Shaking an Apostle's Hand‏

Yeah, you read that heading right. This week Elder D. Todd Chritofferson came to Japan just to talk to our mission and the members in this area. It was awesome. The church is true. I am reminded of that ever week. The missionaries met with him in the morning and then the members later that night. I got to go to both meetings because we brought a less-active member to the members meeting. Both were amazing and I learned some extremely valuable things that I will probably remember for the rest of my life. 

We were finally able to contact some less-active members that we've been trying to find/contact for a few weeks. But honestly not much else happened this week. Just doing my best to gather and find the elect. Doing my best to become more like Christ each week. Doing my best to work as hard as I can to see the success to help this work hasten. It's not easy. But the reward is worth it. 

Keep your heads high, your sights set on the prize, and your heart open. 

Love your Japanese Friend,

Aulick Shimai

アウリック姉妹

Puppy Heaven

This email is dedicated to my sweet puppy Curly who just passed away to puppy heaven this week. You were a great dog these past 16 years. You always had stinky breath but always knew how to make anyone feel better. We'll hug it out again in heaven. 

I wish I had more exciting things to write about this week. Not much happened. It's so crazy how much hard work you feel like you put in the work every day. And then when you look back at the week your numbers are so low it's not even funny. Kind of had that kind of week. But all is well, this is still the Lord's work, and my faith is in Jesus Christ, not the results. 

This week on the 30th I hit my 6 months. What is time? So 1/3 of my mission has come and gone and I didn't even know it. Is it going as fast for you guys as it is for me? Don't worry mom, even though I don't want to, I'll be home before you know it.

I literally am at a loss for what to write about this week. Nothing much happened. I guess I can tell a semi-cool story that happened. Yesterday (Sunday) we were done with lunch and deciding what to do because we had previous plans fall through (#MissionaryLife #WhatsNew). And so we just decided to go housing. As we were biking to the place, and housing, nothing felt right. We just knew that there was something better the Lord had in store for us but we couldn't figure out what. So after the 2nd or 3rd "kekko" we got (that's what the Japanese say when they're not interested) we got an email from the ward clerk saying he had yasumi kaiin (less-active member) forms ready for us.

Side note: with this new sisters policy we are required to have these certain forms filled out with the yasumi kaiin's information written on it before we can go visit these people. And the person in charge of that is the ward clerk. 

So we went to the church and got those and now we can really start to fulfill our new responsibility. And that is what the Lord had in mind for us that day. 

After the Lord sees you work, then the blessings will come. 

Love you all. Your support and love is more than I deserve. 

With love from Japan,

Aulick Shimai 

アウリック 姉妹

Happy belated Easter loved ones! Easter here isn't really celebrated. Even among the church members. Haha 1 member told me and my companion happy Easter. So that was good. :)

So most of this letter is about our investigator named Fujita. He is stellar. He is a 67 year old man with no family and no friends but wants to meet God more than anything. Senmin (elect) for sure. 

So we taught him Friday and after we taught him he gave us a letter. After finally figuring out what the letter said (kanji, can't read a thing) we realized how sweet and awesome this man truly is. He apologized for not celebrating my birthday and how he didn't want to come to church the first time. And he actually wasn't even going to come to church that first Sunday but because we visited him the Saturday before he came. And now he's going to be baptized. 

So that is actually a pretty cool story. That Saturday that we visited him we weren't even going to visit him because we were at a dinner with all of our most recent converts. And it was getting late and raining and we needed to do our weekly planning session. But we both felt like we should just visit him and remind him about church. The Spirit didn't scream at us to go visit him or anything, but we both felt the small, still prompting and urge from the Spirit. So we visited him. Because of that he came to church, and is going to get baptized in June. 

He really struggled to pray for the first time. He didn't address Heavenly Father and didn't close in the name of Jesus Christ. So it wasn't a huge surprise when he said in his letter that he prayed to me the first time he prayed in his house. Hahaha he apologized for that too. 

