suen, and Yuu chan. And its because they are really praying, and for the first time ever they feel how loved they are by Heavenly Father. It is so exciting!!!

Pictures from last week!!! I shall send. Sorry if my english is weird. 

heavenly Father loces you all to the Moon and back an infinite amount of times! I know that this Gospel is Christ gospel restored in this dispensation! I know that we are all loved beyond our comprehension, and I know that Heavenly Father blesses us ALL everyday in an infinite amount of ways. 

I love you all! I love life! If anyone is thinking about serving a mission- DO IT.

Love,

Lane Shimai :)

Do You Keep Sit Here?

4/26/2014

I decided maybe I will start making the title of these emails something fabulous I heard throughout the week. Im not going to say much about this one, but just know that in the japanese language there is no 'si' sound. only 'shi'. Maybe its immature to make this the title, but man when it is said 12 times out of the mouth of the sweetest, most pure grandmother...you cant help but cry because you are laughing so hard. Which is exactly what happened to Cook shimai and I yesterday. She was trying to say "are you saving this seat?"

I was talking about how much I love Henry to one of the kyokaiin, and she taught me how to say "good grief"... Its "yare yare"...(I think thats right). Anyways. Henry, I love you!

YAY!!!! Guess who just barely got back from the temple!!!! It was absolutely amazing! we did Baptisms for the dead with Yamamoto shimai because this is her first time. There were FIVE recent converts who went to the temple for the first time today. It was amazing to be able to see them all do baptisms. Yamamoto shimai got baptized for her grandmother. I love Yamamoto shimai! You would all love her too. She is a super steki mother of two with the sweetest spirit.

There was a wedding today too, it was beautiful! And so I got to see a lot of people from the Fukuoka ward, and a nihonjin sister missionary that went home a few months ago! She was there. Shigihara shimai- I dont know if I talked about her in old emails or not...but anyways, I got to see her!!! My mission mama is dying in two weeks. Is that crazy or what?? Speaking of Moms, its MOTHERS DAY SO SOON!

I love you Mama!

The particulars for the phone call...I forwarded you the thing about it. I don't really know what is going down. I'm going to try to somehow get a member to let us use their computer to skype...only we aren't allowed to ask, so I will have to find someone who can just read my mind. Yamamotto shimai is good at that....she read my mind when we set a date with Aiko! SPEAKING OF AIKO SETTING A DATE---AIKO SET A DATE!!!!! yamamoto shimai jointed for us, and told her all about her baptism and Aiko is so excited to get baptized!!! We have a ways to go, but her heart is in the right place, and she is so sincere. The baptismal date is June 7th :) And she is having her baby next week- so pray for her!!! She has a fiancee- and he may or may not be there. So we will be there for her, and yamamoto shimai will be there for her! She is precious- I sent picture home of her before. She is the cutest little thing.

While Cook shimai and I were weekly planning this past week- we were trying to figure out a lesson we could do for Yuu chan and Juri chan. So we were thinking about Uchtdorf, and how wonderful he is, and how he makes every teenage girl feel like an utterly adored princess. then we brought in Dumbledore and gandolf into the mix---so while we were just talking and talking about Uchtdorf, I accidently referred to him as Gandulgolf. but we are keeping it. Think about that! Dumbledore, Gandolf, and Uchtdorf all mixed into one. Its too much to handle. Note for the future (orrr----Mckenna and Nathan- I would be willing to let you take this one since you are having a baby in man...a couple months. I know she is a girl, but every girl needs a super cool middle name. Just think about it... Gandulgolf.)

Alright this week has literally been a whirlwind of miracles. We just couldn't take it at one point haha. Let me tell you about how amazing Thursday was. We have a lesson with Aiko- yamamoto shimai is strengthened SO much in that lesson, and Aiko sets a baptismal date. We leave the church on the way home for dinner- and decide to contact everyone just to show Heavenly Father how grateful we are! we found a new investigator on the street--she gave us her home number, cell number, full name, and set an appointment. ALL without us even asking. Yeah/ I was dying with joy. And then two of our investigators who usually cant come to church texted us and told us they were coming on Sunday. Uhhhhhhhh. Ended the day by sleeping on our futons plus the other sisters futons because they were out of town. It was a beautiful day.

Maiguma Shimai is doing so great- we wanted Finding Faith in Christ with her last Monday- and it really touched her. We talked about missionary work, about how powerful her example is, and how the members need that example too (she stopped coming to church because she just kinda felt unneeded, and her hearing is starting to go). Anyways, we talked with her- and you can tell how powerful her testimony of Christ is. She told us she forgot, she forgot how much Christ loves her. But she is coming to realize it more and more. We committed her to coming to all three hours of church this week! And she said she would!!! :D

Another miracle--We met with the Chukokujin who randomly called us last week----

the first ten minutes were like an "oh no...she isn't interested...." and then everything changed as soon as we opened the Book of Mormon. We read Ether 12:27 with her--and she understood it so well. But the amazing thing is that she doesn't just understand it on a basic level-- she understands everything on a really deep level. At the end of the lesson she said "thank you! Today was my first day of learning about Christianity". She was so grateful for the Book of Mormon we gave her. Then when we tried to schedule--she was like "I can meet every week at this same time. Is that okay for you?"......Is that OKAY for us???? Oh my goodness. She is amazing! And then when we invited her to Church she told us this week she might not be able to go- but every time after this week she thinks she will be able to- and she told us she would just text us if she ever cant come to church...Cook Shimai and I periodically just look at each other and shake our heads. We are being SO blessed.

