Happy Halloween!!!!!! (:

I can't even describe how awesome and full of tender mercies this week was. But I will start by apologizing for not bringing my camera cord. And I know I promised I'd bring it next week, but I actually promise I'll bring it the next next week! (:

I've never been so exhausted in my entire life but I love being here in Kobe. The entire area is one big slope that starts at the beach and really quickly hits the mountains and all of the roads in between are slanted upwards toward the mountains. It's way pretty!!! But also a super good work out. But I've been spoiled my entire mission in miles of flat rice fields. BUT KOBE IS AWESOME! 

I had my first exchange with a sister this past week and it was by far one of the top 5 experiences of my mission. The area I went to was super country-side and I missed it so much <3 But fun fact: when I was serving in Toyooka there was a really awesome family of 5 (all of the primary and 1/3 of the Young womens) who moved to the area that I went to for exchanges. (It's called Nishiwaki.) And I had heard from one of the assistants to the president who I worked with in Toyooka that the 15 year old girl had gone less-active because she didn't have any friends at church and joined club activities that were on Sunday rather than going to church. SO during the exchange I asked my temporary companion about them and she said they lived pretty close to the church so we went and visited them at night time before dinner. It had been like 10 months since I'd seen them, but we were really close and they freaked out when they opened the door. Unfortunately the mom was still at work, but the dad and the 3 kids were there. We talked to the dad for awhile because the kids went back to watching t.v. and it was awesome to just talk to him because I could finally. My japanese wasn't super good my second and third transfer when we were with them haha. So we asked to take a picture with the whole family in order to lure the kids out of the room so we could share a message or testimony with them. The girl and I talked for awhile and caught up on life and she definitely looked empty-- completely different. After we talked for a while I asked to share a message with them. 

We shared a really simple but powerful message about the power of prayer and how through prayer we can feel God's perfect love for us and know that He exists. And the girl just started crying and I just hugged her and held her for a really long time-- I have no idea for how long. But the Spirit was there and you could feel God's love for her, despite her not coming to church. Heavenly Father loves us perfectly, not because of who we are or who we aren't, but because of who He is. And I whispered in her ear that God loves her and that He will always listen. And she knows. To end we sang her favorite hymn and prayed over them. It was so special and I don't know how to accurately describe to you the power of God's love we felt, but it was definitely there and it was strong and undeniable. Their dad walked us over to our bikes and told us about how he didn't know what to do because he didn't want her to hate church, but he knew how important it was for her to take the sacrament. She'll be okay-- he and his wife are incredible examples and that's all they can be. That's most important. The girl said she wants to be a missionary. 

I don't have any more time but this week was awesome and God is merciful and loves us with a love that is more comforting than the warmth of the sun.

I love you all!!! I also really love the kids' costumes!! hahaha noo!! I did not skip school on senior skip day! I definitely went. But all of my classes were empty so I did take a lunch break to a near-by restaurant with my friends. But I definitely went to school. 

have an awesome week!!! enjoy the snow!!!! <3

love,

Daniels shimai