Six Months out and Just Wet . . .

Hi friends and family! This week hit my six month mark in my mission! Crazy!! 

Well, as you can probably tell from the title, this is how I've been living. Sweat all day everyday. Makeup and food are now special occasion things. Also looking nice, special occasion thing. Also cicadas. everywhere. Most nightmarish looking things ever and they're HUGE. (shudder)

But anyways, this email is kinda late because we're having a temple p-day and going to the temple today! So excited! The temple is right next to the Fukuoka Zoo so we're going there too! This last P-Day we went to Canal City to have ramen and be happy! We met this random American Mormon family from Utah and it was so crazy! They were so sweet!

This week Henderson Shimai was also sick, so we were stuck inside for a little bit. But we still had some coolish things happen! This Sunday Elder Yamashita of the Seventy came with his family. His wife's home ward happens to be Maebaru, where I'm serving. That was way cool!

Our current investigator, the fourteen year old one, is slowly progressing. We were able to at least greet his parents, which was a start from not being able to talk to them at all, so we're hoping that eventually we'll be able to talk to them about him getting baptized! 

This week while we were dendoing we happened to knock on the door of a Vietnamese girl. She couldn't speak much Japanese and no English, so language was real hard, but she invited us in and gave us water. We were there for about a hour or forty five minutes trying to figure out how to talk to her and share the gospel, using pictures, limited Japanese, etc. Then we remembered that there was a senior missionary in our mission who speaks Vietnamese! So we called her up and they talked in Vietnamese for a little while. That was way cool. She ended up not being interested, but we were still able to bear testimony that Christ is our friend and how great that He is. That was neat.

Amongst other things we got ice cream at a conbini, and I had seaweed ice cream while we listened to the Indiana Jones theme in the store. For whatever reason. 

Anyways, thats all for this week! I love you all so much! Thanks for your support! 

愛しています! 

Dimmitt Shimai

1. Once upon a time I wore a yukata...

2. Just a gecko chillin

3. Mormon family in the mall!

4. Seaweed ice cream!

5. Sweet member

6. Only in a Japanese McDonald's...

Week ??: I Have No Idea What Week But I'm Melting

Hi friends and family! Sorry I've been kinda MIA recently, but what with technology problems and lack of energy, I've been slacking on the whole group email thing recently. I repent. I'm still alive. Barely.

But I'm melting. Basically literally. Sweat has become my entire life. It is so hot here, and it's just getting started.... I walk for like ten minutes and my back is soaked. But I'm getting real tan so I guess that's nice. I have a square tan line on my foot from my Toms. 

Also the typhoon season here is crazy. I thought our windows would break the other night from the thunder. 

There are crabs here. I see huge orange crabs along with freaking HUGE cicadas all the time. Like it's crazy. Amazing. 

I honestly have no idea what to talk about since it's been such a long time. I promise next time's will be better when I have more battery and more organization. 

You know the Lord loves you when a rich old lady gives you cold water bottles from Costco.

Love you all! 愛しています!

Dimmitt Shimai

1. Dinner with some members!

2. All the ladies in our ward!

3. Chilling out crab

4. Henderson Shimai's powerful tan line vs. my baby one

5. Mustaches

6. My fam's the best 

7. Gion Matsuri

Week 20/21: Pufferfish and Caterpillars

"Did she say my skin was the color of daikon?" - Sister Dimmitt

Hi friends and family! These past two weeks have been great and filled with all sorts of fun things!

This last P-day we went to the beach! We didn`t go into the water because we`re not allowed, but it was nice to collect shells and look at the water and whatnot. It was gorgeous and lots of shells and starfish were everywhere! I also found a fugu, which is basically a poisonous pufferfish they make into sushi.

This week we introduced a lot of American things to some of our investigators. On Thursday we did a scavenger hunt with some of them, and then brought snickerdoodles to a couple more. They liked saying the word, "snickerdoodle," a lot.

Interesting things that have happened/eaten: sweet potato mochi flavored chips, $50 chestnut cake, a takoyaki party with lots of moms, played tag with some kids, watched a parade of kabuki (Japanese classical theatre) actors ride away in boats on the canal.