Guess what else happened on Thursday!!!!! I passed off my last lesson mastery!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WOOOHOOOOOOO I am so happy. I would explain lesson mastery, but im not going to because I would much rather tell stories. but I am way excited because now im going o start getting into my Kanji cards I bought from the honbu. Hehehe. Cook shimai have been reading the Japanese book of mormon outloud for this past transfer- just ten minutes at the end of gengo benkyo, and we have tripled our speed. Crazy! I LOVE reading from the Japanese Book of Mormon. I feel so cool haha

Actually, I'm really out of time for more stories. Got to go email kaicho! um....I will figure out the mothers day thing, and let you know?

Anyways, got a quote for you all to think about! "Grace is receiving a reward you don't deserve, and mercy is not receiving a punishment that you do deserve". 

God Loves us!

I love you all! Have a great week! Smile lots!!! I will talk to you next week on Tuesday (Monday for you) and then talk to you either on the phone or SKYPE in a couple weeks!!!! Stay beautiful!

LOVE,

Lane Shimai

Toed.

4/21/2014

Happy Late Easter!

They do absolutely nothing for Easter here haha. But that's okay! Cook shimai and I got the other shimai baskets. and I read the Easter story about a million times! Good stuff.

This week we have 2 pdays because we are going to the TEMPLE on saturday!!! So hopefully we will have time to email. if not you wont be getting an email from me in...like two and a half weeks or something. 

I gotta tell you about Yuu chan haha she is the most adorable thing ever. I will include pictures- I have a ton from last pday. We taught her the Law of Chastity today, and we were a little worried just because we weren't sure what her standards were and she has a boyfriend. So. We teach it thoroughly so that we don't have moment like they had on the district (their investigator thought that keeping the law of chastity meant that he couldn't flirt or date girls). So we teach it to her, and she got more and more excited to keep it. It was so fun to teach because the Law of Chastity it SO HAPPY!!!!! anyways, so we teach it to her, and kinda jokingly we were like -you should teach haruka the law of chastity- and she was like ---yes!!! I am skyping with him tonight!--- and then as she was leaving we gave her a hug and she was like ---I LOVE the law of chastity. I am so excited to tell Haruka about it!- hahahahaha. I love Yuu chan. She is absolutely adorable hahaha

So this week there was a mystery to be solved! A number we didn't recognize called us on Saturday, and cook shimai tried to talk to her. she didn't understand her though so after a while she handed to phone to me, and I didn't know what she was trying to say but I invited her to church the next day and told her we would meet her outside. SOO. we were so confused--she sounded like she had an accent so she wasn't Japanese...and when she said her name we didn't understand a thing haha. SO. we were super excited when Sunday rolled around, and we were waiting outside and she didn't show. We almost missed the sacrament because of it haha. Anyways, so then after about ten minutes, in she walks! Mystery girl!!!! It was a girl we talked to on the street over a month ago. She wouldn't make an appointment or anything, didn't give us her number. We just gave her a little flier with our number on it. And one month later she CALLED US AND CAME TO CHURCH!!!!!!!!! it was a miracle. After sacrament meeting there was a crepe party, and so she came. It was way fun. and she had so much fun haha she said she is coming back next week and bringing friends. CRAZY OR WHAT?!? She is Chinese- going to school here to learn Japanese, and she is 19! She is way tall, and beautiful. We are so excited to work with her!!! Easter Miracle!!!

mmm what else? oh! I broke my toe. stubbing it. Not gonna say im proud of it haha but it is what it is. dendo has been an adventure. BUT. a miracle happened. No joke. So my toe was bleeding like crazy and it was paaainful right? It took hours to get to sleep, and then I woke up in the morning because of the pain (im just telling you all this cause its a cool story). When it happened it was just bleeding like crazy. and then the next day was companion exchanges, so I bandaged it up and put a shoe half on- and my whole foot was swollen at the end of the day. Then the next day I was able to put a sock on it- and then I wake up on Easter and it felt LOADS better. Then today I woke up and I don't even have to put anything over it. I don't know if this story sounds dumb or anything, but believe me- it was incredible! I can walk completely normally, and I just have a cool bruise. EASTER MIRACLE!

Our investigators are doing awesome! 

I got a hilarious story that is really a few hilarious stories all in one. Lets see if my hands can type this fast enough...actually no. I don't have time cause I gotta send pictures. DON'T let me forget to tell you about the french man, the gas station man, and the seminary kid.

Totally got pulled into a trick this week. So funny. I will have to tell you about that too some other time. Code word: First meeting with Juri hahaha

I LOVE THE WORLD.

I love you all so much! Have a great week! I hope you are just having the time of your life! Read Hebrews 11:40. its one of my new favorite scriptures! Read the Eternal Blessings of Marriage. Its the cutest thing in the world. I can read it over and over and over again.

Alright! I shall send the pictures! Love you all! Have a great week!


Most of these pictures were taken at Glover Gardens.