Yakuza at church?

Hi Family!

 

Im glad to hear everyone is doing well.  So dad, you should be proud.  This week was my first experience with seafood.  It wasn't ..horrible.  The worst part is the seaweed.  It is nasty.  It taints the taste of everything.  Maybe one day Ill get up to Erin's level and use it like salt.  So on Saturday a ward member made us spaghetti with oysters and shrimp.  It was hard at first to put it in my mouth, but the sauce did a good job of covering up the taste.  Then last night we went over to another members house and she made us sushi...real sushi.  I tried crab, raw tuna, and raw salmon.  Not a fan of the salmon but the tuna wasn't bad.  The seaweed is seriously the worst part so after two rolls, I started making mine wrapped in lettuce.  Little by little- although I don't know if Ill ever truly love seaweed.

 

But this week had a turn of events.  Since last transfer this area was white washed by the sisters, many of our investigators are guys from the area book.  Three of them have asked my companion out on dates...so now we have to refer them over to the elders.  We have been teaching this one investigator who has a TON of problems.  We felt like he was getting no where but wanted to so badly to help him.  Then during one of our lessons with him, a member told him that if he wasn't going to keep the law of chastity or word of wisdom to stop wasting the missionaries time.  So basically this member dropped him for us.  It made us really sad.  It also made us even more sad because the members reasoning was because the investigator took too many pills and he wouldn't be allowed to be baptized.  It makes me so sad that people don't see everyone as children of God.  This ward is known for having a lot of cliques so we are trying to work on that and strengthen the ward.  We wont see any baptisms if the ward isn't welcoming to the new investigators.

 

Also guess who we taught this week and he came to church?  An ex member of the yakuza (Japanese mafia).  He has two of his fingertips cut off.  He says he isnt too interested, but still wants to learn more. 

 

So here are some things I learned about Japan and its heat.  In the summer is when most people get sick because they get so hot and the dont use the air con.  In fact, some people refuse to turn on the air con and they end up dying in their home because of the heat and humidity.  And yes Kim, now I understand why you always wore a ponytail.  Seriously, showering is pointless here. 

 

This week Ive been struggling with the language..well I always do, but it has really gotten to me.  I feel like I want to say so much, but I cant.  I get so frustrated, adn it gets hard because my companion often expects me to know how to already say a lot of things.  Also streeting is hard for me.  Im not like dad who can go up to any random stranger and talk to them, especially in a different language where I can even more easily make a fool of myself.  So I start to question why Im even out here; Im not helping or contributing at all.  So I decided to just always listen to the Spirit.  That could be my contribution.  I was working really hard to figure out how the Spirit talks to me.  Ive heard that it is usually just thoughts in your head.  So I went off that.  Every thought in my head I would follow.  If I didnt, like I felt I should stop while biking and didnt, I would continue riding and say a little prayer and repent.  I needed the Lord to trust that I would listen to the Spirit.  So last Monday night we went housing.  We were having no luck and had no idea where to go.  I kept wanting to go to this one place, but it is full of drunks at night.  We wanted to go home because we had 20 minutes left but we decided to go to the bridge by our house and street.  I still wanted to go to the 7/11 where all the drunks are.  But then I thought, hey, there is a 7/11 by the bridge.  We should just stop by there.  So I told my companions and when we got there, they were just like, okay-now what?  I want to talk to this girl, but I couldnt muster up the courage and by the time I did, she had left.  So we stood on the sidewalk by the 7/11 trying to track people down.  I felt so stupid.  I just kept thinking, `awesome, I guess I dont know how the Holy Ghost speaks to me.  Fantastic.`  But then just as our time was up and we were about to go home, we stopped a girl and she actually said it would be okay to meet with her- no one ever does that.  It was so cool and made me so happy.  Then when I was teaching a lesson about the Holy Ghost it all hit me.  Sometimes as we become more like Christ, the Holy Ghost is harder to recognize.  Why?  Because our thoughts become one with the Lords so it makes it harder to differentiate.  So now, every good thought I have or any idea or feeling, I always try to listen to it.  Especailly right now because that is all I can contribute to this companionship.

