Transfer 2 Begins!

こんちわ皆さん!!!

Holy moly im surving! hahah! This was a little bit of a scary week for me. Transfer 2 started and its just me and Willden Shimai! We are both only second transfer missionaries. Needless to say.. we have no idea what we are doing!! hahah! I cant even count on my hands how many times we got lost this week! and we have only officially been together since thursday! hahah! But we are managing! and really this week has been full of miracles! Heavenly Father knows we have no idea what to do so he helps us out a ton!! 

So after we got our transfer call, we were all a little depressed. Nagamine Shimai and I were sure that we were staying together. She became my mom out here in this foreign land! so we did a lot of fun things this week.. maybe a little too much fun. oops! 

Tuesday we went out to lunch. Not just any japanese restaurant but the greatest place in japan! The cat cafe!!! hahah! ok so one of our eikaiwa students is just really interesting. he tells me about this cat cafe place every single week and really wanted me to go. So we did. basically its a room full of cats and you eat lunch with them. it was the strangest thing ever! Japanese people are obsessed with cats! every single person i meet.. literally obsessed! We played with them for a little but it got old really fast. luckily two other japanese girls came in and started playing with them. watching them play with the cats was more entertaining then actually playing the cats. The girls were just too happy to be sitting in a room full of cats.

later Willden shimai and i went on splits and visited our Buddhist friend Hasegawa san. Shes a super cute old lady who wants to learn english. She likes to read the Book of Mormon but doesnt really have interest. We showed up at her house unexpectedly and she was so happy! She said she had prayed we would come visit her that day! We were stoked to hear that! So i guess we wont give up quite yet on our Buddhist friend :)

That night we went to dinner with my favorite girl i have met in japan! Her name is Mariko! She is going to be famous one day! She is an amazing guitar player! Shes so funny because she is so different from the typical japanese person. She is so american some how! but i just adore her! We stuffed our faces in indian food. literally i am getting huge here. all i do is eat! japan is making me huge! didnt see that one coming! anyways, sadly she told us that she was leaving for american for three weeks :/ we hope to stay in touch! 

Wednesday I was with Willden Shimai again. we went and did streeting at a college campus. Well this is not allowed but we went anyways. very bad idea. i know... it went super well at first! We talked to so many college kids all studying english! we got four peoples numbers and made plans to see them again. However, teachers were getting suspicious.. we got busted and were asked to leave. awkward.. we wont be going there again... 

Wednesday night we had dinner with Yuki Chan! shes my 15 year old friend! We made tako yaki... octopus. ughhhhh. i have now tried so many different foods i am just so impressed with myself! octopus doesnt really have a taste just super chewy.. not a fan but it wasnt terrible! 

so yuki chan showed us her english homework and she had to translate a backstreet boys song into english! how sweet is that! she was singing it all night long so cute!! She is also a fellow Hannah Montana lover. well we both started singing `the climb` together and she started crying! ahhh i died! She said she was so happy to be singing this song with me! hahaha! she is the cutest thing! I love my little Yuki Chan! 

Thursday eventually came.. saying goodbye to Nagamine Shimai was the saddest thing! She has become my idol and thinking of being here without her was terrifying! We lost Bagley shimai too :/ so our apartment is reallyyyyyyyy quite. just the two of us. its so weird! so different... but we are doing just fine! hard to adjust to at first but i love Willden Shimai! 

here comes all the miracles...!!!

saturday we somehow had five different lessons with investigators! it was the busiest day i have ever had! With the combination of our investigators we are actually pretty busy! and it feels great! My new two favorite people are this cute couple! They were first meeting with the missionaries to learn english but now they actually really like hearing about the gospel! during the english part the husband turns to me and says `ok lets study the Book of Mormon now`!!! ahhh! They are just too perfect! we adore Yoko and taka san!! 

Sunday was the biggest miracle of all!!! we had five investigators come to church!!! the missionaries were all asked to speak in sacrament meeting.. my first talk　in japan! my talk was super simple but having a talk gave reason for people to come to church! Willden Shimai and I felt so good looking out in the audience and seeing our investigators! Such a blessing! Since i dont speak japanese.. i just got up there and said how happy i was and how much i love our chiba ward! of course everyone loved my talk because i sat up there speaking like a 2 year old but i had the biggest smile! thats all i can do.. but it works! 

So grateful to be a missionary! Heavenly Father blesses me daily! He blesses my investigators and im pretty sure my family too :) We have so many reasons to be happy! We live in a beautiful world and we have a savior who helps us do anything! So grateful for this gospel! and for the miracles i have seen! There have been many! Heavenly Father loves his children! 

Christensen shimai

Transfer 1 Survivor!

