I Love You!

  So this week was honestly a little rough. The work has been moving slow this week. I feel like there is always this cycle - we do well, see lots of miracles, but then the next week it seems like everything just falls through. It's like the pride cycle in the Book of Mormon. I'm grateful for the high times and the low times. Because although the high times make me the most happy, I know that we have low times to humble us and to help me realize that I can just try harder the next week!

  This weekend has been pretty crazy because I experienced my first big earthquake in Japan. I've felt little ones throughout my mission, but yesterday during sacrament meeting, all of the sudden everyone's phones started making this warning sound (it kind of sounded like a fire alarm) and then about 5 seconds later the ground starts to shake. It was so weird because it took me like a good 15 seconds to realize what was going on. The shaking only lasted for about a minute and all of the cell phones (because they all have like a warning system to tell you when an earthquake is about to happen) were saying 'this is an earthquake'. It was kind of funny. Not actually as scary as I thought because it was a smaller earthquake. The earthquake happened in Aomori which is on the main island of Japan, but it's pretty close to Hokkaido. It was a 5.0 magnitude in Aomori and in my area (Hakodate) the earthquake was a 4.0 magnitude. So nothing falling over or anything, but you could definitely feel it. We also had tsunami warnings all day yesterday so we made sure to stay away from the beach. But there was also a typhoon that hit yesterday at about 1:30 pm. It was just non-stop rain and wind. It wasn't bad enough for us to stay inside, so we went out in the middle of a typhoon and just kept working. And that's just what you do as a missionary, you always keep working! :)

   This week we were able to meet with an investigator named Iwasaki San. She is in her late 60s. She lives alone because her husband died a number of years ago, and her 2 daughters live near Tokyo. She is a really great lady! She has such wonderful values and opinions. She's not christian, but whenever we talk with her she always has the same sort of thinking as we do. We talked about Christ's example last week and I felt like she was more teaching us. She just kept saying that if everyone would stop being angry and stop hating others then the world would be a better place. It's up to all of us to do our part and show love towards others, not hatred. 

   So yesterday after we had the earthquake I thought about how (not that my life was in jeopardy or anything) it's so important to make sure people know how much we love them because you never know when a natural disaster will hit and it might be the end. Sorry that was a little bit of a sad note to end on, but really never let an opportunity go bye to not tell someone I love you! 

I LOVE YOU ALL! 

Morrison Shimai

Summer in Hokkaido

Hello All!

   This week was so fun and so warm! The past couple days it was 30 degrees Celsius plus humidity. It's finally summer! And it will be this warm for about the next 3 weeks and then supposedly it will start to cool down again once September hits. Yep it's true what they say about Hokkaido having short summers! :)

   This week we got to go on splits with the STLs! Which means that Lundstrom Shimai was here (me beloved trainer). It's so fun when you get to see old companions and be able to work with them again. So the 4 of us went to eat at Chise San's restaurant on Tuesday and it was so good. She's been busy so we haven't been able to do a lesson with her, but starting next week she should have Wednesdays and Thursdays off again. She is so nice and gave us a Korean dessert for free. It's like a snow cone, but with lots of different kinds of fruit and a special sauce that makes it super sweet. I definitely want to try to make it again because it was so simple and so good!

   Then we got to go to Muroran again this week for Zone Conference. And I got to have my very first interview with President Nakatsuka. The interview went really well. And although this is only the 2nd time that I've met him, I could just tell that he really cared about me and we were talking like good friends. I know that he has been called and set apart to be the Mission President, and I know there is a lot that I can learn from him. Since we were in Muroran I took the opportunity to visit some old investigators. So we went to go visit Wada San! She is basically my Japanese Grandma! So sweet! She automatically invited us in and her husband even went out and bought us ice cream! They know me so well! She's been making a lot of progress. At the end of our visit I asked if I could share a scripture with her before we left and in this surprised (but not really surprised) voice says, "What you want to talk about religion, what kind of a visit would this be without a lesson?" It was so funny! I really miss her a lot, but I know one day her and her husband will be ready to join the church.

   The Summer Festivals here in Japan are really big. And the biggest one of the summer is happening this weekend. So on Friday night we went to the Hanabi Taikai (Firework show). It was over and hour long. And Kumano Shimai was telling me that because fireworks are handmade here, each one costs over 100,000 dollars. Which means that for these big firework shows they spend billions of dollars! It was really cool and they had lots of cool fireworks! 

   Anyway it was a fun week! Hope you all have a good week! Much love!

Morrison Shimai

Love you mom! 

Have fun in Hawaii!

