week 57 MERRY CHRISTMAS

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

No email today just pictures!                                                        

     This is our Branch                                                                                                 Thank You Ward

                                                                         

week 57

You only get this small email today since I'll be seeing you on Christmas! Well, Christmas Eve I guess. That sounds fine though! Christmas morning, 8:00am.
As far as who I want there... I can't play favorites or nothing but if you could fit my car in the living room id love to talk to her for a minute ;).
BTW. Got a new companion but I'm still in Nakatsu. He's 19, been out 4 months, and just loves life and smiling and laughing. He's a comical cross between Napoleon dynamite and Ricky Bobby. He's also 195cm tall so he's huge!
See you on Christmas!

week 56

This is from my journal 

December 13th, 2015

These things are simple. But they are divine. We have been in the right place at the right time too many times for it to be coincidence. It doesn't come through strong impressions. It isn't some giant miracle. But these things are real. And we've been working at being better. And it is through those small things that we are seeing these miracles. I feel good when I do good things. And I feel good. It's hard. But it's taking worries and stress and discouragement away. Even if nothing miraculous happened, I know that I'm doing what I'm supposed to and experiencing what God has to give me

Alright! Well, I don:t know where to start. But, I:ve got to start somewhere.

Somewhere:

I:m still in Nakatsu, Japan. A VERY small place with the majority of the land being used for rice fields. As far as the eye can see. It;s great! It:s too bad I didn:t get here a little bit earlier to see it all before it was unharvested. However, I got to see some awesome rice fields in Yatsushiro as well so i:m not complaining.Our church is... well, not an actual church building but of course, still a church. The downstairs is the chapel. Next to that is a little massage shop. The upstairs is the branch presidents office and other rooms that we use for classes. And our apartment is on the upper floor on the right. Yes, we live at the church. It:s very convenient!

Alright, just a couple more pictures. This is our church/apartment and
the chapel. And of course, it wouldn't be church in Japan if there
weren't slippers! :)

Someone:

I:m here in Nakatsu with my companion, Elder Houseknecht (had to check how to spell his name just now... ha). He:s 18, half Japanese, and from Texas. We:re having a good time here. Also on the "someone" category, the members here are really great! They are like a big family. Everybody comes to church on sunday morning and nobody really goes home after because they are talking and doing home teaching and just chatting it up. It:s fun being part of this little category.

Somehow:

Not really sure what i:m going for with this email or what would fall under this category but my first thoughts are The Spirit. As I mentioned in my journal entry, for me it is rarely anything spectacular. Just small things. But when you do good and are following the commandments and finding joy in the church (shoutout to President Uchtdorf and his talk "It works wonderfully!"), more light and guidence is available. It:s just like anything else in life. If you exercise, you will get stronger. If you practice a skill, you will get better. If you exercise your faith, you will get better at having faith and feeling the spirit. It also works in the negative as well: if you think bad thoughts, more bad thoughts will come. If you don:t practice, you won:t get better. And if you don:t exercise, you will probably get fat. Don:t get fat! And don:t get depressed! think good things! Do good things! And good things will come.

That:s all I have to say about that. Love you all. Merry Christmas!

Brower Chourou

week 55

This was a father son email day.

week 54

Mom thought this was interesting! The lettering is crazy!!

Subject: Things to Parents

Hey everyone we had to send out an email talking about the instructions on how to send Christmas packages. We got a lot of emails back saying that the emails were wrong or did not send so we need you guys to make sure that these get out to your parents! Thank you so much! Forward these attachments to your parents.

ハロー皆さんクリスマスのパッケージの送り方についてのメールを両親に送りました。沢山のメールが帰ってきてメールアドレスが間違っているか送ることができない状態になってしまいました。なので確実に両親たちがこのメールの添付ファイルを見るように転送して下さい。ありがとうございます!

みんな愛してますよ!

ビア長老

Answers to some questions.

Thanksgiving was good actually! It was supposed to be a secret but our
whole zone showed up at the mission presidents house and we had a big feast and played a charades game
and then we had to go back because it took us like 2 hours to get
there and two hours to get back X). .

The language is fine now. Well, there is unlimited improvement to make
but I'm able to say about anything that I want unless it's a very
specific conversation and I can understand for the most part what
people say as long as they aren't speaking crazy Japanese.

Yup, we bow
all the time. Now only when you greet people but when you say goodbye
and... All the time. It's less of a bow and more of just a head nod.