 

Anyway, thats all for this week.  Laura and Derek I am so excited for you!  That will be a fun adventure.  I hope everything runs smoothly.  And thanks for the bing-a-la-ding-dong email derek.  I had a nice laugh.  Its a pillow. Its a pet.  Its a pillow pet.  Oh and Stephen- CONGRATULATIONS!  Youll have to email me with pictures of the ring and what not.  Tell Allison I am so excited to have her as a sister.  Anyway, I hope all is well.  Thank you everyone for writing me.  Your letters and support really help me get through the week^especially these beginning weeks.  Sometimes they can be rough.  Man sometimes I wish I went English speaking.  Anyway, I love you all!  Sorry, no pictures this week.  Siteseeing was cancelled due to rain so we are going today.  So look forward to seeing some Buddhist temples in the next email.

 

Love,

Ellsworth Shimai

Ella and Sui at it again!

Another transfer has passed for Jamie and she is still with Sister Sua and loving life. She's glad she stayed in the same area with the same companion.

Family!!

Another transfer is here! ahh so crazy. I tell ya, they just go by way too fast! But I will be staying in Britannia for another transfer!! Yay I am so excited! and I get to be with Sister Sua again! We just have so much fun together and I am so excited! Also, I think I was saying it last week.. I just love the people we are teaching right now and I did not want to leave them at all!!

So right now we have some awesome people that we are teaching! Last week we got a referral from a member in the stake. She rents out a flat and a cute girl from Poland just moved in! She asked if she could come to church with her and now she will be coming to the Singles ward! She is perfect. First of all, she is the cutest thing in the world. She is so pretty and fun and talks.. a lot. I love it. We taught her for the first time last week and she is so prepared. We asked her to tell us about her and she started off by saying she is like an 80 year old women. haha She hates partying, alcohol, smoking, even coffee. She is great! We are seeing her today and I am so excited!

Then there is Difei. So last week I told you how funny he is. Well I swear it just gets better every time we see him! This past time he wanted to know if we would be moving this transfer or not and we explained to him that we didn't know. haha then he told us to pray about it, get the answer, and then let him know. oh and then we tried to set a date with him.. and we did.. for.. haha he explained how he thinks his faith is too small and that we met him at the end of june so a year would be good for him. ahhh haha this guy. Well, don't worry we are trying to move that up!

Ploy! She is just great! I love seeing her. It is the best when you have a great friendship to start with and then go from there! We taught her last night and it was very basic but it was so good! I am so excited for this next transfer! I know that if we just press forward with faith and turn it into action, doing everything that we can, being our best self and pushing ourselves, the Lord really will bless us and we will continue to see miracles!

Oh and guess what? Remember my roommate Leanda from England? Well she is back!! She has been here a couple of times to visit and then this past Sunday her and her mom made us a ton of food! It was the best thing ever! Man I just love her so much and I love having her here!! I will send some pictures of us!

I love doing this. It is amazing when you see the Lord send his prepared children your way and to see them change and live the gospel! I have come to see how powerful the spirit really is if you just let it change you. I mean we all still have our agency but if we are truly willing to let it touch us it will bring so much happiness. I hope that you are all doing great and that you have a great week!! LOVE YOU!!

Love, Sister Ellsworth 

Working on taking more pictures

Loving the rain

Leanda made them lunch. It was Ghanan food and she loved it!

"So let me explain the story behind this one. There is this old Muslim guy that ALWAYS comes in to the VC. And every time I say hi to him he says the same thing... and he only says it to me.. haha he says, 'You should wear the veil'. So naturally this is what happened"

Her recent find in the closet of her flat

They found these hats while sopping on pday

Love life in London

Hi Family!

Well this week has been great. Honestly, I know that I say it every week, so sorry if it gets old, but I really love this work! The people we are currently teaching are so awesome! They are all so different from each other and have such different needs. It is so cool to get to know these people and to help them build their relationship with God. Each person is unique and I love seeing how other people work! 

haha funny story. So that guy Nick that we found last sunday.. he is just awesome! I can't really explain what he is like but he always makes me laugh. So, we had an appointment set up with him the other day and I sent him a text to confirm and he replied with "Hey, I;m not in the mood today. Thanks anyway" haha I just started laughing. Then we taught him and this whole time he kept saying, "I just don't fit in here." Turns out that the whole time this poor guy thought we were trying to change who he is. (He was part of the Jehovah Witnesses' and that is what they do apparently) Well, we got over that and now he is doing really great! ha

Avtar ended up not being able to get baptized this past week.... he is having a hard time with the word of Wisdom. So we are working hard on him and really trying to help him to stop! Jillian is doing well. We actually got her to commit to a baptismal date! But it is kind of a conditional date! But she is really wanting to push forward and I have faith that she will get baptized on the day :)

So saddest day ever... We taught Chris this last week and we ended up having to drop him. It honestly made me so sad but Sua and I knew that that was what we had to do. He was not willing to come to church and to keep commitments. We still keep in contact but we are no longer teaching him. That is probably the hardest part about a mission. Seeing people not accept this message even when you know they are ready! 

