Date: Sat, 27 Jul 2013 06:37:24 -0600
Subject: Re: Staples Shimai
From: anne.staples@myldsmail.net
To: janastaples@hotmail.com

MY COMPANION IS PHYSAIKO!

No but really she is. In Japanese that means she is DA BEST. Hello family! I luff you. No. Really I do. This week was really hard, but it was good and it gets harder and better everyday. Mom, I got all of the packages and I about died when I got the girl's drawings. SO CUTE. BEST MOM EVER. I basically had a brain aneurysm when I saw the Almond Joys. Just saying. You sent me all the right stuff and everything is perfect. My companion doesn't get any letters or support because her family doesn't write her. Please pray for her and continue to send her letters and stuff... the culture of her family can be really hard on her. Getting used to the culture of my companion has been challenging. Communication is extremely different with Japanese and so that was really hard especially at the beginning of the week. But it is all well now and we are loving the work!

Miyaki Shimai and I have been working with an investigator, Taniguchi, and on Tuesday when we started our lesson we could tell he was really upset. We asked him how he was doing and he said that his brother had passed away the night before and we felt so terrible for him. But I said a quick prayer that I would know what to say, and how to say it in Japanese. Miyaki Shimai knows more Japanese than I do obviously and so she immediately started going off in Japanese and I had no idea what they were talking about so I felt prompted to flip a couple pages in my Japanese lesson book and I got to a phrase and I was prompted to point it out to Miyaki Shimai and she nodded to me and I said it to Taniguchi and that continued throughout the rest of the lesson. When we said goodbye to him Miyaki Shimai turned to me and said, "Everything you pointed out went perfectly with what I was talking to him about. The Lord was with us when we taught him." I immediately was so full of gratitude for what the Lord had done for us in that room. I had no idea what was going on, but the Lord provided.

This week has just been full of teaching and preparing for lessons. Learning tons of Japanese and feeling kinda confused haha. I LOVE GYM time. Is da best. I have never worked out so consistently in my life. It feels so good. I either play soccer and let my rec soccer skills come back to me. Dad, I'm serious you'd be so proud of me. I think I was meant to play basketball growing up. When I was playing lightning basketball with all the Elders in my district along with Hamula Shimai (one of my roomies), I was scoring 3 pointers like a beast. NOTHING BUT NET. I'm the boy you always wanted. It's great. The Elders in my district were like, "Duuuuude I just got owned by a girl." I then corrected them by saying, "AHEM. A woman. You were crushed by a woman." Mhmmmmm.

Mom, thank you for sending that dear elder. (I usually get the dear elders the day you send them. I get regular mail and packages as soon as they get here. Thank you!) That was exactly what I needed that day. I was having a really really really hard time and it was what I needed to do. I have been praying a lot and I told the lord that I would do whatever it takes to make things work. (I will send a letter to clarify what I am talking about. You will understand what I mean when you get it.) But all in all, I love the work. The Lord has made me so stronger and I feel so blessed.

I adore the girls who I room with. I only have 4 girls in my room. Thank heavens. The beds are slightly terrifying here, I'm serious. I slept in better beds when I stayed in the country Jordan. That's saying something.

I'm so sorry but I only have 5 minutes left, I will work on sending longer letters. The time here goes by so fast and most days I'm like. What just happened today?

I love every single one of you and I wish I could respond to you all. Know that I love you and am so grateful for your support.

Love,

Staples Shimai

Me and my district. I love them all. Some times the Elder's '18 year old' shows every once in the while but they are great.

Our invesitgator Taniguchi. OH WAIT. WE FOUND OUT YESTERDAY THAT HE IS ACTUALLY OUR TEACHER. HE LIED!! I was emotionally invested in that kid and I wanted to baptize him. But no. He seriously had us convinced that he was an investigator. Little stink