Happy New Year from Japan!

A children's book that I have used to help me learn kanji (Japanese symbols).

An investigator, myself and Sister Wedekind

Time is racing by.  I have never been so tired at the end of each day.  I could fall asleep at a moments notice.  

The furniture is in the new church building!  I am so excited!  We won't meet there until January 12th though which is a bummer.  Today we should get our transfer call.  It's 3 o'clock and we still haven't gotten a call.  I'm nervous, but excited.  I love these people.  These members in the military branches are so strong.  Everyone is employed, engaged in missionary work and self sufficient.  They love missionary work and are excited to help.  I am one blessed missionary to have the opportunity to spend so much time here in Okinawa.  

I got some great advice from our Military District President's wife the other day.  She said that if you're not having fun you're doing something wrong.  I love that!  The other day I was outside with Sister Capener in the rain and wind for 5 or 6 hours.  It was miserable weather, but all I could think about was how happy I was.  I love Okinawa.  I love these people.  I'll take any chance I have to serve them.  And while I'm at it I might as well have a huge smile on my face.  You can't help but love the people you serve. 

I am so grateful for everyone who sent me a package, letter or email.  Thank you notes are on there way out as we speak!  

Mom sit down for this.  I went to a sushi go-around the other day with a member and her friend and guess what?!  I not only ate sushi, but I liked it.  This is coming from the kid who wouldn't eat anything slightly unusual or green before her mission.  It's a miracle!  

What?!  A sushi bar!

My friend and I at the sushi bar.

I had a great Christmas.  I really felt Heavenly Father's love.  I stayed super busy.  Even Christmas day, Sister Capener and I were visiting investigators and less actives.  However, on our way home Christmas Eve to our apartment I was thinking about home.  I was thinking about you guys and real beds (although I have nothing to complain about futons) and maps where I can read and understand the instructions.  I said a silent prayer to Heavenly Father that I would be able to be happy.  That I could have a good attitude and feel loved.  I looked up a minute later to someone waving frantically off the side of the road.  It was one of our sweet members from the Japanese ward (congregation).  She had seen us biking home so she grabbed some hot chocolate for us.  I barely had time to say thank you before she was gone.  It was my Christmas miracle :) Heavenly Father heard my prayer and sweet Sister Aiko answered it.  I am so blessed!

The Cochrans and I on Christmas Day.

A gingerbread building contest.  Sister Capener and I won.  The Elders just didn't have what it took to beat us. :)

Acting out the first Christmas :)

When I first got on my mission, I was in awe when my senior companion (usually the missionary with the most experience) would hear someone's situation and then pull out a scripture that went perfectly with how they were feeling.  I remember seeing her doing that and thinking someday I wanted to be able to do that.  Well, the other day we knocked on a door and much to our surprise a man opened the door really upset.  He had been crying.  He told us that his best friend had just passed away.  My heart went out to this man.  I reached for my Book of Mormon and shared one of my favorite scriptures with him.  Alma 40:11-12.  http://www.lds.org/scriptures/bofm/alma/40?lang=eng  He thanked us and invited us back.  As I walked away from his doorstep, I had a flashback to my first week in Japan and remembered my silent thought that I wanted to some day be able to do that.  It was so neat.  It was definitely Heavenly Father's inspiration, but it was still cool! 

Lastly, on a funny note.  We played soccer this morning on base.  We had tons of  non-members and members there.  Soccer is not particularly my sport (some of you may already know this).  My feet have yet to be able to catch up with my head.  I'm working on that.  Anyway, I miraculously got the ball all by myself.  I headed up the field totally excited.  I must have had a huge grin on my face.  Well I forgot that there would be a goalie there to halt my progress.  Long story short, I didn't score but I did full on tackle that poor man.  It was a football move more than a soccer one.  Totally embarrassing!  

Well I hope you have a wonderful week!  I love you!  

Wishing you a happy New Year from Okinawa (or where ever I get transferred! :)

Sister Hawkins

Christmas in Okinawa!

Christmas Day in Okinawa

We had a great visit with McKenna on Christmas Eve!  (Christmas Day in Japan).  She sounds great, looks great and is happy to serving the people of Japan.  She spoke some Japanese to us and it sounded official, although none of us are qualified to critique it.  She did not send a letter because of our ability to Skype.

