I have a new companion!

Hola Gozaimasu! that`s Spanglanese for I love being a missionary! :P

Hello! It`s so good to hear from you!

Well it sounds like you`ve had a pretty busy week! You`re an o tsukare-mama! (usually o tsukare-sama but I thought mama was clever haha). It`s always fun to here about your adventures at work. What made you want to start working again? Just all the kids being out of the house?

I can`t believe camp is basically over! I don`t know how it went for you, but the time here blasted by for me. I`m almost 1/4 into my mission! I don`t feel like I`ve accomplished enough! I need to work harder! ;P It`s an interesting feeling. I`m studying, preparing, and going out everyday, but I never really feel that prepared haha. I`ve never studied more in my whole life and I feel way less prepared. I`ve actually been getting up an hour early to do some extra study for japanese usually or whatever the day has in store. Still not feeling prepared :P But that`s why there are so many wonderful scriptures with promises about just opening your mouth and the Lord will fill it. I`ve actually been in situations where I had no idea what to do...so i just opened my mouth...unfortunately I think the Lord wants us to say something too. I imagine it looks pretty weird seeing a 198 centemeter tall gaijin biking around with his mouth open :D surprisingly I havent swallowed any bugs yet. They do like to fly into my eyes though. Not sure why...that was a pretty random thought...well tonikaku :P

Say hi to Wren for me! Ask him for any advice as well! Love you!

 

I`ve had the opportunity to give one or two elders in my apartments blessings for health, but other than that just trusting the Lords promises and praying a lot. The Blessings are always ana mazing experience though. Everytime I am about to give a blessing i feel very humbled. Not inadequate, but very reliant. I realize how little power I have alone, but how much power and responsibility the Lord has given me. It`s a very interesting moment.

 

I could definitely use those Dad! the way I usually hear the surprised one though is Bikkuri shita. It`s pretty common. There is actually a restaurant called Bikkuri Donkey (surprise donkey) that`s everywhere! I`ve never been to it, but it always gives me a laugh when I see a big donkey sign haha.

I love your insights dad. I was actually looking in D&C 138 the other day and found it very interesting. I didn:t think about that though. That`s a very interesting thought. I find it harder to think really deeply here because there is so much to think about all the time, so sometimes I write all mly thoughts on paper and then prioritize which ones I can think about when haha. I love thinking about the pre earth life though. What our life was like, our relationships with others, our ability to grow, events we were involved in...crazy stuff.Sister Hall (Mens Chorus Teacher) actually talked about how she thinks she was one of the angels that sang at Christ`s birth. I liked that :) Well I hope you have a wonderful time at camp! Work hard! Love you!

 

Well, I`ll try my best to get in everything before I have to go! We`re going out to get goched (fed for free!) by an investigator. I haven`t met her yet but she apparently isn`t terrible strong. I`ll get to meet her at a yakiniku grill in her yard tonight though! We don`t have too much going on here right now but we`re really going to work hard to build up everything!

We have an investigator that has heard a lot and understands but doesn`t believe a lot of what we say about God and Christ. We`re having him test out commandments right now though. So far he`s doing good with the word of wisdom and we`re going to teach him again next week.

As for other adventures, we`ve talked to a lot of nice people housing. We met a lady in her garden and told her we were missionaries and she just kind of blew us off, but then I noticed she was doing some gardening so I complimented her on her garden and she opened right up! She let us come in, look at her garden, eat some strange but delicious berries off of her bush, and even let me cut a little piece off of her tree to help! (I told her I missed doing gardening in Boise :P Which I really do! I want a garden when i get back). She listened to lits bits of our message but said her head was too hard to understand it and didn`t want to meet :( She was so nice and I`m sure we`ll see her again so maybe next time :) 

Also yesterday there was a man who came to church by himself and so we stuck around with him at church! It was great and he wants to hear more! He came to a church party thing afterwards for another 2 hours as well. He seems like he may have a couple hard things in his life, but we`re going to do our best to help him come closer to Christ and feel that love and healing.

