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