konnichiwa!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Typhoon season starts this week!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! hahah I'm kind of excited because me and my bean bought matching purple rain pants- I will definitely take pictures of them- and we're going to rock the streets of Wakayama in them.

More importantly, we met our new mission president and his wife!!!!!!!!!!!!! Oh my heart I love them so much already. We were seated in the chapel in Ibaraki, spiritually preparing on our own (reading scriptures, praying, reviewing old notes) and when he walked in with the Assistants and his wife and they sat on the stand, we sang for them the Kobe Japan Mission theme song which is the Army of Helaman in japanese for a verse and then an edited version of the english to match mission themes. Zinke kaicho made it. When we started to sing I was just super excited to see him and his wife (who looks like Aunt Carol) and then it sunk into my heart that Zinke kaicho and shimai were gone and naturally I cried a little bit, but it's okay because then the Spirit swept into, and lifted my heart and I had this beautiful confirmation that Welch kaicho and shimai are meant to be here to direct the mission as servants of our Lord, Jesus Christ. So naturally I cried a little bit, but it's okay because I decided I'm not crying anymore for the rest of my mission until transfers. hahha which should be fine because we won't be changing presidents anymore.

He has a beautiful vision for the mission and he has a bulletproof testimony. We have interviews with him this week and I'm sooooooo excited to learn from him.

Fun fact-- in the MTC I had the wonderful opportunity to meet and be under the stewardship of a President Daniels-- old mission president of Sapporo, Japan. He served in the Japan Kobe mission at the same time of my current mission president, President Welch, and they are still good friends. President Daniels is AWESOME and we became good friends at the MTC- one of his daughters was in my BYU ward, and another has the first name 'Megan'. While President Daniels was serving in Sapporo, his daughter Megan got married and President Welch danced with her during the ''daddy-daughter'' dance that they do at wedding receptions. So when I introduced myself to him after the conference, he got super excited and asked if my name was Megan and told me this story and he said that we are already good friends. Woooooo! This world is so small.

Our mission is getting Ipads! and also we've been selected as one of the 4 missions in the world that will have regular language exams from the MTC as a study. But we're getting ipads! We'll become facebook missionaries as well and also get to do a lot of family history work and maybe skype for Christmas... but there'll be more training to come. hahah merry early Christmas mom and dad! (: I hope we get to skype!!

I have to go email my president, but thank you all for your emails as always. I love you all and am praying for you!!! We are seeing miracles this week and we'll continue to see miracles. There is nothing better than this work. God lives! He loves each of you and I know with all of my heart that He loves me. He made my soul and He made yours. He made you with many talents and strengths so you can help those around you. You have value!!! He made you with many weaknesses so you can learn to rely on His Son. His Son, Jesus Christ, is the only way we can return to live with God and our families forever. I testify this is true with all of my heart.

Have a wonderful week! Keep the Commandments! they qualify us for eternal life!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

love,

Daniels shimai

p.s. for the 4th we celebrated by dressing up in red, white and blue and carrying around little cupcake toothpicks with american flags on them. I also found hello kitty american flag tissues and we have red and blue umbrellas? hahah we tried. also we got mcdonalds for lunch. I'm trying to convert my new zealand companion to become american. It worked that day.

the second picture is the toy train!!!