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Eaton Shimai and I

Sisters in zone

Shimai tachi

Elder Smith

love these two!

the zone!

Week 4- It's not Thursday?

Dear family and friends,

I cannot believe I have been in the MTC for a month! Holy cow time
flies fast when your having fun!

What to say, this week is another week of amazing miracles!

I feel that it was just yesterday that I had P-day. As a missionary in
the MTC and getting dropped off on a Wednesday you start losing track
of time of what day it is. I don't know how many times I have asked
someone what day it was and how many times I thought it was a Monday
when in reality it was actually Friday or Saturday.

Okay wow so much to talk about!!!
First off this is for my family and friends that may know my cousin
Eric... there is a chōrō in my district Cuff Chōrō who reminds me so
much of him. He talks, walks, and looks a little bit like Eric! And if
you know my cousin Eric you would be laughing.

On our Sunday night <x-apple-data-detectors://5> devotional we were talking
about repentance and
also about losing yourself in the work of the Lord. I have found
myself multiple times starting to forget about myself and focusing on
the work. That is one of the most amazing feelings. That's when you
know you are starting to become a missionary. I can feel it. Yesterday
I taught my first lesson without a script and anything really to go
off of, that was one of the scariest, but yet so amazing experience I
have ever had. I could feel that this Japanese is not that good, but I
could tell I have learned so much. I started to form sentences (may
have been choppy) but they knew the main idea of what I was focusing
on.

This Saturday is my half way point and I am so excited for Japan! To
answer my moms question, no I am not counting the days surprisingly. I
can tell you how many weeks, but when I think about all e days I have
left it feels like forever.

Last week we got 2 nihongene(Japanese speakers) Shimai tachi and 1
Korean Shimai and they are the life of the party. Oh my word I love
them all!!!! I have learned so much from all of them:) There is Morita
Shimai, she is from Nagoya, Japan, there's Furitani Shimai who is from
the Fukuoka, Japan area. Then there is Park Shimai and she is from
Seoul, Korea she actually knows Japanese too so that's really awesome!
The Japanese sisters know so little English, but Park Shimai does so
she does a lot of translating.
The other day Morita and Furitani Shimai said "we think, that you are
going to be popular in Japan" , when they said that I was so
overjoyed! I was so excited, I said "naze(why)" and they said "because
you are so cute, so funny, and so crazy". I just laughed and laughed.

I also wanted to thank the Thomsen family for the care package and for
the cute letter! I was so excited! Thank you!
Oh... I also forgot to say on my last email that I have seen and sat
and talked with Elder Bailey Smith, and I can't tell you how much I
have wanted to hug that Elder. He is the closest person to home that I
have. Funny story, the first time I saw him was the day he came in,
actually that night. He walked into this building I was in and we saw
each other and he came over and was about to hug me and I said "Elder
Smith" and stretched out my hand, haha it's really funny how when you
first get here how you want to hug people but you can't unless their
the same gender. Oh and then he said walking away "see yah Jordan" and
I turned to him and said "Elder Smith, the name is Sister Lockett" and
walked away laughing.

Oh..... okay so crazy thing happened yesterday. So, yes everyone I
have joined the MTC choir, I know I don't sing, but I do now, I have
been in the choir since I got here, but I didn't make it into the
choir to go to conference sadly, but anyways our director Brother
Egget kept saying that the song we were going to sing yesterday was
going to be really special and the devo we were going to be at we
would never forget. I can tell you right now I will never forget that
conference. Last night, I was privileged to be at the MTC devotional
that was broadcasted to all the MTCs in the world. We were prevailed
to hear and see Elder David A. Bednar!!!!!!!!!! What??? I know, it was
incredible, and I could tell when he walked through the doors, you
could feel the room just light up! It was amazing he talked about
digging deep into conference talks and wow just wow! it was amazing!

The Japanese is really hard I'm not going to lie. It is not even close
to Spanish, and sometimes I ask myself am I ever going to learn this
language, and then like in my lesson yesterday I could feel that I
could remember things better. I maybe a little girl from Star, Idaho
but I have a testimony of my savior and I know that what I will be
preaching to others in Japan is true. So, I have nothing to loose!

I love you (ai shite imasu) !!!!!
Kamisama wa watashitachi o ai shite imasu. (God loves all of us)
Iesu Kirisuto wa watashitachi no sukunishi desu. (Jesus Christ is our
Savior)

I pray for all of you daily. Especially my family I want them to know
that I pray for you each individually! Please all stay safe, and pray!
If you ever feel down or you feel alone, pray for help, for guidance,
and above else yourself!

XOXO
Lockett Shimai
ロケット 姉妹

​
​Week 3- Conference and Goodbyes


Dear Family and Friends,

Another week has gone and I have seen nothing but miracles in my life this
week.

