Smile :)

Smile :)

This week was an absolute adventure.  I`ll give you bullet points... there was so much!  I am loving Kurume (which that in and of itself is a miracle.  I was SO sad to have to leave Okinawa)!  

We are currently teaching a cute older couple.  They are adorable.  Their daughter who lives in America referred us to them.  They were against the idea of missionaries and church 20 years ago but they have had a change of heart recently.  Williams Shimai (Sister Williams) and I decided after a lot of prayer and thought that we would work really hard on serving them.  Yesterday we spent a decent chunk of time in their garden.  I have always wanted to work in a rice field.  :)  I finally got to cross it off my bucket list.  I even had a Japanese hat!  The real miracle happened afterwards when we taught a lesson.  We have taught them a couple of times but recently they have been really receptive.  The husband, after he came to church on Sunday, said he felt really good about it and wanted to join the church.  We were able to set a date with him.  Its really neat to see what sweat, fellowship, and the spirit can do.  It changes hearts!

We got another referral this week!  From God :)  About a week and a half ago Sister Williams and I went out to dinner at a restaurant where one of our investigators works.  We had been praying about this man for awhile and we and our stomachaches thought it would be a good idea to stop by when we knew no one would be there.  We were able to teach him and give out a Hindi Book of Mormon. Cool right?  (I currently am learning Nepalese by the way...  seriously though.  It was super exciting.)  Then in walked two customers.  We got ready to leave but before we left we started a conversation with them.  They were both from Nepal and they asked what we were doing in Japan.  We told them about the church and what we did as missionaries.  Then invited them out to Eikaiwa (English language class), giving them our name and number.  Last week we got a call from one of them.  He said he was interested in Christianity and wanted to know if we had time to meet.  It was incredible!  But what was really neat was when we met this man he sincerely had interest.  He wanted to know why we are here, where are we going, why is there so much evil around us and how can Jesus help?  It was absolutely wonderful.  We have met with him several times since last week and it is been a huge blessing to teach him.  Referrals from God!  They work :)  

Risky, the cat, before her bath!

Also Williams Shimai (Sister Williams) and I became parents!  I was biking around Sunday and I noticed a little kitten.  It was stuck off the side of the road.  Well Williams Shimai and I saw it, fell in love with it and wanted to raise it.  Which is not OK with missionary rules.  But we couldn't just leave it there!  So we took it to the church, gave it a bath and went home to feed it.  We talked with our roommates and they said they had just found an investigator who had tons of cats and could probably help.  So we took an emergency run over there during dinner time.  Risky, our little kitten, (it means dangerous in English and blessing in Indonesian)  is doing great.  Everyday is an adventure :)

I love you!  Have a wonderful week!  

Hawkins Shimai