Beginning Transfer Five in Taniyama‏

Konnichiwa!
 
Wow you had a lot of questions. I will do my best to answer them :)
 
Taniyama is awesome! It's right next to the ocean so it's pretty humid
here and it's a lot further south than Fukuoka so it's still pretty
hot here. I was actually surprised because Fukuoka was starting to
cool down a bit but now I'm here I am still sweating :) I am a really
good Shimai and I only have my two suitcases. There are a lot of
missionaries who have like three and they send BOXES so stuff through
the mail and whatnot. I don't have a ton of stuff so I was good with
that. I got it all to fit into my two suitcases and the backpack you
sent me to just have my really important stuff on me while I traveled. 

All the things that I own with us in the shink!

 
One last picture.

I took a bus from Hakata Eki in Fukuoka down to Kagoshima Chuo Eki. It
was about 5 hours. I rode down with a new elder and Popham Shimai.
They took two stops for a break but I enjoyed the ride. It was FUN to
be in a bus and kind of take a road trip. It's BEAUTIFUL through the
southern part of Kyushuu. I really loved it.

Taniyama area has two elders and four sisters. It used to be two
sisters but this transfer me and Popham Shimai came in and now it is
four. My companion is Stevenson Shimai. She is half Japanese but she
has lived in Japan almost her whole life. She came to Utah for high
school so she speaks basically fluent English. It's been really good
she understands how hard it is to learn a new language but we have
been really helping each other learn more. I am excited about that.
This is her last transfer though, so it won't be long. We knew each
other because we were in the same district for my first three
transfers. We are having fun together and getting along well. It is
weird to be in a four man apartment. There is so much going on all of
the time. You can't just be quiet then your companion gets quiet
because there's two other people there haha. I have been trying as
diligently as I can to still write in my journal every night but it's
getting hard.

Stevenson Shimai and Raines Shimai

I miss Nakagawa like crazy! I LOVED being companions with Layton
Shimai. We were both really sad to say good bye. I hope maybe we can
see each other again before she goes home. I guess we can see each
other after the mission too... I went to every members house in
Nakagawa before I left and that was really great. I got as many
pictures as I could. I really loved that area, but I think it was time
for me to leave. I literally knew where everything was and could tell
you what person lived in certain houses. I knew SO much about that
area and I felt like I was kind of hitting a wall but I was sad to
leave because we started out with literally no investigators and I
left with three who are consistently reading the Book of Mormon, so I
will miss that, but I, doing my best here now. Oh yeah and the last
night I was there we decided to go and buy DOMINOS pizza! Did I tell
you about the girl giving out flyers for dominos? Well she was going
around to all the houses on the block we were housing and we awkwardly
walked up to her and asked for a flyer. Haha. What weird gaijins
desho? 

The best Grandpa Investigator!

  
Killing spiders for the last time outside of our Nakagawa apartment.

Dominos!

 
Layton Shimai made pancakes for breakfast for me.

The church is so fun here! It's a branch so it's really small! I love
it! I love being able to get to know people really fast and know all
of their names. I am excited to work with the members here, there are
a lot of young people here too so that is exciting. There are a TON of
less actives though. If everyone came who is a baptized member they
could probably have a district. So we are planning to work with a lot
of the less actives. I feel like that is something I am good at too so
I am excited! 

 
Kozaki Shimae and Stevenson Shimae

Me and the Sakais! They are really funny.

Well I can't think of anything else to say. It's been crazy and fun
and more crazy trying to figure out how things work her in Taniyama
but I am way super excited and ready to give it my best.
 
Mom can you:
Tell me everything you know about Michiyo? Where she was from if she
is a member when Joel knew her? I am curious about her.
Tell me when Kenzie's birthday is.
 
Arigato gozaimasu.
 
Have a fun week! Oh yeah I already explained this I think... But we
get conference a week behind you. I think it is weird to watch
conference from here because I know it was a week ago and I know how
close you live to Temple Square! It's fun though, and I am still
looking out for your package! I can't wait :)
 
I love you all :)
 
Love, Raines Shimai