This week has been emotional and so heart warming.
This weekend was Conference weekend. I hope each and everyone of you got a
chance to watch, because it was literally one of the most amazing
conferences I have ever watched. Not just saying that because I was in the
MTC for it, but because it literally was amazing. I thought it was amazing,
if you watched it, how on the Saturday Afternoon conference the MTC Choir
sang, and I can tell you that my heart soared! The talks that were given we
outstanding. I didn't have a favorite talk they were all so good, but I
definitely did love the talks about the Japanese missions, I hope everyone
got to hear those. I also really enjoyed the talk given by Elder or Brother
Kazuhiko Yamashita, he had a quote that was "Boys be Ambitious", and "be
ambitious in Christ". Think about it... ambitious... that is a big word,
what does it mean to be ambitious? This talk really made me think of my
dad. My dad always says about people or books, he says " These people are
ambitious, they wanted to get things done". I think about that a lot, I
want to be the most ambitious missionary there is, so that I don't miss any
opportunity to talk to one of God's Children. I invite all of you to be
ambitious in all that you do. Don't say, I'm tired, or I don't have time.
Hey... I could say on my mission I am tired or I don't want to do this, but
I wan't to be ambitious in Christ! So get up and enjoy life!
I also really like the talk by Elder Russell M. Nelson on JOY!!!! Have joy
in everything you do! I have found so much joy and love from coming on my
mission! I can feel the joy each time that I speak in Nihongo. But, I can
also feel the love already and the joy for the people that I will be
serving.

Oh also on Sunday evening... we had a special devotional, and if any of you
are from Provo or know anyone that is in Provo or just know anything about
Provo, you might want to here this. We had 8 young men come and sing to us.
It was Vocal Point! Now, if any of you don't know who that is, that's okay,
because I didn't either, but look them up. They are a all men's accappella
group from BYU Provo and they sounded amazing! WOW!!!! Look them up!

Okay.. what else happened this week?
OH.... Mom and Dad I am now in a trio! I have two companions now. One of
the sisters in our zone went home this past week. So that sister was left
alone in her district. Her name is Eaton Shimai she is so great! She is
full of spunk and always laughing and smiling. We were asked by the
President if we could be her companions, she said she felt most comfortable
with us, so we are now a trio. She still stays in her district with all of
the choro tachi, but she comes with us back to the residence and any where
else. Epling Shimai and I had to move into her room too. But, man she is
just the life of the party!

Also this week was an emotional week... on Monday morning all of us sisters
got up and helped all of the leaving sisters get their bags and take them
to the traveling office and wished them goodbye. I didn't think I would be
that emotional, but I was really upset to see all of them leave. They had
taught me so much these last 3 weeks, and I still needed to learn more!
But, it was a good goodbye because I know that we would be seeing them
soon, maybe not on the mission, but definitely some time in the future! It
was hard saying goodbye to Goto Shimai she is the one who is from Nihon
already... but she is going to Kobe so I hope we will become companions
sometime, if not she invited me to her wedding when she gets married
someday so. But, man that was a big day.. a lot of them left at like 3:50
am, that is really really early! Lets just say about everyone was falling
asleep in classes.

Last night was so great! We had our Tuesday Night Devotional. We heard from
Sister Linda K Burton, and yes the one who is the General President of the
Relief Society! She was amazing! I loved listening and being guided by her
and her counsels. I also loved the talk that her husband gave before her.
He said: before you are set apart as a missionary you are so so very
confused and kinda unsure of life at the moment, and I could remember when
I was set apart that was how I felt. After you are set apart, he goes on,
you feel like this big coat is put on over you, that it doesn't fit right,
and that is called the "mantle" he put it, the mantle of a missionary, you
do not see yet how much more you can be. And all the things of the world
just melt away. Once you start working and preaching and when you can no
longer see yourself as Jordan but now as Sister Lockett or Lockett Shimai,
that is when you have really started to become a missionary and that is
when the mantle or the suit coat fits. I thought that was so amazing!
Also last night we got 2 new sisters, one is from Nagoya Japan and the
other is from Souel Korea. The one from Japan, knows only a little amount
of English and the one from Korea knows English and Japanese, so that helps
out a lot. But, they are so sweet! I just have so  much love for them, I
know that when I get to Japan I will have so much love for everyone there.
One thing I thought was really interesting that the sister from Japan
talked about is that, in Japan 95% of the people will not listen to our
messages, and the 5% will.. I hope as a missionary I will be able to talk
to all of the 100% of the people. It gave me determination! You know the
scripture "and not one soul shall be lost"? That is my end goal to not lose
a single soul!

