week 35: sugar and salt...know the difference

- October 07, 2018

most patient and kind girl around!

こんにちは！

Typhoon part 2! We had another typhoon! It's been crazy! I've been in Okinawa for 2 weeks and had 2 typhoons! So this week we had interviews and zone conference! It was really awesome! During interviews I got asked about my arm (no surprise there!) and about how we can do missionary work in a different way. We have been challenged to think outside the box! So exciting! We also got a new flyer for new services we will offer along with a new more effective eikaiwa system directly connected to pathways! So many cool changes! Just like General Conference! I haven't seen it yet, but I definitely heard about some of the changes! Heavenly Father is hastening His work! It's amazing! This week we found some amazing places to eat! Cheap and yummy! One of them was a recommendation from a random lady on the street and later in the week we saw her again! Kiseki! (Miracle)

Spiritual keiken: So amazing miracle...last week we taught this lady and asked if we could come back and teach her more. She said yes. So this week we went back and taught her the plan of salvation. She liked what we taught, but because of family things, she couldn't continue to meet with us. She also told us that for so long her arm has hurt, sometimes so bad she can't sleep. She said after we prayed for her last time, her arm didn`t hurt for the first time in forever. The next day, it hurt again but that night it stopped. We were able to testify that was a blessing from God and that He loves her. It was amazing to see how real and immediate God's blessings can be!

Funny keiken: Okay, so because I have a cast, I can't go out in the rain. The night before zone conference, it was raining. So being stuck inside, we decided to make cookies for the conference. We made one batch of dough and start baking them. Then I wanted make some chocolate ones, so I started on a new batch. I got the dough looking really good and decided to try it to make sure it tasted chocolately enough. I tasted some and it was so salty. Salt? So I added more sugar and repeated the process a few more times and the dough would not improve. Finally. Sister Evangelista tasted it too and agreed that it was super salty. I finally looked at the sugar bag and I realized it was salt! I had used salt instead of sugar! It was so funny! We laughed and were super glad that at least the first batch was good!

New words:
ふんいき(funiki): atmosphere, mood
けす(kesu): to erase
びょういん(byouin): hospital

This Wednesday I will go to a new hospital for my arm and hopefully get my cast off. I am not sure, but we will see. I'm still not allowed on a bike so we're walking everywhere. On Saturday, we walked over 6 miles! It was far! But lots of members saw us out and working, so that was great! All the members here in the Japanese ward and the military branch are so kind and just want to help me with my arm! It's so touching to see their Christlike love!

I love you all so much! Have a great week and ponder on General conference. I can`t wait to watch it (it shows a week later here in Japan)!

Love, Thompson Shimai

Bits and pieces from family emails:

My arm is still achy when I try to do much with it, but I haven't needed any more pain medicine. I'll check in with the mission doctor after my appointment this week. The break is only a partial break, but it's right on the elbow joint, so hoping it heals quickly!

I gave a talk at zone conference on faith, trust, and pixie dust...the pixie dust being the spiritual promptings we receive!

We have classes for eikaiwa... the new flyer we are handing out has classes on marriage and family, work balance, education, and volunteering. It's a whole new way of doing missionary work and I'm so excited!