Week 7 MTC

 Our zone at the temple- our Senpai left this week, and now we have new cohai! :D

 Our companionship!!

 The skirt I am wearing was altered a little bit by the lovely sisters

in the alteration room! It's now my favorite skirt :)

 my companion held her books all the way back to our room! She's crazy! I love her so much haha. 

 our Departing missionaries-They left on monday

 on our walk to the temple

 Sister Chapman and another Sister from our district-Sister Clark-She reminds me alot of Jaelynn. :)

 I got my hair trimmed this morning :D It was super fun! I can't wait to have my hair cut by Jaelynn when I get home! 

The lady who cut my hair :) She was really nice. She only took a few inches off-no worries! :) 

The Japanese girls I always talk with. They are so cute!! :)

Konnichiwa minosan!!! 

Watashi wa senkyoshi desu! Watashi wa shinjimasen! 

watashi wa MTC o aishitimasu. MTC wa subarashi desu! watashi wa MTC o hontoni manabimasu. watashi wa sensei ga sugoi! Sensei wa ii o oshiemasu. Watashi wa sensei o aishitemasu. 

Kyo, watahi no p-day. Watashi wa letters/emails o yomimashita. watashi no kazoku ni kanshashitemasu. watashi wa kazoku no ai ni kanshashitemasu. watashi wa kamisama no ai ni kanshashitemasu. Kare no ai o tukemasu. 

watashi wa kamisama no tuskeru o inori toki ni, watashitachi o shukufukusururaremasu. 

Hey Family! My week has been really good! :) Thank you for all of the love you have sent to me in all of your letters! They really make my day. On p-days, we print off our emails in the morning and read them during breakfast in our room. On P-days we get the sack breakfast which is a "grab and go" kind of deal. I'm happy with the sack meal as long as I get a peanut butter sandwich- which I did today, so all is well! I am really getting sick of the food here, but every once in a while there is a nice surprise and I'm excited to eat again, haha. The salads are still pretty good, and I'm always look forward to papa johns pizza on Fridays. 

Mom and Josh, thank you so much for the dear elders! They really make my day. I love reading about everyone and what you are all doing. Josh, I'm sorry to hear about your foot! I hope it feels better and stops being puffy-how annoying! 

Also, I have received dear elders from a few people in the ward. Since I don't have very much time, would you please thank Sister Passey, Sister Taylor, and Sister Schipper for their lovely letters. They really have given me encouragement and I really appreciate them all. 

I'm really excited to go to the Temple today. It's always an amazing experience!! I love it. Also, we will be receiving our travel plans next Friday!!! I can't wait to see what our journey will look like. I've pictured leaving and flying for so long. I'm sure my experience will be lots different than I am thinking, but I'm really excited all the same. 

Last night, my companions and I were able to skype a member of the church who lives in Japan and is fluent in Japanese. It was really neat talking with this Sister. I love these people so much already! I can't wait to be in Japan with all of them. 

We leave in 18 days. It's crazy to think about! I'm so excited! 

The district above us (Our senpai) left on Monday, so we are now the oldest district in our zone! We leave next!!! :D Yesterday, we received a whole bunch of new cohai. I'm really excited to get to know them all. :) They look at us like we know everything, but we really don't, haha. Anyway, it will be nice to have some more missionaries in our little branch. 

I'm excited to hear that you are all taking my challenges! I promise the Lord will bless you as you search for people to help around you. Elder Eyring promises some amazing blessings in his talk too. Pray for opportunities in share the gospel. "The Lord sends prepared people to his prepared servants." I've seen this so much! It probably seems a little weird, but I've had countless opportunities to share the gospel with non members/less actives here. Now, you're probably all thinking, "Who in the world would you be teaching in the MTC??" I'm happy to say, that God prepares people no matter where you are. 

Yesterday during our early morning service project, I met a person who was a Sister missionary who returned home from her mission about a year ago. As we worked with her, asking her questions about school, work, her plans, and her mission, she shared some really personal things with us.  She is the sweetest person ever! Anyway, as we talked with her, I could tell she wasn't happy with herself. Before she told us personal things, she talked about her mission being the best thing ever, and how she was a sister training leader for most of her mission. She loved it, and she loved seeing the change in people as she served. She said this was her favorite thing about her mission. I asked her why she served a mission, and she told me that she wanted others to feel the saviors love in repenting. This really touched my heart because this is one of the biggest reasons I have decided to serve. Anyway, Sister Chapman asked her if the people she taught on her mission were still active? She told us that most of them were, and that she still talks to them sometimes. As she replied to this question, I could sense some emotion in her. She then told us that she had not been active in the church for the Last nine months. This Sister then told me that she wasn't the same person. She didn't say very much, but she didn't have to. I could tell exactly what she was going through. I could see it in her eyes and in her emotion. All of a sudden, I felt an instant connection with her. I felt God's love for her so strong, and all I wanted to do was tell her how much God loved her. God loves her so much! It was an indescribable feeling. As we were there alone in the room, I was prompted to tell her of God's love and of my testimony of his redeeming power. As I spoke she had her head down, and I wasn't really sure what her reaction would be, but I've learned here that I ALWAYS need to follow the promptings I'm given. After I finished, She lifted her head up, and looked me in the eyes. She had tears in her eyes and she said, "I know... Thank you.." It was an amazing experience. This was a missionary experience! They can happen anywhere... Even in the MTC where everyone is preparing to serve a mission. God will always prepare people for us to bless, and they are all around us! It is our job to look for them every single day, and in every single place we go. God will send his prepared people to his prepared servants. I know this is true. 

One of the sisters in our District went to the Hospital a few nights ago. She is okay now though. She was having troubles with her intestines. I guess her body has always had a really hard time digesting food. Anyways, I gave her some drops and some of the Natural enzymes Dad packed into my suitcase. It's crazy how healthy this girls eats too! All she eats is Salad and fruits and veggies. Anyway, she is doing better, and we are all really happy she is. :) 

There are so many things I wish I could tell all of you. I wish you could experience some of the things I do here. The church is so true-there is no way it can't be. There are no coincidences. Everything happens for a reason, and I believe that with all my heart. 

Thank you all so much for your love and your prayers. I encourage you all to look for the people you are meant to bless each day in your lives, and follow the spirit when you see them. Pray for God's love. Pray for Charity. This is the greatest work in all the earth, and I'm so blessed to be apart of it.  

I love you all so much. Thank you for everything you are and do. 

love always, 

-Hubbard Shimai