HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! <3 

It was super nice to be able to skype you all for Christmas! <3 I'm sososososososososooo sorry that I forgot that I told you I'd be skyping you an hour earlier and also that I forgot my password. omatase shimashita!!! gomennasai! But it all worked out (:

This past week was way fun!!!! Christmas dendo is my absolute favorite thing in the whole world because I love teaching people about the meaning of Christmas because there are SO MANY PEOPLE here in Japan that have no idea that Christmas is when we celebrate the birth of Christ. I think one reason is because in the Japanese language Christ's name is not in the word Christmas, and also it's written in the foreign word alphabet of katakana so people overlook that completely. And also Christianity is just not very popular here yet. Christmas isn't really very much celebrated in Japan except that families sometimes get together and eat fried chicken and cake. And I'm not sure where that tradition came from, but Japanese people definitely get really confused when they learn that America does not eat KFC and strawberry cake on Christmas. I think maybe it's the association in their heads of America= fried chicken and sugary things and also America= Christianity. But as a matter of fact, Jesus Christ suffered for all of the sins, pains, afflictions, deaths, trials and heartaches of every single Japanese person too. And one day they will all know it. 

This past week we had a lot of fun activities with members and investigators revolving around Christmas-- like making gingerbread houses and caroling and attacking investigators' and our mission president's door with snowflakes. It was way fun. And! On Christmas day all the missionaries from the zones in Kobe, Fukuchiyama, Akashi and Kyoto got together and had a big Christmas party!! we ate costco hot dogs and cake and it was super American. Also we had a talent show and our Mission President spoke to us and we heard the testimonies of the missionaries leaving this transfer. It was awesome!!! And then after skyping you all the next day Daniels shimai got gradually sicker and sicker and ended up with a really bad cold this morning. But my companion is actually the most angelic person that I know and has taken super good care of me and was nursing me back to health this morning. I've been sleeping during most of meal times to try and rest up so that we can go out and work for the rest of the day which was working fairly well but today is pretty heavy and fortunately it's preparation day so I can just lay in my futon after emailing. There are quite a few missionaries right now with either the flu or the cold. Fortunately I don't have the flu and I can heal pretty quickly. Which I'll need to do because these next 3 weeks are going to be ridiculously busy. 

I love you all!!! <3 Have a wonderful New Years!! <3 <3 <3 <3 <3

Love

Daniels shimai

Merry Christmas everyone!!!! <3

I hope your week is AMAZING and full of thoughts of the Savior and His birth, life, death, resurrection and atonement for us! It's way easy to remember the meaning of Christmas when you're on a mission and I think that's been why this whole month (and the past however many months I've been on a mission) has been so full of joy. 

This week has been SOO FUN but before I get into that, I will let you know the skype details (:

I will be able to skype you on your Christmas night which will be my day-after-Christmas afternoon. We worked it out so that we should be able to skype on my Friday at 12 noon which should be somewhere around your 8 pm on Christmas night but I can't remember the time difference. Let me know if that is too late! I'm suuuuuuuuuuuuper excited to talk to you!! It can only be for 40 minutes though, so choose carefully what you'll want to say. (; 

I don't have a ton of time, but this week was incredibly busy because we went on 2 splits and also traveled to my zone when I was in Toyooka (in a town called Fukuchiyama) to do some training during zone training meeting. It was SO MUCH FUN!!! 

Also it's snowing pretty good up there and I just wanted to hug all of the sisters forever and let them know how proud I am of them for working so diligently despite not being able to bike because of the ice and thick snow and for housing for hours in the cold during the week. I just wanted to talk with them forever about doing missionary work in the dead cold and wind and endless snow and help them know the trick to bring blood back to your toes and feet and also that they aren't alone because I know at least a little bit about how they feel, and lighten their load by just talking to them about it for awhile. 

And i think that's how Christ feels. He knows exactly how hard our trials are because He felt the exact same trial and pain that each of us goes through. He knows what to do to overcome those challenges because He overcame all of them. And I imagine it would be really difficult for Him to see us go through those challenges because sometimes we don't rely on the thing that could help us the most-- Him. But even those who do rely on Him feel pain and hurt and gain the experience they need as they face trails. And I can see Him wanting so badly to take those pains away from us immediately because He loves us and doesn't want us to suffer. I can't imagine how Heavenly Father felt as He experienced something similar when His Only Begotten Son was crucified-- even though He could've saved Him so easily. They have the power to take those challenges away. But fortunately They're wise and see our potential, and know what will become of these trails we do face. They know that the battle over your natural man to force yourself outside each day in the cold will build qualities you'll need in the future. But they don't leave us alone to fight our battles. And that is why the Gift of the Holy Ghost is so important. Because we can have God's help and guidance ALWAYS as long as we are keeping our part of our baptismal promise and keeping God's commandments. I think it gives Them hope that we can have this gift. It brought me hope to know that my sisters up in the north can walk with Jesus Christ each day as they are worthy of this gift and that He will help them carry their loads and strengthen them every day. Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ are amazing.

We had an awesome activity with the youth in the Kobe ward as well-- a ''missionary day'' where we studied with them and talked about missionary work and a bunch of awesome stuff. I loved spending so much time with the youth because they are AMAZINGGG.