Desire to Teach

Hello everyone!

   This week on Monday we got the chance to climb Hakodate Mountain and supposedly it's one of the prettiest views in all of Hokkaido.  You can even see the main island of Japan from the top. But sadly it was so cloudy that we couldn't see a thing. A little disappointing, but still really fun! :)

   This week most of our appointments with investigators fell through or got cancelled. I was feeling really discouraged, and so I really prayed hard all week that we would be able to just teach someone. Recently I have just had the strongest desire to teach people. In the areas that I've been in for the past 6 months, mostly all we've done is finding. Constantly going house to house, stopping people on the street. Sometimes for 6 or 7 hours a day. And I have really come to enjoy finding. But recently my desire to teach is so much stronger than my desire to just find all day. I have been praying that we would be able to teach lessons as we try to find new investigators.  And this week I think my prayers were answered because we were able to teach a couple really strong Potential Investigators! We were able to teach them and we made appointments for next week to meet them again!

   Sorry there's not much to write about this week, but I know that because we are working hard and always putting forth out best effort so Heavenly Father is blessing us so much! I know that this is the most important work that I can be doing right now! I'm grateful for the opportunity to be serving the Lord for a year and a half! I love this gospel and I love being a missionary!!

Much love!

Morrison Shimai

P-Day Hike to Hakodate Mtn.

Sometimes I receive random things from 12 year old girls. This is a balloon animal. It's a dog and her name is Mori chan. :)

Finding Lost Sheep

Hey all!

   So this week we saw so many miracles! We were able to meet so many people and teach so many lessons! I truly know that the Lord was guiding us as to where to go! I'll just tell you about one miracle we saw this week!

   On Monday we were housing in a little bit of a scetchy, kind of scary part of the city. So I was super doubtful that we would not have any success, but we continued to knock on doors and got rejected every time. But then we went to a house (that looks like it was built 40 years ago because it's super small, and starting to fall apart) and a young mom comes to the door. And before we can say anything 4 young kids (ages 2 to 6) come running out. They start to talk to us and they wanted to play with us. So we were just standing at the front of the door talking and playing with the kids for a good 30 minutes. And then we finally were able to tell the mom about who we are and she says, 'oh well you know, my husband is a Mormon.' So he comes to the door (with a cigarette in his hand) and tells us that he was baptized in Tokyo over 30 years ago, but then moved to Hokkaido and hasn't been to church since. Then he left again and went back into the back room. We were so surprised and we realized later that he isn't in any of our records.

   So we found a 'lost sheep', plus his super cute, young family! I don't think the husband was too interested in us, but we were able to talk to the mom for another 20 minutes. She said that we could come back and we were able to get her phone number. Their name is Ootani family. So we are hoping that we can start teaching them next week and maybe the husband will open up to us!

   I know this is the Lord's work and he is always guiding us to exactly where we need to go, even if the road to get there seems a little scary or scketchy, it will be worth it in the end!

   Thanks so much for everything! Love you all!

   Morrison Shimai

Transfer Week - still in Hakodate

Konnichiwa Minasan!

   Well we had transfers this last week and yep I am still in Hakodate. But my beloved companion Yabutani Shimai returned home to Osaka. It was so sad to say goodbye to her, she was a great companion, and I will really miss her a lot! But I'm excited for this next transfer with my new companion, Holt Shimai. She is from Herriman, Utah. Her and I had the same trainer and our first area was Obihiro, so it's been fun reminiscing about all the members and investigators there. :)

   This week we found the most wonderful PI (potential investigator). Her name is Watanabe San. She is a young mom with the most adorable twin girls! They are only 2 years old. So we found her when we were housing on Friday. At first she told us that she wasn't interested, and usually when people do that we always tell them about the free English Classes that we teach every week. So we told her about it and she got so excited and said that she wanted to come. So right now she says that she doesn't have interest in the gospel, but hopefully once she come to our English class she will become interested. There are so many people here in Japan who were first introduced to the church through English class, It's a really great way to meet people and get to be their friend! So I will let you know if she comes to English class next week!

   This week we also had a ward BBQ (and no, not because it was the 4th of July :)). There was a really good turn out from the ward! We don't always have a ton of opportunities to interact with all the ward members outside of church because they all live so far away. But when we do have ward activities they are always so fun and welcoming.

   I'm excited for the opportunity to continue to be working in Hakodate!! I know we are going to have a wonderful transfer full of miracles and new investigators! Thanks for all your support and love! This is the Lord's work and he is guiding it. He will not let us fail.