So this past week I had a work over with one of the Sister Training Leaders (they are new) and it was great. I realized that I need to be more bold in my missionary work. That is how people will know our purpose, that we love them, and they will be able to accept the message better. So I have really been focusing on talking about baptism in the first lesson and being bold but loving. I can testify from experience now that it really does work. People then know exactly what they are there for and our purpose. haha you think I would have learned this earlier.... 

So Sister Sua got sick again, poor thing. This time it was yesterday (sunday). It was so hard because we had investigators come to church but we were not able to be there! But thankfully the elders helped us out there. But pretty much I just got to stay home and study, study, study. It was so good for me tho. I really learned a lot. Then we went out and took a walk to get out of the apartment and we found a girl who we are teaching tomorrow! It is so fun to just always talk with people. That is the thing about being a missionary. You never just take time off because pretty much everyone you meet needs the message that we share! 

I love you all so much! You are the best family a girl could ask for! Keep being the best people ever and I hope that you all have a wonderful week! LOVE YOU!!

Love, Sister Ellsworth 

With her companion, Sister Sua

She loves London

So someone dropped a bag of clothes off to Jamie and told her they thought they would fit her. So her and Sister Bergstrom tried them on...

These two...always up to no good...ha

The Royal Baby and a Week of Miracles

Hi Family!!

I am sorry to hear about Uncle Mike. I bet it is hard but I will make sure to keep them all in my prayers and thoughts!!

So I can't even explain how blessed Sister Sua and I are being. It is really amazing. We have come to realize that the harder you work and the more diligent you are, the more you have the spirit with you and the more you have the spirit with you the more the Lord blesses you because he can trust you with his precious children! We have training every Saturday for the VC and one thing they always teach us is to make sure the Lord trusts us. If there is no one coming in to the VC it is because we are not preparing ourselves to receive people, therefore the Lord will not send them our way. Wow is that so true. haha I have noticed that when I am not taking it seriously at times, no one comes in but when I am ready, we have the best VC days ever!

So, people always say that at different points in their mission they realized that they were called to that place for a reason. Well, as we all know, the VC wasn't my first choice but I honestly love it more than anything. I know that I was called here for a reason! The other night I was sitting at the front, alone, waiting for any visitor to come my way. A Chinese man came in and was admiring the paintings. I told him he could come in and I would be more than happy to explain them to him (the restoration paintings), so he came in! I went through the pictures and he explained to me that he knew about God and Christ but being from China he was very limited on his knowledge about them. So, I explained the restoration to him and really emphasized God is our loving Heavenly Father and returning to live with God. He stopped me and asked, "Why do I want to return to live with God?" Then I started talking to him about his parents and how much he loves them. I told him that through this gospel we are able to be with them forever and that God is our Father in Heaven and we want to live with him forever as well. At that point the spirit touched him so strongly and I have never seen such a quick change in someone from the spirit. It was amazing! We kept talking and he asked me why I decided to come on a mission. At the end he told me, "I have never heard something so simple, yet amazing. Thank you so much. I have never met someone before who really knows something from the bottom of their heart." He gave me his email and we are going to be in touch. Also, as he was walking out he stopped and came back in. He asked if he could take a picture with me! haha I loved it, it was just so great! I am so grateful that the Lord trusted me enough to send him into the VC. When he said those things to me I realized that I do know that this is true from the bottom of my heart. There is nothing I love more than this gospel and my Heavenly Father. Just the thought that I have the opportunity to see and be with him one day makes me SO happy! And that is exactly why I am out here. I want others to know how much God really loves them and to help them remember how much they loved him before. To know that they can be with him and their family, forever!

Ah that brings me to this other guy we met on the street last night! We were out street contacting and I stopped this guy. He was having a horrible day and at first was not willing to talk with me. But then I decided to just talk with him and not really share anything. We ended up talking for a while. He talked about how sad he was and how much he wanted to feel God's love in his life but he had no idea how to have it. Sister Sua then came and joined and we promised him that he can have that in his life! By the end he was smiling and laughing with us. We are seeing him later today! I am so excited!

Also, Avtar is getting baptized this Sunday!! That in itself is a miracle!! We

 just met him and he is just so ready! He is the best. It was just the best week ever. We we blessed to teach so many lessons and still had time to go find and get more people. So much fun!

