giving all people the chance to accept His love and the hope he promises.

Hello Family! First of all, I loved the pictures! I see that Lucky got a new collar and is still living the high life haha. Thank you :)

Second of all...That Temple Experience Sounds Amazing!!!! I don`t think it was coincidence either. I also think it`s interesting that the Ultimate driving desire wasn`t to be in the Celestial room with President Monson, but to see an old friend. And look how God answered your prayers! I`m completely blown away. That`s amazing...wow. I wish I could`ve been there! But honestly, I`d rather be here ;) It`s an interesting thing to think about. I see the family at home enjoying thanksgiving and such and all these fun cool experiences and of course I`d love to be there, but then I think about the opportunity I have to be out here as a servant of Almight God, giving all people the chance to accept His love and the hope he promises. There`s nothing better. Of course my body is always exhausted and there are experiences that I could say are slightly less than enjoyable, but I know in my heart and mind that this is what I want to do for the rest of my life. I`m giving people the chance to accept true happiness and life eternal. Whether or not I see baptisms is another matter. The fact that I have the opportunity to share the gospel is reward in and of itself. It doesn`t always feel that way, but it truly is an opportunity for us. when I start having hard times it`s usually because I forget that. Christ`s mission was the same. He came for the chance that even one person might accept His Atonement. Just for the Chance. There was no guarantee. He just wanted to make it available so that if we ever decided to, we could have true happiness. I work for the same reason. I`m here for the chance that someone decides to accept Him. I have no guarantee of any reward dealing with baptisms and such and my expectations don`t matter. The joy that I`m always trying to take is the fact that I`m counted worthy to even speak the name of Jesus Christ, let alone speak IN His name. That is reward enough. and of course I want to see "success" and baptisms and more, but when I humble myself I find out how blessed I really am to be a servant of all. I am more blessed than anyone I know :)

Well, that was a nice tangent haha. I was talking about how cool it was to go to the Temple and how the Lord answers your prayers, and I had a really interesting experience yesterday with answered prayers. I have gained a strong testimony that God answers prayers if we pray with faith. 

I prayed that I would be able to give a Book of Mormon out last night, and It was answered! But not like I expected. God has a sense of humor. We met a man in SGI (Sokagakai) who was very passionate about it and was telling us we were wrong and he has better things for us so he told to wait outside (it was freezing!) and he brought back a pear for each of us and some SGI pamplets and told us to read them. After a lot of interesting conversation we ended up giving him the Book of Mormon and he gave us the pears and the SGI stuff...really interesting experience..."you kids get no reward or results from this so join my church and you will for sure see results!"...it was really interesting haha. But my prayer was answered! So God always answers our prayers, but not always how we expect. I have plenty more testimony builders too but I have little time left.

Lastly I`ll tell you of the changes in my life as a missionary. I just got transferred to...KITAMI! It is very different from Hakodate...very different. It is one of the Most Northern areas in Hokkaido so it is freezing...so cold! Every night my hands and feet go numb while dendo-ing haha. But its a really nice place full of nice people and the ward is small but wonderful I`ve heard. I met them yesterday and they were very nice! They actually had me practice some caroling stuff after church and the director told me she wanted me to sing the Edelwiess (sound of music) song and White Christmas as a solo because their soloist dropped...so I became the soloist and the english teacher haha. The director said it was michibiki (guidance) from God that I came here haha. I love Japan and the people :P haha.

Also I became Senpai (senior missionary)! and my companion is...a Nihonjin (Japanese person) that just got out of bean training! So we`re working hard as two young missionaries :) I have a picture I`ll post and then I have to go because I`m taking so long! haha. 

I love you so much and I`ll talk to you next week! Have a great week!!!!!!

Bye Bye!

tried to get discounts at a burger shop that has connections to Commadore Perry because I was related...didn`t work

Hello Family! My week went quite well :) since our friend got baptized we`ve been trying to find more people to listen to the message, so lots of finding this week, but I`m just very glad to be a missionary :)

I saw a lot of things I want to comment on so I`ll do that right now.

First, I loved the insight dad. Thanks for always sending me things to uplift me :) Also the Japanese stuff is really interesting. I haven`t used to much of it to talk to other people, but I enjoy reading about and learning about Japan :)

Next, what was the Youth event for? Those are really cool pictures! Did I know anyone in it?

I want to go to the Boise Temple so bad when I get back! Who dedicated it?

I did know I was related to Commadore Perry! An elder in our district actually tried to see if we could get discounts at a delicious burger shop called Lucky Pierro because I was related to Commadore Perry and the shop has some connection to it. didn`t work :P 

Ah! I forgot about thanksgiving! They don`t have that in Japan. I completely forgot haha. I hope you have a great thanksgiving! Be extra thankful that we have the Gospel!

Ok, the missionary calls are just making me the happiest little elder! All my friends are leaving on missions! Ahhhh!!! I thought it was interesting that 1 was Africa, 3 were Chile, 2 were Brazil, but the last one made my day.

Spencer Lee is coming to the Japan Sapporo Mission...I love Spencer! I called the recorder in the Honbu after and he said that Spencer would be in in about 5 months. That is sooooooooooooooo coooooooooooollllllllll! I`m so excited to tell him how wonderful the mission is! Let him know over facebook if you can that this is the Best Mission in the World!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Wow...I`m so excited for him :)

Alright, now for questions:

For Christmas...I can never remember what I want because it`s usually not very important...but anything you think I`d like...probably snacks or good inspiring pictures. There are some things I don`t need, but I did just remember:

As always...Captain Crunch. I love that cereal! It`s also good for companionship kankei (relationship).