Sister Capener and Sister Hawkins

Having a Merry Christmas!

A screen shot of our Skype with McKenna!

Fashion statement!

My natural habitat!

The new church ….almost complete!

Great news!  Remember our washing machine?  Well, it (the washing machine) never got better.  In fact, it got worse.  The Williams (the super senior missionaries in our area) sent a repair man to look at it for us.  When he got here, I think he just assumed we didn't know how to use it.  Why would he think such a thing?  He told us that we pushed the wrong button and that if we followed directions it would work properly.  After that conversation, Sister Capener and I felt completely stupid.  But, he said since he was already there he would double check things.  A couple minutes later he showed us a water hose with a huge gash in it. THAT WAS WHY IT WASN'T WORKING!  Sister Capener and I did a leap for joy!  We were so relieved that there was something actually wrong with the washer!  Yippee!  He apologized too :)  It was the only time in my life I was grateful that something was actually broken.  What a relief!  I've had a blast doing laundry lately!  :)

We had an incredible miracle last night. We contacted a less active member, Akiko Shimai last night. We had tried to contact her three or four times when we happened to be in the area, but we had never met her. Last night was our last attempt and on the fourth knock and after no response we started to leave. We decided that we were not going to visit her again. On our way back to our bikes, a little defeated, we heard someone open the door. When I saw it was a woman, I could of tackled her!  She finally answered the door! I walked back and when she saw us she stopped and asked if we were sister missionaries. We answered yes!  Her whole face just lit up.  That never happens.  Usually we have the exact opposite response.  Instead she said that she was so happy to see us.  She had never met sister missionaries in Okinawa before. We started talking and found out that she had served a mission in Hiroshima (when it use to be just the Hiroshima mission) and we had a wonderful discussion about the blessings of going on a mission. We shared our experiences and the joy and hard times we all experience. It was one of the neatest experiences of my entire mission!  Words cannot describe how happy she was to see us and how excited we were to talk to her.  Afterwards, I asked if we could come back next week and get her help while we practiced teaching the missionary lessons to her. She agreed! It was so neat to have such an open conversation with her about the gospel. I love her! Things are going great in Okinawa. I've found that when we work hard and do all that we can the Lord puts people and experiences in our path. 

Our "cold" weather gear and reflective belts for biking in the dark.  Cute, huh?!

Secret Santas with our zone. Super fun!!

 

Mom, Dad, Mo, Ray, Syd and Hannah! I am super excited to skype you on Christmas!  I just realized that Christmas is my next preparation day.  It will be here before we know it!  I can't wait to talk to you guys!  I hope you have a wonderful week!  I love Okinawa.  I love the people and I am so grateful I am on a mission.  Good luck with school, sports and whatever else comes at you this week! がんばてください

 

あいしていますよ

Hawkins Shimai

Families, Friends and Fun!

"Putting on the armor of God" :)

Hikari and I…She is so cute!  Sister Capener and I taught her family a Home Evening Lesson and she followed me everywhere!  She reminds me of Hannah when Hannah was little!

This week has been an adventure.  Let me just start out by saying dogs may be man's best friend, but they're a missionary's worst nightmare!  Everywhere we went this week there seemed to be a dog chasing after us.  Luckily we can out run them on our bikes.  I am grateful we're a "bike riding" mission.  It's safer!  We're going to start buying dog treats.  Seriously though.  The pet store is on our "to do" list today.  

A couple days ago we were biking past the new church building which is still under construction.  We stopped and talked to two friendly men who were standing outside the gate of the church.  We introduced ourselves and asked if they had ever met missionaries before.  Their response was, "I was a missionary."  We weren't expecting that!  Turns out they were the head contractors from Tokyo who had flown down to inspect the building.  We had a great conversation with them and they said that the building should be finished this week!  I hope so!  

This week we had a blast making biscuits with our best friend Sister Wedekind and her Japanese neighbor.  It was a huge treat using an oven.  Afterwards we taught a lesson.  Sister Wedekind's neighbor just had a baby boy and so she was really interested in how the church could help strengthen her family and how she could learn about what she should teach her son.  It was a phenomenal lesson.   We were able to translate for Sister Wedekind and we had a fun lesson in a mix of English and Japanese.  

