Happy Thanksgiving - Week #78

Hello everyone!

Sorry this email will be short but dont worry I will email again on Tuesday. We have had an awesome Thanksgiving at the Wedekinds. It was fun to go back to my old area. I didnt really see anyone but it was cool to see places that I used to go. Its crazy to think it was a year ago that I was here. But we ate delicious turkey and pie and it was Sister Kasamatsus first Thanksgiving. I think she enjoyed it.

As far as missionary work goes we are still teaching Fu chan. She has a baptismal date for December 5 so we are preparing for that. We are really excited! Other than that we have been working really hard to find new investigators but its been hard. Practically everyone we meet has already met the missionaries before. But have no fear! We will find that prepared person who is just WAITING for the missionaries to show up. 

Well because its Thanksgiving I guess I will mention some things I am grateful for. I am grateful for ice cream and pie, and my bike which helps me work off some of that ice cream and pie, my companion, Okinawa and how beautiful it is, my family, everyone who has helped me get to this point, and of course my Savior Jesus Chist and Heavenly Father and their love for us. Everyone have a great week!

Love,

Sister Malone

Kasamatsu, Bearman, Me & Lowe Shimai at the Seawall 

All of us with Sis. Wedekind

Beautiful Okinawa Waves

It was very windy!  So pretty!!

Thanksgiving feast at the Wedekinds

Me & Kasamatsu Shimai - It was a great day!!

My area - Naha Okinawa

Me & Kasamatsu Shimai at the church

Me & Kasamatsu Shimai with Shimoji Shimai

Last week's trip to the Art Aquarium - Shimoji shimai took us

 

Making fish faces..... at the aquarium

This is Okinawa! - Week #77

Konnichiwa minasan!

Well in other news, weather is the same as usual in Okinawa. It`s beautiful, bright, and sunny, oh and then at night there`s a torrential downpour and it`s basically like monsoon season. And I forgot my rain suit so...yeah. I think that is the wettest I have ever been in my life. Sister Kasamatsu wears glasses so we couldn`t ride our bikes because she couldn`t see. There was one point where the street we were walking down had flooded so the water was up to my knees and I was wading through with my bike and in that moment I was like "YES, I am a MISSIONARY!" Don`t worry the rest of the streets weren`t that flooded. It did get a little chilly towards the end. Luckily, I`m in Okinawa because a huge rainstorm in November would be REALLY cold in other areas. 

Speaking of Kasamatsu Shimai, she is from Nagoya area. Aichi ken I think. She is 20 and she is on her 2nd transfer. She is also the cutest Japanese person you will ever meet. She is so bright and cheerful all the time. She really helps me A LOT. Especially with my Japanese.

In other news, we are still teaching Fusano san, our one investigator. She doesn`t really have many lessons left so we are going to invite her to baptism (we were going to do it last week but things changed). 

Other than that we are searching for new investigators who are ready and need the gospel in their lives! Which reminds me, there is a recent convert in our ward. Her name is Shimoji Shimai and she is just the greatest person you will ever meet. She just got baptized last month so she has that missionary fire in her right now. She loves sharing her testimony with everyone. And she loves the sister missionaries. So she took us to this aquarium art exhibit with goldfish. It`s so Japanese I can`t even explain it. But it was pretty cool.

Anyways, thanks for all your prayers and emails! I definitely still need them! But I`m grateful to be here in Okinawa and to have some more growing and stretching opportunities!

Have a great week!

Malone Shimai

It's already Christmas in Japan!!!

Okinawan boy band, because why not?

We went to a Japanese Aquarium - So Japanese...I love it!!

                                                           It's Aquarium Art!!

Me being one with the fish...

Last Zone Training Meeting  

Look who my STLs are! Doki!!

The view from our apartment - Naha Okinawa

Back in Okinawa - Week #76

Konnichiwa minasan!

