Kon'nichiwa Mina San (Hi Everyone!)

Konnichiwa Mina San! こんいちわみなさん!

 

So... this week...  The weeks seem to fly by now.  All the days mix up together and I hardly remember anything... Except the fact that I'm leaving for Japan in two weeks!!! 

I loved Relief Society this week.  Sister Sherri Dew spoke.  I didn't know who she was (lol) but apparently she's a big deal in the Mormon community.  Anyway, she's the president of Deseret Book and wrote the biography of President Benson and President Hinckley.  But she gave a fantastic talk and I just love powerful women in the church and she is definitely up there. She talked about being spiritually smart.  She said that asking questions are fantastic and invites us to do so... but in the spirit and environment of faith NOT doubt.  The more that we understand and know of Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost the less likely we will be fooled by Satan.  How conversion requires immersion.  Not just immersion in water, that's just the beginning but immersion in the gospel, in the Spirit, and in the teachings of the prophets.  She also said a few things she hoped we'd learn on our missions being:

 

 

1. Know who you are

               You are a Child of God

               You will know it through the confirmation of the Holy Ghost

               Read D+C 138 + Abraham 4

                         Ask Him if it applies to you and ask to know how He feels about you.  He will                     answer

 

2. Deeply and Truly understand the Savior, Jesus Christ

              Continually expand your understanding of the Atonement

                          It is a doctrine of healing, a doctrine of overcoming weakness

 

3. Know how to receive revelation

               Ask Him to teach you

 

4. Strive to learn and experience Gods power (1 Nephi 13:37)

              The divinity of the Priesthood and that it was restored upon the earth.  You can only know the doctrine of the Priesthood through Personal Revelation

 

This talk was just so AWESOME! I loved it.  But I dont have time to completely cover everything that she said.

 

Some highlights of the week is that on Saturday night the Shimaitachi and I decided that we needed a little bit of fun.  So we decide to play Hide and Go seek in the Residence halls that night... And ninja... and sling shot water bottles in the hallway with our exercise bands... :] We had a blast! Needless to say we got a few glares, some comments of, "That's not dignified" and so on.  But we didn't care.  They haven't been here for 7 weeks :P  And we needed some sanity.  So Damron Shimai says outloud in a somewhat mocking tone of hers, "I'd like to publicly apologize for the lack of quiet dignity felt on this floor tonight."  Yeah... it was great

 

Then last night, Ellsworth Shimai and Damron Shimai decide that they wanted to ride their mattresses down 6 flights of stairs to the first floor.  But as they were about to slide down the first flight of stairs the Sister Training leaders walk in on our charade... awkward.  They slide down anyway and then one of the sisters says in quiet, loving, but warning voice saying, "I knew someone who was sent home because they slid down the stairs on cafeteria trays.... So they decided to not risk it and brought the mattress promptly upstairs again.  It was fun while it lasted though.  And we haven't been sent  home yet ;)

 

This past Sunday, Douglas shimai and I taught the Sunday School lesson.  Every week a different Companion will give a lesson.  Our week was on Repentence and to tell you the truth I was so excited to teach because I love the doctrine of Repentence and the Atonement. But I kind of did a twist with it.  I focused a little bit about Justificataion, Sanctification and Grace.  I don't think that we talk about the doctrine of Grace a lot and that makes me sad.   Some of the scriptures I used was D+C 20:30-31, Moroni 10:32-33, 2 Nephi 25:23, Ether 12:27, Romans 3:23-24, Mosiah 15:9, Alma 14-16, Helamen 3:33-36.  And Douglas Shimai balanced it all out by discussing the more emotional side of the Atonement and the Repentence process and how it is one of joy.  That's right, joy.  Alma 36: 13-21.  And if you don't know where or what these scriptures are.  They're in the Book of Mormon.  If you don't have one. Get one.  If you don't know where to get one go to lds.org and the Book of Mormon is online.  I highly recommend that you read it. You won't regret it. And let me know what you think :)

 

So after our lesson, it was a good 50 min lesson by the way, it was dead silent and the Holy Ghost was so strong as everyone just personally pondered and thought and prayed and read and studied.  It beautiful.  

Keep up your prayers and scripture study!  I love all that I am learning everyday - thank you for all your love and support

Enjoy the pictures :)

Bevan Shimai

 

Me with the Sister Missionaries that left for Japan last week

Goofing off in the classroom - after lots of studying of course!

Going for a ride down the hallway 

Slingshot water bottles - so undignified :)

I walk through here everyday to class

Our HUGE Mailbox

What can I say?  I love being a missionary!!

 

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