"Oh, I prayed. It felt uplifting/good."

Jun 8

So, Tuesday, we passed the post office. There was a gaijin there, so we said hello. He looked up and looked very startled. As we were waiting for the light, he pedaled up to us and said, "Do you speak any Japanese?"

Haha! Who do you think I am?!

I don't speak Japanese.

But we offered to help him, anyways. He was having trouble with his card, and couldn't understand the custoner service people when they tried to help him. (The language that customer service speaks is so complicated, and very different from conversational Japanese. Ex:

   Everyone at home would say:  “Hey, do you want me to send this letter for you?”
   Japanese people: “If I sent this letter in your stead, would it be alright?”
   Japanese customer service people: “May I humbly partake of thee kindly allowing me to send thine honorific letter in thy stead today?” And it actaully uses a different vocabulary (form.)

 On the bright side, I’m getting much better at understanding it and only have to ask for help every now and then, but this was one of those times.)  So we called the W. couple, who can speak customer-service Japanese, and the husband answered.

Me: *asks for help*

WC: Sorry, I'm a little busy right now. I'm at the post office.

Me: ...The one by Imabari Ginza?

WC: Yep, that's the one.

Me: ...We'll be there in five minutes.

So we went with this guy to the other post office, and everything worked out really well. At the end, he asked us a few questions and took a picture with us. (Us: *positioned to show name badges* :D) So we gave him a chirashi and told him to call the missionaries if he ever had any troubles in Japan, because they’ll help if they can. Then we said goodbye and have fun, and shoved off.

Wednesday, the wife of the BBQ family showed up at the English class we teach! YAAAAAY!!... Also, one of our people we’ve taught about the gospel followed up with us on his own. He's so great. We walked into his mother’s shop and he looks up and goes, "Oh, I prayed. It felt uplifting/good." on Thursday, we had another lesson with him. It worked out really well. Actually, on Thursday, we had five lessons. In Imabari. I felt REALLY, really good. And we got like, twenty cucumbers from another of our favorite people :D Saturday, we picked lemons, and ate salt ice cream, which is actually really good.

So this week was really great.:D

Love,

Sanzu shimai

Gardening supplies??

5/31

So, we were going through these boxes today, and P. Shimai was
like, "'Gardening Supplies'?" Then she pulls out some hardcore rubber
gloves, woodshop goggles, and a gas mask.

Everything you need to make a good garden. ;)

Then, of course, we took some suteki shots with the gas mask. I think
I found my new ofuro(bathtub/bathroom)-cleaning gear. :D

GRAAAAAAAAH!!!! You told me I was safe!

5/25

No time, so here's a copy of my email to my mission president.

Dear W. Kaichou,

You told me I was safe.

You told me I was safe for another two transfers.

YOU TOLD ME I WOULD NOT BE TRAINING FOR ANOTHER TWO TRANSFERS.

And, I guess, in the strictest sense, I am not, indeed, training. But I'm as close as you can get to training without actually training. SHE'S A THIRD TRANSFER! She doesn't deserve to have a fifth transfer missionary as a second companion!

GRAAAAAAAAH!!!!

Okay, I'm done. 

But man, what do I do? Other than, you know, pray.

It kind of feels like a koukan, to be honest. Like we're just chilling in the area until our senior companions come to pick us up. But it has only been four or five days since she's got here. Reality's sure to set in at some point.

But I want to know what YOU thought when God said, "Hey, stick 'er with the fifth transfer"?

I've already told you what I thought. I was like, two buttons away from calling you up and vocalizing them.

Oh, happy birthday, by the way.

As far as first junior companions go, though, P. shimai is really chill. I don't think we'll have too many problems. And she's super into cooking, which is something that I definitely plan to enjoy.

But I agree that having a junior companion is a great way to learn Japanese. I've felt the gift of tongues very strongly recently. God qualifies the called.

But I've also come to greatly appreciate the gift of dousekis.