The apartment is fine. Kinda cold. But it is connected to the
church so that makes things easy. We have a funky toilet though...

We are having a zone Pday today and we are
going to the aquarium with the zone so it should be fun.

Elder Brower

week 53

I could give a recap of my week but... Yesterday seems like last week
and last week seems like a year ago so I don't remember what happened
really! But, of course, every day on the mission is awesome. One
experience I had this week was talking with some members after church
on Sunday. A member had bought some "gourmet" bread that expired two
days earlier and wanted us to eat it before it "went bad" which... It
already did... But the bread was fine. But, either way, we ate the
bread but I gave them a lot of guff about eating two day old bread. :P
while we ate bread and talked, I showed them pictures of my family,
previous area, my car, my house, etc. Japanese people love that stuff!
But as they looked at the pictures, they made comments about how I
have some "aura" about me in the pictures. About how I looked
different than others because I have the knowledge that I am a child
of God and that I have a Savior. They said that now that "aura" is

even stronger but it got me thinking...
I'm so saddened when I see no happiness on other peoples' faces when
we ride trains, when we knock doors, etc. Simply, I believe that there

is a difference. There is a light that comes into our lives when we
actively believe that we are children of God. When we don't have that
knowledge, or I suppose even when we don't have the confidence that
that statement is true, that light isn't there. It can be gained no
other way. Gain that testimony that you are a child of God through
prayer, fasting, and studying the scriptures. It will brighten your
life. You will have purpose, you will have meaning, and you will have
a responsibility as well; to follow what our Heavenly Father wants us
to do.
ブラワー長老

Week 52

I feel as though this week and the beginning of this transfer has been
spent in clean-up mode. I think my mission is maybe something like
that. I'm mr. Fix it! It feels good! I come into an area that is
unorganized and I organize everything, make it all pretty and
workable, and then I move on to the next place and do the same thing
there. Because of what I've done in the area, the missionaries can now
work smoother and see miracles. In my mind, it's kinda like weeding a
garden or something. You can continue to plant and try to grow things
in a garden with a ton of weeds (the elders in the area before me who
lived in a dirty apartment, kept bad records, and were unorganized) or
you can weed the garden before planting (get organized, clean, etc)
and then what you plant will be able to grow! It's different than my
image of missionary work but if that is what God needs me to do than I
will do it! And it makes the time go really fast too so that is good.
That is what I have been doing since I've gotten here, the apartment
looks completely different now; mostly clean and organized. The record
books and whatnot have been gone through and organized but need some
serious updating (our goal for this transfer), the area map is looking
a lot better and more organized, etc.
we haven't had a lot of opportunities to go out and talk to people
this last week because we thought it important to create a solid
foundation first and build from there rather than build on "bandaid
solutions" and a weak foundation. Elder Brower

week 51 ONE YEAR MARK

So... I WILL NOT be staying in Yatsushiro for another transfer! Got
our transfer calls and I'm going to Nakatsu! Look it up! The only
things that I know are: my new comp is Elder Housekinekt (or something
like that) and he is a 4th transfer missionary but he is half nihonjin
and half American so my Japanese should get a ton better; nakatsu,
like all my other places, is pretty countryside; you live on the third
floor of the church building; the toilet is apparently really
interesting. I head out on Thursday morning my time so next week on

Monday I should have pics of the new place and whatnot. Wish me luck!

The first little while in this new area has been really good! It was
heck getting here (a train, then a bus, then a city bus, then another
train WITH all my luggage) but I got here! This area is nice. And
small. Just like all the other places I've been. We had 10 people come
to church on Sunday so... That was cool I guess. They are all like a
little family out here so the relationships and whatnot are good.
I hit the one year this week... And it has been one heck of a year! I
hope the next one goes fast too! I'm way excited to come home but way
excited for what I will get to experience here over the next year.

.I don't have any pictures right now because, well, haven't taken any!
But I will take some and send them to you.
The Goto family came to our Halloween party and had a good time. We
also had dinner with them before I transferred. They are awesome and
one of those people that I will remember for sure. Don't know about
baptism but if I hear updates I will let you know.

