Still hot and humid and wet but so happy

This week was wonderful! Still hot and humid and wet but so happy! 

We went and proselyted with a YSA this week and today my companion and I are going to see Byodoin temple. It's the temple on the back of the ten yen coin here. And it's in our area. So stoked.

The highlight of my week was this:

 We have an investigator who is a less active. And she has wanted so badly to return to church and take the sacrament but hasn't known how. So she called us. She has a great fear of returning due to an incident with some of the members in our ward. And she's got just a billion other issues. Issues that me and my companion as 20 and 21 year old girls have a very hard time understanding. Haha especially in Japanese. But we've been helping her focus on the future, not the past. Helping her see and understand that Christ's Atonement took care of her fears and worries and that if she simply trusts that then she can return to full-activity. Helping her understand that Christ lives to make an intercession for us every day. And after much struggle she came to church yesterday for the first time in 15 years!!!!!!! She loved it and is excited to come every week. Seeing how Jesus Christ has not only changed my life, but how it is changing the lives of these beautiful people that I love so much is the greatest thing in this world. I wouldn't trade it for real beds, a dish washer, drier, or car or anything else in the world. There is no way I would give up a year and a half of my life to anything less than the only true church in the world. 

I love you all and hope that you all remember how much your Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ love you. Christ is there for us, if we let him, every step of the way. 

Happy a super duper week!

Love your Japanese friend,

Aulick Shimai

アウリック姉妹

We are the Lord's Greatest Masterpiece

こんにちわ皆さん！

Hello friends and family everywhere! It has been another beautiful, hot, wet week here in good old Joyo. But happy all the same. :)

Last preparation day we went sight seeing in this beautiful place called Fushimi Inari. Look it up on Google or something. It's way awesome. We went there with the Sister Training Leaders and we had a ball. :)

Also this last week was a Japanese holiday called Bon. Everyone has work off and legend has it that the dead come and visit their graves. So in celebration of Bon we went to a less-actives house for dinner and I got to watch FIREWORKS. ひさしぶりい I love fireworks. And I especially love them in Japan. 

This week was one full of trial, and of course the eminent error. But in the process I have learned to love my investigators and the people of Japan even more. Working so hard to help these beautiful people come unto Christ makes me love them even more. And because I love these people so much sharing the true gospel of Jesus Christ is a joy, pleasure, and a privilege. Even though I do get rejected on the regular, it sure doesn't deter my spirit. Because I know this church is true! And Heavenly Father wants these people to accept just as much as the people in America and Brazil. There is no reason to be discouraged. We have the Spirit and the Lord on our side. What is there to fear?

Our investigators that are progressing are progressing INCREDIBLY WELL. But we have been struggling to find new investigators. But something I am learning is sometimes the Lord uses us to build others, and sometimes he just gives us time to build ourselves. To test us to try us and see how much we truly do love Him. Along with learning to love these people so much this week I have learned to love my Heavenly Father. To thank Him in every trial, and every step of the way. Because I know He is with me and I know He loves me because He is allowing me this time to grow. I thank Him every day.

Let our motives be love. Let's all grow a love for the gospel, for our friends, family, and neighbors. And most importantly a love for our Heavenly Father who loves us so much. Because when love becomes the motive sharing the gospel isn't scary anymore. It becomes a joy. :)

Love you all and thank you for your support!

Love your Japanese Friend,

Aulick Shimai 

アウリック姉妹

TYPHOON

Experienced my first typhoon this week! Crazy winds and rain, it was super exciting! It got so bad that they even cancelled church yesterday. Which kind of stunk. I don't get to take the sacrament for another week..... :( But we are both safe and sound and there wasn't really that bad of damage at all. 

