"Today is Christmas?" -everyone

Mod Shimai & Yoshioka Shimai

MERRRRRYYYYY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!

This week will basically be an email of fun facts... Because, let's just say Christmas in Japan is nothinggggg like in America.... Because..... Well.... Let's just say.... they don't really have Christmas in Japan! Like at all! Haha! Christmas is a normal day for people in Japan. They go to work, they hang out with friends, they do everyday things! It literally blew my mind! I had so much fun telling people about what Christmas was all about! We did "Christmas dendo (missionary work)" all week and it was a blasttttt. I JUST LOVE CHRISTMAS, and being here made me really realize that! I got to tell people that Christmas was Jesus Christ's birthday. They had no idea and it was the coolest thing ever to be able to tell them about it and explain why He was so important. My testimony of Him was strengthened immensely this week, I wish it was Christmas every week!

Japanese people do have two Christmas traditions..... They eat cake, and KFC. Yep. I still do not understand either. HAHAHA I LOVE JAPAN. Sister Ohki and I made sure to eat some cake, we're turning more Japanese every day. ;) 

One miracle of this week, one of our investigators has been having a tough time lately and was able to receive a priesthood blessing this past week after one of our ward Christmas parties. She said that she felt God and Jesus Christ in the room with her at that moment. Coolest thing in the world to hear her say that. THE CHURCH IS SO TRUE AND I JUST LOVE IT. 

I hope everyone had an amazing Christmas and that you all appreciated lights, Christmas trees, snow, and all the Christmasy things. As for me, this Christmas will forever be one of my favorites. Not beca

use anything huge happened, but because I got to be in my favorite place with some of my new favorite people, and all I had to think about was my Savior, Jesus Christ.  

MAKE GOOD CHOICES

xoxo

Modersitzki 姉妹

Ohki 姉妹's grandparents came to church on Sunday... welll... Ohki 姉妹 was in Sakado... 

Your average Christmas Eve pic

Christmas feast at the Morishima's!

It's Christmas?

MERRY ALMOST CHRISTMAS!

I honestly can't even believe it's already Christmas... like wut. I swear it was summer like yesterday! We have been getting so excited and it's been so cool to be able to explain to people what Christmas really is. I would say the majority of people here don't really know anything about it. It blows my mind! I definitely appreciate Christmas a whole lot more this year. It's sooooooo fun to teach people about! 

This week was amazing. This past Thursday was honestly probably one of the most special experiences of my life. Takayanagi 姉妹 went through the temple!! *crowd goes wild* We were lucky enough to get permission to go with her. To say that I was a mess would be an understatement. When I saw her in the temple, dressed in white, I was just overcome with the spirit, love, gratitude towards my Heavenly Father for letting me be here to work with her, and just all sorts of emotions. She sat next to me and

Sister Takayanagi going through the temple.

held my hand as I cried, and it just felt like heaven. It's people like her that make me so glad I came on a mission. I still get butterflies thinking about the experience. Definitely something I will remember for the rest of my life. SO AMAZING!

 Life is so so good. Our investigators are doing amazing and Sister Ohki and I are having a blasttttt. One of our investigators after Eikaiwa (English class) this past week came up to me and said that she had begun to read the Book of Mormon! She had never even seen scriptures before we gave her the Book of Mormon, but she said when she read it she felt lively and refreshed. Coolest way to describe the spirit ever! She then proceeded to ask me what baptism is and tell me that she is loving and feeling the power of what we have been teaching her and wants to know more. She said before meeting us she didn't believe in God, but because of our joy she is beginning to think He really might exist. I KNOW RIGHT? BEING A MISSIONARY IS JUST THE COOLEST. There are miracles every day and I just love every second!

Also, P.S. My family has now tried Black Thunder, so if you need a second witness that they are life changing, feel free to ask them;) 

I hope everyone has the best Christmas season ever! Christmas in Japan is soooo different.. I'll explain more next week.. stay tuned;)  (@the 5 people who even read my emails anymore ) But anyyyywayyyyssss, it is seriously the best. I love this cute little place that I now call home. MERRY CHRISTMAS! 

SAY YOUR PRAYERS

xoxox

Modersitzki 姉妹

Fun facts:

- Everyone here is so good at cooking. One of our investigators had us over for lunch yesterday and made us tempura. No joke. Best food I've ever had in my life. I almost fell out of my chair. #japan4thewin 

-There are always 38449484 people shoved on the trains, but legit no joke, they are silent. You could drop a pin and hear it. So ya.... being a missionary is the best. We're "those" Americans ;)

Shae with Takayanagi Shimai (one of her favorite people). :)

Okayyyyyyyyy..... wut.

With her district at the temple.

Tokyo temple spire.

Sister Phelps and Shae. They have been good friends since before their missions.

Sister Selfie.

New trainee and new MIRACLES

Modersitzki Shimai with her new companion, Ohki Shimai.

HEYYYOOOO!

BIG NEWS. It's been almost a week since picking up my bean chan (trainee) and I have yet to kill us both! #score! I said goodbye to my lovely trainer, Sister Wootan, earlier this week. That was a sad moment, but I am so grateful to have been able to work with her! I had a day of "doki dendo" where I worked with my MTC companion, Sister Villanueva, and then it was off to pick up my new child! I LOVEEEE my new companion. Her name is Sister Ohki and she is from Hawaii! She is SO COOL and was ready to work from day 1, so we got right to it. She works sooooo hard and I love it. Let's just say I am sooooo excited for this transfer. SHE'S THE BEST! Being a trainer is a whole different ball game, but it's such a blast! Also, God is so merciful, because through Him I am now speaking Japanese like I didn't know I could. He truly never leaves us behind! 

Shae was so sad to see Wootan Shimai go.

With their bikes lovingly named Tiffany and Brittney. Oh my. Hahaha!