The last time seeing the branch presidency and whatnot in Yatsushiro!
I'm not in Kumamoto anymore so... I miss Kumamon! Ha

ブラワー長老

week 50

This week, it got cold. I've been reluctant to pull out the jackets
and scarfs but... it had to be done. We had a lot going on this week
which is always good! A lot of our effort went into having a good
Halloween Party and that turned out pretty well! Other than that, here
is a list of some of the stuff we did: went for a short power walk
with a member, translated for the two Japanese missionaries in our

district at district meeting, played chess with a member, power washed
the church building, met a fireball of a woman while housing that we
have started teaching, gave a small guitar lesson, had English class,
went housing with a return missionary (learned some good stuff),
prepped for our Halloween party, had our Halloween party, went to
dinner with an investigator we haven't met in a while, had dinner with
another investigator and had a good lesson, and had another lesson
with the Goto Family where we told them, if they were ready to, that
they could be baptized by the end of the month.
It was a good, busy week. And this transfer has flown by... Don't know

if I'm transferring just yet but I will be ok with whatever happens
this next transfer! This is a great area with awesome people and I
would love to stay with them but if another area is calling my name, I
will go and do!!
ブラワー長老

The sakamoto family (an investigator family we are meeting with)

Our Halloween party (I was missionary Kumamon)

 The extent of my drawing skills!

Our eyeball piñata. The kids thought it was the most fun thing ever!

Came across these things by accident. They are huge! They used them for
some festival in September and now they are just sitting on display.

I was not just any bear... I was Kumamon! He is a big deal here....
Like a way big deal. Everyone loves Kumamon! The party was mostly with
kids from our English class.3 years ago they
had a big deal about picking a mascot for the city of Kumamoto and
Kumamon was picked! Since then, he is on everything! Toilet paper,
body wash, t shirts, pens, everything!

This was a cool bridge we went to with some members. Also, this spider was as big as the apartment if you couldnt tell. Not really but... it was big enough for a picture! 

week 49

おはようございます！
It says goodmorning!
This week, besides the normal knocking doors and talking to people, we
had a good time! Figured out my Halloween costume for our party on
Halloween; pictures to come next week. Also, got to be farmer joe on
Saturday. We helped some members with some crazy weeds and also helped
till someone's garden and spray the moss off their house with a power
washer. Of course, that is always fun. :) things are good! Transfers
are coming up so we will see what happens! I'll let you all know next
week!
Elder Brower

week 48

Just thought you wanted to see my goofy face.

week 47

This was a fast week... We had a lot going on and I'm guessing that this next week will be about the same! For basically the first time on my mission so far, we have some kind of appointment for every day of the week set up already! I'm sure as we find new people to teach this week that our schedule will get even more full. When you are busy, time goes by really fast.

This week, we saw three days worth of back-to-back miracles. God is merciful. I had a challenge at the beginning of this transfer where I thought; "dang, I have to be here for a 3rd transfer?! This area is so small and I've done all there is to do!" Now, if I'm honest, I wouldn't be sad to stay for a fourth transfer because of all the wonderful things going on.

Our first awesome experience was on Friday. We met he 弘一郎家族 (Kouichirou Family). We were housing an apartment as usual and, when we knocked on their door, the husband came and when we introduced ourselves, he propped his door open, stepped outside and started asking us a lot of questions. This might not sound like a big deal but, in Japan, they have camera doorbells that you can talk through. So, normally, we only talk to people through those when we house. If they actually open the door, it is usually only wide enough to see one eyeball peaking through the crack. So, long story short, it was unusual for him to step right out to meet us. We talked about what we were doing in Japan and the sacrifices we make to be here and why we think it is important. He wanted us to meet his wife and low and behold, she pulled up just then! She was just as awesome as him! We talked for probably 30 minutes or so and by the end, they wanted to learn what we had to say and invited us to dinner with them on Tuesday of this week. This was one of the best experiences of my mission so far. It sounds so simple but I have never met anyone like them yet. It felt like we hadn't met each other in a long time and were just catching up with an old friend.

On Saturday, we were able to meet with an investigator family that we haven't been able to meet with recently. We showed up and nobody was home. We were writing a little not when the wife showed up! The timing of all of these experiences was amazing but... We had a really good talk with her and we set up an appointment with her and her husband on Thursday of this week.

And, yesterday, the Goto Family came to the first session of general conference. They came dressed up and when they walked in, all of the members thought that they were members from a different ward or something!

I've learned how bad I want these people to see the blessings of this gospel in their lives. After all three experiences, I could only think about that. I want them to want this gospel so bad! So I am doing all that I can to help them make the right choice.

