Oh my people!

 I am so grateful for my family!  Thanksgiving is this week, right?  Its not celebrated here in Japan, but I've been trying to think about things that I am grateful for this month and one of the biggest things is you--my dear family! 

Thank you so much for the simple question "how are you" and for reminding me that you mostly want to hear the answer to that question!  :)  

I am happy and well. 

 I'm eating raw egg, seaweed, fermented soybeans, lots of rice, and more familiar foods (like peanut butter--Dad shoutout!) and sleeping really well after wonderfully long bike rides in refreshing weather. 

One change that we've been a part of is our friend K C's understanding of God.  When we first taught her about God, she thought that God maybe existed, 50% ish.  But after coming to church and praying daily, she told us in a recent lesson that God definitely exists.  SO COOL.  She has also really opened up to us and others.  Last night we had dinner with her and other investigators at our stake president's house and she willingly shared her experience with prayer as part of our lesson.  I am grateful for her and her faith and how her experience has taught me the power of prayer and faith. 

Another thing that I am so grateful for is the power of prayer. 

 It humbles me to think about how many people are praying for me and my mission--and the missionaries around the world.  Really, its powerful. 

Those prayers are being answered, I know it.  The power of faith is another thing that I am grateful for and have experienced this past week.  Opening my mouth is sometimes still really hard for me but this week I decided to just kind of go for it, even though I didn't know exactly what to say.  I'd done so before, but recommitted to that and say miracles as a result.  When we rode the train this week, I was able to talk with many people and even got contact information from one friend that I talked to.  Woot!  As a companionship, we decided that we would each ask 2 people to come to church or hear the missionary lessons after English class on Wednesday.  Even though I was a little nervous, when I let go of that and focused on inviting people in love and remembering that by receiving the gospel people can receive greater hope and strength, it became easier to open my mouth.  And when I invited people, they gladly accepted and gave me their contact info.  Seriously, faith has such POWER.

I love you all.  SO MUCH.  Enjoy time off of school and togetherness.  I am grateful for your examples of faith and righteous desires.  Keep it up.  Again, again, thank you for your individual emails.  I LOVE reading them and hearing your voices through them.  

Love higher than Mount Everest,

Williams shimai