I love this people and their simple understanding of God's plan. It is truly a struggle for these people to start on their journey back to God, but helping them brings me the greatest joy I've ever felt in my life. 

I pray that we may all listen and heed to the small promptings of the Spirit. You never know where it may lead but we are promised that we will not be led astray. 

With Love from your Japanese friend, 

Aulick Shimai

アウリック姉妹

Bye bye Mikunigaoka...‏

That's right folks, I'm getting transferred. To guess where.....KYOTO!!!! I am so stoked. In case you don't realize the excitement and the beauty that is Kyoto go on google right now. All of those pretty castles and beautiful sakura trees that you see of Japan, that all happens in Kyoto. I am way excited.

More specifically I am being transferred to an area called Joyo. I don't know anything about it or my companion but I like change and I'm excited to see what the Lord has in store for me in Joyo. And my wonderful companion, Sister Griffin, is becoming a sister training leader. She's a rockstar though, so not much surprise there.

Speaking of rockstars, our recent convert, Maichan, went on a date with the only other single adult her age in our ward this past week. They've both been coming to Eikaiwa together and we read the Book of Mormon with both of them every week. This doesn't have any relevance to any of you but when Griffin Shimai and I found out, we freaked out. We love her. And we love that her social life is blossoming in the gospel.

This week was awesome. Our investigators are really progressing super well and we were able to find a couple of new ones this week. One of our investigators is Deguchi. He is the happiest 63 year old man I've ever met. He has lost half of 2 of his fingers and his job requires him to do dangerous things every day. Yet he continues to laugh and love life. During Griffin Shimai and I's weekly planning session this past week we were talking about him and whether or not we should set a baptismal date for him. We both just kind of got this feeling that we should wait another week. So we met with him 2 Saturdays ago and one of our dosekis (member present at a lesson) asked him if he was getting baptized. (This doseki in particular likes to be bold and take over the invitation part of the lesson sometimes) Deguchi said with the biggest smile on his face that yes, he was getting baptized in April. (Before we had never talked about a date) And we were then able to set a date with him right then and there. April 20th folks. Now Deguchi is calling us to meet and set up appointments and his desire to be baptized is stronger now than ever. The Lord knew that he needed to set his own goal in order for him to really want to be baptized. Jesus Christ knows His sheep, and through us the lost sheep can return to the fold. The Holy Ghost is real.

Is any one else getting stoked for General Conference? I know I am.

Love you all. Remember that God and His Son loves you too!

アウリック姉妹

We Need A Miracle!

That's right kazoku to tomodachi. Griffin Shimai and I need a miracle. Masumoto Shimai's baptism is this week planned on Saturday and just recently her husband is telling us that he thinks she should wait. WHAT. No. Waiting will do nothing. He isn't against the church or anything he is just wanting her to wait. Satan is real. And he's working harder now more than ever.

Along with the lines of this yakusokusha (person who has committed to be baptized) we saw more real progression this week! We taught her on Tuesday, and as soon as we came in to her living room, she told us, with the biggest proudest grin on her face, that she read the Book of Mormon. We were so happy and excited! She doesn't understand much of it but that of course comes with time. This is what we live for as missionaries. Well, that and baptisms. Actually we just live for baptisms. But these small victories are really exciting too. :)

Something funny about Japan is nobody has couches. Every one sits on the floor. Like, I can't even tell you the last time I saw a couch. Or a real bed. We sleep on futons. They're just little mattresses that you put on the floor. Love them. Love Japan.

Yesterday during church I noticed significant improvement in understanding Japanese. I was sitting in sacrament meeting and listening to the talks, and all of a sudden I realized that I was understanding a little over half of what they were saying. It truly is the little things.

Other than that nothing else has happened. Still loving the mission life. And I get to go to Mr. Donuts. So today is going to be great.

This church is true. Nothing else will bring you closer to you Heavenly Father. And you sure as heck can't get back to Him without this gospel. Love this gospel. Love your neighbors. Love the Lord.