Sister Wedekind and her neighbor a new baby and I making biscuits!

We also met with a woman I got to know at our Thanksgiving dinner party.  She is a wonderful lady and has two children who are in middle school.  Life has dealt her some pretty hard cards, but she is a wonderful mother and always perseveres.  She wants her daughter to start coming to Young Women's (the church's youth program for girl's 12 yrs to 18 yrs)!  She can go as soon as the new building is ready (Young Women's will change from Wednesday to Tuesday starting then).  As we spoke with her, she shared with us lots of experiences that she has had over the years with the church.  She met a missionary 20 years ago while she was living in main land Japan.  She still had his business card!  She showed it to us.  It was incredible.  And then for the past 20 years she has always had either a Mormon neighbor or friend.  While she was living in D.C. she loved to drive past the Washington D.C. temple.  She loved it.  Hearing her experiences really strengthened my testimony that every time we meet someone we are planting a seed.  Sometimes it takes 20 years or longer for the seed to bloom, but eventually it happens.  I am so grateful for those people in her life who made a difference even if they didn't realize it at the time. 

We had stake conference (a regional church meeting) and our mission president and 2 assistants to the president flew down from Fukuoka.  This picture is of some of the missionaries and church members.

The hardest thing about serving a military branch ( a small congregation) is that so many people are coming and going.  Lute is leaving with her family to go back to the states.  We are so sad!

I love Okinawa!  I love the people, I love the language and I love serving them.  I am just so darn happy!  I hope you have a wonderful week and I'll talk to you soon!  Merry Christmas :) 

Love,
Sister Hawkins

Thanksgiving in Okinawa

All the missionaries on the island of Okinawa got together for Thanksgiving!

Sister Ande Burger….she put on the Thanksgiving feast!

This week was marvelous.  All of the missionaries on our island got permission to go on base for Thanksgiving dinner.  There were about thirty of us!  It was fun to see everyone and have things made out of an oven for a chance.  It's hard to make pumpkin pie out of a toaster oven which is all we have in Japan (except on the military bases they have real ovens).  I am so grateful for my family!  Mom my cooking is substantially sub-par compared to yours.  I'm working on it :)  It was really nice of the members on the military base in Okinawa to let us come eat Thanksgiving dinner with them.  Lots of them invited their friends and we had great gospel centered conversations.  The longer I am out on my mission (And it's been over 6 months) the more I realize that the gospel positively affects every aspect of our lives.  I cannot imagine trying to navigate the rough patches of life without the knowledge I have.  Life would be harder, it would be less joyous and it just wouldn't be the same without the blessings of Lord's church.  I am one grateful missionary :)  

This week our apartment went from a home for 2 to a home for 6.   We had a zone training meeting so the other sisters in our area came and stayed the night.

Sister Capener and I ….sitting on our futon (what we sleep on).

Sister Coles, Sister Owada, Sister Hawkins, Sister Andaca

It doesn't really feel like December here because it's still sunny and beautiful.  No sign of snow that's for sure!  It did finally start to get cold.  I guess I can't complain too much because it is December.  It's about time.  Sister Capener and I have really tried to emphasize Christmas a lot when we are out on the streets finding people.  Almost everyone celebrates Christmas here, but almost no one knows the meaning behind it or has even heard of Jesus Christ.  Christmas here is really happy and a time for family.  We are trying to explain that no one has to wait until December 25th to feel the joy of the season.  It can be theirs all year long.  Luckily "Merry Christmas" in Japanese is still "Merry Christmas" :)  One less phrase I have to learn! 

The highlight this week was our lesson with Mizue San.  We met her one night on the street outside of a busy store.  She was really sweet, but didn't seem to have a lot of interest in what we were talking about.  But we gave her a flyer and got her number and mentioned maybe she could help us with our Japanese.  She was really enthusiastic about that idea and agreed.  We met up with her this week and had one of the most powerful experiences of my entire mission.  We had dinner with her and throughout our entire conversation with her she was asking really specific questions about what we did as missionaries and what we believed in.  We found out that a week before we initially met her that her grandmother had passed away.  On the flyer we gave her it said that missionaries could help her find out more about what happens after this life.  We bore our testimonies that through the gospel families can be eternal and that death is only a temporary separation.  All of us felt the spirit really strongly.  I highlighted a few scriptures in the Book of Mormon and gave it to her.  She said that she was hoping to find an answer to her questions and felt like the "coincidence" of running in to us was a miracle.  I am recognizing more and more that there are rarely just coincidences out here serving the Lord.  When you're working hard and doing what's right good things happen.  I am grateful that Heavenly Father loves us young inexperienced missionaries enough to let us play a small part in these peoples lives.

