Wednesday, August 5, 2015

The Glass Is One Third Full

Kazoku,

Well HELLO. It looks like you have had a fun week! I wish I could have been there for the bridal shower! It looks like it was very fun. But, why were all of your pictures blurry? Maybe they just didn't send right or something? I love getting pictures from you. :) Everyone looked very cute.

I got the best package!


Well, this is my SIX MONTH MARK TODAY. I have been on a mission for six months exactly. In three days I will have been in Japan for four months. Isn't that crazy? I can't believe it. It seems like I have felt the weight of every single day, but when I look back I really can't believe that it's been six months! I feel like I should know a lot more by now!!! HAHAHA. This is the last full week of the transfer too. We have transfers next week, so, I'll see when I get to email. I'll do my best!! :) 



This week, we had a really great lesson with a new investigator that we have. We taught her the Restoration, and she seemed to accept it as true. She took the Book of Mormon and was very firm when she agreed to read part of it, and pray. We were so excited! And then when we were trying to figure out a return appointment, she said, "this day or that day" and we asked if we could do both, and she agreed! We are a little bit shocked, but we are VERY excited for her and we think she really is a great investigator. We are keeping our faith strong and doing our best to show her we care. We even had Haruka Chan as a joint for her lesson, and it was so amazing to have someone who was baptized only in February, bare her testimony about her conversion and what it has done for her. The spirit was really strong! Anyway, we are excited about that. 

We also had another lesson with our other investigator. We invited her to the church for a tour and she was more than willing to come. She seems like she wasn't taking us too seriously though, so we aren't sure what she is really thinking, but she has been keeping the commitments we have been extending to her and so, with faith, hope, and a little bit of pixie dust we think she can become a really strong investigator. We just feel so blessed that Heavenly Father is trusting us so much to find these really wonderful people to teach. They are fun to meet with, we feel comfortable, they are young, our age, have great potential... we are just happy. 

Look at that line. "Whether we are white or copper skinned..."


Other things we did this week: Cookie Dendo. We went to the grocery store and bought ingredients to make cookies! I haven't had cookie dough in a really long time and it was SO GOOD :) But, that's not the point. Anyway, we made cookies (they didn't taste exactly like they do at home, but they were pretty close) and we gave them to people! We actually got our investigator to come to the church because we promised her cookies. Haha. Well we gave some to her, we gave some to Haruka as a "thank you" and we took some to the members here in our area. We had a "mogi".... Have I ever told you about mogi's? Mogi means like "role-play" so we have to like... practice teaching to each other, etc... anyway we did a mogi lesson with a member in our area and she was really nice and gave us lunch to take home, so we took her some cookies. We were excited to do something different and we actually felt like we were doing some fun service! We also "heart-attacked" a Less Active's door, and that was a lot of fun. Layton Shimai was like trying not to just burst out laughing the whole time, and we were trying so hard to be quiet, because we could hear someone in the house, but we made it out without being caught :) Yeah, that was a lot of fun. We just cut out some little hearts and wrote things on them, and put them on her door. We really liked doing those little fun service kind of things, and I think it actually helps to build up relationships with everyone. ALSO, we had some members drop off a bunch of drinks and jello at our door and it was so kind of them to give us those things! They said, because it's getting so hot, they just want us to be careful, and they are thinking of us. I really love the members her! They really are the best. 



The worst thing that happened this week, was one of those GIANT, and it was even big for the type of bug it was, GIANT cicada thingies had gotten stuck on our porch in front of our door, and when we walked up to the door it FREAKED out and started flying around and was like flying at us, and Layton Shimai screamed so loud, and I was just laughing so hard and we ran as fast as we could down the other side of the apartment building. Finally, when I gathered my courage, I walked as slowly as possible past the beast, unlocked the door and then... yeah we were safe, but it was so scary. Those things are like the size of small birds. I saw my life flash before my eyes. 

I made this! But I made one in Japanese, too...so I could actually use it. :)


Well, I'm doing well. I constantly have a river of sweat dripping down the middle of my back, my hair is constantly wet, and I'm pretty sure one day I'll need a few joint replacements because I'm becoming a grandma, but I'm doing well! I am enjoying every day for what it is, looking for the good, trying to become the best self that I can be and I'm having a lot of fun. We are doing the work that we can do and we are trying our best. 

That is sweat on my hair.


I hope everyone at home is doing well still! Don't die. Scott, don't complain about planning, it will be over before you know it. 

I LOVE YOU ALL!!!
Love, Raines Shimai

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