Golden Week

Dearest Family and Friends,

Wow, another week has gone by! With transfers last week, time really flew by! My new companion is named Sister Sakamoto. She is from Brazil, and her English is better than her Portuguese. She is a fifth transfer missionary, and we often discuss what we plan to do together after our missions, as we both plan on starting school at BYU in the fall of 2016. She is so sweet, and I know that I will learn a lot from her. I am so blessed to be trained by two different missionaries! I am grateful for the time I had with Teruya Shimai, and I look forward to the time that I have with Sakamoto Shimai. I know that we will continue to see miracles as we do the Lord's work.

We had the opportunity to go to a basketball game this last week! One of our investigators, Reika, had a game and she really wanted us to come. We made sure it was okay with President Budge and then went with a member. It was so cool! It makes me excited to watch BYU Football after my mission.

This week in Japan is Golden Week, so everyone goes on holidays. There are several holidays this week, so school is canceled for the whole week. The post office is closed, too (we learned the hard way). May fifth is Children's day, and I saw several Kabuto in peoples’ houses. They are cool helmets for their sons to have good health. There are also Koi kites all over the place! Apparently the girls get to eat some kind of sweet food, although I forgot what it is called; some kind of mochi with something inside of it.

On Wednesday, we had transfers, and I had the opportunity to do some streeting in Kashiwa with Gaynes Shimai and Tausinga Shimai while we waited for Sakamoto Shimai. We met a woman named Joann and her daughter Reiko, and they were super excited to come to church! They even came to Eikaiwa on Wednesday! They got here early, so we took the opportunity to give them a church tour, and Joann cried a lot. She said that she went to a church in the Philippines, but she could never find one to go to in Japan. She wanted a good church for her daughter to go to so that she could learn good values. She said that she wanted her daughter to become like us. She also told us about how she rarely went into downtown Kashiwa, but she had a feeling that she needed to. The fact that we met was truly a miracle. They were unable to come to church this last Sunday, but hopefully they will be able to come this next week.

We met with Mizuki, and she hasn't been progressing much recently. We asked her if she was reading the Book of Mormon, and she said no. She said that once Teruya Shimai gave her a passage to read, and she read it, but she doesn't understand it very well. So, we gave her a passage as well (2 Nephi 31) and said that we would discuss it at the next lesson. And... She read it! We only did a follow up, so we have yet to discuss it, but I think we've figured out how we can help her to progress. We want to help her to read the Book of Mormon in each lesson. We want to help her learn how to study and understand it. I know that as she learns with real intent, she will have that desire to be baptized.

I know that we are doing the Lord's work. I am so grateful for all of the miracles I have seen. I know that this is the Lord's work, because I really have done nothing. It has all been the Lord! I know that he will continue to move His work forward, and I am grateful for the opportunity to be a tool in His hand!

Love, Crandall Shimai