Konnichiwa Kazoku!
Okay, for starters, no. There was no mention of the 4th of July, but I
celebrated myself and we sang the star spangled banner and I talked
about BBQ and Hamburgers all day :) So it was synthetically real :) I
had the Sandlot running through my head all day too. Probably not
missionary appropriate, but it was the 4th okay? I wish I could have
gotten old navy shirts with all of you! That is a really fun part of
the 4th too. But, I celebrated in Japan, so it was all good.
Big bird and Clifford.
Sister Raines and Sister Layton.
I was really sad to hear the news about the legalization of gay
marriage. That breaks my heart. And President Packer and Sister Bell
passing away.. I hope everything else is going well though. Has the
Facebook stuff calmed down at all? I hope so. I don't want to come
home to that. But I know that God has a plan for all of His children,
and those who remain faithful will be the ones who receive the
blessings. I have found that a lot on my mission, that just being a
member isn't enough. It is the trusting in God, and believing and
following his commandments that really bring true, lasting joy. This
will not last forever, but God will. His plan is eternal. Stay strong.
Turn off Facebook for a while if it is hard to listen too, or tempting
to agree. There is no reason for us to give into the wrong when we
already know the right. I know God will help us as we try our best to
stand firm.
I got the package from the relief society. It was so great! I loved
all the notes so much, they lifted and inspired me and really helped
me to get that boost that I needed, and the treats were delicious!
Thank you SO MUCH! Cedar Hollow 2nd Ward relief society, aishiteimasu!
I got the package from the Relief Society.
As far as me, it's the same old thing! Nothing really grand to report,
but I am really loving Sister Layton. We get along really well, and we
want to figure out how we can work the best together and we are just
really having a fun time together. Actually, the more I live, the more
weird things I do, I realize that I have the sense of like coolness of
Grandma Big. Like the whole, I think it might be cool for me to do a
little tap dance here, or yeah, I have a song for that thing. Uh huh.
Yep. I'm basically a grandma. Who needs to be old when you can be a
grandma now?
Pretty rice fields.
This last week we had a miracle! Haha or so we call it. We housed into
this lady who told us that she would rather meet at our church for a
lesson, so it was awesome, and we went to the church, and we started
getting really worried and more worried that she wasn't going to come,
and it got later, and we called, and no answer, and called and no
answer, and so we decided to just stand outside of the church for 5
more minutes, and she came! We were able to give her a church tour and
we really felt so happy to teach someone in the church. We don't get
those chances very often, so when it happened, we were really happy.
She didn't seem all too interested, but we thought it was a miracle.
Someone kept their appointment and it was at the church! Yahoo!
Relief Society sister who taught us how to make roast beef with "Japanese sauce" haha. It was really good.
We had our last AB lesson with Haruka Chan this week too, which was
really sad! Haruka is the sweetest girl I've ever met. She was
baptized at the start of this year, and she is already a wonderful,
member. She's my age, and really an angel. She really has been such a
wonderful example to me of standing for what you know to be right even
when you are the only one. She attends church every week, and has been
a great friend to me even though we can hardly communicate :) But we
had a lesson on enduring to the end, and temple marriage, and then we
got ice cream at McDonalds together, and it was actually a lot of fun.
I love when we get to be around her. I'm glad we get to see her every
week at church!
So, did you ever figure out that I am "area sempai?" That means that I
have been in the area longest, so I have to lead and teach my
companion about the area. Did I ever tel, you how bad of an idea that
was? Yeah. I got us on the wrong bus, because I can't read kanji, and
we took a bus that went over an express way and didn't have any stops
for 40 minutes, and then we had to wait and take another one back, and
we were both very sad about it by the end.
Actually, I am finding I have some sort of good sense of direction,
and I taught myself how to use a map! Yeah. Basic life skills I should
have probably already learned, yet depended solely on the technology
that was always so readily at my hands.
Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha. I am no "radar Raines" but I can
get myself places... Eventually. Baha.
This week I tried Okonomiyaki for the first time and it was SO GOOD.
It's like a pancake thingy with cabbage and vegetables, and you cook
it for a while and you douse it in Okonomiyaki sauce and mayo and it's
just so good. It made me kinda sick, but it was so worth it. Also, the
scary statue is of Tanuki. He is every were. All obachans in the world
have him in their yard. I hate him, so I made myself take a picture
with him.
Mine is on the left without the sauce yet.
Tanuki and I. One of the Elders said, "Which one is you?"
Welllllllll I will send pictures for last week and this week. Wow. I
haven't sent a lot of pictures. :) GOMEN NASAI.
Also, Dad was wondering how much I understand now. I am becoming a
very good body linguist. I can pick up a lot more just by body
language, and the few things I do know, and I'm doing my best. I can
understand, like, actually comprehend about 8% of the words that I
hear. Yeah, so I'm.... Working on it. The more I know, the easier it
is getting to pick up stuff, so that's good.
Oh yeah! We have a new mission president! President and Sister Egan!
They are wonderful! We had short interviews with them yesterday and
they really just instilled in me a desire to more, to be better, to
work my hardest, and I can't wait to see how we work together to make
this mission even better than it already is. I already feel their
love, and I am excited about them.
I love you, and I am happy. I love being a missionary even though it
is really hard sometimes. This is the hardest thing I have done, but I
am changing and growing in ways I never even thought or considered
might be good for me. I love the Japanese people, for their love and
patience, and I love them even when I get Kekko. Thank you for always
praying for me. I am doing my best each day, and I will continue to
improve even more. I sure love you all! Stay strong!
Love, Raines Shimai
P.S. Mom, I got your package and it was wonderful thanks! I love kit
Kat! Can you send me, actually, two paperback copies of the English
Book of Mormon? Just like the cheap, blue bound ones? I have some
study ideas I want to do, and I would like to have those. No rush. If
not, that's fine too! I'm okay if you don't! I love you, Mom!
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