4 days of Gochi

Emailing through pictures

D&C 8:10

" Remember that without faith you can do nothing; therefore ask in faith. Trifle not with these things; do not ask for that which you ought not".

 

This is Kobayashi San. We found her on Tuesday while walking around. Walked to the church together did a church tour and gave her a Book of Mormon! She's golden! So golden. After she left Oka Shimai and I both died on the floor. It was one of the coolest lessons of my life! 

This is arena San. She looooooves gaijin. And she's so good at English! She lived in Germany for 4 years! 

Found this on Christmas Eve. We sat in it and said Merry Christmas while people walked by and accidentally scared this old man. It was super fun! So many people asked if we made it. I love Sapporo!!! And my Killer Compy! 

It's been snowing like crazy lately! But the Windows look really cool! We've had four blizzards in the past 3 weeks :) was outside in every one of them!

This is Kazu San. We found her last week! We had an appointment at her house this week and we ended up talking to her about baptism! It was soooo cool! We invited her to church. She looked so happy when she saw us and ran up and gave us big hugs! She said she's coming next week too. She's sooooo nice! Seriously love her! Yay Christmas! 

We sang Christmas carols at Tsuchiya shimais work. My friends are both 100 years old. So cute! We had the same conversation 15 times :) but seriously so nice! 

We had a pancake party after DTM!

This week is New Years so we aren't allowed to dendo which means four days of solid member visits where you sit and eat. For hours, I mean days.

Yesterday for Christmas we went to Odori with the elders and say carols while members handed out Mormon.org cards! It was so cool! The spirit was so strong. So many people sang along and took pictures and videos and clapped. One guy that was working close by when no one was around he came and watched! One lady cried and accepted a Book of Mormon. I froze my noodle off but it was one of the coolest experiences so far!

I love Christmas so much!
 
I also love you!

Sister Zollinger

Five Transfer in Heaven

Good Morning!
 
Merry Christmas everyone! Wearing my Christmas sweater from last year compliments of Caitlin the master of ugly Christmas sweater finding :)
 
This week has been insane. Completely insane. Don't even remember everything that happened. But it went like this: 

• played a cello for the first time, killed it
• sang at ZTM with my beloved Kuta Shimai (first time in 12 transfers I wasn't nervous to preform) thanks for the challenge mom I've successful preformed at least once every transfer!
• froze our butts off in the armpit of the area successfully finding a delicious bread shop that also sells pretty cakes for ¥100 ($1)
• Found an NA (non-active) we didn't know existed
• Dendoed with kubo Shimai for about 4 hours. She meet us at the church and then drove us around to NAs, investigators, and even stopped on the side of the road so we could ping a house with Christmas lights.  It was so fun!
• Ran so we weren't late to almost every appointment this week. Feeling really fit 💪
• Got the largest box in my life full of presents from the ward. Yes, socks and chocolate. What more could a girl want?
• Annnd I went to my last Ward Council in Kotoni!

Which made me think of my five transfers here. I'm been working with the members here longer than any missionary I've worked with. Realized that yesterday. I love them all soooo much though!
 

• Transfer 1: Barton Shimai-Temple Open House, getting lost in the "Amazon". Getting filmed for a church video, using ice packs to cool ourselves off during MS because it's so hot, and miracles everyday
• Transfer 2 & 3: Hackett Shimai-my bean! Seriously laughed so hard I peed almost everyday, got lice, she got lost, and hit by a car, and we saw miracles everyday.
• Transfer 4 & now: Oka Shimai-running everyday, slipping on ice, sing Christmas songs to everyone, and still seeing miracles everyday.

I love DENDO! Something I realized a while ago. If you let it, life gets better everyday. Because your older, wiser, and better than you were the day before. You know more about your Savior. You've studied deeper than you ever have before. Drew closer to your Father through prayer. Life will keep getting better forever. Come what may and love it!
 
I love you all!
 
D&C 117:13
"When he falls he shall rise again, for his sacrifice shall be more sacred unto me than his increase, saith the Lord".
 
When you fall, remember who's child you are. That no matter what you do, if it's for him you will be blessed.
 
I love you!
Sister Zollinger

Presents from the Kotoni ward

our humble tree :) compliments of Takeya Shimai

Kuta Shimai and Zollinger Shimai

Snow piles at the church.

