Office Mailing Address
1-7-7 Kichijoji Higashi-cho
Musashino-shi, Tokyo
180-0002
Japan
THis week of all the weeks difinitesly flew by the fastest. Every week I say, "I can't believe its Pday again!" But this week....I REALLY CANT believe its pday again!!! hahaha It went by so fast I wonder what happened that would be worth telling, but as I think through the days I remember the many wonderful opportunities and blessings the Lord has given me. We...well I guess not we, but the other Japanese zone got knew kyohai, or younger classmates. There's only 5 of them! They are so fun. We love having them around. But the amazing thing about having them here is recognizing the growth that we as a district, and each one of us individually have made. We have been here 4 weeks. We can testify of Jesus Christ, His atonement, our Father's love, all in JAPANESE. We can meet strangers and teach them that they have a Savior, that they have a Father in Heaven who loves them! We can teach them how to pray so they can feel that love! That was probably the best night on my mission thus far. We have TRC every monday night where Japanese speaking members come, and we just have a short 20 minute member lesson in Japanese. But this monday, we were told that the girls we'd be teaching in TRC were not members of the church, but were foreign exchange students from Tokyo! They were here just for a semester. They church set up a program that allows them to meet with families, not to share the gospel, but simple to allow them to better understand the American culture, and have the opportunity to be in a family environment when they are away from home for so long. Anyway. Benjamin, the father of the host family served in Japan many years ago, took Miho and Ana to church on sunday and they met the missionaries. When they heard that americans were learning Japanese to go to Japan, they wanted to know where and what and how and what it was like to be a missionary. He took them to TRC. Because they live in Tokyo, we were giving the opportunity to teach them. It was amazing. We just got to know them a little bit, their religious background, what they knew about Jesus Christ (very limited, "Jesus gave bread to people so they wouldn't get hungry"). We told them we wanted to teach them a little bit more about God and His son Jesus Christ, and asked if we could start with a prayer. They were SO excited about hearing a prayer in Japanese, they said they had hear a prayer for the first time on sunday but loved hearing one in their language. We told them a little bit about prayer, that it is a communication with God. That He wants to hear from all of His children. Then we taught them how to pray!! Miho prayed for the first time in her life. IT was SO COOL to be a part of that experience. We got to SYL with them for a little bit after and they said that when we get to Japan they are going to come to church with us. Oh man. IT was a wonderful reminder that we are oging to be teaching REAL people. What a sacred blessing from heavenly father to meet those two wonderful girls. I know this work is the Lord's work, there is no other way that my Japanese and the Japanese of my companions would have sufficed. I love this gospel. I have such a powerful testimony of prayer. It is ALWAYS there for us.
I love you all.Evans Shimai.PS. Volcal Point came last sunday! and then BYU Men's chorus came this sunday!!!
Sister Laurel EvansMAY18 JPN-TOKS2009 N900E unit 127Provo UT 84602
Oh how time flies by SO quickly here. Every day, and week now, is just zipping by. Slowly....but fastly. hahah just like everyone said it would I have come to recognize that everyone's advice was pretty much true. It's just as hard as everyone says. It's just as fun as some people said too. The Mission has brought so many tears and joys and sorrows and knowledge in these past two weeks. Its hard for me to sit down and tell you how life is going as it seems it is all just going by so quickly. It's truly amazing to recognize how much I have learned in these past 15 days. I can teach a lesson not a very good one:P) without writing down sentences going into the lesson. We teach everyday. Nihongo is becoming such a wonderful tool. one that i am not quite sure how to use yet. but It has become so clear to me that if we prepare and teach withthe spirit, than the Lord will allow our broken nihongo to touch the hearts of those who we teach.
わたしわいえすきりすとのふくいnがしんじつだとしたいますI know this church is true.I know He loves us.I know He loves you.I know He lives.Please remember all that he does for you. He is mindful.I pray for all of you.Much love,Evans Shimai.