A Lot of Old People‏

こんにちわ家族
 
お元気ですか？
 
This week has been pretty good. On Monday we went to a big mall in
Fukuoka and that was fun. Didn't buy anything though...besides food,
of course. We just had a pretty normal week I guess you could say.
 

Church with Elsie

So we are teaching this grandpa that we found and he loves having us
over. He said he gets really lonely and he likes when we talk to him.
We think he is so cute. And he has read all the way into 2nd Nephi in
the last week! We are really excited about teaching him. He was trying
to come outside with his umbrella the other day and it kept opening
and he is old so he would have to fight with it and it kept getting
stuck and opening when he was holding it down, and we just thought it
was super funny. Because when we laugh he starts to laugh and then we
laugh harder because he is just so old and funny. Anyway, that's been
an adventure this last week. Getting to know him and his needs and
teaching him this week about our church has been a lot of fun.
 
The big thing that happened this week was that we had Elder Choi, from
the 70, come and speak to us. He is from Korea and was speaking in
English to us. I really loved his training. His theme was this: "If
you don't like it, like it." He was talking about how sometimes we
just need to learn to like things that we are asked to do, and he
quoted sister Hinkley. She said, "Today I obey, and tomorrow I
understand." It was really good for me to hear. Sometimes it is easy
as a missionary to always be wondering "why do I have to do this
thing" or something to that effect, but it shouldn't matter. We should
just be willing to accept the things we are asked to do and do it. God
understands us and he will help us when things are hard. The analogy
he used was nato. Nato is a Japanese food, it's soybeans in this goop
and it looks literally like chunky snot and it doesn't smell good
either. I haven't tried it but it looks nasty, you can look it up on
the Internet. Anyway, he was saying if president asked us to eat it
every day we should say, "I don't like it, but I will learn to like
it." He also talked about how when he was a small boy he was required
in school to learn English and he never did, he flunked the classes
and just wasn't interested but he came to realize he really needed too
later, and he was diligent even though he hated it, and now he speaks
English and he was saying how God knows better what we need than we
do, so we should just do what we are asked to do, learn our language,
and all of these things because we aren't ever sure what God can make
of us. Anyway, it was very missionary geared of course, but it was
really good. Also he challenged us to learn more hymns so I want to do
that in Japanese! Memorize my favorites in Japanese, that is. Dad do
you know Elder Choi?
 
Friday we had junkai! (Splits, exchanges... Whatever it is in English)
I was with Chapman Shimai and we had fun together, we found THE HUGEST
spider and web at this place we were housing and it was so gross. I
poked it and it freaked out, hahahahahaha. Anyway, it was probably
like four inches in diameter. Nasty thing, but we were like staring at
it and this grandma came up to us and was like, "what are you doing?"
And we said "look how huge this spider is!" And then she laughed at us
and was like pointing out all the other spiders in the bushes and
stuff, anyway she thought we were pretty dumb but we talked with her
about the gospel in the end. She was funny.
 

Junkai
Saturday the only thing exciting that happened was this ancient couple
in their garden were trying to give us instructions to a place we
already knew how to get to, and the. We're arguing "hidari!!!!"
"Iya!!! Chigau!! Migi!!!" And it was really funny. It took like twenty
minutes to escape :) Oh they were saying "go left" and "no go right"
etc.
 
Finally, yesterday we went to FUJISAKI for church! It is so far away!
We went with Elsie though so that was good. We rode our bikes 20
minutes to the Eki (station) then took a train then a subway, it was
long and I got train sick I think :) But we went to Elsie's house
after church and read the Book of Mormon with her. It was a lot of
fun. She's awesome.
 
I don't feel that great today. I think I am just pooped. But we will
see. I woke up with a fever and then I dropped my thermometer and it
broke so I couldn't use it :) But I am feeling better as the day goes
on. I think I am just really exhausted, so I am glad it is P-Day.
 
Thanks for all of the fun pictures! I love when you send me pictures.
I will send pictures tomorrow when we go to the church. Sorry! I sure
love you guys and hope you are all happy!
 
Have another good week!!
 
あいしてます！
Raines Shimai
 
PS I can't wait to get the package! The next time you send something
will you send more Advil and Tylenol? ;) Thanks! You're all shiny
stars!