And cello...

Six more weeks of Winter... IN KOTONI!!!

Christmas lights

I'M STAYIN IN KOTONI 'TILL THE END!!!!
 
Also, poor Oka Shimai has to put up with me for a little bit longer.  At least she gets to kill me in the end. ;)  (this means to send her home)
 
This week was CRAZY. I haven't been that nervous for a transfer call since my very first one. But it was all okay in the end because nothing's changing. Yesterday at church the members were so excited to see me. So many of them ran up and said, "Zollinger Shimai, you didn't transfer! I'm so happy to see you!" And things like that. It was so nice. I cried all day long. I feel like a normal member now. I guess that's what happens when you've been somewhere for almost 6 months.
 
Love them, love them all so much!
Yesterday one of the Elders who just ended his mission came to church. I got to translate for his mom in Relief Society it was the hardest thing I've ever had to do. I said everything right but my English was just really weird. She's not used to Japanese speaking missionary English so we just giggled through the whole thing while I struggled to sound normal. After she gave me a big hug and said, "don't worry my little friend it will all come back to you when you go home". She's an angel!
 
On Monday we went to see the Christmas lights downtown with Tsuchiya Shimai and Kisaka San. It was so special! After we talked about the true meaning of Christmas and Tsuchiya  Shimai bore her testimony. Then yesterday she just showed up at church! It was the best! She's my favorite.

It was beautiful!!

We've been doing so much finding recently and haven't had any success.  Yesterday we were out and we played in the snow for a little bit but then just got really tired and cold. So we said okay let's ping for 30 more minutes and then go home. Let me tell you how it went. First house, a lady who went to Weber State in Ogden, Ut for two years, is fluent in English. Her host family is members and she's meeting them in Tokyo next year. Next four houses nothing. Pinged lady who's been to Canada, fluent in English told us to come back on Wednesday. Walked downstairs, pinged watch the Christmas video she cried. Going back on Wednesday. Decided not to go home. Next house, wants to talk about why there are so many different religions and where we go after this life.
 
Seriously the coolest night of my life. We ran home and ended up talking to an NA we've been trying to meet with for months. Every Time I'm about to give up Heavenly Father reaches down and picks me up.  Then shows me the world.
I'm so thankful for my Heavenly Father and all he does for me. He's my best friend.
Lastly here's a little funny for your week. On Saturday at mission leader conference Nakatsuka Kaicho was asking all the dying missionaries (the ones going home at the end of this transfer) to bear their testimony then after he said everyone's name but mine he started to walk away them everyone was like, "Kaicho, Zollinger shimai" he stopped in his tracks, turned around looked at me and then his jaw hit the floor. He forgot I'm going home this transfer. Don't worry I got to bear my testimony in the end :)
 
D&C112:11-> All you need is love
 
Sister Zollinger

We can't use the side door of our apartment anymore.

We ran to the church... in the snow.

Seven Ways to Get to Heaven

1. Be a Missionary
2. Take the Missionaries Lessons
3. Tell the Missionaries You Want to be Baptized
4. Work with the Missionaries
5. Listen to the Missionaries
6. Tell Your Friends about the Missionaries
7. Feed the Missionaries
This week I get my last official transfer call. Not going to lie I'm a little nervous. I'm been in Kotoni for almost 6 months now so my possibilities of leaving are very large. I will be so sad to leave Kotoni but I know wherever I am next transfer is exactly where I'll need to be. Bring on the dendo!
Because of that I want to start my last transfer off with a bang so here's this super cool scripture!
 
3 Nephi 5:13
"Behold, I am a disciple of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. I have been called of him to declare his word among his people, that they might have everlasting life".
I am a disciple of Jesus Christ. I have been called to declare His word, and that's just what I'm going to do!
This week has been really great! I was able to go on splits with Kuta Shimai. It's crazy to see how much we've changed since the MTC! We were babies then. It was so fun working with her. We were so unified and we actually know how to speak Japanese now. She's a super missionary! It was like a jumpstart to sprint till the end! :)
Then Oka Shimai and I got to go to a members Ekaiwa party. It was so cute. All the kids were so shy and treated us like famous people. Shaking our hands and staring. Taking pictures with us. It was super funny.
Other than that we found for days! We're working of finding new people to declare the word too and it's been really fun. Yesterday I was having a hard time and didn't really want to find. So I said a prayer and then grabbed my Book of Mormon. The power and spirit got so strong. Oka Shimai and I just looked at each other smiled and then started sprinting from house to house. It was so fun! The Book of Mormon is true and has real power! I know it!  
I love you all!