We are not Senpai! The way it works at the MTC is that there are 3 groups,
there are the DiSenpai which are the ones who have been here for about 7
weeks, the ones who will be leaving really soon, then there are Senpai who
have been here for more than 3 weeks, and then there is the Kohai who
literally just arrived and are in their first few weeks of the MTC. So we
are going to be having a bunch of new districts come in next week.. so they
are our Kohai! Also I was given the calling last night with my doryos to be
the new Online Coordinators of our zone, who go and talk to the new
missionaries about how to email their parents and write letters to the
mission president and so forth.

Wow.. it feels like yesterday my parents dropped me off, but I guess time
flies when you are serving the Lord! I am so grateful for all of you! Ai
shiteimasu! I want all of you to know how much of an example each and
everyone of you are to me! Keep of the good work and have JOY in life! Be
ambitious and look to the Lord!

​
Love you all!

XOXO
Lockett Shimai​

Week 5-The Joy of opening your mouth

Well this week has been nothing but miracles.

You realize once you become a missionary, you are always representing the lord at all times, in all things and in all places.

I have found that once you start opening your mouth, it will be filled. This past week we  had 2 new districts of missionaries come in. It was incredible to see them, and their smiling faces. This past week I have really thought about them and how I felt when I was in their shoes at that time. How I was so confused and frustrated that the language wasn't coming. I had the great opportunity to talk with an Elder who was having a hard time with the language, and at first we were talking about his lessons and how he was doing, and then he kinda just opened up to me and told me everything that was on his mind. Why he was frustrated, what exactly he was feeling. At first I really didn't know what to say, but it was when I opened my mouth that I told him what I would love to have told myself when I came into the MTC. I said "Elder, do not worry (shimpai shini), the language may feel overwhelming, but trust me Elder if you really try and get studying, and have faith that God called you for a reason... you will be a lot more happier". And that was about all I said. Later I found a scripture that a sister gave me when I was having a hard time. It's Alma 29, if you ever get the chance go read it, it is amazing especially for you missionaries:) 

So.... this past Saturday was the half way point here in the MTC, we had a a little yah we are half way there realization for a split second and then it faded away... but next weekend we should be getting our new name tags in Katakana, the week after that we should be getting flight plans and the week after that we are packing, it felt like yesterday that I was dropped off by my parents, now it's getting so real. On this coming Monday we will be the new Disenpai which mans we are the top group that is leaving...... ahhhhh crazy. But, that also means that our 3 native speakers are leaving as well as our only all Elder district. But, next Tuesday and Wednesday we will be getting I think it was 9 native Japanese speakers and I think 6 or 7 maybe 8 missionaries that are from the states, and get this they are all going to Kobe!!!! All the stateside missionaries that is. Also I don't know if I said this before but I have a calling in our ward. I am one of the online coordinators that helps with the new missionaries and helping them email their families and branch president. But, this Sunday everything gets reassigned and I'm really excited! 

I wanted to thank my family and my grandparents for the amazing packages that I have received thank you! 

So funny thing happened in one of our lessons. So, sometimes if you say the wording wrong in a sentence it can mean a completely different thing. In my lesson I was trying to say you are a child of God and instead I said  God is your child. So, that was awesome... it was hilarious. 

Yesterday was probably one of the most amazing things that has ever happened and it was a miracle that it happened. Yesterday my Dōryō and I were preparing for a lesson, we sat for a good 20 minutes and could figure out for the life of us what our investigator told us or what our lesson or commitment before was about. We sat and we sat wondering and trying to figure it out. Then one of the weirdest things happened I said  "Dōryō, I'm going to say a prayer and then we will know". Not knowing if my faith could help us I said a prayer, and after I said amen I sat there  and kept hoping and praying that my faith would get us to remember, as I looked up I could see that my Dōryō was writing everything down on the board that we talked about. It was a strong testimony builder to me, that miracles are real and they do happen. 

My dear family and friends, always remember that God is so real, he is there for the good and the bad and he is there ALWAYS!!!! Don't push him away and don't forget who you are, and who he is. Know that Jesus is his son and he is your Savior. He suffered and died for you so you can one day return and live again. 

Watashitachi wa kamisama no kodomo desu. (We are Gods children)

Iesu Kirisuto wa watashitachi no sukunishi desu. (Jesus Christ is our Savior)

Kamisama wa watashitachi no ai shite imasu. ( God loves us)

Watashitachi wa gen no otōsama ni kansha shimasu. (I'm grateful for my Heavenly Father)

I love all of you! 

Ai shite imasu! 

XOXO Lockett Shimai

         ロケット 姉妹

MTC Week 2-  Raining Days bring Blessings DESU

Konnichiwa Family and Friends!

