Week 58 - Goodbye Ootsu, Hello Niihama

Saying goodbye to Ootsu was harder than saying goodbye to you guys. But life is full of hellos and goodbyes, closing doors and opening new ones. I`ve learned the Lord blesses us with opportunities to level up, to grow every time a `goodbye` or `hello` is needed.

Had my last lesson with Chona. Her mom made us dinner and we ate with their family. I love these 2 and miss Chona so much.

Eikaiwa class

Bishop`s wife, Sister Hayashi (blue shirt on my right) and Sister Takeda came to our apartment to say bye. Sister Hayashi is like another mom to me. It was so hard to say bye when she said `I`ll miss my Hawaiian daughter, and my Japanese daughter is leaving on her mission in october...I don`t know what I`m going to do!`

I remember when I first met with Pres Welch and he said he wanted to see Japanese people smiling more and hugging more. I have tried to do my part in Ootsu!

Sister Hijioka, Less-Active but working on being active by next year, and her mom

Sister Tsuji (will be reactivated in October!)

An old investigator called us early on my last morning in Ootsu. She had just finished a triathalon and she said she wanted to say bye to me (she had been in Hawaii the last 2 weeks) so she brought me a candy lei and walked us up to the train. I love her! Sonae Lopez and family are the BEST!

Misato san, for our last lesson she told me she wanted to be baptized at the end of the year!

Yoshimi san; my Japanese Shinto grandma. She got me that white flower bracelet. She`s so funny!

Saying bye to Sister Hasegawa, she said we have a place to stay when we go back to visit Ootsu after the mish...

Sister Scheffler, me and Sister Aoki, she`s the Young Women`s pres. I`ll miss this funny lady!

Brother Okada and Brother Yoshizawa (Served in Australia with lots of Tongans, his English is perfect) - Ward Mission Leader and YM Pres - brought me some goodbye presents and a card form the ward YSA, they were awesome help in teaching and fellowshipping our investigators. I`ll miss Ootsu ward!

YES! Thanks daddy you`re the best! [Note from Mom: She asked her dad to translate Bro. Yoshizawa’s Tongan note, above.] I hope you two have a happy happy...what anniversary is it? 28th? [Note from Mom: 29<sup>th</sup>]  I love you. I`ll be thinking about you! xoxoxoxox

Yamaoka san and her friends! They had us over for dinner and lunch all the time. What wonderful ladies.

Yoshikawa san, she bought me these cute little animals that symbolize the years with the animal names? I don`t know how to explain it anyways, I will miss her so much!

I said goodbye to the mountains and beautiful Lake Biwa of Ootsu 

I LOVE YOU OOTSU! We had dinner at the lake for my last night in Ootsu, I will miss this view!

I got the whole wide...Ootsu Prince Hotel...in my hand!

and said hello to the ocean and the rice fields of Niihama!

Walking the streets of Ootsu you could talk to maybe 50 people in a matter of 10 minutes. 

I love Zeze! I will always be an Ootsu girl at heart! This is a tunnel we rode through almost every day. We came home from some awesome lessons through that tunnel!

Here, everyone drives cars and there`s not enough people to be walking streets. So I knock a lot of doors here in the country. But the quiet, the fresh air, and all the good that comes with country living are definitely some things I love! 

If we all had bikes like this...we could REALLY hasten the Lord`s work! hahaha

Also, I said goodbye to cute Scheffler shimai 

My favorite shimai!

and hello to my new companion Stevenson shimai. 

She is from Tokyo. Her dad is from Utah, he served a mission in Japan, then moved back here and married a Japanese woman, so Sister Stevenson has grown up here her whole life. 

My comp, Sister Stevenson, today at lunch...she`s cute right??

She doesn`t speak a lick of English...which threw me off because of her last name. But then I thought about my last name and how people used to give me weird looks in Hawaii when I said I was a Heimuli and they`d speak Tongan to me and I didn`t understand a word...so I get it. She`s SO cool though! We`ve had so much fun the past 3 days together...I can`t wait to see how great this transfer turns out. She`s only a 4<sup>th</sup> transfer but she acts like a 15th. She`s so amazing! She actually speaks Korean so that`ll come in handy when we finally meet a Korean here in Niihama.

