August 20
That's right kids! I have been out for one month! It's time to celebrate! I take flowers, cards, candy, and cash. Just kidding. But not really. ;)
Oh my goodness!! How was the happiest place on earth!?! I hope you all had lots of fun! Max, you made me proud by hugging all the right disney characters. It goes to show you have good taste in princesses cuz you hugged my favorite princess, Belle!
This week has been exhausting. I was having a hard time yesterday staying awake because I was so incredibly exhausted! The language is getting more complicated and the grammar is getting crazier. I am trying my hardest to be positive about it. Just pray that I can retain everything I learn every day cuz it is so much.
Sunday was wonderful because Rosemary Wixom came to speak to us. Mom, I'm sure you know her. She spoke so powerfully and wonderfully. If you can, you should look up her talk. It is so goood!!!
Monday was also I really good day because when we taught Nagashimada, Miyaki Shimai bore a strong testimony at the end of the lesson that made Nagashimada feels the spirit very powerfully. I was so proud of Miyaki Shimai! We work great together! During language study that night, Miyaki Shimai and I were going over grammar and some of the Elders (who are going to Australia, Korean speaking. Crazy huh?!) here who we met about a week before came into our classroom and gave Miyaki Shimai and I little asian smiley face stickers to thank us for being so nice to them when they first came into the MTC. It was so fun!
Tuesday was BOMB! Like the good kind. It was devotional day and everybody had been anticipating it because there was a rumor that an apostle was coming. It was supposed to be broadcasted to all the MTC's across the world. So I said, "Hey Miyaki Shimai, lets go join the choir today so it can seem like we are valiant, consistent, choir attending people." Ya that bit me in the rear. I will go into details later.
So we go to the Marriott center and we get our seats in the choir and we practice and wait for him to arrive and then. RICHARD G. SCOTT walks in! Ultimate score!!! Best devotional ever! He spoke about prayer and how important it is to pray to our heavenly father. He came up to the pulpit and said to us very fervently, "I love you so much, I love missionaries!" He then went on to talk about how prayer is such a sacred privilege. Our Heavenly Father is not far away from us whenever we do pray. He is right next to us. Waiting for us to tell him all about our challenges and concerns. "You cannot rush an effective prayer," He said.
Near the end of his talk he paused and I could tell that he was not reading off anything on the screens anymore. Tears came to his eyes and he said, "I want to tell you why I am so emotional tonight, I have been away from my wife for about 20 years and I feel very strongly that the Lord permitted my sweet wife to be here with us tonight. I feel her presence here. I feel so much power in missionary work. I wish I could talk with every single on of you, get to know you, know your concerns and fears, but I feel very strongly to bless you all tonight. Especially those of you who are learning a new language. With the apostolic power that I hold, I bless every single one of you with the gift of tongues. You will be successful in your efforts. I say that with all my soul." As he made that promise to us there was a tangible wave throughout the center. You could feel the power of the promise he made. As I felt the wave come over me I felt my whole being tremble and I could feel my heart swell with the power of our loving Heavenly Father. I knew that promise was real. The witness that every single of us missionaries received that night was from God. We were reminded of who are representing and what our work is.
I know that the Lord, our loving God is real, he is near us and listens intently to every prayer we make. I love His Son, Our Savior and Redeemer. I testify that the Savior lives and wants to bless us with His love, I know that as we come unto Him, he will mold and transform us into the kind of disciples we need to be. I love Him. Just the thought Him makes me swell with joy. I am so grateful for my experience in Jerusalem. It has forever changed me. The Savior has forever changed me. I hope to be always worthy of the Spirit so that I can remain close to Him throughout the rest of my life. This is my witness, In the name of Jesus Christ Amen.
Love, Staples Shimai
P.S. Oh so you wanna know what happened with the whole choir thing? So after the devotional one of the Elders in my district runs up to me and says, "Staples Shimai! Oh my gosh you wouldn't believe it! The camera like zoomed into your face big time while you were singing in the choir and then it went off to the rest of the choir and then it came back to you and zoomed in again. It was wicked awesome!!!!" I was horrified. Basically all the MTCs across the world got up close and personal with me and I didn't even know it. Great. I almost cried my self-consciousness to sleep that night. No big deal. Love you all. Peace and Blessings children.