This week has been nothing but blessings and miracles!

Wow.. what to say. This week has been one of the longest and toughest weeks I have ever experienced in my life. This week has been very rainy and packed full of blessings from above. All this week I have been doing nothing but studying, studying, and studying. I'm not going to lie, Japanese is a very difficult language to grasp and so very different from Spanish. One of the greatest things that we have in the MTC is humor. Our choro tachi are hilarious! Our choro tachi like to impersonate the Sensais ( teachers) that we have. We have this one Sensai named Strauss Kiodi (Brother Stauss) and he is so funny... he always talks with this funny voice that everybody loves, and then at the end he says "Desu" and in english it sounds like "des" in Japanese there is no "u". But, he can be talking in Japanese he ends with "desu" so that's fine, but then when says a full on sentence of english and then at the end says "desu" everybody can't stop laughing. So our new inside joke is to say "desu" at the end of every sentence we have. 

Okay.. what else happened???

Oh.. yah a lot of our zone is leaving on Monday to Japan and when I mean a lot.. I mean like 20+ people are leaving. That means that there is only going to be 6 sisters left in the zone including my companion and I . And on Wednesday we are only getting 3 sisters! But, I am very excited for them and where they are going. Oh I also forgot to tell everyone that we decided who everyone in our district is in Disney characters. Chab Choro- Mike lazowski from Monsters Inc., Cuff Choro- Bruce from Finding Nemo, Sadler Choro- Mater from Cars, Jones Choro- Woody from Toy Story, Crippin Choro- Crush from Finding Nemo, Davis Choro- Llama Cuzco from Emperor's New Groove, I'm Dori from Finding nemo (because I forget everything), Epling Shimai- Belle from Beauty and the Beast, Snow Shimai- Anna from Frozen, and Bills Shimai- Rapunzel from Tangled. And to get a Disney character you have to given it, you can't choose yours. 

Oh my goodness there are these two Shimai tachi in my zone that I love so dearly. There is Conejo Shimai and she is from Mexico City, Mexico! Yah, I know I thought it was hard for me to understand Japanese, these sister is a beast! She is truely amazing and she has this thick Spanish Accent. A few of my favorite lines she says is " Is it because I'm mexican" and " Booooo yah!!!" She is truely an inspiration to me everyday. There is also Goto Shimai she is from Saporro, Japan and she is going to Kobe! I should has said they both are going to Japan so it's very likely I will be companions with them both soon! And Goto Shimai is so funny! She doesn't know that much English, but she is so amazing, she was converted about a year ago by her boyfriend and was the first person to get her endowment out in the Saporro temple! How amazing is that! She always puts a smile on my face and makes we want to do better everyday! There was this one time that I came out of the shower and I saw her, I only had my towel on and she looks at me and just starts laughing and points and says "Locketto Shimai Sexy". It made my day! 

On Sunday we had a devotional and it was amazing! The words that were spoken brought tears to my eyes! One of the quotes were "Even though you work in a flower shop doesn't mean you can stop smelling the roses". This was from last Wednesday when we went to the temple

​

This is Conejo Shimai

Left to Right (Page Shimai, Me, Goto Shimai)

Now my title said Rainy days brings blessings... I was talking about all the many blessings that I have been receiving. All the Love I have been given. These past few days have been rough on everyone. Everyone in our zone has been hit with some type of virus that has been making us all so miserable. And yes the flu shot did not work because I got sick, but it wasn't all that bad. I just did everything my parent's told me to do and that is sleep, drink lots of water, and sleep some more. So.... I did! I feel a 100 times better, but I have a stuffy nose and a sore throat still. But, I was given this beautiful blessing that made me want to express the love I have for everyone! Thank you all for all that you do! Last night we had a devo, and one of the speakers Sister Schwitzer talked about having "no regrets", and that woman is so so powerful with her words. I want all of you really love everyday that you are here... to really understand the love your Heavenly Father has for you! And I can tell you all that I do not have a single regret at all of being here, of doing the Lords work because I know that this is what I should be doing and I am loving every moment of it! 

When you feel down, when you feel low, that nothing is going you way... PRAY and read! I promise you that the spirit does work though you and though others, I have had to learn to rely on my Heavenly Father and my Savior more than ever these past few days, and he is all powerful! Prayer is one of the my blessings that I am so very grateful that I have!

My dear Family and Friends I love you all, I think about each and everyone of you everyday!

Kazoku to furenzu ni kansha shimasu - (I am thankful for my family and friends)

Please do not stop loving the lord, always look to him in your good days and your bad. Learn to rely on him! You can do most things but you can never do them alone!

I love you all (Aishitte masu)

XOXO
Lockett Shimai 

Pictures of MTC