Crazy week,

Hey!!! What's up! 

So I want to start out this week with a funny (and embarrassing!) story! So Kuchar and I have been using the same laundry soap for the last transfer and a half probably...maybe longer. But we just grabbed the cheapest (life of a missionary...always the cheapest!) soap we could find. Then we've been just getting the same refill for it. So one day I was looking at it, and realized that it wasn't laundry soap...or at least I didn't think it was. So I start trying to read it, but it's all in kanji, so I whip out my electronic dictionary, and I'm looking stuff up. I couldn't see anything that looked like soap. Then at the very very bottom of the bottle...in English!...it says "Fabric Softener". OH NO!!!! hahahahaha We've been "washing" our clothes with fabric softener! Embarrassing! Haha so our clothes smell really good, but they aren't actually clean. Gross. But it's cool, we got some real soap, and we've been washing with that now :)

Kuchar and I had 2 ZTMs this week. It was pretty crazy. We did one for each of the Hiroshima Zones. I think it went pretty well. I had to translate for the other Zone's ZTM. The poor elder! He doesn't speak any English, but I don't speak Japanese. I doubt he understood any of it. That was the first time I have ever really translated. It was HARD!!! I failed miserably, but it was a valiant effort. The ZL's made us do it. Oh well. It was interesting. It was kind of fun, kind of...

We got to go play basketball this week too! Nakabe Choro, the new DL, likes basketball, so he's trying to set up a basketball activity thing. But we went to the Sports Center and played with some middle school kids. So much fun! Their parents were there too though, so we gave them a flyer and invited them to our ward activity this Saturday. They might come! The mom seemed kind of interested! So that's pretty awesome! 

We also found 2 new investigators this week! They are both 18, just starting college. The one was pretty cool how we found her though. We had planned to go to this place and house. We got up there, but we felt like we should do something different. So we stopped and prayed. We both felt like we should just street back the way we had just come. We decided to do that. On the way we found one of our new investigators! Cool right?! This really is the Lord's Work!

We also did Helping Hands again this week. Between that and basketball I am pretty sore! I'm such a wimp these days. I'm just used to riding my bike and that's it! But it's good to do something different. 

I LOVE my mission! Can I just say that? It's the best thing in the whole world. The best. I'm doing great! Love you all! Have a great week!

Babcock Shimai

Just Another Week in The BEST Mission in the World!

So this was another great week in the best mission in the entire world! :)

Transfers were good. We were sad to see Correa go. He was the first to leave of the Fantastic Four (me, Kuchar, Otani, and Correa). We all came and white washed in. But now we're down to three. But he's going to do great in Oroku! We went to Hikari to be comps with Nigh Shimai until her new companion (Lane Shimai) came. We were also there to help the ZL's get everyone on buses and pick other people up and stuff for transfers. It was a long, kind of crazy day, but it was fun. We got to see Walton and Rees, Kuroki, and Correa before they left. It was pretty fun. We saw a ton of people. 

 

Correa and Jameson both left, so we have two new elders in our area now. Nakabe and Alger Choro. Nakabe is the new DL and Alger is the new ZL. They are both cool. I think we're gonna like them. Nakabe is from Tokyo and Alger is from Oregon. They seem pretty chill and fun, so it should be good!

 

It was also the Schroeder's last Cooking Eikaiwa this week, so the Branch made nabe for them. It was pretty fun. I'm going to miss them!!! They are super great! Sister Schroeder is so nice! She brought us a HUGE Costco sized Peanut Butter!!! And chocolate. Bless her heart! 

 

We got to go do Helping Hands again for the first time in a couple of weeks. There was a problem with insurance and stuff, so the missionaries weren't allowed to go. But the Stake got everyone covered by the volunteer insurance or something, I don't really know. But it means that we can go help again! It's looking way better up there! There have been tons and tons of people going up to volunteer. People from all over the place. It was great to be back helping though! My arms are kind of sore though :)
 

Then yesterday we had dinner at the Nishiyama's. It was so much fun! There were a bunch of people there. I wish I could send videos over email. Ayumi chan was singing and playing the guitar, and then the Ai Girls (Ayumi, Chie, Yuri, and Airi) did a little performance. They are so good!!! Ayumi played the guitar, Airi was playing this little piano, Chie played the flute, and Yuri had the tambourine and they were singing songs and stuff. SO cool! They are so talented! They are a great bunch of girls! We ate delicious food, and it was just a super fun night. 