The Lord really does answer prayers and bless us more than we ever realize :) what ana mazining thing. All of the things I was taught as a child are really becoming real now. I understand more than ever that the Lord is there and very involved in my life. I have to rely on him everyday in so many ways. I`m learning how to trust in His promises. It takes a lot of work though I`ll tell you what. It`s never been so hard to pray in my life. After planning at night you`re just ready to die on the futon, but I`m doing my best and realizing how important the effort is. I`m trying my best to show the Lord I am worthy of the blessings that He`s pouring out on my head.

 

Just a few other things. I have a couple pictures I want to put on. Just some adventures. For excercise the past couple mornings I`ve biked to the beach in the morning with another elder in the apartment (Elder Sims). It`s been really fun getting to know him :) Also my companion loves pokemon, so today we got a picture with a very special person. You`ll see...I was kind of excited too :P We also talked to a worker there who lived in california and might come to eikaiwa! That`s all I can remeber for now.

I love you all sooooooooooo much! Tell collette and the kids and jill and kellie and everyone I love and miss them!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Bye Bye!

So I got my tenkin call on tuesday and I`m going to...drum role... ... ...

Hello Family!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So I got my tenkin call on tuesday and I`m going to...drum role... ... ... Hakodate (はこだて)!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Actually I`m emailing from the church in Hakodate right now! :D When I found out I was coming here everyone told me that Hakodate is like the retirement home for missionaries. Even Evans Shimai said that before I left for here! haha. I didn`t realize how right they were till I got here. It`s soooooo beautiful! The town is big but not too big and it`s right on the edge of the ocean so there`s a cool ocean breeze and it`s just a really nice place. I`ve only been here one day and this is my impression :P I`m so excited for this transfer!!!!!!!!! Ahhhhh!!!!!! haha.

Usually all the missionaries transfer on thursday at what they call the tenkin spot (transfer spot). It`s at the Sapporo Eki in the heat of the town. I got to go to pick up my new companion! His name is Kimball Choro from Dallas, Texas! He`s so cool and I`m so excited to be working with him! He thinks of himself as a little nerdy, but that just means I can show my nerdy side a little more :P but we didnt leave on thursday like missionaries usually do. We stayed in Oodori until sunday after church because of the big Ongaku no Yube saturday night at the stake center. We streeted for a couple days while we were there and because his Bike was in Hakodate we took a mamachatti from the Honbu and I rode it so he could take my bike. Unfortunately, I must be getting fatter because we were about a 20minute bike ride from home and my back tire popped and the tube got tangled in the back wheel so I had to carry the bike back to the Honbu for an hour...I felt like a beast :P Kimball Choro and I had lots of good time to talk though so it was kinda nice :)

 

But the Ongaku no Yube was soooooo much fun! I was able to sing in almost all of the songs and even had a duet for one of them! I didn`t get any recordings, but Sister Evans had it recorded so they`re going to make a mission CD! I`m so excited to hear how it sounds! It probably won`t be out for a while, but I definitely want one. After that we went to church in My new Companion`s bean area )out in Higashi (east Sapporo). He got to see his convert and we met two nice people from taiwan there (they may try to friend me on facebook. If they do go ahead and let them in! His name is either Jason or Q haha). If you don`t understand then don`t worry about it :P They want me to come visit them in taiwan after my mission by the way :P After church we went to the sapporo eki and caught our train. It was about a 3 hour ride and it was great time to bond with my new Doryo. He`s very different from my dad (trainer Davis Choro) but a great missionary none the less. His desires are great and so we`ll see lots of miracles :)

 

So this last week in Oodori has been crazy. We had an extra person in our companionship (Brubaker Choro) from sunday till thursday (tenkin day) because his companion became AP and had to come to Oodori to be trained. We had so much fun as a sannin! (3 person companionship). We did a lot of great work. 