This Sunday, we had the opportunity to teach the woman who called us one day and asked us what happens after death... Her scripture highlights were color-coded. And she wants to bring her fiancee with her to church. She said he was the one who woke her up yesterday so she could be on time for church, and that he has an English kyoumi. :)

In other news, Imabari's doing well. You've seen the numbers (not that the numbers matter--people matter). 7 times the average for this area. :) Not too bad, huh? Not that P.shimai, F. shimai or I had anything to do with it--100% Heavenly Father. I'm just really blessed to be a part of the work.

Desu.

We love you so much and pray for you!

Your favorite Imabari senior companion (position, not age. I mean, no one can win against the older married-missionary couple, the W's.)

Sanzu shimai

I...just...I'm still trying to - I don't think I was dreaming...

SGG was fun. :) I'll be giving a thirty minute speech tomorrow on "any subject I like." Silly. There's only one thing in this world that I love. It's called salvation, and it's free. And I would love to speak to you for thirty minutes about it. (But all the same, I'll probably speak to them on American and Utah history as well. By the way, it's not written yet. Neither is my fifteen minute talk in Japanese on receiving personal revelation. That's how I roll - through gnat clouds.)

Friday, we went to a district meeting by train. We also did more service / weed pulling.
Saturday was fabulous. We were getting on a bus to go to Oomishima and I read Japanese like a pro. Feeling pretty great about that. And we saw a familiar face. It was the adorable high-schooler we met coming back from greeting a recently returning missionary about a month ago. I don't know how I recognized her, but I did, and my companion, F. Shimai, did too.

Me: (to F. Shimai) "We know her. We know her. What's her name?"
F. Shimai: flips through her planner where she had written it, like a pro!

So we sat next to her and her friend and had an awesome conversation.
Later, we were treated to lunch by a church member and talked with his friend and her extraordinarily energetic son, then returned and met my favorite tsundere!!! She's so cute and really softening up, I think. She bestowed more presents upon us, and said that my hair color is the same as Super Sayan, We shared a message with her mom.
Sunday was fantastic. We had the shokujikai, and even though literally no one who we invited came, we had a surprise visitor, a less active church member come to my Old Testament class! Super fun. I hope they had fun too.
Do you remember that family I talked about meeting last Sunday? We made banana bread and hijiki, and dropped by. They weren't expecting us to actually come, I think, Haha. Silly wonderful family - we're missionaries. We would come even if we had to climb a sheer cliff to do it. (I'd climb up two, now that I've gotten to know them better.)
They. are. perfect. I don't know if I've ever met a more Christlike family. They sat us down and gave us food and drink and talked to us, and then when it got dark, invited us in, gave us hot milk when we explained that we don't drink coffee or tea, were totally interested in our family pictures, were so BEYOND kind, then gave us mikan juice when we left. And let us pray for them. I can't describe how wonderful they are. I...just...I'm still trying to - I don't think I was dreaming...
It was a good week. Thank you for your prayers. Please keep it up. I think I'm kind of starting to feel the gift of tongues working.
Love, Sands Shimai

Rest in peace, harmless disgusting gnat. Rest in peace.

On Tuesday I swallowed my first bug while biking. It was like "A Bug's Life," when the walking stick is flying via one of his friends (I forget what he was doing - something like making airplane sounds or something) and then starts choking. I wasn't flying, but I imagine it looked similarly elegant.
 A gaijin, skin glistening and shirt dark with the satisfaction of hard work, bleary-eyes from the sunlight and from pedaling uphill. She rolls across the bridge, wind combing softly over her helmet. The seat is low, and makes her more aerodynamic as she sticks out her elbows. With the casual grace of a dumptruck, she parts her lips to gasp for air. But lo, at the same moment, our heroine passes through a well-placed cloud of what have been assumed to be gnats. Both parties are surprised, shocked, and the intruder holds her breath too late.
The deed is done. Imabari is one gnat less, and one slightly disgusted but no less determined missionary more. Rest in peace, harmless disgusting gnat. Rest in peace.