Our branch is made up of about 30 people and everyone is so friendly! I don`t think they talk that fast. But there are some words they use here that they definitely don`t use in Kyoto area. Also, the spiders here are unbelievably huge and there`s enough rice fields around our apartment, that if there was a disaster, we would be totally fine....so no worries mom! I`ll send a bunch of pictures with more info. 

In Niihama, we played scripture Jeopardy with our investigator and new convert. This is all 6 of us missionaries!

I wanted to tell you how comforting it is to know the gospel is the same wherever you go. Whether it`s a ward of 300 or a branch of 30, we all are part of this same gospel. We`re all just trying to make it through our trials, and we`re all children of God. 

This is Brother Ryouta. He`s 18 and was baptized in March. He wants to be a missionary so he wears his badge around...he`s SO awesome. This past Sunday was his first time passing the sacrament (We only have 1 person pass because our congregation is so small, and church is only 2 hours long...crazy right??) Ryouta kyoudai is my favorite member!

I love Niihama and my companion already, and I pray the Lord can help me fulfill whatever duty brought me all the way from Kyoto to Shikoku. I love you all! Have a great week!

Love,

Sister Heimuli

Week 57 - Ganbarimasu

It`s been an unreal past 2 transfers. I`m going to miss this pretty lady so much!

I am being transferred to Niihama on Shikoku. It`s an island right off the coast of Japan.
 We went to Kyoto on Monday with our district.

Little did I know it was going to be my last week in the Kyoto area!
 
Elder Jackson and I were looking at some really cool ancient graveyards that were around the Kiyomizudera Shrine.

We decided to switch things up a bit, and proselyte in yukatas.

It was way fun and people loved it! More people stopped and talked to us.
These are my japanese teachers that I go to every week during language study. They`re awesome! I will miss them!

We went out with Yoshikawa and her Husband! This is us at a little cafe on the banks of Lake Biwa in Ootsu :) I`m really really going to miss this place!

As missionaries, we can`t wear backpacks because we`ll look too much like tourists, but we have SO many things we HAVE to carry around so our bags get pretty heavy sometimes. My shoulders were sore so I decided to put my bag somewhere else where it wouldn`t hurt my shoulders while we waited for the train, Scheffler shimai took some sneaky pics...i had NO idea.

We had `Super Saturday` at the Shimogamo stake center in Kyoto with the YSA and youth of the Kyoto stake. We each got either 1 or 2 new companions (ysa, yw/ym) and you take them out and proselyte.

I was put in a threesome with Sister Hayashi and Sister Fukuda. I only got a pic with Sister Hayashi, but here`s what the turn out was! It was SO fun! I hope my next area does this!

Me and the Sister Training Leaders! Sister Griffins and Sister Lofthouse. I love these sisters!

After Super Saturday we had to walk to the bus stop in the rain, but it`s always a good time when you`re with the missionaries!

These are the elders in my area.

Speaking of elders, we had to save one who got in an accident last week. hahaha no it`s a cool story...we were doing personal study and we were trying to prepare for 3 lessons but we were both not getting anywhere and we just couldn`t focus. As soon as personal study was over and we started companion study our District Leader called and said our Elder got in a bike accident and was in the hospital. I called the elders right away to see if we could help and the one elder that was ok said he was dealing with doctors and policemen and insurance people, so obviously that`s japanese that`s WAY too hard for us. The elders also don`t know anyone in the ward really to ask for help and I`ve been here the longest so I know everyone the best. I called the Bishop`s wife who just happened to have the afternoon off of work so she hurried and picked us up, went to the hospital, she took care of the hard stuff and we just got juice and treats for the elders.
 
So we moved all our lessons into the evening and were able to help the elders AND teach all our lessons that day. It was cool to see how the Lord makes time in everyone`s schedules to get what needs to be done, done! The elder that got in the accident took meds and was feeling pretty good until right before the missionaries from the office came to pick him up. We had to stay there all day until he left and the other elder got his new emergency-transferred companion. It was a crazy day but every day is an eventful day here on the mission.


