January 23, 2012

Dear Family-

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD!!! I sure do love you. I wish I could tell you all the ways thinking about your mission has helped me on mine. When January began it hit me that my mission ends this year. I've re-commited this past week to work as hard as I can until the very last day.

We had a huge bowl of sushi and rice last night at a member's house and before serving it they asked if there was any food I don't like to eat. Kai Shimai spoke up before I could and said that I love ALL Japanese food. That made me pretty happy. I'm glad she can say that. I laughed when I read Dad's Dear Elder this week that said he would rather eat cow stomach than sushi... there's absolutely no competition in my mind. I wish I could eat sushi every day. Actually, the nastiest thing I've eaten so far on my mission was some meat and beans that a member from Bolivia made for us. When I was choking that down I thought about Dad and Cam, and was sure glad to have been called to Japan.

Today I rescued a lady. She had tears in her eyes when she thanked me. I felt like a hero...Kai Shimai and I had just headed into a store to buy some things but first Kai Shimai had to go to the restroom. She darted in and I followed behind and paused in the large entry-way of the bathroom. Across from me was a large restroom adapted for wheelchairs. It had a sliding door that was shut, but had an opaque window in it about chest-level. There was a person on the other side that seemed to be trying to open the door, and I could faintly hear them saying: "excuse me!" (Except it was in Japanese of course). I tried to open the door but it was shut very tight. As I pushed harder, I thought to myself: "If I didn't hear correctly, this could be disastrous..." But I didn't dwell on that for too long. I pushed a little harder and the door slid open. Thankfully the grandma who had been inside really had been stuck and had gone into somewhat of a minor panic. She thanked me profusely and bowed to me several times before heading out. It was a bonding experience. Next time we meet I'll give her a Book of Mormon and open another door in her life... (Bad humor... Sorry.)

Well, yesterday after church one of our investigators named Fukuda came to the church building and we had a lesson. He works on Sundays but comes to the church building right after work and then we meet. This week, Sister Kai had called him before and asked him to read 2 Nephi 27, because it has a lot of prophesies in it about the Book of Mormon and he seems to like that sort of thing. Anyway, before the lesson we had to wait for a little bit for a member who was going to teach with us, so Fukuda and a different ward member started talking. When the ward member came, we went into the room and Fukuda and the other ward member had already started going over 2Ne 27 and Fukuda had already opened to the chapter in Isaiah that has the same prophecies. He is like that. He's a pretty deep thinker, and he's likes reading the Bible (and now the Book of Mormon) like they are history novels. He doesn't pay as much attention to the spiritual aspect of them, but has begun to do so more since we have been meeting.

Yesterday during our lesson, we had planned to just teach prayer and scripture study as commandments. We did and it went well. We hadn't planned much and as a result focused a lot more on Fukuda than on 'our lesson', which is how it should be anyway. I was a lot more open to his comments and to the guidance of the Holy Ghost because of that. It was wonderful to be there and just feel the testimonies of us and of the ward members being accompanied by the Spirit. I'm going to do a lot less specific planning from now on.

After we asked him to read and pray every day I thought, "we should ask him to be baptized again." We have asked him to be baptized every lesson, and he never commits. I whispered the word baptism to Kai Shimai, just to see what she would think, and she turned right to him and asked him (later she said she had been thinking the same thing). This time he said that if the time was right he would think about it. I looked at my calendar for the second Sunday in March because I heard him say before that he works every Sunday until then; and then I asked him how March 11th sounded as a baptismal goal. He seemed taken off-guard and then said something about "the earthquake?" Wow. How could I have forgotten that THAT day is the anniversary of the earthquake? I felt terrible. I've had so many conversations with people on the street when they mention "3/11" and how scary that day was and still is to them. I didn't know what to say to Fukuda, but before I could think of anything he said that Yes, that date could be the goal. In afterthought, Kai Shimai and I think it's actually a good thing for him because it's such a big day and he'll probably like being baptized on such a day. Anyway, it was an interesting experience and I'm glad the Spirit was there to smooth things out.

