Referrals

Dearest Family and Friends,

It rained a lot this last week.  It really brings back memories from when I first came to Japan.  I came last March, and it was COLD.  I thought that winter wasn't too bad, but I guess it just gets really bad in March with the freezing rain.  It's a good thing I'm not in Niigata!  Anyway, I'm sure it will pass - it did last year!  The cherry blossoms have already started to bloom.  I love seeing pink trees all around!  Hopefully we'll be able to go see the flowers with some of the SA’s.

We visited a referral less active named Ano Shimai from Hipos Shimai this last week (weird English, sorry).  She is also from the Philippines, and her records never came out here to Japan.  I feel like there are a lot of people like that here in Koshigaya... Anyway, we found her apartment, and as we were praying we heard her walk up behind us!  She let us in, and we got to meet her two kids and her mom.  She agreed to let us come back over on Sunday and share a message, which went great!  Her Mom (named Elora) still has a way old triple combination, and she says she reads from the Book of Mormon, the Relief Society handbook, or other church materials daily.  Ano Shimai is a little less active, but we challenged her to come with her family to church on Sunday, so maybe we'll get to go to the international group on Sunday.  Also, Ano Shimai said that she has a friend who might be interested in learning more about church... It's like a referral from a referral!

We started visiting high schools this last week to promote our new tutoring service.  Japanese high schools all look like prisons on the outside, and we found out that they look like prisons on the inside, too.  They had a huge genkan where we took off our shoes and put on the slippers they had provided for visitors.  ...only in Japan.  It was actually a lot of fun, although the public high schools were pretty straightforward in saying that they couldn't promote it to their students or anything.  Kind of a bummer, but we believe that acting in faith will help our program to be a success.

I read a good scripture in 1 Nephi 3:5-6 (I think).  It is Lehi talking to Nephi, and he says something like "Laman and Lemuel have murmured at my request, but it wasn't me that requested it of them - this is a commandment from the Lord!"  Sometimes our church leaders, namely the prophet, will ask us to do hard things, but it is important to remember that they aren't the ones asking it of us - it is the Lord!  And His commandments really are just a way to receive more blessings.

I love you all!  Have a fantastic week!

Love, Crandall Shimai