As far as a package..there`s nothing I really want for my 21st bday. You mentioned it may be a tough week at work. Why?? Can I help you in anyway?? Yes please survive this week, I`m going to have to figure out how to survive this next week as well! We`ll just try hard together! In japanese you say `Ganbarimasu` (gan-ba-ree-mah-s) なのでがんばってください！We`ll try our very best and we will both make it just fine!

Just a really quick experience from this past week...So you know that Sister that we are teaching ukulele and gospel lessons to? Yeah well this past week she just committed to becoming fully active in January and she`s agreed to preparing to receive her patriarchal blessing. Her mom stood up in sacrament and bore testimony about how meeting with the missionaries has blessed every individual in her family not just her LA daughter. As she bore her testimony I sat in the back and just cried. I`ve been here for so long and it`s so nice to know. Knowing that makes me feel like my work here in Ootsu is done and it`s time to be somewhere else. I feel so at peace with transferring. Of course I will miss this area, but it`s one thing knowing that you did what you were sent to do. 
 
Yesterday, another Less active sister committed to becoming fully active by the end of the year. That makes a total of 3 newly actived members and 2 working their way back here in the Ootsu ward! It`s funny how excited I get talking about members who are feeling their way back to the church. Before my mission, I didn`t really care or notice those that weren`t attending church every week. Sometimes we think we have to be `worthy enough` to step into a church building. I think that we often think of church as a building made for perfect people to sit on chairs and sing hymns. When in reality, church is a safe haven for those who need the nourishment of the gospel, who are working towards perfecting themselves. As I meet with and talk with Less Actives and Recent Converts I`ve seen how this image of church -- being a perfect place only for perfect people -- have hindered their testimonies, making them lose their confidence, avoiding anything that has to do with religion.

I testify to you that church is not for perfect people. It`s a place where God, through Christ`s atonement, will fill our missing pieces, make up the difference when we fall short, and perfect our imperfections.

Ephesians 4:1-7, 11-12
2With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;
3Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
4There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;
5One Lord, one faith, one baptism,
6One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.
7But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.
11And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
12For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ

Notice the scripture says, `For the perfectING of the saints...` not for the PERFECT saints. We`re all in our own phases of perfecting. But like Pres. Uchtdorf says, it`s not in this life that we are perfect but in the next. I know that as an imperfect servant of the Lord, only through the gospel of Jesus Christ can I endeavor to pursue perfection. These beautiful saints of Japan are trying their hardest to become perfect through Christ`s atonement and I`m so grateful for their humble examples. Change is hard, but it`s what we need in order to grow and become perfect even as our Savior. I`ll be making quite a few changes myself this week but I`m excited to see where those changes will take me! I love this gospel. I love this work. I love you all. I love being a missionary. I hope you love being a missionary`s mom!

Have a great week!

Love always,

Sister Heimuli

Week 56 - Only Prays at Dinner

I hope you had just as a rewarding week as I did! We met with a Less Active sister who stopped coming to church when she was 14.　Her family is totally active. They are very involved and very kind. I didn`t know they had a Less Active daughter until their mom came up to me at church a few weeks ago. Her mom took a video of us playing the ukulele at the Luau we had last month and showed her daughter. Her daughter said she wanted to learn how to play the uke so her mom asked me to teach her daughter. We set up an appointment to teach her at the church. When she came I taught her some chords, we played I am a Child of God, and then I started asking her mom questions about her own conversion.

Usually Japanese people don`t share those things with their children and I really wanted the daughter to hear her mom`s conversion story. As we discussed her experience her, the daughter (Yumi shimai) started asking questions about how we find comfort when life gets hard. Scheffler shimai asked her if she`d ever prayed before and she said she only prays at dinner when it`s her turn to pray. Scheffler shimai then bore testimony that God lives and that He knows each of us. He knows our trials and our weaknesses, as well as what makes us happy. This sister just cried and cried as we used our simple Japanese to testify of the fact that we have a loving Father in Heaven. She said she`s needed someone to say this to her for years but she wasn`t sure where she would find someone to tell her this. We invited her to continue meeting with us so we could not only grow our friendship, but so she could get closer to God again and she agreed SO fast! She said she would make time every week to meet with us. She also said she`d start praying everyday!

