Niihama!!

HELLO EVERYONE!!

I am safe and I have arrived back to Shikoku!!! 

It was a crazy week and it is almost like my transfer in Ibaraki was a dream because I left so quickly and I just popped back to Shikoku. It was so fun being able to call Hiatt Shimai and Chapman Shimai on the phone and talk to Chapman Shimai. Apparently they have been really sick, but Chapman Shimai told me that she prayed me back to Shikoku. I love her so much she is just so hilarious. Also - fun thing - I got to hear about all of the investigators and they are doing well and those wonderful college students are preparing for their baptisms! I was super full of joy to hear that. 

It was very sad to leave Ibaraki! We had some amazing lessons the last week. We had some investigators who contacted us out of the blue and started meeting with us again and are progressing super well.  I think the next few months are going to result in a whole lot of success in Ibaraki. We also started teaching this amazing girl who is golden and so that was a little bit heartbreaking to leave so quickly...but it is the Lord's will and so I am here and happy :) I think one of the highlights was a lesson we taught to a lady who was a former investigator, me and Mills Shimai started teaching on Christmas Eve. We stopped by and visited and taught her a lesson.  She told us that she had been praying ever since we had taught her prayer and that she had felt something she had never felt before. It was a powerful experience. We gave her a Book of Mormon with our testimonies and extended the invitation to read, and so I am excited to see where that goes for her. 

With Daniel's Shimai, see post from August 10, 2013

This week was crazy busy getting ready to leave Osaka - but I got to spend transfer day in Kobe and dendou with Daniels Shimai!! It was definitely all through the Lord's hand and I was super happy. Ichikawa Shimai (my new companion) was in Tokyo for the day because of some stuff that happened with her college and so she had to leave for an interview (it sounded really taihen). So I was in a trio with Daniels Shimai and Croft Shimai for the day! It was so much fun to dendou with Daniels Shimai, and she is such a good missionary! I just love her and I wish I could have talked to her forever, but it was fun to talk to people on the streets together and hear her speak Japanese because 12 months ago, or whatever, we couldn't really speak this language at all. Also, we taught a lesson to this lady from Pakistan and it was way cool, she was super sweet and plus... it was just fun to teach with Daniels Shimai. 

With my new companion...Ichikawa Shimai

Niihama is AMAZING! I love it here! It is by far my most Inaka area. OH MY GOODNESS IT IS SO INAKA (out in the country, countryside). There is absolutely NO ONE on the streets and the stores are all really far apart and it is so quiet all of the time, but it has a magically fresh feeling. There is something special about Shikoku and so I love it with all of my heart. The members here are amazing, I can't really explain them in words, but they are just special. And Ichikawa Shimai...OH MY GOSH I LOVE HER TOO! She is so sweet, probably one of the most Christlike people I have ever met and she is so humble. I have learned a lot from her in just three days. She is a really thoughtful person and so kind to me. Plus, she is Japanese and so she helps my Japanese a lot. She is basically fluent in English and she wants to learn more English, so we switch off every other day speaking Japanese and English. Today is a Japanese day :) We have a lot of things in common and so it is really easy to get along. She thinks about life the same way I think so, so far our companionship is just super great and I love it. I still don't really know a whole lot about Niihama, but we have been pretty busy these past few days and so it has been fun to be biking out in all of the rice fields again. IT IS SO BEAUTIFUL HERE! And I haven't really taken any pictures...but I will next week!

Love you!

Grundvig Shimai