Two Idahoans in Hachinohe

New transfer, same area, NEW COMPANION.

Let me introduce you to Sister Jacobson. She's bold, fearless, has an amazing sense of style, and is already good at understanding Japanese despite being in the field for only a week!

She's also from the best state in the America. You guessed right. IDAHO. I never thought I'd have the opportunity to serve in Japan with a fellow Idahoan. We understand the same humor, have the same dialect, love Napolean Dynamite and are both SO PASSIONATE about potatoes! She's from Twin Falls and has SO MUCH Idaho pride. I love it.

Here are some fun facts about Sister Jacobson!

Favorite Food: Chicken, Japanese chocolate

Favorite Japanese word: "Imo" a type of potato in Japanese. That's my Idaho girl!

Hobbies and Talents: Public speaking, skiing, soccer, hurdling, drinking water, and rock climbing

Future Goals: Graduate from BYU in International Relations and then go to law school. Yes. She's smart.

Fashion statement: Leopard print

Spirit Animal: elephant, she loves elephants

Favorite aspect of missionary work: Talking to people!

Other: She's a self-proclaimed "granola", meaning she loves the outdoors.

Favorite scripture: 3 Nephi 11 (the entire chapter)

Sister Jacobson is so fun and she has fresh MTC fire!

GETTING LOST. AGAIN

Here`s another story of how God brought about a miracle through my many weaknesses as a missionary. We had plans to go visit a less active and long story short I ended up getting us lost. But to make good use of our time, we decided to go finding in the area that we accidentally stumbled upon. The fifth door we knocked on, we were greeted by the cutest bachan (grandma) ever. She was about four feet tall and had the sweetest smile. She invited us inside and we were able to give her a Book of Mormon and introduce the gospel to her. An interesting fact about this woman is that one of the kanji in her first name is 信, which is also the kanji for "belief" and "faith". Definitely not a coincidence! She invited us to come back anytime, and we hope to do all we can to draw her closer to the Savior.

The Lord really does use our weaknesses (i.e. my lacking sense of direction) to keep us humble and make us useful instruments to fulfill His plan. Grateful to be a part of this work!

I love you all! Seriously, I tear up a little everytime I think about all the wonderful people God has placed in my life. I hope everyone has a wonderful week!

Love,

Matsuura Shimai

P.S. Thank you to everyone who has liked and/or shared our "Hana wa Saku" video! I am sending blessings your way:)

 

New district doing the "Gagnon" pose

WATCH OUR VIDEO!!!

SENDAI MISSION VIDEO GOES VIRAL

At least that's what we're going for! Many of you have probably seen my post on the video featuring all the Sendai missionaries singing "Hana wa Saku" in memory of the 2011 earthquake and tsunami disaster that struck East Japan. If you haven't had a chance to share it, please do! We want this video to reach as many people as possible, so they can have a chance to hear the message of joy we have to share with the world. I truly believe the Lord has given us technology as a means to help spread the gospel to every corner of the earth, to be preached among every nation, kindred, tongue and people (D&C 133:37).

If you would like to see the video, please click on the link below!

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtcybHPVg4q-Ry-wewavRtg

Harry Potter Party Games

The cutest fat friar I have ever seen

HOGWARTS COMES TO HACHINOHE

I just have to say how grateful I am for Sister Ishikawa. She always takes my crazy ideas and brings them to life. I have never met someone who is so good at organizing parties. This weekend we hosted a Harry Potter Party! The evening was filled with games, butter beer, cheesy skits and a lesson enititled "Harry Potter and the Happiness Potion", which was pretty much a fun rendition of the plan of salvation lesson. We had 33 nonmembers attend which was as exciting as it was unexpected!

Have you seen these wizards?!

FAREWELL SISTER ISHIKAWA

It's that time again - TRANSFERS. You probably guessed it from the heading, but Sister Ishikawa is transferring up north to Aomori and I'm staying here in Hachinohe. It`s sad being separated from someone you served alongside since Christmas. But on the bright side, she`s going to be serving as my STL! (No surprise there). She's going to become companions with none other than SISTER BEAN (My beloved trainer). I tear up a little just thinking about how grateful I am to be able to work with two of my past companions again. (Snow Shimai, you are missed up here!). My new companion is Sister Jacobson from the United States! That's all I know for now but we'll do a more in-depth introduction next week:)

Final District Photo

My thoughts and and prayers are always with you!

Church is true.

Love,

Sister Matsuura

Windy days, a marriage proposal, and Patti the missionary

This is a normal day for us

THIS WEEK'S WEATHER REPORT

It was probably the windiest day in Hachinohe history - the type of wind that pushes you two steps back for every step you take forward as you're fighting to breathe. After about 10 minutes of walking against the wind, I raised both my arms to the heavens and yelled "STOP!" Except it was more like "STOー" because before I even got to the P, God amped up the windometer like 20 notches and a giant gust of wind hit me like a brick wall and I fell backward from the force. A simple experience really, but it reminded me of the importance of not commanding God. EVER. I am dust. I am nothing without Him.

WAIT... DID SHE JUST PROPOSE TO HIM?

So the sub-heading gives it away, but we low-key witnessed a proposal this week. We've been doing joint Shuwa (Japanese sign language) lessons with a man named Takebayashi san. He`s a referral from one of the members, Sister Hirano, who also happens to be his girlfriend. We taught the plan of salvation, with a special focus on eternal marriage and the Celestial kingdom. During the lesson, Sister Hirano bore a beautiful testimony and then talked about how she wanted to go to the Celestial kingdom with Takebayashi san. To say he was happy was an understatement! So yes, the goal now is to not only see a baptism, but an eternal marriage!

