Last mission email / My goal was to "see miracles"

Not much to say this week, just that we've seen a lot of miracles,
gotten a lot of presents, I've received perhaps five coin purses of
various size and design and cake three or four times this week, and
have seen God's hand in our lives. I have about ten minutes to write
you before I send one to my mission president.

In answer to the question I'm sure you're all wondering: Other than a
little screaming and running around the apartment, I don't actually
feel any different at all. It doesn't feel like I'm going home--just
another day in the field. Which is good--it's how I like it to be.
I've worked hard. I've worked hard just about every day of my mission
life. There are a lot of Shimai (Sisters) who work twice as hard in the last
stretch, but I think I appreciate more the sisters who work twice as
hard for their entire mission, and so working really hard for the last
stretch is working as hard as they did every other day. I hope that's
me. My body feels like it's me.

Also, nothing can hurt Kitarokko (where I’m at). So no earthquakes here.
This week's most notable event happened this Wednesday.
We went on a koukan (swapping missions companions) with O. Shimai
and A. Shimai. This is the same A. Shimai that Z. Shimai went on a koukan
with when A. Shimai was still a trainee. Well, she's my STL, now, just like I
knew she would be. And we went on a koukan. Just as I knew we would.

Every koukan, we set koukan goals before we go out, and since I will
soon be dead (slang for “off my mission”), my goal was "see miracles".
AS: What kind of miracles?
Me: ...*sigh* *think* You asked for it. "I want to teach someone who, in the
1st lesson, desires to be baptized."
AS: Okay, tanoshimi ni shite imasu!

So we go out. We had a really solid day. At the last moment, T.
Shimai and I sent a mail to an investigator who's been to church
twice, but never met with us. Her schedule opened up, and since she
actually lives in Nishiwaki area, met us there. T. Shimai and I
deliberated over what to teach her, but we decided to invite her to be
baptized.

Long story short, she accepted. Really long story short, but time's
short, so...

Also, A. Shimai and I got cake. Then T. Shimai brought me a
drink that I hadn't tried before and strawberry daifuku :D She loves
me. She doesn't say it much, because she's Japanese, but this week,



I've really felt loved by her. :)

4/18 月

Today I cut my hair again, family. Hahahaha~

Love you all, see you soon.

Sanzu Shimai
サンズ姉妹

もすぐ、サンズ姉妹は宣教師の三途の川を渡します。

I don't know if I'll ever be able to read a book in public again

4/7 木

We had interviews today, which was so fun. I forget how few people are
on the streets on Kitarokko until I step on a train for Kobe. One
thing that's entirely changed about me is that I feel like a worthless
missionary if I don't talk to people wherever I go--especially on
trains. (Thank you, Z. Shimai :D) I don't know what I'll do when I
go home. I don't know if I'll ever be able to read a book in public
again without feeling some serious guilt.

Interviews were really good. The mission president started out the
conversation by giving me a good handshake and saying "You're not
allowed to go home!" Every missionary needs to hear that. He gave me
some great tips on how to not become less-active. I know a lot of
missionaries have a really hard time when they go home and are like,
"What do I do?" But we had a really good talk.

We also ate really good Chinese food at a restaurant right off the
station, and I bought peanut butter and granola. :D

On the way back, we dropped by a member's house and taught her cute
grandkid the "Hokey Pokey." Hahahaha, being goofy is not something one
does when one is Japanese, so it was so awkward. And
she gave us yakimo :DDD

4/8 金

We went to seminary, then back on a train to Kobe!! We met a really
solid kid on the way back, after we ate soba :DDD His name was Y, and
he was just solid. We were like, "Do you believe in God?"

Him: I know there's a God.

Woah, back off, everyone. This kid means business. He's solid.

4/10 日

I LOVE SOUTAIKAI!

Also got an obi for my yukata :D

(This is Sydney's mom. After getting this email, the following pictures came to mind, and I wanted to share them to help you appreciate the full impact of what Sydney is saying in this post. This is a picture that I took the summer before Sydney's mission. We were in New York, near Times Square. This is what Sydney did - every time - when we stopped at a restroom or anywhere else for a 5 minute break.)

Wise men learn from experience. Fools, from their own.

4/6 水


Today, we spent a lot of time in a very few places, and spent a long
time at each of them, but this time, I didn't feel too bad about it.

