Dear family and friends,

    KONNICHIWA!!!!!!

O-Genki desu ka? (How are you?)

This week has been a week of miracles!

It is amazing to see all the emails that have been sent! Keep sending them!
WOW! It is just crazy how much love and comfort I got when I entered into the MTC! After saying goodbye to my parents when they dropped me off at the MTC was so overwelming and I really couldn't stop crying... but once I stepped into the MTC, that one step I took and then received my name tag, I stopped crying. It was the first miracle that I encountered at the MTC and it was amazing! So, WOW.... what to say?

Alright, this week was probably the most amazing and the most tiring week I have had in my entire life! The first day I got here, I got my name tag, I got my key to my room, I got a schedule, and I got my doryo  (companion) . My companion is Epling Shimai (Sister Epling) she is from Mississippi and she is probably the most obedient, most caring, and one of the most funniest people I know! She has this dry sense of humor that really I only get, which cracks me up, because Choro tachi (Elders) or Shimai tachi (sisters) are like what is she talking about? And I just sit and laugh because I am the only one that gets it! Epling Shimai and I get along actually really well. There are times when it seems like we won't get along, but we actually really do work together, and get things done. I also met my district! I absolutely LOVE my district! We have 6 choro tachi and 4 shimai tachi which includes my companion and I! A district in the MTC is the classroom you are in. So, we decided to name our district the J SQUAD!

Wow... just wow is what come to mind when we talk about my district. In my district there's the Choro tachi, there is Chab Choro he is Philopeano he is actually really short, but when he talks about his Savior or any spiritual subject he starts to tear up and I love him to death, he is our district leader, and the poor guy its so sad but also funny at the same time that he doesn't know what to do. Like the other day, he found out that he was suppose to get the mail for everyone and when he got the mail we all had a ton of mail! But, we still love him for it! His doryo is Cuff Choro and he, well he is super ripped, that's all I could say to much about him, he is a big guy who likes rock climbing, oh and he's from Las Vegas, but he definitely has a big heart and he loves the Lord. Going around the room in my head there is also Jones Choro he is a really considerate man, he is also very, very hard working and he's actually from Utah.. not sure where though. His doryo is Sadler Choro he's from Alabama and he has the funniest accent I have ever heard, it's so sad, but we make fun of him for it. The other day he said chalk and it was more like chaulk. Love him to death though. There is also Chippin Choro he's more of that surfer choro that kinda doesn't know what is going on and is just going with the flow. And then there is Davis Choro.... oh man that choro is something else I tell you! He is a pianist (actually a really good one too), he is hilarious! He always talks with his hands, maybe a little more than he should, but he also talks more in french than he does in Japanese and English. That choro is so funny... but he has a soft spot, a really soft spot for the Lord, he will cry and then use his middle finger to wipe away his tears. Oh, and he tries so hard to play volleyball, but he gives up and just walks away. The only way I could really say about him is he is the most sassiest choro or person in that matter, that I have ever met. He is a total drama queen!


The Shimai tachi in our district consists of me, my doryo, then there is Snow Shimai she is from Saint George and she is super smart, her doryo is Bills Shimai and she is probably one of my favorite people ever! She is from origionally Alaska but moved to Reno and is so sweet she is amazing at singing and she has a great sense of style! We all share a room in the building 3M, on the second floor. We actually never really spend time in the building until we come back to get ready for bed which is 9:30 pm to 6:50ish when we leave. The one thing that I though was really interesting is that I haven't had a bad time getting up in the morning, and I definitely haven't had a hard time going to sleep, except the first night I got here. It was soooooo cold. Then the next day we figured out that we had a thermastat.

Okay... the classes. Well, the first minute I walked into my classroom we met Strauss Kyodai (Brother Strauss) and he didn't speak a single word of English... not one. That is the most fustrating thing to not know what they are saying. Oh... and we were given a bag of books to use in Japanese and literally they are probably more that 8-12 lbs we have over 20+ books and they are heavy, but so handy. The Japanese I guess is coming along... but it is so different from Spanish. I am having a really hard time pronouncing words. But, I was told by some of the native speakers that my pronounciation is actually one of the best they have heard from everybody... so that makes me feel better. It just takes practice. We aren't really learning how to write in Japanese we learn how to talk so if I spell things wrong, it's because it's hard for me to write. But, I can just write a few phases I have learned.

       O-Hayo Gozimas- Good morning
      Konnichiwa- Good afternoon
     Konbawa-  Good evening
  O-Genki desu ka?- How are you?
Watashi wa Lockett Shimai desu. - My name is Sister Lockett
Watashi no doryo wa Epling Shimai desu- This is my companion Sister Epling
Watashitachi no Ten no Otosama- Our Heavenly Father

And what I have been working on.... Anata no mototeki wa, hitobito ni Kirisuto no...- To invite other to come unto Christ... that's about all I can do right now.

Everyday we are in class for about 7+ hours learning Japanese 3 hours at a time straight.. and I don't think I have ever been working on something this hard ever!

But... the second day we were in Class we were told we are going to teach an investigator. My heart just stopped... how on earth am I going to speak to a native speaker in a language I barely even know and teach a lesson? They had a video about the person and we had to try to get as much as we could from the video and apply it to our lesson and teach them about the gospel. Well... I can tell you that it was definitely not easy to talk to someone with only one day of class instruction time and only really knowing Konnichiwa. But, miracles do happen and I can tell you that! I may have not understood, but the spirit was so so strong in that room the first day I was there! The first lesson was on Friday and we have taught her 3 times after that! Our investigators name is Ohira Tomoko (Ohira is the last name, they start with their last name and then their first name).... she is great she doesn't really know too much about the gospel except that families are important. Which is great so we talked about how families can be together. We then talked about in a different lesson about the Holy Ghost. After that we talked about prayers. Monday was probably one of the most amazing and eye opening days for me as a missionary. That was the day we were talking about prayer and she prayed... that was probably the day that I knew, I knew right as she spoke that, that is why I am here. That is why I am a missionary is to bring those unto Christ! Everything made sense. That is why I am hear to see others change.. to see their growth and to bring them unto Christ! That was a pretty emotional day for me! I knew in my heart that, that is why I was here.

Sunday is also one of my favorite days.. we meet in main building 1M and we have sacrament in Japanese, we are suppose to have a talk ready in case we get called on.. in Nihongo (Japanese). But, what I learned was that Nihongo (Japanese) is the language of my heart and of my soul. I can tell when I talk, when I teach, and when I pray in Nihongo that my heart and my soul is one with the language.
I learned a ton about Kobe this week, I learned in Kobe the weather is amazing and the dialect is beautiful! But, what is most amazing is what Kobe means Ko in Kanji which is the characters when written means God and Be in kanji means door, so basically when Kobe is written in Kanji it means God's Door, which put the happiest smile on my face!

I love you all and I will have more miracles to talk about next week!
Love you all!

Love,
Lockett Shimai

P.S. I wanted to let the Fluman Family know I am fasting and praying love you!

Quote: "The Joy of Soaring, begins with the fear of falling!

Love you Amara, Liam, Eryn, Lauren, and Mom and Dad!