It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like......December!

So we're just idiot Americans who don't actually know then Thanksgiving is. I totally thought it was last week. Apparently it's this Thursday. All last week we kept sharing messages about being Thankful talking about our American Holiday. Oh well, Japanese people have never heard of Thanksgiving in their life so they don't know we're dumb :) This past week was crazy. Lyles Shimai is now in Fukuoka being a Sister Training Leader and Eddy Shimai is now safely in Nagasaki. Here's the crazy part though, Last week Cullison Shimai and Lyles Shimai taught a lesson to their investigator named Yamamoto who was once mine and Heaton Shimai's investigator as well back when we were a trio. At the lesson, they challenged Yamamoto San to baptism and at the time she just wasn't sure if she really wanted to get baptized or not, but she said she would pray and think about it. Fast forward about 8 hours later, and Yamamoto san comes to English Class that night, and after it's over, she starts talking to Lyles Shimai and starts crying. Apparently, she had been thinking about getting baptized all day long and she recieved an answer that she wants to get baptized on her birthday! Well guess when her birthday is. NEXT THURSDAY. Fast Forward to the present time. Basically, we're all helping to prepare this woman to get baptized next Thursday by meeting with her basically every single morning this week so that she can learn all of the commandments and being keeping them in time. It's crazy! This morning all four of us sisters taught her about the Word Of Wisdom and it was one of the smoothest lessons ever! She just basically said "Yea, it's way good to be healthy. I love being healthy. I don't really even drink coffee or tea so I don't have any problems with this." Wait what? A Japanese person without Word of Wisom problems? Is this for real? I just have to testify that Japan is SO prepared for this gospel! Also, yesterday at church, between the four companionships of missionaries in Nagasaki we had 5 investigators at church! It was such a great day. And Sacrament meeting was wonderful. Malcom Choro, our new zone leader that just transfered here last week was asked to speak along with Eddy Shimai, and he calls me up Saturday night and says "Hey, I think I want to sing in sacrament meeting tomorrow and I hear you can play the piano." Turns out this kid has the voice of an angel and just blows everyone's socks off with a beautiful display of "There is a green hill far away" in English and Japanese. It was pretty rockin. Pretty sure we're going to have to do some Musical Missionary work this transfer and just sing Christmas songs to people so we can talk about Jesus with them. Malcom Choro is going to be our new secret weapon. Speaking of Christmas, IT"S JUST A NORMAL BUSINESS DAY IN JAPAN! Everyone just goes to school and work and no one really celebrates it all that much. Is that ridiculous or what? It's a little depressing. However, Nagasaki is one of the most Christian areas in Japan so luckily, we actually do have a few shopping centers with Christmas trees and various decorations put up. It always makes me happy :) Plus, we're getting out our mini 5 foot Christmas tree for our apartment today and I'm so excited! And we've all started singing Christmas songs while riding our bikes sometimes and then it feels a little more like Christmas time :) Well, I hope everyone enjoys their real Thanksgiving this week! I'm going to be in Sasebo on Thanksgiving for a zone conference where there's an Indian Curry all you can eat restaurant that we always go to. So at least we'll have a little piece of our beloved American holiday. Celebrating in Japan, eating massive amounts of Indian food. It's not quite the same but hey, beggars can't be choosers so I'll take what I can get! Love you all! Be thankful for peanut butter this week! And Wheat bread! Wells Shimai