A mistake has been made !!!! ... Subtitled: Leveled up, unlocked "Senior Companion" status

5/17
Good morning, everyone. I would have started this email a little earlier, but I was a little busy. Transfer announcements have been made. Yaaay. I ...I'm staying in Imabari. It's a party. Unfortunately, the party will soon be one nihonjin less than it was. :(  :((( Dang. :( My companion is being transeferred.

Well, there was a small mistake in the transfer announcements, so I might keep F. Shimai, yet :D
Here is my letter to my mission president explaining the problem, and looking to clear things up:

"Dear W. Kaichou :D

Today is a very sad, sad day, but I know that F. Shimai will be in good hands with her new companion N. Shimai. (Actually, I'm kind of jealous - I love N. Shimai.)

This week was truly miraculous. I don't know how, but we ended up with many more lessons than we expected...I am happy.

Well, if I got to keep my dearest beloved companion, I'd be REALLY happy, but I'm happy nonetheless.

Speaking of transfers, I wanted to say thank you to all the people in office that make them happen :D However, it would seem that there was a pretty serious mistake made in the notices. You see, I don't have a companion. 

Well, there's a companion written down - P. Shimai - but I don't think she's mine. you see, she's just finished training, so naturally, she's leveled up and unlocked the "JUNIOR COMPANION" status. Which is wonderful. I still remember unlocking that status 2 transfers ago (I'm only 4th transfer, and all). So that is fantastic. But being a junior companion, she'll need a senior companion, and the senior companion is leaving me to party with N. Shimai.

Another issue that I noticed is that, for some reason, there is an S(senior) where the J(junior) should be, in my "New Position" bar on the form. Which is completely understandable - when you have so many missionaries, there's bound to be a mistake or two. S and J are fairly close to each other on the keyboard. Even so, when I first saw the S, before I understood that it was a simple mistake, I felt my stomach invert. Now, I'm laughing, but for a millisecond or two, I thought you were serious. Terrifying. I laugh now, but I thought I was going to burst some rather important visceral function.

But yes, those are the issues. :D I'm sure that they can be easily resolved by sending the adorable P. Shimai to N. Shimai, and leaving F. Shimai with me :) That way, no companionship is out a senior companion and everyone is happy :)

Hahahaha. Senior companion. I was scared for a moment there."


Haha, indeed. Hopefully that one will get resolved soon.

Technical difficulties aside, our week's been pretty great.

People are kind, and my bike builds character

5/10


Friday was a koukan (companion exchange) with my dear companion's
previous trainer, S. shimai. It was a blast and a breather.
Probably the most laid-back koukan since L. shimai. It was really
fun. After Zone meeting, we went to Sushiro, and I had a bunch of
sushi. We were treated by the amazing N. couple, who are
wonderful and incredible, and at the very last week of their senior
mission. Everyone will be super sad to see them go, even though
they'll be right next door in Osaka from next week out. They were also
our ride back to Niihama, so we went with them to stop by the
A's--the Area Authority's house where we did pottery. It's in this
secluded little pocket of countryside. They only have 18 neighbors in
an hour or so's radius. It looks like a cross between a movie set and
a Japanese fairytale. There, we ate ginormous grapefruit-like mikan
and used a genius little Ehime invention called "Muki-chan." I think
I'll see if I can't bring one home with me.

Afterwards, we went to an investigator's piano-teaching studio, and I
got to watch S shimai play the violin for forty or so minutes. It
was really cool, and the lesson afterwards was fun.

S., we taught a DARLING little golden investigator. She's really
cool. It made me really want to find a golden investigator. Or, like,
seventy.

Afterwards, we came home and I made mashed potatoes for the first
time. SUCCESS!! ACHIEVEMENT UNLOCKED! I felt so proud of myself. I
might become independent yet. Regardless, it's certainly a step up
from miso soup.