Yes I am emailing you from the beautiful city of Naha in Okinawa. Yes it is still summer here. I should just send all my winter clothes home because I`m pretty sure I won`t need them. So I am on the island of Okinawa again, but my area is Naha so it is completely different from my first area. There are no military people here, it`s all Japanese. But as luck would have it, the very first night we went to the church and who should be there but a member from the military branch in Okinawa. It was fun to see her again. So me and Kasamatsu shimai live with 2 other sisters who are the Naha Sisters. We are the Naha East sisters. As always its lots of fun, especially because Lowe shimai likes to cook so we eat delicious food every day. I live such a blessed life:)

For those of you who want an update on what happened in Iwakuni: I left and Sister Willson went to Beppu to be with my MTC companion Sister Chun. Sister Salmon is training again, still in Iwakuni. And Sister Welte is in a trio with two other sisters now. But she told me things are going good there. They set a baptismal date with Ayumi san!! And apparently they are teaching a friend of Dustin`s who is just like him. AKA he is kinjin!!! So that`s your update for Iwakuni. I miss them all A LOT. 

So we don`t have very many investigators right now so we are gonna work really hard this transfer to find new investigators and the mission has a goal for every companionship to have 2 baptismal dates by Thanksgiving and a baptism by Christmas. So that is our goal for this transfer. Naha has had lots of baptisms and the ward is really big so I know its totally possible here. We can dekiru, as me and Kasamatsu shimai like to say.

I hope everyone has a good week! Keep on ganbaruing!

Malone Shimai

Farewell Party for Me & Willson Shimai

Iwakuni - Nov 2015

I am going to miss my friends in Iwakuni so much!!

Me & Sister Rebecca White

Me and The Mann Family

Me & Sister Shelli Winter

Me with The Billings Family

Sister White, Me & Sister Tessa Wilson

Me & Sister Hope Carter

Me & The Chavez Family

My last time on the Train....

Me, Welte Shimai & Ayumi san

Me & The New Crew! 

Lowe Shimai, Bearman Shimai & Kasamatsu Shimai

Okinawa  -  Nov 2015

I swear I was just doing this... - Week #75 + Transfer Update!!

Konnichiwa minasan! 

Ok I swear I was just sitting here typing a letter to you guys, but apparently that was last week. So today is transfer calls, but unfortunately we still haven't received ours. Odds are I am transferring though. Don't ask how I know this, I just do. 

So this past weekend we had an awesome Halloween party with our English class students and some Japanese members, and our YSA group. We had a talent show and lots of games and treats afterwards. It was really fun! I didn't really dress up, but I wore black and orange so I'm Halloween themed! And yes in case you were wondering we did a number for the talent show. It featured lip-syncing Disney songs and dancing. Someday you will all see it. It's quite entertaining.

But to more important things like the gospel! We met with Tsugumi san this week and talked more about her coming to church. So we finally asked her if we picked a date a few weeks out, if she could talk to her boss at work and get that day off. So she chose November 15th. So hopefully she can come to church on the 15th! 

We met with Ayumi too and talked about the Plan of Salvation with her because she wanted to know what happens after this life. It kind of brought up a lot more questions, but that's okay. We will get to them all. 

We also met with Mitchell this week. He found out one of us is probably leaving so he did the coolest thing ever! He searched through the Book of Mormon and found scriptures that apply to us and shared them with us. He's learning how to apply the scriptures! We were so happy when he shared them with us. He chose one of my favorites 1 Nephi 17:13.

Well it's going to be sad to leave Iwakuni but I'm excited for one last adventure! (I'm not excited for the packing part.) I hope everyone has a good week!

Malone Shimai

***Update---
Hey real quick! I found out earlier but didnt have time to email
because we had Japanese class and a lesson but...
Im going back to Okinawa. In an area called Naha. Its not military,
and my companion is Japanese. First Japanese companion! Pretty
exciting huh? So Ive got a lot of packing and sorting to do because
your luggage has to be a certain weight on the flight. So next weeks
email will come from the beautiful island of Okinawa. Ending where it
all began.

Love you!
Malone shimai

                                                                             The Swag Team sent me mail!!!

Me & Kazumi

We took a trip to "The Chicken Shack"

That's what the Americans call it - I don't know the real name

Our dinner at "The Chicken Shack"

Salmon, Willson, Welte & Me!

We had a great Halloween Party!!

So much fun!!

As you can see....

Some of the group at the Party