On a funny note (mom and dad you will appreciate this): for some reason all my companions sing.  And not just sing, but they sing like angles.  Sister Capener is no exception.  She has a great voice.  And because she is my companion people just assume because she sings well so do I.  False.  Totally wrong.  Yet, I still get wrapped up into every choir performance, stake conference special musical number, etc that is going on in Okinawa, Japan.  The worst part is, I'm not tone deaf and I can tell I'm horrible.  I literally sing like a man who has been smoking most of his life.  I'm hopeless.  So if you're prayers this week could go towards the 6 part song that Sister Capener and I will be singing with 4 other angel-like voices I would really appreciate it.  It's for the open house.  I don't even read music!  I need a miracle.  

Me with a Hindu Book of Mormon….I thought Japanese was hard!

My new friend that I met at the talent show!

Missionaries on bikes!

Anyways family, I love you!  Have a wonderful week!

love,

Hawkins Shimai

Small World!

Sister Black (served in Japan, but was on her way home) and ran into Mary Merrill in the Seattle airport.

Small world!  I can't believe that Mary Merrill ran into Sister Black at the Airport!  What are the odds?  I love the picture you sent me mom.  She was my sister training leader and she trained my trainer, Sister Capener (trainers are missionaries who are experienced and trusted to help and teach brand new missionaries with the local customs, language and work day habits).  In mission terms that makes her my mission grandma :)  I'm glad she made it back safe and sound!

This week was a miracle week.  It really, really was!  We found a wonderful new investigator (this is a term that we missionaries use to describe people who are not members of the church and are unfamiliar with the teachings of the LDS church but they want to learn about the doctrine), our other investigator got baptized and on a unrelated topic, I got our "Sisterhood of the Traveling Scarf".  :)  I'll fill you in... but first something funny.

I really don't like "housing" (term missionaries use for knocking on doors to find people who might be interested in learning about the church).  It's not super effective because people have the option to not open their door and they're really good at closing the door quickly.  But last night we decided since it was a Sunday and lots of families were home that we would "house" a huge apartment complex.  After the first 10 doors (when we would introduce ourselves people would "Kekko" us and shut the door)  I was fed up.  I hate the answer "no".  So I thought I would change things up a little bit.  The next door we knocked on a woman in her mid 40s opened.  I just started up a conversation... in English.  She was totally taken back and had no idea what to say.  Her eyes got really big and SHE KEPT THE DOOR OPEN!  :)  I switched to Japanese and explained what we were doing here and she listened!  We tried the new approach over the next couple floors and it worked.  It was a fun, entertaining night.  We found two new investigators. 

Oh!  I forgot to mention.  We got transfer calls!  I'm staying in Okinawa and so is Sister Capener.  We are still companions!  We work really well together and we were excited to stay together.  I was really grateful I didn't get transferred because apparently up north, on the mainland, it is freezing and I don't have a coat (yet)!  It is still about 75 degrees here everyday AND the new church building will be completed soon here in Okinawa!  All very exciting!

Our investigator got baptized!  He will be the last person to be baptized in the East China Sea, because the new church building will be finished soon. 

It was a beautiful service.  The weather was perfect and I wore my lucky scarf!  My best friends and I are all serving missions around the world so to stay connected we send around a scarf.  I got the package just in time to wear it to the baptism! 

Sister Capener, Justien and I (I am wearing the "traveling scarf" :)

We are so excited for our investigator and for our best friend, his wife!  We can't wait to see them get sealed in the temple (they're planning on next December!).  A sealing is a marriage performed by proper priesthood authority from Jesus Christ, as talked about in the Bible in Mathew 16:19, that enables a couple to get married for "Time and Eternity" instead of just until death.

