So want the bad news first?? ok..shimai don't get to sing at general conference. waaahhhhhh almost cried. Only the Chorotachi get to sing for the Priesthood session. :( super sad.
Anyway, PARKER! Homecoming!! Holy handsome x10000! Wow i would date you. ;) those pics are the cutest. I showed everyone around me. Sisters/Elder I didnt even know i was like, "look at my brother at homecoming!" hahah So darn cute! Shaylee---doesn't he look like a man??! Jaren-- I hear you're a beast in school. KEEP IT UP! That's a great skill. So many opportunities open if you do well in school. Straight A's little man. If you get straight A's, I'll send you something cool from Nihon. Deal? Mom- it was so fun to see the brosnahans! Dana is adorable. tell her it made my whole week to get a hug from her. I felt like i was getting a hug from my own mom. :) and Annie bobannie helped park with homecoming?? love that girl. you found another monarch! YAY! So fun. You're the cutest. Dad--oh my thank you sooo much for the Dear Elder. You and mom always send things at the perfect timing. So one of our investigators (Narita Kyodai), is TOUGH. Kuwahara Kyodai is so awesome. He progressing and i understand the Nihongo in lessons and i always feel the spirit in his lessons. Narita Kyodai on the other hand is super tough. Its super hard to understand him, its very hard to listen to the spirit and to help him because i get frustrated so easily. I feel bad. When we are preparing for lessons we always feel like we are receiving revelation; then when we give the lesson, it never turns out how i thought. Any advice? But anyway, your letter came right after a "bad" lesson with Narita Kyodai and I was pretty sad about it. So thank you. What is amazing though, is that we really do recieve revelation for lessons, good or bad. Heavenly Father cares about fake investigators. How cool is that?! He is so personal and I have developed a very special relationship my Him.
I've learned a lot these short 5 weeks in the MTC. Demo more than the language or teaching, the one thing i've learned the most and have an undying testimony of is prayer. I really love talking with my Father in Heaven. I've never prayed like this in my entire life. We talk, share, cry, and laugh toghether. He is real. He is here. He is waiting for each of us to come to Him. If I can at least hear one person pray for the first time to their Father in Nihon, my mission will be worthwhile. I will be forever grateful that I've come to know this for myself.
So..FUNNY STORY
We were in our residence hall getting jackets because our classroom is always freezing. We walk in our room and the fire alarm goes off! (obvs it was a drill). All the girls start screaming and running around. That alone was hilarious. My jacket was in my suitcase on top of the closet. So i tear in my room, grab the suitcase, throw it on the ground getting my jacket as fast as i can. Well my companion, Sister Kittaka, thinks that i'm grabbing my suitcase to start packing everything! hahahah so she yells, "Wilcox Shimai, we dont have time! We gotta get out of here!" hahahahah SO funny we were dying. THEN as we're rolling on the floor laughing, this mexican lady pops out of nowhere and in her Nacho Libre accent is screaming "everybody out! no running! there's a fire! Get out of here! Sistas!" So that was one for the books. Good times in the MTC.
I'm about out of time but wasn't the temple dedication awesome?! I love listening to the prophet. This week, Elder M. Russell Ballard came for devo! He said, "I didn't prepare a talk for you today. I want to talk to you as if you were my grandchildren." and he did just that. It was sweet. He actually talked a lot about life after the mission..which is weird cuz i've only been on a mision for a month..i kind of feel like this is my life so it was weird to hear that one day i'll actually get married. and have a family. whoaaaa.
Family, friends, i love you. I hope you are happy. and I hope your happiness is coming from the gospel. from obeying Christ and following in His ways. This week, I've learned how precious even ONE soul is in the eyes of Christ. He performed the atonement for ALL of us. If only one of us was on the earth, he still would have performed the atonement. That is amazing. Never forget how important you are! you are special. you are loved. you are a child of God.
I love you! Ganbatte! Be a missionary!
Love, Wilcox Shimai
I've learned a lot these short 5 weeks in the MTC. Demo more than the language or teaching, the one thing i've learned the most and have an undying testimony of is prayer. I really love talking with my Father in Heaven. I've never prayed like this in my entire life. We talk, share, cry, and laugh toghether. He is real. He is here. He is waiting for each of us to come to Him. If I can at least hear one person pray for the first time to their Father in Nihon, my mission will be worthwhile. I will be forever grateful that I've come to know this for myself.
So..FUNNY STORY
We were in our residence hall getting jackets because our classroom is always freezing. We walk in our room and the fire alarm goes off! (obvs it was a drill). All the girls start screaming and running around. That alone was hilarious. My jacket was in my suitcase on top of the closet. So i tear in my room, grab the suitcase, throw it on the ground getting my jacket as fast as i can. Well my companion, Sister Kittaka, thinks that i'm grabbing my suitcase to start packing everything! hahahah so she yells, "Wilcox Shimai, we dont have time! We gotta get out of here!" hahahahah SO funny we were dying. THEN as we're rolling on the floor laughing, this mexican lady pops out of nowhere and in her Nacho Libre accent is screaming "everybody out! no running! there's a fire! Get out of here! Sistas!" So that was one for the books. Good times in the MTC.
I'm about out of time but wasn't the temple dedication awesome?! I love listening to the prophet. This week, Elder M. Russell Ballard came for devo! He said, "I didn't prepare a talk for you today. I want to talk to you as if you were my grandchildren." and he did just that. It was sweet. He actually talked a lot about life after the mission..which is weird cuz i've only been on a mision for a month..i kind of feel like this is my life so it was weird to hear that one day i'll actually get married. and have a family. whoaaaa.
Family, friends, i love you. I hope you are happy. and I hope your happiness is coming from the gospel. from obeying Christ and following in His ways. This week, I've learned how precious even ONE soul is in the eyes of Christ. He performed the atonement for ALL of us. If only one of us was on the earth, he still would have performed the atonement. That is amazing. Never forget how important you are! you are special. you are loved. you are a child of God.
I love you! Ganbatte! Be a missionary!
Love, Wilcox Shimai
yep.....life in the MTC. hahahahah