This week was so so so
busy!!! We have done so much in so little time. This was one of those weeks
that feel like it has been going on for at least a month but now that it is
over I look back and it feels like I just barely emailed you!
Last P-day after I emailed, we went to Kichijoji and Elder Lunt backed up his iPad on the computers in the family history center over there. Then we walked around Sun Road to shop. We didn't buy anything, Sun Road is way expensive. Japan is way expensive. We found this place that sold crepe ice cream cones for 500 yen(which is actually quite expensive considering I can make crepes myself) and then we headed home. It's about a 25 minute train ride or so.
Tuesday we had a district meeting. My batteries died on my bike light (which are required by law here). I couldn't find any double A batteries anywhere. Sister Devey bought me some randomly. That was really nice. Then we went over to Yokota for a blitz with the elders up there. I went with Elder Peck. He graduated school at 15 and went to college at 16! Then we got some Melon Pan (melon shaped bread with ice cream in it. Japanese steals words from other languages like no one's business. Pan means bread in Japanese. It is originally Spanish.) Then we all went and got sushi. Elder Lunt ate 30 plates of sushi. So did elder peck. They kept pressuring me to buy more and more sushi. I stuck with my 12 plates, which is just 12 pieces. We stayed there WAY too long. But then after they were finally done we visited a less active and that was good!
Wednesday we had President Whiting come to our mission for a mission tour. The trains were PACKED that morning. It was way good. I learned a lot about change. Repentance is change. When we sin we move away from God and when we repent it is that turning back to God. It is our life long challenge to put off the natural man and become a saint thought the atonement of Jesus Christ. When God's laws have ceased to be a burden and we have purged the natural man, then we are converted. But conversion in itself is an eternally rewarding, life long process and journey. Also another big thing that I learned about was our communication. Communication reflects the thoughts in our mind which makes up who we are. Language is one of the most powerful tools we have in this raging battle against the enemy of all righteousness. Even in Joseph Smith's experience, the devil couldn't kill him, but he tried with all his effort to keep him from uttering those words in his first voiced prayer because he knew that Joseph would prove to be a disturber in the devil's kingdom.
On Thursday we trained up to Fussa and tried to visit a couple of investigators that elder Lunt carried over when he transferred. They weren't home though. Actually to go back just a little bit, while we were waiting for the train up to Fussa, the train was quite late, I saw a younger guy behind me. I said "konnichiwa" to him but then I didn't say anything after that so it kind of created an awkward gap between us. I really felt like I should talk to him though. So I just asked him something random. From there we talked until the train came and then on the train all the way up to Fussa. We were able to bear testimony of God and how He loves us and looks after us and wants us to be happy so he gave us a plan to follow. I told him that we, as missionaries, teach people about that plan because it has helped us so much in our own personal lives. I asked him if we could teach him about that plan and he said yes! We met him the next Saturday but you will hear about that a bit later.
Friday desu ne. This week I have been ponderizing Moroni 9:6. It says "And now, my beloved son, not withstanding their hardness let us labor diligently, for if we should cease to labor we should be brought under condemnation, for we have a labor to perform whilst in this tabernacle of clay, that we may conquer the enemy of all righteousness and rest in the kingdom of God." I love this scripture so much. Even though we as baptized members of Christ's established church try to do our best, there will always be opposition. As a missionary a great deal of what you do depends on other's agency. We can teach and invite all day long but the people being taught and invited have to use their agency to act on what is taught and felt. Sometimes, even if they have felt the spirit, they just don't act. When those kind of things happen, we can't get discouraged. We must labor diligently, nothing wavering, not withstanding others hardness, to do as we know we should do. We can't choose what other people do, but we can do a whole lot with what WE can do. We can decide now to go to church, or pay tithing, or anything if we will just first desire to do so, choose to believe, and press forward with faith in Christ.
Last P-day after I emailed, we went to Kichijoji and Elder Lunt backed up his iPad on the computers in the family history center over there. Then we walked around Sun Road to shop. We didn't buy anything, Sun Road is way expensive. Japan is way expensive. We found this place that sold crepe ice cream cones for 500 yen(which is actually quite expensive considering I can make crepes myself) and then we headed home. It's about a 25 minute train ride or so.
