Week 3: What's Water?

Konnichiwa!

Another week of spiritual boot camp complete! This was the first week where I had the thought, "Nine weeks is actually a REALLY long time." But my mom sends me awesome packages so it's all good. Genki fuiki (good vibes), as we like to say. Anyways, while some people have to clean toilets, our zone does this "act of service" every week:

The person that spoke at the Sunday devotional was my first religion class professor at BYU (Richard Hozapfel). Ahhhh! That made me happy. My amazing teachers at BYU definitely influenced my desire to serve a mission.

Our choir director is awesome here! He talks with us about dinosaurs, the size of the universe, W. W. Phelps, what it's like being a young dad, miracles that have happened in his life, and on and on. Sometimes we spend more time listening to his stories than singing. Heh. According to one of our choro tachi, I'm the most stylish shimai in the district so THANKS MOM. She picked out all my clothes.

There's an analogy I love: Two fish are swimming down a river and another fish swims by and says, "How's the water?" One fish turns to the other and says, "What's water?" Sometimes I think like that. "What spirit?" "What growth?" But maybe I'm swimming in it. Choosing to serve a mission has undoubtedly blessed my life already in ways I cannot see. I know the joy that comes from living the gospel of Jesus Christ, and I'm excited that I will spend the next 18 months sharing that joy with others! One of the choros (elders) said that a blessing we receive from the gospel is to live shameless before God. I love that!

To finish off, I want to share this poem I got from my branch president:

The Prayer of an Unknown Confederate Soldier in the Civil War--

I asked God for strength that I might achieve.
I was made weak that I might learn humbly to obey.
I asked for health that I might do greater things.
I was given infirmity that I might do better things.
I asked for riches that I might be happy.
I was given poverty that I might be wise.
I asked for power that I might have the praise of men.
I was given weakness that I might feel the need of God.
I asked for all things that I might enjoy life.
I was given life that I might enjoy all things.
I got nothing that I asked for, but everything I hoped for.
Almost despite myself, my unspoken prayers were answered.
I am, among all men, most richly blessed.

Aaaand there are Christmas lights up in the MTC!

 

This is Brown Shimai singing in the video clip. She has an amazing voice.

Much love,
🍂Rogers Shimai

Christmas lights at the MTC

"It's Autumn time, it's Autumn time, the leaves are falling down!"

Thanks for the candy sushi, Mom! The Elders especially liked it and wrote home that they tried sushi this week.

 

God playing His Sims game. (Askew Shimai saw this picture and said, "ugh I'm obsessed with myself." lol)

This photo deserves a little explanation. We got our rooms graded on "cleanliness," and Askew Shimai was mad her bed got "acceptable" instead of "commendable."

Just chillin' again

Askew Shimai loves this rock and I was confused.