I Love Taniyama

Mina san!! Ohayou!!!

We got our transfer calls and I am staying here in Taniyama with Klein Shimai till the end!! WOOOOOHHOOOOOO!!!! I LOVE TANIYAMA AND I LOVE KLEIN SHIMAI SO I AM SOOOOOOO HAPPYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!!! Sadly this week we had to say goodbye to my STL comp and MTC comp, Olsen Shimai :( but we had so much fun living together and I am so happy we got to spend her last transfer together! My new STL comp is................................KUROKI SHIMAI!!!!! Name sound familiar?!?!?!?!? SHE WAS MY COMPANION A YEAR AND 2 MONTHS AGO IN NAHA!!! WE WERE BABIES TOGETHER!!!!! AHHH I am soo happy to work with her again. It is super weird to be able to understand her and communicate with her in Japanese. I feel like she is a new person! But we are ready to work hard and love the sisters in our zone this transfer!

SInce it was transfer week we had p-day on tuesday. Monday of transfer week is always hard but like I said in my last letter we worked super hard and tried to be super obedient! More miracles came afterwards. That evening we meet a group of koko seis (high school girls) and we stopped them and told them about eikaiwa and our eikaiwa party! THEY ALL CAME AND WE HAD SO MUCH FUN! We are building good relationships with them. THEN two of them came to our Volleyball activity on Saturday! On the way home from the volleyball acticity they asked us about what we are doing as missionaries and promised they would continue to come to eikaiwa (english class) because they are going to a study abroad in New Zealand very soon! Yaaayy!! It was so great to be able to play volleyball too!! hisashiburi!

Mayu is very busy with school right now. She is currently doing student teaching at a near-by junior high school and meeting with her has been super difficult. Sadly, she couldnt make it to church yesterday and we are going to talk with her about rescheduling her baptismal date! SHE IS GOING TO BE BAPTIZED! But it might take a little longer than we hoped at first. She has many friends in church that care about her and love her. I am so grateful for this branch and their love! PRAY FOR MAYU!!

Klein Shimai gave her first talk in church yesterday and did a great job!! earlier in the week we were riding home one night and there was a rope stringed across the sidewalk that she didnt see and rode straight into it, she flipped and her bike flipped over her. She ripped up her elbows and leg, but good think she was wearing her helmet because she hit her head too. It was scary, but before the accident literally like 15 minutes before i felt i should just say a prayer in my head asking for safety as we traveled home. Now looking back i realized that we were really protected. We were close to a very busy road and she didn't fly into the street which is a super great blessing. LESSON: WEAR YOUR HELMET! Klein Shimai is the best ever!! I love her!! PRAY FOR HER!

MIRACLE!!!: Last week I mentioned the Shigemoto family. We were housing (while fasting) and found a family who had received a Book of Mormon before. rememeber? well anyway, we went back yesterday and shared a quick message about how our families can we blessing through the gospel of Jesus Christ. They listened and we were able to set up a RETURN APPOINTMENT!!!!!! WOOOWW!!! PRAY FOR THE SHIGEMOTO FAMILY!!

MIRACLE #2: We were streeting on the way to the Shigemotos house^^^^^ and we stopped a lady who was exercising (speed walking). We briefly explained who we were. She listened and talked about how there were so many churches and wondered why we told her we had the answer. She explained to us that when she was in high school (now she is like 50) she went to Eikaiwa (english class) and she remembered the kind missionaries! Now she says she has interest in learning! We are meeting with her next week!! THE CIRCLE OF DENDO!!! The Lord is preparing people now to be ready to accept the gospel later. Those Elders from all those years ago may not know of the results of their efforts but the Lord does! Who knows maybe one of the girls who came to Eikaiwa last week will someday turn out like Kaori san too!!

The Lord is guiding this work. We are the happiest when we are on the Lord's errand! It is a wonderful, joyous experience to feel that Lord using us as instruments in His hands! This is the true church! I know it!! Thank you for your love and prayers!!

Month 17th and Counting

KONNICHIWA!!!!!!!!

