We had a great week!

Trio!

Saying goodbye to District Leader Elder Maki

Enjoying a Spring day before it ends

With Liu Fang

Clam soup!

Children at English Class

Ohayo gozaimasu Kazoku! 

Time definitely does not exist anymore! I've almost been in Japan for two months already! Crazy! The heat has arrived, but it's only just beginning. I've been hearing horror stories about the summers in Japan. Wish me luck!

This week has been awesome! One of the blocks that we are over in the ward was having a party and wanted to go to the zoo. We weren't going to go but then Liu Fang said she wanted to go with us so we went. We had so much fun and let me say I think giraffes are my favorite animal now. While we were eating, we had really good discussions with her about God and how the reason we keep telling her to pray is because we can't give her all the answers and we don't know everything.  She said she is starting to feel God more and then we were walking towards the giraffes and she said, "oh I'm so excited!" We thought she meant to see the giraffes but then she said, "no, to feel Gods love more in my life." It was so funny and then she got the chills and it was so awesome! We almost set a baptismal date with her but she said she isn't ready to pick a day yet and she isn't quite sure of the importance of baptism. So now we know we need to talk more about Jesus Christ and why we need baptism. But we were so close! 

On Thursday we met with Chen to have dinner at the church and she made us Chinese food and uh.. I had clam soup. It was definitely a new experience.  On Friday we met with a girl who we met on the train last week. She is half Filipino and half Chinese  and speaks amazing English. She's also practically a model! Oh! She knows about Mormons because she watches this YouTube Mormon guy's videos. I'm not sure who he is but she loves how he always talks about families and she said she wants a family like his. I wish I could tell him thanks for his videos because they are helping people from across the world!  Her step dad recently died from cancer so next time we meet with her we want to talk more about the plan of salvation. She is so cool though and she wants to meet with us more! She also took a Tagalog and English Book of Mormon and is excited about it!

If there's one thing I've learned this week is that fasting is so important! Almost everything I fasted for happened right away! Liu Fang, Sayuri, and Mari chan all came to church and stayed the whole time! After Fang left Sticht Shimai seemed to be having a deep conversation with Sayuri and a member and we were supposed to have a lesson with Mari with Aoki Shimai but I didn't want to interrupt the lesson. I decided to get to know Mari a little bit more and turns out she knows more English than we thought and she also likes drawing like me! I decided just to have a lesson with her and Aoki Shimai and her son. We taught her about the plan of salvation and it went really well! Afterwards Sticht Shimai told me that she set a baptismal date with Sayuri! Miracles were happening! For dinner the Yamanita family invited us over and they had a big family dinner. It was so awesome! I felt right at home! Yuki served her mission in Salt Lake and she was talking to me for awhile and she just comforted me so much. I love her and her family! Oh, I also bore my testimony for the first time in sacrament. Last fast Sunday there was never a lull, so it just didn't happen, but I worked up the nerve this time and it was great because way more members talked to me afterwards. 

I am loving my mission so much! I wish I could stay in Urawa the whole time but I know that won't happen. I am learning so much and I am growing closer to my Savior. I love helping people learn more about God and Jesus Christ. This gospel is for everyone and the Book of Mormon is so true and powerful! I love you all so much! Thank you for everything you do! I'll see you soon for Skype! AHHH! Aishiteimasu!

Love Lacey Shimai