 

This week was a lot of self-reflection. A lot of humbling myself and realigning my will with the Lord's. So recently we haven't been finding new investigators or getting people to church. So I was counseled by one of my Zone Leaders to pray about why that wasn't happening. So I did and the answer was that we weren't talking to enough people. So we, as a companionship, decided that as we were going to visit less-actives and such we would stop anybody and everybody we saw, tell them who we are and what we do, and ask if they are interested in learning about God and/or Jesus Christ. Honestly most of them no. But this did not deter our spirits. We knew that people would listen to us as we followed the Holy Ghost. So we continued on in this manner. And it was my day to lead on the bikes and I saw this girl who looked about 15 or 16 and decided to stop her. So I did, started talking to her in Japanese, and she responded in beautiful perfect English. Both Kerr Shimai and I got super excited and after asking her if she's interested in learning about God or Jesus Christ she said that she already goes to church. When we asked her where she said, "The Latter-Day Saint church." We about dropped dead. Haha we then pointed to our badges and told her that we were missionaries. We had never seen this girl in our lives. Anyways after getting to know her a bit we find out that she's been living in Japan for about 3 years but hasn't been to church in awhile. Can we say LESS-ACTIVE?!?!?!?! Any who, after we got home we looked at the ward directory and didn't see her name anywhere. We then called the Young Women's President and asked if she knew her. She said she did and that she has been visiting a couple times but never been able to get a hold of her. But that she had been praying for her a lot lately. We then set up an appointment with her to go visit her this next week. Heavenly Father, through the Holy Ghost, guided us to this girl who we had no record of and who our Young Women's President had been earnestly praying for. 

 

As we humble ourselves and constantly strive to follow the Holy Ghost He will lead us to the lost. And He will answer prayers. Our Heavenly Father is very aware of each of our situations. I am so grateful He is aware of mine. :)

 

Love you and hope everyone has a good first day back at school!

 

Love your Japanese Friend,

Aulick Shimai

アウリック姉妹

First off, CONGRATS MARISSA. Your wedding looks like it was awesome! Love you and have fun on the honeymoon!

Also on the 30th of this week will mark my 1/2 way mark on the mission. I hear it's just downhill from here and it only goes faster. It's crazy how fast it's all gone thus far. I'm stoked for the next 9 months!

In other news, both Kerr Shimai and I are staying in Joyo! I will have been here for 4 transfers and will see summer through in one of the hottest parts in the mission. Drink lots of water everyone. 

Also a member of the bishopric calls me Sunday morning and asked me to speak in sacrament meeting that day. I said sure and was grateful I learned the importance of keeping and recycling talks from my dad. Thanks dad for being a high councilor for who knows how many years. I used a talk I gave in my first area and it went great. 

This week was awesome! We found 2 new investigators and taught 4 lessons this week! I love the way the work continues to progress and hasten here in Joyo! We went and visited one of our less-actives last night and were just planning to check up on her. See how she was doing. But what we thought was going to only be like a 20 minute meeting or so turned into an hour and a half talk about what she was struggling with. I was able to hold her hands, look into her tear stained eyes and testify about how God is her Heavenly Father and how she is His daughter. It was awesome and I don't know if I've ever felt the Holy Ghost work through more powerfully than last night. 

I know if we open our mouths and testify of the simple things we do know Heavenly Father will give us the words through the Holy Ghost that our brothers and sisters need to hear. 

Keep loving and living life everyone. Never forget who you are! Beloved sons and daughters of a king!

Love your Japanese friend,

Aulick Shimai 

アウリック姉妹

That's right everyone it's ocean day!

That's right everyone it's ocean day! So go put on your swimsuit and hug your nearest ocean!

This week we met an 87 year old man who was still as genki as ever and still riding his bike to get places. I wasn't kidding when I said that everyone and anyone can get around here by using their bike. I love the old kooks here. 

Also the Gion Matsuri was so much fun! I will send pictures.

