Happy, Smiling and Testifying

I am glad the wildfires at home have died down.  One of the church members here

My roommates, Sister Hirata and Sister Messer

is really cute and she was keeping me posted about it :)

This week was pretty busy and lots of fun!  I am just always surprised about how many prepared people there are just waiting to hear about the gospel or to learn more about Christ.  Saturday we had all of our appointments cancel.  We had made 3 backup plans, THREE, and they all were cancelled or moved to a different day, etc.  Our 3rd backup plan had us "finding" over in a new area.  So we headed over and said a prayer and then started to get to work.  Williams Shimai (Sister Williams) and I started biking to an apartment complex only to hear someone say, "sisters!" in English.  That got our attention and we turned around to see a man in his 40s standing outside of his car waving at us. Ends up that he had met with the missionaries five years ago, had been to church a couple times and had read the Book of Mormon.  Something happened, the sisters transferred and he felt like he couldn't go back to church.  He said he had started praying again and asked God for a sign.  And then a week later he saw two foreigners, with white helmets on mountain bikes.  It was really neat.  Heavenly Father is really guiding us and guiding his children.  

Williams Shimai and I have been having LOTS of adventures recently.  Mom to answer your question: Williams Shimai is from Chicago but most recently from Alpine, UT.  She and I are both 20 and we were in the same Missionary Training Center district.  We got to Japan together and then she went to Hiroshima and I went down to Okinawa.  Then we met up a year later in Kurume.  Crazy!  She also went to a year at BYU before her mission.  We think we might have had the same Poly Sci class but we don't remember each other.  With over 30,000 students I guess that happens.  But we are having a blast together.  We just hit Transfer number 10.  That is really old in "missionary life/time".  

Just one quick adventure:  We knocked on a door and met our first Pakistani.  At first I thought we were going to get in a fight.  The discussion was a little heated.  Both he and his wife are Islamic.  We talked about living prophets and that didn't go over very well.  But we just were happy, smiled, testified, tried to be really understanding and respectful.  Finally we were about to head out when he asked if we had already eaten dinner.  Next thing we know we are sitting down with him and his lovely wife eating homemade SPICY Indian food and discussing missionary topics.  You never know what is going to happen :)  I love it!

I hope you have a great week!  I love you!  I am so happy!  I really love what I am doing.  I can't think of a better way to spend 19 months of my life :)  Love you!

Hawkins Shimai