The Search for a Kinjin

KOnnichiwa!!!

Wow this week just flew by! It was crazy fast I can't believe its already p-day again. So after we e-mailed we went to the Aquarium (3rd time) and then we raced home to pack our stuff! We met up with the Ginowan and the Naha Zone Leaders and took the monorail to the airport. Then at 7:25 our plane took off to FUKUOKA! As we were landing in Fukuoka and I couldnt help but ponder what my last day in the mission field will be like. I looked back on the first half of my mission and really thought about if I am where I want to be. I still have a lot of growing and learning to do but I am grateful for the wake-up call. The other missionaries were all kinda teasing me because I am what they call an Okinawan Missionary. I was born and raised here and I am going on 8 months here. They were all saying "Welcome to JAPAN!" because Okinawa is SOOO different from actual Japan. The AP's picked us up at the airport and we drove to the mission home. Gustafson Shimai was there to greet us and she showed us to our rooms. It was the weirdest thing ever! I SLEPT ON A REAL BED!! I was scared I was gonna roll off it was so high. I have gotten so used to sleeping on my futon on the floor it was a shock! The next morning we woke up early and Iwasa shimai and I went for a walk around the temple. The mission home is located right underneath the temple! Cool huh!? So we walked around and took pictures! Then the okinawa missionaries got breakfast at the mission home (we are the only ones who have to fly in) then it was time for MLC (Missionary Leadership Training) Sooo fun!! It was soo cool to feel apart of the mission. The ZL's from each  of the 8 zones reported to president their progress. There are about one companionship of Sister Training Leaders for every 2 zones. I got to see my beloved doki!! (my friends from the MTC) Sister Kwak and Sister Sharp who I love soooo much!! The training from the APs and kaicho (president) was incredible, but before I knew it we had to be on the plane heading back! We werent even gone 24 hours! But I learned so much!!

Iwasa shimai and I gave two trainings this week first in the Ginowan zone (my old zone) then in Naha zone. Its funny to see the different dynamics of each zone! We had a blast training and interacting with different missionaries!! We talked about finding with faith and being positive and expecting miracles to happen. One new thing that was introduced into the mission was some new standards. AS missionaries in our planner wer have goals. We already have standards to talk to 20 people a day, teach 3 totsuzen lessons(short lessons), give away 1 BofM and invite 1 person to be baptized, but kaicho now gave us a weekly goal for  2 member present lessons, 1 investigator at Sacrament meeting, 1 New investigator, and 1 person with a baptismal date. Even though our week was going to be cut short with our trip to Fukuoka and two days full of trainings, Iwasa Shimai and I committed to fulfill the standards of excellence! Kaicho always promised that if you keep the standards  you see miracles....and we did!!! On friday after our training we were out and about doing as missionaries do and we FOUND A KINJIN!!!!!(GOLDEN PERSON) we were stopping and talking to everyone! Usually old people like to talk but never listen to what we have to say, so sometimes (i need to repent of this) I dont stop old ladies because I feel like it might be a waste of time. BUT THIS TIME IS WAS NOT!!! Her name is Miyazato san. We taught her about the Book of Mormon and the purpose of life, she gratefully accepted the Book of Mormon. We set an appointment to meet with her the next day! We were able to teach her with a member and then she came to church on Sunday!! 

God is a God of miracles. Many other miracles happened as we were showed our faith and worked hard!! I love being a missionary. I honestly cannot think of a time in my life that I was happier than I am now. I love talking to people on the street and testifying of Jesus Christ. Even though people do not accept us most of the time, I trust in the Lord that he is preparing someone for us to teach. We see so many people everyday and we cannot know if they will accept or reject the gospel UNTIL we talk to them... Lift up your voice, share what you know to be true. I know that the gospel of Jesus Christ has been restored to the Earth by the Prophet Joseph Smith. I know we are draw close to our Savior through reading the Book of Mormon! Pray and seek for opportunities to bear your testimony! As you do so you will be happier!!! 

I love you all!!

Capener Shimai

Back to Naha

Minasan Konnichiwa!!!

You will not BELIEVE where i was transferred to.............................................NAHA HIGASHI!!!!!!!!!!!!!! MY BEAN AREA!!! I AM BACK I AM BACK I AM BACK!!!!!

I did not believe the AP when he told me over the phone. I am back here in the same apartment with my new companion Iwasa Shimai. Iwasa Shimai is from Tottori-Ken, Japan which is on the big island honshu. She is sooo awesome. We are "doki" which means we came to Japan at the same time. So I am back in Naha but now working as Sister Training Leader. As an STL we travel the island and do splits and trainings. Once a transfer we get to go to Fukuoka (by plane) and attend MLC (Mission Leaders Council)!! So tonight I am hopping on a plane and heading up to FUKUOKA!!! I have officially become an Okinawan missionary! We are a rare breed (haha) but a chosen few get to be here for longer than 6 months. I have been here 7 months and I am loving it! I am excited to travel up to Fukuoka and see another part of our mission. But I hear its gonna be cold! We dont really need coats here, just a sweater is fine.