The best part of our week together though was when we taught our beloved taxi driver friend Suzuki San. His baptismal date was set for September, but he told us in our lesson that he knew all of what we were saying was true so we moved the baptismal date to this coming sunday! I don`t get to see it, but just that fact that he`s going to recieve the blessings of baptism brings me so much joy! It`s amazing how the Lord`s hand is involved in things. I found him on a day that I wasn`t feeling so great and when I talked to him I was having so much trouble speaking Japanese and it was probably the worst converstion in the world, but when I asked him if he wanted to hear more he very humbly accepted, and now he`s getting baptized...wow. I`m constantly amazed by how little I can do without the Lord and how merciful He is to those who are humble and come to him. I`m constantly pondering the miracle Suzuki san is and I`m so excited for the blessings the Lord has in store for him :)

 

So that`s been my week. Way fun :)

 

I bet the kids had fun up in Robie Creek! I`ve always wanted to go up there during the summer and play in the river! We`ll all have to go again when I get back!

I kind of recognize the names but I don`t think I knew them well at all. I`m really grateful that I had all the family close by in Boise though. That made growing up even more enjoyable. PLaying cards at grandma and grandpa`s house on Sunday nights will always be one of my fondest memories :)

Dad got to baptize him! That`s wonderful! I`m so happy for him!

Aww, I miss Jessica so much too! It`s funny how good of friends we became over the past couple years. Tell her I love her and there are still great times ahead :)

I have had fanta melon since I`ve been here! They have vending machines everywhere! Literally everywhere! In the most random places they`ll just have a vending machine. On the sides of rodes, back streets, in the middle of nowhere. I guess they have hot chocolate in them too for the winter. I`m excited for that! And I`m excited to try out my winter clothes! They`ve just been taking up suitcase space up till now.

Seth is going to Boise Idaho! If you see an Elder Hoyt say hello to him from me! He`s a good friend from college!

 

I wish I could go to girls camp and eat that death by chocolate with you dad. I get good little snacks here at the konbini`s but nothing that good haha.

I haven`t felt any earthquakes yet. I sleep too hard at night :P haha. 

As always thanks for the Japanese! I`m most happy that I understand more andmore everytime I get them from you and sometimes I already know ;) If you have any good study methods I`d be interested to hear! I keep changing mine which is good  but I love to hear new ideas all the time! I`m always asking other missionaries how they study.

 

Thanks for everything! I have to go register my geijin card now! I love you all sooooooooooooo much! 

 

Mata ne!

. Even when we feel inadequate we should do our best to take all the opportunities that the Lord sees fit to bless us with.

Ohio Gozaimasu!

 

How is everyone? I'm doing great! Transfer calls come tomorrow so everyone is really excited. Olsen Choro (the honbu elder) knows what's happening to me and he said he wishes he was me, so I'm so excited to find out what things are ahead! I really want to leave Oodori so I can see the rest of Hokkaido and stuff, but I also want to stay because we have so many great things happening here!

We went to a baptism with our friend and then he came to church the next day, and he's just doing great! His baptism is at the beginning of September and I'm really excited for him. he's a taxi driver who's been through a lot and wants to build his life so he can help others. A very humble man who's just loving and happy and nice :) He bought us ice cream at a konbini (food shop like a gas station but no gas, just food haha. They have them everywhere here!). I'm very excited for him to receive the blessings of baptism :)

 

That's way exciting mom! I've got a new view on opportunities since I've been out here. Even when we feel inadequate we should do our best to take all the opportunities that the Lord sees fit to bless us with. It's a great opportunity to learn and grow and have fun :) I hope everyone is having fun at home! It's fun to hear about the painting and the kids and the youth in our ward! It's great to see that they're growing :) Tell them that if they want to strengthen their testimonies, read the Book of Mormon everyday and look for the blessings this gospel has brought their lives. For me it's innumerable. My life would be nothing without the blessings of God's gospel in my life.

 

As for the questions:

 

I did get the recipes! And I haven't tried any haha. I will when i have more time on Mondays, but right now we practice every monday for the upcoming Ongaku no Yube so we don't have any time to do anthing else ha. I will soon though!