On top of that, we also had another less active sister come to church today who is well on her way to being fully active. She stayed for ALL of church and she told me she`d be coming again for sure this week too.

That`s the little excerpt from my week. There`s so much more that happened but it would take me too long to type out. So here`s a bunch of pictures instead! I don`t have anytime this week because we`re headed to Kyoto with some missionaries from Oomihachiman including the Boettchers` nephew, Elder Hansen.

The gospel is true. I love you!

Love,

Sister Heimuli

Love this lady.  We are Scheffler shimai and Heimuli shimai!

Griffin shimai and her companion came on exchanges with us.

My comp. She works hard, plays hard and sleeps hard. I looked behind me while I was getting ready this morning and she was passed out.  LOL!

Tell me this isn't the CUTEST thing you've ever seen!

Nasty squid thing from Zeze Matsuri. Can't believe I let Scheffler shimai talk me into buying it...waste of 6 bucks

Yummm...now that's more like it!  Corn dog and cotton candy...

People dressed in their yukatas for the festival

Candied apples from the festival

It's just me, Queen of Ootsu. Been here for 7 months.  Whaaaa?!

Week 55 - Move Your Feet

We FINALLY got in touch with an investigator (LA sister) that`s been MIA for the last 2, almost 3 months. She came to church for the first time in almost 15 years about 2 transfers ago, and then we never heard from her again. My last companion and I were frantically mailing and calling and visiting, but she was never home. When Scheffler shimai transferred in, this Sister`s house was the first place I wanted to go, so we did and her dad was there. He told us she had been hospitalized and he didn`t know when she would get out. He also wouldn`t give us any other information like where, whether or not we could visit, and so on. He was polite to us, but you can tell he doesn`t really like gaikokujin (foreigners, especially not foreigners that can`t perfectly speak his language) or people of our church. So I decided to call her visiting teachers and ask them. They gave us the name of a hospital she had been to a few years ago and said she might have returned. So we looked it up, hopped on our bikes and went. We`ve visited this hospital almost 10 times in hopes of finding her, but the doctors and nurses would never let us speak with her.

Now, 2 weeks ago the Elders` investigator was hospitalized in the exact same hospital, so we decided to pay her a visit. It was easy to get in to see the Elders` investigator, so we decided to try again this week, so that maybe by some chance, we could intercept our investigator. I know there are no such things as coincidences. We got into the visiting facility and waited a couple seconds by the elevator. When it opened, HER DAD WAS STANDING THERE! He was pleasantly surprised to see us and he was a lot nicer this time. We explained that we came to see a friend. He told us he wanted to take us up to see his daughter, our LA investigator! In the end, we FINALLY made contact with her. She told us she`d been praying to get better faster so she could return to church, and then we came to her! She also told us how much she missed reading the Book of Mormon with us and hopes to study again once she is released.

Scheffler shimai and I came here in search of a less active brother. It was crazy to see how weeds had taken over the residence. Nobody answered when I knocked on the plant-covered door.

I have a testimony that the Lord can do anything, but He can definitely guide MOVING FEET. We have to be walking, ready, prepared, and He`ll lead us right where we need to be. If we would`ve taken a short konbini break in the middle of that hot afternoon (a konbini is a convenience store or gas station...they`re on every corner here), or ignored the idea of visiting the Elders` investigator that day, we would`ve missed this Sister`s dad and we would have totally lost out on an opportunity to be not only an answer to her prayer, but to be in the right place at the right time in order to see her again. She`s not allowed any communication with the outside world right now like phone calls or emails, but she`s okay to have visits every now and then. You can bet we`ll be there pretty frequently now!

You know you're in Japan when you can literally touch the next apartment building from your balcony!

Move your feet this week! Be the tool by which the Lord can help His children.

I told our bishopric that I would not take their picture unless they all smiled. It took a while but Bro Hasegawa finally cracked...just for me. These men are awesome.

Chona is seriously one of my most favorite people in Japan. I just love this little girl.

I love you all and pray that we can all be better at aligning our will with the Lord`s -- not worrying about the details, and just going for it! Have a fabulous week, all!