 

But they live up in A-City, so sometimes getting home is an adventure. We left a little late, but we had to get on the 8:29 monorail or we wouldn't get home on time. We left their house at like 8:12, but the station is at the bottom of the hill, so we had to run...again. Haha it was flashbacks of me and Kuchar running home a few transfers ago. But this time we had to run even further! So Otani starts running, so we start running after him so we can make the train. But we're in skirts and dumb shoes, so it was hard. It's easier and faster to take our shoes off, so we did. But it HURT!!! But we literally made it just in time for the train, so we made it home on time. We were all dying. Not to brag, but I'm going to...I out ran 3 of the elders in no shoes and my skirt. :) Us and the ZL's made it, but the other elders didn't make it on time. I have a HUGE blister on my heel though. And Kuchar had a blood blister. But we were on time! We'll be blessed for our obedience! :) It was a fun adventure though! 

This week we are helping do the training at the Hiroshima 1 and 2 ZTMs, so we're going to be busy, but it's going to be fun! 

Have a great week! Love you all!

 

Babcock Shimai

 

Our doki (district) at the bus station

The Elders after our run!  :)

My big blister



Talented young ladies!

More of the talented young ladies!

Even more of these talented young ladies!

 

Transfer 10 - Going Nowhere!!!

Hey hey!

 

So this week was way good! First of all, the weather is getting better! We've gone 3 days without rain I think. That's been the longest since August started I think! Plus it's cooling down. Hallelujah! I'm so ready for not hot anymore! But lately the weather has been good. So that's a blessing. 

 

We also had the STL meeting this past week. Last Tuesday. It was SO much fun!!! It was great! I was a little bummed because we aren't going to MLC next week, but it was still good. We got to hang out with Kaicho (President) and Shimai (Sister-mission mom) in the Honbu (Mission office)! Plus, Wells, Nagamine, and Nelson Shimai were all there! It was almost a MTC (Mission Training Center - Provo) district reunion. We just needed Bush Shimai! I wish Bush Shimai would've been there. Then it would've been perfect! But it was fun. We learned a lot and talked about our responsibilities as STL's (sister training leaders) and stuff. It was super awesome and great to see everyone! Kuchar and I got on the Shink (bullet train) to go to Fukuoka, and we were just sitting there, when a girl walked past. I did a double-take and it was Kuroki Shimai! Haha I died. She didn't see us and didn't know we would be on that Shink. I was so surprised to see her! Turns out she's been called out of retirement, and she's an STL again! So that was super fun! The meeting was way good. Kaicho and Shimai are the best ever! We learned a ton and got some questions cleared up and stuff. Haha... then the AP's (assistants to the president) told us we had to take the bus back...bummer! It was good though. Kuroki, Kuchar, and I were all on the same bus, so it was a party! It was a 4 hour bus ride though, so we didn't get back until about 9:15. We woke up at 5:30 am so it was a long day, but a great day!

Also, we (all the missionaries in the mission) had 208 investigators at church last Sunday!!! That's a record for our mission. For the past few months we've been really preparing for it. We all fasted to have 200 people at church, and they told us Sunday night that 208 people came! Isn't that awesome?!?!

 

Last week Kuchar and I went and played basketball. So fun! The elders were supposed to come too, but they all wimped out because it was raining. It's an indoor court at the Sports Center. Wimps. :)  But we'll probably go with everyone sometime this transfer. So that should be fun. Today we went with the Hikari District to the zoo in our area. So much fun! I love the missionaries that I get to serve with. Some of the best missionaries in the world are in the Japan Fukuoka Mission!!! The zoo was a bunch of fun.

 

I am SO excited for this new transfer! Kuchar and I want to see another baptism together here in Yasufuruichi. We are looking for people, and the Lord is going to put people in our path, so we're excited. 

 

There are also STL's in Yamaguchi now, so we don't have 18 sisters anymore. Only 10. That's going to be really nice! Lots less stress and pressure. Also now none of the areas are too far away. So that makes our lives a bunch easier!

The elders also had a baptism last Saturday! Ryoma kun got baptized! Exciting stuff. Two baptisms in 3 weeks!! Go Yasufuruichi!!! The last baptism here was over a year ago, so the branch is super excited about it! 

 

Oh we got our transfer calls!!!! Kuchar and I are going to be together here for our 4th transfer!!!!!!!!!!!! :D YAY!!! I am so happy! I was hoping they would leave us for another one! Otani Choro is staying, but Correa Choro is going to Okinawa, so we'll have a new ZL (zone leader). But Ioka and Bullock Choro are both staying in Hikari, so we still have great ZL's that we're working with. The new guy will be cool too I'm sure, so it's going to be a blast!

Sister Training Leaders with Gustafson Kaicho at the Fukuoka Temple

Missionaries at the zoo

Hoppin' on the Hippo!

Ridin' the Rhino!

 

Love you all!!! Talk to you next week! 

Babcock Shimai

TRANSFER WEEK

Hey everyone!

This is Lacee's mom....this is transfer week, so check back on Tuesday to get the latest update from Lacee.  She doesn't usually get her call until late on her P-day which is Tuesday of transfer week...so I don't expect to hear from her until late Monday here!