Also, remember my district leader from last transfer? well he has come back to London! haha he came to church yesterday so we got to see him! It was so fun! He is here with his parents so we got to meet them as well. They are so sweet and he had his mom bring us a souvenir! haha she brought us this big chocolate bar from Finland! yum. I just love all of the people that I have met out here, they are the greatest.

I love this work so much! More and more every day! I am really starting to see even more that the hand of the Lord is in every moment of it. Let's be honest, if this were all up to me, I don't think anything would really get done.. haha. IT it so great and so fun! I love the gospel! I hope that you all have a wonderful week! I love you all so so much!! Thank you for always supporting me and loving me! You truly are the BEST family in the whole entire world!!!!

Love, Sister Ellsworth 

Oh and I forgot to mention, the royal baby was born!!!!!!! How cool is it that I get to be here for that. I think it is pretty great! It has been all over the city. The newspapers, facebook, etc. There was actually an announcement outside of Buckingham palace!! Honestly, it was pretty much what everyone was talking about for days! Love it!  

With her fave

Someone dropped these off at the Visitors Center and they had fun with them!

Sister Sua let Jamie cut her hair...

The Royal Baby

Hot, Humid, and Free Ice Cream!

Dearest Family,

 

I am so sorry to hear about Uncle Mike.  Ill make sure to keep them in my prayers.

 

My address is just the mission home address.  They forward it to us very promptly:

 

4-6-28

Shinohara Honmachi

Nada-Ku Kobe-Shi

Japan

657-0067

 

So here is how the week has been.  I had my first culture shock on Tuesday when I went to the grocery store.  In France I can kind of understand most words or guess, but I cant read kanji so I kind of freaked out.  Plus I was so scared everything would taste like seaweed or fish.  So Ive been a little homesick this week, but Im sure itll get better.  I seem to only be homesick when we are studying.  Once I am out working in the blazing sun, things are good.  I love coming home exhausted and sweaty.  It is so hot and humid hear.  (oh fyi, I have the tan futon- I didn't want to copy the other girls and I think it kind of looks like me).  But Japan does not have central air systems.  It is always so hot.  Luckily, we finally decided to turn on the Air comm system every few hours during the night so we could actually sleep.

 

So On Sunday, I led the lesson for the one investigator who has a lot of problems.  He has frustrated a ton of missionaries because he just doesnt applu anything.  I got the feeling to reteach about God and his divine potential.  I taught the bulk of the lesson.  My sentences were very simple, but I think he actually felt the Spirit.  It was also nice because we had a member there who help translate his mumble and Osaka bin.  Also, FYI I am in Ibaraki. It is more inland and about an hour away from Kyoto.  We are going sightseeing today.

 

Anyway, as I said, it is so hot.  Well, when it gets hot, my face gets so red!  The Japanese, do not sweat.  They wear long sleeves in this weather and are completely fine.  But they take pity on me and my exhausted red face.  Therefore, we had one random person on the street buy us ice cream and and two people offer to buy us drinks.  The other day, we rode our bike to a lesson.  It was all uphill and took 1.5 hours.  It was so hard.  People just stared at me when we arrived because my face was literally almost purple.  Also, I don't know if you realized this, but streeting in Japan is kind of hard.  No one believes in God and doesn't have a clue who Jesus Christ is.  It is quite different then most other missions.  The restoration is usually the first lesson for most missions, but here we have to establish the fact that God is their loving Heavenly Father.

 

But the Japanese are very respectful and nice.  My companion says that they always stare at me, but I haven't really noticed it yet.  I sometime forget how tall I am compared to them until I take a picture or go to give them a hug. Anyway, yesterday during church we gave a mission fireside.  It was during their linger longer and no one was listening.  Kids were running around and the adults were talking.  They announced we had a message to share and my companions started talking but it was still so noisy.  Then it was my turn and I was just reading a quote in romaji.  About two sentences in, the whole room goes dead silent.  Even the children were so quite and still.  They were all trying to figure out what I was saying probably and felt so bad for me.  My face turned red while speaking and it was just a tad embarrassing  but at least it got everyone to quite down.  But I have noticed that throughout Japan.  My companions are fluent, and when we go streeting, I am afraid to talk so I let them do the talking.  Most people just want to leave as soon as they start talking.  But when I finally get up the courage to say two to three sentences, everyone stops and listens and actually considers what I say.  Its kind of cool, but sad at the same time because I know they are only listening so intently because they cant understand me and they want so much to help me with the language.