Tuesday we had a district meeting. My batteries died on my bike light (which are required by law here). I couldn't find any double A batteries anywhere. Sister Devey bought me some randomly. That was really nice. Then we went over to Yokota for a blitz with the elders up there. I went with Elder Peck. He graduated school at 15 and went to college at 16! Then we got some Melon Pan (melon shaped bread with ice cream in it. Japanese steals words from other languages like no one's business. Pan means bread in Japanese. It is originally Spanish.) Then we all went and got sushi. Elder Lunt ate 30 plates of sushi. So did elder peck. They kept pressuring me to buy more and more sushi. I stuck with my 12 plates, which is just 12 pieces. We stayed there WAY too long. But then after they were finally done we visited a less active and that was good!
Wednesday we had President Whiting come to our mission for a mission tour. The trains were PACKED that morning. It was way good. I learned a lot about change. Repentance is change. When we sin we move away from God and when we repent it is that turning back to God. It is our life long challenge to put off the natural man and become a saint thought the atonement of Jesus Christ. When God's laws have ceased to be a burden and we have purged the natural man, then we are converted. But conversion in itself is an eternally rewarding, life long process and journey. Also another big thing that I learned about was our communication. Communication reflects the thoughts in our mind which makes up who we are. Language is one of the most powerful tools we have in this raging battle against the enemy of all righteousness. Even in Joseph Smith's experience, the devil couldn't kill him, but he tried with all his effort to keep him from uttering those words in his first voiced prayer because he knew that Joseph would prove to be a disturber in the devil's kingdom.
On Thursday we trained up to Fussa and tried to visit a couple of investigators that elder Lunt carried over when he transferred. They weren't home though. Actually to go back just a little bit, while we were waiting for the train up to Fussa, the train was quite late, I saw a younger guy behind me. I said "konnichiwa" to him but then I didn't say anything after that so it kind of created an awkward gap between us. I really felt like I should talk to him though. So I just asked him something random. From there we talked until the train came and then on the train all the way up to Fussa. We were able to bear testimony of God and how He loves us and looks after us and wants us to be happy so he gave us a plan to follow. I told him that we, as missionaries, teach people about that plan because it has helped us so much in our own personal lives. I asked him if we could teach him about that plan and he said yes! We met him the next Saturday but you will hear about that a bit later.
Friday desu ne. This week I have been ponderizing Moroni 9:6. It says "And now, my beloved son, not withstanding their hardness let us labor diligently, for if we should cease to labor we should be brought under condemnation, for we have a labor to perform whilst in this tabernacle of clay, that we may conquer the enemy of all righteousness and rest in the kingdom of God." I love this scripture so much. Even though we as baptized members of Christ's established church try to do our best, there will always be opposition. As a missionary a great deal of what you do depends on other's agency. We can teach and invite all day long but the people being taught and invited have to use their agency to act on what is taught and felt. Sometimes, even if they have felt the spirit, they just don't act. When those kind of things happen, we can't get discouraged. We must labor diligently, nothing wavering, not withstanding others hardness, to do as we know we should do. We can't choose what other people do, but we can do a whole lot with what WE can do. We can decide now to go to church, or pay tithing, or anything if we will just first desire to do so, choose to believe, and press forward with faith in Christ.
On Friday I felt my
first earthquake! Or jishin 地震 as the Japanese say. It was during study I
just heard this loud roar from afar and then the house started shaking really
hard. It only lasted about 5 seconds or so but it was so big compared to
anything I have ever felt! Then that night we went to the Kanno's and we
made sushi and taught a lesson about the Good Samaritan. We made little cut
outs to represent the story. The scripture says that he put him on his own
beast. It didn't say what kind so I made it a dragon. The kids really really
liked it :) While we were eating brother Kanno kept saying "sakurajima san
wa funka shita!" We looked up and funka 噴火means eruption. We
turned on the TV and sure enough the volcano that he had stood on in his
mission, he showed us a picture, had erupted! It looks pretty big too! But
still we haven't had any ashes or anything like that. But still that kind of
thing NEVER happens in Idaho! Haha. It was very exciting. We think that the 地震caused the 噴火. I need to talk about
Brother Kanno real quick because I just love him haha. He is way funny. He
learned a lot of funny English on his mission. The other day when we visited,
his son was "shooting" him with a fake gun while we were talking and
he would always just like slouch over like he was dead and his son would laugh.