Love always,

Sister Heimuli

Week 54 - Worth It

Brad, what a stud. I remember we use to make trouble to each other in school. And I would ditch out on classes to buy him and Houst burgers at McD`s or Wendy`s. Brad`s a good, solid young man. I`m so grateful he and Houst are such good friends after all this time! I love those two boys.

Another week has come and gone. To answer your questions....YES we had 2 less actives at church and 2 investigators. The 2 less actives were two sisters that we visited, weren`t home, so we stuck hearts all over their doors that said `We love you` and I was shocked to see them walk up to me at church yesterday just ecstatic because of those paper hearts! One of them hadn`t been to church in over 5 years, and the other is a Less Active YSA who usually doesn`t go out on the weekends because she`d rather hang out with friends or do homework, but she came!

Since church was canceled last week, it was the first time I`d taken sacrament in a long time. I just sat there in our full congregation (it`s been pretty sparse lately), our 2 less actives sitting with their active families, our 2 investigators right next to us, and all their beautiful japanese voices singing about our Redeemer, and Savior Jesus Christ. I couldn`t bring myself to sing. I just sat there and soaked everything in.

Sister Scheffler and I are doing GREAT! We are healthy, happy, and we might gain 30 pounds this week because of the amazing package Aunty Nei sent us! There`s candy and goodies to last for a couple years in there! I usually don`t eat after planning at night (usually because we just don`t have food) but last night we stuffed our faces with girl scout cookies and swedish fish! It was awesome!

My favorite part of the week:  Finding a less active who lives down the street. While we were looking up addresses we noticed a Less active that lived right by us! We were kind of surprised that we hadn`t noticed it before. We walked to the apartment complexes and started knocking doors. This really kind grandma answers, looks at us, looks at our name tags and says, `Hey, you`re the two that are always wearing helmets and riding bikes, right? You always say hello and smile at me. Here, let me help you.` She took our paper with the Less active`s info on it and started walking around, knocking doors for us.

Everyone was really kind to her, because A) She`s a grandma, B) She speaks perfect Japanese and C) If that would`ve been us, people would`ve been slamming doors right and left! Every time someone opened the door it gave them an opportunity to see this Japanese, non-Christian lady helping 2 foreign-Christians. It also gave them opportunities to see our badges and to know that we are out trying to find people that used to come to our church that we haven`t seen in a while `...that they may see your good works and glorify your Father which is in Heaven.` (3Nephi 12:16)

One thing that makes my day is when I notice people looking at my badge and as they read it, I see them mouth, `Iesu Kirisuto` -- I LOVE IT! Because that`s one more person who knows Christ`s name. It also reminds me that I maybe their only example of who Christ is, for the rest of their mortal lives, so I always keep that in mind and try to be the kind of person He would want me to be! I run into people everyday who have never heard of Jesus Christ. Because we are always smiling and greeting people even as we ride past them on our bikes, a kind grandma took time out of her night to help us and we were able to meet more people in our neighborhood. Not only that, but when they asked `Why do they need to find this woman?` it gave us a perfect opportunity to tell people why we`re here and what we do.

I`d like to add my witness to that of President Holland`s...it`s worth it. Being a member of this church IS worth it. Smiling even when it might hurt IS worth it. Living up to the standards of this church and following the commandments IS worth it. Serving a mission and putting aside other affairs IS worth it. You can`t see the blessings now, but if you could....

I know this church is true.

It`s the simplest, most repeated line in the church. Yet it`s a line that`s changed my life.

I love this gospel. I love the atonement. I love you!

Make it a good week. Don`t wait for someone to tell you to have a good day. Just go ahead and make it a good one!

Love lots,

Sister Heimuli


P.S.  Just a few pics:

Sister Welch sent this photo to Sister Heimuli's parents.

Hard to say goodbye to another American:  Sister Stevens.

Siser Heimuli teaching eikaiwa (English class).

Week 53 - Took Him to His Own House

No intruders in our house this week. However, I did wake up in the middle of the night because I had been sick for a couple days, and I thought my stomach was going crazy. But then I realized it wasn`t just me that was moving, things outside were moving. So I put my hand on the ground and sure enough it was an earthquake. A million things rushed through my head like `I should probably wake up my companion and get under something` and `If we jumped out the balcony is it too far up to survive?` but then I thought, `Or you could just keep sleeping...` and that thought won. I rolled over and went to sleep. No worries! The shaking stopped after a few minutes and I got a good night`s sleep!

