Saitama, Japan and Shimomiya Shimai

Emily and her former companion, Kina Shimai at the Tokyo Temple:

Aio-chan is baptized; She is pictured with her parents and the Sister Missionaries

4 January 2010

Right now I am at the stake center. In the next room over some members are watching a concert by a Japanese singer named Arashi and I LOVE it! It is rock/pop style....yeah, kinda a temptation...

What stake center you ask? The one in... Saitama prefecture! Yes, I got transfered again! I am a stake missionary now. We are over 6 wards in the Saitama Stake. Yesterday we had lunch with an investigator. The dad is a member but the 14 year old daughter and son and mom are not. Another 14 year oldgirl came over to joint *we were origionally going to do it at the church but the dad of the investigator picked the other girl up*

Then the other girl invited us over to her home. We went. She is the daughter of the Relief Society president in one of the wards. I am still not sure what one. They fed us some snacks and I shared Alma 16'32. Then they drove us to the church where we had an FHE for the Single Adults. We played volleyball with a kids ball and had a lesson afterwards. ALL the elders came, from the whole Stake I think. They dont usually all come. Then we rode the bus home and got back at 10. Since we were late, we planned on the bus.

I guess here things get tight so we plan and eat on the bus or train a lot. Tomorrow we will have our weekly planning meeting and I will learn about the trains from my companion then. My companion is Shimomiya Shimai. She is Japanese but went to school in America for middle school through college. Her english is amazing. She reminds me of Aunt Stephanie a LOT, with her manerisms and tone of voice. She is a people person and super nice.

As for what has happened lately in the mission, I copied my journal and mailed it to you today so you should get it in about a week.

I am really looking forward to Saitama. The apartment is new and beautiful and the kitchen is big. I will have to take some pictures. I feel like I should really be here this transfer. I am always amazed at how Heavenly Father puts us right where we need to be.

At our zone conference on the 13th we have the opportunity to meet with the mission doctor and I am going to check out my back.

Well, I dont have too much to say. You will get the copy of my journal in about a week.

I love you so much! Thank you a million times over for doing the paperwork to help me get going at BYU.

Sister McMahan

Brother Nibley, ward mission leader: