Rain...

It`s been just a few days since I wrote, but it`s getting colder here. Saturday there was a typhoon and it rained hard the entire day! :)

Since Semba Shimai transferred, Dotson Shimai and I are doing our best, as two gygienes (foreigners) here in Japan, but everything has worked out, and I`m even getting used to reading the maps here (which are all written in kanji--I can`t read all the kanji but I can figure out the locations/where things are.) It`s been an adventure doing all the things my Japanese companions used to do, but definitely a learning experience. And the Lord has been strengthening us to do it.

This weekend was District Conference (like Stake Conference)--the Koriyama district consists of three branches, Koriyama, and two neighboring cities, Iwaki and Aizuwakamatsu. The theme was on bringing people unto Christ, and centered on missionary work. It was wonderful, and our mission president President Tateoka and his wife both spoke. During the Saturday session, President Tateoka had everyone in the audience practice with the person sitting next to them on inviting their friend to the Christmas Party/giving them an introduction DVD to our church. It was so great! As missionaries, we do `mogi`, or practicing what we want to say, all the time, and it`s super effective, I highly suggest it!

All the recent converts, Yamaguchi Shimai and the Kato siblings, are doing great! The oldest Kato daughter, who first joined the church, gave a talk on her conversion story and meeting the missionaries at District Conference. It`s so wonderful to see everyone progress.

One of our investigators, who I don`t think I`ve mentioned yet in my e-mails, is a sweet, 69 yr-old grandmother who lives alone. She was a member referral from her daughter-in-law`s mother, who lives nearby (they share the same grandchildren). She`s been coming to church almost every Sunday this whole year, but has been worried about being baptized, because she doesn`t know as much about the gospel as she sees her relatives do. But lately, as she`s kept her commitment to read the Book of Mormon every day and pray to know if the Book of Mormon is true or not, she said she sometimes feels a warm feeling in her heart when she prays! At first she thought it was because she`d just eaten, and she took her sweater off...but we were able to tell her it`s the Holy Ghost, God`s messenger telling her that it`s true!! We`re continuing to teach her and help her realize that it`s her answer, and she hopes to be baptized before her birthday in December. While maybe a lot of things are hard for her to understand, she`s really progressing at her own pace and gaining a conviction of her own.

I love missionary work! Thanks all of you for your love and support.
Love,
Swain Shimai