week 32: God is there
District training:
Hafen Choro, Campbell Choro, Choro Woodworth, Choro Wright,
Hayward Shimai and ME!
こんにちは
BIG NEWS! I'M TRANSFERING TO FUTENMA! It is on the island of Okinawa and I will be going senior companion too! My new companion will be Sister Evangelista! I will be her breaker! (first companion after her trainer) This week Hayward Shimai caught a cold. We weren't able to really go out, but that didn't stop us from having fun! One thing I did this week was clean! We had cleaning checks on Friday and our apartment was a mess. So I spent a few days deep cleaning while Hayward Shimai slept. I got everything scrubbed sparkling clean. I should have taken a before and after pic because the difference was crazy! While cleaning, I found a bunch of Liahona magazines and I read them all! They are so good and so cute! Definitely an osusume (recommendation)! I also read all of the Saints volume 1. Yep!! 700ish pages in less than 2 days......... it's awesome! I highly suggest it. It answers a lot of questions about church history in an easy to understand way. It made me appreciate the early saints so much more. I've been reading a lot this week and watching church videos. It's amazing how much great stuff the church has.
Funny keiken: So some funny missionary slang is "dying missionaries". A missionary who is returning home after the current transfer is considered a dying missionary. My district leader, Elder Campbell, is one of these missionaries. So to have some fun with the goodbye, we held a funeral at the last district meeting. In the photos, Hayward Shimai and I couldn't keep a serious face and the whole time all of us just laughed. The photos were hilarious!
Spiritual keiken: So last week the bishop's wife asked us to help teach her Sunday school class. She said the lesson was on commandments and she asked the youth what questions they thought someone who didn't know about the church would have. So the first one was, "what are commandments?" Then "how do they help us?" Then "why does God give commandments to us?" The last question was "is God even real?" This last question is really scary because so many youth in Japan go less active. She asked us to come and testify of Heavenly Father's existence. We prepared and talked about how God is there and talked about the movie "God's not dead" and how we knew this to be true. When we were in class, the spirit was so strong and the youth brought up other questions they had. I am so grateful I had the opportunity to share what I know to be true.
New words:
おすすめ(osusume): recommendation
そうじ(souji): cleaning
へいわ(heiwa): peace
I want everyone to know that I know God is there. He has changed my life in so many ways. He has helped me so much this transfer and my whole mission. He loves each of us so much.
"... The scriptures are laid before thee, yea, and all things denote there is a God; yea, even the earth, and all things that are upon the face of it, yea, and its motion, yea, and also all the planets which move in their regular form do witness that there is a Supreme Creator." Alma 30:44
The earth and stars and everything is too perfect for all of this to be an accident or a coincidence. The complexities of all of it shows that the Supreme Creator, our Heavenly Father, did this. If you want to know if God is there, then ask Him.
I love you all and I miss you all. Time is flying here! I can't believe how long its been. I love it here in Japan!
Love Thompson Shimai
BIG NEWS! I'M TRANSFERING TO FUTENMA! It is on the island of Okinawa and I will be going senior companion too! My new companion will be Sister Evangelista! I will be her breaker! (first companion after her trainer) This week Hayward Shimai caught a cold. We weren't able to really go out, but that didn't stop us from having fun! One thing I did this week was clean! We had cleaning checks on Friday and our apartment was a mess. So I spent a few days deep cleaning while Hayward Shimai slept. I got everything scrubbed sparkling clean. I should have taken a before and after pic because the difference was crazy! While cleaning, I found a bunch of Liahona magazines and I read them all! They are so good and so cute! Definitely an osusume (recommendation)! I also read all of the Saints volume 1. Yep!! 700ish pages in less than 2 days......... it's awesome! I highly suggest it. It answers a lot of questions about church history in an easy to understand way. It made me appreciate the early saints so much more. I've been reading a lot this week and watching church videos. It's amazing how much great stuff the church has.
Funny keiken: So some funny missionary slang is "dying missionaries". A missionary who is returning home after the current transfer is considered a dying missionary. My district leader, Elder Campbell, is one of these missionaries. So to have some fun with the goodbye, we held a funeral at the last district meeting. In the photos, Hayward Shimai and I couldn't keep a serious face and the whole time all of us just laughed. The photos were hilarious!
Spiritual keiken: So last week the bishop's wife asked us to help teach her Sunday school class. She said the lesson was on commandments and she asked the youth what questions they thought someone who didn't know about the church would have. So the first one was, "what are commandments?" Then "how do they help us?" Then "why does God give commandments to us?" The last question was "is God even real?" This last question is really scary because so many youth in Japan go less active. She asked us to come and testify of Heavenly Father's existence. We prepared and talked about how God is there and talked about the movie "God's not dead" and how we knew this to be true. When we were in class, the spirit was so strong and the youth brought up other questions they had. I am so grateful I had the opportunity to share what I know to be true.
New words:
おすすめ(osusume): recommendation
そうじ(souji): cleaning
へいわ(heiwa): peace
I want everyone to know that I know God is there. He has changed my life in so many ways. He has helped me so much this transfer and my whole mission. He loves each of us so much.
"... The scriptures are laid before thee, yea, and all things denote there is a God; yea, even the earth, and all things that are upon the face of it, yea, and its motion, yea, and also all the planets which move in their regular form do witness that there is a Supreme Creator." Alma 30:44
The earth and stars and everything is too perfect for all of this to be an accident or a coincidence. The complexities of all of it shows that the Supreme Creator, our Heavenly Father, did this. If you want to know if God is there, then ask Him.
I love you all and I miss you all. Time is flying here! I can't believe how long its been. I love it here in Japan!
Love Thompson Shimai
Bits and pieces from family emails:
I have loved Oita and I will miss this dear place...especially Waka Chan. I have loved teaching her!
I hop on a plane Thursday at 8 a.m.! I've got to go through things and try and get my suitcases lightened up! Sister Dimmitt and Sister Whitney are so excited that I get to go to Okinawa! I love those sisters!
I have fasted and prayed so much lately, and I truly know that God is there and answers our prayers.
For anyone who feels they are struggling with their own testimony, especially after a mission:
Do the dailys: read the book of Mormon and pray and read Preach My Gospel every day. Those are the basic needs for a testimony. If you are having a hard time read and pray and remember why you served a mission. Reread journal entries to feel the spirit you felt there. Go to the temple and ask for help from God because He loves you just as much as He did when you were a missionary, and He will help you like He helped you then. Turn to God to always remember Him.
Visiting a temple in Oita...we've passed it by several times,
but this week on p-day we walked around the grounds...
so beautiful!
so the elders thought Elder Campbell should climb up and
have his funeral on the ledge....hahaha
It didn't work but the thought was hilarious!
cutest sisters right??!
I know what you're thinking...and yes, you're right...
we are having a funeral for Elder Campbell.
He dies this week (goes home!) so we gave him a proper burial,
with flowers, fake tears, and everything!
all of us laughing at elder Wright's face.... we apparently weren't too sad elder Campbell way dying
not quite dead Campbell Choro
missionaries are on that selfie game!
low quality pic of a high quality day!
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