That being said, I really do like miso soup. Also, we had some
vegetables in the fridge (not on the koukan, this was earlier), so I
cut and fried them, boiled noodles, and mixed it with some tomato
sauce. BAM! Borderline healthy dinner! ACHIEVEMENT UNLOCKED! I'm
leveling up all over the place. *pops collar*

It should also be mentioned that I got to enjoy a regular bike seat
again for the first time in a long time. My mamachatti's pretty
rockin'--it really builds character. The seat is woven from 90% moral
fiber and 10% tough love. I love my steel blue steed, but it's nice
once in a while to sit astride a more luxurious means of
transportation. Also, the Niihama bicycle had a whole six gears. I
really felt privileged to ride on fifth gear for the first time this
transfer.

All in all, the koukan was a very wonderful vacation. Not because we
did anything less than we normally do--we actually got a lot
accomplished, but it reminded me that Christ never ran anywhere. I can
be as good of a missionary on third gear as I am on sixth gear. (And I
mean third gear on a normal bike. My bike's highest gear is three, and
I think that it's tougher than gear 6 on a normal bike...)

Saturday, we contacted a bunch of people. A bunch of people who were
all very wonderful people. Imabari is really just filled with
wonderful people. We'll see if any of them have interest in learning more.

Sunday. Sunday was very interesting. Right after church, I waited for
my family to Skype me. When I reread the email Mom sent me, I realized
that she thought we were speaking on Monday (Sunday in America). I
waited a little while longer, getting more and more impatient. Then I
remembered a moment in the MTC where I was feeling very much the same
way. It was around Thanksgiving, and, long story short, I decided to
change my attitude and my day changed. So I decided to change my
attitude again and see what happened. We finished what we were doing,
I closed out of Skype, and we shoved off.

We were visiting an investigator (not home :( ) and, on the way, met a
woman who was watering her flowers. We stopped and talked with her for
a while. I was wondering how to introduce our message and then this
cute little obaa-san rode up on her bicycle and said basically "The
weather's nice. Who are you?"

Us: Oh, we're missionaries.
Woman on the bike: Oh, how nice. You're both so pretty. *rides off*
Woman watering flowers: Oh. I met some gaikokujin (foreigner)
misisonaries a while back. They gave me a little book and introduced
it and talked a little about it. It was about a year and a half ago.
Us: Oh really? *look at each other*

They might not have been Mormon, but we talked about God for a while
and made a return appointment before shoving off.

After we discovered our beloved investigator was inai (not there), we
began returning home when I saw a family holding a little barbecue out
in their yard. I had actually seen them before--when I first came to
Imabari--maybe the first or second day there--and I didn't talk to
them. I really regretted it, and promised that if I saw them again,
I'd speak to them. And there they were. God had given me a second
chance, so I said, "F. shimai, I want to talk to them."

FS: Oh, good. I've seen them a lot, and I wanted to talk to them, too.

So we talked to them (rode up and said "Hello! Your family is so cute
that we just had to come up and talk to you." First time I actually
went out of my way and approached someone on a bike) and the father
practically invited us to eat with him right there. We asked if we
could return next week with a dessert, and he was like "What time?" So
we talked a little about our message and invited them to stake taikai
(meeting), then shoved off.

They were all such kind people.

God has very certainly blessed us this week. Hopefully, we'll be able
to bring the spirit to these wonderful people and keep meeting people
who are willing to hear the message.

My challenge to all my reader is to be aware of how you're feeling
this week. Believe it or not, most of your feelings are under your
control. God has given you the incredible gift of agency--you can
either act or be acted upon, so choose to act this week. Choose to be
happy! In the words of my very best friend in Ventura, California,
"You are a millionaire!"

I love you family! I love you, friends! Please take a moment out of
this week to be happy :D Live the gospel joyful.

Love,
サンズ姉妹