Look who has transferred to the Main Island of Japan!

Sister Olsen and I ….a last hoorah in Okinawa!

Sister Miller and I in Okinawa

This is my last email from Okinawa.  I am so sad!  I just got my transfer call.  I'm excited, nervous, sad, exhausted and I feel like I'm going to throw up :)  All in one.  Man my poor companion!  I'm trusting in Heavenly Father, but I'm a planner through and through so the fact that I don't know what life's going to hold for the next six weeks is exciting AND a little nerve racking.  This week was an incredible last week in Okinawa. We had a family of five come to church, a single mother, a part-member family we are teaching, and an Eikaiwa (English speaking class) student all come to church. As I got my transfer call today I was sad, but I absolutely have loved my time here in Okinawa. I will step onto the plane knowing I worked hard every single day. I love these people because I have served them. I'll always have part of my heart here in Okinawa.  But I am excited to go to my new area and meet the people there. I am headed to Kurume.  

Kurume is a city of 300,000 people.  It is 30 minutes from Fukuoka :).  Kurume is more than 500 miles from Okinawa

Kurume is in the Nagasaki Zone, but in the Fukuoka Prefecture (a prefecture is an administrative jurisdiction similar to a state or county).  My companion is Sister Oi.  She and I will be the Sister Training Leaders in the area.  I'm kind of freaking out.  But I'll be "faking it 'til I make it" the whole time.  :)  Yippee!  The area is in great hands with Sister Olsen, our investigators are progressing, our teaching pool is expanding and the members have caught the wave. But man I am so jealous that I'll be missing it!  I am grateful I had the wonderful opportunity to play a small part in it. I have loved Okinawa!  I am so blessed.  I didn't shed a single tear until I called Sister Wedekind to tell her the news.  I lost it.  I love that woman!  I love the people here.  There is not a day that goes by that I don't sincerely thank my Heavenly Father that he planted me in the middle of Okinawa :)  It's been a blessing!  It is unusual to stay in one area for 9 months as I have done, so I have had a unique opportunity to really get to know the church members, the area and put down some roots. :) 

This week in review …..really quickly before I start crying :)

We found a new investigator through a member and started teaching her!  We found out a couple lessons later that this cute 80 year old woman had already been baptized... in our church... a year ago :)  Ha ha, that was interesting!  Haruko Shimai is coming back to church though!  A reactivation is just as exciting as a baptism.  (I promise we're not typically this clueless).

We said goodbye to Rhea!  So sad!  We sent the missionaries to her though and I know she's a great, strong girl.  She'll bloom wherever she is planted!  I miss her and I will surely miss visiting the Sisson family so often and teaching in their home.

Often times we spend time explaining to others our missionary rules.  How we can't go in to houses if their wife is not home, etc.  Well the other day I tried to shake a man's hand after giving him a Book of Mormon and he JUMPED back!  He said in broken English,"I can't shake your hand!  You're a woman!" Well, I'm glad someone is looking out for me.

The Williams, our senior missionary couple, left.  I was so sad!  They headed back suddenly to the states for emergency surgery.  I miss them already.  They were like my parents away from home. 

We have tons of wonderful investigators in Okinawa.  I'm sad to leave after seeing the area grow SO much, but I know it's in good hands.  We went out to lunch with one of our friend Emi for her birthday and had a great discussion about church.  She's been coming for the past couple of weeks and she also went to a baptism at the beach and loved it.  We had 3 baptisms in our district this past week which was really neat.

We have a SUPER new investigator.  A member called us last minute and asked us to come over and meet their friend.  We taught the restoration, had a 2 hour discussion about church and she came this Sunday to district conference!  It was one of the most incredible experiences of my missionary life.

I am so blessed.  I can't even describe or quickly write down the miracles that are happening and that have happened this week.  I just gave Kelley, a recent convert, a huge hug goodbye and I lost it.  I bawled!  I love these people.  I have prayed for them everyday for almost a year.  I've given my heart and soul to this and now to say goodbye so suddenly is super hard.  But I am happy.  I am lucky and heaven will be a blast.  It'll be a huge reunion :) 

I love you guys.  Have a great week.  And pray that I don't get COMPLETELY lost in the airport.  Pray hard :)

Hawkins Shimai