I hope you got my email that said my P-Day will be on Tuesday and not Monday. We are going to the temple! Right now it is Friday and I just had sometime while waiting for the rice to cook. But figuring I probably won't have a ton of time to email on Tuesday, I wanted to write some now!
So this week has been pretty good. It has been a blur not that that is anything new, these past 6 months have been one huge blur. It literally feels like I just left you and dad at the curb at the MTC. Just think, I only have 3 more of these fast 6 months left! IT's so crazy!
So from Last P-Day. I had worn the same shirt for 3 days because we ran out of detergent and we couldn't find any in any shops nearby. But we eventually found some! Haha. That day we also had things we needed to do every day for 4 days before and we hadn't had language study in 4 days because that's always the first to go if needed. But on P-day I was having a hard time understanding people and I was just kidding of accepting that I wouldn't understand anybody that day. But then the spirit whispered to me clear as day "Just ask." So I said a small prayer asking to be able to understand people today, and I understood almost everybody! It was great! The Lord is waiting to open up the windows of heaven to us, we just need to ask, and do.
We had Zone Conference on Tuesday in Kichijoji. Of course the trains were packed. At zone conference, president Wada gave us a training on silence. We practiced using the Japanese Culture and Silence together to uncover concerns about not wanting to get baptized and other concerns. Concerns are like Icebergs. You can only see a little bit on the surface but the majority of the concern or problem is under the water and you need to dive a bit deeper to realize the whole of it. Japanese people don't like to be rushed when asked questions (side note* Japanese students aren't allowed to ask questions in school unless asked by the teacher to ask a question). So when we ask them a question, if they don't answer immediately we are supposed to just sit there and kind of let them stew I guess haha. But we practiced just listening and being quiet. We did role play and we just had to use listening techniques and try to find out there concern. It was pretty hard. We can't solve people's problems for them, but we can help them find out what they need to do for themselves. We practiced being "mirrors". We would let them talk for a while and then kind of summarize what we heard and ask them back if that is what they meant, if it wasn't they would clear it up; if it was, they felt they that you understood them. It was very interesting.
Wednesday! Wednesday was a really good day. We went off to visit a friend. We went in and he was drinking Sake. I was kind of nervous about what kind of drunk he would be because I had never seen him drunk before. He wasn't mean so that's good. But Japanese houses don't have insulation and they don't have central air. They just have the Air Con. It's kind of like an air conditioner but a bit different. But they have these little tables with a blanket under the top of the table and there is a heater built in to the underside of the table. So we kneel down and put the blanket over ourselves and get warm that way. I learned the word "chibirichibiri" It means "a little at a time". He was telling me how you have to drink sake chibirichibiri and how you can drink beer fast. I asked him why. His response was this, "しなかったら、死んじゃう！” "If you don't you will die!" hahaha we all laughed pretty hard at that. Then he showed us his pottery again and gave Elder Lunt a tiny little vase with an inlay design of a dragon fly! It was way cool! Then we headed back to the church and we had a district dinner. Last district meeting they were talking about having curry and I thought they said "crepes" and I was all like "YEAH! I love crepes!" They all laughed at me because no one said crepes. But then I asked if I could make crepes anyway. So Wednesday night we had crepes and curry at the church! IT was awesome! I made about 21 crepes. Then we had Eikaiwa, and it was good.
Lately I have been taking time after I right in my journal just to write of all of the times I could remember about when I was young, on the bus stories, or just any little story I could remember. It's so fun!
On Thursday nothing really happened besides a lot of walking and posting. We have been writing our number on hundreds of Free Framily English Probram pamphlets and like posting them all over Tokyo. We just haven't found anybody in a long time and wanted to switch it up a bit. (I left the misspellings in this sentence on purpose; he’s starting to sound Japanese. I’m sure they were just misprints, but still funny!)
On Friday we walked for about 5 hours straight. We walked through a park by the Tamagawa river and there was man in the park playing his guitar. We stopped and listened and talked to him. He play us his original song called "誰も知らない所へ” "Daremo shiranai tokoro he" it means " to the place where no one knows." IT was really good. Then we went and visited sister and elder Adamson while we waited for dinner to be made 2 stories up at the Yokota elders apartment. I love the Adamson. They have been to Mountain Home! I love finding people who know of where I live!
Then on Saturday I realized... I get transfer calls on Saturday! I'm way pumped for that. Thank you for the Jesus the Christ book and the Gloves by the way!! I am in chapter 17 on Jesus the Christ and I use the gloves every day when I bike! They are a life saver! But on Saturday we went to a park and tried to talk to people there. Nothing was biting. But there was a way yabai (sketch) zoo right in the park in the corner. It's like some guy just bought some chicken coops and but deer in it and bunnies in others and 1 monkey in one. That day we walked around down to the Tama river and back. We got lost coming back. Then at night we had an After Baptism lesson (AB lesson. Okabe kyōdai calls them ABC lessons haha). But that was good.
