First Experiences in Japan!

Konnichiwa!!

Alright, so I don't even know where to begin.  There is so much to say and so little time to say it.  I will start off with where I live and all your questions.

Address:

637-6 Haimu Yashikimae #104

Kaminamie-machi

Gumma-ken Takasaki shi 370-0801

Japan

1) How was your flight? Did you get sick?

the flight was long but good.  I got the window seat both times and I really enjoyed watching where we were flying.  Also, both times, I was right nixt to the wing of the plane.  Way cool!  We took one flight to LA then straight from LA to Japan.  It was like a 20 min layover.  THe second flight was about eleven hours, so WAY long.  I sat with Elder Jacox from my district.  It was a way nice plane and they gave us some pretty good food.  I ended up sleeping most of the way though so I didn't really get sick.  WE arrived in Japan around 10:40 at night in Japan (9:00 in the morning in Utah) and Budge Kaicho abd his wife were there waiting for us.  It was quite the adventure. 

2) We received an email from your mission president stating that you had
made it there safe. He said that they picked you up from the airport, fed
you and sent you to bed. So what was the first food that you had when you
arrived there?
We headed straight to the mission home when we arrived.  They gave us some rice wrapped in seaweed with fish in the middle of it.  It was kind of like sushi but not.  It wasn't my favorite.  I don't like the seaweed.  I will send you a picture.  I took like 2 bites.  :P  When we arrived, we filled out paper work then went to bed.  ALl six girls from my distirict slept in the same room so we could spend the last nights together before we all seperated.  it was fun.  BUt we all ended up going stright to sleep.  haha well... atleast i did.  We ended up sleeping in the General Authority room of the house to.  That is were General Authorities sleep when they come to visit.  It was nice. :D

3) How is the weather there? I check the weather on my phone and it says
that it is like 84 degrees in the middle of the night. Is it as hot and
humid as President King said it is?
It is VERY hot here.  It has gotten up to about 104 degrees in takasaki I believe.  Yeah... HOT.  I am not a big fan of heat, but I am sure I will come to enjoy it.  President King was right.  As soon as we got off the plane, I was wet with sweat.  Yumm...

4) What are you living quarters like? Take lots of picture.

we are in a cute little apartment.  I will try and send pictures next week when we have actually cleaned it.  Elders lived in it before us so it is quite dirty and gross.  We sleep on futons on the floor.  I actually kind of like that.  It isn't to bad.  The one thing I don't like is that there is no dishwasher.  Now I have to wash dishes everyday. haha  The washers and driers were are weird.  The drier takes forever to dry clothes,  so we hang them to dry.  I will send pictures soon so you can see what it looks like. 

5) Who is your companion? Where is she from?

My companion is Sister Halverson.  She is from Rigby Idaho and has been here since about april.  She is way nice and american so she speaks really good english. :) haha that is helpful.  

6) How are the toilets there? Just curious!!

The toilets work about the same as the ones in america unless you get the ones with the bidet (the ones that spray your bottom)  I haven't used one yet.  I am to chicken.... but one day I will. :) They just have alot of buttons and I don't know how to read them.... :( BUT they do have pictures to... that helps a little

7) How was church for the first time in Japan? Could you understand
anything? I am sure that you could feel the spirit. That is how Kasumi
was converted. She attend church with Maria in Vancouver, Washington and
felt the spirit while Maria was teaching a lesson (probably in Gospel
Doctrine class).

Church went really well.  We ended up teaching part of Young Mens and Young Womens about PMG and the First Lesson on the restoration.  It was ok... Halverson Shimai did most of the Talking and I just testified since that is all i know how to do.  Then, During Sacrament Meeting, we spoke again.  And again... I just bore my testimony.  Surprisingly... I was't to nervous and shaky which was good.  The Spirit was calming me and telling me it was going to be ok.  ALSO!! On our first day at church, an investigator attended for his first time as well.  His name is Horuguchi San and is about 18 years old.  He has been interested for a while and has started to read the Book of Mormon.  He can't really take lessons yet because of his parents, but we are going to start readin the BofM with him.  The members of the Ward of been so Welcoming to him AND to Us.  It helps me feel so at home which is a great blessing.  