Lastly, we had a lesson with our wonderful investigator Sumiko San this week and it was really powerful.  We just taught the basics: about God and prayer.  Sumiko could not understand why God would still love her even though she is imperfect.  It had never really crossed my mind.  I just have a really strong testimony that God lives and that not only does he love us but he knows us by name.  I asked Sumiko about her family and her kids.  I asked if they ever made mistakes.  She replied that of course they do.  Then I asked her if she still loved them even though they are not perfect.  It helped her understand that God loves his children just like she loved her children.  We read a scripture in the Book of Mormon about how God knows all his children and he created them.  She read that scripture and tears started to roll down her face.  She never knew she had a loving Heavenly Father who knew her.  It was such an incredible experience!

I tied my companions (Sister Coles) luggage on the back of my bike so that we could take it to the church for transfers.

This week was a miracle.  I love serving the people of Japan.  I love them!  They are my brothers and sisters.    I hope you guys have a wonderful week!  Have a great Thanksgiving!  Eat lots! Everything is going well in Okinawa Japan!

love, 

Sister Hawkins

Andrew, Justien, Sister Coles and I.

I have realized this week, especially, that Heavenly Father has a plan for us.  It never ever goes according to our plans, but it always works out.  I love the quote from Elder Bednar (one of the 12 Apostles) which says something to the effect of just get up and get to work, just be a good boy or a good girl and the rest will fall in to place.  When you're working hard, good things happen and even a miracle or two.  We had two back to back popped tires in the middle of nowhere this week.  Luckily our angels, the Williams, were able to track us down and help us.  In the meanwhile, we were a little bummed because we had appointments we wouldn't be able to keep.  We just decided that we were going to make the most of it.  So we started to knock on doors and we came across an incredible woman.  When we knocked on her door and explained who we were she lit up.  She had some questions about the bible and wanted help in finding answers.  She ran in to the back room and came back with a bible that was marked and highlighted everywhere.  In my four months in Japan I have never seen that.  There are very few Christians here.  It was such a neat experience to help her find answers in the Bible and the Book of Mormon.  I can't wait to go back!  Sometimes all we need in life are a couple of popped tires to slow us down so we can see great things happen. 

Flat bike tires!  Twice in one week!

Also, our investigator, Josh, is getting baptized this upcoming week.  Josh is married to a member who we have been working with a lot over the past couple of months.  It has been a privilege watching both of them grow in the gospel and grow closer together.  We even talked about their future temple marriage!  It is moments like these that make everything hard about a mission worth it.  I really can feel Heavenly Father's love for the people of Japan and I am so grateful for the small role that I have the opportunity to play a small part to help my brothers and sisters come unto Christ.  I love being a missionary! 

This week we had a wonderful lesson with our investigator, Takizawa San.  It reinforced to me, the importance of having a member present at every lesson we teach.  Takizawa San has a baptismal date for January 4th and loves to read the Book of Mormon, but she has never been to church.  Every time we mention it she gets nervous and says she is busy.  For our lesson we decided to talk about how we can receive guidance.  Specifically, through church attendance.  We had a church member, Sister Higa, come to the lesson with us.  It was incredible!  It was wonderful for Takizawa to have someone present at the lesson that spoke her language fluently, could relate to her and that had similar problems and experiences.  After talking about church with Takizawa San we invited her during our next lesson to walk to the church with us for a church tour (when no one would be there, to help her become more acquainted with the building and the activities we do there).  However, Sister Higa mentioned that we should just go right now!  Takizawa San agreed, so we all jumped in Sister Higa's car and I had one of the most spiritual experiences on my mission.  Takizawa San loved the church building.  She had never been inside one.  She loved learning about primary (church program for the 3 to 12 year olds), young women's (for the teenage girls ages 12 to 18 years), the chapel and seeing the baptismal font.  I am so grateful for the spirit that is inside of our church buildings.  It was such a neat experience! 

I am learning, growing, laughing (too much), eating weird foods, learning how to change a bike tire, learning to work well with others, getting creative when things don't go according to plan and most of all loving the people of Japan and the message of joy and peace we share.   

Family Home Evening with the Flake and Kihara families and some investigators!

What happens when you try to take pictures with Elders :)!

Decorating for Christmas!

The gospel is true. Families can be together forever and there is no way I will get married anywhere but the temple. 

Sending love from the other side of the world!

Sister Hawkins!