We went to a mall in Fukuoka for P-Day and I had ramen for the first time! Pretty much the best. There`s an entire floor in the mall called Ramen Stadium that is basically all ramen shops. One was a haunted ramen shop Page Shimai wanted to go into, but that junk looked scary as nothing else, so I politely but firmly declined. Everyone is really loud and fun, and the ramen burns your face off because it`s so hot. But I was okay with that.

Funny story: we were out dendouing when we saw a caterpillar lying in the road. Page Shimai wanted to rescue it, so she picked it up and set it on a leaf. A bus drove by, and I felt a warm liquid splat my legs. I looked down to see bright green juice all over my legs. At first I thought that it was leaf junk from the wheels of the bus, but after looking around, I saw caterpillars all over the road...Needless to say that was gross.

Anyways, that`s all for this week! Lots of love!

Aishiteimasu!

Dimmitt Shimai

Week 18/19: Reading the Book of Mormon is So Important!

"If there was a weird person at my door, I would answer it." - Sister Page

Hi friends and family! It's week 19! Sorry I didn't email last week, it's been a little crazy recently. 

The work has been progressing really well this week. We got four new investigators! And we found a family! So excited! They are so prepared and ready to receive the gospel! 

This week we saw some crazy miracles. On Thursday we went to a recent convert's house to teach a lesson. He wasn't home, but we saw a person that we made a return appointment that fell through. We chatted for a bit and then he went inside. Then a bunch of little kids came over and started talking to us. Then we started to play tag with them. Then the guy that we were talking with earlier started to play with us. Then he called one of his friends over. While we were talking to his friend, the recent convert we were there to see passed by and we chatted with him. The recent convert left for dinner, and then the return appointment and his friend asked us if we wanted to get some food. When we went into the restaurant, the recent convert was there too, so we all ate food, and then taught a lesson! And now we have  two investigators from that! Crazy miracles all from playing tag. 

This next week we're actually having a sports night with a couple of members and our two new investigators. They're part of a rugby  team, which consists of fifty people, whom they also invited to the sports night as well....keep us in your prayers.....

My companion and I bought matching yukatas, the kind you sleep in, which is pretty much better than any form of pajamas in the heat. Highly recommended buy.

This last week we had junkais (splits), and we got to dendou in the pouring rain. I have never been so soaked in my life! Even though I normally hate the rain, somehow dendouing while being soaked was still way fun! People took pity on us too because we were so soaked.

Yesterday we were out looking for areas to dendou and we came across this really beautiful area right next to the ocean and dendoued! I'll take some more pictures next time.

Something I've been thinking about a lot recently has been the Book of Mormon. We've had some sudden lessons and other contacts that we hadn't been prepared for, but through the Spirit and the Book of Mormon, we've been able to find a lot of needs of the people in our circle. There's always something in the Book of Mormon that applies to everyone. That's why reading it is so important! If the Book of Mormon is true then Joseph Smith was a prophet, and if Joseph Smith is a prophet then this church is true! I'm so grateful for the powerful testimony of the Book of Mormon.

Sorry that it's kinda short this week, but I'll be sure to keep y'all updated. I've been getting lots of requests for pictures of my area, so heres a couple. Love you lots and lots!

Dimmitt Shimai 

1. Graffiti Engrish 

2. All the friends!

3. Kofuji 

4. Yukata!

5. Maebaru!

6. More Maebaru

7. And a little more Maebaru...

Week 17: Japanese Kids & Lots of Lessons

"Are you a garbage truck? Cause you're full of junk!" - Sister Dimmitt

Hi friends and family! It's week 17! I've been on my mission for three months, almost four! And the first transfer is over!!

This week has been crazy. We taught 14 lessons this week, which is a lot for a Japanese missionary. We did some crazy awesome dendou! We also got a new investigator! The last couple of weeks had been really hard because of lack of finding new people to teach, and one morning, Sister Page said that we would get a college age investigator who talks a lot and has lots of questions. The VERY LAST door we knocked on that night ended up being that very person! The Lord really does love my doryou and I.

Our investigators are making a lot of progress, and I know that's because the Lord has blessed us so much.

Yesterday we were out housing when we stopped to talk to a bunch of little Japanese kids out playing on their bikes and scooters. After we had finished our conversation, we walked away, and all the kids followed us! As we went from house to house the kids would wait at the entryway of the yard and then keep following us! My doryou and I had no idea what to do. So finally we had to say goodbye and go to another neighborhood so that we could actually dendou.

