Week 81 Fathers day

Old pictures from Yanai

Ya, living next to a military base is intense. There are always American military planes and helicopters flying! Sorry! We are heading out for the day because we are with our entire zone (30 missionaries) and we are going to the zoo!!

 I am the district leader down here over 2 sisters and four elders. There is also a couple missionary here too! He was a two star admiral in the military so... I'm staying on my toes!

Week 81 Fathers day

I'm doing well and ya, it is super hot here and it's crazy because we basically have double the "work load" dealing with the Japanese Ward and the military branch!

Ya, living next to a military base is intense. There are always American military planes and helicopters flying around.

Week 80

The new area is hot... And so humid. It is not even worth it to try to stay dry! Even if it is raining we just go out and get wet!

The companion is good. He is such a good missionary.

My companion is elder Johnson and he is from like... American fork I think.

Yup! It's crazy that he comes home so soon! I'm going to pull up the rear when I come home!

Hair isn't really a problem... It is just wet all the time because of the rain! I'm sure I'll be using lots of Chapstick when I get home for sure. And lotion!

Our apartment is pretty small... On the third floor and there is four of us living there. I'll try to take some pictures before next week.

 

Week 79

Saying Goodbye in Yanai!

In case you couldn't tell... I'm no longer in Yanai. I hopped on a plane and came down to Okinawa. More specifically, I'm in a place called Ginowan. But even more specifically, I'm in a place called Futenma. It is the biggest place I've been so far! There are actually people on the streets you can talk to! And they are young! And so nice! It has been incredible so far and like I came to a new mission.

There are also two colleges in our area so we've been able to talk to some of them. And! This is an area with a military base! I went to six hours of church yesterday... 3 hours of American church and three hours of Japanese church. ...AMERICAN CHURCH! And AMERICANS! It is insane and basically, everything about my mission experience has changed. That is the only way to explain it.

In case you couldn't tell... I'm no longer in Yanai. I hopped on a plane and came down to Okinawa. More specifically, I'm in a place called Ginowan. But even more specifically, I'm in a place called Futenma. It is the biggest place I've been so far! There are actually people on the streets you can talk to! And they are young! And so nice! It has been incredible so far and like I came to a new mission.

There are also two colleges in our area so we've been able to talk to some of them. And! This is an area with a military base! I went to six hours of church yesterday... 3 hours of American church and three hours of Japanese church. ...AMERICAN CHURCH! And AMERICANS! It is insane and basically, everything about my mission experience has changed. That is the only way to explain it.

 

Week 78 Memorial Day

What a Great Day to be in Hiroshima!!!!!

Week 77

Journal entries

May 13th, 2016 (Friday)
Yup, woke up this morning and thought, "huh, Friday the 13th... That's
cool." Other than that, I didn't think that it would be too bad of a
day but it turned out to be pretty nuts! Only a couple things went
wrong... We were riding our bikes today on this really small path and
my tire slipped down the edge, I started to kinda tip over, and landed
my foot right in some wet rice field. Tried to pull my foot out and my
shoe didn't come with my foot. Had to reach down and pull it out with
a nice smacking sound as it came out of the mud. The experience was
more funny than anything but got my shoe all muddy and my sock was all
muddy and wet too. From there, went to Kimoto san's house (an English
class student that told us if we came over she would give us snacks...
Gotta get those snacks!) to hang out with her and her mom. They
cleaned my shoes!! And... They broke my shoelace. Isn't that supposed
to be really bad luck or something?? Then when I got back tonight, I
realized that I don't know where my pen is at that I've had for over a
year... (Ended up finding it) AND I've had a winning streak in Jyan
Ken (Japanese Rock Paper Scissors) for prayers for nearly a week and
today I lost. Yup, interesting day! Chilling with Kimoto and her mom
was fun. We juggled stuff and ate snacks and just chilled for a few
minutes. Today we also went to the Yanagi koen (a place where people
with disabilities can work. They told boxes and stuff and we go do
service there about once a month) and folded some boxes with the
people there. They are a lot of fun to be with! And when we showed up,
they saw us through the window and they were all way excited.

May 19th, 2016
Today was actually a really good day! The grace of God was definitely
with us today. Last night, I specifically prayed that we would be
guided by the spirit and that in the place we planned on dendoing we
would find who He would want us to find. We found Ishikawa San! He has
been the most "willing to listen" person that I've met in a long time
if not on my mission. We met him at his door and he started talking
about Japanese religion and stuff but we pulled out the Book of
Mormon, testified about it, and asked him if we could share more about
it. He kinda... Wanted to but maybe didn't but he let us in and we sat
at one of the small tables in his house. We testified about the Book
of Mormon and read moroni's promise to him. He was asking about where
the Book of Mormon came from, who Mormon was, and what the promise
meant for him. Testified to him and he actually said to us, "I really
do want to hear more about this book and your church..." It was
awesome! So, we gave him a Book of Mormon, taught him how to pray
about it, marked our favorite scriptures, and then prayed with him
before we left. Unfortunately he is going to America tomorrow to visit
some relatives (go figure...) so we won't be able to meet for a month.
As we were walking away from his house elder preciado noticed that I
left my planner on his table. Opened his sliding door a little so I
could grab it and then we snuck out of there.

Week 76

Ya, it was weird talking to you guys and thinking that in six months, we will be talking all the time. Feels like I've never had the opportunity because it's been so long. Comparable to a cell phone; I can't believe I had one on me and was talking to people all day long through texting and stuff. Life changes on the mission!

I'll do my best to do my best these next six months!