We started off the day by going to M shimai's, and T Shimai and I had
a moment of shared keiji. We were teaching F Shimai and to open, I
felt like we needed a hymn to share the spirit. I was like, "Let's
sing a hymn." My companion chose the hymn, and it really touched her
heart. It worked really well.

Before we went to M shimai's, we dropped off at a place that sells
hamburgers. They looked really legit--and were expensive enough to
have been, but the buns were a little rubbery, and the patty was more
like a large beef strip. I... was disappointed. It was a good
sandwich, but it was certainly no hamburger.

Afterwards, we kept a cute little old lady company, then we went to
F shimai's. Before we went, my companion, warned me that F shimai
was someone who likes to ask questions but doesn't receive the answer
with her heart and refuses to listen for Holy Ghost. And when we met
her, I received largely the same impression.

I told her that God lives and has revealed the path to happiness. That
struck her interest. She was like, "Eh, what is that?"

Me: The path to living happily is called commandments.
Her: *Face falls*
Me: God never breaks the commandments.

We described that because people, when they keep the commandments,
experience these blessings, they convert. They understand that when
they keep the commandments, they're happier because they've lived
without keeping the commandments and they understand the difference.

Her: So what you're saying is that because they know the difference,
they understand that the commandments make them happy.
Me: *seeing where she's going with this* Yes, that's exactly it.
Her: What that sounds like to me is that you need to experience both
ends of the spectrum.
Me: Haha... If I told you that pounding your head on the street would
make you unhappy, would you believe me?
Her: Yes.
Me: Even though you've never done it before?
Her: No, but I've had other experiences when I've hit my head, and
that was painful.
Me: Good. We are all imperfect. We all sin, and that makes us sad. We
don't have to break every commandment to know that sinning makes us
sad. At some point, you just have to trust God.

We don't have to go looking for sin. All of us happen to be human,
and, despite our best efforts, end up sinning anyways. We make
mistakes. And, mind--we don't have to learn from our own experiences.
We have been blessed with the scriptures, worldwide media, and a
conscience to tell what will and will not make us happy. We don't have
to kill someone to know that everyone's happier without killing
people. We don't have to tell rumors about people to know that it's
good to not tell rumors. We don't have to smoke to know that it's bad
to smoke. We don't have to reinvent the wheel every time we make a
decision. A dear friend of mine shared a favorite quote with me:

Wise men learn from experience. Fools, from their own.

Now, there comes a point when we're asked to make a jump, even though
we don't see the other side. Our dear F Shimai brought it up.

Her: Well, I don't know why God would ask someone to sacrifice their own child.
Us: Are you talking about Abraham's sacrifice?
Her: Yes. Why would God do something like that?
Us: That's a good question. That's a very good, very important
question. We can answer that next week, but in order to prepare, will
you pray every day this week? We could tell you the answer, but you
will never understand if you do not build a relationship with God.
Without faith, no one can ever truly understand the commandments.
Her: Back to faith...
Us: Yep. You don't have to believe everything right away, but if you
believe that it would be nice to believe, if you think that there is a
possibility that God could be out there, that's the first step. So
will you pray every day this week to start building a relationship
with God?


At one point, we're all backed up against the wall of faith. We don't
know why God asks us to do what He asks us to do, and sometimes we
don't like it. Sometimes we think it's a bad idea. We don't have
enough money to pay tithing, we've tried a million times before to
quit smoking, and a billion other very real, very serious problems.
Sometimes we don't understand why God asked us to not drink green tea
when it's one of the most popular health supplements in America.

When that point comes, do you shut down? Does it rule out every other
commandment in the book? Is the Bible no longer real? Is God no longer
real?

Look back to the commandments you did understand, look back on who you
understand God to be. Understand who God wants you to be, and what he
knows you can be. The commandments are not to restrict or bind us, to
repress or oppress us, to halt our happiness or to shame us.

God knows you. He knew you before you were born. He gathered your
intelligence from the darkness and gave you a spirit body to call your
own. You learned to trust and to love him, and he trusted you. He
saved your spirit for billions of years, teaching you how to come back
to Him. He knew this world would be hard and dark and dirty at times,
but He trusted you. He trusts you now.

