Sanjo!

Sister Yonaha and Sister Lacey in Sanjo-Shi

Sanjo

Sanjo

Sanjo

Raman Restaurant

Beautiful!

Sanjo!

Wow... Where do I begin?! It seriously feels like I just went on
another mission. The Niigata Zone is pretty much it's own mission. It
was fun taking the 5 hour bus ride up here. I won't have temple pday
for awhile because I'm so far away, but, when we have our mission
leadership council meeting Sister Yonaha, me and the zone leaders will
get to take the Shinkonsen (bullet train) down to Tokyo! I'm so
excited! Anyways, Sister Yonaha is amazing! She is the sweetest thing
ever and is also from Okinawa just like Sister Teruya. I can already
tell my Japanese is improving, she doesn't know a whole lot of english
so I've been speaking a lot of Japanese this week. It's finally
starting to get to the point where sometimes I can't remember if I had
a conversation with someone in English or Japanese because the
languages are getting mixed together haha.

I love being Sister Training Leader! I don't really do all the much
although I gave a training at zone meeting my first day here in
Niigata. Oh! I will be going to Sado island tomorrow for exchanges! I
can't wait, I will be with Sister Hubbard from my Mtc district! I have
realized why I have been given this position as STL. The first half of
my mission I feel like I focused on myself and my own desires but now
it's like a switch went off in my head and I'm just constantly
thinking about the other sisters in my zone and what I should be doing
to help them. It's definitely been a growing experience that was much
needed.

Sanjo is a lot different than Saitama. There are fewer people and
hardly no one out walking in the streets. Our teaching pool is a lot
smaller than my other areas but our progressing investigator is so
amazing. She is the most spiritual and pure hearted person I've ever
met. I really believe she will be baptized soon. Oh, and so Sanjo
isn't even a branch... It's called a group and we have a group leader
instead of a bishop or branch president. There are only a handful of
people that come to church and there are a lot of less actives. It's
just like a little family though. There are no babies in the ward
which makes me sad and there's only about 4 youth that come that are
all siblings. Sister Yonaha and I taught the two sisters for young
women's yesterday and it was so fun! And since there's only a small
amount of people church is only two hours. It definitely is a change
but I love it here. It took awhile for Okegawa to steal my heart from
Urawa but Sanjo has taken it pretty quickly. It's already pretty cold
at night but I love the scenery and a lot of people are nicer do I
have a good feeling and strong desires to see many miracles here in
Niigata! Bring on the snowy miracles!

I'm so glad and honored to be a missionary in Japan. Yesterday one of
President Naganos counselors came to church and afterwards did a
little training with us and the elders. It really helped me a lot and
he helped give me advice on how to focus on the youth and younger aged
people. Almost all the leaders of the church in Japan were converts
from age 15-25 so we are trying to focus on them because they are more
open to new ideas. I love this work so much! I have been doing the
Ponderizing and it is amazing how much more I learn and how I feel
more focused on a daily bases. I love you all so much! Thank you for
everything! Aishiteimasu!

Love, Lacey Shimai

Sent from my iPad

Transfers!

Where do I begin.....? I'm getting transferred to.... SANJO!! It's up
north and one of the colder areas... I will probably be there awhile
and if that's the case I will finally have a white Christmas! But,
here's the crazier news... I'm going to be Sister Training Leader....
And my new companion is another Japanese Sister! I guess her English
isn't very good but that's what I need! I need my Japanese to improve.
And since I'll be over the whole Niigata Zone with Sister Yonaha I
will most likely go to Sado Island a few times! I am beyond excited!
I'm sad to leave Okegawa and all the members but I'm excited for this
new adventure. I heard Sanjo is just a small branch with like 10-20
members so it will be like a family! I will be on again in a few hours
to respond to everyone. I love you all so much! I'm grateful for the
opportunity to have more responsibilities and become a better
missionary. Aishiteimasu!

Love Sister Lacey

Sent from my iPad

One week left!

Visiting Tokyo on Preparation Day

Visiting Tokyo on Preparation Day

Visiting Tokyo on Preparation Day

Add caption

Real American Pizza!