This week was CRAZY!!! I hit my 17 month mark in 2 days...now that's super weird..but I love my beautiful home here in TANIYAMA! (Mosiah 18:30) We had interviews with Kaicho (Prez) and I am due for a new temple reccommend so was interviewed for that as well. I was shocked when he started asking me the questions and ask I answered with honesty, I just started crying. The spirit was so strong. It was so cool to be on the other side of the table. We had just been preparing the Yamashitas for their interview for baptism but it was my turn now! THIS CHURCH IS SO TRUE! Please pray for Mayu san. She has been cancelling appointments lately and its been hard to meet. I dont think she will be able to make her baptismal date for next weekend but it can happen soon! SHE NEEDS YOUR PRAYERS!

Instead of my normal e-mail about this week I want to share the story of the Yamashita Family:

2 years ago and member of our branch gave the mother of one of his junior high school students a pass-along card, and continued to build a friendship with their family. 2 years passed and our branch was holding an Open House as advised by our mission president. This member was very involved in the planning and decided to invite his former student and her family to our church activity. Thats where we came in. At the open house, near the end, I sat by Yamashita san and started talking with her. Although we didnt really know each other I asked for her phone number to keep in contact. She asked me, "Will i have to join your church? Because I have no interest in that?" We exchanged numbers and invited them to church the next day. Surprisingly to me, they came to church and sat in the very front row. They stayed all 3 hours PLUS and extra 30 minutes for a branch meeting about an upcoming temple trip! THEY LOVED IT! The mom didnt have interest in meeting but we set up an appt with the 16 year old daughter to bake brownies and share a message. In that lesson we invited her to be baptized and she said yes! The following week the mom attended the lesson and we planned to invite them to be baptized on a specific date. When we asked them, the mom asked the member joint, "Does that mean we have to join the church?" I had lost all hope, was sad and frustrated and had made up my mind to NOT commit them to a date. BUT the joint strongly prompted me to testify and commit and testify again. So we did and the accepted!! Since then they have progressed like wildfire! Yamashita san quicked ordered her own triple, bible and Liahona subscribtion. They both love reading and marking their scriptures! They were able to attend another baptism and felt the spirit so strongly! The mom said, "I am so excited to be baptized!" After so many prayers and fellowshipping from the branch they were baptized, mom and daughter on August 30! 

I feel so blessed to have a small part in this miracle. The baptismal service was the most spiritual one I have been to in my life! After the baptism Yamashita bore her testimony fighting back tears and she told how her husband had lost his job and then she met us and prayed, as she had been taught, that he would find work. And HE DID! THIS CHURCH IS SO TRUE!!!

Alma 26:29-30, 35-36

 29 And we have entered into their houses and taught them, and we have taught them in their streets; yea, and we have taught them upon their hills; and we have also entered into their temples and their synagogues and taught them; and we have been cast out,and mocked, and spit upon, and smote upon our cheeks; and we have been stoned, and taken and bound with strong cords, and cast into prison; and through the power and wisdom of God we have been delivered again.

 30 And we have suffered all manner of afflictions, and all this, that perhaps we might be the means of saving some soul; and we supposed that our joy would be full if perhaps we could be the means of saving some.

35 Now have we not reason to rejoice? Yea, I say unto you, there never were men that had so great reason to rejoice as we, since the world began; yea, and my joy is carried away, even unto boasting in my God; for he has all power, all wisdom, and all understanding;he comprehendeth all things, and he is a merciful Being, even unto salvation, to those who will repent and believe on his name.

 36 Now if this is boasting, even so will I boast; for this is my life and my light, my joy and my salvation, and my redemption from everlasting wo. Yea, blessed is the name of my God, who has been mindful of this people, who are a branch of the tree of Israel, and has been lost from its body in a strange land; yea, I say, blessed be the name of my God, who has been mindful of us, wanderers in a strange land.

Thank you for all your prayers and support!! I am filled with joy!! Being a missionary is the best ;)

Love,

Capener Shimai