Love,

アウリック　しまい

Okonomiaki (Meat and Veggie Pancakes) and ... Warmer weather = happy toes

This week my toes were able to experience a fun little thing called frostbite. It honestly wasn't too bad. Yes mom, I promise I've been wearing my wool socks. I wear like 3-4 layers on my feet at any given time. But because I'm allergic to the cold (don't scoff, it's a real thing) I think I was just more prone to it. Don't worry I still have all of my toes, they're just tender now. But it has definitely been warming up here the past few days! So happy toes. :)

Shout out to the Brundige family for sending me the sweetest Valentine's Day package ever! It was such a happy surprise! 

Also, family, I got your V-day letter on the 20. Thank you so much! I love you! 

And HAPPY BIRTHDAY KRISTINA. I can't believe you'll be 18. Stop it. Make sure you buy a lotto ticket for me! (just kidding...kind of...)

So last night a member in the ward I served in put together a little party for the single adults in our ward and in a ward near by. We just recently taught a new investigator this week who is considered to be a single adult. So because he was at the party we got to go. It was super fun. We watched a CES devotional that was given at BYU in January (which I understood nothing from) and then we atefood. Because you know they Japanese, they loooooove their food. And our investigator had such a good time! The members were so good at making him feel welcome and happy and really helped him to have fun. He even expressed before hand that he was shy and that he didn't really want to go. But after some encouragement he came. And afterwards he said he was really happy that he came! And now we have a return appointment with him. So (per Megan's request) I have a challenge for you. Next time your ward has an activity, either for relief society, young womens, ward activity, whatever it may be. Invite one of your friends. DO IT. And then tell the missionaries. Let your friends see the light of Christ in action. Because every one has the light of Christ. But the reason people see a difference in the people of this church is because we recognize that light of Christ within us and act on it. So reach out to somebody that may need to hear the gospel. Invite them. It's really as simple as that. The worst they can do is say no. 

Also get ready, I'm feeling that some big miracles are on their way. I don't have time to go more in detail just buckle your seat belts kiddies. And stay tuned....

With all of my love,

Aulick Shimai

1 down 11 to go‏

• 1 down 11 to go‏

Helloooo my people. Just finished my first transfer in the field. Woah. I love it so much. I am living the dream right now. :)

This week it snowed. And it snowed a lot for Mikunigaoka. We were biking to the church to study (because that's where we study) while it was snowing. And all of my study materials are in a handy little basket that sits in my basket on my bike. Well it was crazy slippery and nearly impossible to ride my bike. And so I was getting up over a curb to get to the sidewalk to wait for the crosswalk light. And as I was doing so my bike tire hit the grove between the sidewalk and the street just right to where I fell over and everything in my basket feel on to the snowy ground. Hahahahaha I felt like such a dweeeeb. I promise I'm ok. I didn't even get hurt. But it was so nice because 2 girls on their way to school came over and helped me but my stuff back in my basket. Granted, picture large snowflakes flurrying around everywhere. Hahaha it was a good time. Gotta love that snow. Gotta love the Japanese people.

My favorite part of this week, and kind of every week, is teaching the after baptism lessons to our recent convert, Maichan. She is so strong and seeing that she is learning that baptism is not the end, but only the beginning is so exciting! These lessons are when we get to talk about the good stuff like missionary work, and temples, and patriarchal blessings. You know, the fun stuff. And seeing how the gospel has truly changed her life and made her so happy truly makes all of the work worth it. Every time we have a lesson with her I am reminded that this is why I do missionary work. It's for those people who are truly prepared to allow the gospel change their lives. Ahhhh I love it. 

Also I gave a talk in church 2 Sundays ago. It went pretty well I think. At least that's what people told me. 

Japanese is still rather tai hen (difficult) but I'm learning more every day. That's honestly my greatest challenge right now. I want to help these people so bad but it's hard to help them when I can't speak to them. Gotta love that missionary learning curve...

Thank you for all of your support! Keep it real America.

Love,

Aulick Shimai