Before the earth was created, you promised God that you would keep all
His commandments because you knew that it would make Him happy and
because you knew that it would make you happy. You knew that the
commandments would point you to Christ and that Christ would bring you
home.

The first night I came to Okayama, my first area, my trainer and I
hopped on our bikes and biked through the dark to an investigator's
house. She made a wide turn around a corner and I followed her because
I trusted her more than myself. It wasn't until I was comfortable
enough to look down to notice that there were 3-foot-deep gutters on
either side of the road. I was convinced, and still am today, that if
I hadn't followed my companion, I would have fallen in.

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways
saith the Lord."

So when that happens, when you're scared or in doubt, when you don't
like what you've been told to do, choose the higher way. I don't have
all the answers, but "I know that God loveth his children." And I know
that He wants you back in his arms. I know that he's not the only one
waiting for you in heaven. And I know that you won't regret it.

Let there be vegetables!

4/5 火

O Shimai the elder took us to see an LA today. She lived a long ways
away, and it turned out she wasn't home. That was too bad, but on the
way back, O was like, "Let me feed you two" and took us to an
Adventist restraurant.

Now let me have a moment to tell you about this morning. I had a bowl
of rice with otsukemono, milk with protein powder, and an egg because
protein is hard to get in Japan and I was stocking up. As I sat down
and looked at my breakfast, I was like, "I will never eat anything
green for the rest of my life." Not for lack of desire, but rather,
availability.

It was meaningful enough for me that I asked in personal study "Dear
God. I know you can do anything. I want to eat vegetables today. I
don't know how you're going to do it--we don't have time, and we don't
have vegetables, but I know you love us, and I want to eat something
healthy. Please bless us."

So we get to this Adventist cafeteria dealeo, and apparently,
Adventists are very healthy eaters, because everything there included
a kind of vegetable. And their pumpkin soup was delicious. I ate
myself full on vegetables. And there was cake (pumpkin cake),
so that was happy. I told O Shimai that she was an answer to my
prayer, and she was really happy. I was, too. That was really cool.

Then we went to H shimai's and helped her pick up trash. Her husband
came at the end and brought us back to the house. And H shimai's
husband was happy to see us :D

Apparently, I'm safe because I like cute things

4/4 月

Today, we got special permission to spend time with the O's, K's, and
M's down at the Himeji-jou. BEAUTIFUL!!! My companion was super
excited to go up into the castle. She's really cute--very Japanese. A
lot of her emotions are guesswork, but every so often, she gets
excited about something enough that I can actually tell without the
calculus and problem-solving that it normally takes.

Himeji-jou was beautiful--I'm so glad I got to go. I didn't think I
would be able to. Too bad I missed Kyoto, but I'll be back here soon
enough. Not an issue. Also, I splurged a bit and bought a
Shiromaruhime (Japanese castle mascot?) for my beloved Barii-san
(Japanese city mascot?). He needed a friend. I needed to be the one to
give it to him. (And I'm glad I did--Shiromaruhime seems to be a
seasonal item, and I got the cutest version.) When he saw what I had
bought, O kyoudai was like, "Ah, you like those kind of things?
That's good. It's safe."

Me: ...Safe?
Him: Because you're smart. (I guess liking cute
things makes me less intimidating?)

Come to think of it, T. Shimai called me a nakami, too. ...Hey, I'm
allowed to like cute things...

But anyways, we saw the "Evening Sakura." They lit up the Sakura
and the oshiro. It was beautiful. I'm really glad we went. That was a
great experience.

And now I have Shiromaruhime! :D

It's a great steed to end the mission on.

Today we went shopping. That is to say, I'm tired
now.

I've built up a lot of things, as far as resistance goes (for
example, I'm eating a piece of bread with fried fish on top of a layer
of boiled eggs and mayonnaise. Japan.)

Also, my companion and my unicycle. Because I know you wanted to hear
about those.

First the unicycle. I transferred and... actually did not receive a
unicycle. But my new bike provides the same, one-gear experience.
The handlebars are about the width of my shoulders, so I don't have
to worry about throwing myself off on the frogger walks, and there's a
cute little basket in the front. The pedal crank thing is also smaller than
I'm used to, so even on seventh gear, I have to pedal at twice the speed
of my companion to catch up with her. We're probably a great sight.