Hello everyone! 

There is only one week left until I reach my halfway
mark... This is insane how fast it all goes by. It's crazy how Jason
goes into the mtc on my exact halfway mark! I'm glad you all had a
great time at the temple. I wish I could have been there but I'm glad
he had so many people to support him. I got to watch the Saturday 
sessions of conference and this Saturday we will watch the Sunday
sessions. I loved conference so much! I loved all the talks on
families. And I learned so much from each talk!

This week was good and we had zone conference. I really enjoyed the
whole thing and I need to apply it to my mission. I really liked when
President Dorff said to hold the Book of Mormon in our hands for more
power but also for a safety blanket as needed. I feel like I am
definitely lacking in confidence which isn't something new. I've been
told time and time again that I need to work on my confidence. I feel
like towards the beginning of my mission I wasn't confident about
teaching simply or answering peoples questions but now I think the
language is starting to effect my confidence. I know I need to not
worry about it and its just an excuse but one lady that we teach
always makes fun of my Japanese and says how my companion is better
and it just got a little over board this week so I've been letting it
affect me. But I just need to remember the times when members and
others say I have a pretty pronunciation and I sound like I'm
Japanese. And when I was with Sister Teruya a member called us and I
answered and they though it was her so just started rambling on about
something and I couldn't quite catch everything so I asked if I could
give the phone to her and they were shocked haha. Anyways, I'm trying
to focus on the good. Sorry for that little rant!

So this week we received a few new contact info from some more young
people! I have definitely seen how focusing on the younger generation
is more beneficial. Also, wewent and visited a member who really needs
the missionaries right now and she was just asking us about dendo and
she gave us all sorts of advice on how and where we should dendo! She
told us to go to the high schools and find around there and said how
there are hundreds of young people and they are more willing to except
new things! She said we need to "attack!" We told her about the
conference we had and how we were counseled to focus on high school
aged students! I'm so grateful for members who love to help the
missionaries.

Oh! And remember Yuna from Urawa? She turned 19 a few months ago and
said she wanted to meet me. We went out for lunch and had a great
conversation and she wants to meet with the elders in Urawa. She said
she wishes I was still there but I told her the elders could help her
too. She is so awesome and so sweet! I love her!

I've been trying to think of new ways to be more effective at finding.
I've realized one of my weaknesses is finding and I want to turn it
into a strength. I want to have a better attitude about finding so now
I call it "Fantastic Finding." I was thinking about doing a survey. I
had been thinking about it for awhile but wasn't quite sure how to go
about it and then I got a letter in the mail from Morgan and in her
letter she also sent my a survey she has been doing! I was able to get
more ideas and then my companion and I thought of some questions and
then talked to our ward missionary leader about it and he said he
would print it off for us! I'm so grateful for the promptings of the
Spirit that help me think of new ideas and to help me strengthen my
weaknesses.

We have been considering people who we might have to drop because they
are not making any commitments. Chat does not keep our commitments so
this week we will meet with her again and hopefully we'll be able to
tell if she is still interested or just likes to talk. Namatame... we
think she just really likes to be dramatic. She keeps coming up with
excuses and this week she is concerned that our church doesn't have a
priest or confession room but we told her about bishops. She still was
concerned and today she is in Korea for work and is going to go see a
priest... We'll see how that goes. She was talking to Sister Bettridge
on the phone about all that and I said I wanted to talk to her and she
said no no no because she would cry if she talked with me because she
feels guilty or something and doesn't want to upset me... 

 I'm really excited for Wakutsu San though. We invited her to be
baptized and she said she doesn't think shes good enough or something
but we told her of the blessings. We taught her the whole restorations
and she was a little confused by prophets but then I did a
tatoebanashi (object lesson) and it clicked for her and she completely
explained to us what prophets were! Today we are teaching her about
the plan of salvation and also we want to set a baptismal date. It's a
lot more fun than I thought asking people to be baptized. I definitely
have just been letting fear get in the way. I just need to remember
Jason's miracle and how everything worked out and I just need to
remember that miracles DO happen.