HOLY MOLY!!! ok I have like no time on the computer today :/ so sad! we had a long day at our recent converts house so we are limited on time today. So we got transfer calls today!!!.... I wasn't worried at all. My Japanese companion was sure she was leaving chiba and that I was going with her because she is my trainer. Well, that didn't happen. Shes still leaving and im staying here in Chiba with Sister Wilden.. She's also only a first transfer missionary.... WHAT?!?!?!?!?! ahhhhhhhhh!!!!! I am so overwhelmed right now! I honestly cant believe it! The assistants on the phone said we would be training each other! ha! this is a joke! Thankfully she is half Japanese and knows a lot of Japanese but not everything... and we are both still so new to the mission!!! im in shock! super overwhelmed! But obviously other people think we can do it hahah so that must mean we can! I am so excited! this is going to be a huge growing transfer for me!! hahah! I cant wait!!!!!

I wish I had more time because this was such a great week! I went to Yachiyo for an exchange with Day shimai! she was in my district at the MTC! oh we had such a great time! we talked to so many people and saw so many miracles! We stayed up all night and ate peanut butter!! I haven't changed much since ive been gone :)

Tried lots of new food this week.. ugh. I ate crab for the first time! not a fan... but its not terrible! and I was also forced to eat nato.. its probably the nastiest thing in all of japan. fermented beans. they are super sticky nasty nasty nastiness! hahahha! we got it all on video don't worry! I did my best not to throw up!

This weekend we had a typhoon!!! not too crazy! just super windy and rainy! it was so cool!

I think Heavenly Father was preparing me for this upcoming transfer announcement because this entire week I felt so very loved by him! every single day I felt his sweet spirit warm my heart! I had such a great week! We taught about the atonement this weekend so I spent a lot of time preparing. I love my savior with my whole heart and soul! I will never understand completely but I know that I need my savior. I cant do anything without him! He is my everything!

So grateful for the wonderful feelings the spirit brings! We can always have his spirit with us! What a blessing!

 

lots of love!!!!

 

Christensen Shimai

3 MONTH MISSIONARY!

Cant believe I have been on my mission for 3 months now!!! the time has flown by!!! 3 months sounds like forever! but still nothing compared to the 16 I have left! HA!!! what a great 3 months it has been! I love that I have lived in Tokyo japan for a whole month! coolest place to be! We had a great week! Japan's least most busiest time of the year is august. I still don 't really know why.. but it is. SO i am so glad we are out of august and can hopefully start actually teaching people!! We have a few investigators but no one really progressing right now. But i know things will pick up soon! Japan is an amazing place filled with TONS of people! The prepared people may be a little bit harder to find so we are going to start looking under rocks! hahah! We so desperately want people to teach! One more week of my first transfer! crazy! If i stay here in Chiba I know we will find people to teach!

No matter what, I still absolutely love being a missionary! We talk to strangers all day and make new friends! This last week we really got to know our ward a lot better so hopefully we can get some member referrals! You members back home, please help your missionaries! All missionaries need people to teach and member referrals make the best investigators! So be nice to your missionaries for me! hahah!

The weather was been crazy! First super hot as always, and then it got super stormy! Rain almost every day! ahhh its amazing!!! lightening and thunder storms are so loud here! Its so scary and sooooooo cool! oh and for all you who thought i would get skinny on my mission (ok maybe that was just me) that is definitely not the case! Japanese people eat healthy but i do all i can to avoid it! hahah! go American food!

So last week,

Went on an exchange with Willden Shimai. We were doing mitsukutaikai (handing out flyers for our free English class). We alsways meet the most interesting people! some a little creepy.. but mostly good ones :)

Wednesday, we had a lesson with a member of the church. We taught her about the restoration. I recently have been trying to memorize the first vision in Japanese. Memorizing something you don't understand is nearly impossible. Im basically memorizing sounds.. anyways for this lesson, i was in charge of reciting the first vision. Thankfully my first time was with a member and not an investigator! Sister Kurata is a sweetheart! I got through it with not too many mistakes! (miracle) but at one point i froze and completely forgot everything. I sat there and looked at my companion for help but she just looked at me and smiled. no help there.. So i said what sounded right. After i finished Kurata Shimai started crying! not the reaction i was expecting.. i thought laughter was more likely! anyways she said that while i was talking she was reminded of why she had joined the church when she did. She knew it was try but had forgotten why she got baptized so fast. The spirit reminded her that is was because of the prophet Joseph Smith. His experience is so unique and special and yet somehow still so relatable! She kept thanking me! really i had nothing to do with it.. haha! But i was so very grateful for the warm spirit that was felt! I started crying too! typical.. This was exactly what i needed to feel. I really learned that it doesn't matter what i say. If we invite the spirit, it will soften the hearts of our listeners and they will learn truth and feel God's love! I completely butchered my part but it was ok! It was still the best lesson ive had! The spirit was so strong! What a great blessing! From then, i haven't been as afraid to speak! i still can hardly talk but i do my best and rely on the sprit to help me out!

So this week pday was on Tuesday because we got to go to the temple!!!! everything about it was perfect!! The Tokyo temple is beautiful!! Temples feel like home! I felt so peaceful in the house of God and couldn't stop smiling! Temples always remind me of mom and dad going through with me for the first time! I love my parents! i love temples! Temple work is so beautiful! Next week we hope to take Eva shimai our recently baptized member to the temple for baptisms!!!!