Yesterday was pretty crazy though. We got emails and calls from our Bishop telling us alarms had gone off to warn everyone about the typhoon and so church was canceled.

Scheffler shimai watching the typhoon from our balcony. I was afraid she was gonna blow away!

Our zone leaders told us to fill up our bathtub just in case. I was kinda excited to use it but the storm blew over quickly.

You know you`re a missionary when the first thing you think as you hear such news is, `Dang! We had investigators coming today!` and `Darn, I really wanted to take the sacrament today.` Before my mission I would`ve been outrageously happy if I found out there was no church...funny how things change. So no investigators or less actives came to church. But real quick while on the subject of Bishop. He told me about Nick`s (Boettcher) mission call! I'm so MAD I will be home before he gets out here. Maybe I will ask for an extension.....

Anyways after study time we were so sick of being inside so even though it was raining we rode around the neighborhoods to see if we could give any service.

YESSS! Opportunities for service!

We tried to help people sand bag an overflowing river but they weren`t too happy to see two foreigners with Christ`s name on them. So we rode around and picked up fallen bicycles and things in people`s yards. We stopped by some investigators and less actives houses just to make sure they were okay. That was my first typhoon here in Japan, definitely one I won`t forget.

The best part of my week was a lesson we had with a less active sister. We have had the last 3 lessons more focused around her, for example we talk about her work, her family, and about why she liked certain principles of the gospel while she was first learning with the missionaries years ago. We started putting more effort into listening instead of talking. As we have been doing this, she`s changed a little. She`s more happy when we meet, she`s more open. This past week when we met and talked about the sacrament she committed to becoming fully active again by the end of October. Like the scriptures say, we were `truly astonished` by what she committed to. When we first met with her she told us she wouldn`t ever go back to church because she thought it was boring and long. However, only 2 months later she`s now totally committed to being a fully active member in the church. You can`t imagine how happy we were to hear this.

It`s kind of like Amulek and Alma in Alma 15. Amulek was a less active himself when he met Alma, then became active again and started preaching alongside Alma. Now Amulek was a really wealthy guy, he had lots of money, lots of land, a big family, yet he chose to put all those things on hold to preach the gospel with Alma. He went through a lot of affliction, being cast into prison, etc. As they were converting the Lamanites and establishing a church in Sidom verse 16 says, `...Amulek having forsaken all his gold, and silver, and his precious things, which were in the land of Ammonihah, for the word of God, he being rejected by those who were once his friends and also by his father and his kindred;` What happened next?

Alma checked on the church, saw that it was doing alright and the people of the church were okay, then verse 18 `...Alma having seen all these things, therefore he took Amulek and came over to the land of Zarahemla, and took him to his own house, and did administer unto him in his tribulations, and strengthened him in the Lord.`

`...took him to his own house...` what exactly does that mean? It means Alma loved Amulek, just as I love my companion.

Love her. Just love her.

Although what Alma and Amulek were doing was -- and is -- the most important work on earth, Alma still saw that Amulek also needed a friend. He needed to be retained and rescued. Alma saw his companion every day, knew his struggles, and Alma took Amulek back to Alma`s home to help him out and to strengthen him again. As missionaries sometimes we forget that we are not teaching lessons...we are teaching people. I`ve seen over and over again that helping people feel our love for them will help them out more in the long run, than just trying to spit out a quick 20 minute presentation about things we think are important. Only after we show love and genuine interest in the things our investigators care about, can we truly help them.

So earthquakes, typhoons, and love...it`s been quite the week in Ootsu!

Love always,
Sister Heimuli

Speaking of love, here are some pics from this week:

Me and Yamaoka-san. She is like our grandma here. She said she is already planning her first trip to America for my wedding. Wedding? Whoa.

I love Japan.....'s food. Yamaoka-san made this for us. Almost too beautiful to eat, right? Almost.

No place does fireworks like Japan!

Aunty Nei sent a ton of stuff for my one-year mark. She loves me. I love her. Thanks, Aunty!

If you're reading this family and friends, I hope you know I love you. All the way from Japan.