Week 26

Hello everyone! 

Wow, what a crazy and exhausting week, it has been awesome!

I just wanted to say thank you for everyone's prayers and support, we seriously have felt it, even all the way out here in Japan! 

This week was full of so many miracles, we had an appointment every single day, we were so blessed! Even though Japan doesn't have the highest baptismal rate or whatever, the work is seriously growing out here and it is so fun to be a part of! I shouldn't brag, but Japan is just the best.

There were a couple things in my personal study that I loved, (also can we just say that the new Come Follow Me program is so inspired, like WOW).  Anyway I was reading in 2nd Nephi 2 where it talks about how there is opposition in all things, which I have read and heard many times, but it was just the greatest reminder to me. Sometimes when I hear that I just think of opposition like Good against evil, and how the world is full of scary things we can't control. But then I took a step back and thought about how there is opposition in my life. And how we can be so much happier when we realize that we need the opposition in our life. We need hard experiences just as much as we need the joyous ones. "He shall consecrate thine afflictions for thy gain" v.2. There was one time this week where I was just riding my bike, the sun was shining, no one was telling us to go away, people thought I was pro at Japanese just because I said Good afternoon, life was just great. And I just thought to myself, why can't a mission just be like this? or why can't life just be like this? Where things were going smoothly, and life was just great. But I realized that I wouldn't learn anything if that is what my mission just was, I wouldn't draw closer to my Savior, I wouldn't grow in ways that I didn't know were possible, and I would take for granted how amazing life really can be. I am not saying I want hard days all the time, but I do know that there is a reason that we have them and I am so grateful we have a Heavenly Father who knows what's best for us. "All things have been done in the wisdom of him who knoweth all things" v.24. I know that during the trial, it's really hard and discouraging, but I challenge everyone to just keep trusting in the Lord because I promise he doesn't want us to feel miserable, hopeless, or sad. Embrace the opposition! He really will give you the strength to endure, and one day we will all look back and realize how that experience has blessed us.

Love and miss you all. Have a great week! 

Here are some great quotes of the week, 

”you're married to an idiot"- words from my lovely companion, who thought I was her spouse for some reason haha 

"I have a sudden urge to meet with you immediately"- wise words from a classic Japanese English shirt, where they just buy it because it has English words but it makes no sense haha 

Love, Christensen Shimai 

Ellie on an elephant

Origami 

Grover Shimai had some neck problems so a member who is some sort of Japanese Chiropractor gave both of us a session for free (don't worry we got permission from our Mission President) but we couldn't help but laugh at the weird techniques. 

He just had like a rubber mallet and block and went crazy haha, it was kinda cool.