OUR RECENT CONVERT TURNED MISSIONARY

Our recent convert Sister Patti is still thriving! She's taking her conversion to a whole new level and taking part in missionary work. One of our Eikawa students, Watanabe San, came to church for the first time this Sunday. She came because she wanted to meet Sister Patti and speak English with her. As we were sitting in Sunday School, Patti turned to Watanabe San and asked her if she has ever read the Book of Mormon. She then went off and started bearing her testimony of how she came to know the Book of Mormon is true. She finished off with extending an invitation to Watanabe San to read the Book of Mormon and to continue coming to church every week. She accepted Patti's invitation and said she would start coming to church! Patti is my hero.

My thoughts and prayers with you always!

Love,

Sister Matsuura

1 Nephi 19:9

 Mission wide snow ball fight!! (Northern missionaries take on the southern). More details to come later!

Round mochi on a stick with miso flavoring!

Working alongside the best!

Feb 12, 2018

I can't believe I'm almost 7 months in the mission already! Seems just like yesterday I was a brand new missionary learning how to ride a bike in a dress and cluelessly following my trainer around Yamagata!

This week we had a finding blitz where 10 of us missionaries gathered in a newly opened area (Towada, about an hour north from Hachinohe) and dedicated an entire day to finding and creating a strong base of investigators. We housed the heck out of that place... and put the heaven in it ;) Together, we were able to find seven new investigators!

This experience allowed me ponder something that I've always been so grateful for since coming to Japan - working alongside some of the best people ever. I love the Japan Sendai missionaries! Never have I worked alongside people who are so willing to forget themselves in the service of others and who strive to emulate Christ in every aspect of their lives.

I'm especially grateful for my companions. From my trainer Sister Bean, who by the joined me up north and is serving as my STL (yay!), to Sister Snow who is still working wonders in Yamagata, to my current companion Ishikawa Shimai, who is wonderful as always.

I'm grateful for the time and place I get to serve the Lord. For the people I've met, for the lessons I've learned. But most importantly I'm grateful for the relationship I've developed with my Savior Jesus Christ.

He lives! I know that through, and only through Jesus Christ, we can receive the blessings of eternal life and experience more joy than we are able to contain. I'm grateful for the calling to share this wonderful message with the people of Japan.

Let us all continue moving forward with faith and seek for opportunities to share the gospel with those around us.

I wish you all the best!

Church is TRUE.

Love,

Sister Matsuura

Mosiah 4:11-12

P.S. Special thank you to Jordyn Kylee Hansen who updates my blog! Even though she's like super popular, is planning a wedding, and has no time, she still makes time to consistently post! You are my hero Jo <3.

jo

The District Pyramid 

Towada and Goshogawara Blitz

The blessings of opposition in missionary work

Feb 5th, 2018

Let me describe to you one of the most unideal days of finding on  my mission thus far.

It's a Saturday. The ground is covered in two feet of snow and it's raining buckets. Combine that with heavy wind and freezing temperatures.

We also happened to have no appointments that Saturday so it resulted in six hours of straight finding. We housed over a hundred people and didn't find a single investigator. We were drenched from head to toe, my umbrella snapped in half, and my companion's shoes were soaked through.

But without that dreadful Saturday, we may not have realized or fully appreciated the miracles and blessings of the next day.

Sunday started off with Sister Patty receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost. Following the church services, we were able to meet with Shiori, an enthusiastic 18-year-old we found streeting. We bonded over eating homemade apple cake, singing Les Mis and talking about the plan of salvation. She said she wanted to learn more about our religion and happily accepted a Book of Mormon with a promise to read it immediately!

But that wasn't the end of the Sunday miracles. As we were walking out of the church building, a young man approached us and asked if we were church people. Following our affirmative response, he asked what time church services were held. That's all he had to say before Sister Ishikawa and I started throwing pamphlets, contact cards and a Book of Mormon at him, probably a little too aggressively. We were just super excited because it was the first time someone approached us first to ask about religion. Luckily we didn't scare him off because he agreed to come to church next week!

I know the blessings of that Sunday were a direct result of the sacrifices we made the day before.

I'm grateful for the daily lessons of opposition. For the hundred rejections we face each day and eventually finding the one person who will listen. For the days when I want to physically die and then waking up the next morning with a miraculous burst of energy. For meeting those who tell us to give up proselyting, but then finding those who give us words of encouragement. For the mediocre meal of mushy quinoa made by yours truly, followed by Ishikawa Shimai's culinary masterpiece of niku miso udon.

One of my most favorite chapters in the Book of Mormon clearly illustrates the neccessity for opposition.

2 Nephi 2:11 "For it must needs be, that there is an opposition in all things. If not so, my firstborn in the wilderness, righteousness could not be brought to pass, neither wickedness, neither holiness nor misery, neither good nor bad. Wherefore, all things must needs be a compound in one; wherefore, if it should be one body it must needs remain as dead, having no life neither death, nor corruption nor incorruption, happiness nor misery, neither sense nor insensibility."

I'm grateful for the moments to learn from the bitter so we can embrace the good! It's all in the Lord's plan.

Let's all continue moving forward with faith!

Church is true.

Love and prayers for you always,

Matsuura Shimai

A well deserved sleep

When you're out finding and accidentally stumble upon a river at sunset

I bought this umbrella at the BYU creamery 5 years ago. I am sad to see it go. RIP