It's a great steed to end the mission on.

My companion is Japanese, who is adorable and secretly funny. Recently
she's started kidding around with me.

That's it for now - I am low on time, but I'll be home soon, so I can
fill you in on the day's events then.

Love you!

Wow. What a bookend to my first transfer.

火

We were going to make cookies on Sunday, but decided against it. Then
Monday night, N. kyoudai gives us a call and says, "White Day's
coming up..." (a holiday and "giving time")... So we spent a lot of today
making cookies. On the bright side, two of our members had AWESOME
missionary experiences with their family, and were just glowing. One of
them was thanks to my fantastic companion T. Shimai, and our heart points
with the ward went up by like, ten.

We finished talking with everyone at like, 8:58, so we booked it home.
First time I've run for more than ten seconds for a really long time.
And not to mention, I was in a skirt, shoulderbag, and shoes that I
occasionally throw off my feet by walking. But we made it! And it was
a lot of fun. Running with your companion and obedience on the line
isn't actually a bad activity. As we dashed to the apartment, we
looked at each other and burst out laughing. (We made it, by the way)
It was a really good bonding moment.

By the way, one or two things happened with the cookies, and... well,
they ended up tasting like salt and banana XDDD Surprisingly, it
wasn't bad, and I'm actually developing a liking for them.

水

So on Sunday, we received Mac and cheese from the Abeno sisters. I
made macaroni delight today for my companion, and she liked it! (On
that note, she didn't like hijiki until yesterday :DDDD) We went up to
a place where a bunch of members live. The missionaries call it
"Shinkou Yama", or Faith Mountain. I'll let you guess why.

I made it a good way up before I had to get off my bike. Wow. What a
bookend to my first transfer. One year and four months ago, I was so
angry at myself for not being able to climb up a hill on the way to a
member's. By the time I had to get off, it was far enough up that I
was actually proud of myself. When I got tired, I looked at a point in
the distance and went "Can you make it to that light?" "I can
absolutely make it to that light." And did so all the way up. I'm
still actually really happy, looking back on the experience, and I
hope to only do more from here on out.

Also met a LA's nonmember husband. He likes music, including and
especially Frank Sinatra. So now we're friends :D

And a cute highschooler across from them fixed the brakes on my bike
so that I don't have to fear for my life going down Shinko Yama.

For dinner, my beloved companion made udon. Now I actually know (kind
of) the tsurikata. :D

木

We helped prepare for the Easter party, and made paper flowers. Super
cool. I've never seen them in America, but I'll have to make some when
I get home, because it's simple, and really cool.

金

We received cake three times today :D First, we had a solid district mtg,
with a cameo from S and E chourou, then ate ramen with the Kobe
sisters. Then we took a train all the way out to a place called
Suzuranda, where we ate manju (Sakura and white anko), and ended up
getting taken up into a grocery store where we sat in weird heated
chairs and talked with them about health. And got another manju.

Times up. Love you

I know it's selfish...and it's just a picture on the wall

3/13 日

So, I called the Abeno sisters, like, a billion times to make
absolutely SURE that the baptism was on. A whole lot of crazy things
happened, but it finally worked out and we went. It was a lot of
fun--T Shimai is crazy good at naturally transitioning to gospel
topics. We taught a couple of solid lessons.

But the baptism. I know it's selfish, ...
...and I was the one who planned it to be like it is, but...
I'm so sad I'm not the one to stand in E's baptismal picture that
will hang on the ward-house wall. I worked so hard, SO hard,
and lost years of my life trying to get her baptized, and in the end,
because I was transferred and am not that area missionary anymore,
it should and will be Sisters M and S in the pictures. And in Y 's baptismal
picture, too. (She's getting baptized next Tuesday).
Darn. I'm so sad.
I worked so hard.

"But what is done in secret shall be rewarded in heaven." That's what
I'm hoping for. In all reality, it really is just a picture on the
wall.

And they know that I'm their missionary. When B Shimai (E-chan's mom)
hugged me goodbye, she said, "Thank you. I will always remember you. I
cannot forget you. You are my joy. Thank you."

I'll always remember you, too, B Shimai.

