Happy Halloween!

Dear Loved Ones,

Thanks Bro. Fajardo, mom and dad, and Grandma Swain for your Dear Elder letters. Mom and dad, I`m glad you had a wonderful trip back east, visiting Nate and Birgit for Henry`s baby blessing. Congrats Nate and Birgit! Also, that`s exciting that Todd`s back from his mission and Kim is engaged!

This past week has been very busy, with loads of teaching appointments, Zone Conference, and a ward Halloween Party! The YSA (Young Single Adults) here in Izumi were in charge of the ward halloween party--we helped them plan and decorate the chapel and brought several investigators to the party. We even made one of the rooms into a haunted house! It was fun preparing for and was a good thing for the recent converts and investigators, who met more of the ward members.
[This is a picture of the Izumi Chapel...]


Zone Conference was wonderful! We traveled on the Subway to the nearby Kamisugi chapel, where all the Sendai zone missionaries meet. It was great meeting the other missionaries serving here, and hearing their testimonies during the testimony meeting. We had a musical number and I played my violin with them for the hymn "A Poorwayfaring Man of Grief." I am so glad I could bring my violin! I`ll be playing it at stake conference this coming Sunday, as well as at a mission music fireside for our Izumi ward in a few weeks. Music has been a wonderful, helpful tool here in Japan already!

I`m continuing to learn more and more each day--the language, living here...everything! At zone taikai (conference) we talked about the importance of planning and setting reasonable goals--I`m learning how to do this with my language study so that slowly, one step at a time and through diligent daily study I can learn the language. I`ve prayed and feel like if I am diligent in my daily study and am obedient to the mission rules, the Lord will help me in learning the language, as He has so much already! I know that in the strength of the Lord, "I can do all things" (Alma 26:12). I`m grateful for the strength He gives to me each day!

Love,
Swain Shimai