week 68

Yup, 8 months... It's going by fast!

The week has been good I guess. Honestly kinda the same as usual. We go out and try to talk to people and share the gospel literally everyday for at least 3 hours, sometimes 8! 

We see the ocean like... Everyday! It's pretty cool!

I'm sorry, I've been trying to take more pictures but they are on my camera and I don't have the cord.

Thank you for everything!

 

week 67

I was able to realize this week that I will not be as ready to come
back to America in 8 months as I thought. America is... So different.Got to go onto the American Military base in Iwakuni, Japan this week.
It was literally like walking from Japan into America. The first thing
I noticed were the sidewalks! They were so... American. And there were
so many white people speaking English. And there was Taco Bell and Dr.
Pepper and Subway foot longs and... It was too much. Coming home in
November is going to be a challenge; probably more so than I thought.
Also, it's monkey season in Yanai, Japan. We saw some the other day
and they are big, red faced, scary looking primates. Might not be
taking any more runs through to forest!
Brower chourou

week 66

 I'm learning a lot in Yanai. On that list so far... (Just from this week)

- A $150+ ping pong paddle really does make a difference (and yes,
they do make ones that are more expensive than that)
- When you are assigned to serve in a small area, you are bound to run
into some members by accident and have to pretend like you visited
them on purpose
- I don't sound as Japanese as I thought. I'm not bad but I called
somebody on the phone and I asked if so-and-so was there and they
said,"so-and-so! It sounds like some white guy but I don't know who it
is..."
- Crazy ladies love English class and white, young, American
missionaries so much that they bring us homemade snacks and store
bought treats every time (trying to fatten us up or something... Might
be part two of Hansel and Grettle)
- You know you are riding up a mountain when you are in the lowest

gear on your bike and you have to lean forward to keep your front tire
on the ground
- Japanese healthcare is ridiculously cheap!
- Japanese punks are nicer than I thought. But they are still punks.

Being in Yanai has really proven to be a learning experience. A really
fun learning experience! And I've learned a lot over these past four
weeks. One thing that has been really well learned this week, along
with the things listed above, is how much comfort comes with having
the Holy Ghost as your constant companion through living the
commandments and doing what God wants you to do. The Holy Ghost is
something that I don't fully understand but, I know that it has been
promised by God that this Holy Ghost will be with us as we are doing
what he has asked. Simple. I've learned that you can plan all week for

a district meeting, pray about it one night, and completely change
everything that you had planned because the spirit impresses upon you
that it needs to be different. I've felt that even though you aren't
sure how a teaching visit is going to go that you can still walk in
there with confidence knowing that you did what you could to prepare
and you prayed so, because of that, the spirit will be with you. These
are just a couple experiences that I've had to clarify this concept
for me this week but how cool is the Holy Ghost? It is honestly a gift
from God and even if you have zero confidence in yourself, you can
have confidence in God as long as you are doing what he has asked. He
doesn't ask much. He gives back 100 fold of what he asks for. You can
choose to believe me or you can test it out for yourself. He'll be
there ready and waiting!
ブラワー長老

 BTW

 I got to ride on the Shinkansen (the bullet train) for the first time

last week! It wasn't as exciting as it sounds but it was pretty cool.
There was a guy handing out free beer to everyone... It was only 7 in
the morning... But it's five-o-clock somewhere right?! Ha.

week 65

 February 6th, 2016
It's interesting how I can sit down in my futon 5 minutes before 10:30
and say that I've had a good day. It's really interesting because I'm
a missionary! And it was fast Sunday! And this stuff is hard and we
are going all day long! But, today was a good day. We woke up, got
ready, and had some studies. Church was pretty great. This ward seems
pretty awesome and I'm grateful to see everyone coming to church,
bearing testimony, and receiving the blessings that come from being a
member. In my previous areas, the members have been slim and, although
I'm so happy that those few people are receiving the blessings from
this gospel, you can't help but wish that there were so many more
people at church. I still have those feelings here in Yanai but I am
particularly happy that so many people in this area are being blessed
by the gospel. With all that being said, so many people are coming to
church that I can't keep track of everyone! This is a new experience!
I've somewhat taken upon myself the responsibility of being the
"greeter" when people come in so that I get to meet them and talk with
them briefly so that if I don't have any other interaction with them,

at least I was able to make some kind of connection. That somewhat
makes me feel like we are neglecting people but... But not really
because they have home teachers and we, as missionaries, can't visit
everyone all the time. I've been struggling with accepting these new
challenges in this new area. However, I love it. This is probably the
best part of my mission thus far (even though it is all the best...
Right??). After church, me and Elder Warr and Nanba Kyoudai went out
and had some Dendo time til dinner; it was fun being able to Dendo
with him and the time went by fast. It was also pretty sunny and
somewhat, somewhat warm today so that helped out too. We came back,
had some dinner, and then headed out the door again. I'm wishing that
there was more to say beyond that about the 6 hours of Dendo time that
we had but... Such is Dendo life. Today was a good day. I'm tired but
I'm not. I fasted and was hungry but, I wasn't really. God works in
mysterious ways and although I missed out on energy from calories, I
almost feel like I have more energy without it. Pday tomorrow.
Hallelujah. Out.

week 64

February 6th, 2016
It's interesting how I can sit down in my futon 5 minutes before 10:30
and say that I've had a good day. It's really interesting because I'm
a missionary! And it was fast Sunday! And this stuff is hard and we
are going all day long! But, today was a good day. We woke up, got
ready, and had some studies. Church was pretty great. This ward seems
pretty awesome and I'm grateful to see everyone coming to church,
bearing testimony, and receiving the blessings that come from being a
member. In my previous areas, the members have been slim and, although
I'm so happy that those few people are receiving the blessings from
this gospel, you can't help but wish that there were so many more
people at church. I still have those feelings here in Yanai but I am
particularly happy that so many people in this area are being blessed
by the gospel. With all that being said, so many people are coming to

church that I can't keep track of everyone! This is a new experience!
I've somewhat taken upon myself the responsibility of being the
"greeter" when people come in so that I get to meet them and talk with
them briefly so that if I don't have any other interaction with them,
at least I was able to make some kind of connection. That somewhat
makes me feel like we are neglecting people but... But not really
because they have home teachers and we, as missionaries, can't visit
everyone all the time. I've been struggling with accepting these new
challenges in this new area. However, I love it. This is probably the
best part of my mission thus far (even though it is all the best...
Right??). After church, me and Elder Warr and Nanba Kyoudai went out
and had some Dendo time til dinner; it was fun being able to Dendo
with him and the time went by fast. It was also pretty sunny and
somewhat, somewhat warm today so that helped out too. We came back,
had some dinner, and then headed out the door again. I'm wishing that
there was more to say beyond that about the 6 hours of Dendo time that
we had but... Such is Dendo life. Today was a good day. I'm tired but
I'm not. I fasted and was hungry but, I wasn't really. God works in
mysterious ways and although I missed out on energy from calories, I
almost feel like I have more energy without it. Pday tomorrow.
Hallelujah. Out.