Ya, being here has definitely become a sacrifice. I know that I'm going to go back and feel so selfish because I will have so much time for ME. I don't have time for me out here and that is ok. But it will be an interesting transition.

I'm doing g fine. The weather really isn't my friend right now... It's raining and the wind is blowing super hard but... We'll just stay inside all day! 

Short and sweet today! 

Week 75

Mothers Day

Just a few fun pictures!!!

Week 74

Things are good. The new companion is good. We've been doing alright. I feel like I'm working really hard though... Not necessarily harder than him but like he is still pretty young in the mission and I'm the senior comp and the district leader so he kinda takes the back seat sometimes and lets/makes me do most of everything. It's mostly because he is pretty shy but... I also don't like it when conversations get awkward so if he doesn't say something I just start talking and he never says anything so I have to keep talking! Ha. I do little experiments with him sometimes though... Like after we knock a door I see how long it takes him before he takes the initiative to walk to the next house without me doing it first. We've stood at a couple houses for over a minute and a half before I FINALLY have to step off the front of their house and walk to the next one. I also waited for him to decide where we should go the next day one time and just stayed quiet for 10 minutes and then once I thought enough time had passed I just threw together a plan and set our goals in 30 seconds and was on my knees ready to pray! I don't think he has a problem with that cause he is terrible at making decisions. We are pretty decent friends but we've got some teaching skills to work on together and although being shy and not a leader is just fine, he has to work on some of that stuff! Just wondering how to do that without ruining a relationship...

That's what's up there! Ha. Mission life isn't perfect but it is all learning experiences!

Okinawa would be cool but I don't want to go there right now, it's the middle of summer and probably as bad as St George but with humidity so... I'm alright being on the northern part of the mission right now.

My time in Yanai has been interesting. But it's been great. I feel
like the lord has placed me in areas where there are things that I
specifically need to in the time while I am here that others maybe
wouldn't do. This ranges from small things like cleaning out the
shower drain which smelled like the dump and looked way worse then
some of the Japanese food that I've had and throwing away spices that
expired four years ago to big things like changing the moral in the
ward from "missionaries find investigators and then members help" to
"members find investigators and then missionaries help." I've been
putting a lot of work into this area and doing my best because I truly
do love them. These members here are wonderful people and they are
truly my friends. It's weird how much more human people seem when you
can speak their language and understand them. Not saying that I'm
perfect (super far from it) but I've been blessed to know what I know
now and I can become friends with them because of the opportunity I've
had to come to this country and learn Japanese. "Love is all you
need."

Brower chourou 

Week 73

Haven't been feeling any aftershocks so... That's a bummer! Haven't heard anything about any other earthquakes really except there were some in Yatsushiro where I served like 8 months ago! But, everything is good I think. They pulled the sisters out of Kumamoto for a time but... I think they are back maybe.

Here we go! Transfer 12. Getting to be a salty old grandpa missionary
now but... That's not always a bad thing! I'm going to be spending at
least six more weeks in Yanai but everything else seemed like it
changed! This district has four companionships and 4 out of 8 people
transferred this week including my companion so... Big changes! Elder
Warr hopped on a plane (two planes actually) down to a little island
called Miyakojima. He's going to be sweating it out all summer down
there! I'm not prophesying anything but recently, the people
transferring out of Yanai have gone down to Okinawa so... Maybe I'm
next. We'll see.
Transfer weeks are always a little bit weird because of packing and
having to wait with members for your new companion to come in and
stuff so this week felt pretty different but we are back into the
normal pattern of missionary work so things are going good. Elder
Preciado is from California and has been in the field for about six
months. He is a way good elder and I think this will be a great
transfer.
Yanai has been an interesting place to work but I've enjoyed it a lot.
I've learned a TON about working with members and trying to be on the
same page with them so that they can help with the work. I was
surprised and didn't know what to do with this ward when I came in
because it's the biggest one I've been a part of (60 people) but I've
made relationships with these people, love them, and have been working
much better with them recently than I did when I first got here.

Missionary work is way more than just knocking on doors.

The new comp
Got to hang out with these people at a "foreigners and Japanese
relationship building" picnic.

The last picture with elder warr!

 

Week 72

Head Stone 2 paths

We've seen a ton of random animals lately: turtles, monkeys, wild
boars, frogs, raccoon dogs, etc. it's been fun!

Angela's baptism! Wasn't there but... Did the interview! :)

The earthquake wasn't even scary! It's kinda cool and just... A weird
experience. We've felt a couple smaller ones since the big one in
Kumamoto but it's not a big deal where we are at. Things are fine here
and we haven't heard much at all about what went down and what is
going on but you probably know more than me!
Also, still waiting for our call to see who, if anyone is
transferring. I feel like I'll probably stay here but I don't know
what's going to happen. Half of my district changed! Don't know what
to expect now... It's going to be interesting!

You know more than me about the earthquake. I know nothing except that it happened and that like 40 people have died. That's it. When it happened we had to make a bunch of calls and report that everyone was ok and stuff; one time was at 2 am so things have been interesting but where I am at, nothing is happening!

The kimono was fun. Ya, my companion jumped under the table when it happened and we were just standing under a door frame. It wasn't anything much but enough to feel and think it was interesting!

Our phones got like an emergency text that beat the earthquake by like 10 seconds.

Sorry, we got our transfer calls and the phone was kinda going crazy. Half of my district is transferring out. I'm staying and getting a 5th transfer missionary. My comp is flying way south to a small island in the middle of nowhere though! Ya, I'll probably have to say bye soon. Everything is good here!