Merry Christmas!
 
Sister Zollinger
PS everyone go to Mormon.org and watch the video! You won't regret it! :)

We ordered a pizza for our last P-day this transfer.

I love Satou family.  They are so funny.

We went bowling last P-day.

Our thankful wall.  One thing for everyday last month we were thankful for.  Thanks for the idea Bucket. 

We ate Thanksgiving Dinner!

Yay pajamas from nana!! Best ones yet!

Good Morning everyone! 

How are you? I'm good too! How was Thanksgiving? I'm glad to know no one died on Black Friday! We actually ended up going shopping with Moeka Cham on Black Friday. I didn't buy anything though. But it felt weird being there on Black Friday. #salesfordays
 
We planned out this crazy thanksgiving dinner but then our investigator took us out to lunch and we were so full so this it what it ending up being.

 Apple marshmallow toast with mashed potatoes and gravy! It was pretty good!

We got a Japanese manners lesson from Sayuru Shimai this week. Turns out I'm super impolite! So glad she helped me. Then we saw yamagishi Shimai in the hospital. She's been battling cancer for years. But her testimony of faith was incredible. She's been through so much and saw us with the biggest smile on her face and welcomed us with simple Christmas presents. I love Kotoni Ward too much!

This week's scripture is Mormon 9:21
Behold, I say unto you that whoso believeth in Christ, doubting nothing, whatsoever he shall ask the Father in the name of Christ it shall be granted him; and this promise is unto all, even unto the ends of the earth.
I'll never be able to fully understand truly the power of prayer. But I will say it's something I've come to learn more in my almost 1 1/2 year of dendo. Pray is real. I have seen answers to my earnest prayers. When I prayed doubting nothing. He heard and answered. And no only is this promise to me to but everyone! Americans, Nihongin, the people living on the island in the middle of the ocean, even the researchers in Antarctica! All words spoken to the ends of the earth are heard by our Eternal Father in Heaven.

Pray to him and he will listen.

I love you all!

Sister Zollinger

Merry Christmas everyone!

Went on splits with Rigby Shimai and we froze our booties off during morning schedule.

I made this fish. Isn't it pretty! Learned how to cook on my mission :)

morning runs looks like this!

Christmas jammies from Nana!

Bought matching Christmas socks.

Nine Times

Hello!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

I hope you all fun plans for the weekend. That you're safe and your day is full of thanks!  I'm so thankful for all of you and all you do. Even the people I haven't met like McKenzie and Brenton. I love you guys too!  I'm so thankful I'm here is Japan at this time as a missionary.  I'm thankful for my Savior and His Infinite Atonement.  I'm thankful for my Loving Heavenly Father.  I'm thankful for ponderizing scriptures ;)

Especially this week's

D&C 123:17
"Therefore, dearly beloved brethren, let us cheerfully do all things that lie in our power; and then may we stand still, with the utmost assurance, to see the salvation of God, and for his arm to be revealed".
 


Got some marshmallows from the ward, so naturally we roasted them in
the toaster oven with chopsticks :)

My theme this transfer is Diligence. I've learned so much about diligence these past couple weeks. It's been so nice to study staying diligent to the end considering certain things. This morning I looked
up how many times diligence is listed in Preach My Gospel. It's in nine of the thirteen chapters of PMG. It's in chapter six 20 times. I think it was trying to tell me diligence is really important. One thing I've really learned is diligence isn't running all over the place checking things off of a check list. It's not working until you kill yourself. It's like this scripture says doing all things that lie in OUR POWER. Not things beyond that and nothing less than that. It's doing everything you can everyday and then when you lie down at night and pray telling Heavenly Father I did all I could today I know you will fill in the rest. Then watching his work come forth. And of course doing all of that with a cheerful heart because life is supposed to be enjoyed not just endured :)

