Perfect Love Casteth Out all Fear

Konnichiwa!!

This week started off with junkais (splits) with the Miyakonojo sisters! They are both Nihonjin(Japanese) so it was a day and a half of ONLY JAPANESE! It was so fun only speaking Japanese because I start thinking in Japanese too. Of course I am not perfect and it was tough, it was sooo fun! Miyakonojo is way inaka (not a lot of people) so we just housed a bunch. Are theme for all our Shimai this transfer is Moroni 8:16, perfect love casteth out all fear! When we get over the fear of contacting, we are able to more easily recognize the promptings of the spirit, which leads to success in dendo (missionary work) because we can do NOTHING without the spirit. So if we can acquire charity and love people like Christ does, we can overcome that fear! Cool promise right? We had a cool experience talking to a lady and giving her a Book of Mormon. After the totsuzen we walked away. I wanted to get her info but we didnt. So after walking away, the spirit prompted me to turn around and ask for it. So that is what we did. I hope she can turn into an investigator for them!

Update on Yamashita san and Yukina! On Friday we reviewed and practiced the baptismal questions together. I have never felt the spirit so strongly just going over those questions. I had to hold back my tears as they answered each question with a pure, honest, repentant, heart. I feel so blessed to have a small part of this. Afterwards we tried on their white dresses and they are SOOO excited!! The next day was there interview and they were nervous. We met a little before to review one more time and try to calm their fears. We read D&C 68:6 and it calmed them down.

They passed their interview with flying colors and they are ready for Saturday!! PRAY FOR THE YAMASHITA FAMILY!!!!!!!

Saturday was a crazy day because that night we went with some members, the Yamashitas and our other investigator Mayu, to a huge firework summer festival in Kagoshima. We had to take the train there and because of the festival the trains were PACKED like Tokyo! It was crazy! We got there and the member wanted to dress us up in summer kimonos! So GUESS WHAT?!?!? She did!! We had to leave early and RUN to the train station in our Kimonos to make the train and get back in time for curfew!! It must have been the funniest sight ever! 2 foreigners running in Kimonos through Kagoshima! We were DRIPPING in sweat but made in back in time to ride our bikes (still in Kimonos) home in time :) Obedience is key.

Almost every Sunday now I lead the music in Church (even though I am terrible)! Sundays are the busiest days of my life!! I am stressing out hard-core but I think its somewhat good for me. Just pray that we can be calm this week and everything will go as planned. I am reminded of the same scripture I told Yamashita san to read D&C 68:6. Now it is lifting me :)

I am so grateful to be a missionary!! I love this work!! PRAY FOR MAYU's faith! 

I will take my own advice and FEAR NOT this week!!! I JUST NEED TO LOVE!!! I LOVE YOU ALL!!

Love,

Capener Shimai