Sent from my iPad
Sent from my iPad
Konnichiwa all the way from Kurashiki, Japan!
How was everyone's week?
Well, I can't believe it's true, but I have officially hit my one year
mark the other day! I have been a missionary for over a year! How fast
the time flies!! ねー but, besides that this week was great!
On Monday night we were housing and found his cute grandma. It was
actually a pretty funny story. So, we ping-ponged her house and no one
answered so we started walking down the street when all of a sudden I
hear the click of a door unlocking and this sweet old grandma pops her
head out and says "nan deshou ka?". I quickly run back, my companion
behind me. We then come up to her "konbanwa, watashitachi wa matsu
jitsu seito iesu kirisuto kyoukai no senkyoushi desu. Watashi wa
roketto shimai desu." (Good evening, we are from the church of Jesus
Christ of Latter-day Saints. My name is sister Lockett). We then
started talking to her about church and Jesus Christ. She was so kind
and asked us to come in and have a seat. We sat down and she felt like
a bad host, so she asked if she could bring us some matcha(green tea).
We kindly said "I'm sorry we don't drink that." She then asked for
awhile why we wouldn't take her tea, we told her that we believe that
our bodies are holy and that they were given by God. She then went on
how matcha is so good and tasty. She then changed the subject and
asked more about our religion. We told her about the Book of Mormon.
She was a little surprised it was a book from God. We then tried
handing it to her, and said "this is for you," she was stunned "what
for me? How nice! (嬉しい😊!!!!) "she then got up and then asked again if
we wanted some more matcha... then we kinda started realizing that
this poor old woman probably had some type of Alzheimer's because she
started repeated herself and asking if we wanted matcha and we gave
her the Book of Mormon like 3 times. She also asked if we were cold,
it was really hot in that room, but apparently since the window was
open she thought it might be cold for us and gave us like 20 million
blankets, I was sweating to death... and then the lady just goes and
says I'm going to go get some matcha! Uhhhhh.... hahaha... it was very
difficult, but we left without drinking her matcha. She is so sweet.
Well on Thursday I hit my one year mark. We decided we wanted to try
doing some studies at Starbucks.. which actually was one of the best
ideas yet. We found one of my favorite people now Kanaka san! He is
just the funniest old man ever. We were studying and this old man just
sits down by us and asks my companion Shumway Shimai what she is
reading. She turns to him and tells him she is reading a church book.
He then asks about where we are from and what we are doing her. We
gave him a little run down of things. He then quietly turns back to
his book and coffee. "Oh darn it" I thought, like this guy was really
nice, I want to talk to him. "What are you studying," I ask. He smiles
"I'm thinking about life." Haha wow... I was not expecting that
answe. For some odd reason that conversation went to exactly no where.
After quite some time, after we had both finished our personal study,
I was praying and hoping that some how I would be able to talk to this
man. And what do you know he then starts talking to us again, and this
time I was ready. We talked for about an hour and a half, about
anything and everything under the sun. We talked about his life, his
job, religion, Buddha, Christ, church... ect... he is actually a way
interested guy he used to work for a company that first came up with
the bottles to hold ketchup and mayo in Japan. Like what? I know...
he's been everywhere, and he dated a Mormon girl, go figure. After
that conversation, he said "I'll see you again soon, I come here
everyday, you both are great and I appreciate what you do, but it's
hard isn't it talking about religion with Japanese people?" I shrugged
"yah, sometimes, but it's worth it." He got up and said "be
patient"in English and left.
One of the last stories I wanted to share from this week was on
Friday, we had just biked really far out to go see our dendou
shunin(ward mission leader) and share a quick message about missionary
work. On the way back we decided we wanted to house these danchis(
multi-unit apartments). So, we did and the first door we get to was a
Philippino lady and she was so happy we had come, she's Christian and
reads the bible and said she would like to see the Book of Mormon. So,
we are going back and giving her a Book of Mormon in Tagalog! After we
found another lady who was really nice, she was a little bit
interested in the gospel and what not, we then again testified of the
gospel and the Book of Mormon. We gave her a Book of Mormon and she
said she might come to church soon! Wow! Miracles! Our goal for that
day was to talk to 10 people have 10 meaningful contacts! And we had
9! After housing one complex, shumway Shimai and I were really tired.
I said "I'm tired," and then paused "Jesus was probably really tired
too, but he didn't give up." So we housed another danchi. We did 24
flights of stairs, 9contacts, 48 doors, 1 new investigator, 1 Book of
Mormon, and a whole lot of chidashi(flyers). And we still needed that
last contact, so on the way back we talked to this kid about church.
We biked all the way home through rice fields, singing hymns at the
top of our lungs! Haha!
I love being a missionary!
Yesterday was a little crazy... we were told we were going to have
another typhoon. And I didn't know how big it was until we only had 1
hour of church and the rest was cancelled! But, while at church I was
listening to a sister talk. Apparently in the Kurashiki Ward there
quite a few people who come but live like an hour or so away and it's
really hard for them to come but they have some much faith and they
come anyways even though it's long and lots of money, they come. But,
they will be meeting up there from now on... which is really sad
because now the ward will only be about 30 people or so instead of
like 45 people. I'm not really sure numbers but the lady bore her
testimony of how God is so mindful.
While she was bearing her testimony I wrote this- I have never seen so
much faith ina group of Latter-day Saints than the ones in the
Kurashiki Ward in Japan. Traveling 2 hours every eat at a church of so
few. With the faith of these saints and the love they have for their
savior and for each other, it's hard not to see or feel the love of
God.
Alma 26:37!
But, yah the winds were bad, we tried to go sync our areabooks and our
umbrellas broke so we ran back! Hahaha!
We got like 3 texts from the city telling people to find shelter now!
Craziness! But we are okay!
Lockett Shimai
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