I feel like I don't talk about my investigators very much, sorry. We have an investigator with a baptismal date in a couple of weeks but with the amount of effort she's putting in we're not sure if she'll make it or not. And another less-active investigator who is supposed to be fully active by the end of August. And if we don't start meeting with her she probably won't make it either. BUT we are praying like crazy and riding our bikes like crazy and doing everything we can to help these people. But a pleasant surprise was that one of our investigators that hasn't really been progressing that well because of some panic issues and mental health problems and such is all of a sudden progressing incredibly well this past week! And all because of the Book of Mormon. I'm telling you, that book is magic. I love it so much.  

So we got to teach 2 lessons this week! Yay for improvement! My learning tid bit for the week is that attitude is everything. Honestly our numbers haven't really changed that much. And nothing has changed a whole lot but I learned this week to not ask Heavenly Father to change my circumstances but instead to change me in my circumstances. AND I AM SO HAPPY. The amount of patience and love that Heavenly Father has given me this week is unreal and so undeserved. But I have been making sure to thank Him every step of the way. 

If there is something about your life right now that you don't like, then change it. And if you can't change it, then change your attitude. 

Love you all and hope your week is full of happy smiles and rainbows!

Love your Japanese Friend,

Aulick Shimai 

アウリック姉妹

Where It All Began

I totally forgot but a couple weeks ago marked the year mark when I received my call. So crazy how time flies. I remember when I got it and always thinking that something bad would happen to where I wouldn't be able to come to Japan. It was all too good to be true. And now I'm here, spreading and sharing the happiest news the world has ever heard. And today I've been in Japan for 6 months and on the mission for 8 months. Nuts.

Speaking of anniversaries happy 32nd wedding anniversary to the most wonderful parents and examples a sister missionary could ask for. Love you mom and pop! 

And welcome to the world Brielle Vivan Aulick! My sweet little niece was born on the 27th weighing in at 2 lbs and 2 oz. Man was she excited to get to earth. I can't wait to meet you!

So this week I have truly understood and felt the joy of the work. It wasn't exactly one event that made me realize this but rather just looking at my week as a whole. So right now I am area senpai (area senior companion) because my companion came here. So she didn't know anything about the area. But because of that I've really had to rely and take responsibility for receiving revelation for my investigators and such these past couple of weeks because she doesn't really know them that well. So all of my thoughts, and literally every second of these past couple of weeks have been doing something for our investigators. And you know what? I've never been happier. It is amazing what the Lord will do to lift your spirit when you learn not to focus on yourself. I am grateful for this gospel. I am grateful for my health. I am grateful for every day that I have to serve my Lord and my Shepherd. It is His praise that I long to hear at the Second Coming. I love all of you and am grateful for your support, prayers, and love. 

May the good Lord bless and keep you.

Love your Japanese Friend,

Aulick Shimai

アウリック姉妹

Didn't anyone tell you not to listen to rumors?‏

Haha my dear, beautiful Kansans. Just to clear up the apparent rumor that went around, I have not been in a bike accident. I have been 100% healthy since being in Japan. Please, don't fret, life is good in this part of the world. :)

Well we got transfer calls and I am staying in Joyo but, sadly my companion leaving. But we'll be in the same zone still so that's super exciting! My new companion's name is Sister Kerr. I know nothing about her but I am excited to work in this part of the Lord's vineyard with another one of Heavenly Father's daughters. :)

This week was great! We had 2 nonmembers, 3 less-actives and a lot of visitors at church yesterday. And I got to see a baptism! The elder's investigator got baptized and it was awesome. I love seeing people in white! 

This last week we, as a zone had our last meeting with our mission president. He's awesome. I cried. I am really going to miss him. For all of you missionaries, you know Zone Training Meeting? My mission president invented that. Rad right? But I am still excited for our new mission president. He'll be great too!

We're just working hard over here. Nothing really new is happening really. Just loving life as a missionary!

Keep being awesome in America. Eat a hamburger for me or something. And remember that Heavenly Father loves each and every one of you and is there for you every step. Remember Him and I promise your life will be filled with a joy that you've never experienced.

Love you and thank you for all of your love and support!

Love your Japanese friend,

Aulick Shimai

アウリック姉妹