奇跡的な週

Dearest Family and Friends:

There were crazy miracles this week.  A lot of them.

The miracles started on Monday.  We went to Laketown (the giant mall nearby) and did some finding, which was great.  It had been so long since we had had a large enough chunk of time to just talk to people for over an hour.  Usually all of our finding happens on the way to appointments and stuff, but it was great to finally have time set aside to just find.  We were able to talk to a lot of really cool people.

Then on Tuesday, all of our appointments fell through, so we had the opportunity to find almost all day.  We first went to the Souka Eki, but upon seeing the elders we fled to Yatsuka where one of the first people we talked to became a new investigator.  We had a lot more really meaningful interactions there as well.  Wednesday was also a day of finding, and although we had only half as much time as we had on Tuesday, we talked to almost the same amount of people.  We loved being able to hand out the new Easter Hallelujah cards, and we felt that people were a lot more receptive to those than they were to chirashi.

Then the real miracles started.  Wednesday night we texted Rie, a less active youth we had an appointment with for Thursday.  She had told us that she was going to invite a friend, and so we were following up to see if things would work out.  We asked her, "Is your friend able to come tomorrow?"  and she responded, "Yeah!  But there are four of them!"  Wait, what?!  On Thursday we went over to her apartment, and lo and behold there were four high school girls there studying English.  We don't know if they were told that we would be sharing a spiritual message or not, but we went ahead and taught the Plan of Salvation.  It was a really spiritual lesson, and all four girls said that they wanted to learn more. On Thursday, we only had time to talk to five people on the street, but one of those five became a new investigator!

On Thursday we also visited with one of our investigators, Imanari Yuka, and we set really good expectations with her.  She has been investigating for about a year now, but we were really honest about what we wanted to do.  We now have expectations to meet twice a week, and she even came to the international group in Urawa on Sunday!  That was the first time I had ever seen her at church!  I am so excited to see how she progresses.  I really believe that she has real intent, and now that she really understands what we are here to do she is trying harder than ever before to make time to meet with us.  It is amazing.

We met with another investigator, Wendy, via skype twice last week. She actually lives in Adachi area, but she works in Souka, and since there are no sisters in Adachi we are teaching her.  She speaks very little Japanese, and only some English, so we taught very simply about who God is and who Christ is.  She really wants to draw closer to God, and she very proactively changed her schedule so that she could make it to church on Sunday.  We've been working closely with the Adachi Elders (via phone) to help make her experience at church great.  I am very excited because she has so much real intent.  I really think that she will progress until baptism.

Sunday, Easter, was amazing.  I really enjoyed watching the General Women's Session of Conference live Sunday morning, and then going to the international branch and having church in English was really special.  It had been so long since I had sung hymns in English or heard the Sacrament prayers in my native language.  We even sang my favorite hymn, so it was really special for me.

I am so grateful for this Gospel, for the light that it brings into my life.  I cannot even begin to describe all of the happiness, guidance, and comfort that I have received from my Father in Heaven.  I know that He is guiding His church here on the earth.

I am so excited for General Conference!  We'll be watching the Priesthood session live next week, followed by the Saturday sessions of Conference.  I so look forward to feeling the Spirit and being edified by our living prophets.  I know that they speak by the Spirit.

I love you all!  Have a fantastic week!

Love, Crandall Shimai

PS:  Today was transfer call day, and I will be staying in Koshigaya one more transfer!  In fact, my entire district is staying the same. I'll have been here for about six months by the end of this next transfer.  Crazy!