So nothing too exciting this week.. but always a good week when your a missionary! I couldn't be happier! I love this gospel with all my heart! It is truer than true! my testimony is strengthened every single day! So grateful for the spirit and the feeling of true happiness and love that comes through the spirit!

 

Love you all! ai shite imasu!!!!

 

Christensen Shimai

Cho Saikou!!!

Yaho!!! Konnichiwa!

 

ahhhh I am having the best time! I love Japan! I love my area! Chiba is so cute and we have such a great ward! I still cannot speak a single word of Japanese but daijobu! Its funny because everywhere I go, people want to speak to me in English! Everyone wants to practice their English with a real gaijin (foreigner)! hahah! So I speak a lot of English! which is awesome cause I talk to a  lot of people but I am not practicing Japanese.. its hard! But its nice to understand what people are saying! Even though all Japanese people's English is super broken but its the funniest and cutest thing ever! I have become a pro at the "how are you" missionary work. All I say is Hi how are you and almost everybody stops or at least smiles! Even if they don't stop a smile is good enough! That makes me happy! usually they get nervous and so all they say back to me is "hi how are you!!" haha! we just go back and forth and its hilarious! I love these Nihonjin!

This week we had interviews with the mission president and his wife! they are the cutest things! So sweet and made me feel so good! I told them how I really miss my family and they both said how blessed I must be because I have been given such an amazing family so it makes it hard to be apart. Budge Shimai said that when her kids were on missions her relationships with them actually strengthened! that was exactly what I needed to hear! I am sad that I am missing time with my family but so grateful to be a missionary! Great things are happening in Japan! The Lord truly in hastening his work and He is calling everyone to join him! This time will seem so short so I am grateful everyday that I get to be a missionary in Japan!

So in Chiba, we still don't have a ton of investigators so we still do a lot of streeting and finding! Wednesday we did a Blitz were all the sisters in our zone come to our area and help us find people to teach! There were 9 of us sisters going around Chiba! Such a successful day! We gave out a ton of Book of Mormons and made appointments with people we had just met! Such a miracle! Another new sister missionary and I were paired together. We were a little worried because we both don't know the language but we saw the most miracles and talked to the most people! Heavenly Father is on my side helping me every step of the way! Later that night we had our free English class! Seriously eikaiwa is my favorite part of the week! I guess I get a little weird but its funny to the nihonjin and so they just bring me stuff! This week at eikaiwa, one of my students brought me muffins, another brought egg plants and giant cucumbers (my fav) and someone brought me a dress! haha! they are the cutest people!

SO this week was seriously a week of miracles! at first we were a little discouraged when our appointments and investigators kept bailing on us. So instead of lessons we went streeting as usual. Bagley Shimai and I went together. We hadn't even gotten to our train station (2 minutes away) when we stopped someone. She was interested in our free English class so we tried to make an appointment of when we could meet and show her the church. with two busy schedules it was impossible. we told her we had time right then and so we gave her a church! We were shocked because this rarely happens! She loved the chapel! We sat in silence and let the spirit do the work! It was beautiful! We cant wait to meet with her again! So Bagley Shimai and went back to the street. This time we only made it a few blocks when we stopped another lady. We asked her if she had time and then took her on a church tour! Bagley Shimai and I couldn't believe it! We were stocked! The next day we went out jokingly saying we had more church tours planned. Well, I quickly learned that if you expect miracles, they happen! We gave another church tour! and this one was the best! She was super cute, and really wanted to learn more about Jesus Christ! She told us that we were best friends and that she loved us! I died! so adorable!

The next day Nagamine Shimai and I were back together and she wanted to do church tours too! so we went to the street! The first lady we stopped.. sure enough said she wanted a church tour! I couldn't stop laughing! It was too good to be true! After the tour we invited her to church and she actually came with a friend! Such a miracle! She loved the meeting and is coming again next week! Seriously this week was full of miracles! So thankful to my Heavenly Father who does all he can to help us out! We had such a great week filled with the spirit and people who are prepared to receive this restored gospel!

Saturday night we taught Hiyabashi San. She is not your typical Japanese lady. She has a million dogs, plants, listens to music super loud constantly and eats ice cream like no ones business! She is so American! hahah! and my kind of lady! We taught her an introduction to the lessons and are going back tonight! She really wants us to see her flower that blooms only once a year.. so we might be going to her house every night for the next week! hahah! She's great though and I cant wait to teach her! She has had a lot of trials in her life. She's not sure if she really even wants to live. But that's the amazing part of the gospel. Its for everyone! The gospel can help with anything you are going through, or struggle with. I know that is true with all of my heart! This gospel has blessed my life more than I can describe and I am forever grateful! I live a happy life because of the knowledge that I have of our savior's church! He will guide us and direct us in all things! All we have to do is ask for his help! He is more than willing! He already paid the price. In the end, its not us begging him to save us. Jesus Christ, our Savior, will be begging us to follow him. I want the people of Japan to know that their Savior stands by their side. I love my savior with all my heart! I can do all things because of him who strengthens me!

Hope all is well back home! Love you!!!!

Ai shite imasu!!!!

 

Christensen Shimai