Well, I love you all. It was fun to read your talks! Thanks for making me sound like something great! I hope someday I can be half the missionary you all think I am.

Love,

ウェイト姉妹

January 16, 2012

Dear Fam-

My head hurts. We went to the temple today and just barely got back. This will be short.

I just want to tell you one thing. I may have told you before about this. It was when I was in my first area with Sister Asai -- One day, we didn't have time to go outside and talk to people because we had a lot of other things going on. I feel pretty bad on days like that. I'm a missionary! I should need to talk to at least a few people every day. Anyway, we had to go drop something off at a member's house and before we left I said a prayer in my heart. I told Heavenly Father we didn't have time to talk to everyone we saw, but that if there was someone who was ready to hear the gospel, I would try to follow the Spirit and talk to them. We left the apartment and my companion was ahead. As we went along, I kept thinking: I can't talk to everyone, but I also can't talk to no one, I just need to talk to who the Spirit tells me to talk to.

As we rode I was watching all the people who were walking down the sidewalk. I saw a lady and thought to myself, "She looks kind of like my mom." She just looked really nice. I caught up to my companion and told her I wanted to go back and talk to the lady in the black shirt.
We turned around and went, and when we called out to her she said, "I have seen you two around here and I always want to talk to you but you always look so busy talking to everyone else!" We told her who we were and what we do, and she gave us her name, address, phone number, and e-mail address on the spot. She said she was busy for a few weeks because her dad had been operated on, but might be able to come to our English class.

We kept in contact with her after that and met a couple times but pretty soon I was transferred. Every once in a while I heard from other missionaries that she was taking the lessons and doing good. Today at the temple I found out she's getting baptized in two weeks. Even if she weren't getting baptized, meeting her was a miracle.

Yep. That's all. I sure to love you all.

-Waite Shimai

PS- Tell all the ward members thanks so much for all their cards and prayers.

PPS - I almost forgot: Mom, you asked me last week to tell a little about how I chose to go on a mission. Here goes: You called me on a Wednesday night and asked me to pray about it. I said no. You kept asking so I mentioned it in my prayer that night. The next day I couldn't stop thinking about it. I debated a LOT, and talked to you and Dad for a looong time. I didn't want to go, but didn't have a reason not to, and felt really strongly that even though the Lord was leaving it up to me, He also thought it might be a good idea. I kept thinking. Friday or Saturday morning I got up early and read my scriptures and read 1 Cor 2:9. When I read that, I knew that if I went on a mission the Lord would make it worth my time. So here I am. The end

January 9, 2012

Fam!

Great to hear from you! Mom - I got your package this week: THANK YOU!!! Grandma's book is beautiful. I can't believe all the work that went in to that. Also- I love the calendar; the people sitting next to me in church will sing your praises for sending deodorant, and tell Aunt Chelsea thanks for the Christmas cards and money. It was neat to see the picture of all her kids - they have changed a lot. And thanks so much for the maple flavoring - we had french toast the next morning! I sure love Japanese food, and I used to not want to eat American food at all because I'm in JAPAN! But a couple weeks ago we went to a member's house and we had pizza, and wow, when I ate that I started remembering all sorts of my favorite foods that I hadn't had for almost a year. Ever since then, a couple times a week I just have to eat something that tastes like food I grew up with. It’s a good balance.

Oh wow Mom - this week's e-mail was great! I have just read it about three times and wish I could read it 3 more times! Tell Janes 'hi' for me. She seems like a pretty hilarious person. I'm excited to be able to have a conversation with her someday. And hearing about all of you doing the Feel great in 8 was perfect. I'm going to be smiling about that all week.

Yesterday after we left church we got a call and the guy who randomly showed up in sacrament meeting had showed up again. We hurried and went back to the church and had a lesson. We watched the Joseph Smith DVD and bore testimonies afterwards. As I bore my testimony I thought about a letter Cam wrote a long time ago about a lesson when he bore his testimony and really felt the Spirit because as he spoke he thought of all the ways that our family has been blessed by the gospel. Just thinking about that as I spoke made my words so much more meaningful.