As I've re-read this, these experiences seem like such small and insignificant things. I can tell you that they are more than that. I believe that we can choose to a certain extent to see the blessings in our lives. There are things, even in the minute details of our lives that are from God and we can choose to see them as such. Choose to see these small things as blessings from God, because that is what they truly are. God has given us ALL, so everything is his gift.

ブラワー長老

week 46

For my weekly email, I will send you my companions email win some commentary! Enjoy. He is way more exciting than me so this is probably going to be the best email so far! :)

Random note:
Something I've noticed about Japan is that there are no sprinklers
here. None at all. I've yet to even see something you hook on a hose.
Just another small thing that I never really noticed before about
Japan.

There are a lot of things that are different than America but I think we are forgetting some of those things! They have just become so normal to us now!

Life is weird as a missionary. Sometimes it feels like every day goes
by so slow, and then I look back and realize just how long I've been
gone. It blows my mind. Then of course I try to to stop thinking about
that as fast as possible, but time is flying!

Preach! So true...

This week was interesting. I'm still trying to get to know this area,
but it's coming along. Slowly but surely. Elder Brower is a good guy.
He's fun and that makes life good.

Go companion! Talking me up; how nice. I've been here in this area for 3 transfers so... We're figuring things out! 

One day we were trying to make it over from an island to a man named
Take, so we ended up going over this HUGE bridge, and it was way
sketch! We were racing up the side trying to stay ahead of all of the
cars because we didn't think there was enough room for us up there.
Fortunately, and unfortunately because we were racing for our lives,
when we got up to the top there was a small strip that definitely
wasn't made for bikes but we made it work anyway. Kinda scary because
all of the cars were going SUPER fast and there were huge semis, etc.
if that strip hadn't been there though we would've been done for. The
bridge was a lot longer than we thought. 😜 Adventure!

This was a crazy experience! I feel like Jeremy Clarkson in he camper van episode when the semi passed by his three story car! By the way... I heard hat something crazy happened and they aren't doing top gear anymore??

We were also riding over a different bridge, albeit much safer, a
couple days later and we saw a bunch of flying fish! Well 'flying' to
iu ka, they were just jumping out of the water like crazy. It was fun
to watch.

We met with the Goto family again. It was way fun and they're opening
up to me a lot more now. I like them and the three kids are way cute.
The lesson went way well and they're well on their way to baptism. I'm
pretty excited for them and they seem really willing to keep
commitments and work for it. They could receive baptism before the end
of this transfer. That's super exciting.

This family is so wonderful. They have three little kids and it is so cute to watch them fold their arms when we pray and say amen. It makes me excited for the future when I have a family of my own! We've been meeting with them and they are doing really well. We've become really good friends and I hope that we will be able to help them see the blessings of this gospel in their lives!

We were out dendoing and we ran into an old member from about twenty
years ago that went less active and moved, etc. wow. That was cool.
She is way nice and she seems to really like and appreciate the
missionaries. We talked for a while, met one of her kids, met her
husband and invited her and her family to our Halloween party that's
coming up. I really hope she comes. We're going to go back to give
here the Halloween party info. Miracles! We almost didn't go to that
area, but then we thought about it and decided that we needed to go.
That same night we also helped an old lady pull down her sons old
punching bag because it was really heavy and she couldn't do it. She
was really surprised that we were so happy to help and when we got it
all down and the rigging and all of that she was WAY happy. I love
making people smile.

We've met some really nice people this week! We met a couple at the grocery store and talked to them and they bought us some peach drinks! There are nice people! And of course, there are not nice people... But I love meeting all kinds of people who are willing to talk even if they don't have interest in the message. 

Week 45

We had transfers this last week and I'm still in the small place of
Yatsushiro Japan with an elder in my class at the MTC. We've been
seeing lots of really cool things happen so far and it's only been a
few days! This transfer is going to be about music I think. My comp
plays the piano and also brought a guitar with him so we've been
having fun!
We've been asked to push the rock. This is something that we learned
not too long ago at a training. Sometime we don't see the fruits of
our labors which is kinda like pushing a giant boulder. It doesn't
seem like our effort is worth anything but, our responsibility from
God is not to move he rock but PUSH IT! And we are pushing as hard as
we can. It's discouraging, it's exhausting, but we are doing what we
are supposed to and being rewarded for it!