So it was sad leaving Okinawa City, I spent 4 months there and grew to love those people. I am going to miss all of the military members, the japanese members, and of course our investigators! I am so grateful for my time in Okinawa! I learned so much! Before Okinawa City, I was terrified to contact gaijin (foreigners, non-japanese people, mainly americans) I couldnt hide behind the fact that I was just a weird American trying to speak Japanese. Talking in Japanese was like a cover, like I could hide behind being an American, but when you talk to gaijin there is nothing you could hide behind. But being surrounded by so many americans I had to get over that fear a share what I know.I got over that fear and two days ago and talked to a gaijin on the street here in Naha (which is a rare occurrence)! It felt natural and it was fun and happy! I love our message and I love sharing it! It made me think of the scripture, Roman 1:16  "For I am not ^aashamed of the ^bgospel of Christ: for it is the^cpower of God unto ^dsalvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek." 

SOMEHOW THE KEYBOARD JUST STUCK ON CAPSLOCK SO I AM NOT YELLING, JUST FRUSTRATED THAT THIS WONT GO BACK. HAHA ANYWAY...

IT FEELS WEIRD WRITIING IN CAPS BUT SAYING GOODBYE TO TAKIZAWA SAN WAS SAD. WE HAVE SEEN HER PROGRESS SO MUCH AND CHANGE SO MUCH BECAUSE OF THE GOSPEL. THE GOSPEL CHANGES LIVES! 

HERE IS JAPAN NEW YEARS IS A HUGE HOLIDAY! YOU CAN HARDLY WORK AS A MISSIONARY. ITS KIND OF LIKE CHRISTMAS FOR AMERICANS. EVERYONE STAYS HOME AND STORES ARE CLOSED. ITS LIKE A 3 DAY THING SO IT WAS KINDA HARD TO WORK. WE FOCUSED ON WORKING WITH AMERICANS..THEN WEDNESDAY NIGHT I HAD A FINAL SHOKUJI KAI (DINNER PARTY) WITH AN AWESOME FAMILY IN THE JAPANESE WARD, THE OMINE FAMILY. WE THOUGHT WE WERENT GOING TO BE ABLE TO GO BECAUSE THE SENIOR COUPLE HAD TO DRIVE US DOWN TO NAHA THAT NIGHT, BUT THE FAMILY WANTED US THERE SO BAD THAT THEY OFFERED TO DRIVE ME AND ALL OF MY STUFF DOWN (oh my goodness i fixed but i dont have time to go back and re-type so...gomen nasai)

We had a huge traditional new years feast at there house with all the missionaries in our district. At the end of the night, before we said the closing prayer, they asked me to bear my testimony. I talked about how I was so scared to come into Okinawa as senior at only my 3rd transfer and finish training a 2nd transfer bean. I talked about how I was forced to rely on the Lord and His atonement in order to keep the work in that area going. The Lord sometimes gives us challenges so that we can grow and learn from them. We learned to rely on Him and become an instrument in His hands.

So we got to Naha wednesday night stayed the night and then Hawkins shimai got her new companion, Takei Shimai. The returned to Okinawa and then Iwasa Shimai and I got to planning this week we are going to Fukuoka for training, then coming back and teaching two different zone during Zone Training Meeting. 

Quick cool story: Last monday while we were housing some danchis (big apartment complexes) I realized I wasn't really housing or finding with faith. I had this big epiphany. We NEED to have faith that we will find when finding otherwise we will have no success like we did because I was just going through the motions focusing on being cold. My heart wasn't in it so I just kept checking my watch to see when we could go home. I have made a resolve to change, finding with faith is gonna be my focus and I'm gonna try it out and see the difference it makes. The next day as I was riding my bike I started thinking more about this finding with faith idea and how I would teach it to other missionaries. I didn't understand why I was thinking that though. I jotted thoughts and ideas down and went on with my day. To my great surprise We got transfer calls and I heard I was becoming a Sister Training Leader. I was able to connect the dots and recognize how the Lord was preparing me! Since then I have talked to Iwasa Shimai and we have started a rough draft for our training. We are teaching Finding with Faith.

We may not understand promptings of the Holy Ghost or even recognize them at first but we must always act! We cannot let these feeling pass by without doing them! The Lord is putting His trust in us and allowing us opportunities to grow. As we listen to and act upon promptings the Lords trust in us will increase and He will give us MORE opportunities so serve. 

I love being a missionaries. I feel so much joy in my life. I cannot believe I am half-way done. I love the Lord. This is His work. I know Heavenly Father wants His children to be happy. He made a plan for everyone to return to Him again. Through the Gospel of Jesus Christ and obedience to His commandments, we can return to Him again. If you want to be happy, share the gospel. Pray for the courage to lift up your voice.

I love you all! Thanks for your support!!

Love,

Capener Shimai