This week we have had a lot more lessons that perhaps any other week of my mission. It was good but I have decided I really need to know how to better invite the Spirit. I guess I just realized that I would rather have one really powerful lesson than a dozen where we just fall into a routine and don't really think about what we are saying. I have learned from Cam's experience that he shared. I have realized that one of the best ways for me to really bear a powerful testimony is to think about specific things that have helped me gain a testimony about that thing while I speak. So if I'm testifying about tithing, I think about some specific times when I can remember paying tithing, and try to remember the feeling I felt at that time. It's something that helps a lot. I need to do it more and stop thinking so much about what might be going through people's minds as I talk. I always try to adapt things to people's needs and focus on things that I think will apply to them, but really, if I just make sure that my words invite the spirit, then no matter what I say it will apply to them.

A blessing of being a missionary is learning the power of testimony - and actually learning what a testimony is in the first place. The purest testimonies are the most honest ones. Something I want to focus on is making my testimony more pure.

Mom, I think a lot about you being in Young Women’s and teaching lessons all the time. Emma Jean Rider wrote me a letter and told all sorts of things about our family and all the things that she sees everyone involved in. I loved it. She said you are sure working hard in the Young Women’s. I love hearing about what you are thinking about as you prepare lessons. I will try to think of something you can tell the Young Women next week. (Also know – Emma Jean isn't the only one who reports to me about all of you - others from the ward also write. Our ward is great.)

Ok, gotta go. Attached are some pictures from various things we've done lately. (A lady dressed us up in Kimonos for church on New Years).

Love you! - Waite Shimai

January 4, 2012

FAM!

I just got done reading 3 e-mails from you!!! Thanks Mom for forwarding those 2 from a while ago. It was so good to read them. And thanks for keeping me posted on everything going on at home. I don't know why, but it means a lot to know what people on the West Side are doing.

This week a guy showed up at church who no one knew. He had read a book by a Japanese member of our church and decided to at least come to our church once to see what we are all about. I don't think the book is a very doctrinally based thing, but I've heard of other people popping in to church meetings every once in a while because of it, so I guess the Lord can work with just about anything. Kind of fun. We had a lesson with the guy yesterday and have another one tomorrow.

Akutsu is almost done with lessons and it's time for us to start planning the actual baptism. We are teaching him the law of chastity tonight. Wahoo! Anyone else want to come? If you can, pray that he will be able to keep the word of wisdom, and gain a testimony of Joseph Smith.

Sase - the lady we met on the street - is also progressing. She isn't really the type to think deeply about things and mostly just likes having fun, but lately we have been reading the Book of Mormon every night with her and she understands a lot more than I thought she would.

There was a wedding reception yesterday at the church, but it was more like a wedding party/show almost. It's fun to see the differences between how members in Japan and America celebrate big events like that. It seems like in Japan the couple relies less on their extended family and more on their home ward for the reception.

My camera card is full of pictures so I'm sending it home next week. If it's too crazy to empty it out and send back, I can just buy another one here. Just let me know.

I'm so excited to hear that Jordan might be going to BYU-I nest year. If you can, send me her address and I will try and write to her. She's a neat girl - it would be fun to get to know her better.

One more thing - I've been praying this week that the Lord would help me by correcting my desires. I've seen answers to those prayers. Just know that the Lord gives abundantly when we ask righteously. Lesson learned.

I love you all so MUCH! Have a great week getting back into the swing of school and work! Oh and Dad, thanks for the play-by-play of the BYU Bowl game.

-Sister Waite

December 25, 2011

Merry Christmas still to you because it's still Christmas there! It's probably about 10pm I'm guessing.

Wow, it sure was great to talk to you this morning. I sure do love each and every one of you. The picture attached is one Kai Shimai took during our phone call. There's also one of us and a lady we met on the street and she invited us to her house (not a very Japanese thing to do...). And now I'm just putting on a bunch of other pictures that are from Kai Shimai's camera.

I got way too many Christmas cards to write everyone back, so please tell everyone you see, "Thank you"!

Well, have a great week. It was great to see you all. I love you.

-Waite Shimai