So this week has been pretty good. It has been a blur not that that is anything new, these past 6 months have been one huge blur. It literally feels like I just left you and dad at the curb at the MTC. Just think, I only have 3 more of these fast 6 months left! IT's so crazy!
So from Last P-Day. I had worn the same shirt for 3 days because we ran out of detergent and we couldn't find any in any shops nearby. But we eventually found some! Haha. That day we also had things we needed to do every day for 4 days before and we hadn't had language study in 4 days because that's always the first to go if needed. But on P-day I was having a hard time understanding people and I was just kidding of accepting that I wouldn't understand anybody that day. But then the spirit whispered to me clear as day "Just ask." So I said a small prayer asking to be able to understand people today, and I understood almost everybody! It was great! The Lord is waiting to open up the windows of heaven to us, we just need to ask, and do.
We had Zone Conference on Tuesday in Kichijoji. Of course the trains were packed. At zone conference, president Wada gave us a training on silence. We practiced using the Japanese Culture and Silence together to uncover concerns about not wanting to get baptized and other concerns. Concerns are like Icebergs. You can only see a little bit on the surface but the majority of the concern or problem is under the water and you need to dive a bit deeper to realize the whole of it. Japanese people don't like to be rushed when asked questions (side note* Japanese students aren't allowed to ask questions in school unless asked by the teacher to ask a question). So when we ask them a question, if they don't answer immediately we are supposed to just sit there and kind of let them stew I guess haha. But we practiced just listening and being quiet. We did role play and we just had to use listening techniques and try to find out there concern. It was pretty hard. We can't solve people's problems for them, but we can help them find out what they need to do for themselves. We practiced being "mirrors". We would let them talk for a while and then kind of summarize what we heard and ask them back if that is what they meant, if it wasn't they would clear it up; if it was, they felt they that you understood them. It was very interesting.
Wednesday! Wednesday was a really good day. We went off to visit a friend. We went in and he was drinking Sake. I was kind of nervous about what kind of drunk he would be because I had never seen him drunk before. He wasn't mean so that's good. But Japanese houses don't have insulation and they don't have central air. They just have the Air Con. It's kind of like an air conditioner but a bit different. But they have these little tables with a blanket under the top of the table and there is a heater built in to the underside of the table. So we kneel down and put the blanket over ourselves and get warm that way. I learned the word "chibirichibiri" It means "a little at a time". He was telling me how you have to drink sake chibirichibiri and how you can drink beer fast. I asked him why. His response was this, "しなかったら、死んじゃう！” "If you don't you will die!" hahaha we all laughed pretty hard at that. Then he showed us his pottery again and gave Elder Lunt a tiny little vase with an inlay design of a dragon fly! It was way cool! Then we headed back to the church and we had a district dinner. Last district meeting they were talking about having curry and I thought they said "crepes" and I was all like "YEAH! I love crepes!" They all laughed at me because no one said crepes. But then I asked if I could make crepes anyway. So Wednesday night we had crepes and curry at the church! IT was awesome! I made about 21 crepes. Then we had Eikaiwa, and it was good.
Lately I have been taking time after I right in my journal just to write of all of the times I could remember about when I was young, on the bus stories, or just any little story I could remember. It's so fun!
On Thursday nothing really happened besides a lot of walking and posting. We have been writing our number on hundreds of Free Framily English Probram pamphlets and like posting them all over Tokyo. We just haven't found anybody in a long time and wanted to switch it up a bit. (I left the misspellings in this sentence on purpose; he’s starting to sound Japanese. I’m sure they were just misprints, but still funny!)
On Friday we walked for about 5 hours straight. We walked through a park by the Tamagawa river and there was man in the park playing his guitar. We stopped and listened and talked to him. He play us his original song called "誰も知らない所へ” "Daremo shiranai tokoro he" it means " to the place where no one knows." IT was really good. Then we went and visited sister and elder Adamson while we waited for dinner to be made 2 stories up at the Yokota elders apartment. I love the Adamson. They have been to Mountain Home! I love finding people who know of where I live!
Then on Saturday I realized... I get transfer calls on Saturday! I'm way pumped for that. Thank you for the Jesus the Christ book and the Gloves by the way!! I am in chapter 17 on Jesus the Christ and I use the gloves every day when I bike! They are a life saver! But on Saturday we went to a park and tried to talk to people there. Nothing was biting. But there was a way yabai (sketch) zoo right in the park in the corner. It's like some guy just bought some chicken coops and but deer in it and bunnies in others and 1 monkey in one. That day we walked around down to the Tama river and back. We got lost coming back. Then at night we had an After Baptism lesson (AB lesson. Okabe kyōdai calls them ABC lessons haha). But that was good.