I don't have time to talk about much else, but I hope you have an awesome Christmas!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Talk to you soon! <3

Daniels shimai

JESS HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! <3 I hope your birthday was fantastic despite taking the ACT again the day after. In japanese we say ''otsukaresama desu'' which kind of translates to ''you're a hard worker''. They say it when Americans would say ''you're awesome!'' which is definitely an interesting culture difference but also a conversation for a different day, BUT both ways of thinking have benefits. 

It's 10 days until CHRISTMAS!!! <3 

This week went wicked fast, but it was awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Last Monday the Director of the MTC came to pick up his daughter from her mission in the Nagoya, Japan mission, and he decided to visit the Kobe Japan mission and do new training with our mission president. He also sat in and participated in our mission leadership conference and it was SO AWESOME!!! He spoke a few times when I was in the MTC and he is an incredibly wise and inspired man. His daughter spent a day with us and we did missionary work with her and it was awesome!! We found these two incredibly prepared girls on the street on the way to a less active's house and if things work out we'll start teaching them this week and they'll start down the path of returning to their Heavenly Father. 

I've only got a little bit of time left but we also had the ward Christmas party and the ward brought a jillion friends and we were able to talk with all of them and it was so awesome to see the ward participating in missionary work! ESPECIALLY the primary children!!! They sang and did a play where they talked about the meaning of Christmas and talked all about Christ's life and when/why He was baptized and that He was resurrected and it was by far the most impressive play I've ever seen in my life. It was perfect!! Soooo many investigators came and the ward was incredible with fellowshipping them. I think these parties should happen every week. 

So that was about a hundredth part of my week and I wish I could write more but unfortunately I am out of time. But I love all of you anyway!!! Thank you so much for the package!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! <3 and thank the Perras family for me too!!!!! I received a package from them today! I will definitely be sending a thank you card. You are all incredible! 

Have a wonderful Christmas week!!! Eat lots of cookies!! Serve lots of people!!! 

Love,

Daniels shimai

Konnichiwa!!! 

Aunt Carol- thank you so much for your Christmas package!!!!!!! <3 I pinned the angel you made on the top of the Christmas calender. <3 I love you!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JESSICA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (: YOU'RE TURNING 18!!!!!!!!!!!!! If you were a boy, you could serve a mission!!!!!!!!!!!!! haha I promise you I'm going to send you a letter in the mail today but I am so sorry because it won't get there in time. Last Monday we were running around trying to move two sisters out of the apartment.

haha which will be my and Hunt shimai's preparation day today-- cleaning out the room of things that collect when the past 4 out of 6 missionaries that are living there go home. But Hunt shimai and I found fake mustaches this morning :{ )  I'll be sure to send that picture (: 

MY NEW COMPANION IS AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!!! I don't know how to accurately describe how incredible she is but she is super loving and humble and hard working and has the most rock-solid foundation testimony of the Savior ever and I love dendoing with her. And it's so cool because she's so focused and we basically just talk about the Savior and how amazing He is and how He's changed us so far on our missions and how He's changed the people we meet and how He's healed our investigators and missionaries. I'm so excited to work with her-- I have sooooooo much to learn from her example. She is the person whose influence makes you decide to be better. And I am so lucky to work with her. 

We've already seen so many tender mercies of the Lord and seen Him softening the hearts here. We are going to be working a lot more with Ooshima san, our 87 year old, who has so much gratitude because God has helped her in the past with her health and bringing her happiness. But she's scared of baptism for a lot of different reasons, but we're trying to figure out the root of her fear. We visited her yesterday and had one of the most love-filled lessons I've ever participated in. Heavenly Father's love for her was so strong and it was tangible and we were testifying of it. And she told us that she promised her husband that she'd take care of his gravestone after he died and she feels loyal to that part of her buddhist culture BUT the thing is is that you can still belong to a culture and also follow Jesus Christ. It reminded me of the story of the guy in Meet the Mormons who is from India who still touches his father's feet to his forehead to show him respect-- while also still knowing who he worships and following one of God's commandments to honor his parents. By the way- 

(it also killed my heart to watch the segment on the Navy football team but it's okay because I'll watch football someday. But don't worry- I wasn't distracted!! Because Jesus Christ brings me a lot more joy than college football. And you know I love college football.) (also I am super proud of Ohio State and for Cardell Jones and I wear my Ohio State sweatpants to bed each night.) 

The Christmas devotional sounded amazing! And so did the ward Christmas party! We have our party this Saturday! (: (: (: I'll let you know how it goes! I'll also let you know about Skype calls for Christmas next week after we figure out schedules with the elders. It'll be 5 Americans to determine the schedule with (: 

I love you all! I know that as we accept the gospel of Jesus Christ-- especially enduring to the end-- we can have happiness and hope and light and peace. We can have help from God-- the same God that created worlds and universes and life and light. You can always trust Him. 

Love,

Daniels shimai

p.s. I GOT TO TALK TO GRUNDVIG SHIMAI AT TRANSFER POINT! <3 oh my heck I love her