 

Also, Iwamoto Shimai is a little lady in the ward.  Her and her husband always help out with lessons.  I think she had adopted me as her child.  On Saturday, she dressed us up in Kimonos and we stopped by at a little festival and a middle school.  Everyone stared at me as a tall blond in a Japanese traditional outfit.  But it was a lot of fun.  Iwamoto just loved seeing me in it.  She is so cute and is always helping me with my Japanese.

 

Anyway, I hope you have a great week and enjoy the weather in Newport and then in San Fran.  I love you all and thanks so much for writing me.

 

I love you!

 

Martha

 

PS Sorry if you don't get a letter right away.  Ill try to write everyone eventually, but I dont have a lot of time.  Please forgive me.

The ice cream they bought her

A beautiful park in the area she's in 

Dressed in traditional clothes 

JAPAN!

This e-mail from Martha is great. She's adjusting and having some fun while she's at it. 

Hi family!!

 

I guess a lot has changed over this past week.  Since there are so many sisters who are coming in, one sister now has to train two sisters.  So I am with Long Shimai from West Jordan (she's been out for about a year) and Shin Shimai from Korea (2nd transfer but is bascially fluent in Japanese because the grammar is the same).  We are in North Osaka.  It basically looks like a typical city.  However, Kyoto isn:t far so one of these p-days well get to go there!  But so far my companions seem great and we get along really well.

 

So, here are the hardest adjustments for me so far.  1) I cant understand a word anyone is saying.  We have one investigator who mumbles and speaks Osaka bin (slang) so that doesn't help.  He has a lot of issues like depression and tons of other things, so this past lesson we told him to take a vacation from his problems- naturally that was my idea.  Don't worry, we tied it in with the atonement. 2) I have never been in a constant sweat until now.  It is so hot and sticky and humid, but there is no AC.  You expect to be refreshed when you walk into a building, but rather it is even more stuffy and hot.  Cold showers have never been so delightful.  There is AC but it is turned on room by room and we hardly ever turn it on in our apartment.  My apartment is really nice though.  The nicest in the mission and actually quite large.  3) Not a fan of seaweed.  They put it with everything.  Why? I had mizo soup.  That was a struggle to finish.  Tofu, mushroom that I thought were noodles until I bit into them, and seaweed.  Not fish yet though except for tuna.  They know we don:t like seafood so they feed us chicken.  However they serve so much and it is rude not to eat everything.  I almost explode every time and I cant eat for the next couple of meals. 3) Everyone asks where my ancestors are from because Im so tall.  Long shimai has just started saying I'm from russia and a pro vball player.  People think thats the coolest thing. I cant even stop her though because I cant speak japanese.

 

Our mission seems really cool.  The zinkes have done a ton.  He runs this place like a business.  He has so many handbooks.  One for the mission, one for streeting and teaching, and one for the language.  He has the whole mission prayer to see how many sheep are ready and prepared to hear the gospel.  We have to find those sheep instead of trying to talk to millions of people for just anyone.  Ask and ye shall receive.  My area currently has 7 sheep ready.  J San (speaks English!) has a baptisimal date for Aug 25.  He is just one of the nicest people.

 

Anyway, thanks for all of the emails and birthday wishes!  Sorry I don:t have more time on the computer.  I have more time to write hand written letters so Ill try and get some of those off.  I hope everyone has a great week and I love you all!

 

Ellsworth Shimai

On the plane ride over

Some of the lovely food she looks forward to eating....ha 

Celebrating her birthday in the mission home!

All the large bugs in Japan that she hates

Miso Soup with seaweed on top 

These 7th grade girls all thought she was a professional v-ball player

The toilets have a hand washing station on top 

Where she sleeps!

Week 9: Final Week

Konnichiwa Family!

 

It's finally here!  This is my last week in the MTC!  I have heard I'll miss it, but right now I'm glad to be leaving.  However, I keep getting mini panic attacks because I don't actually know the language.  But o well.  I meet at the travel office Monday July 15th at 4:30.  I get to the airport around 6ish and then my flight leaves at 8:20.  Then we fly to Seattle and land there around 9:20 PCT and then fly to Osaka at 11:25 and arrive there around 2:30 Japan time on Tuesday July 16th! Then we stay at the Mission President's home for two nights and then I'm off with my companion.  My first full day in Japan will be on my birthday!!  Let's just hope the MP doesn't make us try and place a Book of Mormon on that day. Anyway, so expect phone calls either between 6-8 am or 9:30-11:00 (seattle time).  I'll figure more thigns out with you on Saturday.  I'm allowed to email that one last day before I fly out.