On Sunday Okabe Kyōdai received the priesthood!!! That was exciting! His mother also came along with him. She is a sweet old lady. I have no idea what she says, or he, but I love them. It just goes to show that you can the power of God and the Love of God can work through you even if you have no idea what the person says.
Monday we cut language study a bit early and headed to Kichijoji for Zone meeting. We got there early to go eat some Tomato soup ramen. It was way good. Then we went to the church and I played the piano for a while until the meeting started. After the meeting we all did some wicked calligraphy on big pieces of paper with calligraphy brushes and everything. Just like Mulan had to do in the movie. I wrote "福生” and " 神を信頼する” "Fussa" and "trust in God". That was really fun. Then tonight we went to visit a less active family but they weren't home. Then we visited the bishop’s family. That was a nice visit. We forgot it was FHE because we usually don't visit on Monday nights. But we kind of turned our lesson into a FHE for them. He wants us to share what we shared with them about the Asia North Area plan, with the ward. I don't know if that means a talk or what.
So tomorrow we are going to The temple and then after that going to China town in Yokohama. I won't have any time to write back and forth in email. Sorry. I really wanted too but we couldn't fit it in. But that's why I'm writing right now and that's why I'll write on the train tomorrow too. But Then after Yokohama, we will come home and shop and then have district meeting and then I will go on splits with Elder Fenton!
The temple is in Japanese, but they have translation into English. The blossoms will bloom in April for me! There was a random warm from a while back though so there is a rumor that it may have shocked the trees and may killed them. I'm not sure though. I'm for sure no Sakura expert.
I know I'm not spending any money. I really have all I need. If I went and bought souvenirs every transfer I would have like a whole suitcase full! It’s really hard to pack all of the things you buy around with you when you transfer. So if I see something I really want I'll get it, but for the most part, I don't need much. I already have a ton it feels like. But this next Friday we have a dinner appointment with this one lady named Takahashi San and she is going to give me her husband’s Kimono because he doesn't wear them at all anymore! So I'm pretty pumped for that. But really I'm going to have to send something home soon, I have so much stuff! Especially if I get that Kimono, I have no idea where I'll put it!
Haha yes the Japanese have holidays. No they don't celebrate Easter, I don't think. They probably don't celebrate Chinese New Years for a couple reasons. The New Years here called "Shougatsu" or 正月 is already huge, and 2 they are kind of racist towards Chinese people.
The other day I was reading Alma 17 over again and it struck me, in verse 20, that the lamanites so readily identified Ammon as a Nephite. He goes into this city and almost immediately he was captured and bound because he was a Nephite. How did they know he was a Nephite? He probably looked different. I guarantee he acted different; he probably didn't speak the same as they did, and I'm sure it is probably really easy to find him out when he is preaching the word of God to a wild and ferocious people! My point is that he was different, and they noticed it. If he hadn't been different than the people around him, then he wouldn't have been captured, King Lamoni wouldn't have been converted and so forth. We need to be different in this world if we are to be disciples of our Savior Jesus Christ. We are to set our candle before men that they may see our good works and glorify the father, not to set our candle under a bushel for men to NOT see. We must have courage to be different in a world that really needs that example. If we are different, in other words, if we live our religion the way we ought to, I promise that someone will notice and they will wonder why we are so strange, why we are so different, and then is a perfect opportunity to share something about this glorious gospel, which makes men and women everywhere happy forever. This gospel is true and I know that we need not fear to share it. We only need to fear not sharing it. The work that we endeavor in, that is to share the gospel of Jesus Christ, is a great work and is one of the most rewarding works we can find ourselves caught up in. I know this. I love you all, I love the work of God, and I know that Christ lives and he is our Savior, the only way through which we may return to our God.
I love you all!!!
Elder Draper
The following was a letter sent to Brei, but it was so funny I had to include it. So I'm standing in the train and this jerk is sitting in front of me. There is a lady who just sat down next to him. She was fixing her hair and accidently bumped him and he shoved her arm. She did it again and he said some not very nice things in Japanese. When she got off the train she said something smart back to him and he kicked her. In the process he kicked me also. So then she kicked him. The lady was in the right. Sure she shouldn't have said anything, but he was a huge jerk! My head was pounding because I just wanted to slam his head back up against the window and tell him to say sorry. But instead I wrote you about it. But oh man if I wasn't a missionary I would have done that. I have come to the point where I really hate when people are rude to others. Really hate it. (I laugh because Haydon is not violent! Nor do I believe he would have slammed anyone up against anything!)
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