So let me tell you more about what we have done this past week.  Halverson SHimai and I are both New to the area.  Before us, only elders served here.  So, we are "white washing" both starting with no knowledge of the area.  All I can say is that my first to days actually on the Streets of Japan we HARD!!!  From the Mission home, we took three trains to get to Takasaki.  It was hot and I was tired, but we made it. :) we also met some way nice people on the way.  First day tracting, It was HOT and I was tired.... In my head, i didn't want to keep going, but if Halverson Shimai could do it, then so could i... :) In my head, I just kept complaing.  The next morning, Saturday, during Personal Study, I was reading In mosiah 3:7.  And I thought, If he could suffer for us, Then I could suffer fthis for him.  Then I read Mosiah 3:19 and I decided i need to "put of the Natural Man" and become humble and stop being so selfish.  That helped give me a better out look on life and I was able to witness more miracles. so now that means it is time for the Miracles part of my email.

On Saturday, we met Miwako Shimai from the ward and she gave us rides to peoples house's.  Since I don't have a bike yet, it is hard to get very far so she helped us out and it was fun getting to know her.  She is SUPER nice and she can speak pretty good english, so i can actually talk to her. :) By about 3 we went to the church to help prepare for  the Ward's Natsu Matsuri (summer festival) which is a big celebration they have here were they invite all their friends and non-members for games and food.  That was our first time meeting the ward and it was SO FUN!!! Everyone is just so sweet.  We played some games then went our and had some Delicious food.  at there barbeques they cook everything on one huge BBQ then put it on plates and everyone just takes it from there with the chopsticks.  (that gave me some good practice with my chopsticks) We had meat and potatoes with some wieners(mini hot dogs).  then later they made som yakisoba. SO GOOD! So far that is my favorite.  It beats curry (oh i have had some of that here too.  it is way good)  The one thing i didn't like at the barbeque was the drink.  It is some kind of tea called mugicha.  Yuck... :P  The dessert was Snow cones with sweetened condecnsed milk on it.  Felt like i was home again in the shack. :) haha NOw i know why mom likes sweetened condensed milk so much.  It is beacuse she is Japanese. haha jk they also have popsickles the have ice in the middle and sweetened condesed mile on the outside.  You would like it.  they are my favorite.

Well... At the Natsu Matsuri, there were alot of investigators and in-active members that atteneded which was so cool.  It was nice meeting them and getting to know them.  Know we just need to get them to church. :)

ok... now for one more miracle.  Yesterday, after church, we did some areabook dendo (proslyting from the areabook) and made some phone calls and made appointments some of them we just left messages.  then, we decided we would go visit an in active.  On our walk, we met our neighbor a couple of houses down.  We was supe nice and we/ halverson shimai talked to him for a while then gave him a book of mormon.  He was excited to get it because he likes to read.  so hopefull he reads it.  Then as we were leaving, he told us to be careful becasue it was going to storm.  Well... we just kept walking and about 2/3 of the way on our journey to the in-active member, it began to storm and rain HARD.  Kind of scary.  WE  found shelter and during thet, someone we had called and left a message with called us back.  She was busy and asked us to call her again in about 30 mins.... after she called us and we waited out the storm, we journeied back to our apartment.  on the way back, we saw an older lady (abour 85 90 years old) trying to clean up all her laundy that had flown into a near by field.  she was sinking into mud and and trying to clean it all up.  We ran to help her, then she invited us is.  I didn't know what she was saying, but I could tell she was blessed to have us there to help.  She said we were a blessing from god and she started to cry.  She said she was having a hard day and her husband has been in the hospital.  I am so glad we were able to help her. she gave us watermelon and alot of vegetable as a thank you.  We hope to go visit her again.  Then... as we continued home, we called the lady back and ended up making a picnic appointment with her.  She was really excited to hear from us and looks forward to meeting us.  We witnessed many miracles yesterday and i look forward to seeing more miracles in this area.  There is alot of great spirits here and I am determined to find the,. 

Sorry if alot of this doesn't make sense.  I am trying to share with you all the things I have loved and enjoyed.  This has been hard been I am learning so much from it.  I am so Great ful to be on my mission now at this time.  Thank you for all of your love and support.

Good luck with talking in church.  I know you are going to do awesome.  or you did awesome... haha.  Tell Karina good luck with volleyball tryouts and just remember to have fun.  that is what high school is for... :P haha I am not able to email everyone back directly, so tell them I love them.  You are all a great blessing to me.  It was so great to hear your voices earlier this week.  I look forward to talking to you more at Christmas time.  I am blessed to have you all as my family.  I am also thankful for the examples my friends that are on misions and preparing for missions.  There are many people and miracles waiting for you.  Love you all and have a great week. 

Ivory Shimai

P.S. Remember Gerlin from about a month ago? welll...... HE GOT BAPTISED!!! on the 9th.  Exciting huh. :)