I was thinking about how delicious some "Hugs" candies would be too. I haven`t had those in a long time.

Also, there is the most beautiful CD about Jesus Christ called "Lamb of God" that an elder in our apartment has. I don`t really need anything though. I`m very happy as a missionary :) But there is some ideas :)

thank you for writing every week! I love hearing about how everything is going! I`m going to head off now, but thanks for always being so wonderful! I love you! 

Bye Bye!

It was so evident the work that God did ...help and hope. I love being a missionary!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hello Family!

It sounds like you`ve had an exciting week! I`m glad you`re enjoying vacation! Mother, I can sympathize with both you and dad. I loved the cruise and all, but I had a lot of time to think about all the things that I could be doing to improve and prepare for my mission. I really loved doing all the things I did and I would love to do it again, but I also love being really productive. I guess that`s why a mission is fun, you`re always planning to be productive and do your best even if you don`t see any immediate results.

I hope that Lisa`s family is all doing well! Tell them o-ban desu (Hokkaido-ben (language) for konbanwa (good evening)).

We did get new helmets and a new bike was sent from the honbu to elder Peterson, so now everyone has a helmet but we still only have 3 working bikes haha. What a week. 

We can`t do nearly as much here if we don`t have bikes, so it`s pretty taihen (difficult) switching off who gets to use the bikes, but it`ll all turn out how it`s supposed to :) If I had to walk everywhere like all the other missionaries around the world that I`m hearing about I think I`d die! no not really, but bikes are nice :) And it`s never about how fast or far you go, it`s that you go by the Spirit and pray that the Lord will put someone who will listen in your path.

Things here are going wonderful :) The biggest news...Our friend was able to get baptized and get confirmed yesterday!!!!!!!!!! :DDDDDDD She asked me to baptize her too, so I felt very blessed and humbled :) It was a very special experience, and her daughter wants to get baptized when she turns 8 in February...very ureshii (happy) right now :D It was amazing to see how the gospel changed her life. She gave up smoking and tea and promised to pay the law of tithing because she knew without a doubt God would bless her. She tried to stop smoking before but couldn`t on her own, but now after she tried with God`s help she said the desire was completely gone. She had no desire whatsoever. She also explained the blessings she`d gotten from stopping and it was amazing! She said the food that she eats is actually satisfying and it wasn`t before and their are loads of blessings she named off. 

It was a really special experience working with her to baptism and confirmation, and now she`s excited to go to the Sapporo Temple when it`s finished. I wish I could describe my feelings, but I really can`t. The closest thing would be gratefulness and humility because of how little I did. It was so evident the work that God did because she was sincerely seeking help and hope.

I love being a missionary!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD

父ありがとうございます。日本語で父と話す時に嬉しくなります!楽しいからけど私たちは日本語しか使わなかったら母は同する？

chichi arigatou gozaimasu. nihongo de chichi to hanusu toki ni ureshiku narimasu! tanoshii kara kedo watashitachi was nihongo shika tsukawanakattara haha wa dou suru?... :P I love speaking in Japanese :) If you want me to write in all romaji I can too. The computer just automatically turns my hiragana into Kanji.

...on that note (to iu wake de) I`m off! Today we`re having a pizza party at a ward members house so we will start dendo (finding) a little early. Thanks for the emails every week! I love you and hope you get back home safely!

Bye Bye!!!

OLD NEWS

Dear Mother,

Please Get Better!!!

Dear Father...I love you! and Mom too :) 

Hello! I don`t have a lot of time because we`ve got some plans today, so I`ll make it quick!...I feel like I say that every week :P haha. Anyways.

Jessica got a hedgehog?...huh? haha. I do remember walking the dog around the block as a family one time and Lucky found a hedgehog. That`s the only memory I have  of a hedgehog haha. That`s so cool though!

Ahh! Everyone is going on missions! This is so coooooool!

The electricity thing is a little unnerving because it`s gotten really cold here haha. I`m going out in a sweater, jacket and my outer layer of the ski jacket and still getting cold sometimes.

On the bus was a big mix of Japanese and english because the bishop`s wife speaks fluently. She`s so cool! She`s all the missionary`s best friend :) 

I do have those moments every once and a while though where I get done teaching the word of wisdom and think to myself...I`m in japan...teaching the word of wisdom...in japanese...to a nihonjin...that`s so cool! or weird...anyways haha. It`s really such an amazing thing.

Thanks for the Japanese stuff! 

Ok, so now for my week. Very short!

We went to Zone conference in Sapporo, had Elder Romney`s birthday, one of our old investigators found us again on his birthday, had a really spiritual lesson on the same day with our friend getting baptized soon (this coming sunday), have been receiving repeated answers to prayers all the time (I have no doubt in my mind God answers prayers. I would be blind if I did :P). It`s all up to how much faith we`re willing to show and the Lord`s will. So trust in God :) That`s my advice for the day haha. 

On a slightly less wonderful note, about a week ago Elder Peterson wrecked his bike into another bike, 4 days ago Elder Romney`s bike light got stolen, 3 days ago Elder Peterson and my helmet got stolen, and this morning Elder Romney`s bike got stolen...and he bought it 3 weeks ago...so we looked around the area, went to the bike shop it was bought at, are going to inform the police, and talked to the AP`s. We`re praying that this somehow turns into an opportunity to share the gospel. But It`s all in the Lord`s hands, so fear not dear family! 

Alright, well I better go. I love you so very much! Talk to you next week! 

Bye Bye!!!