I love this work and I love being a missionary. I'm so grateful to be
in Japan and to be learning and growing so much. There are hard times
and there are even harder times but they help me appreciate and
cherish the good. I know this is Gods work and He has a perfect and
complete plan. He wants all of His children to return to Him. I know
Jesus Christ is my Savior and Redeemer and He knows every one of us
perfectly. I think sometimes we may over look everything and and try
to understand everything better but it is simple. Just like president
uchtdorf said, we need to "simplify." I love you all so much! Thank
you for everything! Aishiteruyo!

Love, Sister Lacey

Sorry Everyone!

Hey! 

Sorry everyone for forgetting to tell you that my pray was
changed today! It was cute to see y'all worried about me :) we had a
great week! I don't have much time today because we are going to
explore around Tokyo today! I'll just share a really cool miracle this
week.

The elders have been working with a guy who has known the missionaries
for about 12 years. They said they dint know how to take the next step
and they think the key might be his wife. So we decided to visit them.
It has been amazing! We've met with her twice in the past week and
I've never taught someone with so much interest before in my entire
life. Everything we tell her she just looks at us with big eyes and is
always on the edge of her seat. Last night we taught her the
restoration and I think that might have been the first time we've
taught the whole restoration all the way through. She is so amazing
and we have another appointment with her! It makes me want to try so
much harder because I know she has sincere interest. I'm so blessed to
be witnessing this miracle.

I'm so grateful I am on a mission learning and growing. It definitely
is a test of faith sometimes but I'm grateful for the hard times
because it makes the good times just that much more special. I love
you all so much! Thank you for your prayers! Aishiteru yo!

Love Sister Lacey

Six months in Japan!

Hello everyone! This week was amazing! We were able to do Mormon Helping Hands this week! They let us know Friday night and we had to leavereally early in the morning Saturday.  We had a bus and a decent size
group came from Saitama Stake. It took us awhile to get to Ibaraki Ken but it was a lot of fun. Japanese people are so organized and structured giving us all tons of instruction and orientations for doing service. Once we finally were done me and my comp and two other ladies from Urawa went to a nearby house and helped clean. The floods
didn't hit too bad in that area but a lot of their things were still destroyed. We helped this elderly couple clean their furniture and clean muddy dishes. The lady was so cheerful despite how ruined a lot of her home was. I wish I could have taken pictures of her home but we were instructed not to. We didn't get back to Okegawa until around 9pm so it was a pretty long trip but we had a great time!

This week we had a mission tour from one of the General Authorities. His name is Elder Whiting and him and his wife both served in Japan. They were so awesome and I learned so much! We were all called to repentance though... Apparently Elder Ballard got onto him and the other area authorities and asked "why aren't we baptizing more in Japan?" He said they were trying to answer and Elder Ballard kept saying "No, that's an excuse." Finally Elder Whiting said how there is a lack of faith. Sister Nagano also threw down on all of us and said how she had 25 baptisms on her mission and president Nagano had like 24 and said its very possible to see so many miracles. They all also said how are success isn't based on the baptisms we see but it is our job to invite. A few months ago we took a survey and the results were how the missionaries in this mission are losing faith. Elder Whiting told us that only 1% of missionaries invite someone to be baptized in the first lesson and only 2% of missionaries extend a
baptismal date on the second lesson. It was a big wake up call for all of us. They also told us how we should focus on the young people and how they are more open to new ideas and how we need to baptize more future missionaries. I have definitely seen how that is important. Just two days later as we were on our way for service I gave a Book of Mormon to a 16 year old and it was 5:45 in the morning! It was such an amazing conference and I know I need to have more faith and not fear man.

Yesterday was awesome! At church Rei brought her other daughter who is not a member. Rei has a daughter named Rin who is a member and Rei is also not a member. I really think her daughter Mayu is the key for their family. She is super shy and quiet but I think she is startingto warm up to me. Also, Olga and her husband came! It was his first time to church and I've never seen Olga so happy! I hope he enjoyed it and I am so excited for that family!