Something that was really surprising was that when the Bishop gave the
closing remarks, he gave me a hat-tip in front of the congregation.
And a White Day present :)

Thanks Bishop. It was a little rough, but I'm really glad we were able
to work through everything together in the end.


So, folks, this is Sanzu Shimai closing up another hastily-written
letter from Kitarokko, preaching repentance and baptizing converts.
Well, that's the plan anyways.

Five weeks left in the vineyard.


This week was really crazy, and I can only send you pieces of some of
the days right now, but this week, I got a letter from my recent
convert in Imabari that he's getting sealed to his wife two days after
I leave. Way to go! I feel my mission coming to a close, and it's
eating my heart. But in a good way. I'm glad to see everything finally
coming to a happy end.



Love,
Sanzu Shimai

As happy as I am / Friends Forever

3/9 水

We ate lunch at the K's today. It's always delicious, today was
especially delicious. And we got to meet M chan. That was really fun
:D She was so super sweet and at the very end, she prayed. It went
something like this:

"Dear God, I'm so grateful that we're able to meet everyone today and
(a bunch of other really awesome stuff)... I want to be happy. Sands
Shimai says that I can be happy if I pray. If that's true... I'd
really like to be happy like she is." There were a couple other things
she said, but by that point, we were both crying. At the end, we gave
each other a big hug, and I said. "You have a fb, right?"
Her: Yeah.
Me: Let's be friends forever.
Her: Yeah.
Me: Don't worry, I'll find you!

And I wasn't talking about on the Internet. I'll be far away, M chan,
but I will be your friend forever.

We also got hot chocolate at the Ya office. That was nice. Also got to
spend quality time with Ms. Ya, which was good.

Had another lesson with Y Shimai

Also, it was raining today.

3/10 木

Today was a lot of running around for the transfer. But I met my new
companion and I love her :D Must... Improve... Japanese...

I'M GETTING ANOTHER JAPANESE COMPANION! :D

3/8 火

We went to visit a less-active referral today, and we very
miraculously met her. On the way out of our apartment, I thought,
"Grab a Book of Mormon." And I was like, "We're not going anywhere
today. Everyone's coming to the church. And who needs an English Book
of Mormon?" But I grabbed it just in case. Afterwards, we bumped into
a trio of Germans, one of whom was fluent in English, and handed off
the Book of Mormon.

Then we rolled down the road and met a couple from Australia. Where do
all these gaijin come from? Don't they know that it's is Japan?

After that, we ate at a place called "Bikkuri Donki", and it was
delicious. At the end, we ordered parfaits (far different from
American parfaits) and it had a little dango on the top. It was
delicious. But the best part was that at the bottom, there were three
little dango! It was a bonus dango. Times three. I WIN!

Afterwards, we rode to S shimai's a little earlier than planned, and
she gave us HOMEMADE UME SODA. It was the most delicious thing I've
ever drank in my life. It's made by dumping a whole bunch of sugar on
a whole bunch of ume/plum (non-alchoholic), and then letting it sit for two
years. Then she gave us some of the ume, and it tasted just like fruit
leather. Now we know the secret.

Then we taught a quick lesson/goodbye to the M family, My Shimai, Y
Shimai, and N Shimai, who dropped by to pick up her tithing booklet.
XD It was a little surprising to all of us.

And the weather was beautiful.

And I know who my companion is now! (BC spilled the
beans on where I was going when I appealed that I couldn't send my
bags until I knew where I was going. What a sweet guy.) Her name is
T Shimai. I'M GETTING ANOTHER JAPANESE COMPANION :DDDD
I'M SO LUCKY!

Also, E. chourou is AP, now. TOTALLY saw that one coming.

What I didn't see coming is that we're in the same district. ... ...
Yeah, that's weird.

a farewell gift from God

3/7 月

This week...

It started off pretty well--we planned out the week's meals and
brought an unholy amount of groceries to fit the bill. We also went
shopping, found a bunch of really soft Engrish shirts, and taught a
solid lesson to Y Shimai. She's ready.

On that note. Danishes. Y Shimai always gives us bread of some kind or
another when she sees us. Today was a loaf of bread. I looked at the
label, and it said "Danish."

(An inside joke - In the words of F. Shimai, "Where is Danish?")

Also, I ate a bowl of rice with vinegar on it because we do not have otsukemono.