The son is about Tripp's age. And one time his son shot him he stuck out his
hand and grabbed the "bullet"(It doesn't exist), crushed it, threw it
on the ground, turned his head real slow to look at his son as if to say
"Oh no you didn't." Hahaha and then the son laughed. When we ate
sushi there was a big bowl of lettuce, because not all sushi is raw fish,
sashimi is raw fish. Sushi can be sashimi on rice or like steak of fried
anything on rice. And Onigir is the kind that is wrapped in the seaweed. But we
had Onigir with lettuce, rice, steak, and mayo inside and it rocks! But anyways
the son took a HUGE piece of lettuce and just randomly shoved the whole thing
into his mouth hahaha. Kanno kyōdai was all like 'wow' in a perfect American
accent hahaha. And his eyes got all wide when he said it too. Then he said
"レーマン人がいるね。”hahahaha. "He's like a lamanite!"
On Saturday we taught Okabe kyōdai in the morning. We found a guy who had some interest. Not much stemmed from there though. Then we found a lady who had interest and said we could return to teach her. We referred her to the sisters. Then that night we met Hiroaki Matsubara, the guy I found the other day, in Fussa Eki and we went to a place called modern pasta and got some dinner and then we talked about what to expect when meeting with the missionaries. It rocked. He is way cool. He is an air control guy in the Japanese air force on the American air force base in Yokota. He was also very impressed by how much I can actually read Japanese! Haha kept pointing to different kanji on the menu and ask me what it meant and how to say it. I got probably 80% of the kanji on the menu! I'm learning like 10 every few days right now. I take a new kanji (either I don't know the reading of it or the meaning, kanji often have several different ways you can pronounce them depending on if it is attached to another kanji or not. (Side note. I just felt another earthquake but it was pretty small)
So ya this week rocked! Today is Sunday. Actually now it's Monday. I love the big Haydon!!! hahahahaha it cracks me up that it freaks Krue out haha. (Scott printed a large cut out of Haydon for the wedding)
On Saturday we taught Okabe kyōdai in the morning. We found a guy who had some interest. Not much stemmed from there though. Then we found a lady who had interest and said we could return to teach her. We referred her to the sisters. Then that night we met Hiroaki Matsubara, the guy I found the other day, in Fussa Eki and we went to a place called modern pasta and got some dinner and then we talked about what to expect when meeting with the missionaries. It rocked. He is way cool. He is an air control guy in the Japanese air force on the American air force base in Yokota. He was also very impressed by how much I can actually read Japanese! Haha kept pointing to different kanji on the menu and ask me what it meant and how to say it. I got probably 80% of the kanji on the menu! I'm learning like 10 every few days right now. I take a new kanji (either I don't know the reading of it or the meaning, kanji often have several different ways you can pronounce them depending on if it is attached to another kanji or not. (Side note. I just felt another earthquake but it was pretty small)
So ya this week rocked! Today is Sunday. Actually now it's Monday. I love the big Haydon!!! hahahahaha it cracks me up that it freaks Krue out haha. (Scott printed a large cut out of Haydon for the wedding)
By the way Elder Lunt
and I are doing way better! We get a lot of work done. I did what Tanner said,
literally, I polished his shoes. (Our super positive Tanner gave Haydon a good
pep talk last week! Without going into too much detail, he told Haydon he
should love his companions and polish his companions shoes and love him and
serve him) I realized that my mission is preparing me to be a husband and
father one day and now is a good time to practice and really let those
Christ-like attributes sink into me with people I don't know that we'll so that
when I get back I will love everybody that much more. We haven't had any
problems at all this week! Service and love is the key!
Hey by the way can you
send me a small blue, gold on the edges, leather bound Jesus the Christ from
Deseret book? Thanks! Also I got your package! I loved it! Thank you so
much! The socks rock. I also love the ties, I am wearing one right now!
:) I am going to have to send some I never wear home though. They are getting a
bit ooii. But thank you for all the prayers you send my way! This week I have
really found power in prayer. It literally is our connection to our Heavenly
Father. Through faith we can receive guidance and power to do His will, and
receive constant revelation as to what we should do next through prayer and
through faith that that prayer will be answered. I know prayer works so well! I
love you all!
Also to answer the
question about why I can't go into some stores is a couple reasons. One if we
go to electronic stores it can make people spend too much time there, and two,
pornography is a HUGE problem here. Like it is everywhere. A lot of the stores
we can't go in have a lot of bad stuff in it.
I love you all so much!
After this I am goingto
Akishima for some all you can eat Chinese food!
ドレーパー長老
ドレーパー長老
(As we emailed back and
forth he felt about 3 more aftershocks. He wanted an adventure…here we
go, a volcano and earthquakes. )
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