Oh my goodness!! How was the happiest place on earth!?! I hope you all had lots of fun! Max, you made me proud by hugging all the right disney characters. It goes to show you have good taste in princesses cuz you hugged my favorite princess, Belle!
This week has been exhausting. I was having a hard time yesterday staying awake because I was so incredibly exhausted! The language is getting more complicated and the grammar is getting crazier. I am trying my hardest to be positive about it. Just pray that I can retain everything I learn every day cuz it is so much.
Sunday was wonderful because Rosemary Wixom came to speak to us. Mom, I'm sure you know her. She spoke so powerfully and wonderfully. If you can, you should look up her talk. It is so goood!!!
Monday was also I really good day because when we taught Nagashimada, Miyaki Shimai bore a strong testimony at the end of the lesson that made Nagashimada feels the spirit very powerfully. I was so proud of Miyaki Shimai! We work great together! During language study that night, Miyaki Shimai and I were going over grammar and some of the Elders (who are going to Australia, Korean speaking. Crazy huh?!) here who we met about a week before came into our classroom and gave Miyaki Shimai and I little asian smiley face stickers to thank us for being so nice to them when they first came into the MTC. It was so fun!
Tuesday was BOMB! Like the good kind. It was devotional day and everybody had been anticipating it because there was a rumor that an apostle was coming. It was supposed to be broadcasted to all the MTC's across the world. So I said, "Hey Miyaki Shimai, lets go join the choir today so it can seem like we are valiant, consistent, choir attending people." Ya that bit me in the rear. I will go into details later.
So we go to the Marriott center and we get our seats in the choir and we practice and wait for him to arrive and then. RICHARD G. SCOTT walks in! Ultimate score!!! Best devotional ever! He spoke about prayer and how important it is to pray to our heavenly father. He came up to the pulpit and said to us very fervently, "I love you so much, I love missionaries!" He then went on to talk about how prayer is such a sacred privilege. Our Heavenly Father is not far away from us whenever we do pray. He is right next to us. Waiting for us to tell him all about our challenges and concerns. "You cannot rush an effective prayer," He said.
Near the end of his talk he paused and I could tell that he was not reading off anything on the screens anymore. Tears came to his eyes and he said, "I want to tell you why I am so emotional tonight, I have been away from my wife for about 20 years and I feel very strongly that the Lord permitted my sweet wife to be here with us tonight. I feel her presence here. I feel so much power in missionary work. I wish I could talk with every single on of you, get to know you, know your concerns and fears, but I feel very strongly to bless you all tonight. Especially those of you who are learning a new language. With the apostolic power that I hold, I bless every single one of you with the gift of tongues. You will be successful in your efforts. I say that with all my soul." As he made that promise to us there was a tangible wave throughout the center. You could feel the power of the promise he made. As I felt the wave come over me I felt my whole being tremble and I could feel my heart swell with the power of our loving Heavenly Father. I knew that promise was real. The witness that every single of us missionaries received that night was from God. We were reminded of who are representing and what our work is.
I know that the Lord, our loving God is real, he is near us and listens intently to every prayer we make. I love His Son, Our Savior and Redeemer. I testify that the Savior lives and wants to bless us with His love, I know that as we come unto Him, he will mold and transform us into the kind of disciples we need to be. I love Him. Just the thought Him makes me swell with joy. I am so grateful for my experience in Jerusalem. It has forever changed me. The Savior has forever changed me. I hope to be always worthy of the Spirit so that I can remain close to Him throughout the rest of my life. This is my witness, In the name of Jesus Christ Amen.
Love, Staples Shimai
P.S. Oh so you wanna know what happened with the whole choir thing? So after the devotional one of the Elders in my district runs up to me and says, "Staples Shimai! Oh my gosh you wouldn't believe it! The camera like zoomed into your face big time while you were singing in the choir and then it went off to the rest of the choir and then it came back to you and zoomed in again. It was wicked awesome!!!!" I was horrified. Basically all the MTCs across the world got up close and personal with me and I didn't even know it. Great. I almost cried my self-consciousness to sleep that night. No big deal. Love you all. Peace and Blessings children.
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