   Love you all! Thanks so much!! Have a great week!

   Morrison Shimai

Chickens... What?

Squid What??   This girl has changed!

With Chise San

"Taiso" and Obedience

Hello everyone!!

   So this week I realized there is truly power in being a foreigner in another country. I mean, I've noticed it before. People staring at me. Asking if they can touch my hair. The usual. But last Monday we decided to get up early and go and exercise at one of the famous parks here in Hakodate. It's a huge park with a lake and trees and flowers. Absolutely beautiful. Well at 6:30 every morning there is a group of grandmas and grandpas that get together and do "taiso". It's like an organized stretching routine that everyone knows in Japan. So we decided to join them. And one by one they all started coming up to me and Yabutani Shimai. They asked her where I was from and then I answered and said that I was from America, they were so shocked that I could speak Japanese. So they were just talking and talking with us and it was really so cute! And we even got chocolate from one of the grandmas because she said I was so happy and deserved a treat! haha. :) It makes missionary work so much more interesting when people come up to you and ask, "so why are you here"? And then I just think, "well let me tell you a little bit about our church...". Definitely the easiest way to find people to teach! :)

   On Wednesday we went to Muroran again!! The 2nd week in a row. YAY!! We got a new Mission President this week so he wanted to take a little tour of Hokkaido and visit all the different zones. So we got up early on Wednesday in order to catch the 6 am train. Got to Muroran at 8:30 and had a training meeting by the Mission President and his wife from 10-12. Sister Nakatsuka first talked about the importance of loving other people and relying on the Lord. She told us about when they were being interviewed by President Uchtodorf she expressed her fears and concerns about their new calling. And she said this is what President Uchtodorf told her: "It is good to have fears and worries, because when we do, that is the time that we rely more on the Lord." So it's okay if we are fearful and stressed and worried because that is the time when we can put our full trust in the Lord and in His plan.

   Then President Nakatsuka talked about Obedience. It was so good! The topic of obedience is something that I have really been thinking and studying about recently. I have been studying about what it means to truly be 100% obedient or to always be exactly obedient. He talked about how there was one major difference between the Law of Moses and Jesus Christ's higher law. The people who followed the Law of Moses, did it mainly because they had to. But it was the people who followed Christ who were willing to obey the law. So we can be following the rules and commandment because we feel that we have to OR we can follow them because we are willing to do so. If we willingly follow rules and commandment then we will be blessed and have more joy. It was really great and I really learned about the true meaning of obedience. I know that Heavenly Father loves all of His children and gave us rules in order to help us and protect us. I know that if we willingly follow Him, he will guide us and lead us along the path so that we will not stray!

   I love you all! Thanks so much for all your love and support! Have a wonderful week!

   Morrison Shimai

 Fun at the beach in Hakodate

with Yabutani Shimai

Burial of Yabutani Shimai - She goes home this week!

Squid are famous in Hakodate

I got to go back to Muroran!

Hello everyone!!

   This week started out really busy. We were so excited that we had a lot of appointments. Sadly 3 of our strong appointments cancelled right in the beginning of the week. But that was ok, because it just gave us more time to find! And it was a good thing because we met this super nice lady this week! Her name is Fujita San. She is a young mom in her late 20s. She just moved to Hakodate from Tokyo a few years ago. She also has a 4 month old daughter - who is absolutely adorable! (Side note: Japanese kids are so cute! I just don't understand how they can just be so adorable!)  We made an appointment with her for next week, so please pray that we will be able to meet her again.

   Also I got to go back to my home this week! Yep I got to go back to Muroran!!! I was so excited and basically freaking out the whole 2 and a half hour train ride there. I felt like I was like a little kid going to Disneyland again! We had a big Zone Conference there with other missionaries so I got to see my old companion Gibbs Shimai, who is still in Muroran. It was so fun. And the best part is that I got to see my old investigator Wada San. She is truly my Japanese Grandma. haha :) She came and met us at the train station before we came back to Hakodate. And being the sweet lady that she is, she even made us food! So sweet! I love her and miss her lots. I know that her and her husband will get baptized someday! :)

   Well the work is moving along. Slowly at times, but definitely moving.

   Sorry this is a short letter, but I hope you are all doing great! Happy 4th of July!

   Morrison Shimai

Restaurant called Luck Pierro.  There are many of them in Hokodate and they have different themes.

This one is a Christmas theme as you'll see below.

Jazmyne with Yabutani Shimai

Yabutani Shimai, Jazmyne Shimai, Chise San

Back in Muroran with Gibbs Shimai and Jo Shimai