At the end of Y shimai's lesson, we met A. chourou on the way out and
he got a call from the Zone Leaders. He was like, "Uh-huh, okay. I
see. Great. Who's my new companion?" Then, with a glance and smile at
us, he continued, "By the way, how are the sisters? Uh-huh? Okay.
Thanks, bye." And hung up.

Me: Aw, you're sweet.
Him: You're transferring.
Me: Haha. No I'm not.
Him: Yeah you are. You'll get a call in like, two seconds.
Me: Not a chance. I'm--

The phone went off.

Me: *pick up the phone*
BC: Hey, Sands Shimai. You're transferring.
Me: ... Really?
BC: Really.

It's funny--I didn't think I would stay for two transfers when I first came
to Abeno... But man, I was so sad to hear the news out loud. But it made
sense -- this last week in Abeno was incredible; the most successful week
I've had. Turns out it was a farewell gift from God telling me that my job here
was done.

Well, good. That's what I'm here to do. I'm here to do my job.

Goodnight.

3/6

3/6 日

So we actually got the yukata today, and they're BEAUTIFUL. And she
brought four, so we both got two. And although she refused to come
into the building, she was happy to exchange numbers with us. We
smiled and waved as she left, then went inside and I danced behind the
partition.

OH MY GOODNESS! WE GOT YUKATA ;ASDLKFJA;EOWIFL VNJAKLWE;ALIAJEJ;WLE

And one of our favorite couples came to sacrament meeting, and then we had
an awesome lesson with both of them. She was wonderful, and he
really liked the elders. I'll be sad to pass him off to them, but it's for the
better. (He also made friends with like, four people in our ward :BBB
It worked out so well!!! YES YES YES YES YES!!!)

Then we visited E and got the whole record filled out--she was very
attentive when we shared a small message, too. And we got to see a bit
of the cute interactions between B Shimai and A-San. He's very sweet
to her (and us--he wouldn't let us come in until he had cleaned up a
little XD).

On the way home, I was like, "Darn, we only have 30 lessons." (Goal:
32), and as I was thinking of if we could meet someone on the way
home, a couple walked up behind us and I thought, "I'm going to talk
to these people, and they'll become investigators."

And then we did. And I gave them a very condensed version of the
restoration. But they're interested! They're really cute, and were
very easy to talk to. I hope we'll be good friends, and that they
become best friends with Christ. :D

That was Sunday. What a good day. (I missed the opportunity to teach a
lesson after that, but I'll repent and improve. That's what the gospel
is for!)

3/5

3/5

Unfortunately, some of our plans fell through today, so we
dedicated ourselves to do administrative stuff we call
"12 week" instead. Except, nothing loaded, so we
literally just sat, staring in mute fury at the creeping load wheel
for two hours (and sent texts/phone calls. We have to be productive,
somehow).

Afterwards, we went to a food festival for R kyoudai, even though
we're poor, and ate probably the best meat I've eaten in Japan. Also
learned how to make 2 types of soup by talking to the women
behind me. Had a blast. Also ate shark fin, which apparently a clear
fiber. You can't eat the top part of the fin, because it's just a big bone
and skin, but to eat the bottom part, you have to soak it for a day to
make it soft enough to eat.

Taught a good lesson to Y Shimai. She asked us on her own if we would
mail her in the morning for church so that she could come. She's
ready. I totally thought she wouldn't be baptized until June, but I
think she's ready.

Also had an AMAZING lesson with As kyoudai again. . We loaded
him with a ton of information, but he understood the important parts
and asked some incredible questions. On the way home, there was
a kid sitting in a bike kid seat. His dad was in the back, and he said
something, pointing at me that I didn't quite hear, but assumed was
something like, "GAIJIN." As the dad pushed them closer, though
(we were by where they needed to be to get out), I could hear him
say, "Yeah, she has a helmet, too."

PFFT. Of all the things I expected to hear, that was not one of them.
Then be pointed at me again and was like, "You have a helmet!"
Me: I do. That's very good. You'll stay safe with that on.
Dad: Yup, you'll stay safe.
Me: Uh-huh. Did you tell your dad thank you for that helmet?
Kid: *turns around* Arigatou. *smiling*

SO CUTE.

But anyway, that was today.

Pants - protect yourself from danger!