General Conference!!--Transfer 5-week 1

Minnasan, Konnnnichiwa!

So! This week is transfers week!
Guess what?
.....
I stayed. :)

Shipp Shimai and I are still together here in Nakano, which I am really glad about cuz I feel like I'm finally getting to actually know the area and the ward. It really is a fantastic area too! So we are glad to still be here.

It also meant since we didn't have to go anywhere for transfers today we had an 'extra' real P-Day so we went to the temple this morning. It was really great, since it feels like forever since I've gone! And it's funny too because it's all in Japanese so we have to wear the little headphones and have it translated. But that's actually kinda nice because I can turn my volume down and listen to the Japanese too, so it became a little bit of language study! :) Anyway, I'm so glad for the temple and that we have one in my mission to go to and remember the covenants we can make with God there. :)

So, I had a question a bit ago about how come it seems I'm always running into people other than Japanese as I mention them in my e-mails. I had to think about it for a minute. But I guess for me it's just so exciting to see a foreigner now that I write my emails I tell about them more because they're kinda novel events here... but, I guess, that it's not quite the same for everyone else still in the land of a racial melting pot. Really, Japan is a very single-race nation and so I've just gotten used to seeing Japanese people, and I guess foriegners are more likely to actually talk to us, but from now on I'll try to keep an even profile in my emails of who we run into and talk with. :)

So, working backwards this week, yesterday we had an AWESOME time with--a Japanese girl-- Chisato-san. She used to be an investigator just for a little while about a year ago. When we went through the old Area Book information and called up people listed, she told us she never got a chance to say goodbye to her first missionary friend, Yazzie shimai. So, we were able to hook her up with some contact info and started building our own little friendship from there. Our 'lesson' yesterday was like four hours long... but it included going out for lunch where we talked about the Word of Wisdom and how using certain substances like coffee and drugs can lower our stress but more than that it lowers our freedom to make personal choices because they are so addicting. She said that made sense and asked how we deal with our stress. I had to think about that, too. I guess I usually just take some quiet time and think it over prayerfully but really, yeah, it comes down to prayer and being able to tell someone (heavenly Father) who really understands what we're going through. To have that understanding that He knows it perfectly helps so much! So then we went back to the church (only a few blocks away) and talked a bit more about what she believes and it was very natural and went to lots of subjects but it ended around that she just should try and read the Book of Mormon for herself and pray to see if she can get guidance and peace in her life too. She said she'd try to read all of first Nephi and meet with us again this week on Thursday. ! .. So we are way excited. :)

Then Saturday and Sunday of course were General Conference which was SOOooo good! We actually came here early Saturday morning (to the Hombu) and watched it in English first and printed Saturday's talks off in English because we expected an investigator to come. Then we sat in the Chapel where they were watching it in Japanese and read along. That also became lots of language study.. :-o.. So much crazy words I don't even know! But it ends up she didn't even come so we watched the afternoon session in the *English* room with our mission president, the office elders and the hombu couple. Then on Sunday we were in that room too until halfway through the afternoon session when Naka shimai came in and told us an investigator was there for us! Well I guess she'd got mixed up when she was coming because it was Akane (a Japanese lady) who we were expecting the day before. But so we sat with her for the rest and didn't understand a thing since we had only printed Saturday's... but came again to the Hombu monday morning and watched it over in Enlish. Sooo, all in all there was a lot of going back and forth with languages and I feel like I've watched it and read it a lot already but I'm really gaining a testimony about going through for the second time--you get just as much if not more than the first time! Especially if you're trying to discect it in another language :) But anyway, I loved so many talks, President Eyring's, Uchtdorf's, Holland's and who was it that talked about missions and the rising generation, Elder Nielson? Austin I was thinking about you the whole time he was talking! :) Well I loved loved loved it and am looking forward to studying them more and getting the Ensign. There was just so much good stuff in every talk I couldn't pick one I didn't like! And I thought there was a lot on listening to the spirit and receiving guidance through revelation, and for me a lot about finding the joy of obedience/blessings of the gospel.

And... other than that this last week..I actually left my old planner at the apartment so I don't really remember... :) But the rain has let up, the air is crisp, and the sakura (cherry blossom) trees are all going naked losing their leaves. We had a lesson with Yumi-chan, our ten year old from a part-member family, and it was the day it was supposed to be a typhoon but ended up being just pretty windy but sunny. We brought balloons and played with them outside but it was hilarious because the wind would come along and twirl the balloon high above us in the street, caught in whirlwinds between the tall housing buildings. Luckily they live in a quiet neighborhood so we didn't worry about cars, but those balloons were everywhere! They'd even get caught in a gust and just float there beside the second story apartments, out of our reach. Well, I highly advise it for an interesting blustery day activity :) As long as the wind can blow it in circles and not just straight away!

Well, that's about all I have for now I think. I hope you all have an amazing week and hope they dahlias don't really all die! :) Mom have you thought again about throwing up temporary greenhouses of PVC and tarps to keep them longer? We have 54 chickens??? sheesh... I should be excited to see the new chicken house. I hope they don't freeze too! ;)

Ok, well thanks for all your love and e-mails! Keep up the good member work!

愛する家族、
Love,
LeFevre Shimai

PS-I keep forgetting to say, EVERY TIME (ok maybe 95%) people look at my family picture that we took just before I left they cannot tell who's mom--I think they get confused because mom and dad are not in the middle! They think Larisa is supposed to be mom. Then they say "wow! she looks so young!" when I finally point to mom on the left. Then they ask if Vik is Japanese. :D It makes me laugh cuz it happens just that way so much :D

Love you all!