This week we saw crazy miracles. One still literally blows my mind. It was Sister Ohki and I's second day working together and we were walking to go buy her a bike... (also we got matching bikes named Tiffany and Brittney, so ya #bffgoalz;) Wellllllll anyways, we stopped this lady on the street and started talking to her! When she found out Sister Ohki was from Hawaii she literally lost her mind. Right then and there she invited us to her house. OKAY, LIKE WHAT? THAT DOES NOT HAPPEN. YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND. THAT'S LIKE UNHEARD OF. We of course accepted and walked with our new friend home (the more I think about it the more I realize how creepy that is, just randomly meeting someone on the street and going home with them, hahahaha  but hey... missionary... soooo WE WERE PUMPED). Next thing we knew we were teaching our new friend the restoration. She had lots of questions about prayer and she said we could come back next week because she wants to feed us, bring her friend, and all hula dance together. Haha! We walked out of her house literally with our jaws on the floor. MIRACLESSSSS! 

This area is seriously exploding. I am SO SO SO lucky to be serving here.  I am officially one of those missionaries obessed with their missions. This place is the best and I love everything about it. Honestly considering asking President if I can stay in this area for the rest of my mission! Lol.

SAY YOUR PRAYERS PEOPLE

xoxox

Modersitzki 姉妹

Fun facts:

-Hair salons. Legit every other store. I am still shocked they are all in business. Literally SO MANY.

-Politeness levels. Japanese is like 4 different languages because depending on who you talk to, their age, your status, your friendship level, the place you're at, etc, you use different words and conjugations. It's a reallllll fun time. Also Japanese is the funnest language to speak in the whole world. Like it's legit fun. #whoamI

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I got this picture off of Villanueva Shimai's blog. It made me laugh so hard that I just had to copy it and paste it here with her caption. I loved it.

"Can you spot Modersitzki?"

Sister Mod and Sister Villanueva together again, just for the day. 

Last time together. Shae will miss her!

These two don't want to leave each other!

Shae's view of Mt. Fuji that she gets to see every single day.

The training sisters for this transfer: Mod, Shoji and Fossa

With Sister Ohki and President and Sister Nagano, their amazing mission
president and his wonderful wife.

All of the greenies straight from the MTC and their trainers.

From Trainee to Trainer... all in about 24 hours

Konnichiwaaaaa!

Well... lots has happened this week. My big news for the week was going to be that I now teach Eikaiwa in a different city than my companion and ride the trains by myself......... butttttttt... now that's just old news. Because..... *cue drum roll even though you probably already know what I'm going to say because of my title and now I'm just stalling so it takes you longer to read... HAHA this is fun...wow I need a life... lol, okay fine, I'll tell you.. stop asking.......................* We got transfer calls this morning, anddddd I'M TRANSFER 3 AND TRAININGGGGG! Ya. I know, I honestly can't believe it either. There are 3 new sisters coming this transfer and somehow I am now one of the 3 new trainers. I will be staying in Kawagoe and Sakado #blessing. But ya! I am suuuuuuper nervous, but I am excited! Also, Sister Wootan is so excited because she gets to meet her grandchild before she dies! (Marci interjecting here-- Since Sister Wootan is done with her mission and is going home, she is considered "dying" in missionary terms. Also, if you train a missionary, that person is considered your "child" and you are their "mother," so if your "child" trains a missionary, that new person is considered their "grandchild." One last thing. When a missionary goes home at the end of their mission, the other missionaries refer to that as "killing" their companion. It can be a little confusing. Make sense? No? I thought I had better at least TRY to clarify. Haha! ) Crazy stuff man, killing someone and becoming a mother... all in 24 hours! I still feel like it's a dream, but I am excited for this new crazy adventure and know that the Lord will be with me every step of the way! WOOHOO BEAN CHANNNN! 

Yoshioka Shimai and Shae with the elders and new investigators.

Other than that crazy bit of news, this week was amazing! We saw so many miracles. This past Sunday one of the members who we meet with often brought her friend to church! We got to talk and she was wayyy interested. She stayed through all of church and then while we were there, 2 people who just saw the church came in. Long story short, Yoshioka 姉妹 and I, along with the elders, went into a room and did a huge lesson with the 3 about the restoration. The 2 girls there became new investigators for us and the man became the elders' new investigator. The spirit was so strong and the two girls there said that they really felt something. BUT WAIT. THE MIRACLES DON'T END THERE. The next day, we went to visit one of them and she said she wanted her mom to learn about what we teach as well. Three new investigators who are sooooo prepared! I am soooooo excited to work with them! 

There is nothing like wearing this name tag telling people that what we teach about can change their lives. It's true. I thought I knew it before, but every day my testimony grows so much stronger! I love this work, I love my Father in Heaven who I know answers our prayers, and I am so grateful for the opportunity to serve here in Japan. Transfer 3.... Here we gooooo! 頑張りましょ！

Xoxo

Modersitzki 姉妹

Fun facts:

- In Japan their tables here in the winter are heated. You put your legs under and next thing you know you're in heaven, sooooo warm. THEY ARE LIFE CHANGING I'M TELLING YOU. A definite need in #merica

-Everyone here looks soooooo young. It's nuts. One girl told me she was 40 and straight up I was convinced she was 25. NO JOKE. They are so blessed haha! Its insaneeeee and they all think Americans look so old.

Shae's "oh" hairs are still a thing in Japan. :) She cracks me up!
(The "oh" hairs are the little ones that won't stay down, no matter what.)

Sister Mod and Sister Wootan with Natori san.

Still not a robot....yet.

Honor your parents day. #LIGHTtheWORLD

I have no idea what this is, but it must be important. Haha!

Acting out the nativity for Chinese FHE. Love the costumes!