All letters and stuff have to go through the Main office because we could transfer at anytime. Sorry! But I should get everything eventually :P

 

As for the week, I kind of told our really cool experience already. We are being really blessed.

 

I can't believe camp is almost over! I Nazukashii! It's so good to hear about it! I actually got a letter from the candy chicks the other day. Tell them thank you for Rupert the Giraffe! They'll know what I'm talking about :P haha. Thank you so much for the japanese!

I do have a question. You never did a day of housing after that one day? REally? Not even after appointments fell through or what not? What did you do your whole mission for finding? 

I hope you're loving camp, even when you fall asleep talking to scout masters! :P I loved that story by the way haha. Thank you so much! I love you!

 

Well, Davis Choro and I are going to make a going away cake right now, so I'll have to cut this short. We're probably not going to be companions anymore so we have to have a cake! It must be done :) Tell grandpa perry thank you for his email! I wish I could email him back, but I'm not supposed to so let him know I love him and I'm excited to play cards with him too! 

 

I love you all sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo much!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I can't even begin to tell you how much :) I can't believe how fast this mission is going! I'll see you soon! Bye Bye!

Konbanwa!I got to go with Asai Choro and stop people on the streets with my gaijin(foreigner) power and he would capture them with his Nihongo(Japanese) (great combo).

Konbanwa! O genki desu ka? I'm genki :D Kore kara senshu no katsudou o tsutaemasu!...tabun kakimasu :P Tsutaetara ii desu keredemo kakukoto wa daijoubu desu.

 

This week was fun but pretty taihen. I did splits with different elders for most of the week. I went with the elders in our apartment and it was always way fun, but it threw off our schedules and everything. I got to go with Asai Choro and stop people on the streets with my gaijin power and he would capture them with his Nihongo (great combo). Then I went with Yanez Choro for two days straight and it was interesting ha. Yanez Choro is such a goof. Way fun though haha.

 

But a lot of great things have happened this week! While I was gone Davis choro got two baptismal dates with two of our new friends. One is Indian and the other is such a huge miracle! His name is Fuji san! He called me on splits and I was with a bean that was on his first transfer from Finland, so I answered the phone and had no idea what he was saying for a while, but then I started to understand and it turnes out we handed him a chirashi (little card with our information) and he wanted to know how to make his life better and know how to be more happy. He's had a way hard life and we called him the other day to encourage him to pray and he prayed with us over the phone! It was so amazing! I love this work :)

 

Every once and a while I get a little frustrated because I don't understand the language as I wiould like, but that will come. Until then I'll work hard and do my best! 

That quote that you told me really means a lot chichioya. sometimes its hard to work hard because you feel inadequate, but I'll be working my best and growing all I can. I may be getting a companion in a week and a half so we'll see what happens! Maybe it'll be a Nihonjin and I'll be forced to speak Japanese all the time! I hope it's a Nihonjin! I love all the Nihonjin friends i've made here. It's so fun to talk with them and break the barrier of language! 

By the way, I think we're reading in the same place in the Scriptures dad. I got through Alma 23 today :) Fun!

 

The last couple P-days have been really busy preparing for the Ongaku fireside on the 21st. Evans Shimai (Kaicho's wife--mission mom...not nearly as cool as you of course. Not even close becasue I lov eyou soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo much!!!!!!!!!!) found out that I love to sing music and she loves that I can sight read (thank Mr. Lapp for me please!). It's been such a blessing in music it's not even funny. But I'm singing all sorts of different songs. I have a duet in "If you could Hie to Kolob" and I'm singin in a quartet for I believe in Christ and its soooooooooooooo fun! I love singing!!!!!!!!! It really brings the Spirit :) 

 

I'm glad to hear how everyone is doing! It's sad that lucky is getting old, but I guess it happens to all of us. Sometimes I feel old...then I laugh and feel silly :P

The firework Dekigoto (occurence, event) is so funny! I wish I could have seen that!

 

Thank you for the Japanese dad!