Ai, one of our eikaiwa students, has a lot of potential. I think she has a lot of interest she just doesn't want to admit it. After english bible study we should her "The Hope of God's Light" and she liked it. She asks a bunch of great questions and I love answering   them. She said how she doesn't care about after life but she wants to know why we focus on it so much. I said, "Ai, thats exactly why we want to teach you our lessons." So we finally have a specific appointment for her to start the first lessons. She also asked us to be honest and what do we want her to become and so I told her our purpose and a little bit about baptism but how we're never going to force her. So
she has good expectations set and I look forward to continuing to teach her.

I just want to finish with a humbling experience I had. One night I was just praying and expressing to my Father in Heaven what I was going through and asking for help and strength and so much more. It was all about me me me and then it was like a switch went off in my head. I started praying for the people in Japan. I couldn't help but cry as I poured out my heart for God to help His children here in Japan. I don't know how long I prayed but I realized I have been focusing so much on myself and how I need to improve but after that prayer I realized if I truly focus on others and helping them, I will in the end become the type of person I need to be. It reminded me of 2 Nephi 33 "For I pray continually for them by day, and mine eyes water my pillow by night, because of them; and I cry unto my God in faith, and I know that he will hear my cry." It is now one or my new favorite scriptures. I really am trying to be more sincere and have real intent as I pray now.

This was such a wonderful week and there is truly no where else I'd rather be. I was talking with a member in the ward who is from America and he was just asking me why I came on a mission so young so I was explaining it to him and we had a really good conversation he was a convert at 19 and served at age 21. I know my mission is going to shape me into the type of person I will be in the future. During the Whiting Conference they said they are interested in our missions but are even more interested and concerned in the types of wives/husbands and mothers/fathers we are going to be in the future so we need to make sure we do all that we can to be the best we can be. I love you all so much! I miss you! Aishiteru yo!

Love レイシー姉妹

Typhoons and Earthquakes!

Hello everyone! I'm alive! Barely.... Just kidding. I wasn't hardly affected at all. I'm sure you've all been wondering what happened but I'm sorry to say my story isn't too exciting. People kept telling us that there was a typhoon coming and I was like well I'm gonna keep going until the Mission President tells us not to. Then there was rain
and more rain and more rain and thunder and lightning and rain. But it didn't seem any different than other rainy days. We went around visiting members and they thought we were crazy. Then one morning an earthquake shook us awake. That was pretty much it here in Okegawa but over in Tsukuba is where the floods were. We have been told that we might go help out over there but we still haven't been given the exact time. We really want to go help out and serve so hopefully they'll let us know soon!

Okay, so now on to this week!

Members, members, members! They are amazing! I am learning so much about how more effective missionary work is when we work with members. This week we decided to make cookies for ward members and deliver them
to their house. We went to the Sugawara family and gave them cookies. Her neighbor was outside when we came by and we were able to talk to her. She has met missionaries before but hasn't been interested in church. This time, she told us we could come visit her anytime! Also, the next day, Sugawara Shimai called us and asked if we could meet at the church and have a lesson with her and Okada Shimai. She told us how she was praying about Okada Shimai and then we rang the door bell and brought her cookies, and then after we left she received a message that Okada Shimai had a day off and was able to meet! It all worked out perfectly and the lesson went very well. Okada Shimai is going to try and start coming back to church! Yay for members!

This week at bible study only one student came. She has known the missionaries for awhile and I assumed she had already tried to be taught and wasn't interested. But I wanted to find out for my self what her true beliefs were. We just talked with her and got to know Ai better. Then I asked a lot of inspired questions. I was really focusing on questions that came to my mind from the spirit. Long story short, she agreed to take missionary lessons! She said she doesn't see her self becoming mormon but she does want to learn about religion. I'm excited to teach her the lessons and she even set up our next appointment!