This has been such a fun week! I got to go on splits with Sister Lafaele. She's from New Zealand. I asked her so many silly questions about it and she just laughed at me. I know nothing of the world. But we taught Kisaka San about prayer and she prayed for us! It was so special!! The spirit was so strong. When I told her God loves her the look on her face was so special! Then we finally saw Ozawa San!! I almost cried when her voice came over the air phone. Unfortunately we had to drop her baptismal date. And her. She wants to be an eternal family. She loves her family more than anything but she's not ready to take the steps to get there right now. It was really sad. But I got to tell her the story of the day Murata Shimai and I found her. We both giggled as we talked about what we were doing and how big of a miracle it was. In the end we bore our testimonies of the love Heavenly Father has for her. How he will always be there waiting for her. And so will we. It was sad but I have a lot of peace. I know Heavenly Father has a plan for her and that someday she'll be in the temple again kneeling with Hirotaka Kun and Daiichi Kun to be sealed forever.

The other day when I was one splits me and Lafaele Shimai and I decided to get ice cream. Of course. And everytime I go I try and get a different flavor. This time was cheese. I was so excited thinking yes cheese cake. I love cheese cake. Do you remember the cheese cracker we used to eat in our lunch boxes? Yeah it tasted like that.  Go Japan and it's ice cream flavors. I laughed the whole time I was eating it.

I love you all!

Count your many blessings this week!
Sister Zollinger

Odori Zone!

Kuta Shimai and I accidentally matched! MTC comp unity

These cute members made lunch for us today...

then didn't eat it with us.
 But I was so good and a nice district lunch.

 

10 Miracles

Meet Oka Shimai! My new friend from Riverton Utah! She went to school
with my trainer kempy! :) 

 

 

1. Getting rid of lice. It took six weeks but we did it!

 

2. Going to the temple. Walking in the Lord's House has a different meaning as a missionary.

 

3. Finding a new investigator. It took a few 100 people,and some awkward readjusting to finding after about 6 weeks of not doing it but practice makes perfect right! 

 

4. Free bread. Walked past the bread shop around closing time and the owner said if you buy one thing will give you the rest! 

 

5. Clean apartment. Officially clean since all the lice moved in. 

 

6. Meeting Moeka Chan and the surprise team-up thanks to Tsuchiya Shimai.

 

7. A warm apartment. We figured out how to turn on the heater in the apartment! #success! 

 

8. Emergency Transfers. If you all knew how perfect all the timing was in that. Heavenly Father's hands are in the folds of our lives. Oka Shimai is a blast! Seriously so excited for the rest of this transfer. 

 

9. Being companions with Hackett Shimai for two extra weeks! My bean is all grown up and out on her own now but I know she's going to be great. 

 

10. I'm a missionary in the Japan Sapporo Mission. Thankful for this everyday! 

I love you all! 

2 Timothy 1:7 

For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

Never be afraid

Sister Zollinger 

Found some weird glasses. Never felt like I belong in the 80's so much before now.

Transfers, temple, lice, the works

Hello! 

I hope you're all staying warm where ever you are. Unless you're someplace warm. Then yes, stay warm. So sorry for not emailing on Monday and for not giving a heads up that I wouldn't be emailing until today. Please forgive me. 😁
 
Ponderizing this week so far has been great! Last Saturday Tsuchiya Shimai took us and out investigator Hosokawa San (the one that showed up randomly at church) to lunch. It was amazing! It was an organic store so I thought it was going to be weird stuff cows eat. But it was sooo yummy! I want to go there everyday. Then we taught her about the plan of salvation. She was telling us how when her son was little he talked about them being in heaven together and that he was looking for her. Cutest thing I've ever heard! Then after lunch Tsuchiya Shimai was like I want to go see Ozawa San again let's go and drove us there.
 
Unfortunately she wasn't home. Then on the way back to our apartment I was thinking about what to talk about and I though hey I always enjoy a new ponderizing scripture. So I
asked her what her favorite was. I told her that I was doing the challenge from conference and she had no idea what I was talking about. So I showed her the talk and got all excited and said she was going to read it! Then she came literally running up to me on Sunday and shoved a scripture in my face and yelled 「これ」(this) it's my scripture. She said she challenged herself to do it every week until we meet in Japan again.. ❤️ She's my favorite person in the world.
 