I talked to president Evans about your missionary experience with the Zone Leaders and asked him if that's why I'm with Davis Choro (He's Zone and District leader). He just laughed haha. It's been fun with Davis Choro and I'm excited for the other great times ahead with new experiences :)

 

As for your questions:

Language- The Language is coming and I can understand a lot more. It's amazing how fast it's coming. Everyone is telling me how umai (good) I am. Everyone we talk to on the streets :) I have been so blessed and I'm excited to learn even more!

Letters- I've been getting some letters from my other Elderly friends (get it...Elder-ly :P). Not many from anyone else. Except one today from a college friend! I never got the second box you talked about. Just the peanut butter. But thank you for that! It was fun scooping peanut butter out of a bag :P

P-day- Not really anything to crazy. We go out to eat and stuff. Today we went out for sushi with a potential investigator and ate baskin robins after. It was delicious! I love sushi! I ate cooked Eel!!!!!!!!! and It was sugoku Oishi!!!!!! I love japanese food :P Weird I know. You wouldn't recognize me now ;)

Cooking- I know how to make rice...cut vegetables...and cereal :P haha. Not really anything else. I can make it up though. Rice is everything here. We just make rice then cut up vegetables and meat and put it on a frying pan and pour it over the rice with sauce :) But I'm sure I'll learn a little more eventually. We tried to make Indian Nan one day and it turned out like pancakes haha. Still good though :)

 

By the way dad, Sore de gaman suru shika nai is the most shizen way of saying it I guess (I just asked). Thank you so much!.

 

Well, kore kara kaeru to omoimasu. Tabun tabetari hanashitari...netari :P No I won't sleep, but I'm off! I love you all so much!!

 

Bye Bye!

If there's anything you need...well...just let God know and he will help!

I've been diligently writing in my journal, but I'm always forgetting things! I think it's because I always feel so rushed and such. We work long and hard. This week was pretty hard. We had a lot of lessons planned but only 2 of them came through so we did a lot of streeting. And since we're in the city there isn't much housing to be done so sometimes the streeting seems endless. But we're always working to find new people who will listen! And we're always seeing blessings :)

 

Yesterday Davis Choro and I split to go to two different wards because we had investigators coming. The one that came to my ward is really interesting. He gave us back the book of mormon we gave him and asked if we had something easier to read so we gave him all the pamplets. He's really interested in the Plan of Salvation and actually made his own chart according to what he thought the plan of salvation was, but it had a lot of things that were incorrect so we're going to correct them next time we meet. He's really quite interesting. The first time I met him on splits he asked me if I was from the church that doesn't marry and I said "Heck no I definitely want to marry!" And so he invited us to his house to teach him. I'm not sure how much interest he has, but he wants to learn and I'm excited to teach him :)

 

Tell grandma that I'm really excited to play cards with her after my mission! I can't believe I've already been a missionary for 5 months! It's crazy! I don't have that much time left! I need to keep going and find the people who are ready! I'm amazed by how fast this is going.

 

That makes me feel good! I miss doing the Grizzly Hunt! Nazukashii! Maybe the Mitchell no yona staffer could do it! :P I don't know. Just make sure they go all out! How is Lisa doing by the way? I hope good!

 

I actually read Alma 17 this morning about Ammon and the kings sheep. It really inspired me. I've been a little less focused because of all the finding and streeting we're doing sometimes and I forget that I really am connected to the Lord when I remember my purpose: To invite others to Come unto Christ... Ammon was fearless and knew that he was on the Lords errand so he just went up to those guys and started throwing rocks at them and smiting their arms off and such! Maybe I should try that for dendo...hmm...:P Jodan! But I really do need to remember to be fearless and remember my calling. I'm excited to keep learning and growing :)

 

I'm not sure what a venetian blind is, but I'm giong to start using Yorokonde so itashimasho!(from dad's comments) Thank you so much! I love you all sooooooooooo much! If there's anything you need...well...just let God know and he will help! :)

See you later! Happy 4th of July! Take lots of pictures and enjoy playing KYB on the shores of McCall!

 

Bye Bye!