week 44

Hello
So, we got our transfer calls and I will be staying in the small
little place of Yatsushiro. An elder that was in the MTC with me is
coming in and we will be working together next transfer.
Recently... Things have been the same. I'm sorry my emails have become
so lame. We've been cleaning up the area and it is definitely better
than we found it for sure.
We've been working with an awesome family recently that could use some
prayers. They are the Goto family and they are so cool. They say
I'd that they will be coming to church this next Sunday so I hope that
from there, they will continue to progress and see the blessings that
can come from this gospel.
We also had an interesting experience this week having a talk with the
leader of a different church here in Yatsushiro. They were very nice
and it was... Interesting to say the least. They basically sent a taxi
to pick us up and take us to their church and they had people bringing
us drinks and little deserts as we talked and, it was really cool! Got
to testify about the sacrifices that we make as missionaries, why we
think it is important for us to be here for two years, and our beliefs
about the Savior and the restoration of the gospel.
This is Christ's church. And because Christ is the son of God, we can
know that following what he has told us will get us back to our father
in Heaven. It IS that simple.

week 43

Things are going just fine here. We have a district P-day to day so we are going to go to the Kumamoto Castle. If I have a chance, i:ll send you pictures later. Have a good week!

week 42

Sorry, I won't do a weekly email this week because we've been sending
videos and stuff but just tell everyone things are going good here!
We're still "cleaning up" this area right now, visiting people who are
written on old records and updating things and... Cleaning up! It's
been good though! I'm enjoying Yatsushiro but I'm excited for some
other stuff coming our way!

week 41

Here is the story for the week!

A month or so ago, we were hearing talk about a typhoon coming. People here go nuts when a typhoon is coming! It could be sunny, but if people hear on the news that there is a typhoon coming, they think you are crazy for coming to their door trying to tell them about the gospel at such a perilous time as this!

So, that typhoon came but... the wind was comparable to the amount of wind that an 88 year old man creates when he is trying to cool down his soup... So much for a typhoon!

But, this is when the story gets interesting. People were crying "Typhoon typhoon!" again but, given my recent experience, I didn't believe them that it was going to be bad... So here I am, minding my own business, sawing logs at 3 in the morning when things started to get crazy. The wind was blowing like crazy, it was raining sideways, and our apartment was making all kinds of scary noises; I was thinking maybe it was the beginnings of the sequel to "Monster House." Our screen doors on the outside of the sliding doors don't lock so they were sliding back and forth making some crazy loud noises, our windows were flexing in and out because of the wind blowing so hard and yes... we didn't sleep too much that night.

We woke up the next morning, or rather, heard the alarm go off at 6:30 and received a call shortly after that the mission was on lockdown and we weren't allowed to go out of the apartment until 6pm that evening, or unless otherwise directed. The worst of it was over but it took a decent toll on Yatsushiro. Big trees were uprooted, debree was everywhere, shingles were off of houses, big signs had been blown over, washing machines were down the street. I think you get the idea.

But, we are still alive and things are basically back to normal now. It was a cool experience, and I hope you enjoyed the story. Love you all lots. Peace.

Brower Chourou

No, I wasn't scared... It was just annoying more than anything. Our
apartment is pretty nice and I trusted that it wouldn't blow away in
the wind. If I was living in an old Japanese house during the typhoon,
I probably would have been worried.

week 40

week 39

Well, I got to kill my companion on last Thursday and send him
packing! He's been home now for... A couple days which is weird to
think about. My trainer also kicked the bucket but him and his parents
are chilling here in Japan and touring some of his old areas until
like Thursday of this week. And me... Well... I've still got some
time! :) Me and my new companion, Elder Needs, are like two peas in a
far out pod; it's going to be a good transfer. We've already been
having a lot of laughs and I'm sure there are plenty to come.
This last weekend was basically the Japanese Memorial Day called Obon
(Oh-bone). It rendered housing and finding to be rather useless to say
the least so we've been doing some paperwork and cleaning up some old
records floating around our apartment. This week aught to go better
because the Obon fire will have died down some and we will be able to
knock on peoples' doors without being incredibly rude!
For my companions dying wish, we went out and got some real sushi. It
was all really good except for the yellow one on the end... Couldn't
do that one but... Anyway. Over and out.
ブラワー長老

week 38

This mission
is a time warp... If you don't think about it, the time just keeps
going! I've been flipping calendars and tomorrow is my 9 months. It's
been pretty hard recently because my companion has been packing his
stuff and gets to go home this week... That won't be me for a while!
But... I've asked him a few times if he has room in his luggage for
me. Ya, sure, I want to come home and see my family and... Basically
rest! But, is is more important right now and my time will come. It
doesn't feel like it now but it will come! My trainer, who is now my
district leader, is going home this transfer... When I came in he was
around a year and a half... It seems like yesterday! But 10 years ago!
Like I said, time warp.

We had a way fun district P-day last week. We did a white elephant
thing and I ended up with the lip pillow!

I had one of the most fun experiences this week, and it involves these
wonderful people in this picture. Story time! Every one gather around!
One night, we were knocking some doors as usual, getting told no left
and right, when suddenly, we knock on this door and are immediately
invited in my these wonderful people! At that time, it was only the
two who are standing on the right side of the picture,

but they
invited us in and we had the opportunity to share a quick message
about the restoration of the gospel with them and we set up a new
appointment for Friday. On Friday, we show up at the appointed time
and have a really good talk about some questions that they had about
the restoration pamphlet which we left behind. Time was short, but she
told us that the next day was her birthday and that they were making
special Japanese food that is only made for celebrations! They invited
us to come the next day and eat with them!
Now, this was the best...
We showed up and they said that they had friends waiting to meet us!
They were the other two standing in the picture on the left side. We
talked and laughed and, just like any respectable Japanese person, we
were offered tea! which is wonderful because it always gives us a
chance to testify about the word of wisdom. We talked and laughed and
ate and became friends and shared a little bit about what we do as
missionaries and... It was just so much fun. They are wonderful
people! And because they were nice and were willing to share something
special from Japanese culture with us, we decided to give them
something! That would be the box of mac and cheese on the table. We
invited them to church and to our free English class. They have a lot
of friends and wanted to copy one of our little fliers to hand to all
of there friends but, being the good life scout that I am (life for
life!), I had some on hand and gave them 50 or so.
This mission is full of little miracles like this. This want anything
huge, but it is a tender mercy and a small victory. It is an
experience that I never would have had if I had not come on this
mission and been here at this time. God's plan exists. He has a plan
for us all. Don't be closed to what God's plan is for you!
ブラワー長老