 

Okay, so cool experience this past week.  It happened last Wednesday.  So in the MTC, I don't feel like a real missionary yet.  We only teach fake investigators.  Well last Wednesday I was at the gastroeneterologist for my comp.  After the appointment, we were sitting outside waiting for the shuttle to come and pick us up.  As we are sitting at a bench, an older man come over and says "Hey, Elders!"  I assumed he was talking to us.  He then asked what we had to share with him.  I just sat there with blank look on my face.  All I could do was wonder why he was asking me?  I'm not a real missionary! I'm still in training! I don't know what to say.  So we sis the typical thing and asked him what he wanted to hear.  Anyway, somehow he told us his whole life story.  He said he is from NM and is a Navaho Indian.  He said he got stuck in Utah when he came here for school and married a girl from BYU.  He said that she then left him in '93.  But he proudly announced that he got 3 beautiful children out of them and they are all in their 20s.  We said we were sorry and he brushed it off saying it was no big deal.  He then said he got remarried, and had two little girls around the age of 7.  He said but then that wife left him 3 years ago.  I asked him where those little girls were.  He said one is in NM with his parents and the other is in ND with the mom's parents.  He says he never gets to see the one in ND because the grandparents don't like him.  He's says he's been homeless for 3 years and is hoping to pull his life together and go and "kidnap" her.  Again we felt bad, but he brushed it off.  Then Womack asked if he had ever heard of the Book of Mormon.  He said he actually had a copy with him and that he reads it from time to time.  Womack then asked what he thought about it.  He said he thought it was true.  He said he goes to Sacrament Meeting every once in a while, but can't stay for very long because that's when they serve lunch at the Food and Care Coalition   He then said he doesn't like how we don't have girl prophets besides Eve and Mary.  I corrected him on that and asked him if he knew what the priesthood was.  He didn't know, so I told him what it was and told him that men have that gift and women have the gift of bearing children.  He accepted that answer but wish more women had leadership positions.  I told him about relief society and whatnot, and then afterwards he introduced himself as Bruce and went and sat back down at his bench.  A few minutes later our shuttle arrived and we hopped in the van after saying goodbye to Bruce.  We buckled up and the van started to move forward.  As it inched forward, I told the driver to wait and got out of the van.  I then went over to Bruce and bore my testimony.  I told him that I knew Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ love him and are aware of him.  That they know of his struggles and desires and wishes, and that they want to help him.  I told them that they will help him see his family again.  I then told him to just pray and ask.  I then said goodbye and told him I was so glad to meet him.  As I got back in the van adn drove away, I turned to look back at him and he was wiping away tears from his eyes.  It was the coolest experience ever!!  I can' wait to be a real missionary and have experiences like this all the time!  I know probably lots of missionaries will have experiences like this, but I was so grateful that I got this opportunity while in the MTC.  It really helped the week start off great!  I can't wait to go to Japan!

 

Other than that, not much has happened this week.  I hosted the Nihongin on Wednesday and the live right next to us.  Sometimes I try to listen in on their conversations, but then stop because I get depressed because I can't understand a word of what they are saying.  However, I did learn something new this week.  I guess in Japan it is common for them to ask what your blood type is.  They all have the same eyes and the same hair, so this is a way to differentiate themselves.  I asked what each one meant and here is what I found out.

 

O: Friendly, outgoing, carefree, and gets along with everyone  (naturally this is me)

A: Diligent, and very into detail

B: Top priority is themselves

AB: weired, awkward, and a genious.  What we call a "nerd"

 

I thought that was a pretty interesting fun fact.  On Sunday i bore my terstimony in Japanese.  That's about all I can do, so I'm hoping to go off of that for the first few months. This past week I've been a lot more patient with my companion and things to be going well.  I think I'm finally learning..maybe a little? Other than that, just trying to get everything ready before I leave and making sure I have everything.  Also, just incase anyone wants to DearElder, it has to be written before noon on Friday or else I won't get it.  My last DearElders arrive on Friday night and my last packages have to arrive before Saturday at noon.  Just as a heads up.  Anyway, that's all for now.  I'll talk to you again on Saturday sometime before I leave. 

 

Ai shite imasu,

 

Ellsworth Shimai

Final District Photo: Japan Bound