Anyways this weeks ponderizing scripture is Jacob 7:23
"And it came to pass that peace and the love of God was restored again among the people; and they searched the scriptures, and hearkened no more to the words of this wicked man".
There are so many opposing voices in our life. People and things telling us we're not good enough, that we aren't smart enough, pretty enough. That we'll never become better. When we stop listening to those voices all that will be left is peace and the love of God. Then, we will SEARCH the scriptures to find more. Isn't that beautiful? Loved that on Monday.
 
Other than that, WE HAVE NO MORE LICE!!!!! I almost cried. Because we are all clear we had to clean our apartment again. Including all of our clothes, the futons, everything. So on Monday we didn't leave our apartment but of five minutes to run next door and buy more laundry soap. Daily planning Monday night was so excited. We were like yes finally 6 weeks later and we have a full day of dendo!  

So we went to Zone Training Meeting, did the special musical number, I gave a workshop it was great. Then we got a call from the assistants.  Hackett Shimai is getting transferred to Muroran today. So we spent the whole day packing and frantically trying to clean all our clothes because the Arrington's came to pick up her suitcases at 6:00 last night. It was insane. Right now we're are on the way to the temple for our "p-day" and then getting in the car and driving to Muroran to trade companions.

Zollinger Shimai and Hackett Shimai

 
I'm not going to lie I'm kinda sad she's leaving. And even more sad that she couldn't say goodbye to anyone. It has been so fun. We have seen so many miracles together. And literally been though so much.  Heavenly Fathers hands have been in the folds of this whole experience. From becoming companions, getting hit by cars, getting lost, getting lice, closing the area, becoming Sister Training Leader, setting a baptismal date, seeing everyone progress. Everything is because of Heavenly Father's love for us. I'm so thankful.
 
I love you all so Much!

Sister Zollinger

Trainer Gone Breaker

Happy Halloween! 🕸🎃👻
 
I hope you all have a fabulous day and eat lots of candy! We had a party here in Kotoni and a member made these super legit costumes for me and Sister Hackett! I was Olaf :) Seriously one of the funniest costumes I've ever had!

This weeks Scripture is 3 Nephi 16:18
"Thy watchmen shall lift up the voice; with the voice together shall they sing, for they shall see eye to eye when the Lord shall bring again Zion".
 
I seriously love this a lot! Yesterday in church it was the primary program. They were amazing like always! For the closing hymn we sang "families can be together forever". So here I was minding my own business singing my heart out when I looked up and saw the young Okawa Shimais face as she looked at her one year old daughter run around.  Then up at the Nishidas sharing their hymn book while there 5 year old son sings his lungs out. Then up at Bishop his face glowing as he looked across the ward. Then it hit me like a wave. Steams of emotion ran over me. Mom said a while ago that she was excited to meet my Japanese family. This is my family. I want to be with them forever.  That's why I love this scripture so much. When Christ comes there will be no separation between us. No race or class. We will all see eye to eye. We will all be Zion.
 
This week we weren't able to meet with Ozawa San which was really hard. We are hoping to see her this week and continue to help her progress toward her baptismal date. On the other hand Kisaka San is really progressing! We saw her two times last week and both were really powerful lessons. Hackett Shimai and I worked together so well and we really were able to follow the spirit in a way that helped Kisaka San. Kisaka San recognized the spirit and started pin pointing times in her life when she's felt it before. It was so cool! She's coming to Nakatsuka's FHE at Honbu tonight and we are thinking about bringing up baptism! She's seriously the cutest lady in the world. She giggles at everything. Makes me laugh every time. She also really wants me to sing Ave Maria. Hardest song in the world, wish me luck.
 
Another funny for your day. Hackett Shimai and I stayed! Now we're just hoping she's by

We stayed!  So celebrate with ice cream!

companion for my last transfer too so I can stay I trained her, broke her, and the she kills me. So fun! The missionary couple came yesterday and said "if you want to stay together you know what you gotta do?" Then he tapped his head and said, "don't get rid of it". First time I was thankful for lice.
 
We have had to buy so much cleaning supplies and shampoos and things for lice and it's the end of the month so we have no money. Last weeks shopping was so sad and we only got the bear minimum. But then all of the things we wanted but didn't get were given to us over the week. It was sooo special. The tender mercies of the Lord are endless.
 
I love you all!

Sister Zollinger

Beautiful park

 

My companion knows me so well.