Also, we decided to visit a referral that lives pretty far away so we asked if a member family who lives there to drive us there after church. They willingly agreed and Sugimoto Shimai even went to the door with us! Sadly they were not home but we left a note. On the way home on the train, I sat next to a girl my age and started talking
with her. She seemed a little awkward at first just talking about normal things but when I started talking about the gospel she became way more interested, which is a little flip flopped from most situations. I showed her the Book of Mormon and told her about it. When I finished she said thank you and she really enjoyed talking about that. I then told her she could have the Book of Mormon and she was more than willing to take it! She was so excited! She doesn't live in our area but I gave her a flyer and told her she could search the church in Chiba. I wish I had more time to get her contact information but I'm so grateful for that experience. That was the second Book of
Mormon I gave out on the train that week! I can definitely tell that Heavenly Father is preparing the hearts of the people in Japan. I definitely have a testimony of following the Spirit and knowing who you should talk to because God knows who will listen and who won't.

I like what morgan said in her email about on your mission sometimes you feel like the best person you've ever been but you also feel like the worst. That is so true! It reminded me of Nephi when he says "O wretched man that I am!" Nephi was so righteous but he even felt like a sinner. My comp and I were talking about it and realized the more righteous you become the more you're aware of your sins and wrong things. I don't know, just an interesting thought!

I love you all so much! Thank you for everything! I love being a missionary. I had a dream the other night that I went home and I was kinda miserable... I think it was a sign that I need to enjoy my mission more, the good and the bad! Please continue to keep Japan in your prayers from the recent floods!

Love, Sister Lacey

Loving Life!

Brooke drew this picture for someone who loves Winnie the Pooh!

Hello everyone! Im glad you're all doing great! I'm so happy I'm staying in Okegawa! And Sister Bettridge is awesome! She has a very similar personality as me so it has its challenges.... We are both very indecisive so it takes us forever to decide what we want to eat.  We've realized we both need to become more decisive people. She also likes to give massages so this will be a fantastic transfer! She's known as the Princess Missionary because she's so graceful, tall, and elegant. I love her! And to answer some questions, it is different not having a native speaker but then again I kinda like it. Whenever we would talk to people everyone would just talk to Sister Teruya because they knew she would understand but now it's pretty even and we help each other understand. Sometimes one of us gets one half of the conversation and the other gets the other half. Sister Bettridge is transfer 7 so not too far ahead of me but it's going great! Also, just a quick note, when I was at the mission home President Nagano was talking with me and he said I'm capable of training right now......Yikes.

It was hard saying goodbye to sister Teruya but I'll see her again at the temple. Lots of ward members were really sad she was leaving and it almost got to the point where it felt like they wished I was leaving instead (it probably wasn't the case but I am dramatic). But then Sister Bettridge and I went to visit the member who wasn't able to go to church for a year, Yoshi Shimai, and when she saw I was still she looked at me and said, "you're staying?!" Then she gave me the biggest hug I've ever had since I've been to Japan. I love her so much! It brought tears to my eyes knowing how happy she was I was staying.

So Olga is very hard to meet with sometimes but she has been coming to church on a regular bases. She loves church! We have been trying to set up appointments but she is busy. Finally, we realized she wants to learn how to play piano. Guess what? Sister Bettridge can play the piano! So we have an appointment with her today already to teach her and hopefully we can get some lessons in! Yay!

So very interesting miracle happened yesterday. We decided to go housing just around our apartment because Sister Bettridge's bike still wasn't here. (By the way my area is pretty big, it's kinda like if my area was Apple valley, Victorville, and Hesperia.) But we were walking and then we chose one humble looking apartment. The 3rd door
we knocked on was Ubahara San. She was this really very nice old lady and was talking with us. She eventually let us in the genkan (entry way) and brought out a meshi book (kinda like business cards, everyone uses them here in Japan and I'm getting some soon) and we looked at it and she had a bunch of meshis from missionaries! They looked pretty old and she also has an LDS version of the bible and she gave us one she had in English because she said it's too hard to study. Anyways, long story short, we think she used to be a member but became less active and moved away and is now "lost" per-say. Anyways, she knew a lot about missionaries and is kinda interesting but very sweet and we have an appointment with her later this week!

Thank you all for your love and support! I can't believe at the end of this transfer I will be half way done... Crazy! It isn't as bad as I thought being the senior area companion. It's crazy how I'm blessed to know where places are just from being there one time. It's definitely all the Spirit! I love you all so much!

Love Sister Lacey