Another experience with Japanese kids: We sat at a park to take a water and snack break. It's starting to get really hot here, so most of the time we're pretty sweaty. One little boy playing in the park started to talk to us from the top of a slide. And then another. And then another. Soon these little boys were eating snacks with us and chatting with us about numbers in English and the gross white parts of oranges. The children here are very friendly and not afraid to talk to a couple of foreigners like us. One of the little boys talking to Sister Page told her about his grandpa recently dying. Sister Page told him that he would be able to see his grandpa again, and the little boy told her that he thought so. When we left on our bikes, the little boy told us to be safe and have a good trip, and waved goodbye to us.

Two things I've been thinking about recently. First, the people of Japan are really special. They are some of the most Christlike people I have ever met. They're very hospitable and gracious, always considerate of the needs of others. They are incredibly giving and love to chat to random strangers.

Second, I feel very strongly that most people believe in their hearts that the Plan of Salvation is true, that they will be able to be with their families together forever, and that family is the most important thing.

I have been so blessed to be a missionary in this beautiful country, with these lovely people. I've been able to see so many miracles, and even though I'm not the best missionary, I feel like being able to be here and make an impact on the lives of people here, even if it's a small one, is a wonderful blessing that I don't deserve. I know this gospel is true and that we are all God's children, and He loves us more than we can ever know, and I'm so grateful for this sacred time to be a missionary!

Lots of love! 愛しています!

Dimmitt Shimai

1. Some really gross ramen candy we made

2. Us with an investigator!

3. Organic ice creams on P-Day!

Week 16: Traveling to the Temple in Fukuoka

Hi friends and family! It's week 16! Sorry I skipped last week! It's been like hecka crazy!

I honestly don't even remember where to start! I went to the temple in Fukuoka this Saturday! It was gorgeous!

This Monday we went to a place called Karatsu, which is very far away, in order to visit a member. The rain was pouring. I was convinced we were going to die.

I'm so sorry. These past two weeks have been nuts. So I'm just going to share a couple of experiences and lots of photos because I can't even remember half of the stuff that happened!

One experience was with an old newspaper photographer. We knocked on his door and he invited us in. We talked about his jobs for an extensive period of time, during which he took several pictures of us. This was two or so weeks ago, so we forgot about it. This Sunday the pictures came in the mail to the church. We all about died.

We were also able to perform Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing in church. They don't normally have musical numbers unless missionaries ask, so Sister Page played the violin and I played the piano. It was awesome.

Another experience that we had with a recent convert, we'll call her Kanako. Kanako has had a really rough life. Her husband abused her, and she eventually ran away from him, and eventually joined the church. She also had an abusive boss at work, and had recently started a lawsuit against him. However, it's not going good, and now his mother is saying that Kanako actually abused her. So it's really not going good. And then next she discovered that she had Menyl's disease, you've probably heard of it, and so her hearing will get progressively worse. She had been saying that she didn't even know if God was there or listening to her anymore. We tried a lot of stuff, but she was still not having it. The last lesson we had with her we discovered her making one thousand cranes by herself. In Japan, usually this is made for people with cancer by loved ones, and it's really serious. She told us that she thought that if maybe she made all these cranes, that it would show God her hard effort and that maybe he would bless her. Her faith astonished me. Throughout the lesson I had this prompting, "Tell her I love her,". When it finally came to my turn to talk, I bore testimony that God loved her and was constantly aware of her. We all cried, despite all of us not being criers at all. The Spirit was so strong. God's love can change people so much.

Sorry y'all, that's all for this week! I promise I'll be more organized and send more next time! Love you all!

愛しています!

Dimmitt Shimai

1. Temple!

2. Hugest Toori (shrine gate) ever

3. Yeah, I made that...

4. Sakura is the best!

5. Sakura

6. Sister Page teaching a member violin!

7. Sakura! 

Apartment Tour by Dimmitt Shimai

A couple weeks ago Emma gave us a tour of her apartment in Japan.  It was part of her language lesson for the day.  It's all in Japanese, but you can catch an English word every now and again.  She takes you through each of the rooms in her apartment.  One of the bedrooms they don't really use.  It just has stuff in it.  In the kitchen there is a little pull out grill they use for cooking fish.  Enjoy!

PART 1

PART 2